A decent psychological thriller but I found it lost its way about a third of the way through, there was just too much emphasis on the paranormal. It definitely picked up in the final third and there were twists that I did not see coming, along with the classic red herrings to make you think you had worked it all out. The over emphasis on the paranormal is just a personal view and shouldn’t detract from how you could see this being something that could happen and how complicated people’s lives are.

This book had hella plots twists and I loved every single one!

Maggie marries young and stays in a loveless, abusive relationship that takes a toll on her mind and soul. Her husband tragically died but is he really gone?! A visit with a psychic proves to be more eye opening than she could have imagined.

Thankful for friends, Maggie moves on despite feeling haunted by her past. But are the friends really in her corner? She has to learn who to trust and fast before she drives herself mad.

That ending had me in a chokehold! So, so good!!

i love books like this! they literally pull you in, sit you down, strap you in and dont let you go until the end. you know you need to put the book down, you know you need to end at this chapter. but then you get to that end of chapter and it leave you with "no way. no that didnt" or "wait what" moments that you need to keep reading, i never believed in one sitting books until i started finding book exactly like this one.
Maggie's husband is dead. and that makes her free. for decades he has destroyed her life and destroyed her. the abuse took everything from her, mostly her sense of self. and now she knows she can leave the house, she can have a job, she can go out and meet people. she was never allowed friends before. shes got her freedom but it doesnt come easy. and she still feels lost within herself and this new world presented to her. because he took everything and scraped it back to nothing. so how does she possibly get it back.
whilst on a brave walk outside she sees a flyer for a psychic supper at a pub nearby. she thinks this might just be what she could use to meet people. and this night does give her just that as she meets a new group of people.
but she still feels unsettled. strange things are happening. she doesnt feel alone. she is fearful her husband is back. but how can that be?
and more things start to happen. not least when she brings a friend into her life and home. is Frank angry with her. does she think she is breaking his rules?
a page turner indeed this was. it leaves you questioning everything. and you too find yourself questioning the sanity of our poor Main character. i felt so bad for her. noone at the end of abuse should then feel like they are going through it all over again, or might be. and i felt this was actually a really great depiction of how even if the victim flees. there is alot more to being free. if they ever can be. a book that was both gripping as it was thought provoking.

The Widow’s Husband by Natasha Boydell tells the haunting story of Maggie, a woman finally free after years of control and abuse by her late husband, Frank. After his death, Maggie begins to tentatively step back into the world, taking small walks and even attending a psychic evening at the local pub. Although sceptical, Maggie is drawn by a desperate hope to find connection and perhaps answers to the strange occurrences around her.

As Maggie makes new friends and starts rebuilding her life—with a dog for companionship and a tenant in her spare room—the unsettling events in her home escalate. Mysterious noises, broken objects, and the scent of Frank’s aftershave raise chilling questions. Is Frank’s presence truly supernatural, or is there someone else with darker intentions?

Boydell crafts an atmospheric and compelling tale of survival, fear, and the struggle to reclaim a life shattered by abuse. The story is an easy and absorbing read, with a good pace and enough suspense to keep the pages turning. It balances moments of warmth and friendship with genuine tension, making it a satisfying experience for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with emotional depth.

3.5/5.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A thriller that will keep you up all night. Fantastic characters with twists and turns like a roller coaster. Loved it!

I was given an ARC to give an honest review. These are my words and opinion.

Maggie lived most of her adult life chasing the feeling she had when she first met Frank in the shoe store that she worked at. She immediately knew she loved him and hated when he left and did not return. The day he returned, she professed her love to him and he invited her to move to London with him. Everything changed after that. Frank for thirty years degraded Maggie, abused her, controlled what she did and made sure she felt like she was nothing. He locked her in the house when he left after accusing her of cheating, he would not let her leave alone and he isolated her. The day he died, she was free.

After Frank died however, Maggie continued to hid in the house. Eating way too much and believing all of the things that Frank has said about her. Finally however, she gets mad enough to leave the house and go for a walk. To embrace the freedom that she now has. On this walk, she sees a flyer for a Psychic Supper and decides maybe this would be a great way to meet people in her town. Maggie has another reason for attending too though, she feels like she is being watched, like Frank is still there in the house somehow. The psychic supper will either confirm this, or she will meet some new people. She does meet some new people in fact! She becomes friends with Beth, Alyssa and Gary while at the supper, where the psychic gives her an unnerving message.

The house hauntings are now getting worse. Smashed objects. The smell of Frank's cologne. Things getting moved around, and after she adopts a dog, the dog also seems to sense things. Maggie goes through all of these struggles with the support of her friends. Gary rents a room from her to help her feel safe, but to also get out of his sons and daughter-in-laws way after a new addition to the family. But as soon as Gary moves in, things get even worse at the cottage!

The Widow's Husband was a super quick read that I actually really enjoyed. I wish this has been made to read a little more scary then it was, as I had such potential to be a horror read, and I think I would have liked it even more then. Towards the end there are two rather big plot twists, but neither are all that surprising. If you are looking for a quick and easy read, this is for you!

(This books is set to be released on June 18, 2025. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC read in exchange for my honest review.)

I’m always a fan of a thriller that makes me wonder “can a house really be haunted?”

Well if the answer is no then how else can Maggie explain the bizarre events that begin as soon as she tries to move on after the death of her husband? A key moving locations (that a psychic brought to Maggie’s attention!), bowls breaking, doors slamming, the scent of her deceased husband’s aftershave, sudden changes in temperature, doors left open, and her new rescue dog seemingly growling and barking at nothing - Maggie is certain that her abusive husband has come back to make her life miserable once again.

As Maggie tries to heal from her past and pave a way for her future, she relies on a small group of new friends she’s made in the village she’s lived in for three years. They all seem kind, supportive, and well intentioned but rumors abound in a small village making Maggie wonder if she is as stupid and useless as her husband always told her she was.

I’ve read almost all of Natasha Boydell’s books and I feel they continue to get better and better! This was another four star, thrilling, engaging, engrossing read that I had to finish once I started it! I sincerely was hooked from the prologue and the chills it gave me!

Thank you NetGalley, Natasha Boydell, and Boldwood Books for providing this edge-of-my-seat thriller in exchange for a review! This book is scheduled to release June 18, 2025.

The Widow’s Husband is a page turning psychological thriller. The prologue draws you in right away. The story is fast paced a little creepy at times with twists and turns and keeps you guessing.


Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

First, thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

I am a fan of Natasha Boydell since reading The Doll's House last year, so I did a little happy dance when being approved to read this title early, as well.

This time, we need Maggie, who finally managed to break free from her controlling husband Frank - that seems to be a trope used often in thriller stories, but really, I do not mind. Anyway, for a while, things are fine. But then a psychic tells Maggie that Frank found her. The peaceful times are over, and Maggie has to ask herself what could Frank do if it is really true that he has found her again....

Also I am not reading supernatural thrillers a lot - it is more a genre I enjoy when watching movies - but I did devour this book! Very well done again, Natasha! Highly recommended!

This was so freaking good everyone should read this!! I couldn’t put it down I needed to know what happened

The widows husband review - 18th June

This is the second book I have read by Natasha Boydell and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fast paced from the outset and I read it in one sitting. It kept me intrigued and wanting to know more. It is full of twists and turns aswell as shocks and surprises.
I found all the characters to be realistic and I liked them all. I really felt Maggie's anxiety throughout the book which added to the turmoil her character was really going through.

I also really liked the supernatural and paranormal build up in this. It gave me goosebumps at several points.

I would have put it at 5 stars but I felt the ending and the resolve was quite abrupt. I wanted a little bit more from it.

(Thank you to Boldwood Books, Natasha Boydell and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is due to be released on June 18, 2025.)

Maggie's controlling husband dies and she is finally free, she starts to take walks and venture out on her own. she finds things moved around at her house and thinks the ghost of her husband is haunting her. a real page turner.

OOOH CREEPY!!!
This book kept me glued all the way through.
I thought I had guessed what was happening who ? And why? I was wrong!!. This made the hairs on my arms stand up in parts, it gave me the chills!. First book by this author and now need to read her other books. I couldnt get enough of it and was sorry when it ended, Definitely worth a read .

A gripping thriller with twists and turns. Didn’t expect the ending. Love Natasha's writing and can't wait for more

Wow, what a book! I thought I had it all figured out, but the ending totally caught me off guard. Didn’t see that coming at all. I really liked how it mixed thriller vibes with some supernatural stuff. Definitely recommend!

4/5 Stars

Creepy, twisty, and totally bingeable—I flew through this one in a day!

The Widow’s Husband follows Maggie, who’s finally starting to reclaim her life after years of being controlled by her terrifying husband, Frank. She’s just beginning to go on little walks, talk to people again, and feel like a person. But then… boom. She visits a psychic on a whim and hears the last thing she ever expected: Frank is back. Or at least, his spirit is. Maybe.

What follows is a tense psychological thriller full of paranoia, eerie happenings, and that delicious “is she losing her mind or is something really going on?” energy. There were moments where I definitely questioned everything—and that’s exactly what made it so fun to read.

Maggie is such a compelling character. You really feel for her—her fear, her cautious hope, her struggle to trust herself again. The sense of isolation and dread builds slowly, then all at once, and just when you think you know where it's going, it veers off into “Wait, WHAT?!” territory.

Was it scary? Not in a horror way. But it definitely gave me goosebumps a few times, especially when the past started creeping in at the edges. And the ending? Let’s just say I thought I saw it coming—and then I absolutely did not.

This story was very easy to read and fast paced. It gave me creeps while reading some parts. I felt like I had some idea of how the ending was going to go, but none of my theories were right. In a way it almost felt like too many things were suspicious. I found it a little annoying how the FMC was very gullible, and didn't really dive deep into things. Overall it was a fast read and enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

Wow! What an exciting read. Full of suspense, tension, surprises, twists and shocks! Absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down, brilliant!

When Maggie’s husband Frank died, she became a free woman. For thirty years, he degraded her, controlled her, abused her and made her feel inhuman. After his heart attack, she spent weeks in their home, not knowing what to do. She hadn’t been allowed to leave the house without him, wasn’t allowed to have a job, her family is all gone, and Frank isolated her from her friends years ago. She’s happy he’s gone, but in general, she’s not happy at all.

After living on food delivery and losing her mind being alone, one day she finally finds the nerve to go out. While on a walk, she sees a flyer for a psychic supper coming up at a nearby pub, and she decides to go. At worst, the psychic will tell her that her husband is haunting her - she feels like she’s being watched, and can’t escape the feeling that Frank is still around. At best, she’ll meet some people…and that’s exactly what happens. Beth, Alyssa and Gary were all there alone as well, and the four soon became a group of good friends.

The problems at her house are only getting worse, though. Things are being moved around and broken. She smells Frank’s aftershave at strange times. She’s gotten a dog (something Frank never allowed) and he is often staring at unseen things and growling. She can’t afford to move, though; when Frank died, Maggie found out they were broke. So broke, they were in major debt, and he hadn’t been paying his life insurance premiums so she was left with nothing. When Gary’s daughter-in-law gives birth and she and his son move into his house to save money, an idea began to brew. Maggie lets Gary rent out her spare room in exchange for having someone around the house to help her feel safe.

Though the relationship is strictly platonic, as soon as Gary moves in, things begin to escalate. More things are broken. The house is always freezing, and the electricity is doing weird things. Maggie can never forget Frank once telling her if she cheated on him, he’d kill her. Does Frank consider this man living in their home cheating? Is he mad that she now has a job, some friends, a dog and a life?

This book was an easy page-turner, and quite enjoyable, but it’s going in the popcorn thriller category for me. That’s not a negative thing - quite often it’s what I’m in the mood for, but this book could have been made much more scary/creepy/graphic and I think I’d have liked it better. There were two big twists at the end, but neither really surprised me. This is a quick, entertaining read though! 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Boldwood Books, Natasha Boydell and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on June 18, 2025.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Since Frank passed away, Maggie has become a hermit in her own home and does not want to leave the house. Finally one day she decide enough is enough and she ventures outside for a walk. On one of her walks, she notices a poster on a local pub window advertising for an event with a Psychic and she decides to attend the event. Maggie is enjoying the evening and likes meeting new people and make new friends. That is until the psychic approaches her and tells her Frank is back. Then strange things start to happen in her home and she is getting calls in the middle of the night and no one on the other end. I enjoyed this thriller and just when you thought you had it figured out, you don't ....... Enjoy!!!