Brilliant! It kept me guessing from start to finish. I have never read this author before but will now be looking for other titles. Loved it.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't really for me. Maybe I have just read to many books from this genre so now they all feel a bit the same.
It felt very predictable and I couldn't really relate to the main characters. The writing style was nice, so maybe with a new book from this writer I will give it another try.

That was interesting.
The book was paced appropriately and the writing really got me engaged.
The plot was fresh and I loved the twist.

<b><u>3.5 STARS</u></b>

This book started off so well, but fizzled out towards the end. It's a domestic thriller with husband/wife drama and twists aplenty. The writing flowed very well and it was an easy and quick read that kept me turning pages.

The story is told from two perspectives -- Alice first, then her husband, then back to Alice for the remainder of the book. I think my interest would have held longer if the chapters went back and forth between Alice and Dom, instead of hearing the whole timeline from Alice's point of view, then reading the same exact stories all over again, except from her husband's perspective. There's also a "then" and "now" separation which seems silly. The book starts with a prologue, then we jump to the night Alice finds out her husband has died (which, not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis), then we immediately backtrack to Alice and Dom's meet-cute and whirlwind romance. I feel as though leading with the night Dom died, just to add suspense and intrigue, was a weird way to start the book. It should have just been made as the prologue. There's no back and forth between the timelines, it literally just starts with "now", then the rest of part one is told from Alice and Dom's "then", then the rest is from Alice's "now". Confusing? A bit.

Alice was also hard to like and to relate to. Her self-esteem is <I>so low</i>. One character even brings it up to her (slight spoilers, I suppose) -- <spoiler><B>"How can an educated, seemingly intelligent woman allow herself to be taken in like this? I honestly can't wrap my head around it. ... This guy pitches up from nowhere with no backstory and no social connections, wanting to hitch himself as speedily as possible to a woman who has no parents of her own but substantial financial means, then proceeds to act shadily at every turn. I mean, why? What kind of an idiot would you have to be to go along with it? And to want a baby with the guy?"</b></spoiler> She seems perfectly competent, if a little traumatized and damaged, but let's be real, who fucking isn't in this day and age.

The red flags were ABUNDANT, and I just had a hard time rooting for her when she saw and acknowledged those red flags and still made the decisions she did. Dude was about as sneaky as Joe Goldberg from <I>You</i> putting on a baseball hat and thinking it's an invisibility clock.

I <I>blew through</i> the first part (Alice's "then" chapters, if you've managed to keep up) -- I literally couldn't stop reading because I was dying to see what happened next. There was such a great sense of uneasiness and suspense with her husband and his strange behaviors, I couldn't get enough of it. However, by the time I read through Dom's chapters and was back with Alice in the "now" and the aftermath of everything, I found myself a little bored. It was just watching Alice as a sidekick get caught up to where the reader has been.

This book was ultimately enjoyable, a quick and easy read when you're just in need of something light. I read through it in about two days, which is on the speedier side for me lately. I would definitely read another book by Alison James, as I really enjoyed her pacing and writing style. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

What a brilliant book The Man She Married by Alison James was. I just LoVed it from the very first page I knew it was going to be an excellent read and I was not wrong! It's a great psychological thriller and full of twists and turns that kept you wanted to read more and I didn't want the book to finish.

Hmmmmm........"How well do you know your Husband?!"

Alice's love life is a mess when her fiancé walks out on her, she thought they were happy together but she was so wrong. Alice is not looking for love but bumps into someone who is handsome, kind and charming, a knight in shinning armour who sweeps her from her feet. Everything is perfect and proposes to her and moves after a few months seeing each other. Alice could not be happier.
"Alice and Dominic forever!"

Three years later and they're still happy............Alice's catering business is thriving. Alice can't be happier when she finds out they are going to be parents.............But, things are all going to change! There's a knock on the door Alice who is so happy opens it.........to find two Police officers standing there.........Alice's face drains of blood and her whole world is turned up side down!

Dominic is dead.

In shock Alice goes to identify the body. There’s no doubt that it’s her husband Dominic the Love of her life!
Things could not get any worse when his estranged brother comes to view Dominic! Still in shock he informs Alice this is not his brother!!!!!! Alice refuses to believe it at first........But his brother is adamant its not his brother! He produces proof, that this man she was married to is not who he says he is!!!

Who was he?

Alice has to face the horrible truth that she was married to a stranger!

He is not the person he said he was!

All those lies he told her about his Mum and brother!

What was he hiding from her! ............."Poor Woman!"

I highly recommend this book especially as you become apart of this story and you want to find out what he is hiding from her.





Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

A well-written book with many twists and turns. It starts off a bit slow for my liking but the pace picks up as the story progresses.

I don't read many thriller books, so everyone I do pick up usually surprises me in some way or another. The Man She Married is no exception.

A chance meeting outside a lift leads to a whirlwind romance for Alice after getting swept off her feet by Dominic. A wedding quickly follows but deep down, she feels something isn't quite right. 
After a couple of years of marriage, Alice's receives devastating news; her husband is dead. Only it isn't until after she identifies the body, she learns her husband isn't whom he said he was. 

As I dived into the narrative, I picked up a clue pretty quickly although I didn't realise it… At the time, I wondered about the author's nationality because the use of a couple of words didn't fit a specific character, However, I later learned it's deliberate and very much a part of the story as it unfolds.

Lots of times I felt as if I wanted to shake Alice up and make her question Dominic's behaviour more. His enigmatic background; his excuses for not introducing Alice to his family and friends should have rung alarm bells, only she's naive and mistakenly accepts any excuse he makes.

The ending is unexpected and after a narrative full of twists and turns, it's a satisfying end. The only aspect I thought unnecessary was the epilogue, which I didn't feel added anything worthwhile, but overall, it's a thrilling, fast-paced novel by a new to me author.

4.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley***

The Man She Married is a twisty psychological thriller that I loved from beginning to end even if Alice was a little naive at times.
Alice has her own business that is thriving and a perfect house but doesn’t seem to be able to keep a man until Dominic comes into her life. It’s a whirlwind romance and within months they are married but is it too good to be true? Why has Dominic not brought any family to the wedding? There are so many questions but by the end you do get all the answers.
I’m not going into this book as you are best coming in blind but I did like the characters and the writing style and this with the storyline kept me turning pages for far longer than I should have done.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The Man She Married by Alison James is a psychological thriller that is told from two different points of view. At first the story starts with the wife then switches to the husband and finishes with the wife.

Alice met and married a man named Dominic Gill and thought they would be one of those happily ever after couples. Well, of course things rarely go as planned but despite a few red flags here and there over the course of their time together Alice thought things were OK and was ecstatic when she learned she was pregnant.

The very same night Alice thought her world was finally coming together when she learned of her pregnancy though Dominic failed to come home. Soon the bad news came, an accident out of nowhere and a body that needed identified. Alice quickly named the victim as her husband, his brother however said that is not the real Dominic Gill… so who was the man Alice married?

I have to admit that despite my own rating I could see that The Man She Married by Alison James may not be for every psychological thriller fan due to the fact that you go in knowing so much and get a lot solved early on. However, for someone like myself that reads a ton there was just something so addictive about this book that I could not put it down. It’s actual rather thought provoking when it came down to it and despite the twists being unveiled early the second half was still engaging making this one rather enjoyable to me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the first book by Alison James that I have read and she wowed me. While some of the book was predictable (but then once you read enough a lot is predictable) there were things thrown out at me that I just did not expect.

The story is about Alice, essentially an orphan as she lost both her parents at a young age. Her engagement ended when her fiancé left her shortly before her wedding. A chance encounter with Dominic Gill in an elevator results in a world-wind romance and marriage. For the most part they have a good marriage, but there are things that bother Alice, but when Dominic provides her with an explanation for her concerns, she brushes them away.

Then a tragic car accident results in Dominic's death. But....is this Dominic? Alice insists it is, but his brother insists it is not. Who is the man in the casket? Is this Alice's husband or an imposter?

This is an unputdownable book (if that is even a word)>

This is an addictive read told in the "then" and "now". . So many twists to the storyline. I was hooked. Brilliant. Highly recommended

A psych thriller in three parts, this book had a unique structure. I appreciated that the reader gets one whole perspective and then the backstory and perspective of another character instead of the “flipping back and forth between chapters” that is more common. I thought this allowed the story to flow. It did, however, make for tough going at first because Alice seemed so gullible (which annoyed me). But Part Two clarifies things, while the third section follows the plot to a natural (albeit somewhat farfetched) conclusion. I did enjoy this book and would recommend it. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

EXCERPT: I approach the open coffin, balanced on trestles at the centre of the silent room. Heavy velvet drapes are drawn discreetly over the window, and in the corner a lamp is lit, next to an arrangement of silk flowers on a tall stand.

As I draw closer, I glimpse the tip of his nose against the pleated white satin of the coffin lining. The sight is so odd and other-worldly, it makes my head swim and the carpeted floor feel unsteady under my feet. My heart is pounding as I get close enough to see him; all of him.

I have no idea who gave the undertaker the suit and tie he's wearing; I only know it wasn't me. I take in the curve of his mouth, the sweep of his hair from his forehead, the angles of his profile. On his left hand is a wedding ring. I remove my own wedding ring and drop it into the coffin.

The only thought in my mind is that this is like one of those riddles you find inside a Christmas cracker. Because the man lying inside my husband's coffin is not my husband. He's a total stranger.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Since Alice’s fiancé walked out on her, she never thought she’d meet ‘The One’. But all that changes when she meets Dominic. Handsome, charming and kind, Alice can’t believe her luck when he proposes a few months later and moves into her West London home.

Three years on, Alice’s catering business is thriving and she is married to a man she adores. So when she sees that little blue line, it should be the happiest moment of her life: they’re going to have a baby. But then the police knock on her door and Alice’s whole world is turned upside down… Dominic is dead.

Distraught, Alice goes to identify the body. There’s no doubt that it’s her husband. Yet when his estranged brother comes to view the coffin, he insists the man lying there is not Dominic. Alice refuses to believe it at first, but when confronted with irrefutable proof, she finally has to face the truth:

The man she married is not the person he said he was. And if he lied about that, what else was he hiding from her?

MY THOUGHTS: The Man She Married by Alison James is the second book I have read and enjoyed by this author. It is told from two perspectives - that of Alice, and that of Dominic - over two timelines, now and then. This works well and is not at all confusing. It is interesting to see how the perspectives of the same events differ.

James has portrayed her characters well. Alice is a successful businesswoman whose personal life is a disaster. She is an orphan, has been jilted almost at the altar, and just wants to be loved. Dominic is charming - good looking and charming. He is polished and plausible. He is dangerous. Very dangerous. And Alice is his perfect cover.

This is one of those books that just sneaks up on you....I was reading along, thinking 'Yeah, this is okay.' when suddenly I realized that I was totally immersed in the story, and I read the second half in one sitting.

😊😊😊😊

#TheManSheMarried #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Alison James. I was born in the Cotswolds but spent most of my formative years abroad. I studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after my two children to take a law degree.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Man She Married by Alison James for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

I absolutely loved this book! This is the first Alison James book I have read and I will definitely read another one. This kept me on my toes through the entire read

This isn’t an easy review to write. I almost gave up on the book when I was reading the first half because it annoyed me to no end. Red flag after red flag after red flag, and yet Alice continues to ignore it. It’s not like she’s leaving it alone, she acknowledges it, questions Dom, he feeds her BS, she knows it’s BS but she eats it up anyway. I can’t understand people like this. How blind are you? Knowing that you married someone within 6-7 months of meeting them and you never met their family you still continue to be a fool? In today’s day and age I can’t imagine a smart businesswoman who is running multiple offices of her own catering service and yet is so foolish. That’s what I felt when reading Alice’s perspective. It was how the book opened so it frustrated me. When I read her husband’s narration I was more annoyed because it simply laid out his history in a matter of fact way. I understand the author wants to paint a picture but that would have been better served by shutting chapters between the husband and wife. Also the then and now subtitle for every chapter felt irrelevant because again the story wasn’t shuttling between timelines. It was a bunch of ‘Then’ chapters followed by ‘Now’ chapters. This makes me rate this book a star lower. Alice was not believable because of her naïveté and her background. Once we read the husbands side the mystery is gone. He says who he was and what he did. The next part of the book is focused on Alice’s story in the journey she takes to find out who he was.
The connection of the husband with someone else in Australia that we read about in part 3 was the only good twist at a point when I wondered what the next few pages would be filled with because everything was pretty much sorted. The plot has merit but the execution fails somehow. This could have been a far more thrilling twisty read of it was laid out correctly.

They say the female of the species is deadlier than the male but in this case it’s the reverse.
This is a really well structured and cleverly written story. Not giving anything away other than to say it grips you from the first page. There are so many questions to be answered and gradually we begin to learn about Alice and Dom’s three year marriage and the events that led up to it. Written from both their viewpoints it’s a total page turner. I really couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

What a brilliant book! I loved this from start to finish. Alice Palmer meets the charismatic Dominic Gill when they get stuck in a lift together. Their relationship quickly develops and within months they are engaged then married.
Alice gets an uneasy feeling and her best friend Jojo is suspicious but Alice is determined to make her marriage work so she overlooks her concerns. On the night Alice announces her pregnancy, Dominic is killed in a car crash which leads to shocking revelations for Alice.
The narrative is structured as Alice’s viewpoint to begin with, and I was almost screaming with frustration as she lets Dominic trick her time and time again. Her emotional isolation following the death of her parents and the jilting by her past fiance make her susceptible to Dominic’s charms and leads her to excuse his behaviour.
Then we see her husband’s perspective and it is brilliant to see his version of events. His calculating behaviour and violent potential is cruelly fascinating to read. Using his viewpoint is exceedingly clever on the part of the author as we almost grow to like and respect Dominic and his ruthless endeavours
The plot is fast paced which represents the speed of the romance and deception. The tone is easy to read and the characters are captivating despite their obvious flaws. I was completely swept up in the story and characters the whole way through the book.

Alice has not had a very happy life all things considered. Her parents both died when she was quite young & the man she was all set to marry decided he wasn't ready- only to marry someone else shortly afterwards! However, she has a lovely house in a great area & she has built up a successful business & some friends. She meets Dominic Gill when the lift in the office building gets stuck. Soon they are very much a couple & within a few months are married in a very quiet ceremony where, apart from the best man all seem to be connected to Alice. Dominic's mother & brother having pulled out at the last moment

Alice is determined to make a go of it, even though there are a number of things that are warnings that all is not well. On Valentine's night she arranges a special dinner & the surprise present is a positive pregnancy test. But Dominic doesn't come home. Instead two police officers tell her he has died in a car accident. Whilst identifying his body she meets her elusive brother in law, who insists that the body is not Dominic Gill! Alice needs answers & she finds a private investigator to answer her questions.

The reader is then taken to Oz to the life of Ben- a not nice man! His story is a shocking one & explains who Alice really married.

Apart from wanting to ask Alice what was she thinking in the first place, this was a great read, full of surprises. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

How can you get to the truth if all you have to go on is lie after lie?

This was a fast and entertaining domestic drama about a woman who marries a man and then comes to find that he was not at all who he said he was.

Alice Palmer meets Dominic Gill on an elevator. She's at Ellwood Archer in Silverton to make arrangements for lunches that her catering company, Comida, is planning to bid for. He's there for a job interview. Over coffee, they find mutual attraction which rapidly leads to a proposal and marriage. So what if she sees -- and ignores -- some serious red flags? Their relationship is fairly good, but Alice wants a baby and Dom won't give the go-ahead. Then comes Valentine's Day about 3 years into their marriage. Dominic is dead. The shock deepens when Dominic's estranged brother arrives to identify him. Simon says that the dead man is NOT his brother, Dominic Gill. If that's the case, then who is this man? Alice needs answers, not only for herself, but for the unborn baby she's recently learned she's carrying. NO SPOILERS.

Very fast paced with THEN and NOW chapters as well as alternating point of view narration between Alice and "Gill" that give the reader a clearer picture of their situation and his past. I enjoyed it and the twists and turns along the way. Of course the reader knows Gill is a horrible man and constantly admonishes Alice to open her eyes and see it, but she's always giving him the benefit of the doubt because she loves her husband and wants their marriage to work. I read this in a single sitting and though it is similar to other books in this genre, it was a fun couple of hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I have read a few of Alison's books now and those I have read, I have really enjoyed. When I pick up one of Alison's books, I know that I am in for one hell of a fabulous read and 'The Man She Married' is no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Man She Married' but more about that in a bit.
The main character is a lady called Alice and I ended up having little faith in her judgement skills. Alice is a woman, who inherited a sum of money, which has set up her own catering business, which is doing quite well. Alice lives in a sizeable house in a desirable area. She was due to get married to a man, who got cold feet and jilted her. He has since married another woman. Alice meets a man called Dominic, who on the surface seems to be a decentish man. I won't go into too many specifics but Dominic set off huge flipping alarm bells for me. On more than one occasion, I found myself wanting to jump inside the pages to shake Alice by the shoulders, whilst at the same time I wanted to slap Dominic silly with a wet fish. I just wanted Alice to get a grip and open her eyes. Who is the man that Alice married? Do Alice and Dominic stay together? What does fate have in store for them? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
It didn't take me long at all to get into this story. As soon as I started to read, I knew that I was going to be in for one hell of a read. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and of course I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had the wrong end of the stick entirely. Reading 'The Man She Married' was certainly addictive. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in ten minutes or so but I became so wrapped up in the story that I would read a lot more than a couple of chapters and I was reading for a lot longer than any ten minutes- maybe for an hour or more. I seemed to race through the story and I was most upset to reach the end of the book. I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just didn't want the book to end.
'The Man She Married' is superbly written and brilliantly plotted but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Alison James. Alison has a writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She has a way of grabbing your attention from the start and she draws you into the story. Once Alison has your attention, she will not let it go until the moment you finish the last word on the last page. Alison uses such vivid and powerful descriptions that I felt as though I was part of the story myself. I found that I became far too involved in the story to the extent that I was talking to the characters as if they could hear me and I was wanting to jump inside the pages of the book to sort out Alison and Dominic.
Reading 'The Man She Married' was a pleasure. I was gripped from start to finish and on the edge of my seat throughout the story. I will definitely be recommending this book to other readers. I look forward to reading more of Alison's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.