When newly divorced Jude arrives in the small town of Lowbridge, she is soon drawn to widower Will, the father of her young daughter's best friend.
But Will's past is shrouded in tragedy, with questions that no one knows the answer to – and after two tragedies tore his life apart in just a few short years, gossip and rumours abound about what really happened to the women he loved.

This is an enjoyable read but there seems to be lots of characters to deal with. The story progresses at a steady pace and keeps the pages turning. I wasn't drawn to the characters although they had backstories. I have read several C L Taylor books previously but I just didn't feel that this had the punch of the others.

Wow this was so good. Fast paced (just how we like it), multiple POV & short chapters.

A group of mums have a group chat. Some are closer than others. A couple are left out of some events & baby sitting swaps but they all have their own secrets.

I couldn't put this down. The whole way through I was trying to guess what was going to happen but I didn't see the twist coming (do we ever? 🤣)
Definitely recommend this one when it is released.

An enjoyable domestic thriller.

Jude is on the outskirts of the mom group at her daughter’s school, but does she really want to be in? When everyone is keeping secrets, what is the truth?

Things slowly fall together and the truth comes out as we follow along with Jude, Sorell and Victoria, moms from the school and area. Lifestyles of the rich, and keeping up with appearances. Enjoyable and intriguing.

It’s Always The Husband is a dark read that I enjoyed from the first page to the last.
Lowbridge is a small town and Jude has just arrived with her daughter after being recently divorced. She hates the school run, she’s not in with the cool ones and gets drawn to Will, a single dad and father of her daughter’s best friend. Will’s wife died and his partner has disappeared with Will being interviewed by the police over her disappearance. Jude has tragic history of what happens when the wrong person is blamed and sets out to find out one way or another if he’s guilty or not. Add to this the daily lives of other mums in the popular group and it becomes one twisty read.
This was a book I knew I was going to love from the first page, I have loved all this authors previous work and this doesn’t falter from being a great read. The characters although quite a few, with some of them getting their own chapters it made it easy to follow who was who. The snappy chapters were good as well. The storyline was twisted and I hadn’t a clue how it was going to end but the ending was everything I hoped it would be.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks netgalley for this really good reaf by a really good author.
What’s it like to live in a wealthy area, to send your children to,private school and wait for your children to go in or out of svhool , you gossip and talk about each other unless your in the inner. Circle then it’s ok.
Jude had divorced her husband and was finding it difficult at the school gate, she felt everyone was looking and talking about her, that was until she met Will.
He was friendly and his daughter and Jude’s daughter became best friends.
Things were getting better until the woman at the gates started telling her to leave Will alone as he had one two wives one died and the other dissapeared, and they all think he killed them.
Then it good really interesting.
Great book here’s to another one by this great author,

Jude lives in the small town of Lowbridge and rather than wanting to be a part of the school mums group, she is drawn to single dad Will. Only the mums suspect Will of being involved in the disappearance of his partner, especially as there was suspicion with his first wife’s circumstances.

I always know that I will be getting a fantastic twisty read when I pick up a C.L. Taylor book and this was no exception. This was another entertaining psychological thriller that had me needing to read ‘just one more page’ and before I know it the book was finished. The story is told in the voices of multiple characters and I enjoyed discovering each one. It did take me a while to distinguish between them all however as there were a few mentioned. Even though it is a common trope, I enjoyed the gossipy school mums and the drama that came from this.

I really enjoyed discovering all the secrets and never knew who to fully trust. My mind kept changing and the author did a great job a misdirection… I was sure I had it sussed at multiple points. The last chapter was a great addition! This is another one I will be recommending, with plenty of twists and turns. I can’t wait for more. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

What a thrilling, rollercoaster ride this was. So many potential perpetrators in this story and so many twists and turns. Jude is a single parent trying to find her way but not really wishing to infiltrate herself into the clique of school mums who seem to delight in gossip. Instead she becomes friendly with a single dad, Will. Unfortunately, the school jungle drums delightfully inform her that his first wife died and his second disappeared, presumed dead. Does she listen to their warnings or make up her mind to decide for herself? Should she start a relationship with him or is she just inviting danger? The apparent leader of the school mums is Victoria who seems controlling and vindictive but is also struggling due to an impending divorce. She is not the only one who isn’t all she seems and as this complex and well woven story reveals its darkest secrets, the horrific truths threaten to destroy many lives. A clever, psychological story that has the reader continually second guessing until the final page.

"It's Always the Husband" by CL Taylor is an entertaining and gripping read that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. When Jude recently moves to the quaint village of Lowbridge, she is immediately faced with the challenges of integrating into a tight-knit community. The school gates become her new battleground as she tries to fit in with the mums and single parents, navigating the complex social dynamics.

Jude's journey takes an intriguing turn when she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Will, a single dad. As their relationship develops, Jude is soon entangled in a web of rumours and gossip surrounding Will's past relationships. The author masterfully unravels these layers, bringing to light the hidden secrets and tensions.

Each character is well crafted, adding depth and complexity to the story. The twisty plot is full of unexpected turns and revelations, making it impossible to put the book down.

This is a thrilling and captivating novel that showcases CL Taylor's talent for storytelling. The blend of suspense, character development, and an unpredictable plot makes this book a must-read. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone looking for a compelling and intriguing read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

Twisty, gripping thriller from an amazing author!!

If you are a fan of fast-paced thrillers packed with plot twists then this is for you!

This one was an easy read, written in multiple POVs and had quite a few different characters! The story line with fast paced and flowed and the ending blew me away!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

It’s Always The Husband by C L Taylor
I give this book 4 stars.

Welcome to Lowbridge. Where secrets hide behind every door. Because whilst one dead wife is tragic, two starts to look like murder . . . .

The excitement of a new engaging domestic thriller from an autobuy author for me!
Loved the school mum playground clique and the mysterious dad Will. Told from Jude, Andy, Victoria and Sorrell’s pov in alternating short chapters, the reader has to work out who’s telling the truth and who’s lying. This novel is filled with secrets, gossip, a missing person, blackmail and a murder and the writer delivers it all with an intriguing slow burn tension that doesn’t allow you to put the book aside. While reading I was doubting all the characters but the ending i didn’t see coming!
With thanks to Netgalley, C L Taylor and Avon Books UK for my chance to read and review this book.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Avon books and the brilliant author C.L Taylor for an early copy of her book to read.

My rating is 3.5 rounded to four..I enjoy reading her psychological books..this one was a slow start it took a while to get into the characters. Jude likes her daughter friends dad Will but the Gossips at the school gate think he has killed his partner as his first wife died the second disappeared is it all gossip or more to it..Victoria known as the Queen bee her ex a stalker...and sorrell her husband depressed...this read was confusing at times..looking forward to reading more of her books.

This book will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon.

In a group of mom friends, who can you trust and what can you believe? C.L. Taylor spins a fast paced twisty tale of whodunnit. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of the story. I also love a story where I can see things from different character perspectives. There were a couple times when I had to work to keep the characters straight in my head. But I loved how everything came together in the end with a satisfying conclusion. This was my first book by this author and I definitely will be looking to read more. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for allowing me to read this ARC.

A good twisty read centering around school mums in a clique.

There are a lot of characters which was initially difficult to keep track. The book is told from 3 characters perspective.

I enjoyed the short paragraphs and the ending made the book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
A fast-paced, suspenseful read with short chapters that make it hard to put down! Perfect for fans of domestic thrillers, this story unfolds through multiple points of view and keeps the tension high right up to the final pages. The ending brought everything together perfectly—I thought it was brilliant!

I've built quite the physical collection of books from this author, so when I got accepted for this one, I was rather excited!

A school mum clique, a coupe of dead wives, and a whole lot of secrets! What's not to like?!

Told through the POV from three of the school mums, Jude, Sorrell, and Victoria, you get a good mix of personalities. There's a few questionable characters and motives galore, which kept me guessing throughout the chapters!

The first little twist came around 50%, but it doesn't stop there! It definitely kept me guessing until the final few chapters 🩷

It’s always the Husband by CL Taylor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Centered around the school run and a group of mums, this psychological thriller is a gentle story with some good twists. Great characters. Who can you trust? Thanks to netgalley and Avon books for an advance copy. Published date 5 June 2025

CL Taylor is a 'must read' author for me and and I particularly enjoyed her earlier books. I was intrigued by the title but was a bit disappointed it was a 'school gates mum clique' thriller as im.just not a fan and I feel it has been done many many times. Maybe also because I'm so glad that stage of my life is over.
There were A LOT of characters to keep track of, and not all particularly memorable, and this made it harder to invest in them, especially as a lot of the mums were vile. I found the main character a bit annoying, not someone I'd want to be friends with.
However, the ending was so worth it!

Another one of my favourite authors and I was so excited to be given the opportunity to read this book before it was released! Absolutely brilliant book as always’

Thank you to the author, publishers Avon and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

Jude tries to avoid the other mums at the school gate, it’s just not her scene. Her daughter’s best friend’s widowed dad on other hand… Against her will Jude is pulled into the gossip of the “mamas” and discovers there are dark secrets hidden behind the gossipy clique.

Fun, easy-to-read thriller which kept me guessing. The story switches between perspectives of quite a few characters, but the author deftly handles that so it never gets confusing.

I would have liked a bit more development of the characters as it was pretty hard to like any of them, but the story moves at enough of a pace they didn’t grate too much.

C.L. Taylor has delivered her finest book to date and no one will change my mind! It's Always The Husband is a riveting read and one that I devoured over two sittings. With just enough characters to keep the mystery ticking over but not too many to be confusing it was a fabulous who dun it with all the bells and whistles. I could not stop reading it from the minute I picked it up, such an engaging read and one I will recommend to anyone who will listen.

This was an easy five star read for me, I loved being thrown into the life of Jude and her friends and the mystery of missing women and murder that combined for multiple twists and turns in every chapter. Add this to your TBR list immediately I know you will love it!