The Second Honeymoon is a gripping psychological thriller that pulls readers into a chilling tale of love, lies, and deadly secrets. McGarvey Black masterfully weaves a fast-paced narrative that follows a seemingly perfect couple whose second chance at happiness turns dangerously dark. With sharp twists and a deeply unsettling undercurrent, the story keeps you questioning every character’s motive until the very end. Perfect for fans of domestic suspense, this novel delivers tension, surprises, and a satisfying dose of psychological intrigue. A truly addictive read you won’t want to put down.

The Second Honeymoon was a tense, twist-filled psychological thriller-mystery that started out as a romance and escalated into a survival atrocity.

This was the fourth McGarvey Black novel I’ve read to date and I was completely consumed. I loved how this story relied heavily on psychological tension, character-driven suspense, and emotional misdirection. All elements that make a solid psychological thriller-mystery. While the pace started off slow, the story built momentum with intentional precision and layered with tension, until it became impossible to put down.

The Second Honeymoon followed Becca and Andre who had set sail on a luxury cruise to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Their aim was for a romantic “second honeymoon” in hopes to rekindle their connection. Everything appeared idyllic until soon the idyllic surface cracked, and the narrative quickly became a high stakes showdown.

Contrary to the intriguing plot, the characters were not very likable nor were they relatable, aside from Becca. Becca was a former teacher, smart and vulnerable at first. Due to her autoimmune disease diagnosis and the challenges she faced, she was an authentic and likable character. Not only was she vulnerable, Becca was observant, emotionally intelligent, and underestimated. Even Becca surprised herself with her resilience and ability to outwit those who intended to harm her. Unlike Becca, Andre was a cold, charming narcissist with manipulative ways. He was one of the most unlikable characters (in the best possible way) and therefore he made this narrative more compelling and entertaining.

Aside from the finely tuned characters, the themes addressed brought emotion, psychological tension, and transformation. As in every well written psychological thriller, themes of betrayal, deception, appearance verse reality, control, and revenge were incorporated. Therefore they kept me engaged, at the edge of my seat, and questioning everything.

The Second Honeymoon stood out from other books in the psychological thriller-mystery genre due to its sinuous plot, final shocking twist, and its emotional and psychological depth that hovered just beneath the surface. I highly recommend this gripping read to fans of Freida McFadden, Shari Lapena, T.M. Logan and Lucy Clarke.

Thanks to Net Galley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good revenge thriller and The Second Honeymoon delivered flawlessly. Full of suspense and intrigue, the storytelling was set at a perfect pace. It has all the elements of a great psychological thriller including one of the most narcissistic characters I've ever come across.

Becca and Andre are taking a cruise to celebrate their upcoming ten year anniversary. Becca is so excited and feels Andre is finally paying attention to her. Having been ill for a few years, she knows she hasn't been much fun, but this cruise is the perfect opportunity to close the gap that has come between them. At first everything goes amazing well and captures the romance that's been missing. But of course something that good couldn't possibly last, and doesn't.

While the revenge part is slow coming, it is definitely worth the wait. Turns out the narcissist isn't the only one with a sinister plan. I couldn't stop reading, needing to know how this was going to end. I loved how it did end! I highly recommend for and revenge plot readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for the advanced copy

I wasn't sure to start with, it seemed a slow starter with lots of detail. I soon realised why!
What a brilliant psychological thriller!
I don't want to give anything away but this was nothing like what i expected.
Huge five stars from me.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

This is a fantastic psychological thriller!!
I read it in one sitting - started at bed time and finished in the early hours of the morning!

Intriguing, addictive and unputdownable. This is a well plotted thriller, and I love the revenge that was taken.

Definitely a 5 star read!

It’s our tenth wedding anniversary . . . and my husband is planning to kill me! He’s planned the perfect cruise, and the perfect murder. His new girlfriend (my replacement) is waiting in the wings. Our luxury cruise ship departs from Florida. Its destination paradise. A surprise gift from Andre. Our first proper vacation in five years. A second honeymoon. He’s bought me the perfect outfit. The champagne is flowing. Everything’s going to plan. Andre’s plan. He thinks he’ll get away with it. But he doesn’t know what I’m capable of. Not yet! Wow!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thriller! This book had chilling suspense, murder, gaslighting, mystery, intrigue and some shocking jaw dropping twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! It was well worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books (my favorite) for sharing this book with me! Definitely one of my top reads lately!