March 5, 2020
GoodReads Giveaway
261 pages, Kindle edition
Mystery, suspense, DRC, fiction
3/9/20-3/16/20

The Trophy Wife motivates a usually timid Cat Cabot to become entangled in a web of deception and misunderstandings. She doesn’t live an exotic lifestyle or have many friends aside from her boyfriend Sean. Her complicated family history haunts her present life preventing her from forming meaningful relationships.

While working at an upscale Gloridian boutique, she meets Odessa DuVernay, a woman similar to her usual trophy wife clientele. Many wandering in to purchase just the right gift or trinket with cost being of no concern. When Odessa begins to take an interest in Cate she is suspicious but flattered. She can’t imagine how a woman with her resources would want to befriend her.

Eventually, Cate agrees to meet up with Odessa despite the owners policy against fraternizing with customers. Things seem to be going well and Cate actually feels a kinship and begins to over share. When Odessa suddenly rushes out on her and then ghosts her, Cate realizes that she really know much about Odessa.

Cate had been ignoring the warnings from her mother and boyfriend about trusting this woman she barely knows. Cate begins to question Odessa’s motives as well but can’t seem to extricate herself from the evolving mystery regarding Odessa. Google searches and other investigating come up empty as as if she doesn’t exist.

Meanwhile, a view into Odessa’s life is offered by Zsophia who apparently lives as unpaid “help” for the DuVernays as she is an illegal citizen from Russia. Her mother had worked for the DuVernays before she abandoned her in the care of her employer. Eventually, the DuVernays adopted her and raised her as their own until Zsophia becomes pregnant by Mr DuVernay’s brother Brian. Mrs DuVernay decides to raise Alvinia as her own forbidding Zsophia from exposing that she’s the biological mother. She presents a very different version of the DuVernay family than Cate has experienced.

Cate begins a journey of her with Sean by her side to meet her biological father. Her mother never told her much about him and refused to discuss the past. A trip to Rhode Island opens a Pandora’s box for Cate who then has to wrestle with the truths and lies she experienced as a child.

Amidst her own personal revelations, Cate receives a frantic call from Odessa to meet her at a café. When Odessa doesn’t show up Cate is baffled and upset deciding that she needs to distance herself from Odessa. Not matter how she tries Cate can’t seem to worry that Odessa is in trouble and begins to investigate.

Sometimes things are better left untouched. Once a mystery is present and lies are uncovered it makes it difficult for a resolution to occur. How well do we know the people around us? Even more so if we can’t trust our own inner circle what makes us think we can trust acquaintances. What lengths are you willing to take to uncover someone else’s lies?

Just when you think you know where this story is going it takes a turn in a different direction. Then, don’t get settled because it doesn’t end where you think it will!
( )