Dang this was one amazing book. It had "Dirty John" written all over it.

I loved this book. It had me intrigued the entire way through, which has been hard lately for me. I really liked the alternate narrators and the halfway "twist" that I wasn't expecting.

I will be recommending this to everyone. It was believable, tad frustrating (but in such a good way), and amazing until the end.

Wow!! What a thrilling read that completely captivated me from the beginning and had me hanging onto every word. There are twists and turns and ups and downs that are so gripping, I just couldn't put the book down until I read the last word. The story moved seamlessly from the points of view of the mother, Nina, and her thirteen-year-old daughter, Maggie. This is the first book I have read by DJ Palmer but I want to read more by this gifted author. If you enjoy domestic thrillers that will keep you on the razor's edge, don't miss "The New Husband". I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

3.5 star rating from this reader ~
Nina is the main character here, mother of two, a middle-schooler, Maggie, and her son Conner who is in high school. Her husband Glen has been missing for over a year. His disappearance left a lot of unanswered questions that she hasn’t been able to find answers to, but she decides it’s time to move on. The man she has chosen to move on with seems perfect and attentive to her every need, but is he? Her daughter hates him, senses a darkness in him. Her son likes him. Nina wants to give it more time, but the wanna-be-husband doesn’t want to wait another minute.

It is a bit slow getting started but yet it didn’t bore me. I got a little perturbed with Nina’s reluctance to make her own decisions and stick to them. She had two good friends that she wouldn’t listen to, but they were not developed adequately. We know their names, but not much about them, they kind of fizzled off into the background. She also doesn’t give credence to her daughter’s instincts about the new man she is seeing. She’s a good person who loves her children, but they sometimes take a back seat in her priorities.

Nina’s backbone emerges in the latter part of the novel, she comes through when most needed, but it takes a hell of a revelation to get her there. My favorite characters were Daisy the loyal family dog, the middle-schoolers Maggie and her friend Ben as they try to confront obstacles in their quest for some answers.

The last third, I would say, of this novel was hard to put down as it took its twisty turns. I had to suspend belief at a couple of points, but kept reminding myself this is fiction, yet knowing that there are horrible beings out there doing horrible things to people. Yes they do exist and they’re called psychopaths. Egads...chilling!

Get your copy April 14th at your favorite retailer. My thanks to the following for the digital galley pre-publication from which l’ve provided an unbiased review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #DJPalmer #TheNewHusband

3.5 Stars
I was given an opportunity to read this story thanks to St. Martin's Press. This is my first time reading DJ Palmer, the description caught my eye and I was in the mood for a thriller. Though this story was not a favorite thriller of mine I did enjoy it. There were moments of frustration and eye rolls but over all I enjoyed it. The story starts out a little slow but it does pick up. If you are a fan of thrillers definitely give this story a try and decide for yourself.

DJ Palmer is a new author to me and this is a book I picked up because the story sounded unique and like something I hadn’t read before. The New Husband took a little bit for me to get into, but once I did, I had a hard time putting it down.



Our protagonist, Nina, is someone easy to relate to. It was easy to put myself in her shoes as a mother trying to move on from a traumatizing event. It was even easy to see how she could dismiss things creating a less than healthy environment.



The author does an excellent job of building the intrigue level and creating tension. I was on the edge of my seat during the climax of the story to see what would happen next. While this is my first read of Palmer’s, I will definitely be back for more.

Author : D.J. Palmer
The New Husband:
Length: 379 pages
Publication date: April 14, 2020
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
4⭐⭐⭐⭐

~MY REVIEW~
The story starts out with a bang then gets a little slow and boring, but soon moves to a fast paced, nail biting, very intense thrill ride with lots of twist. I devoured this book in just one day because I had to figure out how this was all going to play out.

Nina learned the hard way that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But now Glen is gone...... presumably drowned while fishing on his boat. But did he really drown ? Was he murdered ? Or did he simply just run away with another woman ? Now a year and a half later, Nina thinks she has found love again with the perfect man a widower named Simon. She hopes she can put their shattered world back together again. As far as the perfect husband goes he seems to check all the boxes. But is Simon really as perfect as he seems ? He seems to know her every need and was there for her when she needed him the most. He knows all of her favorite foods, music, and movies . But just how does he know all of this ? Her teenage son Connor, loves Simon who is stepping up to be the father he has always wished his dad could have been . Her teenage daughter hates him. She sees him as replacing her father and still holds out hope that he will one day walk through the door. Nina works hard to try and get her daughter to accept Simon and see him the way she sees him.

The New Husband is a psychological thriller told from the pov of Nina ( the mom) and Maggie( her thirteen-year-old daughter ).
The description to detail was so vivid. I felt like I was in the story and saw everything unfold as I read. Just who is telling the truth ? Who is lying ? What really happened to Glen? Is Maggie right to not trust Simon ? Or is she just being an overreacting teenager ?

All of the characters were very well developed, and done in such a way you really care about most of them. However I didn’t necessarily like all of the characters, but that’s okay. That didn't make me not like the book as a whole. To me that makes each of the characters more believable and a thriller so great. After all in real life we don't always like everyone.

Being a mom at times I found the chapters of Maggie hard to read as she pours her heart out about the bullying going on at school , her heart breaking over her dad, and her fears of Simon. I just wanted to reach through the book and give her a hug and shake some sense into her mom. The one thing I did find a little far-fetched was that for Nina being a social worker she did seem to be very naive at times. However with money being very tight one often sees what they want to see. But then there is always the fact if something is too good to be true it usually is.

If you are wanting a gripping, twisted, psychological read with plenty of twists this one is a great one and i highly recommended it. Be sure to add it to your want to read list . It goes on sale TODAY April 14 th.

As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !

I was lucky enough to be able to read and honestly review an ARC, courtesy of the publisher, St. Martin's Press. I voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

#TheNewHusband
#DJPalmer

Happy Pub Day to D.J. Palmer! I've been this seeing this book everywhere on bookstagram and I was so excited when I received this copy from St. Martin's Press :) Thank you so much to both Netgalley and St. Martin's Press. This was an unexpected read. It's a fast pace thriller and I love the characters and twists in this book. It kept me up at night until I finished it. I highly recommend you checking this one out if you're into thrillers and mystery. I will rate this book 4 out of 5 stars!

Great book!! I really enjoyed this author's previous book, Saving Megan, but I dare say this one was even better! In a nutshell, Nina's jerk first husband dies, Nina meets wonderful Simon, Simon is PERFECT, or is he??? Son loves Simon, daughter hates him. I have been reading a lot of this genre but D.J. Palmer still managed to pull out a few surprises! The author does an excellent job of building a strong sense of foreboding throughout that never lets up and you will race to figure out the truth! HIGHLY recommended!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and D.J. Palmer for this ARC!

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer reminds us that if someone appears too good to be true, that person probably is. Nina Garrity’s husband disappeared and it looks like he wasn’t the man she thought he was. Luckily, Simon Fitch is nothing like her cheating, missing husband who left them in a financial mess. He wants to marry Nina and take care of her and her kids, but Nina is still not quite ready for that and, instead, agrees to combine households. Her son loves Simon, happy to have a father-figure take an interest in him. Maggie, on the other hand, isn’t anywhere near ready to accept a replacement for her father, especially a man she has misgivings about.
Nina is convinced Simon is perfect, but still needs something to make her feel she is standing on her own two feet and contributing. It’s a surprise to her that Simon objects. That’s when things get interesting. Is Simon perfect or is it Nina wearing her rose-colored glasses and only seeing that he is the complete opposite of her missing husband?
This is a twisting ride that will keep you turning the pages as you try to figure out what is happening. Is Simon who he appears to be? Why won’t he talk about his past? Will Nina figure things out before it’s too late? Another book release that offers a great escape from every day life stuck at home in April 2020.
Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#TheNewHusband #StMartinsPress

This was a pretty intense read that did start off a bit slow but it quickly picked up for me and really kept my interest and had me at the edge of my seat. The writing was very well done, with a sick and twisted character that you soon love to hate. My favorite character was thirteen year old Maggie who just felt in her gut that something wasn't right with Simon, her mother's new love, and was determined to somehow prove it. The tension mounts towards the end which made it so difficult to put this book down. I look forward to reading more by this author as I enjoyed this one very much.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital and paper review copies.

After reading the synopsis for this book, I knew that this was going to be a book I would enjoy. As this book was my first read from D.J. Palmer, I was a little nervous. But I am so glad I gave it a shot. I find it really hard to write this review without revealing anything so I will just say this. This book kept me guessing, overall I found the story was interesting, the characters were unique, I loved being in their different perspectives and everything about this story kept me hooked and wanting to read more. Although I did really like this book, it felt like things were moving SO slow in the beginning, even though they sped up about halfway through the book. I can totally see why this book has such mixed reviews. After reading this book and looking over some of the other reviews people had for it I can tell you that this book probability isn't for everyone.

On the scale of yay to nay, regarding its nature of being a thriller, I would give it a nay. Everything in this book seemed to just be by the numbers. It didn't blow my mind like most other thrillers do. Overall I really did like this book, it just didn't hit the thriller bar for me.

⭐⭐⭐.5

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in a day. It was a real page turner. It would make for a great made-for-tv movie.

Nina Garrity's life is turned upside down and inside out when her husband's boat is found floating with only their dog Daisy covered in blood at the helm. Search teams came up empty-handed. And with no body, one couldn't determine if Glen had succumbed to an accident, foul play, or opted to disappear. Because, like his disappearance, Glen's life held a lot of secrets.

But, thank goodness for Sigmon Fitch. He arrived in Nina's and her children's lives just in time to be a supportive friend and then live-in lover. He was simply too good to be true...at least on the surface. Nina's friends try to be supportive, but are concerned things are moving too fast. Nina's daughter is miserable, but, of course, she just lost her father, her home, and so much more. Her response is "normal," isn't it? The tension between Maggie and Simon is thick.

Nina's friends begin to question how wonderful Simon is, when Nina begins cancelling girls' night on a frequent basis. And, even Nina begins to wonder when Simon buys her a home gym so she doesn't have to go to the gym with the girls. But, surely, she's just overly sensitive...he was just being nice.

Still heartbroken over the loss of Glen and the revelations of his secrets, Nina feels it necessary to find a job, just so she has some independence. But, Simon doesn't seem to support this change. In fact, he begins to use Maggie's behavior as a result of Nina's new job. Is Nina a bad mother, is Simon right?

As Nina begins to question things in this new relationship, and dig a little deeper, more sinister things begin to happen....surely that nagging voice in the back of her head is just her being gun-shy because of Glen, Simon's a great guy, isn't he?

This book will grip you from page one. We all have stories, some of this was a bit deja vu, and some of it I am glad to say, I never lived. So, there is that. I can relate on multiple levels, so it could happen, which makes it even more terrifying. If you have ever been in an abusive relationship, this book may not be a good choice for you

This is the first book I have read by D. J Palmer, it is a thriller, will keep you on the edge of your seat Nina’s husband, Glen, has disappeared She also learns many things about Glen that she did not know before he disappeared. Nina eventually meets and becomes close to Simon her son loves him but her daughter not so much. Thre are so many twists and turns that just when you think you have it figured it out YOU DONT. I will be reading more by this author
I was given ARC for my honest opinion of this book.

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer is an intriguing tale. So much is happening to a family that lost a loved one. A single mother moving forward after the loss of her first husband and a daughter who does not like the new man at all. Lies, deception, what-ifs and suspense entwine together within this read. The beginning is a slow burn. The middle of the book is where it picks up and has so much to tell. There is more drama to this story than suspense. Overall, D.J. Palmer's new release is dark, mysterious, and entertaining.

*sigh* Okay. So. I struggled with this one. I struggled with this one a lot. I don't think I fully read the premise when I requested this one on NetGalley and, if I had, I probably wouldn't have requested it. Because as a trope, the "new husband is actually a bad guy" has been done. It's been done a lot. And this story isn't really any different than all of those other stories.

But, honestly, my main problem with this one was with the main character, Nina. She seemed completely and totally unrealistic to me. And that was mostly a timeline problem (which is actually glossed over in the premise for this book, I checked). So her husband disappears and she's blind-sided by all these lies that he's told her. Yes, that's reasonable. She feels like she doesn't know him. She's grieving because a lot of the things that she's discovering are completely out of character. But, for some reason, she sees that these things are out of character and just accepts them and doesn't really question them? Not until way later? Makes sense.

Instead, she finds a new man and, without even really doing a background check, allows him into her life and then MOVES IN WITH HIM. And that's where this lost me. Yes, she was having dire financial problems but she got a job shortly after they moved in together. She couldn't have, like, done that before???? There was no possible way that she could've gotten a job and made enough money to move her family somewhere local that she could afford. (Again, this was a year and a half after her husband disappeared. There was time.) Her ONLY OPTION was moving in with Simon. Yes. I completely and totally believe that. (I do not.) So that was strike number one.

But one of the biggest reasons I didn't believe Nina's character AT ALL is that she has two kids and still chose to move them in with a stranger. This book attempts to repeatedly make the case that Nina is a smart, capable woman with a good head on her shoulders but this was just 384 pages of how that was not the case. Because from page one I disagreed with each and every one of her choices. None of her choices seem like the decisions a smart woman would make. Plus he "did things that her husband had done" like purchasing the same truck and wearing the same cologne and buying the same gifts all to prove ~familiar so she would fall in love with him. Um. That would've made me run in the opposite direction? Having constant reminders would've made me think of my missing husband and made me miss him more, not jump into bed with the first dupe. But I digress.

So aside from all of my problems with Nina, I did also find this book incredibly predictable. I pretty much had the entire story, twists and ending pegged from the get go. There weren't any surprises and given that I didn't really connect with the characters, there were many times that I almost jumped ship. Because Nina had SO MANY OPTIONS to, I don't know, LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO VOICED CONCERNS but did not. And if I had to read one more "oh, I judged him too quickly" or "he always has a reasonable explanation for everything," I swear I was going to jump off something. (I literally stopped about 60% of the way through to rant this whole thing to my boyfriend and was I was screaming, I was so mad. That was honestly where I almost stopped; the whole thing was so unrealistic.)

But. The only thing that actually kept me going was Maggie and her friendship with Ben. Because she's the one I really felt for. (And another strike against Nina? Believing a STRANGER over her own child. That was literally a twenty minute rant to my boyfriend. I HATE parents who will believe their child over ~other people/strangers. You. Raised. Them. Did you raise someone you don't trust? Because kids are typically a pretty good judge of character. And if you raised a child you don't trust, that's kind of on you.) So, anyway, I wanted to see Maggie get her justice in the end and that's why I actually finished this.

And I did really like the epilogue (that's what saved this being one star). And the last 1/4 of the book, when Nina finally caught on, was pretty good. I thought she was an idiot from page one until the final page (because even in the last chapter, she was still finding ways to be stupid; it's fine) but when she finally caught on, it was more of the book I had wanted to read. This was definitely a slow build and I was really not a fan until, honestly, the very end.

Because the epilogue definitely left me liking what this book was ~trying to do and the message it wanted to send. But I just thing it had a really poor execution of that. And a lot of that was due to timeline. It was mostly because Nina had children and she moved in with Simon so soon after her husband's disappearance that I found this so utterly unbelievable. Because with Allison and Emma, I DEFINITELY believe this story. I think I would've connected with this book more if one of them had been the main character. Because women who are ~blinded by love miss a lot of things. But women who have children and have just left a, what was it, seventeen year relationship or something like that? I have a really hard time believing that Nina would be that stupid, would move on that quickly, and would put her children in that kind of peril. If there had been more time between Glen's disappearance and her relationship with Simon, I probably would've bought into it more. But on that timeline, I think her mama bear instinct would've kicked in a little more and she would've still been mourning Glen enough for all of Simon's ~similarities to have been red flags. Plus how stupid can you be? Every single time she noticed that Simon was a little ~off but berated herself for "not seeing the best in him," I wanted to throw my kindle against the wall.

So. Unfortunately this just wasn't for me. I have seen a lot of positive reviews for this though so it seems others are enjoying it. I'm just definitely in the minority here. I think this story has been a little overdone and I probably shouldn't have picked it up in the first place. So you live and learn. I, personally, am glad to be done with this so I can move on to other things.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

DJ Palmer delivers I expect when it comes to a good psychological thriller. There are elements of deceit, coverup, gaslighting, denials, marital questions, and on and on. This book builds like a great roller coaster. It is admittedly a bit slow at the stary as characters are introduced and the scene is set (building off the pages over the last 17 months), but once you clear this initial hill, there are exhilarating twists and turns along the way as the story progresses and the sinister nature of characters is released, slowly.

I enjoyed the story. A marriage is shattered upon the apparent death of the husband (no body found). SIngle mom of two teens finds an unexpected love and future with an unexpected man. One of the kids struggles with acceptance of the new man in their life, and all of the changes, while the other is thrilled to have the dad he never had with his biological father. Lots of familial and social situations and drama that is easily understood by the reader.

While it takes a while to get there, The New Husband delivers on the promise of psychological drama and all of the twists, turns, and intrigue associated with the genre. I'm happy to give this 8.5 out of 10 stars.

I received a free electronic copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts an opinions.

How had Nina not seen the signs? Her husband obviously wasn’t perfect, but to have lied to her for two years after he lost his job! What else had he hid from her? And was he dead or alive?

It hadn’t been that long since Glen was gone but then she’d met Simon Fitch. Good job, handsome, knows all her favorite foods; cooks; handy; her son adores him; romantic. He checks all her boxes. What could be more perfect? Other than the fact that her daughter Maggie couldn’t abide him.

Nina Garrity was gun-shy after having been deceived by her missing/dead (?) husband. She couldn’t confront Glen, but here with Simon she had a perfectly nice man who wanted to make all her dreams come true. She was in love again!

Taking the plunge - half way - Nina and Simon buy a house together with a ‘someday’ wedding date. The adjustment is going somewhat well except for her daughter Maggie who sees a different person than what her mom and brother see. Not everything is as perfect as Simon would like this new family to be, but how far would he go to make it perfect?

Right from the start I was hooked into this novel - where even I sensed Simon was not the perfect man – even if he did cook! For some reason I could feel Maggie’s thoughts which lead me to the ability of this author to write with such intensity that I could sense the deceit from a man ‘too good to be true’.

I understood the obsession of Simon trying to insert himself in all areas of Nina’s life and pulling her away from friends and wanting her all to himself. Especially the way he kept her from wanting to be a stay-at-home-mom rather than having her own independence and a career and finances of her own.

Bottom line: This book is highly recommended. If you feel that you are being cut off from family and friends by an obsessive compulsive person can and feel you are being abused with no where to turn - read this book.

Marilyn Rondeau

While reading this book I kept thinking, “Wow, love is truly blind!” especially a new love with its shining prospects for new beginnings and a happy ending. When Nina met Simon she finally found herself happy and hopeful that even though her first marriage ended in a tragedy and heartbreak, she is finally getting a second chance at love and at building a healthy and happy family with Simon and her children. Simon is the perfect boyfriend (fiancé? husband?), and Nina’s desire for a picture-perfect family quickly turns into a dangerous situation, a situation that could have been prevented only if Nina was willing to see and listen closely to what was really going on in her “perfect” household.

I read The New Husband in one sitting. This dark, twisted, slow burn thriller captivated my attention from the start and even though I predicted how the plot would unfold I could not stop reading. D.J. Palmer has an addictive writing style, which pulls the reader deep into the darkest corners of the story. I found the characters interesting and well developed, and while Nina’s naïve behavior was frustrating, I was still rooting for her and her children. As for Simon, oh boy did I despise his character! I kept “screaming” at him while reading and I just wanted to expose him to everyone so his despicable behavior could finally stop. But I guess every thriller needs his villain, right?

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Title: The New Husband
Author: D. J. Palmer
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"The New Husband" by D. J. Palmer

My Speculation:

As I started reading 'The New Husband,' I found each chapter kept my attention turning the pages and on the edge of your seat, seeing what was coming next in this mystery, thriller, suspense fast-paced read. I will say that this author gives the reader a good read of the mind of a sociopath who loved 'playing games with people's minds and emotions.'

That Simons showed how he could play with one's minds as he manipulates so well in this story; however, this didn't happen with Maggie. Now, why was that?

Be ready for one nightmare of terror with many twists and turns you will not see coming.

Every once in awhile I challenge myself to read outside of my comfort zone of cozy mysteries. Just to shake things up. Well, this one did that in spades. Talk about lies, deceit and gaslighting. I'm not going into great detail to prevent spoilers but Nina Garrity sure has really had issues with the men in her life. First her husband goes missing while fishing - is he dead or alive? Then Simon Fitch makes his move and all bets are off. Nina and her teenage son don't see the danger that her daughter, Maggie, sees. Lies, lies and more lies. Who in our lives can we really trust?
The first half of the book goes at a slower pace than the second half and, boy, is the reader in for a ride. The writing is smooth and the tension is intense. It's one of the reasons my favorite characters are her daughter, Maggie, wise beyond her years and one who trusts her instincts and Daisy the dog.
Bottom line, this psychological thriller works because it's not beyond imagination that a woman like Nina could become the victim of such a man. It was a great read but I think I need to return to a big stack of cozies, at least for a little while.
My thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.