Beth wakes up in the hospital after being in a horrible car accident. Her doctor explains she appears to be suffering from retrograde amnesia due to the fact she believes it's the year 2019. In Beth's mind, she's 24 years old, working at a local café in Australia, living with her parents. She's shocked when she's told it's actually 2024...and that she's in England...and her husband has been waiting for her to wake up.

Beth has lost the previous five years and has absolutely no recollection of this man at her bedside claiming to be her husband, Rob.

However, when Rob takes Beth home she does have a few moments where her actions are automatic, knowing where things are without having to think about it.

As she recovers, she seeks answers about the life she can't remember, which curiously makes Rob angry. He brushes his behavior off as wanting to take care of her, reminding her she needs to rest and that she needs time to allow the memories to come back to her organically.

But Beth knows she's always been independent, logical, and searches for answers anyway. Finding a phone, she's able to log in and starts to search for herself. She learns a mother of two children was also involved in the same crash as her; something that absolutely devastates her. Maybe Rob was right and the accident was too horrific to force the memories to come; her brain doesn't seem ready to process what happened.

As Beth continues to recover, she's shocked at the version of herself Rob claims she was; her closet doesn't contain clothes she'd ever wear; her extremely sparse social media shows pictures of things she'd never do, let alone post.

Isolated and feeling completely alone, Beth is determined to put the pieces of her life together with or without Rob's help but Beth doesn't know who she can turn...or who she can trust.

This is the first book I've read by Alison Stockham but I've immediately added her others to my ever-growing TBR list. This was a four star read and one I would highly encourage fellow thriller fans to check out!

,My husband – looks familiar, but I can't remember marrying him?
Its difficult to get your head around and even harder to imagine how you would feel.
Great storyline and well written characters.
Overall a good domestic drama.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Beth’s life is turned upside down when she wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of the past five years. The man by her bedside claims to be her husband but she doesn't remember him or her move from Australia to England. He takes her home but it doesn't feel like home. His smile is cold, his touch is cruel—and Beth’s instincts scream that she’s in danger.

The portrayal of domestic violence and coercive control is handled with care and nuance, Beth’s story is deeply impactful. The writing is delicate yet unflinching, bringing the tension and danger of Beth’s situation to life.

This dark, twisty narrative will have readers questioning who to trust and rooting for Beth’s courage and determination.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for The Man She Married. I was anxious for so much of this book and I was rooting for Beth Alllll the way. It got weird with Dee if she said babe one more time ugh. My most anxious part of the book is when they met at the house, I kept thinking Rob was coming back. The ending was not great, didn’t like it but overall a heart pounding plot.

How can you fight for a life you can't remember?One moment I was just living my life, finding my way in the world. The next I woke up in a hospital bed with years of my life missing! Ooooh great ending!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It had great suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, gaslighting, double crossing, a sort of who done it and some wild twists!! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The Man She Married - Alison Stockham

This was a good quick read! The tempo of the book was amazing and kept me engaged throughout!

Beth is in an accident, and doesn’t remember the past 5 years of her life. As far as she’s concerned she lives in Australia with her family, but wakes up on the hospital in England with her husband (that she doesn’t remember).

With memory gone she needs to rely on instinct, and her instincts tell her she needs to fear her spouse.

This was a delicate portrayal of domestic violence. It was very respectfully written and overall well done!

Thank you NetGalley and Alison Stockham for the e- ARC! Publish date is January 20 2025!

Review to be published on Instagram before the post date, and will be on Goodreads and Fable today (links in my bio).

This book was emotive and explored the theme of coercive control in a diligent and empathetic manner. I was gripped from the very first line and I read this book within a day.

The plot oozed tension combined with secrets and lies it really was a page turner! I throughly enjoyed this book from beginning to the very end and I really didn’t want it end it was an emotive read!

I’d highly recommend this book it’s a must read for 2025!


🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟stars

Beth wakes up in hospital. She has no memory, the man at her bedside is apparently her husband.
When she heals, he takes her 'home', but 'home' is unfamiliar.
He tells her that her family in Australia won't take calls, and he restricts her outings.
Something feels wrong, he smiles, but the smile is cruel, his touch is cruel. She has to get away.

Alison Stockham knows how to tell a story that keeps the reader totally transfixed to the pages!
I knew I wouldn't be disappointed in this book. I was totally right.
Dark and Twisty, and slightly triggering, Beth turns out to be a feisty and determined woman.

I was intrigued and hooked from the first chapter.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.