I just finished reading "The Marriage Secret", by Carey Baldwin. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
This book is definately a domestic thriller told at a fast pace that keeps the reader engaged throughout. The story revolves around Holly and her suppossedly wonderful husband Zach. Holly has a secret that she is ashamed of and Zach uses the secret to control her every move. After they have a baby, Zach's behaviour becomes cruel and untolerable. Reading the story, I was so angry at what he was doing to his wife that I wanted her to come to her senses and get away from him.
Holly confides in her friend Tamara, and as the story unfolds, there are more secrets revealed.
I loved the twists and turns, and how strong Holly became throughout the story. I loved her devotion to her daughter Jolene and the way she battled for her future. There were a few surprises in the story that I wasn't expecting, and that is what made this book so enjoyable...the element of surprise.
I wanted to give this book five stars, but I figured out the ending, so I can't, but I can highly recommend this book because it was enjoyable and the main character was extremely likeable. Another question I had was why the inclusion of some of the characters. I felt that there were some parts of the book that didn't add to it and could have been left out.
In the end. I really liked this book. It was a very entertaining and satisfying read, that left all questions answered in the last few pages.
Happy reading!

Such an emotional roller coaster. I was up, down, in and out. This is a fast paced thriller that I couldn’t put down from the first page.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher. M y thought and opinions are my own and aren’t influenced by other reviewers

The Marriage Secret by Carey Baldwin is a good psych thriller that lulls the reader into thinking one thing is happening when (really) there is something else going on.
I love when a book can turn the tables on me!
The author makes an interesting choice by letting the reader know pretty much from the start that Zach is not a good guy (that’s not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb). The crux of the story, then, becomes a question: just how much will Holly put up with before she cracks?
And is her baby enough to make her hang on to a toxic relationship?
Obviously, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out. But the author wisely keeps that question in the forefront of both Holly’s and the reader’s minds. It is easy to say “she should just leave” but it is difficult to remember that there is always more consideration to be made.
Even after the events that are mentioned in the blurb (yes, still a pet peeve of mine), the reader quickly realizes that there is more to the story. And if you think you know where the story is going – you don’t.
Honestly, there are enough throw away moments to keep a reader guessing as to whether they are actually throwaways or if they figure more importantly in the overall story.
Additionally, things occur with other characters that make Holly question her choices. This is another wise choice by the author because the evidence starts to become quite obvious.
While the book doesn’t drag at all, the action does pick up in the second half. It’s filled with double and triple-crosses and an ending you probably will not see coming.
If I had to nitpick anything, it’s that ending. Again, not to give anything away, but I wish it has been “live.” You’ll understand when you read it.
There are many secrets in The Marriage Secret, and it takes to the very end for them all to be revealed. Smart plotting by Carey Baldwin makes this a good read.

The Marriage Secret, by Carey Baldwin, is one of those books that makes you feel sick, but you don’t feel like you have a choice but to go on. It tells the story of Holly and Zach, a couple who just got their first newborn, Jolene. But, instead of becoming a happy family, Zach has been very strange lately.

Through a lot of scenes, we face various situations of domestic psychological abuse, with descriptions that do not leave much to imagination. Taking advantage of Holly’s post-partum situation, Zach starts creating scenarios that make his wife doubt her own sanity.

The tension just grows as we learn about other extremely bad things Zach has been doing, and how in each of them, he shows a manipulative and egotistical side, something just like a Jekyll/Hyde kind of thing. And with all those situations, the character gets more and more confident he can get away with anything.

Baldwin has a really unique writing style, which gives the book the right pace. The plot evolution is gripping and leaves no chance for the reader to put the story down until we get to the very end and discover what the author was preparing us all for.

The Marriage Secret is a perfect reading for fans of The Woman in the Window and The Girl on the Train, with suspense and mystery in each and every page.

This husband and wife thriller was a book of two halves for me.

Holly is married to highflying Doctor Zach and just about to give birth to their first child. From the outset Zach is clearly a bad husband, his lying and cheating could make Boris Johnson blush. Honestly, I found his character a bit obvious.

Starting out it steers heavily towards gaslighting and coercive control, but didn't fill me with dread like some others in the genre.

As it progresses and Holly's thought turn towards escape it really picks up, the plotting is tight and it really builds through the second half, with plenty of twists and an accelerated pace.

I found it very satisfying in the end and would recommend it in the knowledge that the twists and thrills are worth it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre

(3.50*)

The Marriage Secret by Carey Baldwin covers Holly and Zach’s “perfect marriage”, yet, the perfect part does not end up lasting that long. Once Holly gets pregnant, everything changes in Zach and he turns into this manipulative, abusive, controlling monster of a husband and things start to go opposite of how it all started.

Right from the start I was hooked, and the author, who I was unfamiliar with before this, has a writing style that continues the story on a fast-paced route throughout the whole book. She also added in some unexpected twists here and there, making it an easy read, despite it’s 650 pages.

On the first page, the dedication page, Carey Baldwin wrote, “For You, The Reader, Whether this is the first of my books you’ve read or one of many, I’m honored.” And I will definitely be checking out more of this author’s work after reading this as my first one. Seeing the phrase "one of many" excites me to know that there are other great pieces of work this author has.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Holly and Zach are having a baby! Everything should be good for the family but Zach is so controlling. Holly is gaslighted at every turn. It’s not a good marriage. But there is more……

This book is full of twists the will keep you guessing. Just when you think you know how it’s going to end, something shifts and you are in for a whole new adventure.

What I loved most about the book is the complexity of the characters. Each person may or may not be as they seem (don’t want to spoil anything). I devoured this book in one afternoon because I could not put it down.

What a fun read! I really enjoyed the breeze of this one. It isn’t tooooo dark and deep but it’s got enough thrill to keep you flipping through to figure out the whodunnit. Initially I was a bit put off by poor helpless Holly but when things finally started to turn into what would seem as power moves I appreciated it much more.

Holly and Zach are oh so in love and get married and then it all goes downhill. Zach is controlling and abusive and has Holly thinking it’s her fault of course. But then things take a turn or two.. or three and secret spill and surprises are revealed!

I definitely recommend for an entertaining thriller cat mouse game kind of read. Thank you netgalley and Bookouture for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you had told me I was going to give this a 5 star at the start of this book I would have been shocked!It starts off what seems like your regular domestic thriller: Dominating husband, poor wife...oh my! But no no no, I was wrong!

Holly and Zach start off with what seems like a cute little young couple with a brand new baby. But quickly we find that Zach is one messed up dude! He is playing mind games with poor Holly and putting baby Jolene's life in danger. So why doesn't Holly just leave?

Well that's because we learn Holly has a dark dark secret that Zach knows and holds over her as blackmail.
Holly teams up with her "gal pal" to try to bring Zach down, but along the way Zach becomes more and more controlling and his extra affairs are brought to life.
Holly begins to craft her own plan to seek revenge....taking her places to where I never thought she could go as a character
This was a fast paced book that kept my interested the whole time!
My only criticism was the writing at times seemed a bit juvineille and just weird, but I loved this book!

Starting off we have
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for this Arc !


This book ! The plot twist. Wow I love a good plot twist. Domestic thrillers are the best. This is the first book from this author and I want to read more. Holly married zack perfect life and then there’s a murder. Secrets everywhere ! I recommend this book if you love domestic thrillers!

Fabulous domestic thriller about what goes on behind closed doors. A definable page turner!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC. #Netgalley #themarriagesecret

“’Brain Day’ really stuck with me back when I was in medical school. Stand by to pass me the hammer and chisel, and I’ll show you how a pro breaks into a skull”

Soooo yeah, a departure from the romance genre for a bit. This story is far from romance. It’s more of the “ticky-ticky-boom” genre. At the end you know someone’s going to be dead.

Holly and Zach appear to have the perfect marriage, he’s a successful doctor and she’s anxiously awaiting to give birth to their first child, baby Jolene. Appearances can be deceiving because their marriage is any thing but perfect. In fact, inside their home, Zach is nothing like caring, doting husband and happy expectant father people think he is. He’s controlling, volatile, unpredictable, and an adulterer, but because Zach supports her and still marries her after finding out something she did in her past, Holly feels he loves her unconditionally.
When Holly returns from the hospital after giving birth, she has a few incidents that she can’t quite wrap her head around. Zach’s behavior grow stranger by the day and as time goes on, she is convinced her husband is behind everything she can’t explain. She’s determines that she and Jolene are not safe with Zach, but because she is completely dependent on him it’s easier said than done to leave him. She begins to plot her escape from him, but with his repeated threats to take baby Jolene away from her if she should attempt to leave him, Holly needs to constantly stay, or at least try to stay five steps ahead of her husband. When Zach is the suspect in a young woman’s murder, Holly sees her opportunity to escape him. She provides him with an alibi. In return for that alibi, he will grant her a divorce, and give her sole custody of their daughter, and most important…she keeps his secret, and he keeps hers. But Zach doesn’t keep his word.

I was very eager to read this book and heard a lot of a good things about it, but it fell short for me. There were quite a few things that just didn’t work for me. The writing was a little choppy. I felt like I would get to a part that was very interesting and then suddenly everything fell flat. There were things the characters (main and supporting), did and said that just made no sense. It took me a while to really get into this book, and I was more than fifty percent in when my attention was truly locked in, but it wasn’t until the twenty-five percent of the book where I felt like there was a story. This is a new author for me so maybe I need to read another of her works to appreciate her writing style. There were a lot of the eye raising moments you expect in a story like the line above when Zach describes his favorite day in medical school. Or the line Zach’s student Claudia delivers to Holly when then cross paths in the aquarium.

That’s synanceia verrucose also known as a reef stonefish. It lurks quietly, ready to ambush its pre, inject them with poison and the first opportunity. Its poor victims never see it coming.
Zach’s mom is also kind of suspect in this story, she goes along with things her son does that a normal mother wouldn’t, she clearly makes excuses for him and always had; but it’s also clear that she’s fearful of him.
“I go so worried I talked to his pediatrician about it and you know what she told me” Holly waited. “She said it was normal for his age—he was seven—and that all children lie from time to time” Frances shrugged. “And that’s when I stopped worrying. I knew my child wasn’t the only who told whoppers because the doctor said so. I thought he’d outgrow it.”

The storyline in general was good, but for me it just wasn’t presented in a way I could appreciate it.
The one thing I really liked about this book was the whole “which one of you is crazy?” feel. Not just Zach and Holly. There’s Zach’s mom, his student Claudia, and Holly’s friends all of whom seem “off”! To the point that you couldn’t tell if any of them were in on “It” or not; and if they were, who were they in cahoots with!? If the entire book had been told the way the last twenty five percent had been told, this could have very easily been a four or even five-star read for me. As always though, just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

This was a fast paced book filled with unexpected twist that will leave you speechless!
So many secrets and betrayals which makes putting down this book is the last thing I want to do.

The plot is intriguing and well written. We have Holly and Zach a loving married couple who are about to welcome their baby girl into the world. But, everything started to change after Holly gave birth to her child and she realized Zach is not the dreamy husband she thought he was.

Holly is an interesting character to follow and I really like seeing her major character development in this story. It's like the power of being a mother turns her submissive and meek character into a stronger person to do what's best for her baby and her life. Holly finally realized that she was trapped in a toxic relationship covered with sweet lies.

Zach is a pathological liar and every time he open his mouth to spew out lies I just wanted to slap him. The gaslighting and the controlling he did to Holly was aggravating to read.
When you read this story, I believe you'll hate Zach as much as I did!

The big reveal at the ending was more complicated than I realize and didn't seem that plausible to me.
However, I will overlook it since I really enjoy reading the whole story and it was an ending I didn't expect at all.

Overall, this book is a real page turner! Every chapter will uncover unexpected secrets that will make you think twice about trusting the people you think you know.
This is an enjoyable, intense and entertaining psychological thriller read! I'm really looking forward to read the next book from this author!

<i>Special thanks to Netgalley, Carey Baldwin and Bookouture for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Note: Will post it on Instagram on February 10th.

From the beginning, Zach clearly abuses his wife, Holly. Frankly I was waiting from page 10 for Holly to stab Zach - Carey did an amazing job robbing Zach of any redeeming qualities.
Holly struggles through the first few days, weeks and months of motherhood - managing their gorgeous home, hormones, the common loss of memory as days pass in a haze.
But Holly can't help but feel like Zach is messing with her - on purpose. He withholds their child as a punishment for mundane errors.
Zach treats his mother in a similar fashion - which Holly cannot ignore.
How can Holly possibly free herself from her marriage?
Great characters - done very well to serve their purpose and perform their roles in the story.

Zach and Holly, like most domestic thrillers, seem to have a picture-perfect marriage. I mean, they're both civil servants; he's a doctor delivering babies and she's a speech therapist. And then they bring a baby girl into the world, Jolene. And that's where our story begins.

The guy is a real piece of work. Can you say 'Gaslight?' Sheesh! She loves him, so for at least the first 30% of the book, she's making excuses, justifying his behavior. That is until he involves Jolene. Then her mamma bear instincts kick in and she starts seeing who she really married.

I was frustrated, was cheering, I was shocked. This was a decent thriller. Some parts felt like they dragged a bit and pulled me out of the story but when the "big twist" came I was stunned. So did not see it coming.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced reading copy of The Marriage Secret by Carey Baldwin.

I went into this book not knowing anything (how I personally like to go into thrillers), which I’m glad I did seeing as the synopsis is at least 60% of the book.

Without giving away too much. Holly thinks she has the perfect marriage and the perfect husband. Things quickly begin to change and Holly starts to see her husband in a different light when their daughter Jolene is born.

As someone who’s had two cesarean sections the believability in the first few chapters is pretty far stretched. Also as a new mother you would never just allow for your husband to send your child off for three days and wait for their return.

The writing style made the story feel disjointed in the beginning. I think this was intentional for the reader to feel as confused as Holly.

Overall, this book was fast paced and held my interest. This will definitely keep you guessing. I didn’t see that ending coming. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy the mystery/thriller genre.

What a tangled web this domestic thriller was! I don't think I've hated a character more than I hated Zach in a very long time. Well done Carey Baldwin! This one was not too edge of your seat until the last third or so. It did keep moving pretty well and will keep you interested. Though I was originally feeling that this would be a 3 star book for me, the last third of the book is what gained it another star! Looking forward to trying more by this author in the future.

Wow! The Marriage Secret get be interested throughout the entire story. I was able to devour this book in less than 24 hours, I just needed to know what the big shocking twist was at the end. And I'll tell ya, it was a twist I did not see coming. While I was reading this story I did continually get a Deja Vu feeling, like I had read this story before. I don't think story-line is unique to thrillers, in fact it's pretty similar to a few others I've read before, but even so it kept me interested and curious right up to the end of the story.

If you’re a fan of domestic psychological thrillers, The Marriage Secret is one that should be on your radar, if it isn’t already. This is a fast-paced story of a marriage isn’t as ideal as it seems from the outside. The short chapters definitely kept my attention and had me eagerly turning the pages to see what came next, which included a twist that I didn’t fully anticipate! I definitely recommend checking this one out when it releases later this week. I absolutely look forward to reading more from Carey Baldwin soon!

You just don’t know what happens behind closed doors! This was a spine tingling domestic thriller that had me flipping the pages. Available for purchase February 11, 2022. Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.