The Newlywed

by Zia Rayyan

In Eden, love comes to you. But some matches are made in hell.
After a brutal breakup, librarian Morgan Sloane signs up for Eden—a secretive matchmaking service promising marriage at first sight, free from heartbreak.

Her new husband? Henry Langford. Wealthy, charming, and waiting at the altar of an exclusive private island resort. He’s everything Morgan ever dreamed of.

But paradise has a price.

A woman across the pool won't stop staring. The staff fall silent when Morgan walks past. And Henry disappears at night, returning with lies hidden behind his perfect smile.

Eden promised Morgan she'd never suffer another heartbreak. But heartbreak isn’t what Morgan should fear most.

Because by the time she discovers the truth, it’ll be too late. She’ll be trapped in paradise.

The Newlywed is an addictive psychological thriller full of jaw-dropping twists, perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Daniel Hurst, and Kiersten Modglin. Don’t read this on your honeymoon.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Psychological Thriller, Romantic Suspense

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2025

Reviews

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique story line and I went through a series of emotions when it came to Morgan. Desperate for love and a wedding, Morgan wants to skip the dating & heartbreak, and get straight to the nuptials. I kept saying she would come to her senses but before I knew it, she was contacting Eden — an arranged marriage program where you are placed with someone & married at first site!

I enjoyed the alternating POVs for Morgan and Henry, and the narrators did especially well bringing life to these characters. Overall an enjoyable read and I will be continuing this series. Thank you RBmedia and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

Publication 🗓️ : 01.06.26

[Natalia Farnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What! This was such a fun crazy read!!!!!! I definitely did not expect the twist and my goodness I wish there was a book two for this. and I don’t say that much about thrillers. This was perfectly paced and had me reading like crazy to find out what happened in the end! Definitely need to read more from this author for sure. Thanks NetGalley for a chance to read this it did not disappoint!!!!!

[Emily Kubik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sat down and read this after seeing a self promo post in a book group. I was hooked and kept reading all afternoon. I enjoyed the fast pace, page turning story. I was engaged and excited the whole time. I’ll be reading her other books as well. I kind of hope there another story about Henry and Morgan in the future.

[Brittan Culclasure · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not understand all of these 5 star reviews. Or even 3 & 4 stars. This book was ridiculous. I can’t say much else without giving away some of the plot but my goodness this was disappointing.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a fun and fascinating premise. I don't watch much reality TV but I was an avid watcher of the show Married at First Sight. The premise of this novel is similar in that strangers looking for love are matched by a panel of experts. In the case of this novel the panel of experts was employed by Eden. Morgan is a librarian who has been unlucky in love and applies to Eden to help her match with a potential husband. Both partners agree to marry upon meeting and skip the dating & getting to know each other phase. Morgan is matched with Harry who is obscenely wealthy. They meet marry and honeymoon on a private island that Morgan is flown to on a private luxury jet.

This would've made more sense storywise if Morgan had been participating in a new reality show, who wants to wanna marry a millionaire?, or some such nonsense. The way Morgan behaves would make much more sense in the context of a reality in which participants are manipulated into being ridiculously competetive. As written Morgan's feelings, actions and behaviors are puzzling and often frustrating for me as a reader.

This is narrated by Cat Protano & Xander Stone. I generally prefer for multiple viewpoint pov audiobooks to have multiple narrators. It adds to the ambience for the novel. In the case of this book, the narration is probably my favorite aspect of this book.

Thank you to Zia Rayyan, Tantor Media, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

[Lu thrillskillsandchills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Married at First Sight, but make it the thriller edition and you’ll find this popcorn thriller, The Newlywed — the first in this series by Zia Rayyan.

I flew through this in less than a day. It’s fast-paced, chaotic in the best way, and ridiculously easy to binge — exactly what I want from a psychological thriller.

The audiobook narration was fantastic and really elevated the story. Genevieve is completely unhinged, and experiencing her POV on audio made everything feel even more tense and unsettling. The narrators did a great job of pulling me into the story and keeping the pace tight throughout.

This is pure popcorn thriller energy — entertaining, dramatic, and designed to be devoured quickly. I’m already keen to continue the series because I need to know more about Morgan and where her story goes next.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 24%

The dialogue is 🙄 and very painful.

Thanks netgalley

[Alexis Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how I stumbled upon this book I think it was suggestion on my kindle. Anyways, it was so good! Kept me on my toes the whole time, and wasn’t your typical thriller plot. I hope there’s a second one 😊

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially this story seems far fetched, marriage at first sight seems wild, but actually, people do it to get on tv all the time now in real life! Once you settle in to the story it quickly becomes a really great read. It builds to a great ending. I love a sneaky b!tch & I love revenge so I recommend this.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Married at first sight turned sinister! This was a fun read with a twist on an already crazy concept. The audiobook was super entertaining with multiple narrators and POVs to keep you engaged and wondering what would happen next. Thank you netgalley for this arc!

[Sophia Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the start of the book I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, it was seeming a little tacky but I ended up loving this book! I could see this making a good like 6 episode tv show.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this I thought this is so idiotic… and yet I kept reading. I finished it in one sitting, so I guess it deserves a 4⭐️ because I couldn’t put it down now matter how stupid/wildly out there the storyline was

[Emily Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! I finished it within 2 days, I constantly was wanting to know what happens next. I want a sequel 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Married At First Sight was a popcorn thriller, this is it! 💍🍿 And I was here for it! I came across it in a self-promo by the author in FB group and I'm glad I did! What a fast-paced, fun, and wild ride it was! Can't wait to read book 2 when it comes out in a few weeks!

[Lisa Cornetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!! It came, it conquered, and it left me CHEERING for Morgan!! For a while there, even I wanted to go to Eden just to see who I would end up with!! Morgan found her strength while at Eden—first for her marriage, then for her fate, and she OWNED it like a BOSS!! And that’s the stuff I absolutely LOVE to read about. There were parts of Henry I liked, and parts I hated. Genevieve was the reason I hated him. She was a nasty, cruel human, and I was not sad to see her go. There was so much excitement and anticipation throughout this ENTIRE book with these characters. This banger might be my most favorite read of 2025!! Oh yeah, and fuck Dexter.

[Ally A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recommended this book by Amazon kindle app - ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE with this author. The feeling of being on the edge of seat while reading this book.

[Victoria (storieswithtorie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a true slow burn psychological thriller. Very atmospheric, very controlled, and definitely takes its time. The middle dragged for me, but I stayed invested because I genuinely liked the FMC. She felt observant, relatable, and easy to root for as things slowly started to feel off.

The tension builds quietly rather than explosively, and while I wanted more urgency sooner, the ending made it worth sticking with. The final act pulled everything together and delivered a solid, satisfying conclusion.

Not a fast paced read, but if you enjoy subtle psychological suspense, a likable female lead, and an ending that actually lands, this one works.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 After an unexpected breakup, Morgan decides to signup for Eden - a matchmaking service that promises you love (and marriage) at first sight. She travels to a remote island to meet her new (rich and handsome) husband, Henry. After they say “I do”, Morgan starts to notice some strange happenings around her including a woman who seems obsessed with Henry and staff who seem to be warning her about her time there. Morgan starts to wonder if this is all too good to be true…

Fans of Freida McFadden will absolutely love this book. You have a fast-paced, absolutely absurd storyline with mostly unlikeable characters and twists along the way. It was mostly one POV but some brief other POV’s. It was dual narration with a man and woman narrator (but not duet). I would 100% recommend the audiobook for this one - very easy to listen to, great narration, and a fun time!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this audiobook. Reviews also posted on Fable and StoryGraph.

**Spoilers below**
There was a couple of plot holes and story details that bothered me. For one, how did Morgan afford this in the first place on a librarian salary? Did I miss something? Maybe they just allowed her to join because they wanted her in attendance but I don’t remember her sharing her concerns about payment? And then, why did she have to be a virgin? It just seemed like a weird detail to me that never really had any purpose. The only thing I can think was maybe it explains her insta-love to Henry, but truthfully it just made me question Morgan’s judgment. Lastly, I didn’t like the last chapter that tried to make some sort of romance out of this - I would have preferred if maybe Henry did find Morgan and she killed him or something instead of it alluding they were going to have this potential happy ever after - in no world is anyone cheering for Henry in this book - he was poop.

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for the ALC.

Morgan is ready for love, marriage and all that stuff. But she can't find a partner. So, in true reality tv fashion (to avoid naming show names), she impulsively contacts Eden, a specialized arranged marriage program that matches you with a partner and you are whisked away and married at first sight. I kept thinking 'she won't go through with this, she won't go through with this' - and was actually surprised when she did, in fact, go through with it. The rest of the book is meeting the new husband, learning the characters and watching all the off shoots of the series, er, um, reading the newly weds learning each other.

It wasn't bad. It was enjoyable enough, different enough, and the narrators were pleasant to listen to.

3.0 stars.

[Amber Rothermel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book made it an instant must read/listen!

The execution was just ok for me. It seemed so far fetched and unbelievable that I found myself rolling my eyes a bit. The characters were insufferable. The middle part of the audiobook seemed to drag on quite a bit with Morgan and Henry on the resort. Not a lot of action happened in that part of the story up until the first dead body was discovered.

I will say, I did enjoy the ending with Henry and would read a second book just to see Morgan’s reaction to him.

All in all, this book was mixed for me. There were parts I enjoyed and parts I did not. The narrators however were great and I listened at 1.75x.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun, fast paced, and unhinged popcorn thriller that I easily read in one sitting. The unique premise immediately pulled me in, and I flew through it in just a few hours because it was genuinely entertaining and hard to put down. I especially loved Genevieve’s delulu POV, and the narration was really well done and helped immerse me even more into the story.


Thank you to Tantor Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Linzi Adkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being dumped by her boyfriend, Morgan joins a dating app that guarantees an immediate arranged marriage. Morgan does not have much family and is seeking a partner in life and jumps at this opportunity. She is immediately matched and weds quickly. Henry seems like everything she ever wanted, until a woman from his past shows up at the resort. The big takes some twists and turns and ends up being different than expected. It was not a home run, but did keep me entertained. The narrator did a nice job.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fast paced and gripping thriller. The story was intriguing because from the beginning I knew there was something off about the Eden program and the marriage between Henry and Morgan. I loved how strong Morgan turned out to be and how she took charge of this mystery. The cliffhanger at the end was good and makes me want more from these two characters in the future.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally think that this is a pretty unique story. I can't honestly think of a time when I read a story about newlyweds where what happens in this story happens! It's safe to say, when something appears too good to be true...it is.

Morgan Sloane is tired of constantly ending up with Mr. Wrong. She comes across something called Eden. Eden promises a perfect match... now right here I was rolling my eyes a little, because girl you can't be that dense?! Whatever... she goes and marries her perfect man. The problem is it doesn't take long for the facade to crack and things to be not so perfect.

There's another woman who comes to Eden and why is she looking at Sloane's husband like that, there are cryptic messages from staff, weird therapy sessions... just a lot of things that are off and that don't add up.


Perhaps they should change their slogan to...Perfection at a price... newlyweds beware.....

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ARC of this audiobook.

This was a fast, easy listen that made you question everyone's motives.
I thought the characters had good growth within the book, even though at times I was yelling at the FMC to pull her head out of her ass.
I thought the ending was good and really left things open for there to potentially be another book

[Lauren Pixtun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book so fast! The story was for sure a page turner. I say 4.5 only because I wish the ending wrapped up a little better. I want to know what happened to Morgan. If there is a book two, I’ll definitely reading it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! So good! A quick thriller was just what I needed.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! I couldn't wait to finish to see how it ended. This story is also unique. You won't find another book similar.
Zia is my new fave author, & I can't wait until another book come out!

[Liz McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a quick, jam packed thrill ride! Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jo Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have now read all Zia books and I have to admit this one has been my favourite 😍 x I look forward to reading lots more 😊