For Better and Worse had a great premise but not such a good execution. I'm not saying I didn't like it. I just thought the author had great material to make it much better.

Natalie Clarke is a defense lawyer. She's married and she has an eleven-year-old son. She loves her son but her relationship with her husband is estranged. She even believes he could be having an affair.

Will Clarke is a lawyer too. He's keeping a secret from his wife. One that could break their routine if Natalie learns about it.

Then Natalie learns that her son has been hurt in the worst possible way. Hurt by someone they knew and thought of as a friend. The hate she feels makes her decide to take justice in her own hands. At first, she wants Will to help since she remembers a conversation they had when they were dating but Will wants nothing to do with it until he's forced to help.

Like I said earlier, For Better and Worse could have been so much better. I thought Natalie and Will, both committed so many rookie mistakes. For people who are supposed to be so bright and especially Natalie who as a criminal lawyer knew all about alibis, circumstantial evidence, and police procedure, I was expecting to be shocked.

I had a hard time liking the main characters. Although, I like Natalie more than Will for sure. Anyway, I did like the way Margot Hunt ended the book.

Thank you MIRA and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was very intrigued to read this book after I read the description. Once I started reading it, it definitely became a bit of a page turner at times. I finished the book in just a few days. It was a little predictable what would happen plot-wise but then there is a little twist to it. The last third of the book wasn't as exciting and "on the edge of your seat" as I would have liked but overall it was a pretty good read.

Do we ever really know someone? This question applies to so many aspects and characters in this book! MH created quite the enjoyable read scattered with moments of hmmm and what would I/you do in this situation. Some aspects were predictable, but some such as the very last part had my eyebrows rising!

The story does a great job of covering various gaps in time and flashing back and forth throughout the story. It also presented an interesting view of families, friends and school communities. I enjoyed reading the different conversations and how these characters viewed each other and their neighbors. This story is well written and a captivatingly quick read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin - MIRA for a chance to read this book and share my opinion.

MIRA and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of For Better and Worse. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Natalie and Will Clarke met in law school and are now married with a child. When a shocking revelation is made about their son's school principal, will Natalie and Will become privy to devastating news? What happens when the desire for vengeance overrules the rational brain?

I really wanted to like For Better and Worse, but there are holes in the plot that are difficult to ignore. Natalie is supposed to be a brilliant lawyer, gifted with a rational mind, but many of her decisions seem to exist only to move the plot forward. The thoughts that consume Natalie are ones that any parent would feel, but her rash decision making was completely out of character. The plot felt rushed, especially regarding the police investigation. The ultimate outcome of the main story was unrealistic and the ending left me shaking my head. Considering the set of circumstances that made up the plot, and the fact that both Natalie and Will had the unique skill set to successfully pull it off, I was disappointed in the direction that the author took. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend For Better and Worse to other readers.

I love thrillers that have plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Emily thinks she’s found her souls mate. Unfortunately there is another woman and the fact that it’s his mom is creepy! What people will do in the for “love” it will keep you turning the pages!

Natalie and Will discuss murder on their first date. Could they get away with it? Will is sure that he could.

Years later they are married. Natalie is a defence attorney and Will is a real estate attorney and they have an 11 year old son, Charlie.

One day, Natalie is dropping Charlie off at school and notices a police car there. We soon find out that the Principle of the school has been suspended after one of Charlie’s school friends has made an allegation against him.

Natalie and Will decide to chat to Charlie about this but they are stunned when Will confesses that the principle has molested him too. Natalie refuses to contact the police. She knows what Charlie will be put through once he does and Natalie will not allow this to happen to her son.

But the principle cannot be allowed to get away with this.

How far would you go to protect and avenge your child.

This is a thrilling, past paced story that will keep you turning the pages way after your bedtime.

Is there such a thing as the perfect crime?

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Margot Hunt for the ARC to review. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the story line. How many of us would love to take the law into our own hands. Hurt anyone who would her our children. I would highly recommend.

Very interesting premise. As someone in a long term marriage I liked that the author explored what it means to be committed to a relationship. It did lack something however, I couldn't really pinpoint what that is.

I was in sort of a reading slump and my best friend suggested this book. She had received it as an ARC as well and just loved it. She warned me that it started off slow but it picked up pretty quickly. I would definitely say that is an accurate statement. There were plenty of plot twists! While I did enjoy this book and it was a quick read, I was a little less enthusiastic about it than my friend. I only read a line of two of the description so I was pretty much just going in based off what I was told (which wasn't much) and the cover. There were a few parts that just seemed predictable. I wanted more, I wanted something I couldn't have predicted, I wanted something that hasn't been done before. As of late, with thrillers being so popular, this has been the downside of most that I read. Now, there were jaw-dropping parts, which I loved. I am not sure what would have made this book better. I do have another book sitting on my ebook shelf from this author and I will definitely be reading that one soon.

I loved this book for its entertainment value but it is not a book I would read again ! Although well written I found that it tried to deal with too many themes at once.... of course, the main one (sexual assault) is much in the news these days and was well covered but throwing in the idea of commiuthe perfect crime thereby putting a marriage in jeopardy was overkill. That’s why I would rate it a 2 stars.

For Better and Worse was, pretty much, “worse.” There was not a single character in the whole book I could identify with nor would want for a friend. The actions of the main characters were just plain stupid – especially the ending.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Harlequin-Mira, in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars. I was disappointed in the fact that the synopsis of the book basically gives you all that will happen in this book. There was no mystery or suspense to it. Also, that ending was a tad too much of a stretch. This book did keep my attention though and I was interested in seeing how it played out.

How far would you go for someone you love .... something everyone probably has wondered at some point in life. Loved this book! Didn't want to stop reading it ....the twists and turns kept me hooked until the end. Was everything I had hoped for and more!

For Better and Worse
by Margot Hunt
HARLEQUIN - MIRA (U.S. and Canada)
MIRA
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 11 Dec 2018


I am reviewing a copy of For Better and Worse through Harlequin-Mira and Netgalley:




Natalie and Will Clarke bonded over drinks, dinner and if they would be able to get away with murder or not back on their first date when they were in Law School. Now that they are married they are going to end up putting this to the test when a hidden danger in the community puts their son in danger. Natalie who works as a Criminal Defense Attorney refuses to rely on a broken legal system to keep her family safe. Natalie knows that if you want justice you need to go after it yourself.


Will is shocked to discover his wife has taken matters into her own hands and now realizes he must dirty his own hands. He knows that his family is in way to deep to back down. What he is unsure of is if he reco the woman he married. She has always been extremely protective but not ruthless and calculating like she is now.


What is going to fall apart first their plan, or their marriage?



I give For Better or Worse four out of five stars!

How far would you go to protect the person you love?

That's the million dollar question in this riveting novel by Margot Hunt. Natalie and Will are a power couple...attractive, successful, and happily married with a little boy. Until the day when a horrible accusation by their son threatens to disarm the whole foundation of their perfect lives.

Natalie is desperate to keep their son safe, and to exact revenge against the perpetrator who may have harmed him. She ruthlessly devises a plan to eliminate the problem.....and drags unsuspecting Will along with her. What seemed like a seamless end to a problem soon proves to be anything but. As Natalie and Will struggle to keep their secret and maintain their facade, their lives begin to slowly crumble around them. Will their marriage be able to survive the fraud? More importantly, will they be able to live with themselves after what they have done?

Holy cow, I could not put this book down. To see the metamorphosis of the characters makes you really question how much evil lies within each of us.....and what we will (or won't do) to protect the ones that we love. Natalie is a character with many facets to her, and I was equally fascinated and disgusted by her. Will was a weak man, caught up in a web that he initially had nothing to do with. And then of course, there begs the question....how do we even know who to trust when our world comes crumbling down?

This was my first book by Ms. Hunt, but it definitely won't be my last. I highly recommend for a book that you truly cannot put down.

A fast-paced, addicting, solid thriller. The build-up was fantastic, but the ending was a bit of a letdown for me. Still, I really enjoyed it! I can't wait to read more from this author.

For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt is a thriller that asks the questions just how far will you go for your family? What would you do to protect your child? Natalie and Will Clarke are both lawyers and have been together since law school. On their first date the couple had had a strange but fascinating conversation about being able to commit the perfect murder, then the day has come......great thrilling read!

Unfortunately I could not connect with this book or the storyline. I found myself dragging through the entire book and forcing myself to get through the pages. The story felt pretty forgettable and it failed to hook me in anyway.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

What happens when a couple that is going through marriage ends up committing a crime together? You have to read to find out! This book was great. It was a refreshing addition to thrillers as I haven't read one anything like this before. I love Margot Hunt's writing; the characters were easy to understand and even relate to.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Harlequin-Mira in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb of this novel is pretty vague so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I think I kind of imagined two married people working together to murder someone to protect their son when he gets into bad stuff. For some reason I wasn't expecting their son to be a young child, and this book is actually about Natalie wanting to take revenge on a teacher who she believes has been abusing young students of his, including their son. I can't really give anymore detail than that without getting into spoilers, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by For Better and Worse.

The main reason I wanted to read this book was because I am getting a little tired of thrillers where the husband plays a minor or non-existent role. Far too often it is the case where the husband is relegated purely to a suspicious figure with little or no personality. This book seemed to hint at a larger role and indeed, Will becomes one of the two narrators later on in the story. Both Natalie and Will made for compelling characters to read about and I found myself invested in their plotlines and intrigued as to what decisions they would make.

Compared to some thrillers this is more of a slow burn, which isn't to say that's a negative. I personally enjoyed the pacing as the focus remains on the choices the characters make and how far they are willing to go to both protect their son and themselves. There aren't really any big twists (again, not a negative) but there are a few minor things which keep you guessing. The writing style is spot on and I loved how Hunt built up suspense using the dual narration. There are plenty of uncertainties to prevent you working out how it's going to go, and I was very invested the whole time I was reading it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this thriller for people who enjoy a tense story without the need for huge twists or a breakneck pace. It explores an interesting marital relationship, the intense bond of family and the fallout that can come from when an adult sexually abuses a child. It puts a nice spin on the usual cat and mouse story and I will definitely be seeking out Margot Hunt's other work now.

Overall Rating: 4/5