EXCERPT: Suddenly, I'm thinking about the night I proposed. I squeeze Cecilia's hand, hold it high so the ring sparkles. "I was so nervous the night I asked you to marry me."
She looks at me, tilts her head. "I know you were. I can always tell if you're nervous or hiding something. Your eyes give it away. And you lick your bottom lip."
"No, no, you can't, and no, I don't," I say, and find myself dropping her hand and folding my arms across my chest. The light turns and we step onto the crosswalk. I see a charming pastry shop on the corner. Maybe I will stop in there for a bottle of water.
"I can. I knew you were proposing that night, even though you thought it was a surprise. I know a lot of things, Paul," she says. "And sometimes I don't even have to google them."
I walk the rest of the way to the Palais Galliera behind Cecilia, trying to figure out what she's saying, what she really means. I am never wrong, for the record. She couldn't google my proposal, she couldn't know anything. She's teasing me, that's all. I take a deep breath and tell myself to stop overthinking things.

ABOUT 'THE SECOND MRS STROM': I don’t want the perfect marriage. I want revenge…

If you had met me a year ago, you wouldn’t have noticed me. A beautiful woman, but a struggling nobody in a tiny apartment, invisible…

Meeting Paul changed that.

And now here I am in Paris, after a whirlwind courtship and a stunning beach proposal. I smile at my handsome husband, my eyes shining in the candlelight, my huge diamond ring sparkling on the starched white tablecloth. Other women look at me in envy. They see a couple completely in love.

They’re wrong.

Despite this incredible luxury vacation, my husband and I can’t escape our problems. I can’t get over what he did with that woman just after our wedding, and my bright smile can’t hide the hardness in my heart.

I wonder if Paul knows the truth. That our first meeting, when we fell in love, wasn’t the coincidence he thinks it was. That what I want from him has nothing to do with his money.

And now that he’s wronged me, I’ll stop at nothing to get it…

MY THOUGHTS: I didn't find out that The Second Mrs Strom is the sequel to another book (The Best Day Ever) until I had finished reading it so, you can take it from me, this works well as a stand-alone. It is a relatively short book at less than 300 pages, and I read it in its entirety one sunny afternoon in the garden. It was enjoyable, engaging and deliciously twisty.

Paul is a narcissistic sociopath but may have met his match in his second wife, Cecilia, who isn't quite the grateful, loving and attentive bride he thought he was getting. She has her own agenda. She is devious and dangerous, manipulates and challenges Paul.

The big question is - Who is going to win?

Go in cold. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheSecondMrsStrom #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Kaira Rouda is the author of novels that dig beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. But for Kaira, the journey to authorhood was not a straight arrow–it marks her fourth career path.
Kaira is a founding member of the Killer Author Club, a bi-monthly live show supporting authors. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Author Association, and the International Thriller Writers (ItW). She served as a committee chair for the Edgar Awards 2024, and frequently appears on panels at conferences across the country. Active in the areas of homelessness, food security, and empowering women and girls, in her twenties, as a volunteer, she created the first walk-in emergency shelter for homeless families in Central Ohio.
Kaira lives in Southern California with her family.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing an E-ARC of The Second Mrs. Strom by Kaira Rouda for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Love to hate characters. Oh wowww! This is brilliant. The two main characters are absolutely love to hate which I think is hard for a writer to get down as perfectly as this. Please go and buy this (and the first book if you haven’t already!). Can’t wait for the third!

The Second Mrs. Strom is a gripping, twisty ride that had me hooked from the first page! The tension between the characters is palpable, and the plot keeps you guessing as secrets slowly unravel. It’s a psychological thriller with just the right amount of suspense, intrigue, and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The main character is complex and so intriguing. You’ll find yourself constantly questioning her actions and motivations, which adds to the excitement as the story progresses. The relationships in this book are so well-developed, and you’ll be invested in every twist and turn.

What I loved most was how the story builds layer after layer, creating an atmosphere of suspense and mystery that makes you not want to put the book down. If you enjoy books that are full of unexpected twists, complex characters, and a lot of drama, The Second Mrs. Strom is an absolute must-read!

This book was an enjoyable, nice quick read. Some elements were unrealistic but it was still entertaining. Paul being a misogynistic narcissist made me root for Cecilia, although she wasn't the most likable either. I appreciated the fast chapters and enjoyed how the present day chapters all span within one day. Overall, this book was good, not great!

Kaira Rouda has crafted a story that not only entertains but also provokes thought about the nature of love, trust, and the impact of the past on the present. It's a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone looking for a deeply engaging narrative that explores the intricacies of relationships.

This is a suspenseful book. It’s about a woman named Lena who marries a man with a mysterious past. As the story goes on, Lena starts to uncover secrets and question what’s really going on. The plot has many surprises, and it keeps you interested. The characters are good, and the book is easy to read. It’s a great pick for fans of thrillers!

The Second Mrs. Strom
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Kiara Rouda

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: I don’t want the perfect marriage. I want revenge…

If you had met me a year ago, you wouldn’t have noticed me. A beautiful woman, but a struggling nobody in a tiny apartment, invisible…

Meeting Paul changed that. And now here I am in Paris, after a whirlwind courtship and a stunning beach proposal. I smile at my handsome husband, my eyes shining in the candlelight, my huge diamond ring sparkling on the starched white tablecloth. Other women look at me in envy. They see a couple completely in love.

They’re wrong. Despite this incredible luxury vacation, my husband and I can’t escape our problems. I can’t get over what he did.

And now that he’s wronged me, I’ll stop at nothing to get it…

My Thoughts: This is the second book in the Family Secrets series but can absolutely be read as a standalone. However, I will place the caveat that one chapter in this book will spoil the first one. So if you planned to read both, I would start with the first one, Best Day Ever. I took some of the synopsis out as it gives too much away. It really is best going into this book blind, you will not be disappointed. A whirlwind romance with the second anniversary in Paris, as Paul is wealthily and he wants his wife to believe he is spoiling her beyond the impossible. Looks can be deceiving and revenge can be sweet. This follows the trope of the villain narrator with sociopathic narcissistic behaviors thrown in.

This story is presented in a dual narration by Paul and Cecelia, my favorite type of narration. Cecelia marches by the beat of her own drum and listens to no man. Paul likes things his way, or no way, in typical narcissistic fashion. The characters were well developed with depth, well fleshed out, had mystery, secrets, and were absolutely intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, suspenseful, twisty, and just freaking brilliant. I have been a Rouda fan since Somebody’s Home and blindly pick up anything she puts out. She has been publishing back further than that, that was just my first. And now I am hooked!

The characters are continue to be built up in this sequel. The plot is delivered in so many twisty layers. Just when you think you have read the last twist, boom another one from the left. The impeding disaster that you know will blow up fantastically is present throughout this book. The ending is perfectly explosive, and even though I know there is a third one, it does leave with intriguing thoughts to carry you over. Rouda is a master at creating unstable scenes utilizing the characters and the setting while being set in a believable reality. Rouda just crafts these unlikable, sometimes despicable characters that you love to hate, the queen of cray cray.

I had the pleasure of having both the digital and audio versions of the ARC, even if I am posting months late. My apologies to the publisher, some life things happened and it caused a domino effect in my book reviews. I am slowly getting caught up. The narrators, Nick Landrum and Laurence Bouvard, were phenomenal and did well with voice variation built into the character distinction. The pitch and flow were smooth and allowed me to listen at 2x speed with no issues keeping up. The third one in the series, What the Nanny Saw, is also amazing, which I will post my review soon of. This is a well crafted psychological thriller that is every bit gripping, chilling, captivating, suspenseful, twisty, and will keep you at the edge of your seat. I highly recommend, not only this book, but the whole series. Go pick up today…

What is wrong with me that I always find myself kind of rooting for Paul? Just shows how brilliantly Kaira Rouda creates characters, his narcissism even works on the reader! I like Paul despite himself and enjoyed this book a lot!

The plot? Absolutely loved it! It's well-crafted and fast-paced. Cecelia is on her own wavelength, and figuring out her path is a thrilling mystery. The dual narration from both Paul and Cecelia keeps things fresh and exciting!
Paul made me cringe so much!!

Cecelia is married to Paul, but she’d rather not be. She’s on a mission for revenge, and being his wife is merely a role she has to play to achieve that revenge. What better location for that than the City of Love?

…and that’s all I’m going to say!

Thriller Book Lovers, the Pulse did it again! I love our partnership with Kaira as she was a new to me author in 2024 but has made her way to my list of favorites and has become an auto-buy for me.

This is book two in the Paul Strom saga (known as the Family Secrets series), and I do suggest reading book 1 first, however I did read this one as a standalone and I don’t feel as though Kaira left out any details that would hinder your enjoyment of the story.

Kaira writes a fantastic unhinged story, all of the characters are off the rails, the plot is fast paced and can be unbelievable but it’s so fun that it doesn’t matter.

This book probably won’t work for you if you don’t enjoy despicable characters - luckily for me, I adore them. I will read about Paul Strom for the remainder of my days with complete joy!

The suspense built steadily throughout the book, leading to a final twist that I never saw coming. A gripping and satisfying read.

Oh how I missed Paul and his narcissistic and eccentric ways! He's probably one of my favorite love to hate characters and I was so excited when I found out there was going to be a second book after enjoying Best Day Ever so much! While this can be read as a standalone, I'd suggest starting with the first book because both are just so good. Kaira Rouda really knows how to write fun domestic suspense novels.

The Second Mrs. Strom was another bingeable, wild ride and I am so thrilled that there is a third book in the series (out now)!

**Thank you Kaira Rouda and Bookouture for providing an e-ARC through NetGalley!

When I found out this was a sequel to BEST DAY EVER, excited is an understatement. I loved that book and it’s so fun being inside Paul’s sociopathic head again! Before picking this up, I hadn’t realized it was a sequel, so it was a pleasant and welcomed surprise.

Paul is back with his new wife, Cecilia, and you can’t help but wonder if he’s going to get up to his old antics again or if he’s finally met his match. I love being inside that crazy, narcissistic villainous mind of his. You just know there’s something sinister in store for Cecilia and you find yourself wincing in anticipation on what it could be. There are plenty of twists and turns and maybe even a jaw dropping moment or two.

Kaira never disappoints and you have to read BEST DAY EVER first to truly appreciate Paul and the events that unfold. Here’s to more addictive thrillers from Rouda in the future.

Excellent read with lots of twists and turns. A followup to Best Day Ever, The Second Mrs. Strom kept me guessing throughout!

Excellent read with lots of twists and turns. A followup to Best Day Ever, The Second Mrs. Strom kept me guessing throughout!

This thriller was actually insanely good and i had a lot of fun
It was a pretty unique storytelling style and i had a lot of drama to get me through the month
I highly recommend this one

Told through the alternating POVs of cultured, savvy, recently very wealthy Paul, and Cecelia who had never been out of the state until the two of them moved to California. It’s the ultimate cat and mouse story as we travel to Paris with the couple, learning about their individual secrets along the way.

You will see many mentions of this being a sequel - I read this without knowing that and the story was perfectly contained with no issues understanding. I am sure there are details I missed that will be a bonus for return readers. Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in advance and share my thoughts.

Kaira Rouda is an instant-read author for me. I was thrilled to see she had a new book - AND there’s a sequel coming! This first book in her new series, Family Secrets, is The Second Mrs Strom, a psychological thriller that had me hooked from the start. The chapters alternate with Paul & Cecilia’s side of events, in the present and in the past. This is a couple I just wasn’t sure about & they kept it interesting along the entire ride!
Thank you, Kaira Rouda, bookouture, & netgalley, for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

What a juicy, drama filled book! Perfect vacation read. Paul Strom is so fun to hate on! He met his match with this wife for sure. A fast paced, fun read.

I hadn't read the first book in this mini-series, but it certainly didn't spoil my enjoyment of this one. An extremely unlikable couple, I couldn't wait to see who won the battle between them. Highly recommended
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.