4 very harrowing stars! This book had me on edge right from the start, but what was interesting about it was that you pretty much know what’s going on the whole time. And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing!

This is one of those “does what it says on the tin” books, and you know what? I didn’t mind at all! The fun and thrill came not from some giant mystery or crazy twist, but from the psychological fear and uncertainty you feel with and for the family, because obviously, THEY don’t know what’s going on. Instead of thinking, ‘I wonder what’s really going on here,’ I was thinking, ‘How are they possibly going to get out of and survive this mess?!’

Great story telling, and lots of suspense, despite not packing a huge surprise twist. Well done!!

This book has GREAT reviews, so I know I'm in the minority. I did not enjoy this one and ended up DNF. I found all the characters lacking in personality and the plot was very predictable.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The New Husband
By: D. J. Palmer

REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
I always think I can figure out who did what, but I'm always wrong. The New Husband is not a predictable story. I mean that in a good way, though. It's a psychological thriller with more twists than I imagined, and it certainly kept me interested. For a good suspenseful read, I recommend this book.

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer is a domestic drama and thriller all wrapped into one. This isn't a super twisty read and you have to suspend disbelief, but it is thoroughly engrossing and readable. I listened to the audio and January LaVoy voices Nina (and others), while Rebecca Soler voices the daughter Maggie, and they both did such a great job. I couldn't stop listening to the audio and it didn't take very long to get through this one. Once you get past an initial shocker the rest of the book is basically just wondering what is going to happen next and how things will wrap up. I was hoping for more twists at first, but due to how much I enjoyed it and how quickly I read it I ended up being ok with the lack of twists.

This is the first book I have read by Palmer and I fell in love with his writing, it was so smooth and suspenseful and I loved how even though The New Husband is a slow burn, it was still paced really well. I also enjoyed the different perspectives and I liked both Nina and Maggie, although I think I actually liked Maggie's perspective a bit more overall. This is a great book to go into knowing as little as possible, and I'm glad I didn't read the synopsis again before starting it. Overall, a quick, perfectly paced read that should make psychological thriller lovers happy campers!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

There were parts of this book that I really liked and parts that I wasn't fond of and seemed really far fetched. Nina's husband disappears in what they think is a boating accident. It's the typical story on how she has to figure out how to live on her own and take care of things that her husband used to take care of. She meets a teacher and they move in together. Things become more and more weird and that's where the plot twists come in. About 3/4 in the book, I knew how the story was going to end. I would read it again because it was well written.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this book. There were so many twists and turns, and I loved the dynamic of the mother/daughter storytelling. You can read my full review on FreshFiction.com.

So, so creepy - like make the hairs on your arm stand up, kind of creepy! But creepy in a good way - also, in a way where you don’t want to put the book down - awesome book!!

Incredibly cliche, unanswered questions

I would like to thank D. J. Palmer, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers

Everything about this story was a cliche, from the characters to the plot: Mom’s new boyfriend is a psycho but only one of her children realizes it, and no one believes the child because she’s been stubbornly biased against the boyfriend from the start. *yawn* It was entirely predictable, and the only thing that kept me reading was an investment in the Maggie character. She was the only one I cared about, along with her bestie Ben (I totally ship them). I disliked Nina, who struck me as a complete imbecile, and I was indifferent to Connor, who came off as a needy, spoiled, dumbass jock and seemed mostly to take up space. I was down for Glen’s redemption, though I’m not sure I liked or disliked him. I loathed Simon, but that’s not surprising, considering he’s the psycho villain.

Also it bothered me to be left with unanswered questions, foremost being whatever happened to Allison and her baby? Also, did Simon kill the waitress or not? Maybe there were answers and I just didn’t catch them.

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You could see where this was going, but still. What a trip. I saw a lot of similarities in the new husband that was in my ex husband haha
This book was a trip and creepy. Well worth the time to read.

This is definitely a cant put down book! A heart pounding thriller that keeps you riveted to the very last page.

While it took some time for me to really get into it, I really enjoyed this book. Oddly, with how crazy the world is nowadays, I could see something like this happening and being turned into an episode of Dateline. People are not always who they appear to be!

The New Husband by D. J. Palmer is a domestic thriller that has some surprising twists. After finding out that her husband was leading a double life and disappears, Nina meets Simon who saved her missing dog. Simon know exactly what to say and do to make Nina fall in love with him. Her son bonded with Simon quickly, but her daughter didn't trust him. Due to financial issues, Nina and Simon move in together pretty quickly after they started dating to many people's surprise. Nina realized that the tension in the house was going to have to be solved between Simon and her daughter, or it was going to be difficult to start a life together.

Simon is one of those characters that you want to believe is better than her cheating husband, but somehow you can see the flaws pretty quickly. You want to tell Nina to listen to her brave and astute daughter who seems to have Simon's number. I loved her strong personality and persistence to prove she was right about Simon!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read the book for an honest review. It was a page-turner!

This is a creepy thriller. My Rating 4.25.
Nina is the mother of two teens. Her husband Glen seems to be absent more than at home. Then one day he turns up missing under dark circumstances. Nina discovers more evidence of betrayal and isn’t sure if Glen is dead or faked his disappearance. As she is struggling to get her life back together, a new man appears. Simon is a widower and a teacher at her children's' school. Simon seems to quickly know all of Nina’s favorites. She is on shaky ground and vulnerable to his charm.

Nina’s elder teen son, Connor, is quick to find an attentive friend in Simon. But Nina’s daughter, Maggie, isn’t ready to give up on her father and she isn’t ready to trust Simon. Nina’s friends are worried when Nina begins to cancel plans with them after she moves in with Simon. Nina doesn’t see the signs as easily as those who are a step away. Is Simon really “perfect” or are there unrevealed problems?

When the true situation is revealed to the reader it is likely to catch your breath. From that point, the suspense is thick as the dangers increase.

I did enjoy the intense ride. I liked how Maggie develops a new relationship and was able to question appearances. This made a good contrast element. The writing moved along well and kept me wanting to find out how events would play out. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a good domestic thriller.

Source: NetGalley 2019.

A domestic thriller about a family whose husband and father disappears one morning, not to return. After almost a year, Nina moves on, with her two children, Maggie and Connor. She moves in with her husband-to-be, Simon Fitch, a teacher from Maggie's middle school. Nina is in love and everything seems fine at first, except that Maggie doesn't like Simon at all....

Very suspenseful, hard to put down book which I enjoyed very much. I'd read a previous book by D.J. Palmer and loved it too. I will be looking for the next book by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for review.

You can’t blame Maggie Garrity for not being thrilled with her mother’s new love interest Simon: he’s a teacher at her school. She also senses he’s not as perfect as the face he shows everyone. Her mother and older brother seem to be fooled by him, though, so Maggie’s dislike is passed off as typical teen moodiness. After her father presumably drowned on a fishing trip, the family fell on hard times. So Nina, Maggie’s mother, can be excused for choosing the security of a new relationship. Simon must be keeping some secrets, and Maggie is determined to find out what they are before it’s too late. The story alternates between Nina and Maggie for most of the book, giving both perspectives on Simon. It’s interesting to see the contrasting views of Simon and to see how events play out as his true nature is revealed. Lots of twists I didn’t see coming!

There is not such a thing like “perfect”! especially when we talk about husbands. Very good thriller which made me keep reading till the end. I liked that the main character Nina wasn’t behaving blindly and stupid like some of the married woman.


*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair review.

Nina's husband went missing from his fishing boat two years ago. Leaving Nina and her two kids with no money and the reality of the secrets her husband kept from them. After being faced with the dire straights of the financial situation she and her two children, their future seems secure in the hands of a steady middle school teacher, Simon Fitch. In a new house with a new boyfriend, Nina's life seems to be back on track, but Maggie just will not accept that her dad isn't coming back and that Simon is the new man in their lives. Simon seems to be the perfect solution to all their problems, but is any solution truly perfect?

Written in multiple perspectives, The New Husband is a true example of an accelerating paced thriller. It starts off a little slow, but the pace increases about two-thirds of the way through. Make no mistake the slower-paced parts are not boring and provide the necessary context for the rest of the plot. Palmer reveals just enough information, in the beginning, to keep the reader guessing before showing his hand and bringing the audience along for the break-kneck ride to the end.

Nina & Glen's marriage struggled with the normal burdens of child rearing & long work hours. When Glen disappears suddenly & mysteriously, Nina & her two children are naturally devastated. Learning that Glen had had a secret affair was an even bigger blow to Nina. As Simon, a local teacher, begins to spend time with Nina, she finds herself less alone & determined not to make the same mistakes she made with Glen. The relationship progresses & the two buy a house together. For the most part, Nina's two children, Maggie & Connor, accept the move. Maggie, however, feels there is something not quite right with Simon. She chafes at his attempts to get closer to her & his vigorous campaign to get Nina to leave her new job. Maybe Maggie is more intuitive than Nina gives her credit for?

This was a real thrill ride of a read! Very well written & creepy enough that, at times, I felt a bit nervous simply turning the page. Very strongly recommend.

Thank you very much to Netgalley, the author, Daniel Palmer, and the publisher, St. Martin's, for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Things are not always what they seem to be. Nina's husband had been gone for 18 months. He disappeared on a fishing trip and all that was found was his bloody boat - was he dead or did he run away with the woman he was having an affair with. Now, much to her parents and her best friends dismay, Nina has bought a house with Simon who appears to be the best husband ever. He wants to take care of her and her two children, he is loving and attentive - all the things that her husband hadn't been. Her 16 year old son really likes Simon and they spend a lot of time together. Her13 year old daughter, Maggie, wants her dad and there is no way that she will allow Simon to take her dad's place. Her reluctance to accept Simon is keeping the household in a turmoil and Nina and Simon both work to make her accept Simon but Maggie sees something sinister in him -- is she missing her dad or is Simon not really the perfect boyfriend that Nina thinks he is???

This is a fun book to read - there are lots of twists and turns and even though I guessed the ending early, I wasn't aware of how cruel this person could be (not going to tell you who). My favorite character was Maggie - she knew something was wrong with her Mom's new boyfriend and went out of her way to prove it to her mom. Nina was pretty naive and missed some important clues until things got so bad, she could no longer ignore them. This is a great book to read to take you away from everything that's going on in the world right now.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I have been putting down a lot of thrillers lately but thankfully this one grabbed my attention at the beginning and I read it in a couple sittings! So happy to have found a thriller to enjoy .