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The New Husband
The New Husband is a riveting thriller about the lies we tell ourselves from D. J. Palmer, the author of Saving Meghan. What makes Simon Fitch so perfect?-He knows all her favorite foods, music, and movies. -Her son adores him. He was there when she needed him most. -He anticipates her every need. -He would never betray her like her first husband.The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes.The question is, why? Nina Garrity learned the hard way that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But with Glen gone—presumably drowned while fishing on his boat—she couldn't confront him about the affair or find closure to the life he blew apart. Now, a year and a half later, Nina has found love again and hopes she can put her shattered world back together. Simon, a widower still grieving the death of his first wife, thinks he has found his dream girl in Nina, and his charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina's teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, while her friends see a different side to him, and they aren't afraid to use the word obsession.Nina works hard to bridge the divide that’s come between her daughter and Simon. She wants so badly to believe her life is finally getting back on track, but she’ll soon discover that the greatest danger to herself and her children are the lies people tell themselves.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2020
1453 people are currently reading
41461 people want to read
About the author
D.J. Palmer
6 books1,585 followersPseudonym for author Daniel Palmer
D.J. PALMER is the author of numerous critically acclaimed suspense novels, including Delirious and Desperate. After receiving his master’s degree from Boston University, he spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer before turning his attention to writing. He lives in New Hampshire where he is at work on his next novel.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
D.J. PALMER is the author of numerous critically acclaimed suspense novels, including Delirious and Desperate. After receiving his master’s degree from Boston University, he spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer before turning his attention to writing. He lives in New Hampshire where he is at work on his next novel.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,258 reviews
June 29, 2022
WOWWWW! This is SOOOO DISTURBING, MINDBENDING! This is nightmar-ish, terrifying, unputdownable, sick, nasty! My head is spinning! My mind already left my head, running out of the town with a valise filled with my remaining grey cells!
This book hooked me up from the first sentence. I couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t also bite my nails because they were too short and freshly manicured so I accidentally consumed 3 bags of doritos, 2 bags of gummy bears, 2 pounds of tomatoes (I might have killed my husband’s cooking tomato soap dream, but they were only eatable things on the fridge), 2 tubes of Colgate (don’t judge it, at least I rejected to bite lavender soaps!) as a result I took a nice visit to ER for stomach pumping. (After my lack of culinary skills, ER crew got used to our visits and they planned to give my name to the one of the hospital room!) But throughout the stomach pumping experience, I resumed reading ( thanks to lovely nurses gave their permission to use their fingers for turning the next page at my kindle!!! They even gave audiobook services by sharing the characters to read!)
I adored D. J. Palmer’s spooky, sneaky, thrilling words, even though there are some missing pieces about characters’ motives, some exaggerations, nonsense and illogical parts, I could only cut half star and I’m willingly rounding 4.5 to 5 stars again.
I didn’t like “Saving Meghan” so much and had difficult time to relate with the characters and the slow paced storytelling even though I enjoyed stories about Muchausen by proxy syndrome. (Stephanie Wrobel’s upcoming book “Darling Rose Gold” is an amazing example how to create so disturbing but also entertaining thriller about that subject) But at this book, all characters are vivid and I liked to read their POVS, visiting their minds and learning more about their struggles, motives and different opinions. And pacing was incredibly fast, heart throbbing. I kicked the air with my legs in excitement and fear to learn what was gonna happen next!!!
I mostly loved teenage daughter Maggie and her determination to believe in her own instincts to save her family from the danger. And of course Nina, a survivor and strong character who struggles to get on her feet after her husband’s betrayal, disappearance, left them penniless, vulnerable.
The story starts with Glen a.k.a seems like a douchebag husband deserves my ten thousand slaps or five thousand punches in the face punishment campaigns, disappears, leading a double life with another woman. Two years passes and his body has never been found. Nina builds a new life by moving with Simon Fitch, teacher from her daughter’s middle school. Simon seems like a dreamy boyfriend, financially supports to the family, having a close relationship with Nina’s son Connor. He is protective, romantic, caring and supportive guy. But according to Nina’s daughter Maggie, those dreamy attributes of Simon were not sincere. Her gut tells her there is something wrong and dangerous with this guy and she still believes her father is out there, alive, coming back to them.
So is Glen really liar douchebag who left his family and having a fantastic new life with his mistress?
Is Maggie jealous of her mother’s second chance of love? Is she too paranoid about Simon’s motives?
Is Simon really too good to be true kind of manipulating, obsessive guy? Could Nina be sleeping with her own enemy?
There are too many twists, surprises, nothing as it seems (my spider senses caught them all but I still enjoyed each one the twists!)
There are not so many things really thrill me. If I listed what I really scare me below:
MY HUSBAND’S NIGHTIME CONCERTS: Most of my neighbors think our house is sound effects studio or a zoo only works at the midnight time because my husband’s snoring resembling the wild animals’ chorus singing “We’re the world! We’re the animals just left the National Geography Wild Channel”
My neighborhood kids still ask for zoo tickets to visit our house and see all those wild animals (I couldn’t tell them only one man made all those sounds by snoring! Nobody believes me!)
Second thing is CLEANING: When I see a vacuum cleaner I thought it can become alive any minute and choke me with its hose and I’m allergic to bleach!
But this book more terrifying than husband snores and acrid smell of bleach! It excited me, made me
sit at the edge of my seat and fall down too many times, also gave me paranoid thoughts. (I still give my suspicious looks to my husband with widen eyes which make him check if something are wrong with my contact lenses. So I’m not threatening enough. I should practice my looks in the mirror.)
I highly recommend this to all thriller lovers looking for twisty, smart, entertaining but also agitating stories.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin Press to share with amazing ARC COPY in exchange my honest review! Maybe it’s early to say but I might have read one of the best thrillers of 2020!
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This book hooked me up from the first sentence. I couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t also bite my nails because they were too short and freshly manicured so I accidentally consumed 3 bags of doritos, 2 bags of gummy bears, 2 pounds of tomatoes (I might have killed my husband’s cooking tomato soap dream, but they were only eatable things on the fridge), 2 tubes of Colgate (don’t judge it, at least I rejected to bite lavender soaps!) as a result I took a nice visit to ER for stomach pumping. (After my lack of culinary skills, ER crew got used to our visits and they planned to give my name to the one of the hospital room!) But throughout the stomach pumping experience, I resumed reading ( thanks to lovely nurses gave their permission to use their fingers for turning the next page at my kindle!!! They even gave audiobook services by sharing the characters to read!)
I adored D. J. Palmer’s spooky, sneaky, thrilling words, even though there are some missing pieces about characters’ motives, some exaggerations, nonsense and illogical parts, I could only cut half star and I’m willingly rounding 4.5 to 5 stars again.
I didn’t like “Saving Meghan” so much and had difficult time to relate with the characters and the slow paced storytelling even though I enjoyed stories about Muchausen by proxy syndrome. (Stephanie Wrobel’s upcoming book “Darling Rose Gold” is an amazing example how to create so disturbing but also entertaining thriller about that subject) But at this book, all characters are vivid and I liked to read their POVS, visiting their minds and learning more about their struggles, motives and different opinions. And pacing was incredibly fast, heart throbbing. I kicked the air with my legs in excitement and fear to learn what was gonna happen next!!!
I mostly loved teenage daughter Maggie and her determination to believe in her own instincts to save her family from the danger. And of course Nina, a survivor and strong character who struggles to get on her feet after her husband’s betrayal, disappearance, left them penniless, vulnerable.
The story starts with Glen a.k.a seems like a douchebag husband deserves my ten thousand slaps or five thousand punches in the face punishment campaigns, disappears, leading a double life with another woman. Two years passes and his body has never been found. Nina builds a new life by moving with Simon Fitch, teacher from her daughter’s middle school. Simon seems like a dreamy boyfriend, financially supports to the family, having a close relationship with Nina’s son Connor. He is protective, romantic, caring and supportive guy. But according to Nina’s daughter Maggie, those dreamy attributes of Simon were not sincere. Her gut tells her there is something wrong and dangerous with this guy and she still believes her father is out there, alive, coming back to them.
So is Glen really liar douchebag who left his family and having a fantastic new life with his mistress?
Is Maggie jealous of her mother’s second chance of love? Is she too paranoid about Simon’s motives?
Is Simon really too good to be true kind of manipulating, obsessive guy? Could Nina be sleeping with her own enemy?
There are too many twists, surprises, nothing as it seems (my spider senses caught them all but I still enjoyed each one the twists!)
There are not so many things really thrill me. If I listed what I really scare me below:
MY HUSBAND’S NIGHTIME CONCERTS: Most of my neighbors think our house is sound effects studio or a zoo only works at the midnight time because my husband’s snoring resembling the wild animals’ chorus singing “We’re the world! We’re the animals just left the National Geography Wild Channel”
My neighborhood kids still ask for zoo tickets to visit our house and see all those wild animals (I couldn’t tell them only one man made all those sounds by snoring! Nobody believes me!)
Second thing is CLEANING: When I see a vacuum cleaner I thought it can become alive any minute and choke me with its hose and I’m allergic to bleach!
But this book more terrifying than husband snores and acrid smell of bleach! It excited me, made me
sit at the edge of my seat and fall down too many times, also gave me paranoid thoughts. (I still give my suspicious looks to my husband with widen eyes which make him check if something are wrong with my contact lenses. So I’m not threatening enough. I should practice my looks in the mirror.)
I highly recommend this to all thriller lovers looking for twisty, smart, entertaining but also agitating stories.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin Press to share with amazing ARC COPY in exchange my honest review! Maybe it’s early to say but I might have read one of the best thrillers of 2020!
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April 23, 2020
Nina heard the hurt in Simon’s words and her heart ached for him. He was trying so hard to make it work for everyone, Maggie included.
This was a VERY frustrating domestic thriller. There must have been exceptions in the past, but right now I'm going to put it down to my inability to deal with that particular type of mystery/thriller where the reader knows everything that is going on and has to sit and wait until the characters quit scratching their heads and finally catch up.
Thrillers are my go-to "comfort" reads, which, I suppose, is a bit weird. But I can usually rely on them to pick me up out of a slump when I've exhausted myself on other genres. When The New Husband was getting a lot of buzz in my GR feed, I was quick to add it. What I can say about The New Husband is that there's nothing actually "new" about it. It's a very standard domestic thriller with an unbelievably performative gaslighting asshole at its centre.
I never warmed to the writing in this book. As much as I enjoy a good cliffhanger chapter, I found it really cheesy and contrived when chapters would end with "...when Simon came marching into the room holding a gun." (because, come on, it's chapter 6 so you know he's not really threatening them with a gun) and “She’d forgotten to clear the browser history.” (because, duh, I'd been mentally screaming at the page for the last five minutes for the same reason!) It just read like an old B-movie. I was adding a "dum dum dum..." in my head.
Also, serious pet peeve: I really wanted them to stop talking about the "darkness" in Simon's eyes. All the time.
And I tried really really hard to sympathize with Nina, but why is she so clueless? She does so many ridiculous things! She constantly notes how Simon says something weird or does something creepy and then brushes it away. I understand the subtle manipulation that is part of abuse, but nothing about Simon is subtle. He's such a terrible liar! Warning bells are ringing left and right and she just keeps right on ignoring them. And if you’re doing something sneaky on a shared computer, make sure you log out of Facebook!! Oh god,
I was actually quite annoyed how it seemed like the characters would do something very stupid or take their sweet time when they're in danger just to move the plot in a certain direction and create some more drama.
Also, I kept waiting for the promised "twist" to happen and then suddenly I was at the end of the book and I realised that what was supposed to be the twist was actually just something I'd assumed we all knew from the beginning. Actually, scratch that, I had already figured out most of it by reading the blurb, before I even started the book.
I feel really harsh giving a one-star review, but it would be disingenuous to give anything else. I really struggled with everything about this book. The writing, the characters, the ridiculous showmanship of the villain (come on, winking at Maggie?). Sorry to say it didn't work for me.
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February 12, 2022
Nina's husband disappears and evidence leads her and the police to believe he probably abandoned the family due to secretly losing his job two years before his disappearance. Within a couple of months of her husband's disappearance, Nina is in a committed relationship with "too good to be true" Simon, a teacher at her daughter Maggie's school. Maggie is very upset about the relationship for a number of reasons and now, two years into the relationship, friction between Maggie and Simon is just one of the problems Nina is facing.
The story started out slowly, with Nina allowing Simon to pretty much dictate how things were in the relationship but when Nina rekindles her career, Simon starts showing his true colors. Maggie blames Simon for misunderstandings, missed appointments, and other things going on in the household although Nina doesn't want to believe he's causing these problems. But as Nina realizes that Simon does seem to be trying to keep Nina away from her family, friends, work, and anything that keeps her from him, she decides to look further into her husband's disappearance and further into Simon's past, a past that he doesn't want to talk about.
Once Nina develops a backbone and starts thinking for herself, the story got better for me. Maggie is a delight, a smart, creative, young lady with a mind of her own. Her father's abandonment of the family, along with schoolmate jealousies, has her being bullied at school but she's smart enough to know that she has done nothing wrong. She is also smart enough to become friends with Ben, another intelligent, funny, kind, loner...they become best friends and this gives Maggie a stability she doesn't have a home.
Sadly, the last part of the story had me rolling my eyes more than Maggie does behind Simon's back. Nina gets dumb and I can't stand it when characters start doing dumb stuff and keep on doing dumb stuff. She even knows she's doing it and says so over and over that she needs to do something differently, in italics! During this time in the book, all the kudos go to Daisy and that's all I'm going to say.
Pub April 14, 2020
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Edelweiss for this ARC.
The story started out slowly, with Nina allowing Simon to pretty much dictate how things were in the relationship but when Nina rekindles her career, Simon starts showing his true colors. Maggie blames Simon for misunderstandings, missed appointments, and other things going on in the household although Nina doesn't want to believe he's causing these problems. But as Nina realizes that Simon does seem to be trying to keep Nina away from her family, friends, work, and anything that keeps her from him, she decides to look further into her husband's disappearance and further into Simon's past, a past that he doesn't want to talk about.
Once Nina develops a backbone and starts thinking for herself, the story got better for me. Maggie is a delight, a smart, creative, young lady with a mind of her own. Her father's abandonment of the family, along with schoolmate jealousies, has her being bullied at school but she's smart enough to know that she has done nothing wrong. She is also smart enough to become friends with Ben, another intelligent, funny, kind, loner...they become best friends and this gives Maggie a stability she doesn't have a home.
Sadly, the last part of the story had me rolling my eyes more than Maggie does behind Simon's back. Nina gets dumb and I can't stand it when characters start doing dumb stuff and keep on doing dumb stuff. She even knows she's doing it and says so over and over that she needs to do something differently, in italics! During this time in the book, all the kudos go to Daisy and that's all I'm going to say.
Pub April 14, 2020
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Edelweiss for this ARC.
December 31, 2019
CAMPY
The New Husband is an over-the-top psychological thriller about a woman who finds love with a man who may or may not be a psychopath.
Nina, a single mother of two, has found love again. After her husband mysteriously disappeared without a trace a year and a half ago, she began dating Simon Fitch, a teacher at her daughter, Maggie’s middle school. Nina’s friends and Maggie have qualms about Simon, but she decides to embrace love and move in with him. Nina thinks she has found the man of her dreams but is Simon too good to be true? Is he hiding deep, dark secrets or is he really the man he seems to be?
Reading this book was like watching a Lifetime movie--it was a trainwreck that I couldn’t look away from. The first half moves slowly and the narrative makes one question whether or not Simon is simply a good partner or a crazy, controlling a**hole. In the second half of the book, a huge twist is revealed that provoked me to say out loud, “this is really f*cking stupid!” I tried to explain to a friend what was going on in this book and could barely get the words out because I was laughing so hard. It’s not meant to be funny, but it’s kind of hard not to laugh at the stupidity.
I had to decide whether or not to keep on reading. I wanted to give up and close this book, but I decided to turn off the critical side of my brain and see if it could coast on pure entertainment value. Sadly, I was never able to give in and have fun with it the way I wanted. Part of my issue was the writing, the other was the plot. I did enjoy reading Maggie's perspective. Ben, Maggie's best friend, is charming and Daisy the dog is awesome! But the rest of the book? Not so much. Too much eye-rolling and ridiculousness ruined this one for me.
This book has received many 4 and 5-star reviews. I am very much in the minority with my feelings, so please don't let my review stop you from reading this book!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The New Husband is an over-the-top psychological thriller about a woman who finds love with a man who may or may not be a psychopath.
Nina, a single mother of two, has found love again. After her husband mysteriously disappeared without a trace a year and a half ago, she began dating Simon Fitch, a teacher at her daughter, Maggie’s middle school. Nina’s friends and Maggie have qualms about Simon, but she decides to embrace love and move in with him. Nina thinks she has found the man of her dreams but is Simon too good to be true? Is he hiding deep, dark secrets or is he really the man he seems to be?
Reading this book was like watching a Lifetime movie--it was a trainwreck that I couldn’t look away from. The first half moves slowly and the narrative makes one question whether or not Simon is simply a good partner or a crazy, controlling a**hole. In the second half of the book, a huge twist is revealed that provoked me to say out loud, “this is really f*cking stupid!” I tried to explain to a friend what was going on in this book and could barely get the words out because I was laughing so hard. It’s not meant to be funny, but it’s kind of hard not to laugh at the stupidity.
I had to decide whether or not to keep on reading. I wanted to give up and close this book, but I decided to turn off the critical side of my brain and see if it could coast on pure entertainment value. Sadly, I was never able to give in and have fun with it the way I wanted. Part of my issue was the writing, the other was the plot. I did enjoy reading Maggie's perspective. Ben, Maggie's best friend, is charming and Daisy the dog is awesome! But the rest of the book? Not so much. Too much eye-rolling and ridiculousness ruined this one for me.
This book has received many 4 and 5-star reviews. I am very much in the minority with my feelings, so please don't let my review stop you from reading this book!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2022
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Two years after her husband, Glen, mysteriously disappears, Nina Garrity is making a new life for herself and their children.
For various reasons, Nina believes that Glen walked out on their family of his own volition.
She feels betrayed that he would just leave her and more importantly, their two children, Connor and Maggie.
In spite of all this, when Simon Fitch walks into her life, she is charmed and ready to give love another shot.
Throwing caution to the wind, Nina begins a romantic relationship with Simon fairly quickly.
Not everyone is pleased with this development. Particularly, her daughter, Maggie, whose precocious perspective we get throughout the novel, alternating with Nina's.
Maggie's perspective was definitely my favorite to read from. Sure, she's sassy, but she's thirteen and wise beyond her years. I found her to be an astute judge of character and considering the circumstances, I cherished her defiance.
When Nina and Simon buy a house together, the living environment becomes quite tense. Connor, Maggie's older brother, likes Simon. He believes his Father is dead and is looking to move on, just as Nina is.
Maggie, however, believes her Father is still alive and doesn't understand why her Mother and Connor would just give up on him.
Allowing Simon into their family seems like a hasty decision, as far as she is concerned, not to mention the fact that the guy is a complete creep. As a result, Maggie's fairly combative.
As a Reader, it doesn't take long before you begin to notice that Maggie is on to something. Simon's behavior is definitely far from normal.
He's clearly manipulating Nina, gas-lighting her and distancing her from her friends and family. Not only is his behavior bizarre, he's also dangerous. You start to fear for everyone in that house.
The New Husband is full of twists, I mean, absolutely full of twists. I really had a fun time with this book. I enjoyed the perspective shifts and seeing the story pieced together was intense.
I'll agree with some earlier Reviewers that this far-fetched, as far as some of the plot twists go, but who cares?
It was a wild ride and a great way to escape from life for a while.
That's always what I am looking for in a book. I want to get swept up in it, and this definitely provided that.
While it wasn't perfect for me, it was pretty darn close. I find Palmer's writing to be super compelling. He absolutely knows how to pull you in.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it and look forward to reading more from this author!
Two years after her husband, Glen, mysteriously disappears, Nina Garrity is making a new life for herself and their children.
For various reasons, Nina believes that Glen walked out on their family of his own volition.
She feels betrayed that he would just leave her and more importantly, their two children, Connor and Maggie.
In spite of all this, when Simon Fitch walks into her life, she is charmed and ready to give love another shot.
Throwing caution to the wind, Nina begins a romantic relationship with Simon fairly quickly.
Not everyone is pleased with this development. Particularly, her daughter, Maggie, whose precocious perspective we get throughout the novel, alternating with Nina's.
Maggie's perspective was definitely my favorite to read from. Sure, she's sassy, but she's thirteen and wise beyond her years. I found her to be an astute judge of character and considering the circumstances, I cherished her defiance.
When Nina and Simon buy a house together, the living environment becomes quite tense. Connor, Maggie's older brother, likes Simon. He believes his Father is dead and is looking to move on, just as Nina is.
Maggie, however, believes her Father is still alive and doesn't understand why her Mother and Connor would just give up on him.
Allowing Simon into their family seems like a hasty decision, as far as she is concerned, not to mention the fact that the guy is a complete creep. As a result, Maggie's fairly combative.
As a Reader, it doesn't take long before you begin to notice that Maggie is on to something. Simon's behavior is definitely far from normal.
He's clearly manipulating Nina, gas-lighting her and distancing her from her friends and family. Not only is his behavior bizarre, he's also dangerous. You start to fear for everyone in that house.
The New Husband is full of twists, I mean, absolutely full of twists. I really had a fun time with this book. I enjoyed the perspective shifts and seeing the story pieced together was intense.
I'll agree with some earlier Reviewers that this far-fetched, as far as some of the plot twists go, but who cares?
It was a wild ride and a great way to escape from life for a while.
That's always what I am looking for in a book. I want to get swept up in it, and this definitely provided that.
While it wasn't perfect for me, it was pretty darn close. I find Palmer's writing to be super compelling. He absolutely knows how to pull you in.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it and look forward to reading more from this author!
December 17, 2019
How well do you know someone?
Whew! FINALLY!!! I have been reading (or attempting to read) some less than enjoyable books lately. This was like a breath of dark, twisted, creepy air.
My first bit of advice is this: go into this one as blind as possible. The synopsis is enough. Nina Garrity has moved on since the disappearance of her husband, Glen. After the police came to her door to tell her that his bloody boat was found but not his body, she learned some hard truths about him. Then she took a deep breath....and moved on...to Simon.
Simon, a widower, is a high school teacher who has swooped in and swept Nina off her feet. He is making a life with her even if her teenage daughter, Maggie is not okay with their romance. Nina's son, Connor, enjoys his time with Simon - he finally has a man in his life who is spending time with him.
That's all you are getting from me folks. I loved how the story unfolded and certain "truths" were discovered. This is a psychological thriller done right! I found this to be perfectly paced and plotted. The pages kept turning as I desperately wanted to know not only when the truth would be revealed and how the truth would be revealed. As the tension mounted and the danger level rose, I was glued to my seat, rived to the pages with a happy grin on my face.
What's the truth and what is a lie? How do some see situations for what they are while others view them through rose colored glasses?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Whew! FINALLY!!! I have been reading (or attempting to read) some less than enjoyable books lately. This was like a breath of dark, twisted, creepy air.
My first bit of advice is this: go into this one as blind as possible. The synopsis is enough. Nina Garrity has moved on since the disappearance of her husband, Glen. After the police came to her door to tell her that his bloody boat was found but not his body, she learned some hard truths about him. Then she took a deep breath....and moved on...to Simon.
Simon, a widower, is a high school teacher who has swooped in and swept Nina off her feet. He is making a life with her even if her teenage daughter, Maggie is not okay with their romance. Nina's son, Connor, enjoys his time with Simon - he finally has a man in his life who is spending time with him.
That's all you are getting from me folks. I loved how the story unfolded and certain "truths" were discovered. This is a psychological thriller done right! I found this to be perfectly paced and plotted. The pages kept turning as I desperately wanted to know not only when the truth would be revealed and how the truth would be revealed. As the tension mounted and the danger level rose, I was glued to my seat, rived to the pages with a happy grin on my face.
What's the truth and what is a lie? How do some see situations for what they are while others view them through rose colored glasses?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 28, 2020
FAIR WARNING: Better not read this book if you’re in a relationship or about to marry the love of your life.
This book shattered a good portion of my hopeless romantic heart and now I need my harem of swoon worthy book boyfriends to glue it back together and kiss it better. I’m fairly new to the domestic thriller scene, and The New Husband is full of marriage nightmares. Although I did enjoy the book, it was also, um, you guessed it, quite predictable for me.
The first issue I have is THE TITLE. Don’t you think it’s too obvious and glaringly screams “SPOILER”?? Okay, maybe that’s the point. But it took some of the fun out of reading this book. Not to mention, the fact that the rest of the story doesn’t have enough of that ‘knock me off my feet’ effect, this book just fell short.
The second problem lies with NINA. Even though I could fully empathize with her, she has a habit of making questionable life decisions. It takes 70% of the book for her to finally snap out of it, and that’s, urgh, can you imagine how hard it was to keep my patience in check? Thank God, she redeems herself at the end. She knows how to be brave, tough, and protective when it counts.
The next one I have is with THE VILLAIN whom I’m going to refer to from now on as ‘they’ just to be safe in case you still haven’t pick up on the hint. So, they’re creepy alright. But I feel like there are holes in their motives. They’re not well crafted nor are they given satisfying depth and background because it’s just another case of ‘traumatic childhood breeds villainy’ type of thing.
Lastly, this book is only 384 pages but it felt so SLOW to finish. The first half goes by in a blur with the narrative simply tries to show whether Simon is a good candidate for a husband or not. The last 30% is nail bitingly intense. However, the book presents you with a plot twist that’s either going to make you laugh or roll your eyes. I did both.
Oh, and, THE EPILOGUE which basically spreads the message that we ought not to judge people too quickly unless we’re in their shoes. It’s supposed to be touching and self reflective, but honestly it comes off a little preachy and pretentious. I feel like it’s signaling me not to badmouth the book. LOL.
My favorite part about this book is Maggie (the daughter), Ben (her best friend), and Daisy (the Garrity’s pet dog). They give the book a sort of YA vibes. You might shake your head at the stupidity of the adult characters, but these three will have you root for them. In spite of the few drawbacks I have with this book, The New Husband will open your eyes to a number of marital challenges and give you a relatively spooky psychological thriller ride.
This book shattered a good portion of my hopeless romantic heart and now I need my harem of swoon worthy book boyfriends to glue it back together and kiss it better. I’m fairly new to the domestic thriller scene, and The New Husband is full of marriage nightmares. Although I did enjoy the book, it was also, um, you guessed it, quite predictable for me.
In the two years since the disappearance of her husband which left a huge mess in its wake, Nina Garrity has been trying to get her life and her children’s back on track. The task would’ve been impossible were it not for Simon Fitch who’d successfully wormed his way into her betrayed heart with his charm and affections.
Simon might be the perfect new husband for her. But with the lack of closure in her former husband’s missing case troubling her mind, her friends’ whisper of doubts in her ears, and her daughter’s reluctance to accept him, Nina finds herself caught in the center of a tug of war. If she’s not careful, she’ll have to deal with putting her family in the line of the devil’s wrath.
The first issue I have is THE TITLE. Don’t you think it’s too obvious and glaringly screams “SPOILER”?? Okay, maybe that’s the point. But it took some of the fun out of reading this book. Not to mention, the fact that the rest of the story doesn’t have enough of that ‘knock me off my feet’ effect, this book just fell short.
The second problem lies with NINA. Even though I could fully empathize with her, she has a habit of making questionable life decisions. It takes 70% of the book for her to finally snap out of it, and that’s, urgh, can you imagine how hard it was to keep my patience in check? Thank God, she redeems herself at the end. She knows how to be brave, tough, and protective when it counts.
The next one I have is with THE VILLAIN whom I’m going to refer to from now on as ‘they’ just to be safe in case you still haven’t pick up on the hint. So, they’re creepy alright. But I feel like there are holes in their motives. They’re not well crafted nor are they given satisfying depth and background because it’s just another case of ‘traumatic childhood breeds villainy’ type of thing.
Lastly, this book is only 384 pages but it felt so SLOW to finish. The first half goes by in a blur with the narrative simply tries to show whether Simon is a good candidate for a husband or not. The last 30% is nail bitingly intense. However, the book presents you with a plot twist that’s either going to make you laugh or roll your eyes. I did both.
Oh, and, THE EPILOGUE which basically spreads the message that we ought not to judge people too quickly unless we’re in their shoes. It’s supposed to be touching and self reflective, but honestly it comes off a little preachy and pretentious. I feel like it’s signaling me not to badmouth the book. LOL.
“I guess when you shine light into the dark,” she said, “you see it for what it really is, and it loses all power over you.”
My favorite part about this book is Maggie (the daughter), Ben (her best friend), and Daisy (the Garrity’s pet dog). They give the book a sort of YA vibes. You might shake your head at the stupidity of the adult characters, but these three will have you root for them. In spite of the few drawbacks I have with this book, The New Husband will open your eyes to a number of marital challenges and give you a relatively spooky psychological thriller ride.
November 28, 2019
This is a intense, tense and utterly twisted psychological thriller of lies and secrets by DJ Palmer. Just how well is it possible to know your partner in a marriage? Nina Garrity finds everything she thought she knew about her husband, Glenn, collapses after he goes missing on a fishing trip, the boat has lots of blood but questions as to Glenn's whereabouts remain unanswered. Simon Fitch, a teacher, appears on the scene, a sweet, caring and kind man, the complete antithesis to the untrustworthy Glenn as far as Nina is concerned, in short he is the perfect man that she has been lucky to snag. He is a grieving widower, mourning the loss of his wife who committed suicide, successfully worming his way into Nina's life. Nina's son, Connor, takes to him but her daughter, Maggie, is more sceptical and hostile, she doesn't buy into his good guy shtick and intuitively understands that he is bad news.
Nina tries to learn the lessons of her past, she begins to look into who exactly Simon is, and Simon is a man with secrets. What happened to Glenn? This is a well written and wonderfully plotted read, of the terrors of who you can let into your home and family, a gaslighting, manipulative and controlling psychopath, secrets and lies, and the courageous Maggie. A dark, disturbing and unsettling thriller, a great read that you will have to suspend disbelief for, that fans of psychological thrillers are likely to love. Many thanks to St Martin's Press for an ARC.
Nina tries to learn the lessons of her past, she begins to look into who exactly Simon is, and Simon is a man with secrets. What happened to Glenn? This is a well written and wonderfully plotted read, of the terrors of who you can let into your home and family, a gaslighting, manipulative and controlling psychopath, secrets and lies, and the courageous Maggie. A dark, disturbing and unsettling thriller, a great read that you will have to suspend disbelief for, that fans of psychological thrillers are likely to love. Many thanks to St Martin's Press for an ARC.
April 26, 2020
SPOILER INCLUDED....( NOT ‘the’ *major* spoiler - but...’a’ spoiler)....
I can’t resist ...
I don’t drop spoiler-bombshells - often in reviews- but I was ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING ... when discussing this book with my husband, Paul.
It’s amazing how fun & alive books become with buddy/chats.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve laughed (inappropriately actually) - when reading a domestic-psychological thriller book.
The uncontrollable laughter happened to me at the end of the book, “The Couple Next Door”, by Shari Lapena, too.
So... in D.J. Palmer’s, “The New Husband”.....I/we laughed silly about scenes in this book.
We are a sick human beings in this house.
HERE’S A SPOILER:
A ‘therapist’ gets murdered in this story. (you’ll get details when you read the entire book)...
Paul and I were cracking up & cracking jokes -
“REALLY?”......”the *therapist* has to die?”. What did she do that was so bad?
THIS IS A FUN BOOK TO DISCUSS... whether you like it or don’t.... whether you find fault with it or not....
Whether you like the characters or not.
“Lying takes effort…because eventually everyone gets tripped up in their deceit… because secrets don’t stay hidden forever”.
The above excerpt epitomizes my over all feelings about “The New Husband”.....(a domestic psychological thriller).
The first half of this book was both ‘readable’ - page turning interesting ‘and’ a little boring...( not awful boring)...
but familiar -in storytelling...( “Sleeping With The Enemy”?).... and familiar dialogue: yada, yada, yada... with typical teenage-issues & attitudes - typical ‘mom’ denials: a story that started out sounding like many other stories we’ve read or seen in movies.
But... this book kept getting better - more original in time.
By around 50% into this book - things became much more sinister-twisty.
Honestly, I saw problems...
a few odd sentences...a little too repetitive...a little draggy at times...could be classified as a young adult book...
but ....overall it was mindless-puzzling-intense in parts-entertaining reading.
This will be a popular book for twisty-psychological thriller readers.
It’s good. It’s creepy. It possibly lowers our intelligence...(by that I mean ... SUSPEND DISBELIEF)... ha...ha ...🤨...
....it’s got that adrenaline addictive thing going on. (especially towards the end).
A few more details: BUT NO MORE SPOILERS...
Chapter 1…
The beginning....
“It was a chilly predawn morning when Anthony Strauss eased ‘Sweet Caroline’, his seventeen-foot-Boston whaler, from the trailer into the water so dark it was indistinguishable from the sky.”
“Anthony thought he was alone on the water, but then saw another boat with only a dog on board.
A sickening realization set in when he saw the amount of blood that covered the deck”.
NOTE: Do not get hung up on the name Anthony Strauss.
He’s only a name-drop character.
Chapter 2....
*Seventeen* months later:
We are introduced to Nina Garrity and her 13-year-old daughter, Maggie...(“a middle school aged tennis player with unmistakable
hostility”)....
MAGGIE NEVER PLAYS TENNIS ONCE IN THIS STORY...
She played lacrosse until needing to wear a ‘boo-boo’ cast-boot on her leg from an accident for a few weeks or longer.
Maggie was wise beyond her years - but no tennis matches are in this novel...
...unless.... you think of tennis as symbolically reflecting relationships. Hm?🎾
Nina’s other offspring is 16-year old son, Conner ( a High School football player:not hostile like his sister)
NOTE: don’t expect much football playing either).
Conner ‘might’ be the wisest character in this tale ( I’m kinda kidding - and kinda not), — [*13-*YEAR OLD **MAGGIE**is the wisest character]...
Conner is not in the story very much.
Yet....he was cool, calm, and collective....
He disconnected from the emotional-heat taking place in his family every day. Smart guy!
Daisy, the golden retriever, was easy to feel neutral about. Nothing not to love about her!
*Simon Finch*: he was the new man in Nina’s life. YIKES...
Keep your eye on this guy...
Super good cook? Yes
Super secretive? Yes
Super lier? Yes
Super controlling and manipulative? YES!
Super CREEPY? Yes!!!
Super DISTURBING? YES, YES, YES!!!
Maggie ( superstar character)....had many reasons to be angry.
“Nina was partly to blame because she had opened her heart and soul to another man –– a man who was not her daughter‘s father”....
Nina was hooking up with Maggie’s social studies teacher from her middle school.
Nina’s divorce was not finalized yet with Glen, (the missing husband/seventeen months earlier), ...when only his bloody boat was found.
However...
She was planning on saying ‘yes’ to the marriage proposal from Simon, soon.
In the meantime Nina, Simon, Maggie, Conner, and Daisy, moved into a new house....
in Seabury, New Hampshire, ....
a few miles away from where Nina and her kids had lived before... with Glen.
Nina was no longer living near her two very close friends Susanna Garston and Ginny Cowling.
However... Susanna and Ginny were great supporting characters... women I enjoyed. They contributed feelings of normalcy.... in a story that was everything but!
A favorite supporting character - another 13 year old: is Ben: ( friend to Maggie)
Nina ( the character I often felt the most exhausting heartache for even with her blindspots and naïvely), was dealing with a lot!!!
Her husband, Glen, was missing. She was filled with confusion, anger, and shock....
....she was moving on pretty fast. She was often in ‘hope’... but not awake to her potential disasters.
Nina discovered Glen hadn’t been working for two years.
She discovered his lies and secrets. Readers will learn as the story unfolds.
Nina was an opening to receiving the sweet talk-support- that Simon was dishing out...but less an opening to believing he was dangerous or a lier.
With so many lies - secrets - betrayals - and downright frightening/ unsettling situations going on in this book...from everyone...
in the very end....
It’s
**Maggie** whom I’d most like to see again in another novel.
I loved this young mature pre-teen!
If D. J. Palmer writes another book about Maggie, I’ll jump right in!
In the meantime... I’m happy with my old husband!
Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and D.J. Palmer
I can’t resist ...
I don’t drop spoiler-bombshells - often in reviews- but I was ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING ... when discussing this book with my husband, Paul.
It’s amazing how fun & alive books become with buddy/chats.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve laughed (inappropriately actually) - when reading a domestic-psychological thriller book.
The uncontrollable laughter happened to me at the end of the book, “The Couple Next Door”, by Shari Lapena, too.
So... in D.J. Palmer’s, “The New Husband”.....I/we laughed silly about scenes in this book.
We are a sick human beings in this house.
HERE’S A SPOILER:
A ‘therapist’ gets murdered in this story. (you’ll get details when you read the entire book)...
Paul and I were cracking up & cracking jokes -
“REALLY?”......”the *therapist* has to die?”. What did she do that was so bad?
THIS IS A FUN BOOK TO DISCUSS... whether you like it or don’t.... whether you find fault with it or not....
Whether you like the characters or not.
“Lying takes effort…because eventually everyone gets tripped up in their deceit… because secrets don’t stay hidden forever”.
The above excerpt epitomizes my over all feelings about “The New Husband”.....(a domestic psychological thriller).
The first half of this book was both ‘readable’ - page turning interesting ‘and’ a little boring...( not awful boring)...
but familiar -in storytelling...( “Sleeping With The Enemy”?).... and familiar dialogue: yada, yada, yada... with typical teenage-issues & attitudes - typical ‘mom’ denials: a story that started out sounding like many other stories we’ve read or seen in movies.
But... this book kept getting better - more original in time.
By around 50% into this book - things became much more sinister-twisty.
Honestly, I saw problems...
a few odd sentences...a little too repetitive...a little draggy at times...could be classified as a young adult book...
but ....overall it was mindless-puzzling-intense in parts-entertaining reading.
This will be a popular book for twisty-psychological thriller readers.
It’s good. It’s creepy. It possibly lowers our intelligence...(by that I mean ... SUSPEND DISBELIEF)... ha...ha ...🤨...
....it’s got that adrenaline addictive thing going on. (especially towards the end).
A few more details: BUT NO MORE SPOILERS...
Chapter 1…
The beginning....
“It was a chilly predawn morning when Anthony Strauss eased ‘Sweet Caroline’, his seventeen-foot-Boston whaler, from the trailer into the water so dark it was indistinguishable from the sky.”
“Anthony thought he was alone on the water, but then saw another boat with only a dog on board.
A sickening realization set in when he saw the amount of blood that covered the deck”.
NOTE: Do not get hung up on the name Anthony Strauss.
He’s only a name-drop character.
Chapter 2....
*Seventeen* months later:
We are introduced to Nina Garrity and her 13-year-old daughter, Maggie...(“a middle school aged tennis player with unmistakable
hostility”)....
MAGGIE NEVER PLAYS TENNIS ONCE IN THIS STORY...
She played lacrosse until needing to wear a ‘boo-boo’ cast-boot on her leg from an accident for a few weeks or longer.
Maggie was wise beyond her years - but no tennis matches are in this novel...
...unless.... you think of tennis as symbolically reflecting relationships. Hm?🎾
Nina’s other offspring is 16-year old son, Conner ( a High School football player:not hostile like his sister)
NOTE: don’t expect much football playing either).
Conner ‘might’ be the wisest character in this tale ( I’m kinda kidding - and kinda not), — [*13-*YEAR OLD **MAGGIE**is the wisest character]...
Conner is not in the story very much.
Yet....he was cool, calm, and collective....
He disconnected from the emotional-heat taking place in his family every day. Smart guy!
Daisy, the golden retriever, was easy to feel neutral about. Nothing not to love about her!
*Simon Finch*: he was the new man in Nina’s life. YIKES...
Keep your eye on this guy...
Super good cook? Yes
Super secretive? Yes
Super lier? Yes
Super controlling and manipulative? YES!
Super CREEPY? Yes!!!
Super DISTURBING? YES, YES, YES!!!
Maggie ( superstar character)....had many reasons to be angry.
“Nina was partly to blame because she had opened her heart and soul to another man –– a man who was not her daughter‘s father”....
Nina was hooking up with Maggie’s social studies teacher from her middle school.
Nina’s divorce was not finalized yet with Glen, (the missing husband/seventeen months earlier), ...when only his bloody boat was found.
However...
She was planning on saying ‘yes’ to the marriage proposal from Simon, soon.
In the meantime Nina, Simon, Maggie, Conner, and Daisy, moved into a new house....
in Seabury, New Hampshire, ....
a few miles away from where Nina and her kids had lived before... with Glen.
Nina was no longer living near her two very close friends Susanna Garston and Ginny Cowling.
However... Susanna and Ginny were great supporting characters... women I enjoyed. They contributed feelings of normalcy.... in a story that was everything but!
A favorite supporting character - another 13 year old: is Ben: ( friend to Maggie)
Nina ( the character I often felt the most exhausting heartache for even with her blindspots and naïvely), was dealing with a lot!!!
Her husband, Glen, was missing. She was filled with confusion, anger, and shock....
....she was moving on pretty fast. She was often in ‘hope’... but not awake to her potential disasters.
Nina discovered Glen hadn’t been working for two years.
She discovered his lies and secrets. Readers will learn as the story unfolds.
Nina was an opening to receiving the sweet talk-support- that Simon was dishing out...but less an opening to believing he was dangerous or a lier.
With so many lies - secrets - betrayals - and downright frightening/ unsettling situations going on in this book...from everyone...
in the very end....
It’s
**Maggie** whom I’d most like to see again in another novel.
I loved this young mature pre-teen!
If D. J. Palmer writes another book about Maggie, I’ll jump right in!
In the meantime... I’m happy with my old husband!
Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and D.J. Palmer
May 25, 2020
3.5*
The new husband...what if he’s just too good to be true!? What if he just wants you to think that!?
For Nina it’s time to move forward. Her not exactly devoted husband has been gone for close to two years now. He vanished into thin air – not necessarily a bad thing! But he’s left Nina with a big ZERO in her accounts and plenty of questions still unanswered.
She’s met a new man Simon and feels confident he’s the one. A real keeper! Due to Nina’s lack of income and savings she makes the easy decision to move into a new home with Simon (along with her two teenage kids Maggie and Connor). And it’s no stretch to say the new family is far from happy!
There were sections of this book that had me riveted. Shocking revelations! Real jaw-dropping moments.
But there were also points in the story that had me rolling my eyes. Nina’s apparent weaknesses, to be precise. I also stumbled when the story-line switched to Maggie’s POV. Sorry, just too YA for me.
But, overall it was a fun thriller that managed to shock me, and made for the perfect spring/summer read.
A buddy read with Susanne whose detective cap was working much better than mine! She had it all figured out! Lol!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC to read and review.
The new husband...what if he’s just too good to be true!? What if he just wants you to think that!?
For Nina it’s time to move forward. Her not exactly devoted husband has been gone for close to two years now. He vanished into thin air – not necessarily a bad thing! But he’s left Nina with a big ZERO in her accounts and plenty of questions still unanswered.
She’s met a new man Simon and feels confident he’s the one. A real keeper! Due to Nina’s lack of income and savings she makes the easy decision to move into a new home with Simon (along with her two teenage kids Maggie and Connor). And it’s no stretch to say the new family is far from happy!
There were sections of this book that had me riveted. Shocking revelations! Real jaw-dropping moments.
But there were also points in the story that had me rolling my eyes. Nina’s apparent weaknesses, to be precise. I also stumbled when the story-line switched to Maggie’s POV. Sorry, just too YA for me.
But, overall it was a fun thriller that managed to shock me, and made for the perfect spring/summer read.
A buddy read with Susanne whose detective cap was working much better than mine! She had it all figured out! Lol!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC to read and review.
November 11, 2020
2.5 ⭐ and I'm rounding up but I think that might be too generous.
This thriller is mediocre, at best.
The plot is so far-fetched that it became comical.
Nina-the new wife- is a poorly written character who's thoughts and actions often contradict themselves and I found reading from her POV a struggle.
The other two POVs are definitely better but not enough to save this book from being a disappointment.
".... 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙟𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩. "
Ok. Sure 🙄
This thriller is mediocre, at best.
The plot is so far-fetched that it became comical.
Nina-the new wife- is a poorly written character who's thoughts and actions often contradict themselves and I found reading from her POV a struggle.
The other two POVs are definitely better but not enough to save this book from being a disappointment.
".... 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙟𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩. "
Ok. Sure 🙄
April 14, 2020
You know that feeling that you have with new love? They can do no wrong? You can't see their faults at all? Or if you do you overlook them? Hellllooo Nina! Wake up and smell the coffee girl! I really wish I could've been her BFF and yelled this to her. Although I doubt she would've listened.
After Nina's cheating husband Glen goes missing she moves on. Even though Glen's body has never been found she decides he either died or left her so either way he is not coming back. Her daughter Maggie on the other hand has a much harder time with this. I loved little Maggie and my heart broke for her. As her mom decided to move in with Mr. Fitch ( a teacher from her school) how could things get more awkward?! Especially after it had not been long after her father's disappearance. The town is gossiping and poor Maggie is caught in the crossfire.
This twisted little thriller was a slow burn that took awhile to take off. Yet I was glued to the pages because I did not trust this guy ....at all!!!!!!! Simon is too good to be true. So helpful, so perfect...so controlling! I don't know exactly what it was but this guy had the creep factor going on. He managed to get under my skin. It was one of those characters that you wanted to scream and say "can nobody else see what this guy is up to??"
The second half of the book I had a ton of anxiety as I was waiting to see how this would end. I loved, loved, loved Daisy and Maggie and I was terrified about the fate they might meet. The story got pretty intense towards the ending. I kept thinking, this is not going to end well.........I will leave it at that so that you can find out for yourself if the new husband Simon is all that......or not.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of this ARC.
After Nina's cheating husband Glen goes missing she moves on. Even though Glen's body has never been found she decides he either died or left her so either way he is not coming back. Her daughter Maggie on the other hand has a much harder time with this. I loved little Maggie and my heart broke for her. As her mom decided to move in with Mr. Fitch ( a teacher from her school) how could things get more awkward?! Especially after it had not been long after her father's disappearance. The town is gossiping and poor Maggie is caught in the crossfire.
This twisted little thriller was a slow burn that took awhile to take off. Yet I was glued to the pages because I did not trust this guy ....at all!!!!!!! Simon is too good to be true. So helpful, so perfect...so controlling! I don't know exactly what it was but this guy had the creep factor going on. He managed to get under my skin. It was one of those characters that you wanted to scream and say "can nobody else see what this guy is up to??"
The second half of the book I had a ton of anxiety as I was waiting to see how this would end. I loved, loved, loved Daisy and Maggie and I was terrified about the fate they might meet. The story got pretty intense towards the ending. I kept thinking, this is not going to end well.........I will leave it at that so that you can find out for yourself if the new husband Simon is all that......or not.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of this ARC.
April 14, 2020
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
Nina and her two children are moving in with Nina’s new boyfriend, Simon. Sixteen-year-old, Conner seems to be fine with it, but thirteen-year-old, Maggie is not happy with the move or the new man in their lives. It doesn’t help that Simon is also the social studies teacher at Maggie’s school.
Nina still feels the sting of betrayal when she thinks of her husband, Glen. Memories of the terrible day the police came to the door to inform her that he was missing. His boat was found but they couldn't find Glen anywhere. What hurt Nina the most was what she found out AFTER Glen went missing.
Maggie feels like she’s the only one who misses her father. She’s also having trouble in school. And now just over a year later there’s Simon. Is she imagining the dark look in his eyes?
Nina wishes Maggie would just give Simon a chance. Simon was there for Nina when she really needed someone. They both lived through personal tragedy and it connects them. He's kind and generous and always seems to know just what Nina is feeling. They've never even had an argument.
But what does Nina really know about Simon? Could she be misplacing her trust again?
Is Simon really good or too good to be true?
I really enjoyed this author’s previous novel, “Saving Meghan” but I have mixed feelings about this book. I think it was a decent read that I read quite quickly, but I just wasn’t as thrilled with it as I had hoped I would be.
I don’t have to love every character to enjoy a book but I had issues with Nina and the decisions she was making. She was dropping the ball as far as Maggie was concerned. I really felt for and connected with Maggie. She was a terrific character. I also thought Ben was an excellent character. Normally having to suspend my disbelief doesn’t bother me but I had to do it quite a bit with this novel. However, I was still intrigued and wanted to see how it played out.
We all have our reasons for why we connect with a book or not. Many readers have really enjoyed this novel and that’s great. I thought it was okay, it just wasn’t one of my favorites. However, I’m still looking forward to seeing what DJ Palmer comes up with next!
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
July 21, 2020
Thank you @goodreads, @djpalmerauthor and @stmartinspress #goodreadsgiveaway for sending me a advance reader’s edition of The New Husband by DJ Palmer.
What a thrill this book was! I kinda figured that the new husband would be the villain (sorry if you feel like that’s a spoiler... 😉 but.... come on... 🤗 it’s implied with the title🤓). But this still took its share of twisty turns that were totally not expected. I was on the edge of my seat 😧(or bed... as it’s well past my bedtime), cause I just had to know how this would end.
I’m very thankful to goodreads for their giveaways!! Sharing the love of books!! ❤️📚
What a thrill this book was! I kinda figured that the new husband would be the villain (sorry if you feel like that’s a spoiler... 😉 but.... come on... 🤗 it’s implied with the title🤓). But this still took its share of twisty turns that were totally not expected. I was on the edge of my seat 😧(or bed... as it’s well past my bedtime), cause I just had to know how this would end.
I’m very thankful to goodreads for their giveaways!! Sharing the love of books!! ❤️📚
April 15, 2020
The New Husband never bored me, but it wasn't a book I was incredibly excited to pick up either.
The first 50% of the novel is so very slow...yet somehow, some way, it kept me reading.
And though there was definitely an underlying creepy vibe throughout, my biggest issue with this story was Nina's idiocy. Most of her family, all her friends, and even a stranger or two told her Simon was bad news, yet despite admitting she made terrible choices regarding the men in her life, she kept defending him....and continued to leave her children in his care. Way to drop the ball in a big way, Nina.
But really...what kind of man, with a full-time job, calls his girlfriend at work seven times in one afternoon? That would set off some major red flags for most women...but not our Nina.
I have never been a fan of willfully dumb, spineless characters--it's one of my biggest peeves as a reader.
Beyond that, I figured out the big twist in the book long before it was revealed, and the only characters I really liked were Ben (Maggie's friend), and Daisy (the dog).
Nothing about this book brought anything new to the table, and it was, overall, a very average read.
2.5 stars
**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
The first 50% of the novel is so very slow...yet somehow, some way, it kept me reading.
And though there was definitely an underlying creepy vibe throughout, my biggest issue with this story was Nina's idiocy. Most of her family, all her friends, and even a stranger or two told her Simon was bad news, yet despite admitting she made terrible choices regarding the men in her life, she kept defending him....and continued to leave her children in his care. Way to drop the ball in a big way, Nina.
But really...what kind of man, with a full-time job, calls his girlfriend at work seven times in one afternoon? That would set off some major red flags for most women...but not our Nina.
I have never been a fan of willfully dumb, spineless characters--it's one of my biggest peeves as a reader.
Beyond that, I figured out the big twist in the book long before it was revealed, and the only characters I really liked were Ben (Maggie's friend), and Daisy (the dog).
Nothing about this book brought anything new to the table, and it was, overall, a very average read.
2.5 stars
**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
September 7, 2020
EXCERPT: If somebody had told Nina a few years ago that she would end up living with the social studies teacher from her daughter's middle school, in a new house they had bought together, she would have broken into a fit of laughter.
In another eight months or so, the court would most likely grant Nina her divorce from Glen, after which she might feel ready to say yes to Simon's marriage proposal so he could officially become her new husband. New Hampshire law was quite specific: spousal abandonment had to last two years or longer and required a demonstrated, wilful desire to desert and terminate the marital relationship. Clearly, Glen's actions met those criteria. Or maybe he really was dead. Without a body, Nina had no way of knowing, while Maggie continued to hold out hope that her dad would soon return to them.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: What makes Simon Fitch so perfect?
-He knows all her favorite foods, music, and movies.
-Her son adores him. He was there when she needed him most.
-He anticipates her every need.
-He would never betray her like her first husband.
The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes.
The question is, why?
Nina Garrity learned the hard way that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But with Glen gone—presumably drowned while fishing on his boat—she couldn't confront him about the affair or find closure to the life he blew apart.
Now, a year and a half later, Nina has found love again and hopes she can put her shattered world back together. Simon, a widower still grieving the death of his first wife, thinks he has found his dream girl in Nina, and his charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina's teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, while her friends see a different side to him, and they aren't afraid to use the word obsession.
Nina works hard to bridge the divide that’s come between her daughter and Simon. She wants so badly to believe her life is finally getting back on track, but she’ll soon discover that the greatest danger to herself and her children are the lies people tell themselves.
MY THOUGHTS: Meh.
This is slow. Not a slow burn, just slow.
The writing felt 'flat'.
There is a lot about the plot synopsis that is misleading.
Nina is a mindless idiot. She comes across as needy and desperate. She bows to her new partner's every wish and demand. She doesn't listen to her own inner voice, her friends or her children.
Simon is a manipulative control freak. His character should be creepy. Instead he is ridiculous.
As is the 'twist'. Really? 🙄 A weak plot.
The only redeeming features of this book are Maggie and Ben's relationship, and Daisy the dog.
Maybe it's me, because the rest of the world appears to love this book. Reading is a very personal subjective experience, and not every book is for every reader. So, if you enjoyed the extract, and the plot summary interests you, please do read The New Husband by DJ Palmer. I hope that you are one of the many who love this book.
😣😣
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELER: Set in New Hampshire, a U.S. state in New England, which is defined by its quaint towns and large expanses of wilderness. In the north, White Mountain National Forest is known for winter sports areas and Mt. Washington, the region’s highest peak, with a cog railway to its summit. Also in the White Mountains are moose, black bears and part of the Appalachian Trail.
THE AUTHOR: D.J. PALMER is the author of numerous critically acclaimed suspense novels, including Delirious and Desperate. After receiving his master’s degree from Boston University, he spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer before turning his attention to writing. He lives with his wife and two children in New Hampshire.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The New Husband by DJ Palmer, narrated by January LaVoy and Rebecca Soler, and published by Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
In another eight months or so, the court would most likely grant Nina her divorce from Glen, after which she might feel ready to say yes to Simon's marriage proposal so he could officially become her new husband. New Hampshire law was quite specific: spousal abandonment had to last two years or longer and required a demonstrated, wilful desire to desert and terminate the marital relationship. Clearly, Glen's actions met those criteria. Or maybe he really was dead. Without a body, Nina had no way of knowing, while Maggie continued to hold out hope that her dad would soon return to them.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: What makes Simon Fitch so perfect?
-He knows all her favorite foods, music, and movies.
-Her son adores him. He was there when she needed him most.
-He anticipates her every need.
-He would never betray her like her first husband.
The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes.
The question is, why?
Nina Garrity learned the hard way that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But with Glen gone—presumably drowned while fishing on his boat—she couldn't confront him about the affair or find closure to the life he blew apart.
Now, a year and a half later, Nina has found love again and hopes she can put her shattered world back together. Simon, a widower still grieving the death of his first wife, thinks he has found his dream girl in Nina, and his charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina's teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, while her friends see a different side to him, and they aren't afraid to use the word obsession.
Nina works hard to bridge the divide that’s come between her daughter and Simon. She wants so badly to believe her life is finally getting back on track, but she’ll soon discover that the greatest danger to herself and her children are the lies people tell themselves.
MY THOUGHTS: Meh.
This is slow. Not a slow burn, just slow.
The writing felt 'flat'.
There is a lot about the plot synopsis that is misleading.
Nina is a mindless idiot. She comes across as needy and desperate. She bows to her new partner's every wish and demand. She doesn't listen to her own inner voice, her friends or her children.
Simon is a manipulative control freak. His character should be creepy. Instead he is ridiculous.
As is the 'twist'. Really? 🙄 A weak plot.
The only redeeming features of this book are Maggie and Ben's relationship, and Daisy the dog.
Maybe it's me, because the rest of the world appears to love this book. Reading is a very personal subjective experience, and not every book is for every reader. So, if you enjoyed the extract, and the plot summary interests you, please do read The New Husband by DJ Palmer. I hope that you are one of the many who love this book.
😣😣
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELER: Set in New Hampshire, a U.S. state in New England, which is defined by its quaint towns and large expanses of wilderness. In the north, White Mountain National Forest is known for winter sports areas and Mt. Washington, the region’s highest peak, with a cog railway to its summit. Also in the White Mountains are moose, black bears and part of the Appalachian Trail.
THE AUTHOR: D.J. PALMER is the author of numerous critically acclaimed suspense novels, including Delirious and Desperate. After receiving his master’s degree from Boston University, he spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer before turning his attention to writing. He lives with his wife and two children in New Hampshire.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The New Husband by DJ Palmer, narrated by January LaVoy and Rebecca Soler, and published by Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 20, 2020
Reviews have been mixed on this one...which always makes me curious to find out which side of the fence I will end up on!
It wasn’t a favorite for me.
Glen Garrity went out fishing one morning and never returned. His boat was floating, the deck covered in blood, but no body was found. Did he drown? Or did he run off with another woman, as a certain photo might suggest?
His wife, Nina, has moved on with Simon Fitch, a teacher from her daughter Maggie’s middle school. Nina is amazed that she has found such a thoughtful and caring new partner..but Maggie sees a darker side of him...
Nina and Maggie both narrate, though in this ARC, the chapters were not labeled as such, and I would be a paragraph or two into the chapter, before I would realize we had switched from one to the other, and I had to backtrack and reread from the top. That was annoying but, maybe it will be different by publication date...
The author definitely created an “ick” factor, as I wondered how Nina could even be attracted to this man who said things like “Dang” and “My Bad”, and who called her at work seven times a day!
And, then there was the “telling” instead of “showing” which always removes me from the story as well, as summaries of what happened as opposed to the characters actually doing these things, just don’t work for me.
Excerpt/Example “ Later that evening, when the kids had gone to bed, after giving Nina a foot massage, preparing her lunch, consulting with her on day two’s outfit, and refilling her glass of wine, Simon took her in his arms and made love to her with exquisite tenderness.”
The book got a little bit better in the second half, when Nina finally looked past Simon’s “charm” and started to question his intentions..
I wasn’t bored, and I loved Maggie but because of the flaws mentioned...just ⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!!
If you think the things that bothered me, wouldn’t bother you, pick this up on April 14, 2020!
Thank You to Edelweiss, St Martin’s Press and D J Palmer for the ARC I received in exchange for a candid review!
It wasn’t a favorite for me.
Glen Garrity went out fishing one morning and never returned. His boat was floating, the deck covered in blood, but no body was found. Did he drown? Or did he run off with another woman, as a certain photo might suggest?
His wife, Nina, has moved on with Simon Fitch, a teacher from her daughter Maggie’s middle school. Nina is amazed that she has found such a thoughtful and caring new partner..but Maggie sees a darker side of him...
Nina and Maggie both narrate, though in this ARC, the chapters were not labeled as such, and I would be a paragraph or two into the chapter, before I would realize we had switched from one to the other, and I had to backtrack and reread from the top. That was annoying but, maybe it will be different by publication date...
The author definitely created an “ick” factor, as I wondered how Nina could even be attracted to this man who said things like “Dang” and “My Bad”, and who called her at work seven times a day!
And, then there was the “telling” instead of “showing” which always removes me from the story as well, as summaries of what happened as opposed to the characters actually doing these things, just don’t work for me.
Excerpt/Example “ Later that evening, when the kids had gone to bed, after giving Nina a foot massage, preparing her lunch, consulting with her on day two’s outfit, and refilling her glass of wine, Simon took her in his arms and made love to her with exquisite tenderness.”
The book got a little bit better in the second half, when Nina finally looked past Simon’s “charm” and started to question his intentions..
I wasn’t bored, and I loved Maggie but because of the flaws mentioned...just ⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!!
If you think the things that bothered me, wouldn’t bother you, pick this up on April 14, 2020!
Thank You to Edelweiss, St Martin’s Press and D J Palmer for the ARC I received in exchange for a candid review!
May 17, 2020
"You have to sit by the side of a river a very long time before a roast duck will fly into your mouth." (Guy Kowalski)
Unfortunately, that's how I felt about The New Husband. The majority of the book was set upon the ol' adage: "If it's too good to be true, it probably is." From beginning to end, we readers were expected to look the other way as scenarios were contrived with a sledge hammer. Too many boulders in the road for me.
The New Husband begins with a pilotless boat with a barking dog aboard. Blood on the deck is necessary to form a visual. Old Husband is no longer with us. Current Wife/Now Widow meets up with a middle school teacher who wines and dines her. Thirty seconds later they move in together much to the exasperation of Teenage Daughter. Teenage Son soon bonds with New Husband. New Husband eventually becomes quite controlling. And New Wife wants to make everybody happy.
Please Note: There are plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews for this one. Take it out for a test drive and see what you think. It may float your boat better than said boat from the first few pages.
Unfortunately, that's how I felt about The New Husband. The majority of the book was set upon the ol' adage: "If it's too good to be true, it probably is." From beginning to end, we readers were expected to look the other way as scenarios were contrived with a sledge hammer. Too many boulders in the road for me.
The New Husband begins with a pilotless boat with a barking dog aboard. Blood on the deck is necessary to form a visual. Old Husband is no longer with us. Current Wife/Now Widow meets up with a middle school teacher who wines and dines her. Thirty seconds later they move in together much to the exasperation of Teenage Daughter. Teenage Son soon bonds with New Husband. New Husband eventually becomes quite controlling. And New Wife wants to make everybody happy.
Please Note: There are plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews for this one. Take it out for a test drive and see what you think. It may float your boat better than said boat from the first few pages.
March 16, 2020
There are times when a book calls to you and says why not take a chance and see how it goes. For this reader, that chance paid off. I was ready for the typical story about a missing husband and the man who comes to take his place. But this book was deliciously devious and offered a few heart racing moments.
Poor Nina Garrity! Not only is her husband missing, but it seems as if he was a two timing embezzler who had her fooled from the get go. So much for wine and roses! However Nina has a new man in her life, and although her daughter is bitterly opposed to this new match, Nina plows on ahead moving in with Mr Right and taking her two children with her.
There's a lot going on and most of it is basically lies and rumors that are sending rippling effects into Nina's family. As the story continues, we find out, as usual, things we thought we knew about the people we love are often not really so.
Yes, Simon Fitch is the perfect man making Nina, a year and a half after husband Glen went missing, presumably dead, jumping at the chance to become a couple and move him with him. Simon is a teacher, a catch really, but Maggie, Nina's teenage daughter sees something in Simon that is off. Perhaps it's jealousy that her mother has moved on, but there is something sinister in Simon and Maggie is determined to make her mother see the Simon that Maggie views.
It's a game for Simon as he tries to ingratiate himself into the family, but with Maggie he has a capable adversary. As the secrets are revealed, we find once again what appears to be real is further from the truth than anyone thought.
This was a fine psychological thriller that had me wondering if all the pieces would finally come together wondering if Nina would eventually realize that all that glitters is not gold.
Thank you to D.J. Palmer, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this exciting thriller due out April 14, 2020
Poor Nina Garrity! Not only is her husband missing, but it seems as if he was a two timing embezzler who had her fooled from the get go. So much for wine and roses! However Nina has a new man in her life, and although her daughter is bitterly opposed to this new match, Nina plows on ahead moving in with Mr Right and taking her two children with her.
There's a lot going on and most of it is basically lies and rumors that are sending rippling effects into Nina's family. As the story continues, we find out, as usual, things we thought we knew about the people we love are often not really so.
Yes, Simon Fitch is the perfect man making Nina, a year and a half after husband Glen went missing, presumably dead, jumping at the chance to become a couple and move him with him. Simon is a teacher, a catch really, but Maggie, Nina's teenage daughter sees something in Simon that is off. Perhaps it's jealousy that her mother has moved on, but there is something sinister in Simon and Maggie is determined to make her mother see the Simon that Maggie views.
It's a game for Simon as he tries to ingratiate himself into the family, but with Maggie he has a capable adversary. As the secrets are revealed, we find once again what appears to be real is further from the truth than anyone thought.
This was a fine psychological thriller that had me wondering if all the pieces would finally come together wondering if Nina would eventually realize that all that glitters is not gold.
Thank you to D.J. Palmer, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this exciting thriller due out April 14, 2020
May 10, 2020
2 Stars.
Things that make you go “Hmm.”
Nina Garrity’s husband Glen disappears mysteriously yet 3 (three) months later, she finds love with her thirteen year old daughter’s teacher, Simon Fitch. Real Nice. Now they are moving in together.
Can you see my eyes rolling?
Swept off of her feet, Nina is madly in love. Of course it helps that Simon’s bank account enables him to take care of her and both of her kids. If only he got along with her thirteen year old daughter Maggie. Maggie however is suspicious of him. For good reason. He’s manipulative and controlling. Nina of course doesn’t see it.
By this point, my eyes just about started twitching.
Predictable and campy from the get go, for some reason I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
The best part of this novel was the relationship between Maggie and her best friend Ben. That kid rocked! Everyone needs a friend like him around!
Another buddy read with Kaceey.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and D.J. Palmer for the arc.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 5.9.20.
Things that make you go “Hmm.”
Nina Garrity’s husband Glen disappears mysteriously yet 3 (three) months later, she finds love with her thirteen year old daughter’s teacher, Simon Fitch. Real Nice. Now they are moving in together.
Can you see my eyes rolling?
Swept off of her feet, Nina is madly in love. Of course it helps that Simon’s bank account enables him to take care of her and both of her kids. If only he got along with her thirteen year old daughter Maggie. Maggie however is suspicious of him. For good reason. He’s manipulative and controlling. Nina of course doesn’t see it.
By this point, my eyes just about started twitching.
Predictable and campy from the get go, for some reason I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
The best part of this novel was the relationship between Maggie and her best friend Ben. That kid rocked! Everyone needs a friend like him around!
Another buddy read with Kaceey.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and D.J. Palmer for the arc.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 5.9.20.
June 19, 2020
The New Husband by D.J. Palmer is a stunning thriller. The minute you start reading this book, there is a feeling of foreboding and dread but you don’t know why. Nina Garrity’s husband Glen has disappeared, leaving everyone wondering if he left intentionally or may have met with foul play. She later finds out that he has had an affair with a local waitress. A year and a half later, Nina falls in love again and moves her family in with Simon Fitch. She is thrilled with the new relationship: he seems to know her so well and is devoted to making her happy. Her daughter instantly exhibits dislike towards Simon and her son enjoys spending time with him, making for a tense household. The plot cannot be discussed here but I think that you will not regret reading The New Husband. It is simply unpredictable and an absolute thrill-ride. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2020
Finally, we have a "husband" book instead of a "wife" book! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
How well do you know the ones you love? While Nina’s husband has been missing, she finds out he’s led a double life with another woman. Now he may have drowned, and Nina is ready to move on. She meets Simon, a teacher from her daughter’s school, who lost in first wife to suicide. They fall in love and Simon is everything Nina wants, except he may be on the controlling side.
Has Nina chosen the right man? Or has she made another mistake? The New Husband is chilling, dark, smooth reading. I had a hard time putting this one down. It’s super dramatic and kept me guessing. There are multiple twists to analyze, and I enjoyed every single one. If you like your thrillers on the edgy, dramatic side, don’t miss The New Husband!
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
How well do you know the ones you love? While Nina’s husband has been missing, she finds out he’s led a double life with another woman. Now he may have drowned, and Nina is ready to move on. She meets Simon, a teacher from her daughter’s school, who lost in first wife to suicide. They fall in love and Simon is everything Nina wants, except he may be on the controlling side.
Has Nina chosen the right man? Or has she made another mistake? The New Husband is chilling, dark, smooth reading. I had a hard time putting this one down. It’s super dramatic and kept me guessing. There are multiple twists to analyze, and I enjoyed every single one. If you like your thrillers on the edgy, dramatic side, don’t miss The New Husband!
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
March 7, 2020
This psychological thriller starts off low key. Nina’s first husband went missing while fishing one Saturday morning. Almost two years later, his body has never been found. But after his disappearance, she discovers he had a secret. Well, more than one.
Now, she’s involved with Simon, who on the surface seems perfect. Maybe a little too perfect? Maggie, her 13 year old daughter, sees a different side to Simon.
We hear from both Nina and Maggie, among others. I got a kick out of Maggie’s chapters. Palmer nails the snarky side of a teenager, combined with a lack of confidence. Palmer is also smart to use first person narrative for Maggie, but third person for the others .
This book was just ok - unbelievable, even tacky at times. I plowed through it mostly to find out the why behind Simon’s actions. I keep saying I’m going to stay away from psychological thrillers because lately they’ve been such a disappointment for me. This one included.
If there’s a moral to this story, it’s for women not to rely on men.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
Now, she’s involved with Simon, who on the surface seems perfect. Maybe a little too perfect? Maggie, her 13 year old daughter, sees a different side to Simon.
We hear from both Nina and Maggie, among others. I got a kick out of Maggie’s chapters. Palmer nails the snarky side of a teenager, combined with a lack of confidence. Palmer is also smart to use first person narrative for Maggie, but third person for the others .
This book was just ok - unbelievable, even tacky at times. I plowed through it mostly to find out the why behind Simon’s actions. I keep saying I’m going to stay away from psychological thrillers because lately they’ve been such a disappointment for me. This one included.
If there’s a moral to this story, it’s for women not to rely on men.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
January 5, 2021
4.25 rounded down. Everyone knows that divorce is hard, and accepting a new step-parent is even harder, but what if your father simply disappears, under extremely mysterious circumstances? And even more so, what if your new soon to be stepfather is a bit...off? I'm happy to say, this was yet another FANTASTIC, slam dunk novel written by Palmer! I'm 2-0 so far with him/her, and I'm putting this author on my auto-purchase list now! The plot in this novel very much reminded me of those thriller/horror movies from the '80-90s called The Stepfather, almost down to the very last detail with one exception, which was fairly significant and I will not divulge here. A very large portion of the books I read are thrillers/suspense/horror, so I would like to think of myself as a thriller aficionado, so I had a very good idea of how events would most likely transpire in this one, and I was correct, however that did not diminish my enjoyment of this novel very much at all. The writing style and alternative perspectives between our three main protagonists (or were there actually four?!) made for an entertaining, fantastic suspense/mystery, which I found hard to put down. For a good portion of the novel I found myself incredibly frustrated with Nina, who I felt was less than smart, and borderline dumb. I absolutely loved the resilient and brave Maggie (Nina's teenaged daughter), and definitely questioned the actions and motives of Simon (the perhaps too good to be true stepfather), but I believe my favorite character was the nerd/perhaps autistic Ben, who becomes Maggie's BFF and sounding board. I just loved his remarks and the way he saw the world so clearly. I also enjoyed that we are provided with the perspective of a true sociopath in this tale, but I found myself wanting more. I wanted to know how this person become so enraged and heartless, needing more background information, but maybe I'm asking for too much? If I had to categorize this novel, I might say it almost read like a YA, but to be fair, there were definitely adult moments :-) so I'd recommend this to most demographics, with caution. With everything said and done, I'd go so far as saying this novel is even better than Palmer's debut, Saving Meghan, which I loved. Don't put off reading this one as long as I did, go out and get it immediately!! Here's to a great start to my 2021 reading challenge! Now, I simply can't wait for Palmer's next release!!!!
January 11, 2020
I'm struggling to understand how this book has such high ratings. I was really tempted to DNF it a bunch of times.
I loved Saving Meghan, loved. This book does not read like it was written by the same author. The writing wasn't good, the story was choppy and didn't flow, the dialogue was forced, and I hated all of the characters. The chapters written from Maggie's perspective were the worst. Even the fact that Nina moved in with Simon because she couldn't afford her current house was ridiculous. Once she realized her husband was gone and so was all their money, she should have immediately found a job instead of living off what was left for a year and a half! What capable person with two kids to take care of does that?
The book did get marginally better about halfway through... not enough to change my rating from 2 stars though.
I loved Saving Meghan, loved. This book does not read like it was written by the same author. The writing wasn't good, the story was choppy and didn't flow, the dialogue was forced, and I hated all of the characters. The chapters written from Maggie's perspective were the worst. Even the fact that Nina moved in with Simon because she couldn't afford her current house was ridiculous. Once she realized her husband was gone and so was all their money, she should have immediately found a job instead of living off what was left for a year and a half! What capable person with two kids to take care of does that?
The book did get marginally better about halfway through... not enough to change my rating from 2 stars though.
February 3, 2020
New Hampshire. An unmanned boat....a barking dog....blood....and the mystery of a missing husband. This is how it all begins.
THE NEW HUSBAND (to be)....devoted new beau or too good to be true?
The answer seemed obvious (to me) early on....But what is this dude's agenda?
I had to keep turning the pages to find out as Nina continually questions her memory, her conversations, her hostile daughter Maggie and her rather quick decision to move her two children into a new home with a new man when husband Glen is still missing.
As the story progresses, we see conniving and controlling become dark and unsettling, but still Nina proclaims they all need to work harder to get along and make their new family work....until Maggie's big scare.
There are secrets, there are lies, even intensity in the storyline at times, but there are also times you'll shake your head not believing the inane actions of a mother. Really good characters in thirteen year old Maggie, friend Ben (such a good guy) and Daisy the dog!
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2020
My second book by Palmer and let me tell you, he is a storyteller like no other. If you love books that you sit down and devour in one sitting then he's your author. I despised Simon and loved Maggie, you have to read this book to find out why.
Twists and turns and so much going on that you had to keep turning the pages.
5 stars two times. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
Twists and turns and so much going on that you had to keep turning the pages.
5 stars two times. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
January 19, 2021
Won in giveaway through Reading Group Gold & St. Martin's Press
This book was like reading a Lifetime movie in book form. It was over the top, it was dramatic, and it was suspenseful in a cheesy way.
I liked it a lot!
If you go into this book knowing that its ridiculous then I think you can sit back and just enjoy the ride.
Also Nina is an idiot and you get have to get over that. Shes a dumb bitch! That's just that!
If you like cheesy Lifetime movies or if you ever watched soap operas like General Hospital or Passions when you were in middle school than I think you might like this one.
This book was like reading a Lifetime movie in book form. It was over the top, it was dramatic, and it was suspenseful in a cheesy way.
I liked it a lot!
If you go into this book knowing that its ridiculous then I think you can sit back and just enjoy the ride.
Also Nina is an idiot and you get have to get over that. Shes a dumb bitch! That's just that!
If you like cheesy Lifetime movies or if you ever watched soap operas like General Hospital or Passions when you were in middle school than I think you might like this one.
January 8, 2020
I have just finished reading The New Husband by D.J. Palmer. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and St. Martin's Press. for my advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review
I am giving this book 2.5 stars
It started off quite interesting, and then I quickly began to lose interest. I thought that it was very predictable, and that the characters were ones that I could not emphasise with. The storyline was just a tad on the hokey side for my liking. This actually felt like a YA book to me, and perhaps that is a good audience for it.
I realise that I am not giving a rating that the majority of readers are for the book, but it was not one for my liking, and I just wanted to get through it once I started it.
#NetGalley
I am giving this book 2.5 stars
It started off quite interesting, and then I quickly began to lose interest. I thought that it was very predictable, and that the characters were ones that I could not emphasise with. The storyline was just a tad on the hokey side for my liking. This actually felt like a YA book to me, and perhaps that is a good audience for it.
I realise that I am not giving a rating that the majority of readers are for the book, but it was not one for my liking, and I just wanted to get through it once I started it.
#NetGalley
April 30, 2020
The New Husband is the sophomore thriller from author D.J. Palmer. After loving D.J. Palmer’s debut effort, Saving Meghan, I was quite looking forward to reading this one and thankfully it did not disappoint.
Two years ago wife and mother of two, Nina Garrity, got the news that her husband may have been involved in some kind of boating accident. Unfortunately for Nina and her kids though Glen’s body was not found in the lake where he had been out on their boat so the family was left in limbo as to what happened.
Shortly after Glen had disappeared though Nina had begun learning her husband was not the man she thought him to be. Finding their finances in turmoil and apparently an affair Nina began counting the days until she could legally divorce but in the meantime she met Simon Fitch who seemed to be everything Nina could want or need in a partner… or was he.
The New Husband was definitely a book that once picking up I found incredibly hard to put down to take a break. There was obvious turmoil in the new family being formed with Nina and Simon and the kids but you just know that the story would hold so much more which kept the pages turning. Definitely not a sophomore slump with this novel as I found it an incredibly addictive read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Two years ago wife and mother of two, Nina Garrity, got the news that her husband may have been involved in some kind of boating accident. Unfortunately for Nina and her kids though Glen’s body was not found in the lake where he had been out on their boat so the family was left in limbo as to what happened.
Shortly after Glen had disappeared though Nina had begun learning her husband was not the man she thought him to be. Finding their finances in turmoil and apparently an affair Nina began counting the days until she could legally divorce but in the meantime she met Simon Fitch who seemed to be everything Nina could want or need in a partner… or was he.
The New Husband was definitely a book that once picking up I found incredibly hard to put down to take a break. There was obvious turmoil in the new family being formed with Nina and Simon and the kids but you just know that the story would hold so much more which kept the pages turning. Definitely not a sophomore slump with this novel as I found it an incredibly addictive read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
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