Jess Ryder tends to be an author that I know is quite dependable in writing a good thrill ride, and this book just further showed me that’s true! Kept me hooked from page one, with its twisty fast paced style! Lots of twist and turns, chills, thrills, and shocks! Highly recommend!

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Lilly falls in love with Edward who is a widow. Edward has two grown daughters and eight year old son, Noah. On the evening of the wedding, Noah tells his new stepmom that his mom is still alive and that he knows the truth.
The story is told in two parts. The present is told in the first part and the second part starts off telling the story of Clare, Edward's first wife and his mistress Frances.
I felt like the book really dragged on and didn't really pick up until the very end. It also reminded me of so many other books following this same storyline.

A great thriller! Middle aged widower proposes to the woman who homeschools his son. Match made in heaven. But as Lily begins to question why Edward insists on Noah’s homeschooling, Edwards answers seem too “tidy”. Why does Noah lead a secluded life? Why does Edward feel that he is too “sensitive” to go to public school?

Hmm…. Things don’t add up. Is Edward hiding something about his past, Noah’s past, his late wife’s past? The questions keep adding up but the answers don’t make sense.

The Second Marriage tells the story of Lily, private teacher turned wife to Edward, and his young son Noah. Lily meets Edward while being a private tutor to his young son, after his mother died. On their wedding night, Noah opens Pandora's Box for Lily by whispering that his family (including his sisters) are lying to him, and that his mother is not really dead. As Lily struggles with what the truth could be, her world falls apart. She seeks to find the truth of what happened to Noah and his mother, even it it costs her her own life.

I did enjoy this book. I really liked the beginning and the end, but felt it lagged quite a bit in the middle. It took me some time to read, because I didn't always want to read (while I was in the middle part) because of the lagging plotlines and the lack of twistiness during that section. It did all come to a dark and twisty head at the end, but then finished with a whisper. I liked Lily, and felt connected to her character. Sometimes I had difficulty with some of her decisions or her thought processes though. It made it hard to engage in the story when characters weren't making the most logical of choices.

While this was an entertaining book, it wasn't the most shocking or twisted book. I would recommend this to those readers who really enjoy domestic thrillers. Those who really like them will definitely get on board with this book and enjoy it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Second Marriage is a fantastic domestic thriller by Jess Ryder. Primary school teacher Lily Baxendale meets Edward Morgan, a rich widower when she answers an ad for private tutoring for his son, Noah. Although Lily is not looking for a relationship, she and Edward soon marry when Edward declares his love for her. Then Noah makes a confession...

This fast-paced novel had me frantically turning the pages to see what might be about to occur next. There was a raft of unlikeable characters, which were a requirement for the story. There were plenty of twists to gasp over and keep the reader guessing and rethinking possible outcomes. An immensely enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

When Lily marries Edward, 15 years her senior, with 3 children from his previous marriage, she is a very happy bride.
But soon she realises things are not at all like she thought them to be. Edward is not the person she she fell in love with. When things from the past make whispers, Lily fears for the life of her step son and herself. Twists, alternating timelines and different characters narrating make for a good read.

Well-paced with an interesting premise.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookoutre for the ARC

4.5 stars. Another cracking read from this author that I read in two sittings. This was a really enjoyable psychological thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Jess Ryder’s The Second Marriage is a dark, twisted and sinister Gothic chiller sure to remind readers of Daphne DuMaurier’s enduring classic, Rebecca.

When Lily had met Edward, she had fallen head over heels in love with him. Despite of her best friend telling her to tread with caution and not to let herself be completely dazzled by the mysterious and enigmatic Edward, Lily had found herself unable to resist him and when he proposed, she immediately said yes to him unaware of the dark secrets he was hiding. Swept away by the romance of her relationship, Lily ignored the warning signs – even thought doubts started creeping in the moment her new husband’s ring was on her finger.

At their wedding ceremony, all of Lily’s hopes and dreams started to fall apart. Far from the perfect wedding day every bride dreams about, Lily’s was small and impersonal with none of Edward’s family showing up. Rather than an all exotic honeymoon, Lily and Edward decided to have a night in and her wedding bouquet had been placed on his first wife’s grave. As regrets and concern begin to weigh heavily upon her shoulders, her new stepson Noah drops a bombshell that makes her wonder just how well she knows the man she is going to be spending the rest of her life with…

Noah is absolutely convinced that his mother is still alive. Lily initially dismisses Noah’s vehement declaration about his mother as merely a product of his overactive imagination, but as she begins to observe her husband with his son, she finds herself troubled by the fact that Edward is vehemently intent on trying to make Noah forget about his mother.

Can Lily trust Edward? What happened to her predecessor? Can Lily manage to unravel her husband’s twisted and terrifying secrets? Just how far will Edward go to keep his past dead and buried?

Jess Ryder keeps her readers on the edge of their seats with her latest domestic thriller, The Second Marriage. A beautifully layered page-turner spiced with intrigue, danger and tension, The Second Marriage is a suspenseful page-turner that explores guilt, trust, secrets and the darkness within that will send many a shiver racing down readers’ spines.

Full of juicy twists and turns, characters that aren’t quite what they seem and jaw-dropping revelations, Jess Ryder’s The Second Marriage is a addictive thriller that will leave readers gobsmacked.

Wow another great book from Jess Ryder , I loved the main character and was glad she got the ending she deserved. The family problems when a new wife comes into the family are normal but luckily don’t always go to this extreme . It was full of tension . I recommend all of her books and give this another 5 stars

Reading Between the Wines book review #117/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Second Marriage
Author: Jess Ryder
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on November 3, 2021!!!

Sipping thoughts: Lily is a schoolteacher who has been hired to homeschool a little boy named Noah. She ends up falling in love with his dad and becomes his second wife. Now, Noah is saying that his mom is still alive, and everyone is lying. Lily must determine if Noah is mistaken or is she (and he) in danger. I did not know what to think and was wrong on many parts. The only person I really trusted was Noah but then I was unsure at times. This was a fast, easy domestic thriller that will have you making guesses until the end and even then will you have your answer?

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @TheSecondMarriage.

#TheSecondMarriage #JessRyder #Bookouture #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers

Full review will be November 7th. It's part of a blog tour.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read this year. It's definitely edge of your seat keep you guessing good.

Being the second wife is hard work. If you don't believe me try being one. Or ask Lily..

My full review of this 5/5 star book will be November 7th.

It's a great book. I highly recommend it.From the very first page to the very last this book held me captive. It's well written and very thrilling. It's so full of twists and turns you won't know what hit you until it hits.

Lily becomes a homeschool teacher to a young boy who has not been to a real school. He's not done much of anything that other children do. His dad, Edward, is very protective of him. He warns Lily to never mention mothers to Noah as it makes him very anxious. His mother left when he was very young and he doesn't know what happened to her. But does he really? Could he have memories of her? Is she trying to reach him? Is he safe?

Lily married Edward fairly fast and becomes Noah's stepmum. All is good until she starts asking questions. Questions Edward doesn't want her asking. Seems he has a few secrets. He has two daughters from his first marriage who are barely accepting of the marriage. But Lily does not care if they approve or not. She loves Edward and loves being Noah's stepmum. Life is good. Or is it?

This book will keep you guessing all the way through. It will hold you captive until you finish that very last sentence. You will suspect everyone. No one is to be trusted. This book makes you feel like you are right there. Right in the middle of all the excitement. From the large home with the security to the seaside with the rolling waves. From the happiness of a newly married couple to the despair when something goes terribly wrong. You will root for people and it may be the wrong ones. Or maybe not. It's very good. Very well written. It will keep you guessing. Keep you wanting more.

The only one I trusted completely was Noah. Was he really so innocent??? Read and find out.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JessRyder, #Bookouture, #Bookoutureanonymous for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book. It's great.

5/5 stars and a very high recommend.

"They think I've forgotten, but I remember everything. She's not dead, Lily. Mummy's still alive."

This tense and twisted domestic thriller was a crazy rollercoaster ride that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. There is an air of malevolence and foreboding that hovers over the story from the first pages, but I was still unprepared for the dark and sinister story I was about to read.

A big reason I found this book so hard to put down is the characters. Each one is fascinating but flawed, making them compelling to read. The author makes their emotions leap from the pages and manages to make even the villains likeable and sympathetic at times. Lily is a great protagonist. She is a little naive but it is easy to understand. Afterall, we’ve all had blinders on and done silly things when in love. As the story went on I came to appreciate how strong, feisty and determined she is, even in the face of fear. I liked that the author showed us the battle that raged inside her as she struggled to come to terms with the truth about Edward; desperately wanting to believe in him and their marriage, but slowly accepting what she had discovered was real. Her anger, pain, betrayal and fear was so vivid I could feel it.

There was something off about Edward from the moment we met him. It was clear he was hiding something and like Lily I was suspicious about why he was so insistent that Noah should forget his mother. He is brilliantly written, bringing a menacing and ominous atmosphere to the book even when not on the page while also showing enough charm that you understand why Lily fell in love with him and buys his lies.

But the star of the show is Noah, a shy, strange child who we slowly come to understand as the story unfolds. My heart broke for him as we discovered all he had gone through and I was grateful that he had Lily in his corner. I loved the bond they shared and how the author portrayed the bumpy road that comes with blending families even when the child loves and likes a new partner.

Intelligently written and full of intrigue and suspense, The Second Marriage is the kind of twisty thriller that makes my heart sing. One for any fans of dark domestic thrillers.

I always hate giving books three stars, because it doesn’t mean that I disliked the book. I found this decently entertaining and it definitely held my interest - I just didn’t think it was brilliant.

The plot is good: Lily is sick of the public education system and gets a job privately teaching a young boy named Noah. Eventually, she and Noah’s father, Edward, have fallen in love. Though they’ve only been together for a few months, they get married (much to the chagrin of his two adult daughters).

As the synopsis mentions, the night of her wedding, Noah tells her that his mother is still alive. He tells her not to believe his father or sisters, that they’re all lying to her. Of course, this freaks out Lily, as she was told Clare died after accidentally eating bread she was allergic to. Her wedding night sure isn’t turning out the way she planned…

Edward won’t talk about Clare, and Lily is instructed to never bring her death up to Noah, as it gives him panic attacks. Not surprisingly, Lily goes rogue and starts trying to find answers. Where are all of the pictures of Clare, of Noah as a baby? Why is there no death certificate for her in public records? For that matter, why is there no wedding certificate either?

That’s when it started to get overly dramatic for me. There were twists everywhere, but none were very shocking. I felt like so much stuff was shoved in just to increase the suspense, when it was doing just fine the way it was going. It was all pretty predictable, including most of the ending.

As I said, I did enjoy this book, but it was lacking something (or maybe had too much of some things?). I found it to be a pretty average, but still fun to read, mystery/thriller. I give it a 3/5, but it may be one you enjoy much more.

(Thank you to Bookouture, Jess Ryder and NetGalley for a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my review.)

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Second Marriage' by Jess Ryder.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jess Ryder, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 3rd November 2021.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Night Away' and 'The Girl You Gave Away' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An utterly unputdownable, gripping, twisty psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Before I Go To Sleep, The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl.' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' and 'Before I Go To Sleep' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Jess and if this is half as good as 'The Girl You Gave Away' and 'The Night Away' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 40 chapters and an epilogue spread over 2 parts. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in London 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited London on many occasions including this year so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.

This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonist being Lily. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

OMG!!! Just WOW!!! My heart is still pounding now!!! Yet another amazing page turner Jess!!! Another huge congratulations on what is guaranteed to be a best seller!!!

This book is fantastically written, another amazing success from Jess Ryder. The descriptions are vivid leaving you tasting the sea salt on your tongue and feeling the hairs on your arms rise!! I thought the cover, title and synopsis worked perfectly with the storyline.

The storyline itself swept me straight up and didn't put me down until the last page. It has a string and realistic plot which you can see running through your mind as you are turning thr pages. A true page turner. It is filled with twists, turns, nail biting suspense, lies, tension, loss and drama. I was completely surprised at the first bombshell and just kept getting shocked and blown away as the storyline goes on and the mysteries are all revealed layer by layer. .. Its quite hard to describe what I mean without giving too much away. I was kept on my toes constantly with the rest of the shocks to come, nome of which I seen coming!! Another major success for Jess Ryder. I am looking forward to reading more of her books and would love to see this one turned into a movie.

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

I was completely invested in the characters and most have them seemed to have something to hide which you find out piece by piece. I must say I wasn't a fan of Georgia or Tara and their attitude towards Lily, especially Tara. I felt so sorry on poor Noah throughout the book. I didn't trust a certain person from the start but really can't say more than that. Argghhhh!!!! Its so hard to say how I feel towards certain characters without giving too much away!!! I really liked Marsha who was a fantastic friend to Lily. Each character had their own strong and unique personalities and were all realistic making the story feel more realistic and helped it to come alive.

Another HUHE CONGRATULATIONS to Jess!!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors!!!

Overall a gripping page turning psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and questioning yourself throughout.


Genres covered in this novel include Thriller Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense and Crime Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Before I Go To Sleep' , 'The Girl on the Train'  and 'Gone Girl' and anyone who loves Jess Ryder's books. In fact anyone who is looking for an amazing read!!


342 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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A fast paced thriller covering lies, secrets and memory loss.
As Lily puts her stepson Noah to bed on the night of her wedding to Edward, he tells her that daddy has been lying and his mummy isn't dead. Edward dismisses his claims, but why does he not want to talk about her, why are there no photos and why is Noah kept in near isolation from everyone. As she tries to discover the truth she puts her own life in danger.
This novel has all the best bits of a thriller, unlikeable characters you want to hiss and boo at. And in Lily and her friend Marsha, characters that you are rooting for to uncover the truth. This is my first read from Jess but she has a new fan. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Lily is the child tutor turned wife. Her husband’s two older daughters hate her and his young son, Noah, who she tutored doesn’t accept the fact that his mother died.

Lily starts to get suspicious of her husband and his controlling ways. She wants to protect Noah and is concerned that he says his mother is alive. This story digs deeper into the past and finds out everything is not as it seems.

I enjoyed this book and the steady unraveling of the mystery of the past wives. I never guessed the whole truth until the end and that makes a great book.

Wow. Another thrilling read by this very talented author. Expertly leading us on a very convoluted journey full of twists, this was a wonderfully suspenseful read. I'd very much recommend this to everyone.

I got into the story really quickly. It did drag a bit in the middle but it kept me gripped and was definitely a page turner. I guess the ending was a bit predictable but still worth the read. I would definitely read others by this author

The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder is a thriller novel. This one is a story that makes one wonder just how well do they really know those closest to them or just how much can you trust someone.

When Lily married Edward she thought that she was going to live the happily ever after that everyone wished for. Sure Edward was a little older than Lily but age was just a number, right? Lily adored Edward’s son, Noah, and was looking forward to becoming his step mother. Edward’s older daughters seemed to have come around, hadn’t they?

Shortly after the wedding was when things stopped adding up for Lily. That was when little Noah said that they were lying, that his mother was alive. Lily at first was skeptical and thought the young boy was confused but as time passed Lily finds so much that points that Edward is not the man she thought she knew.

Having read this author before I knew I should find good writing in this one and was curious what the story would bring. The Second Marriage was one of those stories that the deeper I dove into it I still had to wonder where it was going. There were a few moments that I wondered if I even liked the main character and her actions but regardless I wanted to know what would happen every moment. With several twists and turns I was certainly hooked and curious all throughout.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a psych thriller that better typifies the genre than this one. It has everything a reader wants in a book.
Lily is a sympathetic main character/narrator. She’s smart, intuitive, and a little too trusting. That last one is important because it has a big impact on the plot. It is vital she sees nothing wrong with her life until she’s in the middle of a mess.
But exactly what is the mess, and who is responsible for it?
I don’t think she is naïve in any way, although some readers may take her as such. I like that she is a teacher first and foremost, because she looks at her problems from several different angles. As a teacher myself, I can relate to that.
The author does a great job of building the foundation through the first part of the book. It is the perfect example of “setting the stage.” The action moves along even though there are a lot of details to put in place.
And once those details are in place, hang on…because once Lily starts to realize certain things the action takes off and doesn’t let up until the very last pages. Actually, not even then.
The way the storylines converge is masterful. The parallels between the past and present situations are each detailed and unique but with enough similarities that the reader recognizes the important patterns.
This is vital to the story. But I’m not going to say why, because that would give away the plot. And that would be no fun to new readers. I did guess a few points, but only because I like to challenge myself to see if I can think like the author.
I rooted for Lily pretty much the entire book. There was only one part about ¾ through that I thought was out of character, but as I continued to read, I realized why she did what she did.
There are other characters in the book (of course). I don’t want to say anything specific about Edward and his family, because I might slip up. But let’s just say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I felt for Noah. And Marsha was a good friend.
But really, this psych thriller should be at the top of your list. I couldn’t put it down and read late into the night to finish it. An excellent entry in the genre.