This is the story that so many need to read and understand. Eliza was a childhood prodigy pianist, although it made her childhood stressful. Richard, and their daughter, Mara. Richard who was studying to become a lawyer but set everything aside to assist Eliza or at least that is the story he tells. She hasn't played the piano for years, as she now dedicates her life to her husband trying to express her gratitude and improve their marriage. Richard is a playwright who is offered a prestigious job in Dublin, uprooting his family from England away from any friends and family Eliza might have had. Eliza plays the role of a supportive wife, even though she is seething with resentment, so when she receives a suggestive photo of Richard with another woman, she turns to a mysterious marriage therapist, Ellen Early, for help. Some of the mysterious "solutions" provided by this therapist will have many shaking their heads but how many times is it easier to look from the outside in rather than the inside of a situation. You can give everything but it will never be enough fo rthe wrong person. Many thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
3.5 ⭐️ while I enjoyed the overall story in this marriage gone wrong storyline, it was just a bit odd how it all played out.

Eliza Sheridan is at her wits' end with her husband, Richard. Not only did he uproot her and their daughter Mara's lives for his career, but he also hasn’t honored the one thing he promised before moving to that he’d make more time for his wife and daughter.

So when Eliza receives an anonymous photo of Richard with another woman, she's just about ready to file for divorce. As a last resort, she pays a visit to a marriage therapist, Ms. Early, who Eliza quickly learns is a bit…alternative in her approach. As their sessions unfold, Ms. Early spurs her on to commit a series of vengeful acts against Richard—each more bizarre than the last—all in the name of “re-training” her husband. But when therapy takes a risky turn, suspicions grow and alliances shift... How far is Eliza willing to go to save her marriage?

The Marriage Vendetta is a fun and entertaining read about Eliza, a former concert pianist and current SAHM who has a marriage that is falling apart.

When she starts seeing a marriage therapist with some questionable suggestions, making friends with other moms, and spying on her husband, things get very unique and interesting!

Overall, this was a fun read. It was slow to start and then picked up at the end. It takes place in Dublin and I loved the audiobook!

I did enjoy this book but it was not what I thought it was going in. It was promoted as a dark funny feminist novel. It was drama filled but not comedic. I stayed intrigued throughout the novel but again not comedy, more domestic drama and a little mystery. Although there are feminist themes especially at the end, I don't find I would describe it as that either.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers with a main character uncovering who her husband really is and finding herself again then you will like thus book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Halequin Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook access.

Well this was a bit disappointing. The concept sounded like it would be a fun, perhaps dark humor type of book but I didn’t really find it humorous at all. The marriage therapist was only a small part of the overall story and actually felt out of place with everything else happening. I feel like Eliza could have ended up exactly where she was without the “interventions” of the therapist. The story was a bit unfocused and it seemed like the author couldn’t decide if she wanted to focus on the dynamics between the moms/husbands or Eliza and this therapist. I listened to the audiobook and it went very quickly. The narrator fit the story with her lovely Irish accent. The one thing about the audiobook that I hated was the incorrect pronunciation of some Yiddish words. I guess if you want a quick beach read this could work but it wouldn’t be my first recommendation.

Eliza is a musical prodigy ever since she was young. Her father taught her how to play and wanted her to be famous because that was also his dream although unfulfilled.

Eliza felt like she was trapped and overworked so she and Richard decided to escape her father and decided to get married.

Fast forward many years, Eliza and Richard are still married and now with a daughter, Mara.
Eliza stopped playing the piano to take care of her daughter Mara and became a stay at home mom.

One day at home while she was in her husband's office, she found a picture of her husband with another woman. She didnt know who the other woman was and it became an obsession to find out if her husband was cheating or not.

Tropes: Cheating, scandals, betrayal

Eliza really deserved better. She gave up everything for her husband but all he did was take her for granted and gaslight her every time they had a fight. Her time with the marriage counselor felt like it was a trap. There was a feeling that she was going to be backstabbed and I was right! I'm glad at the end, Eliza was able to figure it all out, stand her ground, and not let Richard gaslight her anymore.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this copy of the The Marriage Vendetta audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to fifty percent of this book and could not get into it. I will not be finishing it. It took too long to get into the story.

3.5 Stars. The Marriage Vendetta was a fast-paced, fun read that had me hooked from the very beginning. I loved the main character, Eliza—her humor and sass made her incredibly relatable and entertaining. While the story kept the action moving with twists and turns, what I appreciated most was the deeper journey of Eliza finding herself. Beneath the witty banter and high-stakes plot, this was ultimately a story about self-discovery and empowerment.

The narrator was absolutely fantastic and brought Eliza’s personality to life in such a vivid and engaging way. She made the audiobook experience even more enjoyable. If you’re looking for a smart, snappy story with heart, this one delivers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for my advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Marriage Vendetta is a fast-paced, drama-filled read with plenty of twists, but it leans heavily into soap opera territory. Caroline Madden creates a world of wealth, betrayal, and long-held grudges, which can be entertaining if you’re in the mood for a high-stakes emotional rollercoaster. The premise is intriguing—a marriage built on revenge—but the characters often feel more like plot devices than fully developed people. While the story delivers on tension and scandal, it sometimes sacrifices depth for shock value. A fun, escapist read, but not one that lingers after the final page.

The Marriage Vendetta is a wickedly clever, darkly funny debut that had me laughing out loud and cheering for its fierce and fabulous heroine. Eliza is a standout lead—strong, witty, relatable, and refreshingly human as she navigates motherhood, betrayal, and a therapy journey like no other. Watching her grow more confident and take back control of her life was deeply satisfying.

The supporting characters, though often unlikeable and scheming, kept the tension high and the twists coming. The plot is fresh and full of surprises, blending sharp feminist commentary with outrageous humor and genuine emotional depth. Flora Montgomery’s narration brings the story to life beautifully, capturing both the absurdity and the vulnerability at its heart. A wildly entertaining and empowering listen for anyone who’s ever felt under-appreciated —or just in need of a little revenge therapy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Marriage Vendetta by Caroline Madden (audiobook)

This was such a fun ride!! It was sharp, unique, and brimming with dark humor and gloriously messy emotions. I loved how different it felt from a typical romance or domestic drama. It’s definitely not the kind of story where everything gets tied up neatly with a bow, and I appreciated that complexity… even if I did wish the epilogue had offered just a bit more closure. Still, the audiobook was absolutely fabulous, engaging narration that made the twists hit even harder. A perfect pick if you’re craving something a little wicked and a lot unhinged.

Loved this book! If you are looking for once happy marriage has fallen apart, wife finds path to rekindle true love, and feel all the feelings, this is not it.

Eliza, a concert pianist-stay at home mom, and Richard, and up and coming playwright, have not been on the same page for a long time, and Eliza is finally doing something about it. Her therapist has a unique twist on marriage therapy: it only involves Eliza. As Eliza commits to the unique prescribed therapy, she crosses more lines than she intends to until she wonders if she is saving or sinking her marriage.

I couldn't put this book down. It's full of truth about marriage with plenty of dark humor and had me cheering for Eliza and her self-realization ALL the way through.

This book was juicy, full of dark humor, and just the right amount of unhinged. Eliza’s slow-burn spiral into revenge had me hooked, and I loved the mix of sharp wit, domestic drama, and chaotic therapy sessions. It’s giving “momfluencer meets Gone Girl” and I was here for it.

Flora Montgomery absolutely nailed the narration. Her delivery brought Eliza’s sarcasm, unraveling sanity, and emotional highs and lows to life. Some parts felt a little rushed, but overall? A wild, binge-worthy ride from start to finish.

Eliza Sheridan has uprooted her family to a new country for her husband’s work (a playwright) with the promise things will get better with this move. It is not long before she discovers it is going to get much worse.

After receiving scandalous photos of her husband she receives an anonymous referral to a marriage counselor- things quickly take a weird turn.

This novel has twists and turns and dark humor - never quite sure what will happen next - quite different from my reads but enjoyed every minute of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early review of the book

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read! The narrator did an amazing job bringing this story to life!

What a fun & refreshing story! I was worried that the "naive wife and cheating husband" premise in the description would be boring - it's a pairing that we've seen time and time again - but this book surprised me at so many turns. At times, Eliza could be annoying with her timidness and insecurities, but it wouldn't be the same story if she weren't that way.

I love a story with a good plot twist, and there was no shortage of them here. Right up until the very end, this story had me second-guessing myself on who did what.

5 STARS! I will definitely be recommending to friends!

Interesting twists and turns and a lot of laughing out loud. I probably shouldn't admit to liking this book, but I did!

Let me just say—what a debut! Caroline Madden came in swinging with The Marriage Vendetta, and I was hooked from page one. This book is funny, edgy, and twisted in all the best ways.

Told in first person (which made it feel so intimate and immersive), this domestic drama delivers on every level:
🎭 Misunderstandings, gaslighting, finger-pointing
🎶 A cheating scandal with a twist
🎒 Snooty school moms and simmering secrets
💥 One very unorthodox therapist you won’t forget

The plot? Vivid, sharp, and compulsively readable. I genuinely couldn’t put it down—it’s the kind of story that has you whispering “just one more chapter” at 1AM. It was wild, it was emotional, and it was so smartly written.

And the narration? Flora Montgomery absolutely nailed it. Her performance brought every twist, every emotional beat, and every chilling moment to life. She was the character—flawed, fiery, and unforgettable.

Empowering, juicy, and delightfully messed up in the best way, The Marriage Vendetta is a total must-read for fans of smart, suspenseful domestic drama with a darkly comic edge.

This book was not what I expected although I did enjoy it quite a bit. It was under the humor category so I thought it would be a madcap story of a woman and her therapist teaming up to get back at a cheating husband. However, this was more about a woman who has been gaslight for a majority of her life by almost everyone to the point she cannot even trust her own thoughts. Eliza left her father's control to be taken under the control of Richard who held things over her head their entire marriage to manipulate her. The therapist was a piece of the story but actually not a lot - she wanted Eliza to see Richard for who he was but I am not sure the therapist helped her do so although she eventually got there - thank goodness.. I also felt like the therapist was gaslighting Eliza as well but not being truthful - ever. This story was not as light and funny as I expected but it was a page turner. and I would like to read more from this author. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.