Well, I don't quite know exactly what to make of this book. It was very slow, like with nothing happened, for almost the entire first half of the story, but I kept reading because of all the raving reviews, including a couple reviewers whose judgment I trust. But boy was it painfully slow. Then, finally, the pace picked up. There was however, nothing I hadn't read in other books. I still don't understand Glen's story or Simon's plan at the end of the book. But for the heart-pounding moments—literally—I'll recommend this book to thriller lovers. I'm sure it'll work marvel as a movie.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sorry to say I thought this was a train wreck of a story! The first half of the book I felt like slapping Nina and kept rolling my eyes. The second half got a little better but that isn’t saying much! The only good information that came from this book was not to trust anyone. Would not recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest of this book.

When her husband disappears- presumably drowned while fishing- his secret life is revealed, including that he’d been fired months earlier and that he had an affair. This propelled his social worker wife into the arms of a caring teacher. Unfortunately, her teenage daughter is less than pleased about the new man in her mother’s life and sets out to make his life miserable as only a teenager can. To the exasperation of her mother, she refuses to connect with him, in spite of his efforts. As the dark story progresses, she may not be all wrong. An engrossing read- once I started, I couldn’t put it down. No spoiler alerts- you’ll have to find out yourself. Well worth a stormy evenings read.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE NEW HUSBAND by DJ Palmer in exchange for my honest review.***

4.5 STARS

Nina’s husband Glen vanishes from a fishing boat, leaving behind a trail of blood. Two years later, he’s presumed dead and she’s moved on with Simon, much to the chagrin of her tween daughter, Maggie who sees a darkness in her mom’s boyfriend her older brother Connor and mom do not.

From the moment Simon appeared on my kindle screen, I knew he was bad news. His subtle manipulation gave me a visceral reaction, making my skin crawl as I aligned myself with Maggie. DJ Palmer masterfully showed his escalating control in a way readers could understand why a vulnerable, yet self-aware Nina could miss the earlier signs. Palmer made Nina strong and capable of standing up to Simon by not falling for all the BS he flung her way.

Maggie, oh Maggie, was a hero. Awkward and imperfect she turned the loss of her father, strife of Simon and middle school bullies into incentives to kick ass and take names. She knew in her soul that Simon was problematic, never falling for the act her mother and brother bought.

Palmer’s sophomore effort was even more riveting than her debut, SAVING MEGHAN. One of the reveals stopped me cold yet made so much sense. THE NEW HUSBAND is both a thriller and a psychological thriller, satisfying from start to finish (which doesn’t necessarily mean a happy ending), in part because Palmer’s characters evoke empathy and her plot is solid. Add this to your TBR list ASAP.

This was an excellent novel that drew me in. The storyline was well developed and the characters were sympathetic and realistic.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for a sneak peak at this thriller. D.J. Palmer aka Daniel Palmer has always been one of my favorites when it comes to thrillers.

Nina’s husband went fishing one day and never came back. Since that day his past secrets have been revealed – his affair, his firing from his job at a bank and his draining of their bank accounts. Then Nina meets Simon and everything clicks. They buy a house together so she and her two children have a place to live. They plan to marry. But then Nina’s world changes and she’s not sure why.

D. J. Palmer didn’t disappoint this time either. He knows how to keep the reader, not only engaged, but to keep them reading to find out what happens next. He’s slow to uncover the villain, so the reader isn’t sure who it is until late in the book. I highly recommend The New Husband to all my GR friends.

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I absolutely love thrillers and I loved this book.
Nina is a mother to two children who’s husband disappeared a few years ago and is presumed dead. She had a new man in her life, who is a teacher at her daughter’s school, and he seems perfect. They move in together and everything seems wonderful. Her daughter does not care for her boyfriend, Simon, and sets about proving to her family that he is not the good guy they all believe him to be. Over time Nina learns more about his two wives and notices he seems to be controlling. What will she do? There is an amazing twist to this book and I devoured it in two days. I highly recommend it! Thanks again to NetGalley.

The New Husband almost feels like two separate novels. The first part of The New Husband is largely domestic drama (except for those first few really gory pages!) as the widower Simon and presumed widow Nina (her husband Glen failed to return from a fishing trip, although his body was never found) embark on new lives together, along with Nina's two children, Maggie and Connor. As with many blended families, there are adjustments and tensions-especially between Maggie and Simon. Connor seems as taken with the kind, generous and loving Simon as his mom, but Maggie sees a dark side to Simon that Nina and Connor are oblivious to. Half way through The New Husband turns into a sinister thriller, and the twists (along with the body count) escalates at a feverish pace. Among a crowded literary field of unstable female characters like Gone Girl's Amy and Girl on the Train's Rachel, Simon more than holds his own. He's got more secrets than the deodorant aisle at Walmart, and as Maggie desperately tries to convince her mom that Simon is not the saint he appears to be, Simon grows just as desperate to cover his tracks. Although somewhat predictable, the pulse pounding writing is what makes The New Husband so intense. D. J. Palmer uncannily knows the buttons to push to keep the plot from going stale, and he pushes them at exactly the right moments. This should make The New Husband one of the best selling psychological thrillers of 2020.

4.5 ⭐ Wow. This was my 2nd ARC for DJ Palmer and it did not disappoint. I had a feeling things were not what they seemed. I mean when are they ever in with psychological thrillers? But, I was not expecting these twists and turns! I highly recommend this one!! Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was really intrigued by the title to give this a shot. I'm glad I did because it was suspenseful. I enjoyed the characters and the story kept me hooked. I never knew what was gonna happen until it did. Although some parts were a little slow at times, I still enjoyed it. Pretty good book.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read this book based on an unusual review that I read about the book on NetGalley. Having read the author’s previous book,”Saving Meghan,” I couldn’t wait to begin. I found the book very readable but a little slow and far-fetched. Nina readily accepted this new man into her life after her husband has gone missing for the past 2 years. The choices she makes despite the doubts she has about him seem a little unbelievable as well as the ending. I enjoyed the author’s writing because it compelled me to continue and so I will round my 3.5 stars up to 4. #TheNewHusband #DJPalmer #NetGalley

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer is a wholly addictive read that pulled me in from the very start. Having read the author's previous novel, and enjoying it immensely, I knew that I was in for a treat. Let it suffice to say that my expectations were far exceeded by this one. D.J. Palmer is an author to watch.

When her husband Glen goes missing and is presumed dead, Nina soon finds love again with teacher Simon, and moves him into the family home with her children Maggie and Connor. Daughter Maggie is reluctant to allow Simon to fill the gaping hole that her father has left, and tensions simmer between the two from the very start. Maggie is convinced that Simon has a dark side that he has somehow managed to conceal from Nina and Connor, and she is determined to expose his true nature, but at what cost?

This is an engrossing thriller that had me on the edge of my seat as the tension continues to escalate throughout. I will say no more, but I would highly recommend reading this one. I cannot wait to see what comes next from this talented author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I was really hoping to like this book. However, though the writing style was suspenseful, it was a really slow burn. Too slow, in my opinion. I felt like absolutely nothing happened through most of the book. And, I thought that Nina was a pretty unlikeable and kind of selfish character who didn’t listen to her instincts or her daughter. I also found Maggie’s chapters a little annoying. She’s supposed to be in middle school, which to me, maybe isn’t the best choice for a narrator in an adult thriller. Her chapters seemed both trivial at times and I felt like her character voice didn’t really match her age. Overall, this was an okay book, but not the best I’ve ever read.

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer was every bit as suspenseful and twisty as I had hoped. What happens when a woman’s new boyfriend isn’t as perfect as she thinks he is? Does she believe her surly teenage daughter who feels something is off about him? And what really happened to her husband who everyone believes is dead? What a fantastic premise for a book and the author doesn’t let us down!

I enjoyed this book and know you will too!

Nina Garrity learned that the hard way after discovering that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But Glen’s gone—presumably drowned while fishing on his boat—so she can’t confront him about the affair or any of his other misdeeds. A year and a half after the accident, Nina considers herself a widow, even though the police never found a body. Following a chance encounter with Simon Fitch, a teacher from her daughter Maggie’s middle school, Nina finds love again and has hopes of putting her shattered life back together.

Simon, a widower still grieving the suicide of his first wife, has found his dream girl in Nina. His charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina’s teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, but Maggie sees a far darker side to this new man in their lives. Even Nina’s good friends wonder if Simon is supremely devoted—or dangerously possessive.

But Nina is committed, not only to her soon-to-be new husband but also to resuming her former career as a social worker. Before she can move forward, however, Nina must first clear her conscience that she’s not making another terrible choice in a man. In doing so, she will uncover the shocking truth: the greatest danger to her, and her children, are the lies people tell themselves.





I couldn’t put this down! It was a very satisfying read, I look forward to the author’s next book.

This one comes out on April 14, 2020 but you can order it right now.

This book was a real page turner. A bit far fetched but an interesting story of a woman who believes her husband died in a boating accident. No body is found but she feels she needs to move on when she discovers he was fired from his job along with photos and a text that turn up implicating he was having an affair as well, The story was good and kept you wandering. I was disappointed in the ending it was more outlandish than the story itself. Also, in the epilogue the daughters essay to Darmouth admissions seemed preachy and out of place.

There were so many twists and turns in this that I had no clue what to expect. It definitely wasn't what I imagined but I LOOOOVED this book. I can not wait to buy this when it comes out in April. I feel like this is the kind of thriller I have been waiting on. The writing was great, the plot was great, the character development was great. Wow. Just wow. Well done D.J.!

Nina’s husband Glen disappears without a trace and she’s left to raise her two children alone. Enter Simon. D.J Palmer has just soared to the top of my favorite thriller authors! The New Husband grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. Wow!! It’s one of those books that’ll stay with you. Creepy, disturbing, and totally twisted. My kind of book!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

The new husband is a psychological thriller not to miss. This twisted page turner will leave you in utter disbelief. 5 stars.

This book was unbelievable. Told in a few different view points. Nina’s husband Glen has been declared deceased, however, she can’t move forward with Simon, her boyfriend of 18 months. Simon and Nina are living together, however, Nina’s daughter Maggie has her suspicions of Simon.

This book is unbelievable. This is my first book by the author, however, I will be looking for others to read.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book. Would definitely recommend to it others I no. Great work will look out for this author again