Wow! What a book with so many twists and turns you don’t know if you are coming or going.

Newly divorced Jude arrives in the small town of Lowbridge, and wants to make friends with the parents she meets at the school gate. She is attracted to one of the dad’s, Will, but he is shrouded in mystery after both of his previous wives died.

The book itself is fast-paced and manages to capture the situation/paint a picture of just what damage can be caused by rumours.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I love books by CL Taylor and was excited to read this, her latest book. There are a lot of female characters to get used to, all the cliques at the school gate. Callie describes them well and their traits make them all quite distinct. They seem to accurately reflect every type of mum you find.

Quite early on the stage is set, with an unsolved past disappearance bringing suspicion and accusations to the group, as newcomer Jude is brought up to speed on the gossip.

Add to that Queen Bee Victoria’s complicated and volatile marriage situation, alongside a few surprise revelations and you are set for a totally absorbing read. The pace and action are both fast and making assumptions as a reader is quite dangerous! The emotional empathy and frustration for characters switches just as quickly from one to another, leaving you wondering where the action will take you next.

The setting is perfect for this multilayered plot. Emotions are high and the twists keep coming and can I just say - I LOVED the ending!!

A new C.L. Taylor book is always a must-read for me, and It's Always The Husband was no exception. This time, the author dives into the world of "school gate thrillers" with newly divorced Jude. She's drawn to Will, a widower whose first wife died and whose second wife has vanished—an odd history that raises some immediate questions. The story is packed with multiple characters, subplots, and shocks, with Taylor's writing as sharp as ever. While the book is very good and I enjoyed it, the complex plot felt like a puzzle with a thousand pieces, where you only see the full picture at the end. I personally prefer a more straightforward mystery, but it's still a recommended read.

It’s Always The Husband by CL Taylor, when the book begins we learn about Jude who just moved so she could transfer her daughter Millie to a new school due to being bullied at the old one. Since Betsy started at her new school she’s become friends with Millie and Jude has become friends with her single dad Will. like at most schools they also have a mommy group that I Jude suspiciously until their fearless leader Victoria comes over and invites her to drinks and nibbles at her house. this is when she sees Will get beat up by the school gate and here’s Victoria yell so everyone can hear you deserve that! This is also when she meets Cyril a mom of three who’s married to Flynn and that is a whole Nother story. that night at the drink do Jude learns Will has been married twice his first wife died in an unfortunate accident and his second wife Robin went missing. Jude finds these women shallow ridiculous and a bit much to take and decides to leave early but she also really really likes Will and after her own tragic childhood believes him to be innocent as she knows what could happen when the innocent gets accused of something horrible. There will be many revelations during the investigation of Robin going missing but not all of them are uncovered by Jude. Through the wrongdoing of others their secrets come out and although they shed light on Wills missing wife it won’t be until three of the most unlikeliest of the mom’s come together and compare notes. There is way much more in this book than I put in this review just know this is one of the best thrillers I have read a while it is twisty and once again the ending is unrecognizable from the beginning. Not everyone makes it out alive nor do their marriages. This was such a super great book I can’t believe I have only read one other book by this author she really seems to have oodles of talent when it comes to writing a twisty thriller. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #CLTaylor, #It’sAlwaysTheHusband,

As a reader, you always know you're in safe hands with a CL Taylor books and It's Always the Husband is no exception.

This is classic CL Taylor and once I started reading, I found I was unable to put it down!

A fabulous gripping page turner that keeps you guessing to the end and even then did you guess correctly? I don't like reading the same incident from different people's points of view for me it does get repetitive.

Set in the eerie small town of Lowbridge, this atmospheric suspense novel follows newly divorced Jude as she becomes entangled in the mysterious and tragic past of widower Will. Drawn to him despite the town's sinister whispers of murder and long-buried secrets, Jude's quest for the truth quickly turns personal as she confronts her own painful history. With tension simmering beneath the town’s quaint surface, the story explores how grief, gossip, and guilt can warp reality—and how far someone will go to protect those they love. A chilling and emotionally layered tale of trust, redemption, and the danger lurking in plain sight.

A tightly paced domestic murder mystery. Newcomer single mum Jude is warned off single dad Will by the gaggle of judgemental mothers on the school run. Not only did his first wife die suspiciously but his second partner is missing. Jude's search for the truth reveals the darkness beneath her community's surface. Delivers twists aplenty.

Another good read by C.L Taylor, but I didn't enjoy it as much as previous ones. I think I took way too long to read this one!
The story jumps from different character POVs and the story slowly all comes together at the end, with lots of twists along the way.
I look forward to reading C.L Taylor's next book!

It's always the husband... or is it... or whose husband?

C.L. Taylor's books are always a wild ride! You know you won't be disappointed when you pick one up. They always grab you from the beginning and keep you guessing until the end. This one was another great read with a surprise ending!

Don't tell anyone your secrets, even your friends, because it can bite you in the butt!

This story is about missing people, tons of secrets, and some messed-up friends.

C.L. Taylor’s It’s Always the Husband is a sharp, twisty domestic thriller that pulls you straight into the small-town world of gossip, judgment, and suspicion. Jude, newly divorced and eager for a fresh start with her daughter, finds herself drawn to Will—another single parent at the school gates. But Will comes with baggage: two dead wives and a community full of whispers about what really happened to them.

As Jude tries to separate fact from rumour, Taylor cleverly layers the perspectives of different parents, exposing the politics and power struggles that simmer beneath the surface of seemingly polite small-town life. The short chapters and shifting viewpoints keep the pace fast, the tension taut, and the reader second-guessing every character.

Taylor excels at creating believable, flawed people who feel like they could be living down your own street. The claustrophobic school-gate drama mixed with darker secrets builds into a suspenseful, unsettling story that grips from the first page. Just when you think you know the truth, another twist blindsides you.

It’s Always the Husband is domestic noir at its best—gossipy, tense, addictive, and impossible to put down.

C L Taylor is back with a new twisty thriller, this time following Mum Jude, who finds herself strangely drawn to the Dad of her daughter’s new best friend. Through gossip with the other Mums, Jude learns about Will’s past – two tragedies and two dead wives in a short space of time. Jude soon finds that rumours are flying everywhere, what really happened to his wives, could it have been murder?

I always really enjoy C L Taylor’s books, and this was no exception. It was fast paced, gripping, and had a really interesting plot. I raced through this book in a few sittings. I don’t think I’ve ever guessed the ending to a C L Taylor book, and yet again, the surprise twist was absolutely not what I expected. This is definitely an entertaining read, and there were definitely a few spine-tingling moments that had me glued to the page.

Taylor’s characters are really interesting, and I enjoyed the way Taylor depicted the school gossip mill and the way this can affect people, especially if they are on the outside of the clique. The characters were compelling, and I enjoyed exploring their backstories. I did find Victoria to be a bit on the annoying side and was less invested in her story. Overall, I thought this was a really entertaining and engaging read, so if you’re looking for a fun thriller, definitely check out It’s Always the Husband!

I adore this author's work and this novel is no exception. In fact, it might be her best yet.

Jude is new to the area and thrilled when her daughter Betsey makes friends with with Milly.

Will, Milly's Father is and Jude become close immediately with an obvious mutual attraction.

Jude knows that she shouldn't sleep with him, a man that she barely knows. But she can't help herself.

She gets immediate judgement from the other Mother's, they are all suspicious of Will. His first wife died, and his previous partner Robyn is missing, presumed dead.

Jude doesn't want to believe that Will had anything to do with either of these tragedies, but the close knit Mother's group that Jude can't quite penetrate does.

Then suddenly she is let into the inner circle but quickly determines that these are people she does not wish to associate with. They are not her kind of people, she doesn't like the way that they talk about Will and his presumed guilt.

But they shouldn't be so judgemental because none of them are innocent and they all have secrets that they want to remain hidden.

Thank you Avon Books UK, C .L Taylor and Netgalley for the eArc of It's Always the Husband.

Having read a few of C L Taylor's books in the past, I was excited to be approved for Its Always the Husband. This book is a very engaging, twisty, medium paced domestic thriller. Surrounding Jude, a newly divorced lady who moved to Lowbridge and is soon drawn to widowed man, Will. Having befriended a group of couples, Whispers begin around the death of Will's wife and Jude is forced to start uncovering the truth. And not just Will's. I loved the character development of all the characters who felt real, flawed and well built and because the narrative is pretty much set in a small town, it has a clausaphobic feel. As the narrative unfolds, you are taken on a psychological turns where everyones secrets come out to get to Jude and Will's truth.

I also listened to the audiobook and Clare Corbett narrated. I love her voice and have listened to the books she's narrated in the past. She has a great storytelling voice and a pleasure to listen to.

4 stars

All Jude wants is a fresh start for herself and her daughter, so after her divorce she moves to the small town of Lowbridge. It's not easy being the newest member of this seemingy close knit community, and she soon finds herself getting close to Will, the father of her daughter's best friend.
But soon she hears rumours that the loss of not one but two of his wives is surrounded in mystery - what really happened to them?
Will however isn't the only one with secrets, other families are also trying hard to keep their own buried - but for how long will it last, and how do all their stories link together?
Jude tries her best to believe everything Will has told her, but others are hell bent on exposing him - what else will Jude uncover in this seemingly sleepy town where everyone is hiding something?

This book was brilliant, but I expected nothing less from Cally, as every other book of hers I've devoured and really enjoyed! She is excellent at creating twists and turns that you just don't see coming, and building the story up to the big finish at the end. I loved how this story is told from different POV's but still holding on to the mystery and suspense of what is going to happen next. Loved it!

From the very first chapter, C.L. Taylor drops us into the everyday yet charged atmosphere of the school run at Saint Helena’s Primary in the village of Lowbridge. The setting is instantly relatable – cliques forming at the gates, whispers passing between parents, and the hum of small-town gossip. Into this environment walks Jude, a newcomer with her daughter Betsy, quickly befriending Millie, the daughter of Will Ledger. Soon, Will finds himself the centre of playground speculation, and the air is thick with questions no one will voice aloud.

I’ve been a devoted reader of C.L. Taylor’s novels for years, and this one delivers exactly what I love about her writing: a brisk pace, sharp observations of human behaviour, and enough twists to keep you constantly second-guessing. The story is layered with intrigue, and while the cast of characters is large, each adds to the tension and sense of community politics. There were moments I had to pause and remind myself who was who, but that didn’t lessen the pull of the plot.

This is a compelling, well-paced read that blends domestic drama with mystery in a way that feels both real and addictive. Fans of C.L. Taylor will not be disappointed, and if you’re new to her books, this is a strong place to start.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest, unbiased review.

#ItsAlwaysTheHusband #NetGalley You just know that any bo9ok from C.l. Taylor is going to be a cracker and this one was no exception! It will have you hooked from the first page. I'm not usually a fan of stories told from different points of view but this one worked perfectly. Plenty of action and twists and turns, I loved the fact that the chapters are short which encouraged me to keep reading way into the night!! Definitely a 5 star winner!!

C.L. Taylor always delivers
Another brilliant book
Will have you hooked from the very first page
It will have you guessing till the end
Thanks Netgalley

Another gripping psychological thriller I stayed up late to read. This time centred around a group of school mums who are close knit but hiding secrets. Newly arrived Jude has a fling with a widower but soon discovers he's lost another partner after his wife died in suspicious circumstances and now the rest of the village suspects he killed them both. It's Always The Husband.... Isn't it?

This story makes me glad I don't have to be in a mum clique, as cosy as it might be I can't stand lies and gossip! As we find out more about each character we learn everyone has their secrets and a possible reason to kill 😮

This is my third book by @cltaylorauthor and it definitely won't be my last!

Jude moves to a new town with her daughter Millie . Millie has a new boyfriend and his father Will might be a murderer! From the very start this book kept you suspicious of Will . Why did his first wife die? As Jude falls for Will she needs to uncover the truth about Will to protect herself and her daughter. Is Jude next on Will's list? This book kept me flying thru to get to the end! So GOOD!