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, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Suspense

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published 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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[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[L A · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

"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 has a husband Robin and 6 year old twins. She gave up her physician position to be a stay-at-home mom. One of her colleagues has convinced her to come back to Stockholm and her job. Her and Robin have property they rent under the Roof website. When she is exploring places to stay in Stockholm, she sees a property listed in Johan's name. He is out of prison and has been out for years. He has a new wife and stepson. Curious to find him and what actually happened, she confronts him.
Without giving anything else away, just know there are some shocking twists. So many secrets that people she trusted kept from her. You will find out the reason he was arrested and the people behind it. Shocking!! This is a love story that never died. I loved this book so much and the characters are well portrayed.

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

➡️ ATTENTION: AUTHORS!
Sometimes, less is more.

➡️ This 14-hour audiobook could have easily earned 5 shining stars had it been a 7-hour audiobook.

Was Rosie Walsh's editor on vacation when this manuscript was submitted?

➡️ The book's core premise—"What happened to the man I was married to for exactly one day?" was spot-on.
It set up a great hook, but unfortunately, the execution suffered from painfully slow and repetitious dialogue.

The story dragged for the first 75%, only finally picking up the pace and delivering the momentum it needed as the book closed.

➡️ Why wasn't this a DNF?
It should have been.
I stuck with the book because I was intrigued by its core premise. I wanted to know what really happened on the day the protagonist was married for one day.

I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Emilia Fox.

➡️ I am 2-for-2 with author Rosie Walsh.
I have read two Rosie Walsh books. Both earned 2 stars.

Not all books are for all people. I am an impatient reader, and Rosie Walsh is not the right author for me.

2.5 Stars

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/4!


A love story with a dark secret that began in the heart of Thailand.. but the husband disappears!

FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW!!



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

Publication date: May 19, 2026

[emilybookedup · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart broke a little at the end.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outlier opinion ahead ⚠️

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I could not wait to get my hands on it. It therefore pains me to say that I really struggled with the pacing and overall blueprint of this book and ended up feeling a little more meh about it than I had hoped.

Right off the bat, the plot line sounded made for me, especially given how much I adore literary fiction and literary suspense. However, the pacing felt uneven— the beginning was way too slow for me, even by literary suspense standards. But around the halfway point, my interest piqued slightly, culminating in a lot of interest around the 80% mark.

I also struggled a bit to connect to either of our MCs - Carrie and Johan - given the shifting timeline and the decisions Carrie makes in the present in the second half, keeping me very much at arm’s length. And Johan felt more two-dimensional until the final act, cementing for me a lack of a rooting interest. That said, the gritty, atmospheric quality did shine throughout the story. And I came away feeling as though this would make for a fantastic screen adaptation.

Although I did not love this book, there have been many friends who have absolutely raved about it. I would definitely give this one a try if it’s been on your radar, as it was mine, and hopefully, you will find yourself in the majority. I will definitely continue to read this author nonetheless.

🎧 While there was nothing technically wrong with the audiobook, there was something bugging me stylistically that I could not quite put my finger on, but that seemed to play up my issues with the story itself. The narrators also had a more monotone quality to their voices, which also amplified the same issues, particularly pacing.

Read if you like:
▪️literary fiction
▪️slow-burn romance
▪️family dramas
▪️dual timeline
▪️second chance at love

Thank you Viking Books and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first.. he was sus from the beginning and girlllll you should've felt it!! And who is he, you ask? YOU NEED TO READ AND FIND OUT.

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh absolutely wrecked me for so many reasons. I know a lot of people loved her earlier work for the way she tackles complicated relationships, but this one felt even more nuanced, painful, and unforgettable to me. This is one of those books where you *cannot* skim. Every single detail matters, every conversation matters, every tiny emotional beat matters — and when everything finally starts clicking into place, you'll be sitting there a little sad - but hopeful too.

What hit me hardest about this story is that there really aren’t any villains. Nobody is out here twirling a mustache and intentionally ruining lives. It’s just people trying to make impossible choices, trying to protect the people they love, trying to survive situations they were never equipped to handle… and sometimes hurting others badly in the process. The emotional complexity of that made this story feel painfully real. There were also several themes and situations that I definitely wasn’t expecting, including topics that could absolutely be triggering for some readers — especially if you’ve ever had a parent who failed you while believing they had “good reasons” for doing so or experienced s3xual trauma. This book forces you to sit with the uncomfortable reality that someone can deeply hurt you without being entirely a bad person, and THAT'S what stayed with me long after I finished reading.

This was an easy five-star read for me, and I genuinely think this story has “future movie adaptation” written all over it!!!

HOUSEKEEPING:
* Spice: 🌶️/5 - There is a lot of yearning and some spice, but it's more romantic than spicy, if that makes sense?
* Reader Age Suggestions: adult
* Content Warnings: Conversations around SA, drugg trfficking and parental abandonment
* Kindle Unlimited: ❌
* Part of A Series: ❌ / Can it be read alone?: -

**Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books! I received this book for fr3e, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR🖤

Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤

[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.

[Frank Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one snuck up on me in the best possible way!!

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh is a compelling blend of mystery, romance, and emotional drama. The story follows Carrie, whose whirlwind romance with Johan ends in devastation when he is taken away on their wedding day in Thailand and seemingly vanishes from her life. More than a decade later, after building a new life and family, Carrie discovers that Johan has been free for years, setting her on a quest to uncover the truth about the man she once loved and the secrets that changed the course of her life forever.

I really enjoyed Walsh's debut novel, Ghosted, several years ago, so I was eager to pick this one up. At first, I found the pacing a little slow, and I wasn't immediately hooked because this leans much more heavily into mystery and romance than thriller territory, and romance isn't typically my genre of choice. However, once the story found its footing, I became completely absorbed.
What started as a slow burn gradually transformed into a novel I couldn't put down.

Walsh has a remarkable gift for creating characters who feel authentic and emotionally layered, making it easy to become invested in their lives and relationships. By the final pages, I was fully invested in every character's journey and while I did predict a couple of the twists that were revealed at the end fairly early on that didn't take away from my enjoyment and by the time I turned the last page I was genuinely satisfied with how the characters and this story ended. I actually didn't want it to be over!

While it wasn't exactly what I expected going in, it ultimately delivered a rewarding, heartfelt, and captivating reading experience. I would recommend this to readers that enjoy light mysteries with character driven plots. I'm sure this is going to be a favorite of 2026!

[Basic B's Guide]

Made it to 25%. This feels tedious and a total slog. I can’t hang in there for another 10 hours for a twist or reveal.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

For readers who LOVED The Last Thing He Told Me.

I tried Walsh's first book, The Love of My Life, which was a GMA book club pick, but didn't really vibe with it. The premise of The One Day You Were My Husband was intriguing to me, so I decided to try it.

I'm not even sure what to call this book. Literary romantic suspense? It has a slow pace with a lot of backstory on the characters. The premise is that Carrie, a British surgeon, has a whirlwind romance with Johan, a Swedish guy and they marry in Thailand (not 100% sure if the marriage was legal, but that is FAR from their worst problem. Immediately after the wedding, he is captured by Thai police and put in prison.)

The most aggravating part of the book for me is how much the main character is kept in the dark about what's happening. By people she loves and trusts.

I'll put spoilers under protection, but basically Johan tells her he's guilty and to get on with her life, so she does. She remarries and has premature twins with Robin, a guy she met at a benefit in the UK. Then one day on the internet, she spots Johan. He's alive, out of prison, and back in Sweden. Da-da-dum ... what will happen next?

Carrie spirals. We learn that her mother, who is a (half?) Malaysian activist, uses all her contacts to try to help Johan, but is eventually told that Johan was involved with a dangerous international drug gang and he will be worse off if they try to intervene. Everyone begs Carrie to forget him, so she does. She remarries, has the twins, and quits her job as a doctor to take care of the twins. Then she ends up at a conference in Sweden with Johan, who tells her that he was carrying pills into Thailand for her mother, who was using them to help treat women, and that he also brought in some Adderall for a colleague. She's furious at her mother, who abandoned her as a child. THEN at the very end we learn that that colleague Johan was carrying the pills for was ... Robin. Carrie's husband. Robin loses it and kidnaps the twins. Someone (see comments; it was Carrie's mother) was able to get Johan a pardon and get him out of prison. But Carrie's mother told Johan to stay away from Carrie, even though they were soulmates, etc. Just go with it. Then at the end Carrie and Robin are (remotely) co-parenting and she's living in Sweden with Johan. It's a LOT to process.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

[✨️ Jessica's Bookshelf ✨️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please take this review with a grain of salt because I think this one is a me issue and just at this moment just not connecting with this story. I just didn't care about these characters at all. I was so bored reading this book. The One Day You Were my Husband has an alternating timelines which plays heavily into my review as well. Alternating timelines are very hit or miss for me. I get pulled out of the now and distracted from the moment and don't want the backstory, I just why to continue with the now.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Yes! This is even better than I hoped! Rosie Walsh’s latest about a woman whose husband vanishes on their wedding night is FRESH + UNPREDICTABLE with a full mix of genres and surprising twists. As the story unfolds, secrets from the past start coming out piece by piece, as does the tension of not knowing who can be trusted, or what really happened that night in Thailand. The book keeps dropping little clues and twists that make you rethink everything. You THINK you know what’s coming.. and then you absolutely don’t.. loved that. This is one I’ll be recommending to everyone. Pub. 5/19/26

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was such an amazing story. I don't think I have been as immersed in a novel in such a long time.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Club Read. Check out the reviews from Darla, Tina, and Barbara too :)

I love Rosie Walsh. I found her in 2025. This book is #3 in my favorites from her line-up.

1) The Love of My Life
2) Ghosted
3) One Day You Were My Husband

Still 4 stars and plenty of twists. I wanted to love the characters more. So much to admire in Carrie (a female surgeon, struggling to balance her roles as a wife, mother of twins). She had some difficult decisions and outside interference in her story/her life.

Get ready for twists, stick with it during the abrupt transitions, feel the emotion in the storytelling, and enjoy Rosie Walsh's suspenseful writing, with plenty to love besides plot.

[Lori Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The One Day You Were My Husband had me reading in my bed at 4:15 a.m. because you reach a point in the book where you just can't stop! This book did me in and I mean that in the best possible way! Rosie Walsh has a huge hit on her hands with this book because it's one of the very best I've read in a long time! In 2010 Carrie and Johan fall madly in love and after only 5 months decide to get married on a beach in Thailand. Carrie is training to be a surgeon and Johan makes a living scrub diving to bring up treasures from the ocean bottom. They are in Thailand when they quickly decide to marry as they met here for a vacation. They marry on the beach and wear things they find at the local shops, including rings. As they're celebrating their marriage, they are dancing on the beach late at night. All of a sudden there are flashing lights as men swarm them with guns and they're pointed at Johan! Johan is arrested and taken into police custody. Carrie has no idea what's happening or why and is overcome with emotion. Johan refuses to speak to Carrie and that's the last she sees of him before returning to England.

The book is told in two timelines and now we fast forward to 2022. Carrie has married Robin and has twin 6 year old children, a boy and a girl. The kids were born 3 months early and they were in the hospital for months. Carrie was with them in hospital the entire time. It took a long time for her body to recover and for the kids to get strong enough to leave the NICU. Carrie gave up her career to focus on the children and their health needs. As Carrie is researching what it would take to start surgical training again, she comes across an online post that tells her Johan is out of prison and has been for years! How could this be? Why wouldn't Johan have contacted Carrie? Carrie was told he'd be in prison for 25 years or longer. All of these years and she feels the need to know what happened. She can't believe Johan did anything against the law knowingly. Why did no one let her know he was out? Carrie only has one choice and it's to go find out for herself. What will Carrie find out? Will she find Johan? Will he tell her what really happened and how he got out? This book is one I couldn't put down and was thinking about when I wasn't reading it! I rate The One Day You Were My Husband 5+ stars with my very highest recommendation! Get this book and devour it. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Viking for an advanced copy of The One Day You Were My Husband in exchange for a fair review.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4.25 stars. Narration 4.5 stars
I actually really liked this and read most of it today in one sitting. I’m a fan of British writers(usually)and although this is my first book by this author, I’m really wondering how I’ve missed her other books-something I plan to rectify soon.

This is the story of a female surgeon who meets a man and is pretty much thrown for a loop. Mega chemistry to say the least. After 3 months they go on holiday to Thailand and have a spur of the moment wedding on the beach. After their vows and while dancing, armed men come in and handcuff her husband and take him away leaving her devastated. It’s the year 2010. The story jumps to 2022 and Carrie is now married to Robin and has six year old twins. She’s a stay at home mom who now wants to be a surgeon again. It’s a long involved process to do this. During jumps back and forth through time we learn what happened to her first husband and I’m not getting into that. One day she finds out that Johan is back in Sweden where he’s from. She’s gobsmacked as it just is impossible to her. I’m going to leave it here as far as plot.

This was part mystery and part romance. There’s twists and turns that kept me guessing. Ultimately, I didn’t figure it out and that’s a plus. I enjoyed it maybe more than others did, but to each their own.

[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.

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Thank you to Viking Penguin for the ARC and NetGalley for the download. This book published on May 19, 2026.

Once you find your true love is it forever? At one point Carrie thought so - as did Johan. However minutes after their beach wedding Johan is carted off by Thailand police and the nightmare begins.

I was unsure if I was gonna like this book when it started. Not being a romance reader - I was not immediately taken. But then the twists and turns started. That made it hard to determine what was true and what wasn't. As the story moved on I liked it better and better. I enjoyed the characters - even the not so good ones - and by the end of the story - it determines whether true love prevails.

[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

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I just read? Was it supposed to be a love story?

I will admit that I was skeptical about this premise from the start.

Johan and Carrie have an undeniable chemistry and a whirlwind romance. Moments after their spontaneous Thailand wedding, Johan is mysteriously arrested.

Flash forward 12 years and Carrie is now married with twins and reembarking on a career that took the back burner. She stumbles across a picture of Johan. He is very much alive and no longer imprisoned. The photo unlocks the mystery and buried feelings and Carrie goes in search of answers she’s been waiting years for.

Problem one: Carrie is annoying. Her instincts: trash. She is constantly waffling about literally everything and this slows the plot down.

Problem two: For more than 50% of the book nothing happens. We get hooked at the start and then the plot becomes so repetitive it barely moves. Part of this is because of Carrie’s aforementioned indecisiveness. Very little information is gleaned.

Problem three: Once things start moving information is given at such a rapid fire pace that it is hard to tell if anyone is telling the truth and/or what is real. There is a lot of suspense followed by quick anticlimactic reveals.

I took issue with a couple of other plot points and holes but I want this review to remain spoiler free.

My advice: if you aren’t feeling this book in the first 25%, move on.

[Chrissie Whitley]

March 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.

[SamM · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I wasn’t getting into another book as much as I’d hoped and was in the mood for a mystery, so I picked this one up. What I found was more of a romance with a mystery woven throughout.

The story follows Carrie, a surgeon whose newly married husband was arrested on drug charges in Thailand on the night of their wedding years ago. Now remarried and a stay-at-home mom, she’s trying to decide whether she wants to return to her surgical career. While booking a trip to Stockholm, she spots a familiar face in a rental property listing and realizes it’s Johan—her husband from all those years ago. From there, Carrie sets out to unravel the mystery of what really happened.

To be honest, the mystery element wasn’t particularly strong. The focus is much more on the romance and Carrie’s personal journey than on suspense. However, the final portion of the book really picked up for me. The pace increased, long-held secrets came to light, and several twists were revealed that kept me turning the pages.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, though readers looking for a true mystery may find themselves wishing for more intrigue and less romance.

[Amy Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This story switches between two timelines. In the present day, Carrie is married to Robin and raising their two young children after giving up her career as a surgeon. In the past, we see how she met Johan, fell in love, and impulsively married him in Thailand. Then, on their wedding day, Johan is suddenly taken away by Thai authorities, and Carrie never gets any answers.

I went into this expecting more of a thriller, but I would describe it more as family drama with romance and a touch of mystery. The middle section dragged for me and I found myself wanting the story to move along faster. That said, the final 100 pages pulled me back in. Once the pieces started coming together, I didn’t want to put it down.

Overall, this wasn’t quite the fast-paced thriller I was hoping for, but the emotional aspects of the story were well done.

[cyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Diane OLeary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carrie, a surgeon, lives with her husband, Robin, and their 6 year old twins in England. Carrie accepts an invitation to travel to Sweden for a conference. She is booked into a property she soon discovers is owned by Johan, her first husband. They wed 12 years ago in Thailand where he was arrested for drug trafficking that day and she never saw him again. Carrie remains haunted by what happened to Johan and why and suddenly secrets and betrayals are uncovered and she doesn't know who to trust among her friends and family. While I didn't love this book as so many others have I did find the story interesting and suspenseful and enjoyed the twists leading up to the finale.

[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.