The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, 4 Stars

I always joke with my husband, what would you do with two Vickys? And he always laughs, but I know that would just be too much for him. We’ve watched Big Love so he knows that while two wives seems like a bonus in some areas, it’s too much in others.

And let’s face it, I’m twice as much of a morning person than he can handle in the age of COVID anyways. My husband used to complain to me about people that would come into his area at work and try to chat with him while we was trying to work. And since COVID started? I’m that coworker!

But The Echo Wife does bring up some interesting questions in a very Stepford Wives type of way. What if you could have a version of your spouse that did exactly what you wanted? Would that be better than dealing with your spouse? Or is it a case of “be careful what you wish for?”

From the Publisher:

Evelyn Caldwell’s husband Nathan has been having an affair — with Evelyn Caldwell.

Or, to be exact, with Martine, a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn’s own award-winning research.

But that wasn’t even the worst part.

When they said all happy families are alike, I don’t think this is what they meant…

My Review:

When we meet Evelyn, it’s clear that she’s a successful, beautiful and accomplished research scientist. And yet despite that, she’s just moved out of her home with her husband Nathan and into a stark new townhome. By herself.

But how do you behave when your spouse is in love with you? Well, not exactly, but rather a cloned version of you? And what happens when they’ve turned to that clone to make all their dreams come true, dreams you didn’t share, like having a family?

And while Evelyn would love to hate Martine, the Stepford Wife version of herself. She can’t hate herself. She looks and Martine and it’s like looking in the mirror. She knows her struggles, she knows her insecurities. They are the same.

Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? It is. And it’s only going to get worse. This is one I can’t tell you much about. But if you are fascinated by the ideas of cloning and the fallout from modern science, the Echo Wife is a chilling tale you will absolutely love!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is out February 16! Get your copy:

Indiebound