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Her Second Husband
Your husband’s dead. He’s never coming back. So why is he on a dating site asking you to go out with him?
Then
Linda has it all: a gorgeous home, a devoted husband, two loving daughters. But she throws it all away to chase an impossible dream.
Now
Linda is alone and penniless, living in a shabby rented flat. With nothing to lose, she signs up to a dating app for the over 50s. But the one man who responds to her profile, a man calling himself Tony Fortin, is not who he says he is.
Linda recognises him immediately. He’s Marcus, her second husband.
But that’s impossible. Marcus died eight months ago. He drowned off the coast of Corfu.
As Linda digs deeper, she discovers that the man she married second time around had been keeping secrets from her. Very dark secrets.
Now the one person who can help her is the person who has every reason not to get involved.
Her first husband.
Then
Linda has it all: a gorgeous home, a devoted husband, two loving daughters. But she throws it all away to chase an impossible dream.
Now
Linda is alone and penniless, living in a shabby rented flat. With nothing to lose, she signs up to a dating app for the over 50s. But the one man who responds to her profile, a man calling himself Tony Fortin, is not who he says he is.
Linda recognises him immediately. He’s Marcus, her second husband.
But that’s impossible. Marcus died eight months ago. He drowned off the coast of Corfu.
As Linda digs deeper, she discovers that the man she married second time around had been keeping secrets from her. Very dark secrets.
Now the one person who can help her is the person who has every reason not to get involved.
Her first husband.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2023
1188 people are currently reading
1258 people want to read
About the author
Jane E. James
18 books264 followersInternational best selling author, Jane E James creates chilling reads that appeal to fans of psychological thrillers, mysteries and dark fiction. Jane loves to weave tense and haunting tales that stay in the reader's mind. All her books are standalone novels.
An animal lover, who believes ‘all life is precious’ Jane is a vegan and an animal rights advocate. She lives in the UK with her two cats Hero and Halo, who are sometimes featured in her books.
When she isn't writing (or reading) Jane enjoys living 'the good life' in the Rutland countryside, in a small village close to the town of Stamford, Lincolnshire in the UK; known for its quirky tea shops and cobbled streets.
Although born in Cambridgeshire, she is half Welsh and hopes, one day, to retire to the mountains of South Wales, where she feels closest to her late mother, whose maiden name 'James' is where Jane gets her pen name from. Once there, she plans to adopt and rescue all kinds of animals including donkeys, sheep, chickens and goats.
Rebecca, Carrie, The Woman in Black and Wuthering Heights are among some of Jane's favourite reads.
Visit her website www.janeejames.com or catch up with her on facebook and twitter. But bring Monster Munch and wine...
An animal lover, who believes ‘all life is precious’ Jane is a vegan and an animal rights advocate. She lives in the UK with her two cats Hero and Halo, who are sometimes featured in her books.
When she isn't writing (or reading) Jane enjoys living 'the good life' in the Rutland countryside, in a small village close to the town of Stamford, Lincolnshire in the UK; known for its quirky tea shops and cobbled streets.
Although born in Cambridgeshire, she is half Welsh and hopes, one day, to retire to the mountains of South Wales, where she feels closest to her late mother, whose maiden name 'James' is where Jane gets her pen name from. Once there, she plans to adopt and rescue all kinds of animals including donkeys, sheep, chickens and goats.
Rebecca, Carrie, The Woman in Black and Wuthering Heights are among some of Jane's favourite reads.
Visit her website www.janeejames.com or catch up with her on facebook and twitter. But bring Monster Munch and wine...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
January 1, 2025
Some really nasty characters in here, as well as naive. Not my favorite ones to put it mildly. Also I found the twist easy to predict, despite the author trying very hard to confuse you.
May 29, 2023
I’m a bit torn on this book. It has some good twists, but much of it was spent inside the protagonist Linda’s head, which was not a place I wanted to be. The story centers on Linda’s life after her 2nd husband, Marcus, disappears and is assumed dead. Linda is now back in her hometown, where her family and friends are still mad at her for uprooting her life to marry him in the first place, when creepy things start happening that make her question what really happened that fateful night.
It was hard to empathize with Linda, whose thoughts were often rather scattered, and who I had trouble understanding how she could abandon her entire family due to some kind of mid-life crisis. To me, she came off as a narcissist masquerading as a victim and I didn’t buy it. I also had to suspend my disbelief a bit regarding what happened to Marcus and how it would appear in the eyes of the law. That being said, there were some good twists in the book and it kept me reading late into the night.
Overall, interesting read that I didn’t love but I definitely liked. It probably could’ve been tightened up a bit in terms of how much of the narrative was in Linda’s head versus actual action. I’d give it 3.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was hard to empathize with Linda, whose thoughts were often rather scattered, and who I had trouble understanding how she could abandon her entire family due to some kind of mid-life crisis. To me, she came off as a narcissist masquerading as a victim and I didn’t buy it. I also had to suspend my disbelief a bit regarding what happened to Marcus and how it would appear in the eyes of the law. That being said, there were some good twists in the book and it kept me reading late into the night.
Overall, interesting read that I didn’t love but I definitely liked. It probably could’ve been tightened up a bit in terms of how much of the narrative was in Linda’s head versus actual action. I’d give it 3.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
Your husband's dead. He's never coming back. So why is he on a dating site asking you to go out with him?
Then
Linda has a gorgeous home, a devoted husband, and two loving daughters. But she throws it all away to chase an impossible dream.
Now
Linda is alone and penniless, living in a shabby rented flat. With nothing to lose, she joins a dating site for the over 50s. But one man who responds to her profile, a man calling himself Tony Fortin, is not who he says he is.
It's not often we get a book where the main characters are in their 50s. The author did a great job with character building, even though some where unlikable. There's plenty of twists to keep you guessing. I did guess correctly where some of this story was heading. I liked the authors writing style. This was my first read by the author, but I will be looking out for her books from now on.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #JaneEJames for my ARC of #HerSecondHusband in exchange for an honest review.
Your husband's dead. He's never coming back. So why is he on a dating site asking you to go out with him?
Then
Linda has a gorgeous home, a devoted husband, and two loving daughters. But she throws it all away to chase an impossible dream.
Now
Linda is alone and penniless, living in a shabby rented flat. With nothing to lose, she joins a dating site for the over 50s. But one man who responds to her profile, a man calling himself Tony Fortin, is not who he says he is.
It's not often we get a book where the main characters are in their 50s. The author did a great job with character building, even though some where unlikable. There's plenty of twists to keep you guessing. I did guess correctly where some of this story was heading. I liked the authors writing style. This was my first read by the author, but I will be looking out for her books from now on.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #JaneEJames for my ARC of #HerSecondHusband in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2024
What a shit show, hey?
August 21, 2024
It was really good 👍🏾
July 26, 2024
I found this a very confusing read (listen, as I had access to this on Audible).
I may well have missed parts of the story, because I largely didn’t understand the aim of the book. It started like a thriller then almost became general literary fiction with some bizarre revenge plot that made no sense. The story jumped months at a time and suddenly she was marrying her ex husband again, and then suddenly he had been imprisoned for attempted murder, and then she was back with her CURRENT husband again who would fill her with such blinding, jealous rage that her memory had convinced her she had killed? Make it make sense.
I don’t really know who we’re supposed to be rooting for here, because I certainly didn’t connect with the main character. Or any of them, for that matter, other than Gail who I actually started to feel a little sorry for in the end.
For someone who spends the entire book shaming her ‘best’ friend for her sexual choices, the MC flits between affection for her ex and current husbands like the changing tides. Pot kettle? And her narrative was so irritating; she was 57 going on 5.
The daughter’s characters seemed utterly pointless other than to provide a bit of angst.
Would have been much more disappointed if it hadn’t have been included in my Audible subscription. Not a great read at all, sadly.
I may well have missed parts of the story, because I largely didn’t understand the aim of the book. It started like a thriller then almost became general literary fiction with some bizarre revenge plot that made no sense. The story jumped months at a time and suddenly she was marrying her ex husband again, and then suddenly he had been imprisoned for attempted murder, and then she was back with her CURRENT husband again who would fill her with such blinding, jealous rage that her memory had convinced her she had killed? Make it make sense.
I don’t really know who we’re supposed to be rooting for here, because I certainly didn’t connect with the main character. Or any of them, for that matter, other than Gail who I actually started to feel a little sorry for in the end.
For someone who spends the entire book shaming her ‘best’ friend for her sexual choices, the MC flits between affection for her ex and current husbands like the changing tides. Pot kettle? And her narrative was so irritating; she was 57 going on 5.
The daughter’s characters seemed utterly pointless other than to provide a bit of angst.
Would have been much more disappointed if it hadn’t have been included in my Audible subscription. Not a great read at all, sadly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2024
.
1* is for the one eyed stray dog and him alone 🤣
1* is for the one eyed stray dog and him alone 🤣
August 18, 2023
This was a DNF..i could not get into it. The lady killed her husband by kicking off the boat then she finds out he aint who he says he is then she falls back in love with her ex husband it was so drawn out and boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2023
We meet Linda, a 50 something widow whose life has fallen apart following the death of her husband. Lonely and almost completely estranged from her children, Linda signs up to a dating site. It’s on this pursuit of connection that she receives a friendly message from a man named Tony Fontaine. Things aren’t as they seem though, and on closer inspection Linda realises that Tony bears a striking resemblance to her dead (yes, DEAD) husband.
This was your typical thriller - complete with exceptional character building and shocking twists. I couldn’t put this down for the first couple of hours of reading. The relationship between Linda and her best friend Gayle was the best part for me. It shone a spotlight on the complexities of female friendship. With a strong theme of betrayal woven into the plot, there were several jaw drop moments. Gayle was a BAD ASS - her character was believable (albeit sometimes annoyingly naive) and I was on her side the whole way through… even if I was forced to question her morality and judgement at some points.
My only criticism - this did feel a little dragged out. James is evidently great at descriptive writing - appealing at first but by the end it did feel a little fluffy.
I will definitely be reading more of this author. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was your typical thriller - complete with exceptional character building and shocking twists. I couldn’t put this down for the first couple of hours of reading. The relationship between Linda and her best friend Gayle was the best part for me. It shone a spotlight on the complexities of female friendship. With a strong theme of betrayal woven into the plot, there were several jaw drop moments. Gayle was a BAD ASS - her character was believable (albeit sometimes annoyingly naive) and I was on her side the whole way through… even if I was forced to question her morality and judgement at some points.
My only criticism - this did feel a little dragged out. James is evidently great at descriptive writing - appealing at first but by the end it did feel a little fluffy.
I will definitely be reading more of this author. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 1, 2025
Very first review on goodreads just to say how much I hate Linda.
This book was unnecessarily long.
This book was unnecessarily long.
February 9, 2025
4 Stars
Linda watched her second husband drown on a holiday in Greece.
When she gets home she starts getting signs that might be still alive as they never found a body.
Linda then decides to reunite with her first husband. That's when everything starts falling apart.
Great characters and good twist. Audio was also good.
Linda watched her second husband drown on a holiday in Greece.
When she gets home she starts getting signs that might be still alive as they never found a body.
Linda then decides to reunite with her first husband. That's when everything starts falling apart.
Great characters and good twist. Audio was also good.
May 11, 2023
I want to start off by thanking Jane E. James, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for this ARC read, while it might not have been for me, I could see a lot of other people loving this book!
**LET'S GET TO THE SPOILERS**
Okay so let me just start off by showing how I felt reading this book..
We follow along with the main character Linda, who happens to find Marcus, her second husband who she believes died, on a dating site. She proceeds to get weird messages from him and the only person who can help her is Jim, her first husband. Speaking of, Jim's and Linda's relationship was the worst, she never seemed to love or care for him and was only going to remarry him for convenience and we are better than that girl, never settle because being alone is better! Other than that I really don't have much to say about Jim because he felt underdeveloped.
Jim and Linda do have two daughters together, Abbey and Rosie. There was this unnecessary drama between them I don't need to go into. I don't feel like they played a really big role in this book... Linda definitely treated them like shit and they just forgave her like nothing happened.
Also, we meet Gail who is supposed to be Linda's best friend...
Listen, if my best friend told me she murdered her husband you better believe I would be helping my best friend, not trying to turn her in and steal her life! TF Gail? Although, Linda did get her revenge on Gail in the end.
Just to clarify
My best friend would only hurt someone if the person actually deserved that because she is a fucking sweetheart!
Let's talk about Marcus a/k/a Tony... He definitely was a piece of work and I was happy to see him go. I feel like him surviving drowning is silly as that should have been the way he went, but we all know how those ex's like to hang on, am I right?
It's starting to feel like a few soap operas put into one book.
This book could get better if some of the story is reworked, take out some twists or change them a little. Also, working on a lot of character development, would be such a game changer! I want to be in TEARS from all the stuff our main character has been through, not hating her as it happens as well!
I will check out more from this author as I think this book just didn't do it for me. If you loved this book then I am so happy you enjoyed it and would love more recommendations from this author!
**LET'S GET TO THE SPOILERS**
Okay so let me just start off by showing how I felt reading this book..
We follow along with the main character Linda, who happens to find Marcus, her second husband who she believes died, on a dating site. She proceeds to get weird messages from him and the only person who can help her is Jim, her first husband. Speaking of, Jim's and Linda's relationship was the worst, she never seemed to love or care for him and was only going to remarry him for convenience and we are better than that girl, never settle because being alone is better! Other than that I really don't have much to say about Jim because he felt underdeveloped.
Jim and Linda do have two daughters together, Abbey and Rosie. There was this unnecessary drama between them I don't need to go into. I don't feel like they played a really big role in this book... Linda definitely treated them like shit and they just forgave her like nothing happened.
Also, we meet Gail who is supposed to be Linda's best friend...
Listen, if my best friend told me she murdered her husband you better believe I would be helping my best friend, not trying to turn her in and steal her life! TF Gail? Although, Linda did get her revenge on Gail in the end.
Just to clarify
My best friend would only hurt someone if the person actually deserved that because she is a fucking sweetheart!
Let's talk about Marcus a/k/a Tony... He definitely was a piece of work and I was happy to see him go. I feel like him surviving drowning is silly as that should have been the way he went, but we all know how those ex's like to hang on, am I right?
It's starting to feel like a few soap operas put into one book.
This book could get better if some of the story is reworked, take out some twists or change them a little. Also, working on a lot of character development, would be such a game changer! I want to be in TEARS from all the stuff our main character has been through, not hating her as it happens as well!
I will check out more from this author as I think this book just didn't do it for me. If you loved this book then I am so happy you enjoyed it and would love more recommendations from this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2023
3 is a bit generous, but this was easy to read. Pretty much, Linda is a crappy mom with crappy daughters, two crappy husbands, a crappy flat, a crappy best friend, a crappy future son-in-law, a crappy job. The book is through her point of view and she also happens to have a pretty crappy personality. Truly no positive moments in this book.
We knew from the start that Jim was probably going to be bad news. What I can’t wrap my head around is why would she take Marcus/tony back??? She married a man with a fake identity - there’s no way the marriage could be legal. There was no reason to keep him around, and she could easily turn him in. The only solution to Linda was to kill him. Makes sense.
Lord. Way too much going on.
OH! also, if Jim wanted her back so bad, why even go down the rabbit hole/start all this bs with Marcus’s fake dating profile???? Marcus would have never found out had Gail not gone looking for him. Insane.
Wouldn’t recommend. There are better books out there.
We knew from the start that Jim was probably going to be bad news. What I can’t wrap my head around is why would she take Marcus/tony back??? She married a man with a fake identity - there’s no way the marriage could be legal. There was no reason to keep him around, and she could easily turn him in. The only solution to Linda was to kill him. Makes sense.
Lord. Way too much going on.
OH! also, if Jim wanted her back so bad, why even go down the rabbit hole/start all this bs with Marcus’s fake dating profile???? Marcus would have never found out had Gail not gone looking for him. Insane.
Wouldn’t recommend. There are better books out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
The very beginning of the book was a bit over the top, like a bad popcorn novel. But as I got into the story it started to even out into something better. The story was pretty good and the characters interesting, if not all that likeable. I did like that most of them were older, which makes a change.
Even though it wasn't great, all in all it was a decent read, good for the beach.
The very beginning of the book was a bit over the top, like a bad popcorn novel. But as I got into the story it started to even out into something better. The story was pretty good and the characters interesting, if not all that likeable. I did like that most of them were older, which makes a change.
Even though it wasn't great, all in all it was a decent read, good for the beach.
August 2, 2025
Okayyyy this one had me HOOKED! 😱💀
Meet Linda — a lonely, middle-aged widow 👩🦳💔 who decides to dive into the wild world of online dating 💻❤️ (what could go wrong, right?).
Enter: Tony Fontaine… suave, mysterious… and lowkey giving ghostly vibes 😨👻
Suddenly Linda realizes — HOLD UP — this guy isn’t just bad news…
It’s her DEAD HUSBAND in disguise!? 😳⚰️😵
A rollercoaster of twists, chills, and “WHAT DID I JUST READ?!” moments 🌀📖
Jane E. James nailed the creepy atmosphere and character development 👏
Fast-paced, eerie, and totally binge-worthy.
Highly recommend if you like thrillers with a side of WTF! 💀🕵️♀️📚
April 24, 2024
This book was a lot of drama. It was interesting even though it read a little slow at times. I enjoyed reading about a woman in her fifties and the “challenges” that go with that. It made me laugh at times. It definitely held an edge of mystery and the twist was good. All in all I enjoyed it!
January 15, 2024
DNF’d this. Entirely too long and waaaay too much of being inside Linda’s head.
September 2, 2024
Couldn't get on board with the protagonist, found her quite annoying.
September 10, 2024
The main character was SoOOoOooo whiny!!!! Drove me nuts. Also she surrounds herself with bad people it seems :/ Interesting plot but would’ve been more enjoyable with a different main character.
February 3, 2025
Potential spoilers
While Her Second Husband by Jane E. James starts with an intriguing premise, it quickly loses its momentum due to repetitive details and flat characters. Linda, the protagonist, adopts a frustratingly victim-like attitude throughout the narrative, which makes it hard to empathize with her. Her constant self-pity and indecision weigh down the story, and despite her predicament, she feels one-dimensional.
The plot also stretches believability to its breaking point. The concept of encountering a supposedly dead husband on a dating app is gripping at first, but the twists feel forced rather than natural. Coupled with underdeveloped secondary characters, the story lacks the depth and nuance needed to fully invest in the unfolding mystery.
While the book aims for psychological tension, it falls flat due to a lack of realism and emotional connection. For fans of domestic thrillers, there are more engaging options out there.
While Her Second Husband by Jane E. James starts with an intriguing premise, it quickly loses its momentum due to repetitive details and flat characters. Linda, the protagonist, adopts a frustratingly victim-like attitude throughout the narrative, which makes it hard to empathize with her. Her constant self-pity and indecision weigh down the story, and despite her predicament, she feels one-dimensional.
The plot also stretches believability to its breaking point. The concept of encountering a supposedly dead husband on a dating app is gripping at first, but the twists feel forced rather than natural. Coupled with underdeveloped secondary characters, the story lacks the depth and nuance needed to fully invest in the unfolding mystery.
While the book aims for psychological tension, it falls flat due to a lack of realism and emotional connection. For fans of domestic thrillers, there are more engaging options out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2023
Your husband’s dead. He’s never coming back. So why is he on a dating site asking you to go out with him...?
OK...so I was a little confused from the outset with this book. Who's the dead guy? Her husband, right? OK. But it's revealed that he was her second husband. So she had two husbands. So what happened with the first husband? How does he figure into the equation? And what's the go with her daughters? Are they angry with their mum or what? So Linda walked out...so she had some kind of mid-life crisis...get over it. The world doesn't stop and start with you!
I hated Linda's daughters but then I didn't much care for Linda either. And Gail? With friends like those who needs enemies? That woman was so cruel in her conversations with Linda, it was more than just banter. It was mean. And then there was Marcus or Tony or whoever he really was. Self-obsessed narcisstic prat. The only person remotely likeable in the entire story was Jim. Poor old Jim. Good old trusty Jim. The one mainstay in Linda's life, despite walking out on him for adventure and excitement (which Jim did not do). Now he is branching out and discovering new things, namely his adventurous streak which he never had with Linda. But he still stood by her after everything. And what, pray, was all that? Much of the book kept alluding to "after all she put him through"...without actually saying what that was.
This book sounded so intriguing from the premise but oh my gosh...we spent way too much time in Linda's head. WAAAAY too much time! It was a place I didn't care to be, listening to her mope on about did she do this or did she do that? Was she hallucinating? Was she imagining things? And over and over it went. Rehashing and rehashing what she imagines happened to what may have happened to maybe it not happening at all. And this guy on the dating app is Marcus reincarnate come to torment her once again. Or did she imagine that too? Honestly, I didn't care for any of them and skipped to the end to see how it all turned out. Only to find I didn't really miss anything at all.
I would like to thank #JaneEJames, #Netgalley and #JoffeBooks for an ARC of #HerSecondHusband in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
OK...so I was a little confused from the outset with this book. Who's the dead guy? Her husband, right? OK. But it's revealed that he was her second husband. So she had two husbands. So what happened with the first husband? How does he figure into the equation? And what's the go with her daughters? Are they angry with their mum or what? So Linda walked out...so she had some kind of mid-life crisis...get over it. The world doesn't stop and start with you!
I hated Linda's daughters but then I didn't much care for Linda either. And Gail? With friends like those who needs enemies? That woman was so cruel in her conversations with Linda, it was more than just banter. It was mean. And then there was Marcus or Tony or whoever he really was. Self-obsessed narcisstic prat. The only person remotely likeable in the entire story was Jim. Poor old Jim. Good old trusty Jim. The one mainstay in Linda's life, despite walking out on him for adventure and excitement (which Jim did not do). Now he is branching out and discovering new things, namely his adventurous streak which he never had with Linda. But he still stood by her after everything. And what, pray, was all that? Much of the book kept alluding to "after all she put him through"...without actually saying what that was.
This book sounded so intriguing from the premise but oh my gosh...we spent way too much time in Linda's head. WAAAAY too much time! It was a place I didn't care to be, listening to her mope on about did she do this or did she do that? Was she hallucinating? Was she imagining things? And over and over it went. Rehashing and rehashing what she imagines happened to what may have happened to maybe it not happening at all. And this guy on the dating app is Marcus reincarnate come to torment her once again. Or did she imagine that too? Honestly, I didn't care for any of them and skipped to the end to see how it all turned out. Only to find I didn't really miss anything at all.
I would like to thank #JaneEJames, #Netgalley and #JoffeBooks for an ARC of #HerSecondHusband in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
September 2, 2023
Her Second Husband, by Jane E. James
The opening of this book sets the story up brilliantly and it truly hits the ground running from the off.
Linda was married to Jim for 28 years and they raised two daughters together. Jim is lovely, caring, dependable….. and boring.
After their divorce, Linda married Marcus, but their exciting life isn’t quite as it seems and when Marcus drowns in the sea in Crete one night and Linda discovers he’s spent all of her divorce settlement money, she ends up living in a small flat and working in a chippy to get by.
Until she gets a message through a dating site, from a man claiming to be her second husband and unexplainable things start to happen.
Linda has a fiery relationship with her straight talking, best friend, Gail and as the truth starts to unfold, she turns to Gail and Jim for help. Linda and Jim’s daughters don’t bring anything of relevance to the story and I would suggest their characters either need to be better developed or get rid of them to live abroad or something 🤷🏻♀️
There are a few holes in this story, if I wanted to be picky, but honestly, this is a great thriller and a very enjoyable read with plenty of twists.
4.5/5⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
The opening of this book sets the story up brilliantly and it truly hits the ground running from the off.
Linda was married to Jim for 28 years and they raised two daughters together. Jim is lovely, caring, dependable….. and boring.
After their divorce, Linda married Marcus, but their exciting life isn’t quite as it seems and when Marcus drowns in the sea in Crete one night and Linda discovers he’s spent all of her divorce settlement money, she ends up living in a small flat and working in a chippy to get by.
Until she gets a message through a dating site, from a man claiming to be her second husband and unexplainable things start to happen.
Linda has a fiery relationship with her straight talking, best friend, Gail and as the truth starts to unfold, she turns to Gail and Jim for help. Linda and Jim’s daughters don’t bring anything of relevance to the story and I would suggest their characters either need to be better developed or get rid of them to live abroad or something 🤷🏻♀️
There are a few holes in this story, if I wanted to be picky, but honestly, this is a great thriller and a very enjoyable read with plenty of twists.
4.5/5⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
January 21, 2025
I agree that there was too much time spent inside the protagonist’s head, which made the story feel a bit slow at times. While the plot was decent, I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters as none of them were particularly likable. Some parts of the book didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but despite that, it managed to hold my interest until the end. Overall, I’d give it a 3-star rating.
May 17, 2023
I honestly found Linda to be insufferable but somehow that didn't take away from how great the story was. The first half was sort of a slow burn but interesting enough to keep you going, then once the twists started coming they didn't stop!
October 8, 2024
I am NEVER a woman character hater but this book has done a number on me
September 10, 2024
Oh my. . .well, this one did not do it for me. I can only say that I didn't feel that the characters were as developed as they needed to be and the writing was just OK. I had a difficult time staying focused on what was going on and didn't really make a connection to any point or anything within the story.
October 10, 2024
3.5*
Felt this was better at the beginning and middle than the end. It reminds me of something else I’ve read when the wife has her plans at the end of the book but cannot think what. Overall a mostly okay listen to on audible.
Felt this was better at the beginning and middle than the end. It reminds me of something else I’ve read when the wife has her plans at the end of the book but cannot think what. Overall a mostly okay listen to on audible.
August 28, 2024
Not a great book for me nothing wrong with it just didn’t set me on me on fire had some good twists but everything was just so slow
December 17, 2024
Read in two days, middle part was very exciting but then the end was to be expected which was a bit disappointing. Still worth a read.
April 1, 2025
I'm confused with that ending. Is she in love with the dog? 🤣🤣🤣
This book is whack, so anything is possible I guess 🤷🏽♀️
This book is whack, so anything is possible I guess 🤷🏽♀️
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