Wow! I read this in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. While I did figure out what happened early on in the book, the author had so many other twists that it didn't matter. The characters are well-written, with uncommon depth. The author draws the reader in, baiting them to become emotionally involved. I was interested until the very end.

This was a book I loved, especially for it's relatability. Even if you love someone, they can still be a stranger. Do you ever, or can you ever, really know anyone down to their core?

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I had high expectations for this read but after a slow start the book picked up mid way through and then I felt as if the conclusion was also a bit drawn out. The writing and the characters seemed exaggerated and "overacted" for lack of a better word. Certainly some people prefer this type of read, and although there were parts of the book where I couldn't put it down, others seemed to drag by and I didn't want to finish it. I probably would not chose to read other books by the same author, mostly because the writing doesn't seem my particular style.

I am on the fence with this one-although there was a great twist in the middle of this book-- it truly dragged at the beginning and I found the main character and most all characters except for Maggie and her friend Ben very unlikeable. It was just a little too cliche and quite unbelievable at times.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

Nina Garrity’s husband is presumed dead. He took out his boat fishing and it was recovered with their family dog and lots of blood. A year and a half later, Nina and her children, Maggie and Connor, are still struggling with what happened. A body was never recovered so Nina is still technically married. While trying to put the pieces together she discovers that her husband was having an affair and had been unemployed for quite sometime without her knowledge.

Simon, a widower, still grieving the loss of his wife to suicide, is a teacher at the school Nina’s kids go to. When he brings home the family dog after it runs away, Simon and Nina start up a friendship that quickly leads to romance. Nina knows that it seems rather sudden after losing her husband but Simon is attentive and affectionate and Nina falls in love quickly. Connor is all for it, he enjoys having a father figure in Simon, one that he didn’t have with his own father. Maggie on the other hand is leery. She has seen Simon angry and it scared her. She just doesn’t trust him.

This is an intense, dark, and twisted psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. The plot is well thought out and flows well. The story alternates between differing perspectives but it is still easy to follow. Although the story starts out a bit slow, it quickly picks up speed and is hard to put down. The reader is definitely left with the questions, Just how well do you know your husband? and How much should you trust your children’s instincts? Great read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, WOW! I found this book a little slow in the beginning but I am glad that I kept reading. This one will really make you stop and make you question all of your relationships - past and present - and how well you really know someone - or don't!! After the first few chapters, I could not sleep until I was finished. Then, I couldn't sleep because I had finished! Definitely a good, intense read that I enjoyed and recommend if you like psychological thrillers!!
#Thenewhusband
#d.j.palmer
#NetGalley

Genre: Mystery and Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub. Date: April 14, 2020

Mini Review

After minor hand surgery, I wanted an easy read to keep my mind off the discomfort. (Please forgive me if this review is not up to par; typing is still a challenge). I wanted easy, but this book is, well, sophomoric. I know many other ARC reviewers enjoyed this one, but once again, I am in the minority. However, this time I am not completely alone. As Goodreads reviewer Meredith puts it, this book reads like a Lifetime movie. Those were my exact thoughts on this one. (I had already written this before reading her review). You know what I mean, with movie titles such as “Sleeping with the Devil” or “Escaping My Stalker,” etc. you know you are watching a film that will be somewhere between a weepy melodrama and a campy thriller focusing on the various ways women suffer by men who first charm them until they show their true colors.

“House” revolves around a single mom with two kids. Her husband has been missing for two years. His family and the police assume he is dead. The wife lets a new man into her life. He moves in, gets along with her teenage son, but not with her middle school-aged daughter. That is really all you need to know because, from the moment, the new husband begins keeping her from her friends, you know exactly what you’re reading. Of course, there are twists, though, in my opinion, unbelievable ones. Like a Lifetime movie, this novel can feel like mindless entertainment to be read when you want to keep your mind off real life. Since the novel accomplished this for me, as lame as it is, I feel obligated to give it two out of five stars.

"The New Husband", by DJ Palmer, is a quick mystery read that may ultimately leave you scratching your head at the end.

Nina thought she had a happy marriage to her husband, Glen, until the day he disappeared. Because Glen vanished from his boat, the police naturally assume that Glen is dead. and Nina begins to find acceptance that she is likely a widow raising her two teenage children. Enter Simon....the charming, kind middle school teacher who catches Nina's eye. In the beginning, Simon is everything that Nina wants, and then some. Devoted, kind, caring, and protective, he initially fits seamlessly into their lives. However, it is not long before Simon begins to display a dark side, particularly around Maggie, Nina's daughter. What initially came across as devotion and safety is not skating perilously close to obsession. Soon, incidents in Nina's life that she had attributed to bad luck or her own choices, now seem to point back to Simon. It isn't until Maggie makes a startling discovery that the train starts to go off the rails. Is Glen actually dead, or has he disappeared for a reason? And does Simon have information about what that reason might be?

While this story did keep me engaged, it was ultimately disappointing. I found it to be extremely predictable, and also very convoluted. So many of the questions that I had at the end of the story were not answered. If you are looking for a quick read, this fits the bill. However, it is not going to impress you with its twists and turns. What you see is what you get.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for answering my request to read and give an honest opinion on this book.
Wow....what a story...you think you have a handle on the direction this story will take. You think you have all the characters figured out. When about halfway through the book a bucket of cold water is thrown in your face. The story of Nina, Glenn, and Simon is weaved so well by the author..she really gives us so much insight and completes all story lines. I really enjoyed Maggie's chapters and her thought process. A truly dark tale of how a person can manipulate situations to meet their end goal.

This was my first book by DJ Palmer but won't be my last! This thriller makes the reader question how well they really know the person they are sharing their life with. Told through alternating points of view, this thriller kept me guessing for quite a while. I loved that there were things that happened that I didn't expect. I really enjoyed the characters of Maggie and her friend Ben, as well as the author wove bullying into the story. Well done and I will look for more by this author. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m a big fan of this author and as usual he didn’t disappoint. As a reader and a mother, it was hard not to get incensed at the mother in this book as she kept overlooking clear red flags about the man who had quickly replaced her missing/presumed dead husband. But as someone who lost a husband and desperately wanted a replacement, I could also relate to her ignoring the red flags. Quick moving, slightly too predictable but still a fun read.

Let me start by saying the second half of this book is fabulous. The first part? Not so much. I found the first have of the book dragged. It became bogged down in irrelevant, over descriptive narrative that felt like a bit of a slog. That being said, once the action started to pick up, this book moved swiftly along and became a real page turner. It's just a shame that the first half is so "wordy". I would recommend this book if you are willing to put in the work - especially as the reasoning behind Simon's actions come to light.

What a page turner! This is my first book by Palmer, but I doubt it will be my last. The story was cleverly plotted and kept me on my toes. Recommended!

The New Husband is the latest psychological thriller from DJ Palmer. I have to confess, as I started this book I thought it was going to be a very predictable story. I was certainly wrong. Mr Palmer has come through with another almost impossible story to put down. I want to thank Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this book to review.

This may be one of the darkest and most twisted plots I have read in quite sometime. I loved it! Her husband Glen goes fishing and disappears, then rumors begin to spread about an affair.

Nina is lost, at home with her children Conner & Maggie with no means of support and a home she cannot afford she has few options. Uprooting her life and moving home to her parents house seems the only option. A chance encounter with one of Maggie's teachers at the middle school changes everything. Simon is all the things Nina now believed her marriage lacked, an attentive man who puts her first. The story that unfolds is one that will shock you to your core, don't miss it!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A newly single mother falls quickly for a man who turns out to have secrets in his past.

Let me start out by saying that the majority of the reviews are very positive for this book. So halfway through, it left me wondering whether I was reading the same book as everyone else. But, I persevered and kept thinking, “just wait for it, it must get better.” Well.... it didn’t. There are so many good thrillers out there. This is not one of them. Bottom line: the story is repetitive and stagnant. Do yourself a favour and skip it.

Wow, this book was great. It was dark and mysterious. It makes you think about who you can trust in your own life! There were several moments when I gasped. I was completely shocked!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The New Husband by DJ Palmer. WOW! What a book!! This one keeps twisting right to the bitter end.

So how well do you really know the man you're married to? Or living with? Our story starts with Glenn's boat found with blood in it but no Glenn. Where could he be? Is he hurt? Dead? Did he disappear to start a new life? Wife Nina has no clue and the police don't know. In swoops widowed teacher Simon to pick up the pieces. He seems like just what she needs to put her heart and life back together. But is he? Is he really a knight in shining armor or something else???

Such a great read. Highly recommend if you like stories that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat!

Maybe her old husband died or split, but the new one seems some ominous signs. Sadly, too much is easy to guess in this well written, but ultimately less satisfying novel.