This was not the chick-lit that I was expecting. The story follows three women who each come to a crossroads in their marriages and the paths they choose end up changing their lives.

The characters in this book were extremely well-written. Their individual stories weave well in the overall plot and the book moves along at a nice pace.

What I was surprised with, perhaps because I don't typically have this sort of reaction with most women's fiction, is how I connected with each of the characters. Some of them I loved and felt their struggles, while others, I wanted to shake because I was so angry with them. You can certainly put yourself in each of their shoes and I like that about a novel. I was pleasantly surprised with this book.

*I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

This book made me cry several times! The closer friendships bonds, the speed they can be torn apart and an ending that made me well up! a lovely read, kept me hooked all the way through to see the next development in these women's lives.

The Secrets of Married Women is an enthralling book that will keep readers entertained with each page.

The Secrets of Married Women would probably be more aptly titled if it were called "Do I Have the Affair?" While it starts off fun, it gets a little sexy, and somewhere it gets deep...but not in a fun way. I was hoping this would be a fun or quick read, the hook seems simple enough, but the endless hours of thinking that followed it makes it more than a beach read for me. The plot is easy to follow, the characters will take you on a bit of a roller coaster ride, and there are a couple that I felt could have been better. It doesn't feel like all the stories get finished, but that always makes me hope for a sequel, or I just figure out my own ending. However what I truly loved about the book, even though it drove me crazy, was that it did leave me contemplating relationships, affairs, and marriage even after I'd finished the book. My husband wasn't so thrilled with the barrage of questions that came his way haha, but we had some great conversation. If you read this book be prepared to expect more from it. Mason hides the depth and emotion well into this book, but you'll find them, and you'll be glad you did.

Started off slow, but things really picked up! I enjoyed the twist and turns and the overwhelming detail that was put into this story. Humor, drama, heartache- a must read!

This is a hard one to rate- these women were not really likable. It's odd to judge characters on their bad decisions (they aren't real people after all) but these women do seem to make some whoppers. Jill, Leigh, and Wendy all have issues with the men in their lives. They also, if they are honest , have issues with each other. Mason's writing carries the story along. It's short, there are some twists, and all in all it's a decent read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please note this was originally published in 2012 and you, like me, might have read it the first time around.

This book has its moments and I love that it centered around friendship and women coming together to help each other.
However, I cast this book aside for four days. I had just requested to read it from NetGalley and once approved, I found myself rolling my eyes and clicking my tongue when I started reading.
My impatience was due to the start, which came off a bit shallow- and with time, the characters grew on me. I loved the dialogues. There were some parts where I felt the author was giving too much instead of trusting the reader to fill in the gaps, but all in all it was a good read. You have three friends all going through some tough times and how they work through these times made this quite an interesting read for me.

Wow!

I'm not a married woman, I've never been married but of course it's natural (at least I think so) to think about marriage. At least when the topic comes up, even if it's not for you. There are often the questions about age and whether you are ready.... What you rarely get asked is the commitment. Not many dare to ask whether you plan to stick by your partner through it all- as companions for life. That's the dangerous territory, not appropriate small talk. But that's what this book subtly explores: what if you aren't happy with your husband of ten years? What if there is a man more interested in you? What if there is a new life for you to live? What if this is the end of the line?

This is a book that will get people talking. Think: a bucket load of gossip, closeted lives and powerful secrets.

You get the 'good' wife, the 'bad' wife and the wife 'easily led astray". Three best friends and their respective husbands. They share the shortcomings of their marriages and they decide they want things to change. This book is about women taking control, putting themselves first, making their own discoveries- even if that means subjecting themselves to scandal and possibly, guilt. Men, be careful.

But more than that, this novel is an intricate exploration of serious, personal, relationships: the web of entanglements we create and the way they mould us and carve their way into our lives. A delicate book but very much a must read. This is the kind of book that would once have been on the list of banned books. The fact that this is too close to reality would once have been interpreted as a threat to the framework of most societies. We've come a long way since then, for better or for worse.

I received this book through NetGalley

I really enjoy this book. It's a quick read but very satisfying with a lot of twists and surprises.
Definitely worth reading, I could not put it down.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This started of as a bit chick lit but then got much heavier. Flew through it. A story of 3 friends and their marriages. Well worth a read.

Confronting the realities of the every day marriage this book examines them and asks the questions of how well do we really know our spouses, ourselves and our friends? Three friends and their respective relationships all woven together in a well written and quite enjoyable novel. Thank you so much for the opportunity to have read this book prior to publication -- I love it!

It is not often that I don't finish a book, as I know that sometimes it can take a while to immerse yourself in the story and for the plot to pick up. I persevered until 50% with this one, but even then I did not have the impetus to read until the end.

The Secrets of Married Women tells of three different women and their differing relationships and how they manage these. I did not feel particularly invested in any of characters, and found myself getting muddled up with all three of the women, such was the way their stories were told; in my opinion none of the women stood out very much from the others, and I had to keep refreshing myself on who was who. There simply wasn't enough character development to relate to any of them.

It was difficult to power through this book without as I did not have the desire to find out how the womens' stories panned out, as often happens with romance novels for me. The plot developed very slowly, to the point that even at halfway through it did not feel that it was going anywhere fast. Now admittedly I could have persevered to the end, but books are to be enjoyed and there are too many books to be enjoyed, without spending time on ones that don't particularly grip you. I'm afraid to say that this one wasn't for me, but I will look out for others by Carol Mason and see how they fare.

I usually read a mix of different genres such as Chick lit, General Fiction, Crime and Thrillers. My favourite genre is Thrillers. Maybe, that could be part of the reason why I did not really really enjoy this book. It started off okay, but afterwards I couldn't be bothered to read it, I skipped most of it and went to the end to see what happened. It is not a terrible book but was just not for me. I will try other books by this author, perhaps it was just this book that did not grab me.

Great story! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

This wasn't my favorite book. I enjoyed reading about the friendships among the three women and how their friendship changed throughout the year.

However, reading about adultery is not my favorite topic, and this book is full of it. The main character's mom has dementia, and that whole part of the book made me sad. I skipped through parts of the book because of the topic.

That being said, many other people would enjoy this book, as it is well-written with relatable characters. This is why it earned an extra star from me.

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.

Three married women. One is having an affair. This story navigates our way through their friendship, love and loss. The characters of the book are well developed and you develop a special relationship with the main character Jill, hoping she will find her way. Riddled with genuinely funny dialogue, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was however expecting this to be a light but found it at times to be very shocking and emotionally gripping. Great debut novel for Carol Mason. To be re-released this year!

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchanged for my honest review

A great book with different marriages and how the women go through the motions and experiences and make decisions. I do t like to give away what happens in a story in the review but I recommend this book, especially if you have been married, going through a diffficult relationship. Every marriage is different. Lots of thinking from this book. Look forward to reading more from this author.

This book definitely had a lot of twists and surprises. It was an okay read, but it doesn't make me want to rush out and see what else the author has written.

The main problem I had is that each of these women were rather unlikeable. Wendy, long-suffering doormat that she was just didn't pull me into caring about her. Leigh, wanting an affair just because is very much the type that is always looking for the greener grass, never satisfied with what they have. Thanks, but no thanks. Then you have Jill. Yes, Jill's husband is pulling away or keeping himself more aloof, but I'd say, for a guy, the reason was fairly understandable. Jill wasn't even 100% sure she wanted a child until told she couldn't have one with Rob.

These women didn't even really care for each other that much, which was another part that really turned me off. I would recommend this book if you like books about married people and infidelity, women's friendships and/or women's frenemies.

I appreciate that Netgalley, the publishers and the author allowed me to read a copy. Sadly the blurb drew me in, but the book left me feeling hoodwinked.

Far too many twists and turns in the second half of the book. The first half was interesting and sometimes even funny, but in the end it was simply too much - for me personally...

This is the story of three friends Jill, Leigh and Wendy, who seem to there for each other, supporting each other during the trials and tribulations of married life.
Jill, the sensible of the three, is married to Rob and they are happily coursing through life, till they find out Rob is infertile. This affects their married life, their intimacy, especially, when Rob, refuses to talk about it and Jill wants to communicate and find an alternative. Rob is unable to reconcile to the idea of adoption and diverts his grief inwards. This refusal to deal with the situation, tempts Jill to think about another man, Andrey. Whom will she choose Rob or Andrey??
Leigh, the damaged of the three, with husband, Lawrence and daughter, Molly, is bored with his OCD and stay at home dad concept. So, to find new adventure, she embarks on an affair with Nick with disastrous consequences. Will she stay with good old Lawrence or the exciting Nick???
Wendy, the quiet of the three, is married to cop, Neil and has two boys but has lost a daughter. This affects her deeply still and her life seems to have stopped. Will she remain the calm mom /wife or will she take charge???
This entire story is told from Jill’s point of view. Each of these women are going through roller-coaster of emotions, Jill with her parental problems and infertility, Leigh, with her convoluted past, and Wendy with her personal loss and betrayal.
The author, Carol Mason, deals with the dynamics of friendship, sometimes with brashness and sometimes with sensitivity. The last fifty pages or so is brilliant. It describes the pain, the angst, the fear, the betrayal so beautifully. Each emotion comes off the page, hitting us with its rawness. Friendship also has boundaries depending on what we reveal and what we hide from each other. Carol brings home the fact that life is all about choices and the consequences of those choices and each phase has to be lived, with its pitfalls and mistakes, before we go onto the next..
There are many beautiful lines written by Carol on love and life, practical ones too. The line which touched me is...
"You are born you, and you go through life, buffered by other people, but first and foremost, you are just yourself. And then you die just being you. So the sooner you get used to yourself, the better it is"
TRUE HAPPINESS IS WITHIN US...
So true, Ms. Mason, so true...
(posted review of my blog and goodreads, will post on amazon after ebook releases)