Karla and Jason appear to have a relatively normal suburban life in the U.K. but have hit a rough patch as his business is floundering and Karla wants him to borrow money from her wealthy and controlling father. Jason confesses he has fallen in love with another woman and storms out of the house leaving Karla distraught. We are taken back 3 months in time to witness how this unfolded. Everyone is keeping secrets and the plot keeps twisting. A quick, decent read for summer!

First things first, I was initially drew to this book by the front cover - the blue cover with the gold ring was very striking and certainly made an impact. We meet Jason and Karla, married for 12 years with two children. Jason’s business isn’t doing so well and Karla wants him to borrow money from her controlling father. Jason refuses to do this as his father in law doesn’t get on with him at all. But when he relents and agrees to borrow the money, he finds out a secret about his father in law that he really wish he hadn’t…

The book begins 3 months previously and gives us an insight into how the situation gets to the point it does. For me, this part of the book was a little slow going, but as it begins to move into present day, then the suspense and tension turn up a notch! I found I equally liked and disliked most of the characters on and off throughout the book. At first I liked them or felt sorry for them, then they did something that made me dislike them, and then it all turned back round again and I felt sorry for them again! I didn’t have that one character which I sided with most, it was unusual but definitely made a refreshing change to not quite know who to cheer for throughout the story! The characters were all really interesting though, and the story was told from each of the main characters perspectives. Jason and Karla’s marriage was definitely one which was on the point of collapse, which was a real shame as it was obvious that they had a good marriage at some point.

The story, once it got past the initial few chapters, was fast paced and thrilling. The tension was wound up to such a point that you just couldn’t leave it at the end of a chapter and had to keep going for just a little bit more! The plot twists and turns throwing red herrings at you at every turn, making it impossible to anticipate what was going to happen. It was full of lies, deceit and surprises and it certainly kept me on my toes keeping up with the action. It was a great thriller of a read that I would definitely recommend!

Brilliant story from start to finish. I read The Marriage Trap in two days, the story was an absolute page turner. It's a fast moving story that has you gripped from begining to end. No matter what you think will happen, the author deftly manages to place another layer of intrigue and drama.
My kind of book and recommended to fans of pyschological domestic dramas.

This is the second book I read of Sheryl Browne after ‘The Second Wife’. Just like the first read, this one packs a good story and is gripping as well.

Jake & Karla’s marriage is tottering on the brink of collapse. They have two kids who are very soon exposed to the acrimony between them. Jake’s business isn’t doing well and he does not want any favours from Karla’s dad Robert, who spares no opportunity to remind him that he is a loser. But Jake is running out of options, as he has already mortgaged the house and has no other savings to turn to. Karla, while sensing the issue, prods Jake to meet her dad for financial help. Robert has never been supportive of Jake, and now senses an opportunity to get Jake to dance to his tunes. Jake meets Robert and his life & relationship with Karla gets worse. Both of them see no future and start considering other options.

There are secrets of Jake & Karla’s life that Robert knows. Karla also has pains from the past which gives her nightmares. Karla’s mom Diana feels helpless, but can she be of any help?

The characters are extremely well developed – and the stress in the relationship and the ensuing agony is brought out brilliantly. It is just that there is a brief period in the book, when the story seems stuck on the same theme. However, for the most part, it moves fast and makes for interesting reading keeping up the suspense. There are multiple twists towards the end in the story.

My rating: 4.25 / 5.

I really enjoyed this excellent psychological thriller. Well written, I was drawn in from the start. I engaged with the characters and became involved in the emotive writing. I read this quickly as I couldn't put it down. I loved the twists and turns which kept me enthralled and there is such a powerful twist which I didn't see coming and changes everything - fabulous! Fantastic ending which didn't disappoint.

Highly recommended, I loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Karla and Jason are a young married couple with 2 children. Jason has his own business which is having financial problems and Karla wants him to borrow money from her controlling, not-so-nice father, Robert, who has despised Jason from the first time he met him. As family secrets begin to surface, this turned out to be a gripping thriller and kept me guessing right up to the end and even then I did not have it figured out. This book was a little slow in the beginning but soon picked up and it turned out to be a page-turner. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very suspenseful thriller.

As with a lot of couples, Karla and Jason who are married with children, have hit a bit of a rough patch. Jason’s business is struggling and putting a lot of strain on the relationship, especially since he refuses to take a loan from Karla’s wealthy jerk of a father, who also happens to not like him very much. When Jason finally caves and agrees to take the financial help, he is forced to make an impossible choice after learning a disturbing secret.

This book is full of so many lies and manipulations that my family started to look normal by comparison 😂

Although I did like this book overall, my main issue was 💍. The beginning had me interested but then it just dragged on 💍. I really hate a weak female character, but that is just my personal issue. Karla’s choices were just bizarre (won’t mention as it will be a spoiler) and made no sense to me. I understand that perhaps her early life had something to do with that but it’s just too much for me. Towards the end, the story did ramp up and the twist was decent if a bit predictable. Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for me.

As much as I am a massive fan of Sheryl Browne, I'm sorry to say this book fell short for me.

I struggled to get into it, and having now finished it, I just feel rather discombobulated, and although it built to a fabulous crescendo, the aftermath has still left me unsettled and confused as to exactly what was going on.

It's a shame as I really wanted to love it, but in places I felt it rather uncomfortable reading, especially if what I thought was the big secret was really the big secret. I was certainly shocked in places, but apart from the two innocent children, I really didn't connect with the characters.

I do think though that if you are the sort of person that enjoys books featuring large numbers of lies, and seeing the worst of what humanity has to offer, then you would probably love it.

This is another great book from Sheryl Browne.
It’s more of a family drama than a psychological thriller but it’s got a few twists up its sleeve.
The book begins with Jason telling Karla that he’s leaving her.
It then goes back a few weeks and we get the story from both Karla and Jason’s point of view.
Jason’s business is struggling and as Karla’s dad is a wealthy businessman, she asks him for a loan.
He agrees to help but Jason won’t even discuss it with him.
He eventually agrees to meet him but what he finds out from his father in law shocks him to the core.
This marriage takes a steeper turn for the worse and soon Karla seems to be on self destruct mode.
I won’t say anymore as lots more happens but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
This is a gripping family drama that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

O my goodness what an amazing book . I couldn’t stop reading from the very first page . A quarter of the way in there was an OMG moment then the twists and turns never stopped . Fantastic book , I can’t rate it highly enough, definitely one of her best

I was granted early access to The Marriage Trap, courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published by Bookouture, released on 07/30/19.

Karla's husband Jason packs his bags and leaves, claiming to be in love with someone else. His words crush her, and the stable mom loses her grip on reality as her life turns upside down.

I know that's a short synopsis, but I really can't say much else without seriously spoiling the book. I mean this in the best way possible, but reading this book was like watching a car crash. You know you shouldn't, but you can't turn away. The relationships in the book were all dumpster fires. Everyone is so incredibly flawed, minus Karla and Jason's kids. I found myself reading with my mouth open so many times. There was SO MUCH DRAMA, and I was there for all of it. I felt like a neighbor watching a fight happen in the street, creeping through my blinds to peek into their lives.

I have now compared this plot to a dumpster fire and a car crash, but I mean that in the best way. I could not put this book down. I read it in less than 24 hours. It stressed me out so much. When I finished, it felt like I could breathe again. It felt like the family secrets were MY secrets. Every time I thought it couldn't get worse or more stressful, it did. This book had me on the edge of my seat, and I'm so glad I was able to be part of the ride.

Another great book from Bookouture. Seriously. If you're into thrillers, pick this one up immediately. It's out now!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars

The Marriage Trap is a bit of a slow-burner at first, more of a drama than a thriller, it starts with Jason telling his wife Karla that he’s going away and then we go back in time a few months to find out what happened to make Jason want to leave his wife. And let me tell you right now, whatever it is you’re thinking, it’s not that! Holy cow, what an impeccable and original execution of a rather ordinary premise! Because let’s face it, a man leaving his wife, marital warts and all that, it’s been done before, but the journey Sheryl Browne takes us on, ending in this unbelievable knot of twists, hasn’t!

The Marriage Trap alternates between Karla’s and Jason’s POV, and it’s really quite tragic how people who love each other so much can drift apart, and how little it takes to fuel the flames. I felt for them, but most of all, I felt for their children, easily my favourite characters, even though they only have supporting roles. Scratch that, my favourite character may very well be the one I hated the most: Karla’s father Robert, your typical misogynistic pig, the rich and successful business man who thinks he’s allowed to do whatever he wants, even coming on to girls half his age right under his wife’s and daughter’s nose. A despicable man, but what can I say, I have a thing for loathsome characters. I love to root for the lovely people but I’m perhaps a tad more gleeful when I can root for a character’s downfall. The Marriage Trap allowed me to do both, I kept rooting for Karla and Jason to unravel all the secrets and save their marriage AND I kept wishing for all of Robert’s secrets to come out and bite him on the arse! Secrets? Yeah quite a lot of them and most of them I never even suspected, they never even crossed my mind.

If you’re looking for a suspenseful, twisty psychological thriller with some family drama and loads of secrets to unravel, look no further and pick up The Marriage Trap!

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the free eARC! All opinions are my own and I was not paid to give them.

Thanks To the publisher and NetGalley for Providing me with An ARC in exchange for an honest review .

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"My husband has been keeping secrets for a long time. He thinks I don’t know what he does outside of this house. But I know everything…"

Book : The Marriage Trap .

Author : Sheryl Browne.

Genre : Psychological Thriller , Contemporary Fiction .

Rate : 4/5

Review In one word : gripping .

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At the start of 2019 , I've taken a decision to broaden my reading genres and I've been picking up so many books that I would have never thought about reading before . To be honest with you ,  this is my first time reading a psychological thriller , and I'm SO GLAD , that my first experience in this genre was through this AMAZING BOOK .

When I first read the blurb( I will leave it below ) , I was so intrigued , I love reading about problems people face in this century and how they are dealing with them. Reading the first pages of this novel , the events were slow , not how I expected a thriller would progress . But , after approximately 50 pages , the story pace picked up , it became really entertaining and so gripping . I was hooked , couldn't put the book down until I finished it all .

Our story talks about Karla and her failing marriage . The unique thing about this book is the surprising element ,  while reading , at some points in the book , you feel like you got it all, you are finally understanding what is happening , But SUDDENLY , one event turns the story upside down, and you need to update your predictions again:p .The book is full of bombs and fireworks , I was so afraid of what could happen next .

The Author's writing style is wonderful , I didn't feel bored for one second after the first pages . Engaging , clear , powerful and visual . Her words are everything . Definitely, one of my new favorite authors .

I loved the characters , well-developed and realistic . The plot as I mentioned above is SOOOO GOOD AND INTRIGUING .

I'm not an expert in this genre , so I can't criticize it as  other bloggers who love this kind of books do , but I can tell you , This is an AMAZING BOOK , you won't regret reading it , but you will miss a lot if you didn't .Highly recommended .

Summary : 

Karla watches silently as Jason hurriedly packs his belongings into a suitcase. She knows that her stillness is unnerving him as she watches his every move from the doorway of their bedroom. Clothes are screwed up and packed into the case, along with a watch she bought him for his last birthday and his precious laptop. He takes everything from his bedside table. Everything except the framed wedding photo, which now stands alone. Karla strains to see the smiling faces in the photo. If only she knew then what she knows now. ‘I’ve fallen in love with someone else,’ he’d said to her, just moments earlier. The brutality of those words hit Karla hard and she struggled to breathe as she took in each word in turn. You may think you know what Karla will do next. But you’ll be wrong. Because Karla isn't who you think she is. Only she knows what's about to happen. And you will never see it coming.

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This was a great book but very confusing towards the end!! Need to go back and read thd end again!!

Domestic drama that focuses on a family with so many secrets and lies that it will make your head spin!

What it's about: Jason and Karla Connelly have been married for 12 years. They have two young children, 11-year old Holly and 10-year-old Josh. Jason's business is failing and Karla keeps nagging him to get a loan from her father, wealthy businessman Robert Fenton. Now, Robert is, as the author tells us every other page, a real sleazeball -- a "bully, womanizer, misogynist" -- so Jason really doesn't want his money. When Jason finally has no other choice and goes to talk to Robert about a business deal, Robert rocks Jason's world with a bombshell of a secret he's revealed only to finally break up Jason and Karla's marriage -- a goal he's had since the two got together. And things go completely awry from there. NO SPOILERS.

My thoughts about this book: I had a really hard time with this one. It was way too full of redundancy and angst with the same old song on eternal repeat. Thus it seemed to drag on far too long and the dangled hints about the "secrets" got on my nerves since I'd long figured out the big thing. It's told in alternating points of view, Jason and Karla narrating the chapters, so that you're inside both of their heads. I honestly didn't like any of the characters in this drama and didn't feel empathy nor could I manage to relate to anything they were thinking or feeling. What a collection of pathetic losers! OK maybe that's a bit harsh but that sappy love stuff doesn't go too far for me and I couldn't buy it no matter how hard it was being sold.

Should you read it? If you like a plot line that focuses on despicable people hiding important information from their families and if you enjoy meandering around a straight line plot while having a lot of feelings, this would be for you. If you prefer lots of emotional drama, this will be your cup of tea. You may or may not find a twist or surprise, just depends on how many books in this particular genre niche that you read. The characters are paper thin and stereotypical meaning they are either "good" or "bad" and those labels are beat home. And any #metoo supporters will get their validation that lecherous and sexual harassment perpetrators get their just due.

I've read other books by this author and I'll try another one in the future but I just wish for more depth than the usual secrets and lies, bad marriages, poor communication, typical dysfunctional families and I hope for something new in the psychological thriller vein.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

This was a good book full of secrets and lies. Had some good twists in it but I struggled with it a bit. I felt it dragged on a bit and didn’t always keep my attention.

This book screwed my brains up!!

Whew I had to get it out of my system before organizing my brain cells to synapse synchronously and bring my thought waves back

Sheryl Browne has gone where no thriller author has gone in a long long time!! She has broken the barriers where the mind space is the final frontier. She gave me a ball of knotted yarn and asked me unknot it. How could I? I didn't know where the beginning was because the beginning was the end of the marriage and the end was the beginning of something different.

Karla and Jason, a loving couple with two kids till his business failed, and she wanted him to ask her obnoxious father for a loan. The father, in turn, revealed a secret so vile that it churned my stomach at the possibility of it. The marriage broke down slowly, bit by bit, the children got psychologically scarred, Karla started destroying herself, and Jason decided to leave it all.

The whole story was one convoluted mess with a past memory of her sister's death playing havoc with Karla's sanity. Her father was in the centre of it all, and his lecherous ways contributed to destruction. Her mother knew everything yet kept quiet. Her husband was helpless, he didn't know how to reveal. Karla herself spiralled down a deep black hole. None of the characters in the book, except the poor innocent children, were likable. Everyone was hell bent on destroying themselves and others that they never gave a single thought to the children.

My niggles popped up soon, some chapters had the characters doing the actions again and again, which felt repetitive. I couldn't understand nor connect with Karla, who was supposed to be a loving mother.

The book is not for everybody, the plot is so twisted that it bordered on darkness. Sheryl Browne has tested her hand at writing something bigger than normal and way bolder. This story would rip apart your senses and take you to an alternate time space continuum, a wild ride.

This took a fair while for me to get into to be honest - the twists and turns were dotted in throughout the story, but you don't get the full jaw dropping effect until the last few chapters, at which point it all becomes completely worth it! It's rare for these sort of books to have genuinely shocking twists, as most of them are blatant from the beginning, but this had the rare effect of leaving me speechless.

Honesty, give it a go. Especially, if you're struggling at the start, carry on and I promise it gets better!

Jason and Karla have been married for twelve years and have two children. Jason runs his own business but his business is in financial difficulty. Karla's father is a wealthy businessman and she wants Jason to ask him to help save him from financial ruin. Jason does not want to ask his father-in-law for money but eventually gives in to appease his wife. But even though Jason knows Robert is a womanizing scoundrel and has offered Jason money before for despicable reasons, nothing prepared him for what Robert offered him in return for the money was to be.

The story is a bit of a slow burner but it needs to be to build the story up. I did guess what one twist was around the half way mark, but the final part I did not see coming at all. My scenario played out quite differently. I'm still not sure who I felt sorry for the most as Karla's mother had a lot to put up with as well. There is secrets, twists and suspense all the way. I was hoping for a happy ending. Did I get it? You will need to read this book to find out.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Sheryl Browne for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was excellent! Totally kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would become of the main characters. Highly reccomended.