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The Newlyweds
One marriage. One lie. Two sides to the story.
The moment Vivien meets Ashton, she knows she will be his wife and absolutely nothing will stop her.
Powerful, rich and from a good family, Ashton is everything Vivien is not. So, she molds herself into Ashton’s perfect soulmate.
Pouring his favorite vintage wine, whispering ‘I love you’ over dinner in front of friends and biting her tongue when she disagrees with him are simple sacrifices for the perfect marriage she has always craved.
When people begin to notice the bruises on her cheek, she holds their stares. There is no cry for help from Vivien. She simply keeps her mouth shut and lets the gossip continue.
If you saw Vivien nursing a black eye, you might be forgiven for thinking what everyone else does – that she is the victim in her marriage, but you’d be wrong. Vivien and Ashton’s life together is much more complicated than that. You will never guess the true story behind Vivien’s undying devotion to her husband. Nor could you possibly predict what she does next…
Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Behind Closed Doors and The Perfect Couple. If you enjoy reading twisted psychological thrillers with bags of suspense, then you’ll love The Newlyweds from USA TODAY bestselling author Arianne Richmonde.
The moment Vivien meets Ashton, she knows she will be his wife and absolutely nothing will stop her.
Powerful, rich and from a good family, Ashton is everything Vivien is not. So, she molds herself into Ashton’s perfect soulmate.
Pouring his favorite vintage wine, whispering ‘I love you’ over dinner in front of friends and biting her tongue when she disagrees with him are simple sacrifices for the perfect marriage she has always craved.
When people begin to notice the bruises on her cheek, she holds their stares. There is no cry for help from Vivien. She simply keeps her mouth shut and lets the gossip continue.
If you saw Vivien nursing a black eye, you might be forgiven for thinking what everyone else does – that she is the victim in her marriage, but you’d be wrong. Vivien and Ashton’s life together is much more complicated than that. You will never guess the true story behind Vivien’s undying devotion to her husband. Nor could you possibly predict what she does next…
Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Behind Closed Doors and The Perfect Couple. If you enjoy reading twisted psychological thrillers with bags of suspense, then you’ll love The Newlyweds from USA TODAY bestselling author Arianne Richmonde.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2021
2306 people are currently reading
1922 people want to read
About the author
Arianne Richmonde
30 books940 followersARIANNE RICHMONDE is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thrillers, THE WIFE'S HOUSE and THE NEWLYWEDS (published by Bookouture, Hachette UK), and suspense and romance.
Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.
Apart from writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne's a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.
For updates on new releases, sales and giveaways please sign up for her Newsletter by going to: https://bit.ly/2ZoRQVx (copy and paste to your browser). Or join her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAriann... or send her an email ariannerichmonde@gmail.com - she loves hearing from readers and will always reply.
Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.
Apart from writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne's a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.
For updates on new releases, sales and giveaways please sign up for her Newsletter by going to: https://bit.ly/2ZoRQVx (copy and paste to your browser). Or join her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAriann... or send her an email ariannerichmonde@gmail.com - she loves hearing from readers and will always reply.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
May 8, 2021
Cunning, deceiving, twisty, surprising, mind spinning and entertaining!
Newly weds Ashton and Vivien are perfect happy couple, a beautiful postcard image of Christmas Hallmark movies. They’re adorable !
Vivien works at community center to help troubled families, abandoned or problematic children. Especially one of the cases of a 16 years old young woman who is left behind, making her ends meet by e-commerce sales gets her full attention and her successful surgeon Ashton knows how to please her in the bed, buying her precious gifts, cooking dinners.
It sounds like too good to be true! Because the people who are close to her start to be doubtful that something is going really wrong about their perfectlicious marriage!
There are bruises on her arms as if somebody has pinched her ! But she keeps making excuses, protecting her husband , telling them their marriage is perfect till her husband’s ex Belle appears in the picture and they start arguing.
When you read unreliable heroine’s POV and start to resonate with her throughout the domestic violence she endured, you still become suspicious because we only read events via her telling other people, we don’t see them actually happening! And our heroine Vivian never drew a lovely, sweetheart heroine portrait!
After the revelation, I think the storyline moved uncontrollably and directionless. I start to lose my interest and some big revelations were too “no freaking way” kind of far fetched! ( of course you cannot see them coming because they were a little extreme)
I wish big revelation may appear at the end of the book! Especially Lily’s big mystery was like misplaced piece of the puzzle! It didn’t quite fit with the domestic thriller. I loved to concentrate on Ashton and Vivien’s dysfunctional relationship!
But the big twist at the epilogue was kind of likable and it satisfied the batshit craziness hid inside of me.
Because of the well played ending I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 ! This could be easily a five starred read for me if that big shocking twist would come at the end! I felt like the second half of the book was a little aimless.
But it was still riveting, exciting, interesting read which I finished in record time!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookoture for sharing this heart throbbing advanced copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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Newly weds Ashton and Vivien are perfect happy couple, a beautiful postcard image of Christmas Hallmark movies. They’re adorable !
Vivien works at community center to help troubled families, abandoned or problematic children. Especially one of the cases of a 16 years old young woman who is left behind, making her ends meet by e-commerce sales gets her full attention and her successful surgeon Ashton knows how to please her in the bed, buying her precious gifts, cooking dinners.
It sounds like too good to be true! Because the people who are close to her start to be doubtful that something is going really wrong about their perfectlicious marriage!
There are bruises on her arms as if somebody has pinched her ! But she keeps making excuses, protecting her husband , telling them their marriage is perfect till her husband’s ex Belle appears in the picture and they start arguing.
When you read unreliable heroine’s POV and start to resonate with her throughout the domestic violence she endured, you still become suspicious because we only read events via her telling other people, we don’t see them actually happening! And our heroine Vivian never drew a lovely, sweetheart heroine portrait!
After the revelation, I think the storyline moved uncontrollably and directionless. I start to lose my interest and some big revelations were too “no freaking way” kind of far fetched! ( of course you cannot see them coming because they were a little extreme)
I wish big revelation may appear at the end of the book! Especially Lily’s big mystery was like misplaced piece of the puzzle! It didn’t quite fit with the domestic thriller. I loved to concentrate on Ashton and Vivien’s dysfunctional relationship!
But the big twist at the epilogue was kind of likable and it satisfied the batshit craziness hid inside of me.
Because of the well played ending I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 ! This could be easily a five starred read for me if that big shocking twist would come at the end! I felt like the second half of the book was a little aimless.
But it was still riveting, exciting, interesting read which I finished in record time!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookoture for sharing this heart throbbing advanced copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
May 8, 2021
“In your teens and early twenties, fear doesn’t seem to equate the way it does when you’re older.”
― Arianne Richmonde, The Newlyweds
My Review:
I am sorry to say this. I am. But it has been a long time since a book made me as furious as this one did.
The Newlyweds had a great premise and was an interesting book. By no means, was the writing anything but excellent and it hooked me in pretty quickly.
To do this review will be tough because my feelings of distaste are solely about the ending.
So if you want to read my review know that there will be :
SPOILERS:
just about everywhere and I will be giving the ending away.
Here we go:
I like twists in books. I do. I count Gone Girl as one of my favorite books ever.
However, since the release of that book I have noticed a disturbing trend. Writers seem to feel they NEED twists...to many twists.
Gone Girl had one amazing indescribable twist.
Some of..many of..the books I have read since, have a twist on almost every other page. These books do not have one amazing twist. Many of them have 4..or 5..or 6..or more...UNAMAZING twists.
Twists have to make sense. They have to line up with how the characters would react.
And very few books can get away with a twist in the last SENTENCE of a book.
A few books and movies can do that. Sixth Sense is a movie where that worked very well. So is Usual Suspects.
But most of the time this does not work. And it did not work for me in this book.
Nothing made any sense (if you include the ending.) And that pisses me off because it shows the writer seems to be more into the "shock factor" then putting all the book pieces together in a way that is coharent and makes sense.
I suppose there is an audience for this sort of thing. I am not part of it.
I LIKED the first twist. Con lady gets conned. That was a fun twist.
Everything after that? Forget it. I cannot even tell you how many twists this book wound up having. And it was all about: husband is good. No, he's evil. No, he's good. No, he's evil.
Daughter is crazy. No, she's good. No, she's bad. No, she's good.
Mysterious sister is good. No, she's bad. No, she's good. No, she's bad.
No....just...no.
The last paragraph had no basis in reality. None. Twist? It was so bizarre to throw that in.
Let me set the stage: Husband who is seemingly madly in love with his wife even though she played him, saves said wife, under the waters of the ocean. Wife was about to be killed by his crazy sister.
And though Hubs loves his sister, he makes the choice to let her die because if he doesn't, she will kill his wife whom he also loves.
So, even though, he and his sister were so close, he lets her die..or murders her..we never really know.
He does all this for love of his wife.
Whom, it turns out, he does not love or even LIKE. Because he is crazy. This is revealed in the last sentence.
So, if that is the case..why did he kill his sister who he implies is also crazy and part of his soul?
I mean...the guy is a sociopath. That is what the author wants us to believe. And his wife played him. So why wouldn't he just let his equally crazy sister kill her?
Nothing. made. any. sense.
1984 BOOK SPOILERS:
It would be like reading the book 1984 and then at the end, Winston gives a high five to big brother and it's revealed Winston was in on it all along. Somehow I doubt 1984 would be as highly regarded as it is, were that to have happened.
The book went on for to long. And as it stands, I prefer to just think that it ended with the couple married and happy because anything else makes no sense including why the wife who is phobic would ever go shark diving.
Had it not been for all these twists, this book would have received a 4 or 5 from me because the writing was excellent.
I do not like when books go the route of the absurd.
That's it, she wrote.
― Arianne Richmonde, The Newlyweds
My Review:
I am sorry to say this. I am. But it has been a long time since a book made me as furious as this one did.
The Newlyweds had a great premise and was an interesting book. By no means, was the writing anything but excellent and it hooked me in pretty quickly.
To do this review will be tough because my feelings of distaste are solely about the ending.
So if you want to read my review know that there will be :
SPOILERS:
just about everywhere and I will be giving the ending away.
Here we go:
I like twists in books. I do. I count Gone Girl as one of my favorite books ever.
However, since the release of that book I have noticed a disturbing trend. Writers seem to feel they NEED twists...to many twists.
Gone Girl had one amazing indescribable twist.
Some of..many of..the books I have read since, have a twist on almost every other page. These books do not have one amazing twist. Many of them have 4..or 5..or 6..or more...UNAMAZING twists.
Twists have to make sense. They have to line up with how the characters would react.
And very few books can get away with a twist in the last SENTENCE of a book.
A few books and movies can do that. Sixth Sense is a movie where that worked very well. So is Usual Suspects.
But most of the time this does not work. And it did not work for me in this book.
Nothing made any sense (if you include the ending.) And that pisses me off because it shows the writer seems to be more into the "shock factor" then putting all the book pieces together in a way that is coharent and makes sense.
I suppose there is an audience for this sort of thing. I am not part of it.
I LIKED the first twist. Con lady gets conned. That was a fun twist.
Everything after that? Forget it. I cannot even tell you how many twists this book wound up having. And it was all about: husband is good. No, he's evil. No, he's good. No, he's evil.
Daughter is crazy. No, she's good. No, she's bad. No, she's good.
Mysterious sister is good. No, she's bad. No, she's good. No, she's bad.
No....just...no.
The last paragraph had no basis in reality. None. Twist? It was so bizarre to throw that in.
Let me set the stage: Husband who is seemingly madly in love with his wife even though she played him, saves said wife, under the waters of the ocean. Wife was about to be killed by his crazy sister.
And though Hubs loves his sister, he makes the choice to let her die because if he doesn't, she will kill his wife whom he also loves.
So, even though, he and his sister were so close, he lets her die..or murders her..we never really know.
He does all this for love of his wife.
Whom, it turns out, he does not love or even LIKE. Because he is crazy. This is revealed in the last sentence.
So, if that is the case..why did he kill his sister who he implies is also crazy and part of his soul?
I mean...the guy is a sociopath. That is what the author wants us to believe. And his wife played him. So why wouldn't he just let his equally crazy sister kill her?
Nothing. made. any. sense.
1984 BOOK SPOILERS:
It would be like reading the book 1984 and then at the end, Winston gives a high five to big brother and it's revealed Winston was in on it all along. Somehow I doubt 1984 would be as highly regarded as it is, were that to have happened.
The book went on for to long. And as it stands, I prefer to just think that it ended with the couple married and happy because anything else makes no sense including why the wife who is phobic would ever go shark diving.
Had it not been for all these twists, this book would have received a 4 or 5 from me because the writing was excellent.
I do not like when books go the route of the absurd.
That's it, she wrote.
January 24, 2021
I really enjoyed Arianne Richmonde’s last thriller, THE WIFE’S HOUSE. Unfortunately, her latest, THE NEWLYWEDS, was not as enjoyable for me. This book is definitely more domestic than thriller.
Richmond is a lovely writer with a better command of language than many of her thriller contemporaries. However, I just couldn’t get engaged in the setup of this book, which features a woman bent on being a perfect housewife, cook, and domestic goddess to her high society surgeon husband, who may have a dark side. Then she begins getting mysterious messages.
With a setup this focused on traditional gender roles and norms, I need a trace of evil, cunning, or SOMETHING interesting from one of the characters (preferably the wife) to keep me interested. Unfortunately that didn’t surface early enough here, and I spent a longer amount of time than I would have liked reading about a housewife who frets over making the perfect meals and home for her husband. I found it hard to care about the nose job she had in her twenties or her mounting feelings of insecurity. She lacked the two scoops of unusual and crazy that were so endearingly featured in the heroine of this author’s previous book.
I really appreciated the point the author was trying to get across here, but the story overall was too slow-moving and cliched to really hold my interest. When the action finally came, it did not really satisfy. Since I did love this author’s last book I’ll definitely continue to read her new books, but this one was a miss for me.
Thanks to Bookouture, the author and NetGalley for the advance copy.
Richmond is a lovely writer with a better command of language than many of her thriller contemporaries. However, I just couldn’t get engaged in the setup of this book, which features a woman bent on being a perfect housewife, cook, and domestic goddess to her high society surgeon husband, who may have a dark side. Then she begins getting mysterious messages.
With a setup this focused on traditional gender roles and norms, I need a trace of evil, cunning, or SOMETHING interesting from one of the characters (preferably the wife) to keep me interested. Unfortunately that didn’t surface early enough here, and I spent a longer amount of time than I would have liked reading about a housewife who frets over making the perfect meals and home for her husband. I found it hard to care about the nose job she had in her twenties or her mounting feelings of insecurity. She lacked the two scoops of unusual and crazy that were so endearingly featured in the heroine of this author’s previous book.
I really appreciated the point the author was trying to get across here, but the story overall was too slow-moving and cliched to really hold my interest. When the action finally came, it did not really satisfy. Since I did love this author’s last book I’ll definitely continue to read her new books, but this one was a miss for me.
Thanks to Bookouture, the author and NetGalley for the advance copy.
December 23, 2021
The Newlyweds by Arianne Richmonde is a psychological thriller. The story inside is one that is told with a lot of flashing back to past events to catch the reader up on how things unfolded to get to the current timeline.
The day Vivien meets Ashton she knew he was the one for her and that they would someday be married. Vivien knew how to mold herself into Ashton’s perfect wife so she did and caught his eye. But is marriage to Ashton as perfect as Vivien made it out to be in her mind?
The Newlyweds by Arianne Richmonde is certainly what one would call a twisty tale as it’s the type to be revealed in layers. Once you think you would know what was going on the story would switch it up and layer on another side. For the most part I was enjoying the deception but at some point the story began to drag for me as it went on turning this one from excitement to let’s just end this madness ultimately making it just an alright read when finished.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The day Vivien meets Ashton she knew he was the one for her and that they would someday be married. Vivien knew how to mold herself into Ashton’s perfect wife so she did and caught his eye. But is marriage to Ashton as perfect as Vivien made it out to be in her mind?
The Newlyweds by Arianne Richmonde is certainly what one would call a twisty tale as it’s the type to be revealed in layers. Once you think you would know what was going on the story would switch it up and layer on another side. For the most part I was enjoying the deception but at some point the story began to drag for me as it went on turning this one from excitement to let’s just end this madness ultimately making it just an alright read when finished.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
March 22, 2021
This book is filled with too many twists to count. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, anther unexpected twist would occur. Unreliable narrators run rampant in this tale of obsession, betrayal and suspicion. Who is the villain and who is the victim in this southern tale of long buried secrets and delusions of perfection? If you love one twist after another, then this is a must read. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.
January 24, 2021
Oh what a tangled web we weave... this was one twisted book. Vivian and Ashton are newly married and appear to be the perfect couple. But as any seasoned thriller reader knows never ever trust anything that appears to be too perfect. Soon cracks start showing in this perfect marriage, and even though Vivian is denying everything people are beginning to become suspicious. But again, things are never quite as they seem. In this wild game of cat and mouse you never quite know, who is the cat? And who’s the mouse?
The story is told solely from the perspective of Vivian and so it becomes a matter of trust. Can you trust Vivian? Is she the victim? Or is she the predator? I really had no idea and boy oh boy did my opinion bounce all over the place throughout the story. None of these characters were tremendously likable. They had their southern charm porn but it seemed so insincere. On the surface Vivian seemed sweet and naïve, while Ashton seemed like a perfect southern gentleman. But underneath all that charm there was definitely something much more sinister. I do wish there was more tension throughout the story more of a sense of urgency. One of the twists was revealed very early and while I did want to see how it all played out I lost a little bit of interest at that point. However, the ending to this book, Holy smokes I was so tense I wanted to cover my eyes. It was so surprising there is just no way you could’ve predicted it. Not even sure it fit into the story, but it was extremely nerve-racking! And that epilogue.... well played! Just for the ending of this book I’m rounding my 3.5 up.
This book in emojis 💍 🍾 🚤 🍕 🦈 📱 🩺
*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
The story is told solely from the perspective of Vivian and so it becomes a matter of trust. Can you trust Vivian? Is she the victim? Or is she the predator? I really had no idea and boy oh boy did my opinion bounce all over the place throughout the story. None of these characters were tremendously likable. They had their southern charm porn but it seemed so insincere. On the surface Vivian seemed sweet and naïve, while Ashton seemed like a perfect southern gentleman. But underneath all that charm there was definitely something much more sinister. I do wish there was more tension throughout the story more of a sense of urgency. One of the twists was revealed very early and while I did want to see how it all played out I lost a little bit of interest at that point. However, the ending to this book, Holy smokes I was so tense I wanted to cover my eyes. It was so surprising there is just no way you could’ve predicted it. Not even sure it fit into the story, but it was extremely nerve-racking! And that epilogue.... well played! Just for the ending of this book I’m rounding my 3.5 up.
This book in emojis 💍 🍾 🚤 🍕 🦈 📱 🩺
*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
January 19, 2021
The Newlyweds is a stand-alone domestic thriller from the bestselling writer Arianne Richmonde, and boy is it a wickedly woven tale of mystery and intrigue. The story starts at the lavish wedding of Ashton Buchanan and Vivien DuBois. They go on to appear to have the ideal marriage; the type of wedded bliss that everyone wants. Ashton is a handsome and prominent neurosurgeon so makes plenty of money to give them a luxurious and want-for-nothing lifestyle and Vivien works with underprivileged children and is stylish and elegant. Everyone believes them to be completely infatuated with one another but soon the cracks begin to show. Vivien has given up a lot in order to tailor her lifestyle to fit Ashton's but was she wrong to rush into the marriage before really knowing him and what sort of person he really is? People begin to notice that the dynamic between the couple has changed drastically and not for the better as you would expect as they sink slowly into the bliss of wedded life. But then much more obvious signs of things being very wrong in the Buchanan household arise. Vivien keeps been seen with injuries, for instance a black eye, and of course everyone begins to gossip that's she's become the victim of domestic abuse but is that really the case or is something even more strange and sinister going on?
This is a compelling, chilling and addictive read from start to finish and in many ways sounds a lot like a whole plethora of other domestic-based thrillers where a married couple is at the centre of the plot, but I thought it was written in such a way that it captures your attention from the outset, holds onto it throughout and spins a yarn filled with exciting developments and unpredictable, twisty surprises better than some similar books. You soon learn that you should take everything the entire cast utters with a rather large pinch of salt in a story simply overflowing with secrets, lies, betrayal and duplicity, and although the role-call of characters is quite limited this allows the author to give plenty of attention to detail creating an engaging if mostly detestable cast in the process. It's a pacy, compulsive and difficult to put down and there are some great, shocking developments and surprises throughout. It deals with love, loss, obsession, revenge, karma and so much more. Told solely from Vivien's perspective, we only get one side to the story and you will, in time, see exactly how much she can be trusted and exactly who the manipulator is within the marriage but it gets even juicier than that as the plot progresses. If unrelenting and unreliable narrators are something you enjoy in your thrillers then this is not an opportunity to be passed up. Highly recommended.
This is a compelling, chilling and addictive read from start to finish and in many ways sounds a lot like a whole plethora of other domestic-based thrillers where a married couple is at the centre of the plot, but I thought it was written in such a way that it captures your attention from the outset, holds onto it throughout and spins a yarn filled with exciting developments and unpredictable, twisty surprises better than some similar books. You soon learn that you should take everything the entire cast utters with a rather large pinch of salt in a story simply overflowing with secrets, lies, betrayal and duplicity, and although the role-call of characters is quite limited this allows the author to give plenty of attention to detail creating an engaging if mostly detestable cast in the process. It's a pacy, compulsive and difficult to put down and there are some great, shocking developments and surprises throughout. It deals with love, loss, obsession, revenge, karma and so much more. Told solely from Vivien's perspective, we only get one side to the story and you will, in time, see exactly how much she can be trusted and exactly who the manipulator is within the marriage but it gets even juicier than that as the plot progresses. If unrelenting and unreliable narrators are something you enjoy in your thrillers then this is not an opportunity to be passed up. Highly recommended.
February 26, 2021
Not obvious spoilers but just in case!
You know what? I really enjoyed this book!
Each evening I picked this up I was excited to see what happens next.
The characters within these pages were damaged.
I’ve heard of getting revenge but......well. The length of time to get revenge astounded me.
The many curveballs in this devious, hate, longstanding, shocking read was great.
The author did such a good job of making a readers mind diverting down a different path, then reaching a dead end. Eventually I was going around a roundabout returning to my confused state of trying to work this out.
It is suspenseful, it is enthralling and it is a book I will remember.
This book was not straight forward telling you a “thriller” it’s much more than that.
To have that on your shoulders wanting to “make someone pay” after all those years.
Then .....,boom, treble punches for the reader!
Fab.
You know what? I really enjoyed this book!
Each evening I picked this up I was excited to see what happens next.
The characters within these pages were damaged.
I’ve heard of getting revenge but......well. The length of time to get revenge astounded me.
The many curveballs in this devious, hate, longstanding, shocking read was great.
The author did such a good job of making a readers mind diverting down a different path, then reaching a dead end. Eventually I was going around a roundabout returning to my confused state of trying to work this out.
It is suspenseful, it is enthralling and it is a book I will remember.
This book was not straight forward telling you a “thriller” it’s much more than that.
To have that on your shoulders wanting to “make someone pay” after all those years.
Then .....,boom, treble punches for the reader!
Fab.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2021
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
This is one of those books that sounded so intriguing in the synopsis, but the actual story failed to deliver. What should have been suspenseful and twisty came across as cliched and boring.
The first line of the synopsis mentions two sides to the story, so I was expecting Ashton’s POV at some point, but the story stayed in Vivien’s 1st person POV the whole time (though we do get a couple monologues from him in the final chapters). I think that even without the synopsis basically giving the whole plot away, I would’ve known very early on that Vivien is not what she appears to be. It made the first half of the book seem unbearably long. And the “big reveal” employed one of my least favorite narrative clichés – Vivien relays her whole backstory and scheme in a third person story that even begins with “once upon a time.” My eyes rolled so hard. Everything that happened after that was predictable and I’ll admit that I skimmed large parts of it just to make it to the end.
Overall, The Newlyweds was not for me. I was hoping for some fun cat-and-mouse type of suspense, but it all played out like a predictable Lifetime movie. I did like the setting, though. That and the fact that I actually felt compelled to finish the book and not DNF it, is why I’m giving this book 2 stars.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars
This is one of those books that sounded so intriguing in the synopsis, but the actual story failed to deliver. What should have been suspenseful and twisty came across as cliched and boring.
The first line of the synopsis mentions two sides to the story, so I was expecting Ashton’s POV at some point, but the story stayed in Vivien’s 1st person POV the whole time (though we do get a couple monologues from him in the final chapters). I think that even without the synopsis basically giving the whole plot away, I would’ve known very early on that Vivien is not what she appears to be. It made the first half of the book seem unbearably long. And the “big reveal” employed one of my least favorite narrative clichés – Vivien relays her whole backstory and scheme in a third person story that even begins with “once upon a time.” My eyes rolled so hard. Everything that happened after that was predictable and I’ll admit that I skimmed large parts of it just to make it to the end.
Overall, The Newlyweds was not for me. I was hoping for some fun cat-and-mouse type of suspense, but it all played out like a predictable Lifetime movie. I did like the setting, though. That and the fact that I actually felt compelled to finish the book and not DNF it, is why I’m giving this book 2 stars.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars
December 30, 2020
3☆ A Good Read.
When I read the blurb for The Newlyweds I was really eager to read it. I adore a good thriller especially ones that have a psychological edge to it.
However for me it just lacked that thriller edge i was expecting.
There is alot of twists and characters within the book and at times I did have to back track a bit to make sure I was following.
The start was really gripping and I quickly became enthralled but then for me nearly half way through it started to lack the initial unease I felt at the start.
The Newlyweds for me was more like a domestic drama with a lot of twists.
It did have alot of potential but just wasn't gripping enough for me. I will however give the Authors other books a read.
Thank you to Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
When I read the blurb for The Newlyweds I was really eager to read it. I adore a good thriller especially ones that have a psychological edge to it.
However for me it just lacked that thriller edge i was expecting.
There is alot of twists and characters within the book and at times I did have to back track a bit to make sure I was following.
The start was really gripping and I quickly became enthralled but then for me nearly half way through it started to lack the initial unease I felt at the start.
The Newlyweds for me was more like a domestic drama with a lot of twists.
It did have alot of potential but just wasn't gripping enough for me. I will however give the Authors other books a read.
Thank you to Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
January 27, 2021
Very disappointing. Weird story with ridiculous characters.
Poorly written. Don’t waste your time.
I never write a review I just rate what I read. I had to get the taste of this one out of my mind.
Poorly written. Don’t waste your time.
I never write a review I just rate what I read. I had to get the taste of this one out of my mind.
January 22, 2021
Cliche and trope-ridden domestic drama full of nasty characters that did not deliver any unpredictable twists or suspense. I had this figured out early, hoped for a surprise, was disappointed, but did manage to finish in a couple of hours.
Vivien and Ashton marry and live in a lovely old mansion in South Carolina. Their marriage is not what it appears to be, however, as Vivien has plans for her husband. Best laid plans often go awry and that's what happens here. NO SPOILERS.
Hard to give a more detailed review without giving away what is meant to be a surprising and shocking reveal so I'll leave it. I can't tell you how much I detested all the characters in this book and couldn't relate to a single one of them. Suffice to say it's not one of those "abused wife" books as it is essentially cold revenge. But who wins? I felt let down that none of them really seemed to get what they deserved.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. Though it certainly wasn't the right book for me, I have no doubt it will have its fans.
Vivien and Ashton marry and live in a lovely old mansion in South Carolina. Their marriage is not what it appears to be, however, as Vivien has plans for her husband. Best laid plans often go awry and that's what happens here. NO SPOILERS.
Hard to give a more detailed review without giving away what is meant to be a surprising and shocking reveal so I'll leave it. I can't tell you how much I detested all the characters in this book and couldn't relate to a single one of them. Suffice to say it's not one of those "abused wife" books as it is essentially cold revenge. But who wins? I felt let down that none of them really seemed to get what they deserved.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. Though it certainly wasn't the right book for me, I have no doubt it will have its fans.
December 5, 2020
Well what can I say. This was so different even though it was a physiological thriller.. The first few pages I thought what am I getting into, then wow it really started getting interesting. The reveal about half way through was a surprise.
I normally leave reality a bit behind when reading these books so I skipped over a few things like learning scuba diving and where did all the money come from etc, being a single mother, and just went with the flow.
I could have done without Lily as thought that was either not needed or even better if it was more developed then it would have made this a 5 star plus book.
I now need to find new books by this author as if they are anything like this one - cracking read.
I was given an advance copy by Net galley in exchange for a fair and honest review which I have done so.
I normally leave reality a bit behind when reading these books so I skipped over a few things like learning scuba diving and where did all the money come from etc, being a single mother, and just went with the flow.
I could have done without Lily as thought that was either not needed or even better if it was more developed then it would have made this a 5 star plus book.
I now need to find new books by this author as if they are anything like this one - cracking read.
I was given an advance copy by Net galley in exchange for a fair and honest review which I have done so.
January 4, 2021
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.
The Newlyweds tells the story of Vivien and Ashton - a young rich couple in the South of the US, who seem to have it all. However, told from the point of view of Vivien, we quickly learn that things are not right between the two and something mysterious is going on between them.
Whilst I quite enjoyed the intrigue of the first half of this book, I’m afraid that for me, it quickly descended into the ridiculous and absurd. And all of the main characters were just too unlikeable too.
I love a good thriller with twists and turns that leave me gasping and saying “wow I didn’t see that coming!” But this was just really too much. I know you couldn’t say that The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl are realistic, but still, they just work in the way they capture and excite the reader - these twists just made me roll my eyes.
This part coming up is a small spoiler so please don’t read on if you don’t want to know something that unfolds in the story...
The point where I really switched off was the part where it was announced that the mother-in-law had schizophrenia and it was so strongly hereditary in the family that Ashton refused to have children. I hated this part - it made schizophrenia sound frightening and as if anyone who has it is bound to be a murderer or hurt themselves. Whilst things may have changed later in the storyline, I still couldn’t get over how annoying this was and I didn’t like this being a message in a book in this day and age. 1 in 100 people will develop schizophrenia in their lifetimes - it’s not rare, and most people are able to live fairly normal lives and are not a danger to other people! This kind of thing is really damaging.
Anyway, after that part it was hard to get me back on side and this is the reason I have given such a low score. Not for me I’m afraid!
The Newlyweds tells the story of Vivien and Ashton - a young rich couple in the South of the US, who seem to have it all. However, told from the point of view of Vivien, we quickly learn that things are not right between the two and something mysterious is going on between them.
Whilst I quite enjoyed the intrigue of the first half of this book, I’m afraid that for me, it quickly descended into the ridiculous and absurd. And all of the main characters were just too unlikeable too.
I love a good thriller with twists and turns that leave me gasping and saying “wow I didn’t see that coming!” But this was just really too much. I know you couldn’t say that The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl are realistic, but still, they just work in the way they capture and excite the reader - these twists just made me roll my eyes.
This part coming up is a small spoiler so please don’t read on if you don’t want to know something that unfolds in the story...
The point where I really switched off was the part where it was announced that the mother-in-law had schizophrenia and it was so strongly hereditary in the family that Ashton refused to have children. I hated this part - it made schizophrenia sound frightening and as if anyone who has it is bound to be a murderer or hurt themselves. Whilst things may have changed later in the storyline, I still couldn’t get over how annoying this was and I didn’t like this being a message in a book in this day and age. 1 in 100 people will develop schizophrenia in their lifetimes - it’s not rare, and most people are able to live fairly normal lives and are not a danger to other people! This kind of thing is really damaging.
Anyway, after that part it was hard to get me back on side and this is the reason I have given such a low score. Not for me I’m afraid!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2021
Rating: 3.5 stars.
I have conflicted feelings. The first half of this book was really good - I love domestic thrillers, especially with a female protagonist, and Vivien was cunning and calculating and although I guessed her plan beforehand, it was still fun to see it unravel. I really wished that that part of the book had been longer and more explored because that was what I found super interesting. I loved the marriage dynamic between Ashton and Vivien and the whole atmosphere was just exactly how I want it in a domestic thriller. The reveal which took place about halfway into the book was good, but it should have been much later. Or at least, that original plan of hers should have been continued.
After the halfway mark, the book lost me. There were too many random events added for shock value, too many things happening which you couldn't have seen coming and which therefore seemed random. The whole Lily storyline didn't fit into the book, since the bit with Cady was already pretty far-fetched.
The last chapter before the epilogue was still pretty good, however, I didn't like the epilogue. It seemed like such a crazy and unrealistic thing to happen and it didn't fit into the book or the plot at all. The bit after the epilogue hardly made anything better and I just really wish it hadn't been included because otherwise, I would have really liked this book.
I have conflicted feelings. The first half of this book was really good - I love domestic thrillers, especially with a female protagonist, and Vivien was cunning and calculating and although I guessed her plan beforehand, it was still fun to see it unravel. I really wished that that part of the book had been longer and more explored because that was what I found super interesting. I loved the marriage dynamic between Ashton and Vivien and the whole atmosphere was just exactly how I want it in a domestic thriller. The reveal which took place about halfway into the book was good, but it should have been much later. Or at least, that original plan of hers should have been continued.
After the halfway mark, the book lost me. There were too many random events added for shock value, too many things happening which you couldn't have seen coming and which therefore seemed random. The whole Lily storyline didn't fit into the book, since the bit with Cady was already pretty far-fetched.
The last chapter before the epilogue was still pretty good, however, I didn't like the epilogue. It seemed like such a crazy and unrealistic thing to happen and it didn't fit into the book or the plot at all. The bit after the epilogue hardly made anything better and I just really wish it hadn't been included because otherwise, I would have really liked this book.
February 7, 2021
Boring story
I was so bored with the lengthy drawing out story I skipped page after page just out of curiosity to get to the end of this silly story.how it can be described as a gripping thriller is beyond me .
I was so bored with the lengthy drawing out story I skipped page after page just out of curiosity to get to the end of this silly story.how it can be described as a gripping thriller is beyond me .
April 9, 2021
Ridiculous plot, terrible characters, this book was all over the place. The ending made no sense whatsoever.
January 21, 2021
The Newlyweds wasn't at all what I expected. While the story setting was intriguing, I found it really difficult to get through after about 30% into the book. Vivien's character wasn't consistent and there was a lack of depth that was just not helping the story. Just when I thought I had finally reached the ending (can't go into details without revealing spoliers), the book dragged on for another unnecessary 20-30 pages. Sorry, I don't give too many bad review, but this was definitely not my cup of tea.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
January 19, 2021
Vivien and Ashton seem to have a picture perfect marriage. He is a top neurosurgeon and she spends her days as the perfect southern wife, taking care of her husband while volunteering for charity work. On the outside, everyone can see how happy they appear to be. But, sometimes looks can be deceiving and when Vivien starts showing bruises and a black eye, people begin to wonder what goes on behind closed doors and is Ashton the perfect man he appears to be. Is there more to Vivien and Ashton’s story? Oh you betcha!
This story is very wild! There are many twists and turns and believe me when I say this, you will never figure this story out until Arianne Richmonde starts hitting you with twist after explosive twist and just when you think you have read the last twist, hold your hats for the final twist of all. Boy is it a doozy! I do love a good twisty story and this one will have you turning the pages so fast trying to get down to the bottom of Vivien and Ashton’s marriage.
I do love a story with an unreliable narrator and Vivien takes the cake on that one. Is she telling the truth about her husband, Ashton? With Vivien being the sole narrator of this story, can she be trusted enough and believable enough in showing what happens behind closed doors while still proclaiming to her friends how much Ashton loves her and would never hurt her?
If you enjoy a good domestic thriller much in the likes of B.A. Paris “Behind Closed Doors,” Then you will definitely want to give The Newlyweds by Arianne Richmonde a read. You will be thoroughly engrossed in this crazy story wondering who you can trust and who you should not trust at all.
This story is very wild! There are many twists and turns and believe me when I say this, you will never figure this story out until Arianne Richmonde starts hitting you with twist after explosive twist and just when you think you have read the last twist, hold your hats for the final twist of all. Boy is it a doozy! I do love a good twisty story and this one will have you turning the pages so fast trying to get down to the bottom of Vivien and Ashton’s marriage.
I do love a story with an unreliable narrator and Vivien takes the cake on that one. Is she telling the truth about her husband, Ashton? With Vivien being the sole narrator of this story, can she be trusted enough and believable enough in showing what happens behind closed doors while still proclaiming to her friends how much Ashton loves her and would never hurt her?
If you enjoy a good domestic thriller much in the likes of B.A. Paris “Behind Closed Doors,” Then you will definitely want to give The Newlyweds by Arianne Richmonde a read. You will be thoroughly engrossed in this crazy story wondering who you can trust and who you should not trust at all.
January 10, 2021
This is a great read.
It’s a really hard book to review as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. There’s quite a few twists and turns in the book so again, I can’t really mention anything.
I can say this is a gripping domestic thriller that certainly had me racing through the pages.
Vivien is a character you will have changing feelings for as the book progresses and the same for her husband, Ashton.
If I mention anything other than what’s in the blurb, I’ll spoil it for you and I don’t want to just repeat the blurb.
I will say that if you like twisty domestic thrillers then this is definitely the book for you.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
It’s a really hard book to review as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. There’s quite a few twists and turns in the book so again, I can’t really mention anything.
I can say this is a gripping domestic thriller that certainly had me racing through the pages.
Vivien is a character you will have changing feelings for as the book progresses and the same for her husband, Ashton.
If I mention anything other than what’s in the blurb, I’ll spoil it for you and I don’t want to just repeat the blurb.
I will say that if you like twisty domestic thrillers then this is definitely the book for you.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
May 30, 2021
This was quite a twisted tale with unreliable narrators. I liked how I was continually shocked by the revelations. with the story being divided into two halves. Just when I thought I knew everything the author pulled a rabbit out of the hat. Quite shocking with explosive reveals right to the last page of the book. I love such thrillers.
December 19, 2020
Twisty, deceiving, wonderful ride of a book
Started off with a bang and so many twists to make it unbelievable that good.
You wont know what hit you. Great book.
Thanks to the Author,the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
Started off with a bang and so many twists to make it unbelievable that good.
You wont know what hit you. Great book.
Thanks to the Author,the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
January 20, 2021
The story starts with Vivien Dubois and Ashton Buchanan getting married. They project a perfectly happy couple. Vivien is stylish, elegant and demure. She works as a volunteer helping underprivileged children. Ashton is a successful surgeon, handsome and in command of himself. They are head over heels in love and are an ideal couple. Is this too good to be true?
Soon there are cracks seen in the marriage. Vivien sports a bruised eye and Ashton seems to lose his temper more often than before. Yet Vivien never complains and never says or tolerates any unpleasant words about Ashton. But something doesn’t look right between them. Is there violence behind the doors or is it something more sinister?
As much potential the story had, it’s not fully utilized by the author and the reader is left to grasp at the straws. I felt the writing too was a little underwhelming.. perhaps it was the character’s voice. Its told in a first person POV who is an unreliable protagonist but she came across as a petulant child. There are certain information thrown in the form of conversation that didn’t come across as necessary.
Over all I felt the structure of the book itself as lacking. It definitely did not feel as ‘gripping thriller’ but the author knows how to keep the reader hooked in enough ways.
Soon there are cracks seen in the marriage. Vivien sports a bruised eye and Ashton seems to lose his temper more often than before. Yet Vivien never complains and never says or tolerates any unpleasant words about Ashton. But something doesn’t look right between them. Is there violence behind the doors or is it something more sinister?
As much potential the story had, it’s not fully utilized by the author and the reader is left to grasp at the straws. I felt the writing too was a little underwhelming.. perhaps it was the character’s voice. Its told in a first person POV who is an unreliable protagonist but she came across as a petulant child. There are certain information thrown in the form of conversation that didn’t come across as necessary.
Over all I felt the structure of the book itself as lacking. It definitely did not feel as ‘gripping thriller’ but the author knows how to keep the reader hooked in enough ways.
January 9, 2021
Viviene and Ashton Buchanan are in perfect, newlywed bliss, or so it seems. Ashton is a renowned neurosurgeon and Viviene tries her very best to be the perfect, caring, and loving wife to match. Viviene spends her days volunteering at the local community center and even offers one of the runaway teens she is helping to stay in their guest house.
Suddenly bruises start appearing on her arms as if somebody has pinched her! And on another occasion a black eye, however, she keeps making excuses, protecting her husband, telling everyone that their marriage is perfect.
This book is an unusual thriller, full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and coming back for more. Enjoyed this book immensely, highly recommended.
My thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Arianne Richmonde for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Summary: Lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing .....
Suddenly bruises start appearing on her arms as if somebody has pinched her! And on another occasion a black eye, however, she keeps making excuses, protecting her husband, telling everyone that their marriage is perfect.
This book is an unusual thriller, full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and coming back for more. Enjoyed this book immensely, highly recommended.
My thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Arianne Richmonde for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Summary: Lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing .....
June 21, 2021
Just don’t..
Awful. Waste of time. Waste of money. Very misleading almost 5 star rating. Poor writing, over the top redundant detail about trivial aspects that served no purpose in bettering the book. It was as if she was trying to fill up a 5 page essay with nonsense. Dialog between weakly developed characters was repetitive and luke warm at best. She also clearly pushed so many personal ideals and agenda driven rod buts amongst the story line. It was obnoxious and a huge turn off. Predictable and incredibly anticlimactic. I don’t usually write reviews let alone bad ones.. I truly hope this was just a bad book and her others are better. Though I’m very hesitant to read another
Awful. Waste of time. Waste of money. Very misleading almost 5 star rating. Poor writing, over the top redundant detail about trivial aspects that served no purpose in bettering the book. It was as if she was trying to fill up a 5 page essay with nonsense. Dialog between weakly developed characters was repetitive and luke warm at best. She also clearly pushed so many personal ideals and agenda driven rod buts amongst the story line. It was obnoxious and a huge turn off. Predictable and incredibly anticlimactic. I don’t usually write reviews let alone bad ones.. I truly hope this was just a bad book and her others are better. Though I’m very hesitant to read another
December 21, 2020
Now that I have finished, and written my review for The Newlyweds I have had a look at the other reviews and I feel like we read a different book.
For me there wasn’t any hook at the beginning of the book, none of the characters were likeable and it was more of a slog than an enjoyable read for me.
Looking at the other reviews maybe I have it all wrong but the above is my honest opinion and that is what NetGalley, the author and the publisher asked for when they gifted me this ARC.
For me there wasn’t any hook at the beginning of the book, none of the characters were likeable and it was more of a slog than an enjoyable read for me.
Looking at the other reviews maybe I have it all wrong but the above is my honest opinion and that is what NetGalley, the author and the publisher asked for when they gifted me this ARC.
January 25, 2021
I did not see that ending coming! What you think of the newlyweds, their intentions, their quick path to marriage, and everything flips upside down and gets topsy-turvy 3/4 of the way in the book. Nothing is what it seems! A great read by Arianne Richmonde!
January 20, 2021
As it is described in the blurb, this book is very much about false pretences, hiding behind perceived perfections and the plot twists are completely unpredictable! I audibly gasped a number of times as the author took the book to unexpected, dark places!
My favourite aspect of Arianne’s books are the way she writes and creates female characters. There is a tendency by some authors and within some genres to portray women in two ways – pretty little victims or pretty little heroines. Despite being asked on a number of occasions to “please be a good girl and keep your pretty little mouth shut”, it is clear that these are not the types of female characters Arianne wants us to encounter! The female characters within this book play a leading role, showing cunning and intelligence. It doesn’t make them very likeable characters, but you can definitely relate to their plights and emotions on some level.
There was a point, just over half way, where there was a huge revelation and I wondered where this book would go, and how it could reach the next level in terms of suspense and thrills.
Of course, this wonderful writer did not disappoint! There are more twists, and we are thrown into a dark abyss of domestic disharmony!
The ending takes us away from the traditional domestic setting, making for an original, dramatic and just jaw-droppingly brilliant ending! I love that it is left on a cliff hanger, and leaves you wondering what is to come
!
I absolutely recommend this book and author to fans of domestic thrillers or psychological fiction, especially if you like seeing strong, creepy female characters making an appearance. While you’re there, check out Arianne’s previous book – The Wife’s House – as this is also incredible!
My favourite aspect of Arianne’s books are the way she writes and creates female characters. There is a tendency by some authors and within some genres to portray women in two ways – pretty little victims or pretty little heroines. Despite being asked on a number of occasions to “please be a good girl and keep your pretty little mouth shut”, it is clear that these are not the types of female characters Arianne wants us to encounter! The female characters within this book play a leading role, showing cunning and intelligence. It doesn’t make them very likeable characters, but you can definitely relate to their plights and emotions on some level.
There was a point, just over half way, where there was a huge revelation and I wondered where this book would go, and how it could reach the next level in terms of suspense and thrills.
Of course, this wonderful writer did not disappoint! There are more twists, and we are thrown into a dark abyss of domestic disharmony!
The ending takes us away from the traditional domestic setting, making for an original, dramatic and just jaw-droppingly brilliant ending! I love that it is left on a cliff hanger, and leaves you wondering what is to come
!
I absolutely recommend this book and author to fans of domestic thrillers or psychological fiction, especially if you like seeing strong, creepy female characters making an appearance. While you’re there, check out Arianne’s previous book – The Wife’s House – as this is also incredible!
March 11, 2021
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review
February 16, 2021
Absolutely brilliant. Loved there was a lil suprise approx 50% in and at the end. Loved reading it and it actually shocked me I didn't guess what was what happening as I was too enthralled in the book.
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