It's Always The Husband or is it? Kate, Jenny, and Aubrey have been friends since freshmen year of college. Tragedy strikes in the spring of their freshmen year and the girls aren't as close as they once were. Fast forward 20 years and all are living back in the same city. Tragedy strikes again and there are so many questions and not enough answers. Murder or suicide? Was it the husband or someone else? It was a great who done it and it keeps you guessing until the very last page! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Kate, Jenny and Aubrey met freshman year at college as roommates. They couldn't be more different.... Kate was the adored-bu-everyone little rich girl, Jenny was the studious & ambitious one, and Aubrey was the one from a poor single parent home, who was desperate to fit in. Somehow the 3 became best friends despite all their differences. The book takes you back & forth, between their time at college and present day, where things have gone unimaginably wrong. The story is so engrossing, and the secrets will keep you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this one!

Good solid mystery-very readable and grabs the reader right away!

What can I say about this book? I think (I read it several days ago) that the major thing I remember is the ending. The ending was never ending, the author kept coming back and adding just a little more. Just when you think you know what happened on the bridge, the story is added to. Then back to the other plots going on and then back to the bridge, another addition. So now you know. Then back to the other plots, then bridge, then another addition. And, again you know. This happens several times and each time, my jaw dropped. Until the last two or three pages of the book, then my reaction was "OMG".

I loved this book. This story of three girls rooming together in college and then growing up leading their own respective lives. Always in contact until the children and life came around, but they always made time for each other. And, the differences in these girls. They definitely would not have picked each other out to be friends. However, they did go through a lot together during their time in college.

I would definitely recommend this book. The story from the first page to the last kept me very intrigued and mesmerized. And, the ending, "WOW".

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for approving and allowing me to read and review this book. Again, "WOW"!!!

There's a complicated web of relationships in this book and it gets more complicated as the story progresses. The story jumps from their college years to the present day and between characters and was interesting enough to keep me reading

Wow, I loved this book. There were so many twists and turns. The ending was amazing, I was totally surprised. If you like mysteries, you will love this book! Very highly recommend.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a good thriller, and excellent executed twists. The one problem I had was it took reading over half the book before we got to the present day events. I do understand we needed the back story on all these characters, but I got sorta confused a couple of times. This story revolves around Kate, Jenny, and Audrey. Roommates in college and reluctant friends. The ringleader Kate is not a likable character. I get she is troubled, but she drove me crazy. Once I got to the real reason of this book, I started to enjoy it more. I must say the ending is quite clever.

Um... Where do I even start?

The summary of It's Always the Husband sounds very promising. However, the execution fails to impress. The plot is all over the place, the characters are underdeveloped, the dialogues seem plastic, the pace is unbelievably slow, and the writing is odd throughout. It's a problematic read for many reasons, one of which was the inability to make any of the characters likeable.
I played a lot of could've, would've, should've with this one, and that is my least favorite game.

2 stars--it was okay.

This is one of those thrillers that goes from past to present. I thought the plot was competent--standard enough for this kind of book--but there was no characterization. We're constantly told that Kate (for example) is charming, but never see it. I couldn't really tell you anyone's personality traits, and I vaguely disliked everyone because of this. It was so bland that I don't have anything else to say.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

It was a good story, however, I couldn't really empathize with the characters & didn't feel really immersed as I really wanted to be. I still enjoyed this book, I just wish the characters were more relatable & it would have been a 5 star for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

What an enjoyable and entertaining read! This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time.
Kate is outgoing, smart and beautiful and rich. She is able to attract both boys and girls. College life has all kinds of opportunities to make new friends including, Jenny and Aubrey her suite mates. Kate loves to party and has no morals or conscience about who she parties or sleeps with. The girl code doesn't mean anything to her.
Years latter all three friends are married. Jenny is the mayor of their hometown. Au try had a yoga studio and is married to a doctor. Kate married the richest kid from college. Everything is perfect for the Three friends. Until the past catches up with them.
Absolutely recommend! 5 Stars

Aubrey, Jenny, and Kate meet at Carlisle College--an elite institution on par with the Ivies--when they are placed as roommates their freshman year. Aubrey is on financial aid and looking for a chance to restart her life. Jenny, a "townie," has lived in Belle River, New Hampshire, most of her life. And finally, there's the beautiful Kate, whose wealthy family has long ties to Carlisle. The three quickly form a fast friendship, but it's problematic as well. Aubrey is in awe of the enigmatic Kate, while Jenny often resents her lovely, popular roommate. And then, near the end of their freshman year, a tragic event changes their lives forever.

Be forewarned: this is a book populated by annoying, pathetic, self-involved characters. While it supposedly centers on a friendship that begins in college, that couldn't really be further from the truth. These three girls are not friends. The centerpiece is wealthy Kate Eastman, a daughter from a privileged family, who somehow attracts everyone into her orbit, despite being a real narcissistic jerk. Frankly, it's hard to read a book when you really don't care about anyone. This is exacerbated by some stilted and forced writing--backed up by cliches--that makes the novel hard to read at times.

I was amazed by Kate's power over everyone and frustrated by their devotion to her. We are probably supposed to feel sorry for her, due to her hateful family and deceased mother, and for the other characters and the power the Eastmans exert over them. But I just couldn't -- at least not continuously throughout the novel. In fact, it's impossible to root for either side, or anyone, in this book.

Now, the second half of the novel switches over to the present day and allows a bit more focus on a mystery. You're left guessing and there is at least less spotlight on the girls and their pettiness (though it's definitely still there). Unfortunately, I thought the second-half mystery was somwhat spoiled (not to spoil anything myself) by a main player in the puzzle plot who carried a ridiculous and biased torch for Kate, despite having spent a sum total of about three hours in her presence. That one plot point irked me so much that I enjoyed the second half of the novel less than I would have otherwise. And the second half is better: I read it straight through in an evening, and it kept me turning the pages, wondering how things would turn out.

Unfortunately, it was marred by the earlier half of the book, a cast of despicable characters, and some cliched writing that left a lot to be desired. Still, I have to hand it to Campbell: she kept me reading in spite of all of that. Because of that, I'm going with 3 stars: a combination of 2.5 for the first half of the novel and 3.5 for second.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book by Michele Campbell.. It's a tale of a group of college friends and their unfolding secrets, the story weaves between characters and time scales and it takes a little time to get into.
It was well written and intriguing enough to keep me reading and there is a level of suspense sustained throughout but this is a slow burner of a book.

Thank you!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Kate, Aubrey and Jenny meet at Carlisle College - they all come with very different backgrounds and baggage. Kate is the spoiled daughter of a rich Carlisle alum, with buildings there named after the family. Aubrey is a poor girl from Las Vegas, estranged from her dysfunctional family, trying to change the course of her life. Jenny is a townie - born and raised in the college town. A tragedy happens during their freshman year which will change all of their lives.

This story is told in alternating timelines - their college years and when they're grown and all end up back in town, where another tragedy happens linked to all of them and the past.

This is a good mystery and there are lots of suspects in the tragedies that leave you guessing until the end

Michele Campbell does a fantastic job at keeping the reader guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the various characters, and while some were more likeable than others, their flaws and insecurities made for an intriguing story. I would love to see an epilogue or bonus read summarizing what happened with the other main characters. I read this book on a flight from Boston to Miami. That speaks for itself. I'll look out for this author's future works.

Sometimes an author succeeds too well in presenting a character with few redeeming qualities.

I give you the Whipple Triplets, Kate, Jenny and Aubrey.
A good portion of this novel revolves around our loveable college girls in their freshman year. Kate is the beautiful rich girl, born with a silver spoon and daddy’s money to fund her drug habit. Men and women bow to her carefree love and live for the moment attitude. In Kate’s mind it’s all Kate, all the time. Jenny is the industrious townie, working her way through college in the Provost office and acting as caretaker for both freewheeling Kate and unpredictable Aubrey. Aubrey is the weak link in the trio. She has scrabbled enough money together to get into freshman year at the prestigious Carlisle College but is overwhelmed by all that college life has to offer. No matter how indifferent Kate behaves, Aubrey worships the ground she walks on and that adulation is ignored and even mocked by the self assured Kate.

Events happen in the past which split up these roommates who promised to support each other no matter what. This pact is hard for the reader to believe as the author gives us scene after scene where Kate shows callous disregard for anyone but Kate. I struggled to stay interested in the first half of the novel as wild party followed wild party and the drugs, sex and indifference seemed to be the hallmark of the guys and girls at Carlisle. I was almost happy when a tragic event occurs which ends this navel gazing look into the past and propels the story twenty years into the present.

The action picks up in the second half of this novel but it’s a frustrating read. Someone dies and I just didn’t care enough to feel bad for them. The author leads the reader on with clues and conversations and complicates the case with an inept police force, a meddling mayor and a police chief with a preconceived notion of events he know nothing about. I should have been impressed by the way the author leads the reader on but when the victim possesses no redeeming qualities, I had no cares to give. It made for an anticlimactic ending.

ARC received from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for review.

gave the book three stars, it was ok, maybe just too mainstream for me, seems like a story that you read all the time, like them a little more dark or gritty

This title will be given a spotlight at the Dew on May 1st along with three other titles. http://dewonthekudzu.com

Three girls from three very different backgrounds head off to start college at Carlisle College, three strangers become roommate's, best friends. But did I like them? I guess it didn't matter I kept reading it....some felt redundant and overkill or maybe to much fluff, to much Kate I learned to Loathe Kate...you will learn she loves to suck people into her life and spit them out but don't try to not be interested for sure, she loves being the center of attention and at one point poor Audrey tried hard to be her and she truly was never anyone to try and copy...good lesson about that. The mystery sucks you in though and you have to finish the book. I wish it was done a just a tad quicker then it would be a 5 star read!

Aubrey we meet first, she is leaving a bad home life with her mom that can barely scrape by each and every month. Aubrey even had to work through high school to help pay bills, had NO social life because she wanted a much better life than she had grown up with her mom and sister, so she plans to get to college its her way out and she never wants to return! Aubrey never knew who her dad was it was just her and her mom trying to get by, her older sister was mostly off with a new boyfriend drinking and using drugs. So Aubrey worked hard, extremely hard to get her the scholarship into Carlisle College. to not many even graduated high , she honestly couldn't believe it was happening and as her mom takes her to the airport She hugs Aubrey tight and whispers "please don't leave me Aubrey, I wont make it without you" She held tight to her until Aubrey pulled away and said mom I have to go, you will be fine and she smiled at her mom turned and walked to the plane as fast as she could, never looking back! When she is gets on the plane of course its a first and economy well its wonderful, she is not afraid of anything so it seems but just ecstatic to be on her way to Carlisle its her dream she has been so consumed in high school to be going to this college every since she saw the brochure she just said I am going to that college...and she is, yep so she is, she has her one bag and gets a taxi to take her to the campus but when the taxi pulls up she sees all the students with parents dropping them off and helping them to the appropriate dorms and she knows she needs no help isn't really sad but glad because she barely afforded her plane ticket she is just so freaking happy getting her dream, to be in this place Carlisle College...For me Aubrey has the biggest changes to overcome and the most to adapt to! She just wants to prove herself, just to fit in, just to make it here at school, to fit in.
Jenny is next. She is in the dorm with her mom and they have been decorating and they all make the first roommate that Aubrey meets and Jenny's mom they have a business in town so she lives close and tells Aubrey to come to dinner anytime because she loves to cook! Jenny swooshes' her mom on out of the dorm and on home and seems embarrassed her mom was in the room Jenny and her mom they both have dark hair, seem super friendly and her mom might even be Asian, Jenny starts to show Aubrey around the dorm room says that Kate beat them both to the dorm and she picked the single bedroom and they got the double bedroom and she said I told her we should have talked about it and she said well you all weren't here its not that big of deal I am sure and left with some friends. Jenny is put out about it but continues to the double room they will share and immediately Aubrey notices Jenny's picked the best side and thinks so much about asking but she is in awe over Jenny's nice bedding and that her mom and her were decorating and outing her clothes up and she offers to help Aubrey set her bed stuff on and she tells her well I flew and didn't really think about bringing all that she tells Jenny she will pick some stuff up as she goes along, will she is thinking of her old wrinkled up sheet set in her bag. Jenny says well you can get some stuff from my mom and dads story they get stuff all the time pf course Aubrey says she wouldn't want to put them out and gets her stuff out and starts putting her few things away, they make her bed and are all set. And Aubrey asks were was Kate and Jenny says Kate is the classic rich Carlisle kid and that her family has all attended Carlisle and they still dump a bunch of money into the college and of course it clicks now the Eastman name of Eastman Hall...Jenny says I am surprised she even has roommates. They get everything done and decide to go out and walk around.

Now for Kate, she is beautiful to everyone and just looks like a rich kid it seems, is from money but stays in trouble and learns to lean on the other kids with money!!! She was a kid that came from money. Has come from a private school right into college, not much of a home life or a stable one, her dad just pushing her on off. Kates life is anything but pretty she lost her mom to cancer at 10 and at that age she couldn't understand her moms deterioration from the cancer and it scarred her so she hated to visit and the smell it couldn't be her mommy she didn't understand and her dad would make her go because her mom wanted to see her and well its wasn't good and then she blames herself for her mothers death because she wouldn't visit. Her dad is on his third marriage and has had children with them all as she is in college. Later we find she doesn't get along with her stepmom whom has two or three boys, she gave him heirs, Brats is what Kate calls them but they seem to love her the one time we meet them when the three go to her dads home on NY for a Thanksgiving because the dorm closes. They had planned to go to Jenny's but its off to NY and its a disaster and Kate doesn't have a bedroom here, doesn't seemed welcomed they go in meet the stepmom Victoria and the Brats get changed and head out clubbing coming in late and in the end Victoria tells her dad they only came to party he takes her in the office and when she comes out she is crying and they leave and end up at Jenny's parents anyways. It gives you the picture that she isn't welcomed, she most times sleeps in the floor in the boys room if she ever went home or in the office which is where Victoria puts them on this one stay and says she should have informed them of guest, her stepmom is just an ugly stepmom. Obviously Kates Home life affects her life greatly, she does everything to make her dad mad.
Now to them meeting her they go outside where they see her on the lawn and has people flocked around her, the first time Aubrey sees her she knows its her from the picture from her itinerary from her paperwork about her roommates and the campus. As Jenny points her out at the same time Kate yells hey roomies and they go over and start talking. Kate introduces her to friends and tells them all about everyone and all the parties that will be happening and what invites they have and immediately Jenny says that's not what I am here for and Kate says well classes haven't even started you need to meet people Before Classes start. Aubrey had never partied she shied away from all of it because of her mom and sister. Kate talks them into it and says its Frat parties and all the sororities will be there and its the first impression they have to go and she says we need to go get ready. Kate decides they will help Aubrey fix her hair and makeup after they are done she surprised it is her, she is really pretty has dirty blonde hair fixed nice and she is about to put on her flip flops and Kate says no way you cannot wear that and they dress and get her shoes...its obvious Kate is about the glitz, glammer and party life the first night she gets them the party, past a huge line of people. She goes over to a very handsome guy also blonde and Aubrey about falls over when she see's how handsome he is, he gets them all in and they meet him his name is Griff and he too is of Money Status, reeks of it. Audrey realizes quickly he has only eyes for Kate. they go down to the basement and get checked in and stamped if they can drink or not of age they get the drinking stamp with no questions with Griff doing the talking after they all get a drink they are walking and as they are Aubrey realizes she isn't with them anymore and she get another beer and then she turns right into a guy and before she knows it she has drank that cup and he hands her one and she is having a good time talking but all of the sudden she feels funny and thinks she might puke the guys grabs her and pulls her on his lap and starts kissing her and sticks his tongue down her throat and she knows she is going to get sick and she get away and runs outside to the far edge of the yard scared of this guy and if he will follow her because she is so sick she doesn't think she can fight him off. She finds a spot she hopes nobody can see her getting sick and suddenly someone grabs her hair and says "didn't your mom ever tell you not to take a drink from a guy you don't know"? Its Jenny she lets her finish and says lets get out of here and she says what about Kate and she said you've seen Kate she can handle this...this is her Life, not ours......and this is the story for the rest of the freshman year Kate teaches Aubrey about partying and drugs and Audrey falls straight in even after that night. She colors her hair exactly as Kate's and of course Kate promises to keep her eyes on her. Aubrey seems to have eyes only for Griff even though he only has eyes for Kate and well Kate she wont settle for one guy well that is until she meets Justin a towny like Jenny at first it isn't anything but well later its one of her conquests because to him Hockey is more important than anyone and Kate hates the thought if that because she should be the first for everyone. Kate has the crazy home life and had a terrible thing happen in high school all this comes into play later, she misses classes and parties and crams for tests! This is her life as of now.

Jenny gets two jobs and one is super important with the board members and she loves the job. She does go out with them some and they become the Best of Friends and promising nothing would ever become between them. This all goes great until well until some bad things happen with Aubrey her mom dies and Jenny gets her home and goes through everything with her and when she gets back I am not sure Aubrey is the same she becomes super depressed and just parties and is not going to class and she tries to be Kate and that starts to grate on Kate I think. She over hears a convo from the other two girls talking about her home life and her clothes and I think she thinks she isn't good enough so of course its party more and its seems classes don't exist and she does feel she let her mom down. Jenny is doing good in school and at a board meeting she realizes Kates dad is here and Kates dad asks her to meet him and his hotel and to do something strange she goes home looking for Kate to talk about it but when she knocks on her door but no answer so she opens it to find a huge surprise...Jenny's ex high school boyfriend from the Hockey team. she would recognize his broad shoulders anywhere he jumps up and runs out not saying and word and Jenny stomps upstairs to her bedroom and never tells Kate her conversation about her dad had with her. Kate knows it is something and it is something....its a Huge part of this story.

So many things happen in this book, a lot of twists and turns through the future. The three roommates pledged to be loyal best friends, grow up. Lies and secrets tear everyone apart. Life is vicious and money well money isn't everything! The shocking revelations in the end I NEVER saw coming. I was not a Kate lover, she manipulates LIFE and everyone in hers. You have to read it to know the rest but honestly who wouldn't want to figure out how three best friends can go through so much and make up and forgive to have it all happen again, so how many times and chances is enough?

I loved the twists and turns I sure didn't see any of the end coming down to the new Police Chief and his obsession....some people, do the truly get breaks in life because of how they look? Is beauty a virtue of a curse?
I thank Net Galley for bringing great books for us to review, for Michele Campbell for writing such a great story And St. Martin's Press for publishing it and both of them for allowing me to read it for free for my honest review! I did truly Like the book just not Kate and I could not wait to figure it all out in the end, sometimes I felt it became to monotonous and some things felt like they went on and on forever and over an over even if they didn't, some things with Kate well it was like enough already! Also I know its not out yet and I didn't get a completely edited book but some parts were really bad and its not usually that bad other wise for not those two things it would be a five star for me! Anyways in the end I had it all screwed up, so you got me with that! Great character and story buildup just so much KATE! lol In the end I wanted to more on old Evan, maybe should have left out so much Kate Kate Kate and gave us more of what happened in the past of 20 yrs.....Get this book its a good I promise you wont figure it out and that last sentence BLEW MY MIND! Excellent Executions with this great mystery of who done it!