Thanks NetGalley, Bookouture and Carey Baldwin for an ARC to review.
A page turner domestic thriller with couple of unexpected major plot twists. You definitely won't see it coming.

You know, this didn't start out as my cup of tea. But as we continued through the story, this turned into such a great and thrilling story!

Wow! I'm shocked that I'm not seeing this book ALL over Instagram right now, but I'm sure going to try getting the word out to all of my thriller loving fans.

If you're looking for a domestic thriller that gives you whiplash with the amount of twists, turns and surprises then you're in luck. Even better, this is one you'll want to read in one sitting (I absolutely did.) I love a book that reminds you that we never truly know what's going on behind closed doors with a family or couple, and this one truly delivers on that.

Currently... on my way to add this author's entire backlist to my TBR. I'm very impressed and will be hyping this one up in 2022.

The Marriage Secret by Carey Baldwin- *Spoiler Free*

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5/5)

This was such an adept depiction of gaslighting and psychological manipulation and abuse. Baldwin captures the inner thoughts of a wife who finds herself losing trust in the man she married. She’s beginning to fear him. But he carries a deadly secret of hers too. Her daughters life teeters on the tightrope of the power imbalance in their relationship.

I read this in a day. I simply couldn’t put it down. The wicked twists are worth every penny of anxiety throughout the read. Pre-order this one ASAP my friends

This book is your standard domestic thriller that I enjoyed quite a bit. Like a lot of books in this genre, there's gaslighting and the main character questioning her sanity. I rated the book 4 stars because it was an interesting page-turner but truthfully, I didn't care for the big reveal in the end. I won't spoil it but it came out of left-field and I didn't feel like there was a proper foundation for this possibly earlier in the book. The book was still quite good inspite of that. Thanks for the advance review copy.

A gut-wrenching thriller about how a story book romance leading to a picture perfect marriage can actually be someone's worst nightmare. Falling in love is hard but staying in love is even harder. Marriages all have there ups and downs, but in this suspense novel written by Carey Baldwin, I couldn't tell when an up was up! Beautifully written with amazing plot twists, this book took you inside a marriage and let you judge for yourself just how "good" they really were as individuals and to each other. And then when their baby is born, their marriage dynamic changes once again...for the better? You have to read this fantastic novel to find out! The ending is incredible - I didn’t even see it coming. 😉📖⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏼

OK....I only have one word to describe this book...it's simply just WOW....

How well do you know your spouse? Holly and Zach fell in love, got married and now Holly is pregnant with their first child. But after Holly gives birth to a baby girl named Jolene, Zach started changing. He starts almost controlling Holly's life and threatening to reveal one of Holly's dark secrets if Holly ever leaves him. Later on, the police come knocking on the door, questioning Zach about the disappearance of two girls, Beth and Claudia, who had affairs with Zach.

Now, this book is a fast paced thriller and I love reading fast paced thrillers. Holly is a complex character and as a reader, you feel what is the secret that Holly is afraid of revealing. The plot is really good, the writing was intense as the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. Holly is going through something like a "silent" domestic abuse what with Zach controlling her, deeming her to be unfit of becoming a parent. We see Zach's love affair with Claudia and soon towards the middle, the story starts reaching its climax, with twists and turns that were completely unexpected! The ending...oh my god...the ending took my breath away--this was such an unexpected twist that the author had given and I couldn't literally believe that ending at all!!! It was such a complete unexpected twist in the end! I couldn't even put this book down and stayed up all night reading this book!

Overall, if you are into fast paced thriller, with a little bit of drama here and there, with so many twists and turns with an unexpected ending, I strongly recommend this book to you--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Holly and Zach are rich, have a beautiful house, a new baby, and a dream marriage....or do they?

Zach is a successful obstetrician. At the beginning of their marriage Zach treated Holly like a queen. He doted over her and frequently surprised her with lavish gifts. Holly begins to notice subtle changes in Zach's behavior, but she understands he is under a tremendous amount of job related stress, so she overlooks it. Holly is nine months pregnant and goes into labor. Instead of being supportive during the contractions, Zach's demeanor takes a unbelievable turn that will leave readers shocked and quickly turning pages for more.

What I liked:
The author started off very strong and had well developed unexpected turns in the story. The first half has an engrossing plot readers can really sink their teeth into. There is a definite villain that readers will love to hate.

What I disliked:
It's tough when the main protagonist is constantly naive, has chances to change the scenario, but does nothing. Yes! Its a fiction book, but come on people. Sometimes author's can push the boundaries of what is enjoyable to read. My main problem with the book was the unrealistic ending. The storyline left some holes that were unexplained and too much of a reach.

"The Marriage Secret" by Carey Baldwin, will be published February 11, 2022.

Note: The book did have some high points. I'm glad I got to read it. We all have our own taste. My opinion is just that...a opinion. Nothing more. Nothing less. Many of my friends absolutely loved it. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I welcome your feedback.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the honor of giving my honest opinion in exchange for this e-book. You guys rock and I appreciate you all very much!

Baby Fluffin' Otters In Fluff!! 😳😳🤯🤯😯😯

What did I just read?! What the FLLLUUFFFF just happened?! Holy Mother! I mean.. WHAT?! Holly is married and about to have her girl Jolene with her husband Zach, who's a doctor. But very early on you see he's changed and isn't who Holly thought. He's become controlling with secrets of his own, and all along the novel secrets start to unveil themselves. Holly knows she needs to get out - for her little girl. I'm gobsmacked! What would you do for your child? How far would you go? The ending is so unforeseen, so believable but never could have been guessed. Delish beyond words! Fluff me! 😳

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for this #ARC!
Release date: February 10, 2022

I give this 5 / 5 snowflakes! ❄️

I cannot give this book enough stars!! So good! Holly has it all, the perfect marriage, a beautiful baby, a fabulous house. But what if it’s not all as good as it seems? This book keeps you on the very edge of your seat waiting for the next twist or turn of the plot to leave you realizing nothing is as it appears.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Carey Baldwin and Bookouture for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

“The Marriage Secret” - Carey Baldwin

🤫SYNOPSIS: Holly and Zach seemingly have the perfect marriage. Behind closed doors, however, things are not what they seem, and Holly is trying to balance her marriage, a newborn, and a dark secret from her past.

🤫REVIEW: WOW yall, while reading this I had to ask myself - “How are people not talking about this one?!” Because DAMN. I think the true measure of whether or not a thriller is great is when it can get under your skin and truly make you feel uncomfortable and this one made me VERY uncomfortable.

It really explores emotional/psychological abuse and dives into why, when everything may be so apparent to us, the partner can’t just easily leave. I felt this with “Yes, Daddy,” and while I think these two books are vastly different, I love seeing these themes explored. You never know what’s going on behind closed doors with someone and you never know why they can be trapped in their present situation. To be trapped is terrifying, and that is what we have hear.

You are going to be creeped out. You’re going to be angry. You’ll feel uncomfortable and all of the emotions, which I feel is a testament to the writing. Not only that, but there were SO many twists and turns in this book that I simply had NO clue what would happen. I didn’t even try to predict it; I was just along for the horrifying ride.

Y’all know I’m not a fan of epilogues, but here, the epilogue served a purpose and really worked.

Definitely add this to your shelves. It comes out February 11!

🤫VERDICT: 4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🎶 SONG REC: “Love the Way Lie” Eminem ft. Rihanna

Thank you so much @netgalley and @bookouture for this one!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZCDFywrs-L/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Holly and Zack are about to have their first baby. The first sign that something is not quite right is when Holly is ready to leave for the the hospital to give birth. Zack is cold and standoffish after tripping over Holly's shoes that she left out. Give a pregnant woman a break Zack!
More and more signs come along to suggest that all is not what it seems in the Bancroft household.
I enjoyed the characters. You can't help but feel for Holly as she starts to think she is losing it. Zack is a man you love to hate. I'll keep the rest of the characters a secret. Think you know how this book is going to go? You probably don't.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the early copy to review.

This is my first novel by author Carey Baldwin and I am going to be very honest in that I only read around 34% of this novel before having to decide to give it a miss. The blurb sounded right up my street but for me I found it quite disjointed and I could not seem to make it work for me.

The premise of this novel sounds amazing and I was really looking forward to it.

We meet Holly who is about to give birth to her and husband's Zach' first baby. Zach is a doctor and he is cruel and cold and I literally hated him from the beginning. He is an abusive and nasty character and also playing away behind Holly's back.

For me personally, I just found reading about the dynamic of this couple to be terrible and the cruel act of palming your new-born off to his mothers and Holly has no say in to be very unlikely and far fetched.

Thanks to Carey Baldwin, NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my review, I am gutted that I could not finish this book.

Carey Baldwin's THE MARRIAGE SECRET is a treacherous foray into the ribs of a rotting marriage centered new parents Zach and Holly. Zach is a formidable OBGYN doctor, he runs a strict practice at the hospital in Arizona and has Holly on a strict schedule at home with their newborn after she makes a horrible mistake.

Or does she?

Filled with twists and turns and unreliable characters at every turn of the page, THE MARRIAGE SECRET examines an emotionally abusive relationship and asks what lengths you would go to to protect your child. When Zach comes under suspicion in a homicide case, Holly realizes that she finally has leverage--she'll keep his secret if he keeps hers.

While Holly is an extremely likable character, I found the second half of the novel frustratingly predictable. Tamara was written well, until she wasn't, and her "faithful best friend" lines are written with a bit too much soap opera flair for me. That being said, the relationship between Zach and Holly certainly keeps you on your toes, even if most of Zach's most horrific actions take place off the page. Giving it three stars for being a fast, exciting read but not an innovative one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐..4 Stars!
Name of Book: The Marriage Secret
Author: Carey Baldwin
Genre: Psychological Domestic Thriller
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub Date: February 11, 2022
My Rating: 4.4
Holly and Zach both work at the same hospital. Zach is a surgeon and Holly is a speech therapist. They fall and love and soon marry.
As the title indicates there is a secret. Holly reveals a secret to Zach and he still marries her.
Hmm is he really fine with the secret? Or will he hold it against her?
They soon are expecting their first baby. When baby Jolene is born, Zach did a great job in decorating the baby’s room. Holly is so please.
However, Zack immediately is a weird jerk~ my thoughts are …. Something is not right with him!!!
Hmmm [author: Liv Constantine]’s book,: “The Last Mrs. Parrish” pops into my thoughts!

Sure enough Holly has a plan but I found myself yelling at her ~ Be careful who you trust!!!
Awww just as I thought there is more
Aww the tangle web we weave when we deceive!!

Great read!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 11. 2022.

I have been sort of disappointed in thrillers lately, but The Marriage Secret was a page-turner for me and finally, I found a thriller with the surprising twists I have been looking for. Zach and Holly have a picture-perfect marriage and are getting reading for the birth of their daughter, Jolene. But instead of everything being all rainbows and butterflies, Zach is controlling and abusive - mentally and financially. Why does Holly stick it out? The day they were married she told Zach her "horrible secret" and he is holding that and custody of their newborn daughter over her head.

I'm going to start with my criticism, but there isn't much. Zach had no chance of mental and emotional health as an adult because of the obsessive spoiling by his mother Frances. Good Lord woman, let the child live. Secondly, I was a bit thrown by the amount of money being tossed around in this book. I have known some ob/gyns throughout my lifetime and have never known any that can splurge on an $11,000 vase one day and a $30,000 wardrobe the next. But, oh well. My biggest criticism, however, is the gaslighting plot, especially with a new mother. Haven't we seen this enough over the past few years? I get it's always going to be present in thrillers to an extent because the main character has to have doubt, the reader needs doubt, and so on. But the non-stop gaslighting of the new moms has been overused.

What I loved about this novel is for the first time in forever, I was actually surprised by a twist! I had my mind made up for most of the novel and then it reached a point where I was starting to wonder about another character, and then bam, there it was! For months I have felt like I knew "whodunnit" about 30% into a novel so thank you Carey Baldwin for finally throwing some twists in! I also applaud Holly's POV which made it seem that the entire universe was out to get her, as well as, the wonderful development of Zach's character making it so easy and wonderful to absolutely despise him.

The Marriage Secret is a delicious thriller that you will not want to put down. There are certainly some expected things that come along, but this one truly surprised me and kept me on the edge of my seat.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

An excellent fast paced thriller which once I had got into the story line I couldn't put it down. The characters were well developed and the story flowed well.

This author is new to me, I can recommend and will definitely read more from her. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.

3.5 Not What It May Seem Stars
* * * 1/2
The Marriage Secret sets up the reader to think one thing and then twists and turns into something very different.
It has a woman who thought she married the perfect man, had the perfect, luxurious life, and soon the baby they both wanted.

Surprise, that husband, not so perfect. In fact, he loves to control, he loves to gaslight and punish. The wife sees his true colors when she was about to deliver their little baby. Then things get more intense from there. More mental games and the ultimate hold, needing to support him when she isn't sure she should.

This will keep you interested and ready for all the twists.

This was my first book by the writer. I had seen that she had great reviews on Goodreads so I decided "what the hell, the book looks good" and gave her a try.

Its a very good domestic thriller. Its fast pace which kept me engrossed in the book (I may have burnt dinner as I was reading this). There were a lot of plot twist and it did make it a little hard for me to follow some of the story as I got confused as to what I was reading, but I was able to come back from it quickly.

All in all a great read that I got through fast!

I really enjoyed this story. It was so much fun to read! It was fast-paced, had some good twists and turns and a really great ending. I loved it.

Holly and Zach are married and so in love. Holly loves how Zach takes care of her, how he does everything for her, how he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He is the only one that knows her secrets, that knows what happened when she was younger and she trusts him completely. Until things change. Until she has a baby and Zach suddenly isn't the person he used to be. Now it is obvious right from the first chapter that Zach is abusive. That he is not actually a good person and Holly is only now starting to see that. I wasn't sure where this story would go, but I loved the way everything played out. How strong Holly was, how she will do anything for her baby. Zach does a good job of trying to make her look like an unfit mother. Of making her look like she is having issues and could be a harm to their baby. But I loved how strong Holly was. How she works through her problems, tries to find solutions, and tries to do what is best. Oh it was great.

And the ending? I was waiting for it to get a bit over the top, trying to figure out what it would be, but it didn't. It still felt grounded in the end which I absolutely loved. Not that the ending is simple or boring or anything. It is still super fun. Such a great read and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.