Summer’s life changed when she met and married Gabe Keaton. He had been recently divorced and trying to figure out how to be a good coparent to his toddler son Henry. They met at a wine bar, and then when he showed up at a small play she had mentioned she was in, she knew he was a keeper. But it’s not just Gabe and Henry that she fell for. Summer fell in love with the whole family.
Every summer. the whole family gets together for a week at Gabe’s parents estate. Claire and Ash have done everything they can to create a beautiful and welcoming home. The main house has a number of guest rooms and a pool out back, but there is also the carriage house that they recently renovated and a small cottage. Summer and Gabe are staying at the cottage for the week, but Henry, now almost 10, asked to stay in the main house with his grandparents and their two dogs.
Gabe’s brothers Marcus and Blake and their wives are coming for the week, as well as his brother Nick and his new girlfriend. Summer is looking forward to spending time with her sisters-in-law again, Wendy and Keira, but as soon as she meets Nick’s new girlfriend, Summer realizes that she knows her. Hannah, also an actor, did a small off-Broadway showcase that Summer was in several years ago. But when Summer asks her about it, Hannah says she’d never done a showcase. But she does talk about the pilot she’d just been shooting with Netflix.
Summer can’t understand why Hannah would lie to her like that, but she tries to shrug it off and enjoy the time with her family. She’d always been close to Claire, and Summer is so happy to have some time with her to catch up. But then there’s more drama.
Summer finds out that Gabe and Marcus are having some challenges in their wine business, and Gabe hadn’t mentioned it. She watches as Hannah tries everything she can to become fast friends with everyone in the family. Then Nick and Hannah disrupt a family dinner to announce their engagement, despite being together only a couple of months. Summer is concerned, but then Claire tells her that she’s got Hannah’s number. But when Claire has a massive heart attack, Summer doesn’t know what to think.
She’d heard Claire giving Hannah a tour of the gardens, pointing out the foxglove and explaining that it’s poisonous. It’s not possible that Hannah poisoned Claire, is it? When Summer tries to talk to Gabe about her suspicions, he won’t listen. He thinks that Summer is envious of Hannah for the Netflix series and connecting dots that aren’t there.
But then Summer finds Hannah’s body, at the far edge of the estate, and she’s certain that there is a killer around. But will her snooping target her as the next victim?
Kate White’s latest is a domestic thriller that will make you question everyone in your family to figure out all their secrets. The Fiancée is a taut mystery of the family ties that bind us together and tear us apart. These are the relationships that make us and break us, and it can be the hardest to see the dark truths in those who share our holidays, our vacations, and our homes.
I had a hard time setting The Fiancée aside, drawn in by the characters, the lies, the secrets, and the need for all the answers. It’s beautifully written, and the setting of this gorgeous estate makes for a lovely place that I would love to visit any time of year. I was guessing until the end, trying to see how it would all come together. If you’re planning on reading this one on the beach or by the pool, use lots of sunscreen, because you won’t be coming up for air for a long time once you start it!
Egalleys for The Fiancée were provided by Harper Paperbacks through NetGalley and the Olive Influencers program, with many thanks.
