The review below is already posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon as soon as it is available on June 18th.

The Widow's Husband was a very tense thriller. I was grabbed from the very beginning and within 2 chapters, I was on edge. While there were some aspects that I did not understand their placement, they were very good for background information that added to the story. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Frieda McFadden and is interested in thrillers that get a feeling like her novels. I did want more of an ending but that is also a personal preference and it did not take away from how great the book was in general.

⭐⭐⭐Arc Review⭐⭐⭐
The Widows Husband by Natasha Boydell
Release date: 18th June 2025

What would you do if the ghost of your late husband was haunting you? Well this is exactly what Maggie thinks is happening to her. After a psychic night in the local pub she's left wondering when and if he's out to get her.

Overall Maggie was a great Lead character, she had some depth and growth throughout. However I do find the pacing of being a recluse to full on go getter a bit fast.

Going into this one I was ready for a twisty psychological thriller, leave me questioning what was happening right until the end. Unfortunately I felt the story lost it's pacing in the middle. The chapters for me felt to long for a thriller, but also worked with the way the author tells Maggie's story.

The writing style reminded me of T.M Logan, K.L Slater and Fiona Barton. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy the slow paced build of a thriller, where the the twist is packed into the last 2 chapters. I would definitely read another by the author.

As always Thank you to Natasha Boydell, Netgalley and Boldwood books for the opportunity to be a Arc reader
⭐⭐⭐.5 stars

Creepy, twisty, and completely addictive! I was suspicious of everyone
At some point! Friends, neighbors, strangers, even Maggie’s husband being alive and I still didn’t see the ending coming. The romance plot with Gary added an interesting layer to all the tension and the slow unraveling of her world had me holding my breath. A chilling, gripping read that’ll leave you questioning everything!

Thank you to Boldwood Books via Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on June 8, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) will be posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (links below)

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Widow’s Husband’ written by Natasha Boydell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Now that her jealous and controlling husband Frank has died Maggie is free to leave the home where he kept her as a virtual prisoner. Fearing she’s becoming agoraphobic, she takes a walk through the village and sees a notice outside the pub advertising a psychic evening and as she’s desperate to meet people and make friends she buys a ticket. But that’s just the start of Maggie’s nightmare as the psychic tells her Frank is back and watching her, and then strange things start to happen in her home.

‘The Widow’s Husband’ is a chilling story of a woman who fears her dead husband has returned to haunt her and finds a close circle of friends, Beth, Alyssa and Gary, who are supportive of her and what she’s going through. This well-written story has an intricately woven plot, realistic characters and plenty of suspense, drama and intrigue that kept me reading in trepidation of what was going to happen to Maggie. As I reached the final chapters I thought I knew how the story was going to end, only to have the final pages throw up a twist that I wasn’t expecting and left me open-mouthed in surprise. This has been a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, my second by the talented Natasha Boydell, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more by her in the future.

This was a great book with a killer twist! It centers on Maggie, whose husband Frank has recently passed away, though she is quick to say that her marriage was not a happy one. She finally gets the nerve to put herself back out there and meet some people and regain her life. She quickly makes some friends and all is going well when creepy things start happening around her house and she is convinced that Frank is bullying her from beyond the grave to ensure she can't move on with her life.

I liked Maggie, for the most part, but felt that she went from not being able to leave the house to all of a sudden doing a bit of everything, and that felt rather abrupt; I am guessing the author just wanted to provide the background but not slow down the pacing of the book. Some of the things that happened throughout seemed like they could not be coincidences, which basically caused me to accuse every single character of being the villain at some point- I really appreciated the style of writing. The creepy stuff that happened when she was in her house was done really well, and I definitely felt Maggie's fear and confusion. When the final twist was revealed, I was totally floored- I did not see it coming at all!

Overall, this was a heart-pounding read that could have gone in a few different directions, but ultimately rachet4ed up the suspense to a really great ending. Would definitely recommend!

What a read! Could not put this down! The plot twists and speed in which things move in the story are phenomenal! Will def recommend! If fast paced, gritty, psychological thrillers are your thing…. Run to get a copy!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC is return for a honest review!

This was my first book by this author, and I was immediately intrigued by the title. After taking a glance at the blurb, I had a strong feeling this might be a story I’d really enjoy. Was I right or was I right?

We meet Maggie, a woman who hasn’t been widowed for very long and is struggling to piece her life back together. One day, she decides she’s too young to give up and makes the decision to treat this as the first day of the rest of her life. But that’s easier said than done. Apparently, something – or someone – has a different opinion about that.

We see Maggie slowly start to come out of her shell, only to be pushed back in again by the strange events that start to unfold. She begins to build a circle of friends, but increasingly starts to doubt whether she can really trust them. Her nerves are constantly on edge, and just when she thinks she’s figured things out, something else goes wrong.

Eventually, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it either, because every suspect on my list had a plausible reason why they shouldn’t be on it. So… who’s left?

Isn’t it just brilliant when an author can completely mislead you, guiding you so convincingly in a certain direction that you start to believe someone is guilty or innocent? I was convinced for a long time that someone else was the main culprit, and even when the truth came out, I was still skeptical. The real manipulator never crossed my mind. So all I can say is that the author did an excellent job.

I completely understood Maggie’s doubts about everything, because I was just as lost as she was.

And of course, as any thriller fan hopes… there was a twist. ;)

A truly enjoyable first encounter with this author and her work. 5 stars.

Thank you!

Every character in this book was on my "they did it" list. It also had me convinced the husband was still alive and tormenting his wife.
This is a twisty little page turner. It had me from beginning to end. And the ending was not what I expected at all. It was a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood for an ARC of this book.

Maggie has started venturing out of her house at last. Years of being held as a virtual prisoner by her controlling husband, Frank, she’s now free. She’s just taking little walks in the village, braving smiling at strangers, feeling delighted when they smile back.
Then, on one of her walks, she finds herself drawn to a poster in the window of the local pub, advertising an evening with a psychic. Maggie doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but decides it is the perfect place to finally meet some friends.

This is an enjoyable read with an excellent twist at the end. I enjoyed the three-dimensional characters and the story hops along nicely. I did find it became bogged down in certain sections but the story was carried forward nicely.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

I thought this would be a typical thriller but boy was I wrong!! This is a clever novel and I loved the paranormal aspect to it, it was a refreshing read, but gripping and twisty too. I really would recommend this to all

The Widow’s Husband was dark, twisty and had the right amount of dubious paranormal activity that had me hooked.

I’m not huge on haunting or ghost stories, but the plot twist in this was incredible. I truly had NO idea who the culprit was and had my mind blown when I got to the end.

It was a quick paced, edge of your seat thriller.

The cleverest thing about this book is how Maggie’s learned helplessness impacts the plot. People who have not experienced abuse may find some of her reactions and behaviour frustrating and difficult to understand, but the author has captured perfectly that strange sense of powerlessness and tendency to freeze. I thought this added to the tension which flowed through the whole plot. The inclusion of a potential supernatural angle had me questioning where this would end up and I found the last quarter of the book absolutely gripping. A terrific thriller and an author to follow, for sure.

This was my first book by Natasha Boydell, it was a great storyline. I felt it was a little bit dragged out but nonetheless a great read with a fantastic twist that I didn’t see coming! I had many a ‘conclusion’ in my head but it was not any of them, fantastic! 4/5

This is a great book from Natasha Boydell. I'm not a person who believes in spirits but even I was questioning if the husband was actually dead or not! Great plot. Highly recommend this one.

I thik the premise of this book is to never trust anyone. Not true, but wow I was not expecting the twists in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It shines a light on how someone else can completely control your life and the lives of others in such an easy way and how, sometimes, the ones we trust the most are the ones we should avoid.

This book is a masterclass in suspense, and I found myself suspicious of every character introduced—seriously, at one point, I was convinced her husband might not be dead after all!

Maggie, after years of being controlled by her husband Frank, finally emerges from her home to take small walks in her village, enjoying small interactions with people. During one of her outings, she sees a poster for a psychic event and decides to attend, hoping to make friends. However, the psychic reveals that Frank is back and has a message for her. As odd occurrences start happening, Maggie begins to question whether someone is targeting her or if Frank has somehow returned to her life.

Maggie, our protagonist, is the epitome of easygoing, though she’s not exactly the life of the party. She’s determined to embrace change, but just when she starts to find her footing, bizarre occurrences throw her off balance. I couldn’t help but put myself in her shoes, wondering how I would navigate such a tangled web of uncertainty.

There’s something undeniably frustrating about reading a book where the main character feels utterly helpless. You just want to reach through the pages, give them a good shake, and demand some answers! The story begins at a leisurely pace, but before long, it picks up speed, and I found myself racing to uncover the truth behind the chaos. The ending? Unexpected and oh-so-satisfying!

If you’re a fan of books that keep you questioning everything, where nothing is quite what it seems, and characters with layers as complex as an onion, then this one is for you. You’ll find yourself rooting for Maggie as she musters the courage to take charge of her life. It’s the perfect summer read for a rainy afternoon—just grab a cozy blanket and prepare for a delightful ride!

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Maggie's husband Frank died and she finally became a free woman! I was so excited for her when she finally left her house and made a nice group of friends until strange things began happening in her house. Was Frank still alive? Was it a ghost? I became very scared for Maggie and then she fell in love with Gary and I thought all was good. The twists and turns in this book were so well done. I thought I had figured it out but when the end came I had only figured out half of it and was shocked.

Great book by Natasha Boydell. I will be checking out other reads from this author for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Boldwood Books for this ARC.

The Widow’s Husband completely pulled me in. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in—it sounded like a psychological thriller with a hint of the supernatural, and that’s exactly what it delivered… with a few surprises along the way.

Maggie’s story broke my heart. After years of being controlled and isolated by her husband Frank, her first steps toward freedom feel so fragile and brave. I found myself really rooting for her as she tried to reclaim her life and connect with the outside world again. Her vulnerability felt real and raw, and I think that’s what made the creepy moments so effective—I was right there with her, second-guessing every sound, every shadow, every friendly face.

The psychic angle was a clever twist. I don’t usually go for anything too paranormal, but the way it was handled here kept me on edge. Is Frank really haunting her, or is someone trying to mess with her mind? I honestly didn’t know what to believe until the very end.

Why four stars instead of five? A few parts felt a little drawn out in the middle, and I wish some of the secondary characters had been developed more—especially those in the village. But overall, it was a tense, twisty read with just the right blend of suspense and emotional depth.

If you enjoy thrillers with a slow build, strong female leads, and just a dash of the unsettling unknown, The Widow’s Husband is definitely worth picking up.

I came in ready for a page-turning mind game. What I got was more of a slow exhale. Not unpleasant, but not the thrill ride I was expecting either. “The Widow’s Husband” sets the stage for something sinister, then simmers there for a long time. Tension exists, but it’s stretched thin, less like a taut wire and more like a polite unease that doesn’t always know where it’s going.

Maggie’s husband, Frank, is dead. Or so we think. One year later, she’s finally finding her footing when a psychic drops a bombshell: Frank has a message. Suddenly her world, already fragile, starts to unravel. There’s a new man in her life who radiates comforting energy, a handful of seemingly warm new friends who may or may not be trustworthy, and that one psychic whose whole vibe screams chaos in an expensive scarf.

This isn’t an Agatha Christie puzzle box. If you're looking for a tight whodunit with locked rooms and shocking reveals, this isn’t it. The mystery here is quieter, focused less on twists and more on watching a woman reassemble herself while the past claws at the door. It’s a psychological spiral wrapped in grief and disorientation, not a murder board covered in red string.

Maggie doesn’t burst onto the page with high-octane energy, but that’s not the point. She’s cautious, guarded, and processing years of manipulation. Her slow steps toward autonomy feel intentional. You can sense how much effort it takes for her to trust herself, let alone anyone else. She’s not passive. She’s careful. And while that care makes sense for her arc, it sometimes slows the plot to a crawl.

That’s the thing with this book. The story has stakes, but they rarely feel urgent. There’s a foggy, drawn-out quality to the suspense, like we’re watching everything unfold through frosted glass. It works in some moments, especially when Maggie’s uncertainty starts to infect your own, but in others, it feels like you’re just waiting for something to snap and it never quite does.

There’s atmosphere for days, and the idea of a not-so-dead husband reentering the picture is deliciously unsettling. But by the time the reveals land, they don’t hit with the impact they’re aiming for. You can feel the emotional bruises this book wants to leave, but they fade too quickly to linger.

Three stars. This isn’t a thriller that grabs you by the throat. It’s the one that circles politely, offers you tea, and then quietly rearranges your furniture while you question your grip on reality. I didn’t hate it, but I was definitely bored for a solid hundred pages. The suspense whispered. I needed it to scream. The vibes were haunting, the pacing was not. I just kept waiting for it to snap, and instead, it sighed.

Whodunity Award: For Most Likely to Be Rewritten as a Decent Miniseries on Netflix

Huge thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I came for the mystery, stayed for the mild paranoia, and left wondering if psychics now take Venmo.