For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt is a physiological thriller told in dual POV's of the two main characters - Natalie and Will Clarke. They originally met in law school and then the novel fasts forward to 14 years later and Natalie and Will have a son named Jacob who attends an private school where the principal has been accused of molesting a child. Despite the rocky relationship between Natalie and Will, Natalie has a great relationship Jacob and he confines in her that the principal has also touched him inappropriately. Since Natalie is a defense lawyer, she knows all about what may happen to Jacob if this goes to trial, she has decided to take things into her own hands and murder Robert now knowing that these accusations are true.

Margot Hunt does a fantastic job of breaching a subject that's very taboo without pushing the boundaries too hard. Natalie will do whatever it takes to protect her son. The twists and turns were endless, right up to the last chapter!

I especially liked when the POV changed to Will - I was not expecting that and the insight into his thoughts was the frosting on top of a delicious cake!

The only reason I couldn't give this fantastic thriller a full 5 stars was because of the slower parts before about 45%. After that though... so hard to put down!

I really liked this book, it would have been a five star read for me if it was not for the ending. The ending was far fetched but don't let that stop you from picking this book up. The author got me right away with really good writing and a fast paced story line, the first 3/4 of the book really had me hooked.. The two main characters of husband and wife are well fleshed out and I could put myself in the wife's shoes up until something happens and then I couldn't anymore. In any event, I would still recommend to someone who likes to read well thought out characters and fluid writing.

This was a solid thriller. The characters were well done, and there were times when I had to put it down because I was itching with anxiety, honestly, which to me is a sign the author is connecting with her readers well.

Nat is intensely unlikeable, although Will is not much better. But you don't read these sorts of books to make friends with the characters, you read them for the thrill, the twists. Margot Hunt has a good grasp on both, I just wonder sometimes if she'd bring in even more readers if she had main characters that weren't quite so.. scary.

This was a good quick read - or at least it seemed quick. The book was good but it wasn't THRILLING. I found it interesting that lawyers, who know the court system so well, decided to take action into their own hands. What they did was sloppy but not everything can be perfect. I picked up on the "loose end" that comes up early in the book and thought "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT/HOW STUPID ARE YOU?!" and of course it comes back to bite them. The ending was interesting but obviously not at all realistic.

I received this book as an advance copy for review from netgalley. Thanks Netgalley. Loved the book. It was sad, but exciting. Maybe because i'm a mom, but i enjoyed the story line and the writers style. I enjoyed it all, and especially the ending. Read it, you'll enjoy it!

Wow...this book is full of crazy twisty turns. Kept me entertained, but somewhat hard to follow. I found myself going back and re reading parts to make sure I was following. Liked it a lot and wanted to know what was going to happen...just make sure you pay close attention! Overall, great book!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy to review!

A serious subject but still a good quick read for the beach or airport, and it has an ending that you won't expect.

Can a rocky marriage survive murder? Natalie and Will Clarke learn their young son has been molested by the school principle and Natalie wants him to die. Forget the police reports and bringing him down, she takes matters into her own hands. This book was hard to put down and kept me on edge as it unfolded. I highly recommend it. We take the vow for better or for worse, find out how it happens for the Clarke’s.

Awesome! I was addicted. Excellent writing and delivery, kept me guessing and usually I’m quite smug about “figuring out the ending.” Not this time. I’m not going to write anything to “spoil” this for anyone but will say it’s a page turner. Well thought out and presented whether or not you want to believe some of the story. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for granting me the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved this book. It does deals with a difficult subject but does not delve into detail, but rather focuses on the parents and their response. How far would you go to protect your child?

Nat & Will are both lawyers who have grown apart over the course of their marriage. They receive devastating news, and do not agree on how to deal with the situation. Will this bring them closer or drive them apart forever?

I can typically figure out the twists in a book but this one kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading more from Margot Hunt!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

One of the best books i have read! Definitely a book that stays with you! Could not put it down!

Highly recommended if you enjoy suspense genre! Thank you for my review copy, which I received through Net Galley.

3.5

I really enjoyed this despite the medium rating I'm giving it. I found the story compelling, even if it was mostly obvious/had no surprises, and quite liked the main character, Nat. She was interesting and I really liked how she was both soft/sad and hardcore as hell. Will, on the other hand, had basically no back-bone and no welcoming qualities but his section was still alright.

I am only rating it 3.5 because while it's touted as a thriller I didn't find it necessarily <i>thrilling</i>. It was interesting and I read it all in a day but it wasn't the typical "thriller" read.

Thank you for this early copy!

This was well-written and intriguing read. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy an interesting thriller.

It's not an easy subject to write about, the author didn't dwell too much on the abuse but still managed to show how devastating it is for the victim and his family. I was half willing for Nat to do what she planned and half willing for her to get justice the traditional way. I definitely would recommend this book and would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for letting me review it. The opinions expressed are entirely my own and are unbiased.
, #forbetterandworse#Netgalley

Margot Hunt has written an mesmerizing novel, For Better and Worse.
In each marriage we promise to take each for better or worse, but when someone hurts your child and might get away with it?
Well, it can't get much worse than that and how can you make it better?
Sometimes you just need to need to kill them.
Solid gold five stars.

Because I absolutely loved Margot Hunt’s novel Best Friends Forever, I was super anxious to get my hands on For Better And Worse. I love nothing more than a great page turner that makes me stay up past my bedtime and I had a feeling this book would cause a few late nights!

That being said, I was a little nervous when the plot began to heat up and I learned that the son of the main characters had been sexually abused by the school principal. Eeek! This is not a light topic. Thankfully the story is more about how each of the parents handled this and how they spiraled into a murderous plan. What would you do if someone molested your child? You’d probably want revenge, but how far would you go?

Here are the details:

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.



Margot Hunt (Margot Hunt is a pseudonym for the author) crafts a well-paced story that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

“Then one of two things will happen. Behind door number one—Robert is convicted, which could possibly give Charlie some sort of closure, whatever that means, and Robert will go to jail for a really long time. And then Charley will spend the rest of his life wondering if he did the right thing, second-guessing himself, because don’t forget, it will already have been planted in his brain that he might not have remembered exactly what happened after all, or
behind door number two— Robert is acquitted, and possibly goes on to hurt other kids, and Charley spends the rest of his life wondering if he could have prevented that by being a better witness. And either way, he’ll ‘always’ be known as that kid who is molested by the principal”.

***Shoreham, Florida is a small town where mom’s network ( gossip), and nothing stays a secret for long.
****OH COURSE THIS IS A SMALL TOWN....
.....where scandalous secrets are are sweeter than hot apple pie à la mode!!!!

The blurb says:
“Shocked to discover Nat’s taken matters into her own hands, Will has no choice but to *dirty* his, also”....
SHARING ONE PAIR OF RUBBER GLOVES!!! - literally.... too funny!

I love a novel that keeps me on the edge - dying to keep reading - but can make me laugh at the same time.
Maybe I’m a sick human being - but I cracked up in the middle of this story - yet I was still gripping my kindle wanting to know every detail just as much as the snotty smug mom’s in town would.
A BLAST OF FUN READING...
Couldn’t wait to find out how it would end ...
My lips are sealed!!!!

Read it!!!! It’s a trip!!!!!

“Mothers are watchers, carefully accumulating and storing the moments that make up their child’s life.”

Wow! This book! I’ve just finished it and I am stunned! The various plot lines and character stories were so intricately linked that this story was both highly compelling and a stark reminder that our our justice system, our society’s, even our species, are highly flawed. That we live in a world where the notion of good and bad is lost in a vast quagmire of subjectivity, and shades of grey.

For Better and Worse is one of those books that I think will haunt me for some time.

Many thanks to Margot Hunt, Harlequin MIRA, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley & MIRA for the ARC. Finally!! A strong willed, intelligent, driven female narrator. Don’t get me wrong, I love a slippery, unreliable narrator as much as the next person, but it was a refreshing relief to have a voice that was firm and certain, with her male counterpart taking the role of “Hot Mess” for a change. What an awesome concept for a thriller. It forced you to put yourself in a situation like the one in the book and question if you would have the gall to do what this husband and wife duo did. This book kept me on the edge of seat, eagerly devouring each sentence until I reached its satisfying end. Absolutely would recommend.

This book is like the perfect psych thrillers meets women's fiction in style and plot.
I enjoyed every page.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read it.