For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt is a well written book with a compelling story of child molestation and abuse. The main characters are well drawn and realistic in their response to the crisis with their child, but the wife soon takes on an edge to her personality. This book has a solid plot line, if at times a little inconceivable, you have to suspend some of your beliefs, and the ending totally ruined it for me. It was not realistic or plausible at all. That ruined the whole book, which up until that point was pretty good. I guess I was waiting for more of a twist, but there really wasn't one.

On est complètement happés par l’intrigue, incapables d’en décrocher. On a peur. Non pas dans le sens habituel où on voudrait que quelqu’un arrête le méchant, mais on a peur pour ce méchant. On ne le voit plus comme tel. Alors, la seule question qui nous obsède, c’est de savoir si oui ou non, la police va l’arrêter.

Je suis bluffée! Surtout par la fin. J’élaborais plusieurs théories mais celle que Margot Hunt a choisie m’a surprise. Je ne l’attendais pas du tout. Elle laisse la porte ouverte à d’autres rebondissements et en même temps, elle conclut l’intrigue comme il se doit. J’aime vraiment beaucoup ce dénouement.

For reasons already given, ie very poor editing and proofreading distracting one from the story, I shall not be finishing this book or writing a review.

A story of how far a mother will go to protect her child.

This book sucked me in from the beginning and was a true page turner. Natalie discovers her son, Charlie, has been sexually abused. As a defense attorney, Nat has seen the horrors of court and how the lasting effects of a trial can impact a human especially a child. Ready to take matters into her own hands, For Better and Worse leads us through a parents worst nightmare and how far they will go to protect their own.

I loved this book until the epilogue. I wish Margot would just cut it out as it completely flips the readers thoughts on the main character. It did not add anything to the story but disappointment.

This was such an amazing book, I could not put it down. I loved everything about this book. Natalie and Will are so easy to relate to as parents and as husband and wife that I was easily drawn into their story. The unthinkable happens to their son, Charlie, and they are forced to deal with the aftermath are such a unthinkable act. Natalie and Will decide to take matters in their own hands to avenge what was done to their son. I won't give away any spoilers, but wow! This goes to show that there is nothing a parent won't do to protect their child.

Excellent book! When Natalie and Will met in law school they jokingly discussed how to commit the perfect murder. Fast forward years latter when the unthinkable happens, they are put to the test. Expertly explores the family dynamic and what you will do to protect those you love. Heartbreaking content but very satisfying read. Highly recommended.

This was something else! Wow! Your worst nightmare comes true and someone has hurt your child. Would you kill them if you thought you could get away with it? I know there are people that think they are smart enough to pull something like this off... but maybe they’re not??

This was darkly entertaining. It was different which nowadays, with the genre, is hard to do. The epilogue was off the charts excellent!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harlequin Mira for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

A totally ridiculous plot. Yet it was well written and kept my interest. And, the twist at the end? Good grief. Not to be believed.
Thanks to Net-Galley for opportunity to read and review.

This was difficult to rate. The premise grabbed me from the start - a woman's son is molested and she takes "justice" into her own hands by plotting the pedophile's murder. This idea is thought-provoking and I'm sure relatable for people who have gone through sensitive issues with our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the main characters (the husband and wife) felt totally flat, predictable, and unlikable.

Synopsis:

When they fell in love back in law school, Natalie and Will Clarke joked that they were so brilliant, together they could plan the perfect murder. After fifteen rocky years of marriage, they had better hope they’re right.

Their young son Jacob’s principal is accused of molesting a troubled student. It’s a horrifying situation—and the poison spreads rapidly. One night before bed, Jacob tells Natalie he is a victim, too. In that moment, her concept of justice changes forever. Natalie decides the predator must die.

To shelter Jacob from the trauma of a trial, Natalie concocts an elaborate murder plot and Will becomes her unwilling partner. The Clarkes are about to find out what happens when your life partner becomes your accomplice—and your alibi.

This book has me on the edge of my seat, I love how it started out funny and grew serious. Natalie and Will met in law school and fell in love. Later they had a son name Charlie. Suddenly the principle of the school is fired and soon The Clarks are about to find out why. If that's not shocking enough, he did the same thing to Natalie and Will's son. Soon Natalie and Will are planning the principles murder but will they get away with it?

Thank you Net Gallery and Harlequin MIRA for this page turner. I highly recommend.

Cherie'

A delicious blend of "How to Get Away With Murder" and "Gone Girl", I couldn't put this book down!

Even calling it a blend doesn't do it justice. "For Better and Worse" is one the most original stories I've read in a long time. The dynamic between Natalie and Will is so well done that you actually justify and sympathize with them.

A perfect commentary on the current state of the American justice system, "For Better and Worse" is the kind of novel that makes you think, reflect, and question our world today.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, unpredictable thriller with political undertones and a jaw-dropping ending - I highly recommend this book

I was provided an advanced copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

FOR BETTER AND WORSE
By Margot Hunt

For all of us on Good Reads that read for the sheer pleasure of learning something new or reading to escape and to be transported vicariously into a different time in history or reading fiction for relating to something we are currently experiencing and wish to gain a better understanding in hopes of finding closure or in this case of FOR BETTER AND WORSE wanting a thriller to scare us to death because it is just so realistic. I LOVED THIS BOOK.

I love a book that is so compelling that time is suspended for me and I lose track of time. For me there is no better reading experience than when you are saying to yourself this is so wonderful I don't want this book to end. Look no further than this book. Sometimes such as in this book there is/are characters that are so real that I have to ask myself the question of how can the author create such true to life writing. I start wondering how did the author know so many details about this subject matter? What else has the author done in life to capture their story so that with every word I read I want more? This author painted such vibrant colors of a portrait of the characters that it scared me to death. I wanted to be scared to death when I decided to read this.

This book came along at just the perfect time for me. I was in the mood for a GREAT thriller. Natalie was the coldest most calculating character that I have read in my life. She is very cool and calculating always ten steps ahead in planning the outcome of any situation. She is a criminal defense attorney and is brilliant. Natalie meets Will in law school and while they are on a date they talk about planning a murder and not getting caught. Will is more likable and not quite as scary. Fifteen years later their marriage is unraveling when their eleven year old son Charlie's innocence and safety is snatched away from him on a camping trip.

This could happen to any child and it is reprehensible. There is no gory sensational graphic details. What is chilling is how sometimes you think you know somebody but you don't truly comprehend how that person can be so duplicitous. How well they blend in with society in your small, cozy community. This will not be for everyone as it is a sensitive subject. Picture yourself in an amusement park slowly ascending in your seat ever so slowly skyward. You are scared because you are cognizant of each movement upward you are terrified when you in evidently know at any moment you will be returning back down at a speed and velocity that takes your breath away.

Thank you to Net Galley, Margot Hunt and Harlequin Mira for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Great book, sucked me right in. I only didn’t rate it higher because of the ending, but I have a feeling that any way this ended would have left me feeling meh. Good characters, solid writing. 3.5 Stars.

This is an easy and in places unbelievable read. I can understand why Nat would want to harm her sons abuser. I cannot understand why she would go through with it. I did not like the ending either. I thought it was taking events too far.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This story began with a couple dating imagining that they could plan the perfect murder. They were smart enough. But later married with an 11 year old son who has been molested by his principal the wife does plan what she believes is the perfect murder and the husband is drawn in. But is it the perfect murder?

This was a well-written and interesting, suspenseful book surrounding an incredibly tough and uncomfortable topic - child molestation. Hunt gives us the interesting perspective of chapters told from both Nat & Will's perspectives - a husband and wife who met in law school, married young, and now have an 11-year-old son and a less than perfect marriage, where there are secrets beneath the surface.

This book will leave you uneasy and asking a few questions - how well do people really know their spouse? How far would a mother (or father) go to protect or avenge their children? And who is willing to turn a blind eye?

Recommend for sure, though there's plenty that's unrealistic about some of the ending portion, I feel like the writing and building around such an awful topic and keeping the book engaging without losing the reality of the fact that things like this happen every single day warrants a read.

Thank you to Harlequin/Mira Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was suspenseful; though the topic was tough (molestation), the story was well played out. There were not really any twists and turns, until the very end. Secrets and lies abound in this book!

Recommend to those that loved Gone Girl, Girl on a Train, and such.


Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2364367714

Review: FOR BETTER OR WORSE by Margot Hunt. Fantastic book! This story kept my nerves on end and I had trouble putting it down. I loved the character of Nat and could definitely relate to her . ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Five star book that you won't regret buying. I can't wait to see what this author does next!

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Mira Books for approving my request and sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
You have to know English isn’t my first language, so feel free to correct me if I make some mistakes while writing this review.


Back when they were still in college, Will and Natalie talked about the perfect murder - how they were so smart they could get away with it.
Seventeen years later, Will's field is real estate and Natalie is a criminal lawyer and they grew apart from each other over the years.
They adore their son Charlie, but their world is shaken up when the dean is accused of molesting a child.
As a follow up, Charlie tells Natalie he was molested too, so she decides to take matter in her own hands - she knows how the law works, how a trial can be hard on a witness and she doesn't want to put Charlie through that.
The only option left is to kill the man who hurt her son: can she really get away with murder?


It's not a thriller per se - you know both the killer and the victim.
But it's interesting in its own way because it offers two different points of view on the same marriage.
Natalie is the character better defined: a smart and organized woman who is also led by her emotions. She gets caught in a panic and blinded by insecurities, still Will sees her as a cold and indifferent woman.
These two no longer see each other as the person they married, but still they are the only ones they can count on in this situation. Natalie and Will have to work together if they don't want to draw suspicions on them.

This book is also about a woman and her determination to stop at nothing to keep her son safe - every limit, moral or physical, disappears.
It's not graphic when it comes to pedophilia, still you sense it all over the book: maybe someone knew and never told anyone, Charlie's attitude changes under Will and Natalie's helpless eyes and they don't know what to do.

Hunt uses the right amount of details: they give you a context and the reading is smooth and fluid.
Its pace is fast, especially in the second half of the book - when you sit on the edge, waiting to know if it was the pefect murder or if the police is gonna knock in the Clarkes's door anytime soon.

Still I found the ending quite unbelievable - I don't think police would act that way, no matter how atrocius the crime was.
I liked the epilogue though: it ends on a creepy note, the promise of something yet to come - it's not over until it's really and truly over.

An awesome, compelling story. The characters are so real and the story is crazy good. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. Enjoyed every minute from start to finish. Loved this book.