The One Day You Were My Husband

by Rosie Walsh

Four hours after saying ‘I do,’ he was gone.

Twelve years ago, Carrie married Johan on a beach in Thailand. But as the sun set on their perfect day, armed men swarmed the island and her husband was taken, never to be seen again.

Carrie is now happily remarried; a mother of two. The past is firmly behind her – until she stumbles across Johan by accident online. He is alive and well.

As the memories of their passionate relationship flood back, Carrie is compelled to find out what happened on that beach, and why Johan never got in contact.

The man who promised her a lifetime of love is now a mystery she must solve. But are the answers worth risking her marriage, her family, and the life she fought so hard to rebuild?

The truth, it turns out, is more shocking than any lie . . .


PRAISE FOR ROSIE WALSH

'I absolutely loved this book and didn't want it to end' Liane Moriarty

'A dazzling supernova of a book' Lisa Jewell

'Masterful' Clare Pooley

'Perfection' Lucy Clarke

'I couldn't put it down' Jane Fallon

'An absolute triumph' Jill Mansell

'A treasure for book clubs everywhere' Ashley Audrain

'It made me cry, smile and hug my own loved ones a little tighter' Beth O'Leary

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Adult, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 19, 2026

About the author

Rosie Walsh has lived and travelled all over the world, working as a documentary producer and writer.

The Man Who Didn’t Call (UK) / Ghosted (US) is her first book under her own name, and was published around the world in 2018, going on to become an instant bestseller in several territories. It was a New York Times top five bestseller and topped the charts in Germany for several weeks.

Rosie lives in Bristol with her partner and son.

Prior to writing under her own name she wrote four romantic comedies under the pseudonym Lucy Robinson.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this is good! What starts as a story tinged with a little love triangle, guilt, yearning, and ghosts-of-the-past intrigue quickly transforms into something far more layered. By the time I reached the final quarter — when the pacing skyrockets and a major twist practically slapped me across the face — I realized this wasn’t merely a heartbroken love story at all. It’s an intelligent, mind-bending thriller fused with a gripping character study, packed with jaw-dropping shocks and action-charged sequences. I wholeheartedly loved every moment.

The book opens with a stunning scene: a seaside wedding in Thailand. Carrie, in her mid-twenties, is about to marry Johan… until armed men storm the beach mid-ceremony and drag him away. From there, we leap forward twenty years to Carrie’s new life — now happily married to Robin, a philanthropy consultant, raising twins, and living in the quiet English countryside. After a complicated birth and caring for premature newborns, she stepped away from the demanding world of surgery. But now, with Robin suddenly out of work, Carrie decides to return to her medical career, accepting a spot with her former mentor in Stockholm.

What she doesn’t expect is the emotional ambush waiting for her: Johan — her first great love — is out of prison, freed earlier than expected after serving time for drug smuggling. From flashbacks, we learn Carrie once reached out to her estranged activist mother for help on the day he was arrested, but the verdict had already been sealed. So how did Johan walk free early? And why didn’t he ever contact her? The shock deepens when Carrie discovers he has built an entirely new life: a wife, a child, a world that doesn’t include her.

The guilt hits her hard. She wants closure so she can truly move forward — but as past and present collide, she realizes just how little she actually knows. The more secrets she uncovers, the more dangerous everything becomes… and Carrie may be in far deeper than she ever imagined.
I loved this book even more than the author’s previous two novels, which I also enjoyed. It carries a touch of The Last Thing He Told Me energy — quieter in the beginning, but absolutely relentless in the final act. The mystery is tightly executed, the character development is deeply satisfying, and the twist is worth every page. I’m obsessed. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sharing this brilliant thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[L.A.]

I’m so excited to read this after The Love of my Life! Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin ❤️❤️ Rosie Walsh ❤️❤️

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, The One Day You Were My Husband, by Rosie Walsh, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. In 2010 Carrie and Johan were married, but then Johan was arrested. In 2022, Carrie is married to Robin ad has twins. This was a wild roller coaster rider, who do you trust and believe.

[Liana Gold]

A love story with a dark secret that began in the heart of Thailand.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Penguin Publisher and the author, Rosie Walsh for this early eARC!

Publication date: May 19, 2026

[Maven_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh is a deeply affectionate and mysterious love story about love lost and life rebuilt, following Carrie as she confronts the ghost of a husband she thought she had left behind forever.

From the moment I read about Carrie and Johan’s impulsive beach wedding in Thailand and the terrifying way it ends, I was pulled into the emotional weight of this book, a feeling that only grew as the story unfolded. Twelve years after that day, Carrie has carved out a loving life with her husband Robin and their young twins in the English countryside, yet one online discovery about Johan’s survival unearths a tide of longing, regret, and unanswered questions that shook me right in the chest. The way Walsh delicately balances the present with flashes of the past made Carrie’s emotional journey feel lived in and richly nuanced, not just a puzzle to be solved. Readers see her wrestle with loyalty, memory, and identity, not as abstract ideas but as forces shaping every choice she makes, and this honest portrayal of a woman caught between two worlds stayed with me long after I put the book down.

What struck me the most was how this story blends romantic intensity with thoughtful introspection: the pages teem with suspense, but at the heart is a very human exploration of how first love can linger, even when life seems settled. The characters felt wonderfully dimensional to me, especially Carrie, whose vulnerability and resilience made her easy to root for.

I also appreciated how Walsh treated the mystery with respect, never cheapening emotional stakes for shock value. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars, because while the pacing took a bit to fully grip me, the emotional payoff and thematic depth made it a resonant and compelling read that I found hard to forget.

[Lee Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Love of My Life in 2022, I knew this one would be at the top of my list. The One Day You Were My Husband is the perfect balance of romance, mystery and part thriller. The story opens taking you back to the past as you meet Carrie Cole on her wedding day in Thailand about to marry Joann Kullberg. Carrie is a surgical intern surviving long shifts when she meets Joann and they are swept into a whirlwind romance. They have only been together a few months when they impulsively decide to marry. After they are married and begin to celebrate, a group of armed men storm in and drag Joann away. Carrie is beside herself. He is taken to prison and Carrie is left with questions, but is forced to leave Joann and their past behind her. Fast forward twelve years later, Carrie has gotten her life back together. She has worked hard to put Joann and the questions that surround his incarceration behind her. She is now married to Robin, a philanthropy consultant, raising twin girls on the English Moors. After a difficult difficult premature birth she took a step back from surgery. Robin is out of work, so she has decided to return to surgery and needs to travel to Stockholm where her former mentor has offered her a spot. Carrie and Robin have a rental property and as she is on the Roof website one night she stumbles across a listing only to discover Joann is out of prison and living in Stockholm. Of course she deep dives head first into Joann and his early release and what has taken place in his life since. Carrie needs answers and as the truth slowly comes out, nothing in the past or present is what she thought.
I highly recommend this book as it has a little something for everyone. Rosie Walsh is an instant read for me and I look forward to her next novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Pub Date: May 19, 2026 - Add this to your list.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

I love when a story digs into the “what ifs” of past relationships, and a reconnection with someone from your past can go in so many directions, so I was naturally drawn to this one.

The One Day You Were My Husband is exactly the kind of emotional, slightly twisty relationship drama I like to get lost in—where the lines between like, regret, and what-might-have-been all blur together. The premise hooked me right away: two people connected by this intense, unfinished history suddenly thrown back into each other’s orbit, and all the old feelings come rushing up in ways they’re definitely not prepared for. This story has a good blend of romance, heartbreak, and just enough suspense to keep you turning pages, wondering what actually happened all those years ago and what’s still being kept quiet.

I really enjoyed the emotional layers Rosie Walsh incorporated. It’s not just a second-chance love story; it digs into timing, choices, and how one moment can alter the entire course of your life. The characters feel messy in a real, relatable way, and even the quieter moments have this underlying tension that pulls you through.

But I will say, there were a few things that didn’t resonate the way I wanted. Some parts moved a little slow and I found myself wanting the momentum to pick up sooner. A few of the characters’ decisions felt a bit repetitive, circling the same conflicts without much movement. And while the emotional tension is strong, some reveals didn’t hit with the impact I hoped for. But nonetheless, I enjoyed this engaging mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advance copy in exchange for my feedback.

[LindaPf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading (and crying) when I read Rosie Walsh’s “The Love of My Life.” The author’s newest, “The One Day You Were My Husband” takes on those overarching themes again: true love and the sudden loss of it, hidden secrets ready to ruin lives, and can you ever leave the past behind?

I’m pretty sure that if you loved Laura Dave’s “The Last Thing He Told Me” then you’ll be equally mesmerized by Walsh’s latest.

In this domestic suspense story, an impromptu beach wedding in Thailand ends as the groom gets thrown into a van by armed men. So what happens to the abandoned bride? Carrie Cole, a British surgical resident, is left adrift as she learns her new Swedish husband, a diving instructor she has only known for a few months, Johan, has been arrested for smuggling/distributing drugs in a very non-tolerant country. She’s had a very complicated relationship with her estranged mother, an international women’s activist, but she finally calls her for help and surprisingly, her mother immediately comes to Thailand. And although her mom has deep influential contacts, Johan pleads guilty and is sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Carrie returns to England and to her surgical training (a job she knows she was always meant to have). Eventually, at a charity gala, she meets, falls in love with, and marries Robin, a financial consultant, with whom she is totally honest with regarding Johan. Carrie and Robin eventually become parents, but the twins’ birth disrupts her life again — the babies are ultra premature and sickly; she quits being a doctor and chooses childcare over a career.

But as the kids get older and better, she wants to retrain again as a surgeon and agrees to shadow a respected former mentor in Stockholm. As her mind returns to Sweden, she’s shocked to accidentally find out that Johan is long out of prison, is now a successful architect and is married with a son. The man who was supposedly so in love with her had never contacted her after his prison nightmare ended. Why?

I know this novel doesn’t initially seem like the domestic thriller it turns into, and it’s more like a long contemplation on lost love, starting over, and ignoring the lure to revisit the past. Carrie has never been the most confident person; she always believes catastrophe is near and then allows someone else to guide her worst case mental scenarios back to normalcy. Her resolve to totally erase Johan from her life begins to weaken once she’s back in Sweden.

I became as totally enraptured as Carrie in learning the truth of the past but there’s one final twist that just flabbergasted me. I had to rethink where I thought the story was going. There’s no straightforward villain and no neat way to wrap everything up. There is a lot of misguided love. Carrie’s life will always be messy since that day on the beach. 4.5 stars

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): MAYBE? Carrie’s eyes were the same color as his childhood cat’s.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO We do get to travel between snowy Sweden and tropical Thailand.

Thank you to Pamela Dorman/Penguin Viking and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

[Corinne Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie, an aspiring surgeon, crosses paths with Johan, and their love affair is one for the ages. Six months into their relationship, they are on a trip to Thailand and they get married. And all hell breaks loose on their wedding night when the local authorities crash the party and arrest Johan. Carrie is left baffled by what is taking place. Over the ensuing days, she becomes frustrated when she isn’t able to find out what is going on. Even after she finally is able to speak to Johan, he just tells her to go back home and just forget about him. Fast forward to a dozen years later, when Carrie is remarried with 6 year old twins and a Google search reveals that Johan has been released from Thailand. Carrie cannot stop herself from thinking about him and wanting answers for what happened all those years ago. This persistence opens up a can of worms where all of a sudden she finds out things she was not prepared for. The mystery was perfectly executed, and I was highly entertained with this story.

Thank you to NetGalley & Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 3 out of 5]

People really love this book. I was really kind of tepid on this one.

I do think the plot is unusual and I found myself curious at first. Unfortunately, that curiosity began to wane and my frustration with the characters began to grow.

Ultimately, the only characters I felt anything for were the main character's two young children. Everyone else just read as...non-entities.

I didn't hate the book. I had enough curiosity to finish the book, however I found myself rather bored with how everything works out.

I think that this one just wasn't really for me.

* ARC via Publisher

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I'd give this book 4 stars, the surprises kept on coming. I enjoyed that this book was a good mix between romance and mystery with a sprinkle of family drama. I wasn't sure what direction the story was going to go given Carrie's past relationship with Johan and her current marriage to Robin, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of happenings along the way. I found Carrie to be an interesting character, super accomplished, smart, and career driven woman, who falls head over heels in love with Johan and lost herself and then finds herself along the way. I enjoyed Carrie's family dynamic a whole lot, her relationship with Maya, her mother, and her father were all so unique and special in their own way. The downside to this book, at least for me, was the logistics of everything, the different countries and the laws and customs were hard to keep up with at times.

*First love/love triangle?
*Family
*Mystery
*Carrie's POV - 1st person
*Dual timeline

Format: ebook

Thank you NetGalley, Rosie Walsh, and Viking Penguin for the ARC.

[Erica Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review.


Wow. Wowowow. If you’re reading this, add this book to your TBR immediately. I thought the book sounded great from the description, but having never read this author before I wasn’t sure how good it would truly be. While I will say the first part of the book dragged a bit for me (I was wondering when we’d get into what actually happened and out of the backstory) once we got into it I couldn’t put it down. This book felt like the best of both worlds to me - it had a romance aspect that I loved, that give you butterflies feeling some books can accomplish, but it also had the mystery/thriller storyline I was craving. And the best part - I literally NEVER saw the twist coming, ever. And I usually see them coming from a mile away. WOW this book was good and will live in my brain for quite some time.

[Holly (hollylovesbooks1519) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, #Partner @pameladormanbooks @vikingbooks and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 5/19/26.

Mixed genres are my absolute favorite, and this one had a mix of thriller, mystery, family drama, romance, medical, and suspense. It was perfect in every single way, and I couldn't put it down. I had no idea how this was going to end, and I was shocked! Definitely pre-order and add this one to your wishlist because it's going to be a hit next May!

2010: Carrie, a surgical intern, and Johan marry after knowing each other for five months in Thailand. As soon as they have their first dance, armed men arrest Johan, and Carrie is in complete shock. She sees him one last time at the jail and he tells her to move on, giving her no explanations or answers. She was told he would be in jail for 25 years.

2022: Carrie has moved on with her life and is happily married with two children. She took a break from work, but now she is ready to jump back into being a surgeon. When her mentor, Yanika, invites her to a conference out of town, Carrie starts looking on the Roof app to find a house to rent. As she is looking at a certain house, she notices the host's name is Johan, and he looks exactly like her old Johan. It can't be. He should still be in jail, right? 4.5 stars!

[Emily (emsalwaysreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy of this book. This Publishes May 2026!

What to expect in this book:

-Dual timelines
-Romantic suspense
-Genre-bending
-Perfect for book clubs!

Thoughts

I have not read a book this good in a LONG time! It is December and I have not had a five star read since AUGUST! This one was the perfect blend of THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave and ONE TRUE LOVES by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I love a book that bends genres and this is the perfect one.

Carrie Cole is a surgical intern working long hours and not expecting to fall in love when Johann Kullberg enters her hospital and the two begin a whirlwind romance. Months later they marry on the beach in Thailand. However, as the couple are celebrating, a group of armed men take Johann away, never to be in Carrie's life again. Now twelve years later, Carrie is married to a devoted man, Robin, and the two live in the English Moors with their young children. One night as she stumbles across a post and finds that Johann has been living in Stockholm and has been out of prison for years. Carrie becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to Johann. As the truth begins to unravel, Carrie discovers that nothing is as she thought it was then and now.

I will not say much as to not give away this book, but I loved the twists throughout and how while I would not consider this to be a true mystery, but a romantic suspense, there was such tension, intrigue, and interest in this book. I cannot stop thinking about it and cannot wait to discuss with people. I loved Rosie Walsh's last book, The Love of My Life, and still think about it years later and believe this one will be the same. This was so well-written, interesting, and entertaining. I think there is a little bit of something for everyone in this. I highly recommend this to anyone!

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Fabulous. I ate this UPPPPPPPPP.

This was SO good. I have no words. There’s mystery, romance, thriller. I was screaming every few pages and I didn’t know where it was going or who to trust. I will scream from the rooftops to read this book.

TheOneDayYouWereMyHusband #NetGalley #vikingbooks

[Bonnie Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! Review TK!

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book as I became a big fan of Rosie Walsh after reading Ghosted! This story was another suspenseful and compelling mystery with some love lost themes and interesting family relationships mixed in. A great escape! 8.25/10.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Rosie book and I liked it. I cried A LOT!
It was sweet and sad and mysterious and heartbreaking and adorable and I really enjoyed reading it. I just wished that the first 75% would've been a bit shorter - I wanted more of the last 25%! But I liked it all.
I'm glad I'm not a doctor in England - all those things you have to do to become one and then stop being one and then starting to work again? Jeez! I didn't understand anything when she said all those British doctor things! LOL. There might've been a tiny bit much of that for a non-British, non-Doctor reader.
Oh, and I thought that maybe they should've been a few years younger in the beginning? 27 and 30 seemed a bit old for things.
But the story was really interesting, plottwisty and beautiful ... and I enjoyed it.

[Kärt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it’s near impossible for Walsh to get better than when she wrote Ghosted - which I finished in nearly one sitting - but The One Day You Were My Husband did end up surprising me with its twists and turns. Nothing was quite what it seemed!

Carrie and Johan’s whirlwind romance is one that makes you believe in soulmates. Carrie is very much immersed in her surgical world and Johan makes her step out of it which of course makes her realise how afraid she is of environments she has no control over. Their love is wild, overwhelming, and quite cheeky - the sexual tension between them and the way they unashamedly yearn for each other was rather refreshing.

I enjoyed how all of the characters were so multifaceted, had their own underlying trauma and issues that caused them to act the way they did. I went from disliking certain characters to admiring them, as layers were peeled off and secrets revealed. And with some it went the opposite way. Just wait until you get to 86% - however many pages that is - I genuinely gasped 🤭

Although this one was a bit slow going the first 15% or so, hence the 4.5 instead of 5, I really can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this and read it! A thrilling story of lost love, betrayal, and struggles of finding the balance between motherhood and one’s own dreams whilst fighting the urge to know what actually happened that one day everything changed.

[Brittany (Brittinbookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, I went into this book thinking it was a thriller, but up until 60% of the book, it felt like a woman rediscovering herself. So I thought I must have been misinformed, and it was Women's Fiction, which was fine because I was already into the story. Then there was a turning point, and it felt more mystery like, and finally, at the very end - about 80-ish percent - it was more of a thriller. Then again, in it's conclusion, felt like Women's Fiction. So it was a bit all over the place. So know that going in if you choose to read this.

None the less, the story was good. I was mostly captivated, but it did lose me at times. The fmc focuses heavily on her career in medicine, and it is mentioned a lot in the book. And I do mean a lot. So that's where it lost me a bit.

I did enjoy joy seeing Carrie grow as a character and back into herself while fighting the things most women have to in life just to make ends meet. The struggles are very realistic. It can become an empowering read if you let it.

All in all, this was an anticipated read for me, and it was quite enjoyable. Thank you, Netgally, for the advanced reader's copy!

4 🌟 stars!

[Barb Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan MacMillan, and Penguin Random House for the advance copy.

Rosie Walsh has done it again. She always knows how to weave a smart, layered mystery—you never quite know how things are going to unfold. This one had me fully hooked, and I literally made a noise when the twist hit because I did not see it coming. It also has just the right touch of romantic tension and relationship depth. I love her writing, and the locations/settings she creates always pull me in. Another compelling, twisty read from Walsh!

Favorite quote:
"But is it really care when we are protected
from the consequences of our own mistakes? When we are rescued the moment things get tough? I think that can only ever be control."
--Rosie Walsh

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The One Day You Were My Husband! This is Rosie Walsh’s best work to date. The book started off a bit slow, but it quickly picked up and I later realized all the background in the beginning was important.

This book was devastating and pulled at my heartstrings numerous times. A beautiful story featuring a mature, older FMC navigating the unthinkable. Carrie was a great main character and I appreciated that she didn’t make illogical/frustrating decisions like in some other books I’ve read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kristen Amen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one my top reads for 2025. I received an ARC from Edelweiss+. This book is mind-blowing in a good way. It's part love story, part suspense story as well as a bit of a slow burn thriller. It's almost impossible to describe fully, but it's excellent, emotional and very well-written. Highly recommended!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gonna need a quick lie down after this one. Because I don’t read descriptions, I had no idea what to expect. This really is a story about quiet and heavy betrayal, conditional versus unconditional love, and how hard it is to pull yourself back together after being put through the wringer. As frustrated as I felt at times, I couldn’t put it down.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Destiny || readingisyourdestiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh, so good. Why did it end? 😭

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had the potential to be great but there was just too much going on.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carrie and Johan were married for less than a day when Johan was arrested and imprisoned in Thailand. 12 years old, Carrie has remarried and has children. She discovers Johan has been released but also finds there were lots of secrets as to why he was taken from her all those years before. It's a story full of twists and turns and I liked the change in direction that the storyline took. It was a little too slow for my liking though and would have liked the unravelling of Johan's storyline to have started a bit earlier. However I did like the ending and thought it tied up all the loose ends nicely.

[Angelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh was an absolute page turner. I got completely lost in this read. It was an emotional whirlwind with some pretty surprising twists.


Thank you to Net Galley and Viking Penguin for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[LibraryLaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!

*Thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.