This took a fair while for me to get into to be honest - the twists and turns were dotted in throughout the story, but you don't get the full jaw dropping effect until the last few chapters, at which point it all becomes completely worth it! It's rare for these sort of books to have genuinely shocking twists, as most of them are blatant from the beginning, but this had the rare effect of leaving me speechless.

Honesty, give it a go. Especially, if you're struggling at the start, carry on and I promise it gets better!

Jason and Karla have been married for twelve years and have two children. Jason runs his own business but his business is in financial difficulty. Karla's father is a wealthy businessman and she wants Jason to ask him to help save him from financial ruin. Jason does not want to ask his father-in-law for money but eventually gives in to appease his wife. But even though Jason knows Robert is a womanizing scoundrel and has offered Jason money before for despicable reasons, nothing prepared him for what Robert offered him in return for the money was to be.

The story is a bit of a slow burner but it needs to be to build the story up. I did guess what one twist was around the half way mark, but the final part I did not see coming at all. My scenario played out quite differently. I'm still not sure who I felt sorry for the most as Karla's mother had a lot to put up with as well. There is secrets, twists and suspense all the way. I was hoping for a happy ending. Did I get it? You will need to read this book to find out.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Sheryl Browne for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was excellent! Totally kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would become of the main characters. Highly reccomended.

Amazing, suspenseful and thrilling!! Great book! Did not want to put it down! Twists and turns galore! Highly recommend.

This is one of those books which appears to begin at the end of the story then goes back to fill in the gaps. But this one is different.

Jason and Karla's marriage is on the rocks. Jason feels he has no option but to leave but Karla knows more than he thinks she does. Karla's father has never got along with Jason, ever since she fell pregnant at a very young age. Instead of being impressed by Jason standing by his daughter, Robert Fenton has taken every opportunity possible to insult and demean him. But Jason has had enough of Robert's arrogance and decides to make a stand. Sadly he doesn't realise how low Robert will stoop to remove Jason from his family and is left reeling from the comments his father in law throws at him. The implications of his words have far reaching effects which shock the whole family and even long suffering wife Diane decides that Robert has gone too far this time.
Skeletons come tumbling out of closets and the guilt which Karla has been carrying inside herself for her entire adult life can finally be addressed.

The conclusion to this book certainly took me by surprise - I thought I had everything neatly explained and packaged up but the author hadn't finished with me yet and threw a final bombshell into the mix to leave me stunned by the cleverness of her plotting. I shall say no more other than this book ticked all the boxes I need in a novel; there's bullying, misogyny, deceit, greed, guilt and infidelity but all of these nasty traits of human nature are slotted into the story and dealt with in a satisfyingly appropriate manner.

I recommend this book whole heartedly if you like trying to work out the secrets and lies which are hidden within a tale.

This was described as a gripping psychological thriller. It's not! It's look into a familys life from various points of view.
I actually feel a little cheated.,.it took ages to read as I wasn't enjoying it really. Some of the characters behaviour was questionable and not really believable.
I still give it 3 stars though as I am sure that others will love it - just not for me.

Sheryl Browne has become a go to author for me and The Marriage Trap did not disappoint. A twisty domestic thriller that will keep you up past your bedtime to finish it. It was a fast read for me, lots of questionable characters and a story that had me hooked from the start. If you have not read this author then you really need to start - fans of this genre will not be sorry.

This is hard story to talk about without giving too much away. It is the story of a married couple - Jason and Karla as well as Karla's parents Diana and Robert. Robert is not a fan of Jason's. Karla's father is rich and controlling and wants Jason out of their lives. Jason and Karla's marriage starts to feel the pressure and the book starts with Jason packing his bag to leave her and the kids. Then we go back to the events leading up to this moment and learn how things all went so wrong. Twist after twist makes for an eventful and fast read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

The marriage trap is a story of heartache lies and betrayal...
I do love a juicy domestic thriller and this one definitely lived up to my expectations and delivered on the jaw dropping moments!

The opening chapter is of karla’s husband Jason leaving her for another woman and Karla is understandably heartbroken and destroyed, we are the taken back to three months previously and the build up to the events leading up Jason leaving Karla and his reasons why- I certainly didn’t expect twist and then again the twist at the end in regards to the woman he is leaving his wife Karla for I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, however I will say sit back and relax and you won’t be disappointed!
It’s one heck of a rollercoaster ride.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Told via the mode of different voices this book provides an insight into the dynamics of family relationships. Twists occur throughout the book, some of which I guessed, others I didn't. However, I didn't love this book as I didn't become attached to any of the characters ultimately meaning it was hard to invest in their stories. . However, it was well written and I would say worth a read for people who like this type of book.

Title: The Marriage Trap

Author: Sheryl Browne

Length: 323 pages

Publisher: Bookouture

Date of Publishing: July 30, 2019

Genre: Fiction, Drama, Relationships, Mystery

My rating: 4/5

Summary:

The story is about Karla, a woman married for 12 years and has 2 kids; Jason, her husband; Diana her mother and Robert her Father. The story is about crumbling marriage of Karla and Jason and a secret that saves their relationship.

My Take:

I would like to thank the publisher, Bookouture which is one of my favourites for the choice of books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this great book on relationships.

The story is narrated from Karla’s perspective in first person and from the perspectives of Jason, Diana and Robert in third person. The story starts with Jason leaving Karla and then flashback to 3 months on the events leading to the crashing of their beautiful world.

The characterisation is wonderful and depth has been provided for each and every character. One couldn’t help but sympathise with Jason for what he’s going through. At times you feel Karla is also right at her point of view but some of her deeds left me fuming. You can only abhor Robert for playing vital role in ending the marriage of his daughter. Diana is a neutral character.

The story is fast paced while it dragged a little towards the end. It’s an absolute page turner. There was one mystery that remained unresolved. Apart from that all the ends were tied neatly. For half of book I kept guessing the actual cause which was exactly what I anticipated so I felt triumphant.

Overall a good light read if somebody wishes to read a book on relationships.

Atmospheric, creepy, edge of your seat. Love and hate characters and a gripping read. Enjoyable and great storyline

I struggled with this book unfortunately. I thought there was too much inner dialogue and not enough action. It felt like it dragged a bit and I found myself skipping pages until I wasn't really reading anymore and I just skipped to find the big twist. I do think the actual plot was good, it was just the writing style I struggled with.

Karla's marriage to Jason may not be perfect, but it's a close as it can get in her books. Until one day, her antagonizing, chauvinist father, Arthur corners Jason at her mum’s birthday party to pressure Jason into accepting a loan to bail his failing IT business. But Jason refuses. He wants nothing to do with this controlling man who would feel the loan would be a gateway into having control of Jason’s business. It was bad enough he accepted the house Arthur bought for him and Karla when they were unexpectedly pregnant and newly married. But that was 12 years ago. And ever since then, Jason has been trying to steer clear of Arthur’s path as much as Karla tries to bring them together.

Karla doesn’t understand Jason’s insistence not to accept help from her father. She knows he’s overbearing and hasn’t been able to look at Arthur the same ever since the day her twin sister, Sarah died when she was a teenager. She hasn’t been able to properly heal from that tragic day where her father was a lot more involved with Sarah’s passing than Karla will openly admit.

As the novel continues on, you experience the heartbreak of Karla’s marriage struggle when Jason is left with no choice but to leave her after Arthur reveals to him a dark secret that rock’s Jason’s life to the core.

This story was good, but I would have liked it a lot better if the emotions Karla was experience about Jason ending their marriage was so drawn out. At first, I felt very bad for Karla and could feel her pain, but then it got to be too much and I knew the next chapter to contain more of Karla fighting with Jason and groveling over him. I understand that she didn’t want her marriage to end and would have done anything to prevent it from happening, however, there were quite a few chapters that pretty much the same thing was happening.

The ending was a surprise twist that made the story more interesting, but it felt long overdue after the repetitive chapters.

Karla's marriage is in crisis, and the book explores how it got to such a pass, given that she and Jason were very happily married with two children, and what she does next.

I found the overall plot to be interesting, but how the author takes us there is deeply unsatisfying. Pages and pages of angst by this woman who insists she loves her children and husband, but then her actions are very self-destructive.

Various subplots are not particularly well-handled, particularly the stories surrounding her sister and father, which felt very clunky. Some of the events just did not ring true, while others were glossed over.

Overall I found the book quite boring in parts, and was pleased to finish it. It felt like the plot was drowning in too much narrative that did not really add to the tale or pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Marriage Trap’ by Sheryl Browne in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Karla and Jason are happily married with two children Holly and Josh and although her wealthy father has always hated Jason he agrees to put money into his failing business but only on the understanding that he leaves Karla. Jason feels he has no choice but to tell Karla he’s moving out and their lives and those of their children start to fall apart.

‘The Marriage Trap’ is a disturbing psychological thriller with the chapters alternating between Karla, Jason and her parents Robert and Diana. As we learn more about the family’s secrets when Karla was a child, it becomes tense and increasingly chilling as her life unravels and she looks outside her family for the love she so desperately craves. The story is well-written and fast-paced with drama, excitement, twists and turns, and an unbelievably shocking conclusion. I can thoroughly recommend this novel which had me enthralled from page one to the very end.

The Marriage Trap is a decent psychological thriller but not the best i have read this year.Karla is married to Jason but their marriage is falling apart,Jason's business is failing and Karla wants him to accept help from his obnoxious father in law but Jason will not hear of it much to Karla's dismay,but eventually Jason gives in and accepts help but there is a huge price to pay and it will wreak havoc within their marriage as Jason and indeed Karla go off the rails,it is a well written thriller with a great ending from Sheryl Browne which i would recommend,a solid 3 star read.

Although it took me a while to get into this book once I did , I found myself page turning. The chapters alternate between characters and are short which I found great making me try to squeeze in one more !!

Karla feels her life is being torn apart. Her marriage is at breaking point and she doesn’t know how to fix it. The story starts with Jason her husband of twelve years packing his bags to leave her. We are then taken back in time to the events which have led up to his departure.Jason still has her love , but with his distant behaviour she wonders if he has stopped loving her. Her controlling father has put every obstacle in the way of their happiness., never wanting them to marry. Could he hold the key to Jason’s departure.? Karla’s children are the centre of her life how will her marriage breakdown affect them?

This story is full of secrets and lies. It examines the many issues which combine to fracture a relationship. Secrets kept, lies told and childhood experiences all can combine to shake a relationship to its core. Karla has been manipulated by her father and this has impacted on her life, The effects of a manipulative person especially one who claims to love you are immense and this was beautifully explored in the book.

I was gripped by this book, the twists along the way combined with the insightful writing made it for me an amazing read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this book which left me wanting to read more !,,

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!
extremely predictable storyline.
slow paced.
SLOOWWWWW.

Like Sheryl Browne’s other books, the plot focuses on family relationships and betrayals within that dynamic. It is a trope that has been visited many times by this author and consequently feels redundant. Given the slow plot pace throughout most of the narrative, the book loses its anticipatory feel. The revelation made mid-way through only further demonstrates an already predictable story-line, especially for those familiar to the genre. A moderate psychological suspense at its best. 2 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book from #NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The title and description promised so much but the content was rather disappointing. I have given this book 3* as it was just average for me. It was one of those, "I've started so I'll finish" books. I didn't hate the book I just couldn't empathise with the characters and guessed the ending.
Thank you Sheryl Browne, Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give this review.