Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Husband's Secret

Rate this book
"He has a dark secret, but so does she.

Pamela Whitherspoon seemingly has it all—a stunning adopted daughter, a beautiful oceanfront home, and a wealthy, doting husband. But one void remains: a biological child of her own.

After multiple heartbreaking miscarriages, Pamela's dream of motherhood lies in tatters. With each pregnancy, her once-adoring husband Kyle grows increasingly cold and distant, inexplicably repelled by the prospect of fatherhood. His transformation from loving partner to virtual stranger leaves Pamela bewildered and devastated.

Their picture-perfect facade crumbles during a vicious argument about having children. In the aftermath, their housekeeper Chloe abruptly quits, cryptically alluding to something deeply disturbing she witnessed while cleaning the attic—something involving Kyle that she dares not speak aloud.

Driven by a mix of dread and curiosity, Pamela investigates. Hidden beneath a loose floorboard, she unearths a box of old VHS tapes. As she watches, Kyle's darkest secret unfolds before her eyes, shattering her world and filling her with a perverse relief that she never bore his child.

Now, Pamela faces an impossible choice: flee and bury the truth, or confront the monster she married and ensure he pays for his deception. In this chilling psychological thriller, she must navigate a labyrinth of lies to protect herself and her daughter from a danger closer than she ever imagined.

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2024

1591 people are currently reading
6067 people want to read

About the author

Franklin Christopher

18 books78 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
538 (17%)
4 stars
701 (22%)
3 stars
857 (27%)
2 stars
506 (16%)
1 star
466 (15%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 574 reviews
Profile Image for leah jurgs (semi-hiatus) ⟡˖.
82 reviews212 followers
September 21, 2024
I was chosen to be an ARC reader for this book. Thank you Franklin Christopher for the opportunity.
I was hooked from the start of this book and did not want to stop reading it. The first 70% was amazing but the last 30% made me want to dnf it. The plot turned into a fantasy world and i was very shocked. The characters were dreadful and i hated nearly every single one of them. Was a great book that keeps a reader hooked but just know that it talks about abortion, miscarriages, and death. The male character is very misogynistic and is a psychopath. The book also has parts that a religiously rooted and i was not a fan of it.

overall, if you are looking for a page turner book, dual pov, absolutely insane thriller (slightly unrealistic) this book is for you.
Profile Image for Alyssa Payton.
10 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2024
I was selected as an ARC reader and tried really hard to enjoy this book, however I only finished it because I felt I needed to in order to provide a valid and honest review. There will be spoilers further down the review, but to quickly summarize with no spoilers, there are many grammatical and structural errors that the beta readers and publishers should have caught. The main characters are insufferable and hard to relate to. Their personalities are inconsistent with the story, and the author seems to be trying to tell multiple different stories that don’t reconcile or really seem to move the plot along much. It was advertised as a book “all women should read” and yet there are themes of misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, emotional abuse, and pro-life ideals throughout the entire book that were not evident in the synopsis.

Spoilers below:





Kyle is a “recovering serial killer” whose life is controlled by his mother. He’s been on a lifelong “prescription” to get rid of his desire to kill, which includes watching recordings of abortions. It states that other forms of treatment such as watching executions did not satisfy his desires to kill the same way watching the abortions does - which strongly implies the abortion is murder argument. Or actually, directly states throughout the book “murdering women’s babies/fetuses.” This is a strong opinion, and one that should be disclaimed to readers before they encounter unknowingly.

Kyle has multiple mistresses, with multiple women pregnant, and enjoys forcing and watching them abort the fetuses. This is a heavy theme, and one that I think if went about the right way could have been in a very disturbing psychological thriller. This book, however, is not that.

There are multiple points that don’t make sense, such as Kyle not wanting his wife pregnant as he’s scared the baby will inherit his issues, and yet he had agreed to adopt a mistresses’ child of his. The adopted daughter’s mom was Pamela’s best friend, albeit a bad one, but didn’t seem to care her daughter was being raised by them instead.

When the story gets to where Kyle is intersex and impregnated himself, I really lost what little interest I had left. With any understanding of biology, it’s just an unbelievable plot point. It seems uncharacteristic for Kyle to accept the pregnancy, and even seem to look forward to it. It’s apparent the author is trying to demonstrate Kyle’s character growth as he realizes he could love a baby growing inside him, but it’s too uncharacteristic to make sense. When it’s revealed that the whole pregnancy was fake and a ploy to ‘cure’ Kyle of his murderous desires, his response and seemingly entire personality change is just very unrealistic.

I understand the story the author was trying to tell, but I don’t think the plot was fully executed appropriately to where it made sense, which was disappointing. I think the topic of abortion and intersexuality were done in poor taste, especially during a time where there is more than enough resources available to have a more well-rounded and researched book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Becky 🐆.
63 reviews23 followers
December 22, 2024
Unfortunately after 93 pages I decided I couldn’t continue to read this book. I did find it interesting initially and it pulled me in but sadly I find the characters unbearable. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to like them, hate them, feel sorry for them? I was looking for a thriller but this just seems to be a story about a man who thinks he’s god’s gift to women. Not for me I’m afraid.
Profile Image for Michelle Baker.
2 reviews2 followers
September 27, 2024
I think this was the worst book I’ve ever read in my life, please don’t waste your time on it
Profile Image for Abby Riley.
2 reviews
September 19, 2024
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author, and while I am grateful for the opportunity to read this early and be asked to give a review, I truly do not think the author will want my thoughts on this book.

At the risk of sounding mean, this really needs another pass by either an editor or a focus group of some kind, because this is a true mess— POVs will shift sentence to sentence, character motivations are extremely muddled, and a twist in the third act is so truly baffling that (while admittedly I did not see it coming) it borders on being hilarious.

Again, thank you so much for letting me read this early. I am so sorry this wasn’t for me.
Profile Image for Sarah.
204 reviews2 followers
March 7, 2025
Well, this book was completely ridiculous! I don't even know how to explain what was happening, intersex? Really. It was utterly crazy and unbelievable. I have never read something so far-fetched.
I mean, I read the entire thing even though within the first two chapters, I already completely hated Kyle. I don't know why I kept reading, I hated the main character, the storyline was unbelievable and dark, and there were so many triggering subjects but I guess because of how ridiculous it was I had to know what happened🤷‍♀️ and in the end I think Wow that was f'd and really dumb. And to think there is a second book?!? This girl won't be picking it up.
The last 20% of this book, I thought, it can't get any more unbelievable than it already has been but nope I was wrong, it gets worse.

Trigger warnings in case you want to read this pile of ridiculousness: abortion, miscarriage, rape, murder, abuse.
Profile Image for Katie Justesen.
51 reviews2 followers
September 18, 2024
I was chosen to be an ARC reader for this book. Below is my honest review.

This book was a bit rough at the start for me. I wasn't sure how to feel about the characters, and I definitely did not like Kyle. As I continued to read, the story picked up, and there was twist after twist. I'm pretty sure my husband had to check on me at some points because of my reactions 😅. Just when I thought we were through, boom, another twist! Talk about a psychological thriller!

After reading the story, the cover details that I didn't notice before are perfect!

It's stated by the author that he does not do trigger warnings so as not to spoil anything, but this book is heavy on miscarriages and child loss. I feel that due to this, there should be a note for people as this can be an emotional topic.

Otherwise, this book was a good, quick read, and I am looking forward to book 2!
Profile Image for Jennifer Bendel.
256 reviews86 followers
January 15, 2025
I really liked the first 2/3 of this book. It was unique and made you truly hate the character. The twists were very messed up and shocking. The last 1/3 of the book just made no sense for me. The characters all seemed to change completely. The final twists had me laughing and saying what the actual f*ck am I reading? I don’t think it was the book for me.
Profile Image for Michelle Rose.
168 reviews7 followers
September 19, 2024
I want to thank the author for allowing me to get an ARC of this book. I was excited to read it!! However, this book was not for me.

The story starts with Kyle and Pamela, a married couple who have different views on wanting children. Pamela signed a contract when they married stating she would not have children, but as time went on she regretted this decision. She watches all her friends having kids and feels like something is missing. Kyle, is a fitness buff, and heir to millions, and is really a conceited jerk to everyone in his life. He is constantly degrading Pamela and upset she would want a child. I really hated his character and at times actually asked myself if someone like Kyle could actually exist because he was so deplorable.

We come to learn that Kyle was a serial killer as a child and his mother and doctor have come up with nontraditional treatments to help ‘cure’ him. At this point, I really started to lose interest because his ‘treatments’ are ridiculous. And in the meantime, he continues sleeping around and getting other girls pregnant so that he can force them to have an abortion. His double standards were awful.

Eventually, the tables seem to turn and buff Kyle starts gaining weight. This is where the author completely lost me. This concept of what is happening to him is so off the charts bizarre, and not realistic in any way. Maybe because I am a healthcare worker, but I literally laughed out loud when that twist was thrown in there. The idea of a human male, even if intersex, could get himself pregnant is crazy talk. Where exactly was the baby supposed to be ‘born’? Kyle talks all the time about his awesome dick so we know there is no vaginal opening.

At this point in the book, Beatrice talks to Kyle like he is a child and Kyle reacts to everything as if he was a child and I hated this. The fact Kyle believed all this hogwash his mom was feeding him is really quite unbelievable.

Maybe this should have been categorized as fantasy.

Again I am thankful to the author for allowing me to read this book early, but sadly it really missed the mark.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Amethyst Maxey.
451 reviews11 followers
September 18, 2024
I was picked to be an ARC reader and so happy I was. This is my first 5 star of the year, This book was going to be a 4 star but this is the first time I’ve stopped and said, “what the f did I just read” out loud. Made it a 5 star then even though some of the ending was a stretch. There was quite the twists and turns in this book. Especially at the end. You think it’s going one direction and it takes another. I couldn’t put it down once I got that 50% mark. I had to keep reading and know what was going to happen next. Can’t wait for the second book.
Profile Image for Vic Cruz.
202 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2025
This was my first ARC, and I truly wanted to like it, but unfortunately, I nearly had to DNF. I do, however, want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to be an advanced reader for this book.

The writing style in "The Husband’s Secret" felt inconsistent, with jarring shifts between tenses and frequent grammatical errors disrupting the flow. Characters, including Pamela and Kyle, were melodramatic, making it difficult to connect with them. Although the central mystery is intriguing, it is revealed in a lackluster manner, with uneven pacing and abrupt transitions affecting the overall experience. While the themes of trust and deception are compelling, they are overshadowed by execution issues and confusing settings.

This book may appeal to readers who enjoy quick thrillers despite these flaws but may not suit those seeking polished prose and cohesive storytelling.

2/5
Profile Image for Sarah * Between the Lines Book Reviews.
254 reviews102 followers
December 23, 2024
The Husband’s Secret
By Franklin Christopher
3.5⭐️

Okay, wow.

I questioned this book a few times (reason for 3.5 stars rounded to 4 on GR and Amazon) but dang this had twist after twist after twist, which had me wanting to read more.

The sneak preview of the next book has me intrigued and can’t wait to read it!!

#SupportIndieAuthors
Profile Image for BrownBookNerd.
240 reviews34 followers
February 18, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ It was good in the beginning and then somewhere along the lines the character Kyle got too weird for me. It’s like his character took a complete 180 and I didn’t like it at all.
Profile Image for T.
4 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2024
Oh my gosh this book I could not put down. I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader and when I tell you my jaw hit the floor multiple times. Never in my life of reading books have I so vehemently disliked a character so much. I was not expecting such a visceral hatred that just grew with each page, nor was I expecting to dislike multiple characters. It is such a well written book and the twists and turns I never saw coming. Cannot wait for the second one to come out and I’ll be buying the physical copy as soon as it’s released this month. Thoroughly recommend
Profile Image for Sarah  Boeke.
1 review
September 19, 2024
This book was terrible. Not a thriller at all and a stupid plot line. Do not recommend
Profile Image for Sarah.
58 reviews11 followers
September 21, 2024
First off, thank you to the author for sending me ARC for honest feedback!

Next, what did I just read?!?!

This is a gripping, fast paced, psychological thriller with truly surreal twists. Kudos to the Author’s imagination and storytelling abilities, none of the twists were remotely predictable. Kept me on edge till the very end!

Was torn between 3 or 2 stars for this one and ultimately had to go with 2 stars due to the number of grammatical and editing errors that I just couldn’t get past, denting my reading experience.
Profile Image for Jewel Roper.
78 reviews3 followers
September 21, 2024
I was picked to ARC this book.
This book is so good and well written. It made me want to finish it faster than I did. I love how I thought the story was going to go one way but then went another. I loved the mystery it gave an all the twists and turns. I also loved the symbolism it had an loved how the cover made so much sense the further you got in the book. Such a good book and highly recommend.
210 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2024
I really don't even know what to say about this book. I had such high hopes going in, but I'm left extremely disappointed. This story had a lot of twists and turns, but very bizarre and strange ones. It almost felt like someone took a group of thrillers, and did a weird mash-up of them all. It didn't flow well for me, and all I can think is, what in the world did I just read- and not in a good way. It also had a ton of errors, and I'm not usually super bothered by that, because we're all human, and mistakes happen. But it had SO MANY. I've seen reviews raving about this book, so I know some people do enjoy it, but it definitely wasn't for me. It left on a cliff hanger for a next book, but I will not subject myself to more bizarre nonsense. I very rarely give bad reviews. I actually give out 5 star ratings like it's candy, but I just can't help it with this book. I feel horrible giving a bad review, but I see that I'm definitely not the only one who felt this way, and I wanted to give honest feedback.
Profile Image for Linda.
99 reviews1 follower
September 23, 2024
I was given an ARC and was so excited for this one. Unfortunately, I DNF’d. For starters so many things didn’t make sense like how a friend, a male friend, noticed that Pamela was pregnant at 6 weeks, she wouldn’t be showing. You would’ve be able to tell by looking at her. Then he (Kyle) doesn’t went children but impregnates multiple women and is excited by it. I understand what later but it just makes you think it’s unrealistic. The dialogue and way characters speak to each other seems forced, not realistic. For example the conversation between Bianca and Kyle. Then when you get to the intersex serial killer that impregnated himself (herself), I just couldn’t any more. I read others reviews for the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Summer.
185 reviews5 followers
September 20, 2024
I was selected for an ARC for this book. The beginning was a little crude and I didn’t love the misogynistic view but I decided to keep reading instead of DNF’ing and I’m glad I kept reading. I definitely hated Kyle as a character for most of the book but then in the end I felt “revenge is sweet”. I was so invested in the storyline and Pamela as a character, that I felt a lot of different emotions from sadness, anger and empathy, etc.

It was definitely psychologically twisted which I enjoy. You never really know what’s coming next. I was really unable to put it down the farther and farther in I got and the more and more twists came.

I would not recommend reading if you are triggered by abortion, miscarriage or child loss of any kind.
Profile Image for Kellie  Kessler.
5 reviews15 followers
September 23, 2024
First of all I was selected as an ARC reader for this book

Trigger Warnings: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Child Loss, Abortion, sexually graphic (mild IMO).

Woah, what did I just read?? I totally thought I had this book figured out early on but I absolutely did not! So many twists that I couldn’t predict and made me want to keep reading. There was one point where I felt it was slightly unbelievable, but as someone who reads pretty much all fiction I didn’t mind it at all. Book ended on a crazy cliffhanger and has me wanting to know when book 2 will come out.

I would place the authorship about on par with Frieda McFadden and if you enjoy her books I certainly think you will enjoy this one. Is it the most moving and profound book I’ve ever read? No it’s not, but it was a very engaging and quick read which can be equally as good in my opinion.

Christopher Franklin has a lot of potential as an author and I definitely plan to read more by him in the future and look forward to seeing his growth as an author.
Profile Image for Kristen.
4 reviews
September 26, 2024
I was chosen to be an ARC reader for this book. Below is my honest review.

Just when I thought I had this book figured out there was a plot twist. At the end I was like “what did I just read?”. The first part of the book I hated the MMC but towards the end I started to have a little empathy towards him because of how crazy the situation was. This book was fast paced and kept my attention because I wanted to know what happened next. It was a great read. I can’t wait for the next book. If you want a fast paced book with crazy plot twists. This book is for you!
Profile Image for DKall.
455 reviews11 followers
September 28, 2024
I was chosen as an ARC reader and this is my honest review This book is a whirlwind of craziness that you would not expect from what seems to be a domestic thriller. I found it very easy to get through and I enjoyed most of the POV being from a males perspective. The book is a bit out there, and I think because of that it can be hard for some to get into, but if that doesn’t bother you then I think this book will truly be one you don’t see coming. The cliff hanger setting up for a second book was done very well because all I want is the next book!
Profile Image for Savanna West.
5 reviews1 follower
September 19, 2024
Just finished this as an ARC read and wow.

The twist and turns keep me hooked the whole way through, I could not put this book down. I tried very hard to figure it out but in the end still didn’t not see that coming. 100% recommend adding this one to your TBR list. I can not wait to see what book two uncovers.
122 reviews4 followers
September 18, 2024
THE HUSBAND’S SECRET
Franklin Christopher
Genre: psych thriller

⭐️ 1/5 stars

I felt so lucky to have been chosen to receive the ARC for this book! It was the definition of a page turner with very unlikable characters 📖 … until 75% that’s when it all changed.

From the beginning you can tell that both main characters are out of the ordinary. The MMC is a complete dominant narcissist with a control issue. I was so interested in where the story was going. It was straight up thrills and action but ended with a dud.

The twist at 75% had me wanting to put it down and walk away and that’s exactly what I should have done. Absolutely not. The book turns into something very unrealistic and I kept thinking is this a dream or what? The story was way out of left field and there were so many things left unfinished. I was bothered by the amount of grammatical and spelling errors. The end was a cliff hanger for a second book that I will NOT be reading or taking part in.

There was so much potential for the writing and plot but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

These quotes gave me so much hope for this book:

“The hunt is on, and I won’t stop until I uncover the truth-no matter how ugly it might be.”

“The game has changed, and I am now a player, whether I like it or not.”

If you feel compelled to read it, let me know your thoughts 💭😬

#bookrating #bookreviews #bookreview #bookstagramreviews #booksta #bookgirlie #thriller #psychologicalthriller #bookwormlife #readmorebooks #bookworm #readmorebooks
2 reviews
September 28, 2024
I was chosen as an ARC reader for this book. Right off the bat I saw that the writer doesn't like to give trigger warnings but it definitely is in need of them. The loss of a child may not be something someone wants to read about in passing. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have read this on my own and I have never experienced that loss myself. This book was like trying to turn the channel while Jerry Springer is on...it's a hot mess but you didn't want to stop in case it got to a good part. There were several grammatical errors, repetition, and meaningless nonsense throughout. I wanted to dnf like many others have said in their reviews but I stuck with it. This was the most far fetched and confusing storyline I've ever read. The ending was rushed with a terrible cliffhanger. Will not read another by this author based on this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Emily.
17 reviews1 follower
October 5, 2024
I was offered an opportunity to be an ARC reader and I thank the author for the opportunity.

But respectfully, WHAT THE FUCK.

I guess the beginning of the book was okay. I was interested. There were a few moments when I couldn’t put the book down. The writing isn’t terrible.

But as the book continued, I couldn’t stop whispering to myself: What. The. Fuck.

There are too many inconsistencies. It’s as if the author couldn’t decide who he wanted his characters to be. Things just didn’t make sense. The twist was bizarre. The ending was bizarre.
Profile Image for Alyssa.
26 reviews
November 20, 2024
I'm not entirely sure what i just read. Did i read it in 3 days? Yes. Did i enjoy it? I'm not sure. Did i roll my eyes at how ridiculous things were in this book? More times than i can count. The story is not believable at all. Just when you think it couldn't get more ridiculous, something even more extreme happens. I found myself laughing my way through the story. With that being said, I did devour it. I don't plan to read book number two though. None of the characters are likable and I prefer my stories to be a little more realistic unless I'm intentionally choosing a fantasy or sci-fi.
Profile Image for Taylor Blume.
1 review1 follower
October 10, 2024
I got an ARC copy of this book and that’s honestly the only reason I didn’t DNF it. The first 2/3 was okay, not great but not bad. The last 1/3 was just terrible. There were so many punctuation and grammar errors throughout the book. It really needs another pass through editing.
Profile Image for BxerMom.
961 reviews14 followers
November 9, 2024
This ended up being just dumb. Just DUMB.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 574 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.