LOVED this book!! It's been in my hands nonstop for the last day. A great, suspenseful tale. Full review to come.

Do you ever start reading a book and wondering what about it made you want to read in the first place? While, the premise of this book was promising, the title doesn't fit and the characters weren't developed. I wanted more from this and was left disappointed.

Three college roommates are haunted by the past which threatens their existence in present day when a death occurs and the past wreaks havoc on a list of suspects who could have done the deed. The book pulled me in immediately with a secret that the author divvied up in scene after scene after scene, creating a compelling drama of deceit, jealousy and hatred. What happens next is contained in this cleverly written tome where the narrative encompasses how well this book is staged that kept me enthralled in all the interactions taken place with the various characters who all played a pivotal role in the outcome and boy what an outcome this was when it came to light what really happened. That I didn’t see coming. Bravo to the author for the execution of this well written and engaging story that boasted an eclectic cast of characters, an imposing background setting and dialogue befitting this multi-plot drama. This was a terrific read and I’m glad to see this author back with a new book.

My feelings were at constant battle through this arduous undertaking. More than a few times, I had to ask myself, was I really enjoying this story, despite my lack of interest in any of the characters? Was the convoluted storyline worth dealing with this callous cast of wannabe friends? I guess my answer has to be, yes. Despite my indifference, something kept me turning the pages and that instinct to constantly monitor my remaining page-count didn’t kick in, immediately. So, for those reasons and for the sake of my own sanity, I’m settling with a middle-of-the-road rating. A 3 star—I kept turning the pages, but I’m glad it’s over—rating.

At the heart of this story is three very different women. Women that claim to have been friends for over 20 years, since establishing a connection at the elite Carlisle College their freshman year, when they were dubbed the Whipple Triplets. Kate, Jenny and Aubrey, pledge loyalty and promise to never hurt one another, but it doesn't take long to see, that’s a lie. It’s pretty obvious from the start, or at least it was to me, they were frenemies, at best: jealous-ass snobs, sad followers, liars and weak women willing to do anything, for the right price, at their worst.

Usually there’s something intriguing about a cast of unlikeables or unreliable narrators, but not so much this time. I can honestly say, I despised every single one of these women and the men that found themselves wrapped up in this mess. There were no redeeming qualities for me to cling on to or anything even interesting enough to garner attention. At very top of that list was Kate.

I spent the majority of the story scratching my head at the very fact that people worshipped Kate. Bowed down to her. Followed the leader with no hesitation. Why? What was I missing? I failed to see what anyone saw in her. Was it simply because she was pretty? Or could it be her family’s money and privilege, the drugs she always had access to, her slutty behavior or maybe it was her blasé attitude? It couldn’t be because she was nice or ever did anything noteworthy for anyone else. Oh wait, she did pick Jenny and Aubrey up from the airport once—does that count? Whatever it was, the author failed to sell me on Kate and that’s the major source of my discontent, considering the crux of the story surrounds her. Kate didn’t care about anyone and in my eyes, didn’t deserve the loyalty she so blindly received, so how am I supposed to care what happened to her? After everything, let’s be honest, she kind of had it coming. What goes around, comes around, right? Is an eye for an eye too harsh? Or what about the old adage, karma's a bitch?

The second half of the story is stronger, more interesting, the pace certainly picks up. And that ending, what can I say—pretty unexpected—or wait, was it though?

It's Always the Husband
Kate, Jenny and Aubrey meet as freshmen roommates in the elite Carlisle New Hampshire college. They come from very different backgrounds. Kate was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and had everything money can buy. Aubrey is from Las Vegas from a very poor family and hopes going to college will make her fit in and change her life. Jenny is in the middle, the local "towney" who does everything by the book and "fixes messes". Kate is the rebel, getting into trouble with drugs, alcohol, boys, etc. The first half of the novel is about the girls' freshman year, ending with a tragic event.
Fast forward twenty years, and an event brings the college mates together and suddenly this novel turns into a murder mystery as one of the three roommates is found dead. I liked the first half of the novel much more, it was a realistic picture of college life and Kate, Aubrey and Jenny were very believable.
The second half is the investigation of whether the death was suicide, accident or homicide. The investigation is led by a newbie police chief who had a crush on the victim and this completely affects his investigation. There are the usual turns and twists until at the end the reader finds out what really happened. I found the second half convoluted and not realistic. Overall, the novel was a bit too drawn out towards the end but it kept me turning pages.
Since this was an unedited copy, some of the grammatical errors were annoying. Also, some of the dialogues were not separated, making it harder to figure out who was speaking. This will hopefully be fixed in the final edition.
Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin Press and the author, Michele Campbell for providing this advanced copy.

A thriller overstuffed with stock characters and truly abysmal writing. The dialogue is agonizing to read at times, and each character can be reduced to a 2-3 word stereotype. Though it seemed to be attempting to portray complex, interpersonal relationships that were strong but incredibly harmful, it only succeeded in providing a collection of relationships that made absolutely no sense and who changed personalities on a page-to-page basis in order to fit the narrative. The twist was yawn-worthy. And honestly, the title has almost nothing to do with the actual content of the book. Overall, a great big disappointment.

It's Always the Husband goes back and forth in time about three roommates from college, then and now. Michele Campbell gives the reader an interesting story with a mystery that keeps the reader guessing. I was given an early copy to review.

I received this book from NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my honest review. This was a good book. I was surprised at the ending. The story is about three girls attending college. They are all from different backgrounds and become roommates. Something tragic happens that first year but they all remain friends throughout their lives. The thing I liked most about this book is that you really didn't know what was going to happen next - especially the ending!

At the heart of this novel is the story of three friends, who meet as college roommates, and the ways in which their relationships change over 20 years. When they meet:
- Kate is a beauty who comes with money and power.
- Jenny is the hard worker, who gravitates to the role of caretaker.
- And Aubrey, who comes from nothing, wants nothing more than simple acceptance.
As they become closer, and even sharing some romantic entanglements, each begins to use the others to further her own ends. And deep resentments fester. When all three witness the same trauma involving a close friend, circumstances force them into a coverup.

Twenty years later, they find themselves living in the same small town, alongside a few of the same men from college. Only now, many of these friends' old assumptions no longer hold true. And the three women discover how easily trust can become betrayal and buried secrets threaten comfortable homes and careers.

It's a quick read, with lots of twists and turns, and reminds me a bit of a Liane Moriarty novel, where you don't really learn the full story until the very last page.

Aubrey, Kate and Jenny are college roommates. They have nothing in common. Aubrey is the poor scholarship student, Kate is the townie, an overachiever, and Kate is a spoiled rich socialite. This book follows their lives from their college days to 22 years after college. The book goes back and forth in time from events in college that affect their actions the rest of their lives to the current times, 22 years later.

The 3 women claim to be best friends, but it is somewhat of a love/hate relationship. The 3 women are very complex and flawed characters, one minute they support one another the next they stab the other in the back. This book is mainly about the relationship between the women, but their is also a mystery that affects their relationships and lives. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

LOVED this book! It was very well-paced and the characters just screamed out of the book.. Very well crafted with so many layers! Terrific read!

*I received this book via Netgalley, in exchange of an honest review*

I am torn how I feel about this book. I was purely addicted to the part of the story when the girls were freshmen in college. I found the characters relate -able, while I didn't really like them, I understood their behaviors, and why they bowed down to Kate, the queen bee. This book, really did a fantastic job of the complexity of friendships, especially when you have three women, from three very different worlds, all relying on each other, while backstabbing each other every chance they can get. The Rich Girl, The Middle Class Girl, and The Poor Girl. You really get to see how far they are all willing to go, to get what they want.

As the book progressed, and focused more on the adult life, and many more characters were introduced, I found the story became very unrealistic, and very over dramatized. There were some characters that just didn't really even belong in the book. I did not like how any 3 of the girls turned out as adults, they were all self entitled snobs, and I wish they would have just been a bit more humbled after what happened at the river, their freshmen year.

The ending was good, the plot twist came as a bit of a surprise. I wish the author would have recapped Jenny and Aubrey 2 years later as well. Overall, this was a good book, and intriguing enough it kept me turning the pages. I would most definitely read something from Michele Campbell again.

Excellent book! Great characters and a brilliant storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this title. I was definitely turning the pages, and kept going back and forth on who I thought did it. To add to the suspense, you aren't even initially certain WHO was killed, if they were killed and other parts of the books. The book alternates between past and present. College roommates, all very different (and not entirely likeable) who are thrown together by choices and bad decisions. I don't want to say too much and give anything away (because there are a lot of twists), but I do highly recommend this book.

I really loved reading this novel! I particularly liked the backstory of each of the main characters. Interesting twist for the ending, I really did not see it coming.

Kate, Jenny and Aubrey become friends after the three share a room at a prestigious New Hampshire college. Three girls with nothing in common somehow manage to become inseparable, but at the same time keep secrets. These secrets include lies, deceit and even murder from one another. Twenty years later, their lives are slowly unraveling, leaving one of them ready to jump from the same bridge they lost a dear friend. The three women when faced with the truth will be left to believe the best or worst of each other and just when you think you’ve got it pieced together, well, it turns out, you were wrong.
I thought Ms. Campbell did a great job as she jumped back and forth from Kate, Jenny and Aubrey’s college years to adulthood. Sometimes, I find it hard to read and remember different characters, especially when reading an e-book, but Ms. Campbell characters were so different in each phase that I knew exactly who each character was as I started a new chapter.
I love the title and there were some great twists. I found myself second guessing myself continuously. The big question is, “Which Husband?”

The first half of this novel was really well-written, with alternating viewpoints of three college roommates with vastly different personalities but who become close friends. But halfway through the narrative abruptly switches gears, plunging us in to the present. The girls' lives in the present is not written at all compellingly -- more of a distanced overview. And the whole premise of the second murder became downright silly with all the twists and turns. This could have been a good novel.

Thank you netgalley for the e-review copy of this book.

Twisty turny and enough mystery to keep me intrigued. A bit choppy at times but still a mist excellent read!

Author grabbed my attention from page one. You become so vested in the main characters as the author develops them so thoroughly. The intensity builds so well as the story progresses. The ending is stunning given that there were numerous options explored. I certainly feel this book should be nominated for the Indie. Loved it.