Freddie has been dead for ten years so when he shows up at Alexs' door she is rather shocked... Alex has remarried and now has to discover the facts..

This is a twisty psychological thriller that amazed and shocked me.
It is pacy, punchy and has more than few of OMG moments.

Well written with a unique plot I loved it..

Another great book by AJ McDine. I really enjoyed this one, well paced and easy to read. The characters were really good and I enjoyed reading about the family life. I have to admit I guessed a couple of twists but it didn’t spoil the story in any way. Overall a really good read and I definitely recommend it.

This the fourth book written by A J McDine which I have read and it will definitely not be the last one 😊
I have really enjoyed reading this book including the other ones!
I love her style of writing! Her books are always character driven and this one is no exception. It is written from the POV of two main characters - Alex and Freddie and goes back and forth to the current time and ten years back. It's fast paced and quite gripping and there is not a moment where you get bored! In fact, I was so invested in the life of the characters that it was difficult to put the book down 😀Highly recommended!
Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!!

Just wow! Another fantastic AJ McDine novel. This was fast, furious and totally captivating. A roller coaster of a ride with captivating storytelling. I loved the characters and family ties.
Thank you NetGalley, AJ McDine and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When Freddie shows up after 10 years missing, everyone is shocked—his re-married wife Alex, her best friend Gemma, his best friend Carter (who’s the new husband), and their kids. Tension mounts in this story told in time jumps between now and ten years ago. Relationships, messages, malpractice, and more are woven together into an interesting tale.

The writing was good and easy to follow. The plot was suspenseful and kept me guessing up until the very end. The story was left so that there could be a sequel, which is intriguing.

Thank you Bookouture, A J McDine and Netgalley for the eArc of The Husband Before You.

The Husband Before You is a medium paced domestic thriller that will keep you guessing. I found I was sucked in by the situation of Alex, having to experience her husbands disappearance 10 years before. Grieving and moving on, only to open the door one day to find your first Husband staring back at you! I really liked the duel timelines and the POV's which slowly pieces together what was happening between Freddie and Alice before he disappeared, much to the dismay of Carter. Alex' s Husband.

The dynamics between the main characters, Gemma who is a long standing friend of Freddie, Alex and Charter were intriguing and complex which made for a few nice twists and a great finale. A J McDine tackles some of the subjects that have been written about high stress jobs, mental health lose, grief, Post natal depression ( post partum depression ) and the complex emotions that come from these life experiences well. And more importantly, the betrayal of how these things effect everyone in the family, whether we choose to see it or not )

I flew through this book and even though, the ending maybe a little predictable for some readers, it was a tense, edge of your seat finale which had be gripped!

4.25 stars for Storygraph, 4 stars for all other review sites.

The Husband Before You is a deeply emotional and gripping novel that explores love, loss resilience and the unexpected ways life can change over a decade.
The story follows Alex and her husband Freddie who is a doctor in a small practice alongside his best friend Carter and their friend Gemma who is a nurse. Alex is struggling with two young children: a baby and a toddler and suffering from postpartum depression. Gemma, Alex’s best friend does what she can to help Alex with the children. Freddie is frustrated with Alex and himself after having a very sick patient and makes some wrong decisions. Freddie decides just to walk out and is gone for 10 years, no sign of him at all.
During that time Alex and Carter, her supportive and compassionate friend feels the bond between them deepen and she rebuilds her life with Carter. After 10 years of ups and downs Freddie walks back into her life knocking on the door one evening as Alex and Carter are leaving for an anniversary dinner.
Freddies’s absence has been a mystery leaving readers questioning his reasons and the impact of his return on those he abandoned. The novel navigates the complexities of relationships, both romantic and platonic. While addressing themes of forgiveness personal growth and second chances the dynamic between the characters is rich and compelling making the reader emotionally invested in their journeys. There are some very incredible surprises and twists along the way which will surprise the readers!
Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and A.J. McDine for an advanced copy of this book.

Ten years ago, Freddie walked out on his wife and two young daughters without a word or note, leaving Alex, who had postnatal depression struggling.

Alex is now married to Carter, who was Freddie’s best friend. They have a little boy together, called Dylan.

One person who has always been there for Alex, is her best friend, Gemma. They have been together through thick and thin since becoming friends at the age of twelve.

When Freddie turns up ten years after leaving, Alex is understandably shocked, but her and Carter let him stay with them, more for the two girls to have their dad around again.

Alex has been received strange anonymous notes for a while. Since Freddie’s return, more strange things have been happening, but who is behind them all?

I loved this psychological thriller and couldn’t put it down.

The story is told by two timelines; ten years ago, in the lead up and disappearance of Freddie, and now.

I had fun unravelling the pieces of the tale, and there were some red herrings slipped in so I did wonder if I was wrong at times.

The characters were written well, and I felt as though I came to know them fairly well. I did feel for Alex, and I liked how the author integrated postnatal depression into the story. This can be such a serious problem for new mum’s and it was handled well and sensitively.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows a woman who has rebuilt her life after the supposed death of her first husband, Freddie, ten years ago. Now, she has a loving second husband, Carter, and a happy family. But everything changes when Freddie suddenly appears at her doorstep, alive. His return is shocking enough, but when he warns her not to trust Carter, she is thrown into a whirlwind of doubt and fear.

Freddie and Carter were once best friends, so why would Freddie make such a claim? As she starts receiving mysterious threatening notes, she must figure out which man is lying her first husband, who has seemingly returned from the dead, or her second husband, whom she has trusted for years. Her life may depend on making the right choice.

It is not about the love triangle but a friendship between Alex and Gemma too. Who knows that out bestfriend will betrayed us and took what we have oneday?

Alex had it all… a nice home, beautiful children and a consultant paediatric husband. But one day he didn’t come now. Now 10yrs later she’s married to his best friend. But her first husband suddenly shows up again. Why? And in the meantime anonymous letters are arriving to the house saying the truth will come out. What truth?! This was a brilliant read from start to finish. Well paced & plotted. I read it in one sitting and didn’t expect the ending to turn out as it did. Definitely recommend. Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was very easy to devour. Full of twists that kept my mind racing all the way long unto the book.

A must to read ASAP.

Thanks netgalley for the copy. This is my honest feedback.

Absolutely incredible I read it in one very short sitting over a couple of hours, I couldn't put it down. Full of twists that had me on the edge of my seat

📚 Book Review 📚

The Husband Before You by @ajmcdineauthor 🤵‍♂️

I thought my first husband died ten years ago. But now he’s back…

When Alex’s husband, Freddie, walked out on her ten years ago, her life was turned upside down. On her own with a toddler and 3-month-old and suffering with post-natal depression, she didn’t know how she would cope on her own. That is until her husband’s friend and colleague, Carter, swept her off her feet and stepped up to become a husband and stepfather to her girls.

Fast forward ten years later, the unexpected return of Freddie upheaves Alex’s life as she tussles with her past and the precariousness of her future. But where has Freddie been?

AJ McDine, where have you been all of my life? Crafting a perfectly suspenseful narrative, an intricately weaved web of lies, and a ticking time bomb of emotions, this makes for the perfect psychological thriller. The Husband Before You features the dual POV’s of Alex and Freddie over dual timelines – before Freddie left, and when he returns. The use of the dual POV’s and timelines are intertwined so well that I was constantly betrothed in this whirlwind of a story, enjoying every twist and turn thrown my way.

The emotional depth and character dynamics that surrounded both Alex and Freddie couldn’t be overlooked and made for a poignant read. It was hard to read about Alex’s struggles with post-natal depression and Freddie’s mental health decline due to his demanding career. I could envisage McDine’s thought process and thought the topics were approached sensitively and with consideration.

The Husband Before You captures you from the first to last page and never lets you go. I promise you will struggle to put this one down.

A huge thank you to @ajmcdineauthor for reaching out and offering me an e-ARC in return for my honest review. The Husband Before You releases on 1st April 2025, so don’t be a fool and pre-order today! 😂

How would you feel if you open your front door and come face to face with the husband you thought was dead for 10 years ? Well this turns into a reality for Alex who has moved on and remarried her exes best friend.

I loved the fact that you jumped into the main plot straight away. The flashbacks are also good and not confusing. It's nice to see from Freddie's POV. This book is fast paced and full of suspense. Some of the flashbacks do feel a little pointless and filler but it doesn't take away from the book. Overall I enjoyed this book and will look forward to reading other books from A.J ! I'd rate it a 3.5 🌟

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for access to this ARC

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅, 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆...𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒎𝒆?

A completely immersive domestic thriller that will have you enthralled until the very end. Told in dual timelines going 20 years back, Alex is struggling with post-partum depression and tending to two small children; meanwhile, her husband Freddie is a pediatric doctor who is under a lot of stress himself. After a particularly grueling shift leaves him doubting his abilities not only as a doctor but also as a husband and father, Freddie simply vanishes. Alex hears nothing for ten years, so she's forced to move on. She remarries and has another child, and while getting dressed for an anniversary dinner, the doorbell rings.

It's Freddie.

Where has he been, and why has he picked this moment to return? Freddie is reticent but is adamant about one thing--and that's Alex should not trust her new husband Carter, who happens to be Freddie's former best friend.

Is your head spinning yet? There is so much more to this story, and during each flashback, I learned something new. It was so much fun putting the pieces together in this wild, twisted story. Many thanks to Bookouture for this early copy. This title is expected to publish April 1, 2025.

“One wife. Three kids. Two husbands.”
“The truth will out”
I love how strongly I feel about all characters whether they are portrayed in a positive or negative light I have such a connection to them all. It takes a great writer to evoke empathy from a reader and to make you feel genuinely angry or shocked on behalf of a written person. I couldn’t put this book down I felt like I was on the edge of my seat and I just wanted to keep reading and reading until I figure out the plot twists and got all the answers I was searching for. It was such an addictive and thrilling book. I honestly couldn’t read fast enough to get to the bottom of what happened. I would definitely recommend this book if you are starting to read thrillers!!

AJ McDine never fails to keep me guessing with her fast paced and fun thrillers. I struggled to put this book down, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger. Full of surprising twists and turns right until the very end.

Alex is finally happy again. It has been 10 years since her first husband Freddie went out one night and never came back, leaving her with 2 young daughters to care for, now she is remarried and has a new baby son. And then she answers the door and sees Freddie standing there. What the??? Where has he been all the time and why did he leave in the first place? crazy right. It gets better but I don’t want to spoil anything. You have to grab this book and settle in for a binge read.

Thanks so much to AJ McDine and Bookouture for my early copy to read. Publishes on April 1st.

In The Husband Before You, Alex’s carefully rebuilt life with her husband, Carter, is thrown into chaos when her long-lost husband, Freddie, suddenly returns. His unexpected reappearance forces her to question everything—where has he been all these years, and why now, just when she’s finally moved on? Along with struggling to make sense of Freddie’s return, anonymous notes are being sent, each carrying an ominous message. Could they be connected to him? Or is there something even more unsettling at play? The story unfolds with layers of suspense, making it impossible to predict what will happen next.

The characters are well-developed, especially Alex, whose doubts and paranoia feel incredibly real. Her emotional struggle—caught between the comfort of her present and the ghosts of her past—adds depth to the story. Themes of trust, deception, and the complexities of relationships are woven throughout, making the tension even more gripping.

This book was engaging from start to finish. The author masterfully weaves an intricate web of suspense, leading to a finale that is both unexpected and thought-provoking. The resolution ties everything together in a way that lingers long after the final page.