Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender

---

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5) — HAPPY WIFE: Age-Gap Romance, Winter Park Drama, and a Killer Who Actually Surprised Me (Kind Of) 💍🔪

---

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

This book contains:
💔 Domestic violence
🩸 Death and murder
💊 Substance use
💬 Sexual content
🎭 Emotional manipulation
⚖️ Toxic relationships

Please read with care if any of these topics are sensitive for you. 💛

---

🧠 My Thoughts Before the Summary

I’m honestly surprised this book’s average rating is hovering around 3.7 — in my humble opinion, that feels a tad low. I went in expecting something “fine,” and ended up having a good time.

First off: I love an age-gap romance, and since I’m in one myself, maybe I’m just naturally drawn to these dynamics. So the premise — young woman meets older, wealthy, charming man — is familiar, yes, but also one of my favorite tropes when it’s done well. And here? It worked.

Sure, some parts of the story felt recognizable (Winter Park social politics! Disapproving ex-wife! Secrets under immaculately landscaped lawns!), but I especially enjoyed all the writing around courtship, luxury, Michelin restaurants, tasting menus… yeah, the authors clearly know the way to my heart.

And the mystery? I had a handful of theories going, so while I wasn’t shocked-shocked by the end, I also didn’t fully predict it. That’s honestly all I can ask for in a domestic thriller.

⭐ 4 out of 5 stars — a fun, fast, glossy thriller with the perfect amount of neighborhood chaos.

---

🚨 Spoiler Warning

The full plot summary below contains MAJOR spoilers. Proceed at your own risk!

---

📚 Overview

Happy Wife (2025) by Meredith Lavender & Kendall Shores is a debut domestic thriller set in the wealthy—and deeply petty—world of Winter Park, Florida. When 28-year-old Nora Somerset’s much older husband goes missing, the social circles, the media, and even the police treat her as the obvious villain.

But oh, if only it were that simple.

The novel explores grief, gossip culture, the power of cliques, and how privilege shields the wrong people while exposing the vulnerable.

---

💍 The Disappearance

Nora throws her 46-year-old husband Will Somerset a glamorous birthday party, but the tension is already simmering beneath the surface. Will’s law partner Fritz Hall III is acting weird, Will’s ex-wife Constance is watching her like a hawk, and Nora’s only real friends are her neighbor Este and the caterer Marcus.

After the party, Will gets a phone call and steps out for a quick errand… and never returns.

The next morning, his side of the bed is untouched. Nora assumes work took over — but when he doesn’t come home by the following day, panic sets in. Fritz arrives, demanding answers, and pushes her to file a missing-person report.

---

🔍 The Investigation Begins

Nora quickly realizes she can’t trust many people, especially when she discovers:

• Constance is leaking information to the press

• Will’s secretary hints at tension between Will and Fritz

• A mysterious number leads back to Dean Morrison, a PI who died days earlier

• Will never actually called his daughter Mia the night he vanished

Piece by piece, the situation becomes murkier.

Then Will’s body is found in a canal. And everything breaks open.

---

🖤 Flashbacks: The Truth About Nora and Will

We learn that:

• Will and Nora met at a country club where she worked

• Their relationship caused gossip from day one

• Will’s ex-wife once broke into his home and stole his best wines (iconic unhinged ex behavior)

• Will secretly struggled at work and became increasingly controlling

• Marcus and Nora’s near-kiss caused tension between Will and his law partner

• Will threw a lead tumbler at Nora during one of their fights

Despite all this, Nora reconciled with him… and planned a perfect birthday party as a fresh start.

---

🔨 Clues, Lies, and a Hammer Under the Dock

Detective Ardell becomes increasingly suspicious of Nora, especially when:

• Marcus hugs her at Will’s funeral

• Missing money surfaces at the law firm

• A hammer found under her dock matches Will’s head wound

Nora herself starts to spiral — accusing Marcus, confronting Constance, and digging up secrets faster than the police.

But eventually, the truth comes into view:

• Will hired Dean Morrison to investigate Fritz

• Fritz found out and ran Dean off the road

• Fritz was hiding massive debt by opening credit lines in Will, Nora, and even Mia’s names

• Autumn (the party planner) reveals Fritz was having an affair

• Will discovered it and threatened to tell Gianna

• Gianna panicked and killed him using the sapphire from her ring as the murder weapon

Gianna is arrested. Fritz is arrested. Their law firm collapses and is sold. Nora inherits a fortune she never asked for.

---

💬 Final Thoughts

Happy Wife is a glossy, drama-heavy thriller with all the delicious staples of the genre:

• Rich people behaving terribly

• Secrets behind luxury facades

• A dysfunctional marriage unraveling in real time

• A heroine who is both underestimated and unfairly judged

Is the story familiar? Yeah, a bit. But the writing is fun, the pacing is quick, and the Winter Park vibe is chef’s kiss domestic noir. As someone who loves an age-gap romance and a high-society crime mess, this absolutely hit the spot.

⭐ 4/5 — a juicy, fast-paced thriller with food, fashion, and fabulous drama.

---

📚 If You Liked Happy Wife, Try These:

💎 The Wife Between Us — Greed, jealousy, and a twisty marriage web
🍾 The Club — A luxury setting full of secrets and lies
⚖️ The Last Mrs. Parrish — Age gap, wealth, and women pushed to the edge
🌴 Wife Swap (Tarrare) — Florida drama with dark twists