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!!!

Had me on the edge of my seat all the way through and at one point I forgot to breathe. A really enjoyable read that i couldn't put down

First of all, hank you for the ARC. Natasha Boydell did not disappoint! It was nail-biting to the end. Let me guessing throughout the whole book! Highly enjoyed this book!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book—it’s a slow burn in the beginning, but once it picks up, it does not let go. And honestly? It’s one of the creepiest things I’ve read in a while.

Maggie is finally starting to live again after years of being emotionally trapped by her controlling husband, Frank. Now that he's gone, she’s taking small steps—little walks, talking to strangers, trying to feel normal.

But one evening, she walks past a poster in the village pub. It’s advertising a psychic night. Maggie doesn’t believe in that kind of thing—but it feels like the perfect excuse to get out and meet people. So she goes.

What she doesn’t expect is the psychic telling her that Frank—her dead husband—has a message for her.

From that moment on, things start to get strange. Lights flicker. Doors open. Maggie begins to feel like she’s being watched. Is someone targeting her? Or has Frank really found a way back?

Every character had me suspicious. Every moment made me question what was real. The atmosphere Natasha Boydell creates is so unsettling—that low-level dread builds and builds until it completely takes over.

She’s such a skilled writer. The way she balances the psychological and the supernatural makes the story feel grounded, but still gives you that spine-tingling, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck kind of fear.

And just when I thought I had it figured out? There’s a twist. And then—another one.

If you’re into psychological fiction with an eerie, ghostly undertone… this book will absolutely get under your skin. Creepy, clever, and so well-written—Natasha Boydell is definitely one to watch.

A good read. Different than what I typically read but i was able to get into the story and enjoyed the book.

Title: The Widow’s Husband
Author: Natasha Boydell
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pub Date: June 18, 2025
My Rating: 4.3. Stars!
Pages 352

Fifty-one year old Maggie Rossi has recently become a widow after thirty years. She has started to venture out of her house after years of being held as a virtual prisoner by her controlling abusive husband, Frank.
She finally feels free. And enjoys walks in her neighborhood.
One day on a one of her walks, she sees a poster in the window of the local pub, advertising a dinner evening with a psychic. Maggie doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but decides it might be fun plus a place to meet some friends.
She purchases a ticket and is seated at a table and meets Beth a woman about her age whose husband recently passed. The others at the table are also friendly.
When Zara the Psychic enters the room she walks slowly around the room. She approaches a table and tells the woman that her sister wants her to stop feeling guilt about what happen as – it wasn’t her fault. She finishes by saying she is sorry about stealing her clothes where she was younger especially the red dress. The girl laughs and states – I knew that was her!
When she approaches Maggie table Zara tells her “Your husband is here” - He wants you to know that the back door key is in the plant pot. Maggie nearly laughs as it certainly wasn’t something she expected and she knows the key is in the kitchen drawer.
Maggie rushes home to see if the psychic is correct. She checks the plant post knowing it once contained a plant now odds & ends – a matchbox, used batteries, business cards – no key. As she starts to put the pot back decides to thrown out the contents and dumps it and sees the key at the bottom.
Soon is convinced that Frank is haunting her.

I have only read one other Natasha Boydell thriller - " The Doll’s House]"and it was a Wow read! Had my head spinning!
I love psychological thrillers and trying to figure them out is always a fun challenge.
Ms. Boydell writes stories that have twists and turns and reveals that leave me saying ~ I DID NOT see coming!!!

In this case, I truly was expected the twist and yes! Natasha Boydell did not disappoint!

Want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for granted me this great thriller.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for – June 18, 2025.

Maggie is now on her own her husband has died. she has not left the house she has become a recluse until one day she decides she needs to start living she takes a walk and sees there a Psychic supper in the pub, and she pushes herself to go, and that night she makes friends. and starts to live again but Maggie starts to think she has a ghost her husband as things start to happen, she is scared. it's a very addictive read so recommend.

I really enjoyed this book! It is psychological fiction with a superbly supernatural slant - a combination I haven’t really come across before, but one that absolutely works!!

Maggie is recently widowed. After decades of being gaslighted by abusive husband Frank her confidence is at rock bottom. Determined to get herself back ‘out there’ and reclaim her life, she makes the brave decision to attend a ‘psychic dinner’ at the village pub. While the event gives her the desired result - a new friendship group, she gets a little more than she bargained for as the psychic gives her a spooky message from her recently departed Frank!

In this utterly fantastic tale, what follows is for Maggie, seriously terrifying as unexplained happenings at her cottage leading her to wonder if she is being tormented from beyond the grave, or someone closer to home with a grudge!

All in all a great read I thoroughly recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

I received a copy of this book through net galley on exchange for an honest review.

I found this book an easy read, but the story was slow and I wasn’t captivated. I had predicted the ending before I got there.