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Still vulnerable after the recent death of her mother, 26-year-old Bailey Browne travels to the Caribbean in an effort to soothe her grieving heart.  While there, she meets Logan Abbott, a gorgeous Tulane graduate ten years her senior.  Their whirlwind island romance feels like a dream, a fairy tale.  A few weeks later, Bailey's still caught up in the surreal wonder of it all.  Except now she's Logan's wife.  She's left her home in Nebraska, along with her working-class background, to live in his luxurious home on a sprawling horse farm in southern Louisiana.  Bailey can hardly believe her Cinderella-like luck.  

Bailey hasn't been in Wholesome—Logan's tiny hometown—long before she starts to hear the whispers.  She's so smitten with her groom that she refuses to believe the vicious gossip, rumors about what really happened to his first wife.  Sure, she's a little unnerved by the similarities between herself and True Abbott, especially their quick marriages to the same enigmatic man, but Logan can't be responsible for True's disappearance three years ago.  Or the more recent missing women.  Can he?  As the doubts creep in, Bailey realizes how foolish she's been, how little she actually knows the man who has swept her off her feet so completely.  Logan insists he, and his family, have been misjudged and falsely accused in the Wholesome court of public opinion.  Bailey wants to believe him, but can she take that risk?  Especially considering what happened to Logan's first wife?  Trapped in a difficult—possibly deadly—situation, she must decide whom to believe, before it's too late ...

Thrillers that mess with my mind, making me wonder what's real and what's not, are my favorite kind.  The First Wife by Erica Spindler had the potential to be one of these taut mind-benders (which is why I picked it up) but in the end, the novel fell flat for me.  The plot, although not super original, did offer enough twists to keep me reading.  Still, I was able to piece together what happened to True way too early, which made the rest of the book both predictable and tedious.  Coupled with the often cheesy dialogue between the two main characters and an overall depressing story line, The First Wife just didn't impress me much.  I finished it, but can't really recommend it.  Ah, well.

(Readalikes:  Nothing's coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

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When Joey, a gentle red bay colt, is purchased by Mr. Narracott, he gets his first taste of the cruelty some men—particularly drunk men—like to unleash on weaker beings.  The young horse misses his mother, fears his new owner and wonders what is to become of him in the hands of the angry Mr. Narracott.  Then, Joey meets Albert, his owner's 13-year-old son.  Albert is as kind as his father is mean, as soft-spoken as his father is harsh, as determined to love Joey as his father is to break him.  Although Joey still shies away when Mr. Narracott comes for him, he knows that as long as he has Albert, everything will be okay.

Then, World War I bears down on England.  Albert is too young to enlist, but Joey is just what the Army's looking for—he's a strong and healthy recruit.  Mr. Narracott needs the money the Army's offering him, so he sells Albert's horse to them.  After working on the farm, Joey knows all about sore muscles, but the exhaustion he feels on the battlefield is something else altogether.  Along with the other war horses, he has learned to charge the enemy, transport wounded soldiers and carry heavy artillery.  With gunshots roaring in his ears, he must do his duties bravely, even as his friends—both equestrian and human—fall all around him.  Joey is determined to survive the war for one reason: Albert.  He must see his friend again, no matter how impossible that reunion might seem. 

I'm not much for books with animal narrators, but War Horse by Michael Morpurgo has received so much praise that I knew I had to read it.  While I'm not sure the book quite deserves all the attention it's been given, I did enjoy the story.  It's a quick, heartwarming read about an animal's love for his owner, a boy who's also been his kind and loving friend.  With a true and heartbreaking look at how war destroys—and sometimes solidifies—such bonds, War Horse is an uplifting tale that proves love conquers all, even the most painful wounds of war. 

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie (and it is!), it would be rated:  PG for mild language, violence (including animal cruelty) and scenes of peril    

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of War Horse from the generous folks at Scholastic.  Thank you!