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The One Day You Were My Husband
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26From the
New York Times
-bestselling author of
Ghosted
and
The Love of My Life
comes another love story wrapped in a an up-all-night thriller with a dark secret at its core
2010. Carrie and Johan, madly in love, marry on the beach in Thailand, five months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, knows she’s being uncharacteristically impulsive but is too happy to care. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, armed men swarm the beach and arrest Johan for crimes unknown. In police custody, Johan refuses to see or speak to Carrie. She never sees him again.
2022. Carrie is settled in the English countryside with her husband, Robin, and their six-year-old twins. After a difficult entry into motherhood, Carrie has given up her career as a physician and has convinced herself that life as a mother and wife is enough. Until she stumbles across an online post that makes her realize Johan is out of prison—has been out for years. As the memories of their intense, passionate relationship return to her, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened on that beach all those years ago—even if that means putting her marriage and family in jeopardy.
And just when Carrie thinks she knows what she must do, a shocking twist confirms the truth found in every Rosie Walsh Everyone has something to hide. The One Day You Were My Husband asks listeners what—and whom—they would give up to return to a first love, and to the people they once were.
2010. Carrie and Johan, madly in love, marry on the beach in Thailand, five months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, knows she’s being uncharacteristically impulsive but is too happy to care. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, armed men swarm the beach and arrest Johan for crimes unknown. In police custody, Johan refuses to see or speak to Carrie. She never sees him again.
2022. Carrie is settled in the English countryside with her husband, Robin, and their six-year-old twins. After a difficult entry into motherhood, Carrie has given up her career as a physician and has convinced herself that life as a mother and wife is enough. Until she stumbles across an online post that makes her realize Johan is out of prison—has been out for years. As the memories of their intense, passionate relationship return to her, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened on that beach all those years ago—even if that means putting her marriage and family in jeopardy.
And just when Carrie thinks she knows what she must do, a shocking twist confirms the truth found in every Rosie Walsh Everyone has something to hide. The One Day You Were My Husband asks listeners what—and whom—they would give up to return to a first love, and to the people they once were.
368 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 19, 2026
131 people are currently reading
79640 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Walsh
18 books1,754 followersRosie 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews
May 8, 2026
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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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.
medium.com
March 5, 2026
This is a story that is out of the norm for me, really. First and foremost, I truly loved it. Please know that. This is a novel you need to take your time with, as it is a slow burn. The One Day You Were My Husband is a tale of a romance with a mystery infused.
Carrie and Johan marry on a beach in Thailand after falling in love for just a few months. That night at the reception, armed police officers whisk him away. Carrie has no idea what’s going on. Why is he being arrested?
The story has two timelines, one with the start of their romance, and twelve years later. Through the entire book, we are trying to figure out what happened to Johan. I needed to know why everything happened the way it did. The less you know here, the better.
Walsh’s writing is magnificent! She is definitely skilled at her craft! I don’t even read romance and I fell in love with this story. That should tell you something. There is a HUGE twist revealed that had me literally screaming! 😱
I loved the time I spent with the novel and recommend you giving it a read. Add it to your TBR!
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 5/19/26
Massive thanks to Viking Books/ Pamela Dorman Books for my beautiful gifted copy!
Carrie and Johan marry on a beach in Thailand after falling in love for just a few months. That night at the reception, armed police officers whisk him away. Carrie has no idea what’s going on. Why is he being arrested?
The story has two timelines, one with the start of their romance, and twelve years later. Through the entire book, we are trying to figure out what happened to Johan. I needed to know why everything happened the way it did. The less you know here, the better.
Walsh’s writing is magnificent! She is definitely skilled at her craft! I don’t even read romance and I fell in love with this story. That should tell you something. There is a HUGE twist revealed that had me literally screaming! 😱
I loved the time I spent with the novel and recommend you giving it a read. Add it to your TBR!
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 5/19/26
Massive thanks to Viking Books/ Pamela Dorman Books for my beautiful gifted copy!
February 8, 2026
thinking this is 3.5 rounded up to 4 for GR! overall, i enjoyed it but felt like there was a bit too much going on/too much jumping around to really get settled in the story.
if you like THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave, you’d like this!
this isn’t really a thriller or a romance but has both as well as a ton of family drama. if you like multi genre books like me, this could be something you enjoy!
the premise + first chapter hooked me—a couple gets married on a beach in Thailand and an hour later, her brand new husband is arrested off the beach and she has no reason why.
this was fun and i never knew where it was going to go. i was really interested to figure out what happened and what her husband did. a double life? an act of betrayal? caught up in something horrible? was he set up?
but to that point the execution was what didn’t fully work for me. it had SO much going on… with the parent drama, the sibling drama, the arrest, the surgery/job plot, the husband drama, the different countries… i felt like we coulda cut a bit of that out to make it streamlined, but at the same point it allowed for a LOT of drama and friction in the story. just too much for my taste.
i liked the main character and how she was older and more mature and determined to reclaim her life. poor girl was wrapped into so much drama and had so many people make decisions on her behalf and going through all of that would be unimaginable.
also the ending twist… i wanted to be wow’d and shocked but it just felt like a convenient plot device. i’m not saying more as it’ll spoil the entire thing but idk!!! it was too convenient for me!
thanks to Viking for the gifted early copy. i actually think this would be a very fun book club read bc there is so much to chat about and now i’m wishing i could discuss w friends!
if you like THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave, you’d like this!
this isn’t really a thriller or a romance but has both as well as a ton of family drama. if you like multi genre books like me, this could be something you enjoy!
the premise + first chapter hooked me—a couple gets married on a beach in Thailand and an hour later, her brand new husband is arrested off the beach and she has no reason why.
this was fun and i never knew where it was going to go. i was really interested to figure out what happened and what her husband did. a double life? an act of betrayal? caught up in something horrible? was he set up?
but to that point the execution was what didn’t fully work for me. it had SO much going on… with the parent drama, the sibling drama, the arrest, the surgery/job plot, the husband drama, the different countries… i felt like we coulda cut a bit of that out to make it streamlined, but at the same point it allowed for a LOT of drama and friction in the story. just too much for my taste.
i liked the main character and how she was older and more mature and determined to reclaim her life. poor girl was wrapped into so much drama and had so many people make decisions on her behalf and going through all of that would be unimaginable.
also the ending twist… i wanted to be wow’d and shocked but it just felt like a convenient plot device. i’m not saying more as it’ll spoil the entire thing but idk!!! it was too convenient for me!
thanks to Viking for the gifted early copy. i actually think this would be a very fun book club read bc there is so much to chat about and now i’m wishing i could discuss w friends!
Currently Reading
May 1, 2026A love story with a dark secret that began in the heart of Thailand.. but the husband disappears!
I’m not sure what to expect, the reviews are all over the place.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Penguin Publisher and the author, Rosie Walsh for this early eARC!
Publication date: May 19, 2026
I’m not sure what to expect, the reviews are all over the place.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Penguin Publisher and the author, Rosie Walsh for this early eARC!
Publication date: May 19, 2026
Want to Read
January 15, 2026I’m so excited to read this after The Love of my Life! Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin ❤️❤️ Rosie Walsh ❤️❤️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been a huge fan of author, Rosie Walsh for years. Walsh is gifted with an intelligent, witty, fast-paced writing style that grips the reader from the very first page and leaves you sighing with satisfaction or gasping with shock, depending on the genre.
What a cast of characters! I absolutely bought pint-sized Carrie Cole as a surgeon in training. Carrie's fierce championing of her patients and her undeniable dedication to her vocation won me over in the very first chapter.
All hell breaks lose when Johan Kullberg, the great love of her life, is arrested on their wedding day during the post-ceremony festivies under the Thailand stars.
Carrie goes from utter, blissed-out euphoria to abysmal heartbreak. Carrie uses all of her contacts and resources to try to get Johan released: this must be a tragic mistake!
In the end, Carrie is forced to pick up the shattered pieces of her life and move on. Shockingly, Johan Kullberg eventually pleads guilty and is destined to spend the rest of his life in a Thai prison. There is nothing her contacts can do for him, so Carrie must, somehow, move on with her life.....
Fast forward several years later: Carrie is married to a different man and is the mother of twins. Life couldn't be more hectic. She certainly didn't need the complication of hearing that Johan Kullberg had been granted a royal pardon and was living in Stockholm - where Carrie had just been offered a placement with one of the top surgeons in Europe.
There are so many colourful characters in this story: Carrie's half-Malaysian civil rights militant mother, her lovable but ailing British father, her yuppie sister, Maya, her former heart throb, Johan, and Carrie's current husband, Robin.
Robin is the perfect, supportive husband. He is Carrie's anchor after the roiling chaos of losing the love of her life, Johan.
But Carrie is right to feel adrift and confused when all of her assumptions about what had happened on her wedding day in Thailand are eventually cracked wide open. Was she being manipulated by the ones she loved all along? Who can she trust?
I'm rating this one all the stars, because I was downright entertained, right to the very last page, and that tragic love story between Johan and Carrie had me hoping - and reading furiously on with bated breath! - that there was SOME WAY TO FIGURE THE WHOLE SORRY MESS OUT!
Rosie Walsh ties up the entire plot beautifully. I was so very much satisfied: she more than fulfulled my expectations. Another winner, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading!!!
My thanks to the author, Rosie Walsh, her publishers. MacMillan/Pamela Dorman Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
What a cast of characters! I absolutely bought pint-sized Carrie Cole as a surgeon in training. Carrie's fierce championing of her patients and her undeniable dedication to her vocation won me over in the very first chapter.
All hell breaks lose when Johan Kullberg, the great love of her life, is arrested on their wedding day during the post-ceremony festivies under the Thailand stars.
Carrie goes from utter, blissed-out euphoria to abysmal heartbreak. Carrie uses all of her contacts and resources to try to get Johan released: this must be a tragic mistake!
In the end, Carrie is forced to pick up the shattered pieces of her life and move on. Shockingly, Johan Kullberg eventually pleads guilty and is destined to spend the rest of his life in a Thai prison. There is nothing her contacts can do for him, so Carrie must, somehow, move on with her life.....
Fast forward several years later: Carrie is married to a different man and is the mother of twins. Life couldn't be more hectic. She certainly didn't need the complication of hearing that Johan Kullberg had been granted a royal pardon and was living in Stockholm - where Carrie had just been offered a placement with one of the top surgeons in Europe.
There are so many colourful characters in this story: Carrie's half-Malaysian civil rights militant mother, her lovable but ailing British father, her yuppie sister, Maya, her former heart throb, Johan, and Carrie's current husband, Robin.
Robin is the perfect, supportive husband. He is Carrie's anchor after the roiling chaos of losing the love of her life, Johan.
But Carrie is right to feel adrift and confused when all of her assumptions about what had happened on her wedding day in Thailand are eventually cracked wide open. Was she being manipulated by the ones she loved all along? Who can she trust?
I'm rating this one all the stars, because I was downright entertained, right to the very last page, and that tragic love story between Johan and Carrie had me hoping - and reading furiously on with bated breath! - that there was SOME WAY TO FIGURE THE WHOLE SORRY MESS OUT!
Rosie Walsh ties up the entire plot beautifully. I was so very much satisfied: she more than fulfulled my expectations. Another winner, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading!!!
My thanks to the author, Rosie Walsh, her publishers. MacMillan/Pamela Dorman Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2025
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
That was such an amazing story. I don't think I have been as immersed in a novel in such a long time.
December 19, 2025
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.
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.
Did Not Finish
April 17, 2026March 2026, DNF at 15%. The One Day You Were My Husband surprised me a bit, especially since I really liked Ghosted several years ago. That one balanced mystery, romance, and character work in a way that felt layered and satisfying. This, however, leans much more heavily into standard thriller territory — and not in a way that worked for me.
The reliance on present tense felt like a crutch to maintain momentum, and while the prologue caught my attention, it didn’t take long for the story to settle into a rhythm of familiar tropes, questionable choices, and moments I felt like I had to overlook rather than buy into. By the time I hit 15%, it felt like I was tolerating the story more than engaging with it, and I ultimately tapped out.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
The reliance on present tense felt like a crutch to maintain momentum, and while the prologue caught my attention, it didn’t take long for the story to settle into a rhythm of familiar tropes, questionable choices, and moments I felt like I had to overlook rather than buy into. By the time I hit 15%, it felt like I was tolerating the story more than engaging with it, and I ultimately tapped out.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
December 8, 2025
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
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
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What an amazing read ! This book was full of twists and the perfect mix of thriller and love story combined.
The characters were well written, I felt like I knew them, The plot was brilliant. How our past can shape our future so well explored, also how unexplained events can never really be forgotten until we find out the answers,
Motherhood, career , love, control and trust are all tied up in this page turning book. I highly recommend it .
The characters were well written, I felt like I knew them, The plot was brilliant. How our past can shape our future so well explored, also how unexplained events can never really be forgotten until we find out the answers,
Motherhood, career , love, control and trust are all tied up in this page turning book. I highly recommend it .
March 21, 2026
Hands down, the best ARC I’ve ever received in a giveaway so far! I enjoyed reading Carrie and Johan’s story. I loved not knowing what was going to happen next and the few jaw dropping surprises in the book. I was intrigued from start to finish and could not put it down. I love Rosie Walsh’s writing specifically when she describes how the FMC is feeling. I loved not knowing that there was a shocking twist and I appreciate how it ended. So lucky to have experienced this read!
December 9, 2025
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.
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.
Want to Read
February 14, 2026I might need to preorder this! I love Rosie Walsh. I found her last year.
December 3, 2025
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.
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.
November 8, 2025
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!
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!
December 1, 2025
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.
Thank you to NetGalley & Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
November 26, 2025
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.
*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.
November 29, 2025
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.
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.
November 27, 2025
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!
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!
November 8, 2025
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.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 15, 2025
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.
Thank you to Net Galley and Viking Penguin for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2025
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!
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!
November 15, 2025
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
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
May 12, 2026
I was excited to read this after seeing someone mention it online.. a doctor meets a handsome man, and there’s a whirlwind romance!? Sign me up! Domestic thrillers are my favorites and I can honestly say I wasn’t sure what direction this book was going to go in.. I will say that I really did like the ending.
This book is very well written & my first by this author. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!
This book is very well written & my first by this author. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!
April 20, 2026
This book captured my interest from the start and kept me enthralled until the end. I really liked it, just didn’t quite love it. That being said, I actually did love the twist!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
December 6, 2025
Oh my! Review TK!
April 21, 2026
I couldn’t stop reading this book, it’s so amazing! It needs to be a movie! In my top 2 of the year and everything a book should be. Must read!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This story became so suspenseful that I asked my boyfriend to please turn off the classical music he was playing because it was adding urgency to the already adrenaline-inducing plot. The end of the book is a fireworks finale; the thing that you think is the big reveal is just the first in a rapid-fire sequence of even bigger reveals. The best!!!
--
The One Day You Were My Husband is told from the point of view of Carrie Cole. The year is 2022, and she is a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother of (hilarious) twins. Once a talented and ambitious surgeon in London, she left her career for an old house in the countryside to stay home with her son and daughter who were born prematurely.
Life is simple and mostly good. Carrie’s husband Robin is amazingly supportive, working long hours to make it possible for Carrie to stay home. Carrie’s beloved dad and step-mom live minutes away, and Carrie is able to help them out as her dad’s Alzheimer’s progresses. Carrie’s sister, Maya, who decamped for Colorado to be with someone named Eagle, visits often and stays close with the kids.
Carrie even has a decent relationship with her mom, who loves her daughters but was never suited to motherhood. She left the family when the girls were young so that she could go full-throttle pursuing her global health advocacy work. Carrie sees a lot of herself in her mother, having approached her education and advancement as a surgeon with a similar ferocity.
This scares Carrie, though, because she doesn’t want to be anything like the parent her mother was. And is it even possible to live her purpose as a surgeon and be a devoted mother? (This book turns the “Lean In” women-can-have-it-all philosophy on its head, let me tell ya.)
The twins are six now and Carrie has set the ball in motion to return to work part-time. It feels excruciating to leave the kids, especially Raffy who’s prone to asthma attacks, but Carrie knows she has to. Returning to work as a surgeon is an arduous process. Carrie has to repeat some training and claw her way back to the level she was at before stepping away (called “ST6”). Fortunately, Carrie’s former mentor, the Greek and indomitable Yanika Hatziz, invites her to shadow (and learn the latest robotic techniques!) at her clinic in Stockholm before formally resuming her career.
Carrie is perusing places to stay on the Airbnb-like platform Roof, when a well-decorated cottage near the Baltic Sea catches her eye. She glimpses the host’s name and photo — but no, it can’t be — it’s her ex, Johan, who was imprisoned in Thailand on the night of their wedding twelve years ago, whom she thought was serving a 25-year sentence (that is, if he wasn’t dead.)
How’s that for a shock. The questions come fast: How did he get out of prison early? Why was he in jail at all? Why did no one tell Carrie he was out? Is he okay? Did he ever really love her? You can imagine what happens next. Carrie and Johan end up crossing paths in Stockholm and thus begins a slow unraveling of what happened all those years ago in Thailand and what it could mean for the present and the future.
The story jumps back and forth between 2010 (when Carrie, at 26, first meets Johan) and 2022. As we see for ourselves what Carrie experienced before, during, and in the aftermath of the trip to Thailand, we uncover some destabilizing truths about present-day Carrie and the people in her life.
Things to love about this book:
The One Day You Were My Husband is different and better than your average girl-on-the-train psychological thriller.
A female surgeon’s POV:
Carrie is a surgeon who’s not a man and who’s not an emotionally detached psychopath. For a thriller, I feel like this is rare! Carrie is both impeccable at her craft and caring toward patients — a normal person who happens to be a fiercely skilled surgeon.
We learn so much about the medical system in England; it is sooo different from the U.S. In the NHS, which is the UK’s public health system, the educational process is longer and doctors specialize later. When we meet Carrie in 2010, she’s about ready to advance to the level of surgical registrar, an intermediate level that takes years of training to reach. She works under Consultants, expert-level surgeons whose rank permits them to be called “Mr./Mrs./Miss” etc. rather than “Dr.”
We accompany Carrie through a few surgical procedures and hear her talk about lots more. It’s fascinating to witness, especially the way that surgeons handle surprise obstacles that become emergencies, like a tumor that can’t be excised without rupturing a major vein. Carrie has the gift of being able to quiet the metaphorical and physical alarms going off around her and move from next step to next step until the patient is stabilized.
Carrie’s powerhouse mom:
This woman directly and indirectly adds so much texture to the book. Carrie and her sister Maya are powerfully affected even in their adulthood by their mother’s absence when they were children.
It manifests in the most interesting sorts of ways. Carrie seizes control. She checks on her kids multiple times throughout the night. She struggles to eat most of the time. (Side note: this is the most well-written, realistic depiction of a low-grade smoldering eating disorder I’ve ever seen.) 2010 Carrie obsesses about her work, immersing herself in the eleven-hour shifts, coming in to help out on her days off, and studying for hours at home each night — to prove something to herself? To distract from emotional scars? Maya ran away to Colorado and had (has?) a drinking problem. She’s volatile and still so deeply mad at her mother.
Carrie’s mother forms a heartfelt connection with Johan. Carrie feels a lot more warmly toward her mom than Maya, her dad, and her husband do, and it’s probably because of how she witnessed her mom at her best during her relationship with Johan.
Author Rosie Walsh nails this depiction of a person who’s both good and bad. She’s flawed but also has glorious superpowers (as flawed people do).
British motherhood:
This book is so British. I am grateful to the U.S. publisher (Viking Penguin, hi!) for not extracting all the British-isms. There were a bunch of terms I had to look up or think about for a sec (such as, to be “laid off” = to be “made redundant”) which was such a joy! I feel like I’ve taken a weekend trip to the UK.
What’s even more delightful is spending time with Carrie’s British kids. Maeve and Raffy say the cutest and funniest things in the world. I read all of the dialogue in the book, and theirs especially, in a British accent (in my head, lol) to great satisfaction. Rosie Walsh’s own kids are hilarious and I can tell from Rosie’s posts that she drew inspiration from them.
Thailand:
Omg, the depictions of Thailand in this book. The book captures the feeling of Thailand — its hauntingly gorgeous landscape (remote islands! beaches! sunsets!) and powerful sensory inputs: the bright lights, the smells of delicious food, the nightlife. We also see a gritty underbelly: filth, poverty, chaos punctuated with humidity and mosquitoes. This dichotomy mirrors what Carrie goes through: the best moment of her life immediately followed by the worst. It’s obvious that Rosie Walsh spent time in Thailand. When struggling to write the book, she took a solo trip to Thailand, hoping that the story would reveal itself to her (it did.)
Rosie Walsh:
Speaking of which, this is Rosie Walsh’s third book, and the first two were New York Times bestsellers. She is a refreshingly authentic person. In interviews and on her Instagram she shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of being a mom and a writer. She opens up about things like loss, illness, loneliness, writer’s block, and the feeling of being unhappy in a life that seems pretty good from the outside. I had a strange experience reading the book in that I visualized Carrie as a younger version of Rosie. This was especially weird because Carrie is described as a short-statured quarter Malaysian woman, however I couldn’t stop seeing her as Rosie: tall, angular, blonde. I’ve never had this experience before, but I just felt Rosie’s own tone and heart so acutely in this character. She even lives in Devon, where 2022 Carrie lives with her family. I would be interested to hear Rosie talk more about similarities and differences between Carrie and herself and how she came up with her character traits.
--
The One Day You Were My Husband is told from the point of view of Carrie Cole. The year is 2022, and she is a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother of (hilarious) twins. Once a talented and ambitious surgeon in London, she left her career for an old house in the countryside to stay home with her son and daughter who were born prematurely.
Life is simple and mostly good. Carrie’s husband Robin is amazingly supportive, working long hours to make it possible for Carrie to stay home. Carrie’s beloved dad and step-mom live minutes away, and Carrie is able to help them out as her dad’s Alzheimer’s progresses. Carrie’s sister, Maya, who decamped for Colorado to be with someone named Eagle, visits often and stays close with the kids.
Carrie even has a decent relationship with her mom, who loves her daughters but was never suited to motherhood. She left the family when the girls were young so that she could go full-throttle pursuing her global health advocacy work. Carrie sees a lot of herself in her mother, having approached her education and advancement as a surgeon with a similar ferocity.
This scares Carrie, though, because she doesn’t want to be anything like the parent her mother was. And is it even possible to live her purpose as a surgeon and be a devoted mother? (This book turns the “Lean In” women-can-have-it-all philosophy on its head, let me tell ya.)
The twins are six now and Carrie has set the ball in motion to return to work part-time. It feels excruciating to leave the kids, especially Raffy who’s prone to asthma attacks, but Carrie knows she has to. Returning to work as a surgeon is an arduous process. Carrie has to repeat some training and claw her way back to the level she was at before stepping away (called “ST6”). Fortunately, Carrie’s former mentor, the Greek and indomitable Yanika Hatziz, invites her to shadow (and learn the latest robotic techniques!) at her clinic in Stockholm before formally resuming her career.
Carrie is perusing places to stay on the Airbnb-like platform Roof, when a well-decorated cottage near the Baltic Sea catches her eye. She glimpses the host’s name and photo — but no, it can’t be — it’s her ex, Johan, who was imprisoned in Thailand on the night of their wedding twelve years ago, whom she thought was serving a 25-year sentence (that is, if he wasn’t dead.)
How’s that for a shock. The questions come fast: How did he get out of prison early? Why was he in jail at all? Why did no one tell Carrie he was out? Is he okay? Did he ever really love her? You can imagine what happens next. Carrie and Johan end up crossing paths in Stockholm and thus begins a slow unraveling of what happened all those years ago in Thailand and what it could mean for the present and the future.
The story jumps back and forth between 2010 (when Carrie, at 26, first meets Johan) and 2022. As we see for ourselves what Carrie experienced before, during, and in the aftermath of the trip to Thailand, we uncover some destabilizing truths about present-day Carrie and the people in her life.
Things to love about this book:
The One Day You Were My Husband is different and better than your average girl-on-the-train psychological thriller.
A female surgeon’s POV:
Carrie is a surgeon who’s not a man and who’s not an emotionally detached psychopath. For a thriller, I feel like this is rare! Carrie is both impeccable at her craft and caring toward patients — a normal person who happens to be a fiercely skilled surgeon.
We learn so much about the medical system in England; it is sooo different from the U.S. In the NHS, which is the UK’s public health system, the educational process is longer and doctors specialize later. When we meet Carrie in 2010, she’s about ready to advance to the level of surgical registrar, an intermediate level that takes years of training to reach. She works under Consultants, expert-level surgeons whose rank permits them to be called “Mr./Mrs./Miss” etc. rather than “Dr.”
We accompany Carrie through a few surgical procedures and hear her talk about lots more. It’s fascinating to witness, especially the way that surgeons handle surprise obstacles that become emergencies, like a tumor that can’t be excised without rupturing a major vein. Carrie has the gift of being able to quiet the metaphorical and physical alarms going off around her and move from next step to next step until the patient is stabilized.
Carrie’s powerhouse mom:
This woman directly and indirectly adds so much texture to the book. Carrie and her sister Maya are powerfully affected even in their adulthood by their mother’s absence when they were children.
It manifests in the most interesting sorts of ways. Carrie seizes control. She checks on her kids multiple times throughout the night. She struggles to eat most of the time. (Side note: this is the most well-written, realistic depiction of a low-grade smoldering eating disorder I’ve ever seen.) 2010 Carrie obsesses about her work, immersing herself in the eleven-hour shifts, coming in to help out on her days off, and studying for hours at home each night — to prove something to herself? To distract from emotional scars? Maya ran away to Colorado and had (has?) a drinking problem. She’s volatile and still so deeply mad at her mother.
Carrie’s mother forms a heartfelt connection with Johan. Carrie feels a lot more warmly toward her mom than Maya, her dad, and her husband do, and it’s probably because of how she witnessed her mom at her best during her relationship with Johan.
Author Rosie Walsh nails this depiction of a person who’s both good and bad. She’s flawed but also has glorious superpowers (as flawed people do).
British motherhood:
This book is so British. I am grateful to the U.S. publisher (Viking Penguin, hi!) for not extracting all the British-isms. There were a bunch of terms I had to look up or think about for a sec (such as, to be “laid off” = to be “made redundant”) which was such a joy! I feel like I’ve taken a weekend trip to the UK.
What’s even more delightful is spending time with Carrie’s British kids. Maeve and Raffy say the cutest and funniest things in the world. I read all of the dialogue in the book, and theirs especially, in a British accent (in my head, lol) to great satisfaction. Rosie Walsh’s own kids are hilarious and I can tell from Rosie’s posts that she drew inspiration from them.
Thailand:
Omg, the depictions of Thailand in this book. The book captures the feeling of Thailand — its hauntingly gorgeous landscape (remote islands! beaches! sunsets!) and powerful sensory inputs: the bright lights, the smells of delicious food, the nightlife. We also see a gritty underbelly: filth, poverty, chaos punctuated with humidity and mosquitoes. This dichotomy mirrors what Carrie goes through: the best moment of her life immediately followed by the worst. It’s obvious that Rosie Walsh spent time in Thailand. When struggling to write the book, she took a solo trip to Thailand, hoping that the story would reveal itself to her (it did.)
Rosie Walsh:
Speaking of which, this is Rosie Walsh’s third book, and the first two were New York Times bestsellers. She is a refreshingly authentic person. In interviews and on her Instagram she shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of being a mom and a writer. She opens up about things like loss, illness, loneliness, writer’s block, and the feeling of being unhappy in a life that seems pretty good from the outside. I had a strange experience reading the book in that I visualized Carrie as a younger version of Rosie. This was especially weird because Carrie is described as a short-statured quarter Malaysian woman, however I couldn’t stop seeing her as Rosie: tall, angular, blonde. I’ve never had this experience before, but I just felt Rosie’s own tone and heart so acutely in this character. She even lives in Devon, where 2022 Carrie lives with her family. I would be interested to hear Rosie talk more about similarities and differences between Carrie and herself and how she came up with her character traits.
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