Wow! Such an unexpected book! At first I thought it was a typical husband cheating...living a new and separate life... This book brought the characters to life and you just know there is something... some THING wrong with Simon and the family dynamic. I could not put the book down and at about 50% of the way through you will be totally surprised! Great read.

Wow! How can a woman be so blind? DJ Palmer sets up readers to believe a woman duped and dumped by her husband cant see the bad actions of her soon to be new husband. Pay close attention or you will miss the BIG clues! Happy reading!

This is one twisted and scary story about a woman who just wants to be happy again with a man she loves and with her two teen aged children. Nina has found someone who she thinks she can love and who she hopes she can trust, something she thought would never happen after finding out her husband of 20 years had been lying to her, wiped them out financially, and apparently was having an affair. While she knows it will be hard for her children to accept the new man in her life when they have barely recovered from the mysterious disappearance and presumed death of their Dad the previous year, Simon seems perfect. A teacher at the middle school Maggie attends he seems to adore Nina and her kids and wants only the best for them. Maggie in particular cannot stand Simon and it appears that she is just being an obnoxious teenager as Simon bends backwards to try and make things work. However things are not always as they seem to be and in this case they are way, way worse than anyone could imagine. Palmer really makes you wonder if you ever can really know someone – even someone who you truly love.

I was really looking forward to reading this book. The synopsis grabbed me, along with the cover.

To say I was disappointed is probably the best way to describe my thoughts on this. In all honesty, the story itself is good. However, the writing is what killed the book for me. It was choppy, incomplete. I felt nothing for the characters. It was all over the place. It had no flow to it at all. I struggled to read it. I had to force myself to finish it.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy .
So who can you trust...I couldn't put it down. This story was thrilling, creepy, and believable . I just had to ge to the end...my heart was palpitating and I was anxious to get to the end. It did not disappoint. Fantastic thriller. Thank you again for the ARC. Great story DJ Palmer 👍

DJ Palmer wrote a suspenseful novel full of possession and intrigue. Once you start reading you won't want to stop. Getting into the mind of a psychopath was fun but also it was strange. DJ Palmer you have a new fan.

I really wanted to love The New Husband by D.J. Palmer. Quick synopsis: Nina's husband disappears and it appears that he has many secrets....an affair and he hasn't worked for several years. Enter Simon the perfect man or is he the monster? It starts off very slow......alternating points of view between Nina Garrity and her daughter Maggie Garrity. Parts of the book read like a YA novel. The second half makes up for the slowness in the beginning because you must find out all about Simon, All in all, I rate the book 3 1/2 stars. Thank you NetGalley and D.J. Palmer for the ARC.

I think I read a review of this which compared it to Gone Girl or Girl on the Train. It certainly has the potential for being the same kind of hit. Palmer was especially smart to have both Nina and her daughter Maggie narrate the different chapters. This allowed the reader to see Simon in two different ways, ways that eventually merged as his real character was exposed. Like many suspense novels, there are some plot points that don't make a lot of sense. Having Simon be a middle school history teacher doesn't quite click with me. I also think that Daisy might have been more suspicious of him. The tension is good without being roller-coaster crazy.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early review copy of this novel. I was intrigued right away after learning the book was about a mustered husband starting at the beginning. I enjoyed learning about each of the characters from their own point of view. I found it very entertaining. Don’t want to give the twist away, but it’s one everyone is sure to appreciate. Great read.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy .
I absolutely loved this book, it had me up very late because I just had to finish this book. I love the characters of Maggie and Ben so much. Very good warning signs about a controlling man.

The New Husband is a creepy, chilling, sinister read and I loved it. Nina and Simon move in together after the disappearance of her husband Glen, who wasn't who Nina thought he was. But neither is Simon. Halfway through the truth is revealed about one of them and I was surprised. After that the story was fairly predictable. I like Maggie the best. She had guts and temerity. I thought Nina was a dupe and easily influenced. It's a good reminder that you never really know people.

If everything seems too good to be true, it likely is. And Simon swoops in after Nina's husband disappears - seemingly perfect. With a husband who seems less perfect by the day, Nina quickly falls for Simon's charm, as does her son Conner. But her daughter Maggie isn't convinced. Is Nina right or is Maggie? Interestingly enough, Palmer gives away the secret about halfway through the book along with a surprise the reader likely isn't suspecting. And then from that point forward, it's all a matter of the right people figuring things out in enough time, which ends up being suspenseful in and of itself. The book was definitely interesting, though not perfect. There were points where the writing felt really stilted to me, it still felt somewhat predictable, and I didn't always love the fact that the story was alternating back and forth between multiple characters. I also felt that for a social worker, Nina was pretty dense and not overly thoughtful about things going on with her own family that seemed like she should have been able to see and deal with - trauma or no trauma - but that's merely my personal opinion.

A keeper! A real page turner and I couldn't wait for all the pieces to unravel! Highly entertaining, twisty, and suspenseful. Everything you could want!

The New Husband is a psychological thriller.
The story was a bit slow going in the beginning. Not enough to make me lose interest. I realize it’s building up to what’s to come. I’m impatient! To me, most of the characters were not very likable. I had trouble relating to Nina or even Maggie. Simon was a piece of work and I give props to the author on that. Hey, I can appreciate a well written character. He did his job. All that being said, I did enjoy this book. The story was a thriller with a touch of dark. Once it hit a certain point, I pretty much read straight through until the end. I needed to know how this was all going to end! I can’t wait to read more from this author! I give this 4 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I'm not a big psychological reader but after reading D.J. Palmer's first book I had to request to get his second one. You can call this book enjoyable, twisted, scary, and creepy all the same time. Sort of an oxymoron if you ask me.

A father who goes missing for 2 years, never to be seen, no evidence of anything. Men who are controlling, kids who have more sense than their mother, and a lot more going on. What's ironic is that he was never her husband yet.

Thank you D.J. Palmer for another book and hope there is another one to come. (less)

Almost two years ago, Nina’s husband Glen disappeared from his fishing boat, and in the aftermath, she learned that he had been telling her lies for years. Simon, a widower twice over who understands Nina’s pain, provides comfort and consolation as she accepts that Glen will never return. Their relationship develops, and soon, they move in together.

Nina’s teenage son, Connor, develops as strong relationship with Simon, but her younger daughter Maggie, a student at the school where Simon teaches, refuses to accept that her father is dead. She also sees something dark and disturbing in Simon, though her mother and brother dismiss her concerns as that of a troubled and grieving teenager. To Nina, Simon is dedicated and generous—though her friends accuse him of being possessive.

Still, though, Nina knows that just because she loves someone doesn’t mean she knows them, and she realizes that while Simon knows everything about her, she has learned relatively little about his past. She decides she can’t move forward until she banishes all doubts.

Looking into Simon’s past relationships, Nina uncovers surprises, while Maggie is increasingly bullied at school. Danger lurks—but who is responsible? Simon, the specter of Glen, or her own imagination?

The New Husband by D. J. Palmer is a quick, engaging read, though I really got truly invested about halfway through the book. Nina was a frustrating character, although I suppose anyone can find themselves in her situation, and some of the plot developments seemed rather farfetched. I also found the writing to be colloquial for my taste, though I read an advance readers’ copy, and the language may be changed in the final version. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Maggie and her new friend, Ben, smart, quirky, and loyal.

Fans of Sarah Pinborough and B.A. Paris. will enjoy this psychological thriller.

Ninas life falls apart when her husband Glen mysteriously goes missing on a solo fishing trip. His boat is found but he is nowhere to be seen and there is blood on deck.
As the investigation peters out and time passes, Glen is presumed dead.

Distraught and with two children to look after, Nina struggles to come to terms with what happened.
A chance encounter with one of her daughter Maggies teachers Simon Fitch, leads to some sparks and she enters into a relationship with him, eventually buying a house together and moving the kids in with them.

Simon is very attentive and loving. Knows what Nina needs, seems to sense her moods and wants. Too good to be true? Certainly Maggie thinks so. She doesn’t accept him at all. Apart from not believing her father is dead, she has seen a brief look of madness in the eyes of Simon when she annoyed him. She is convinced he is not what he seems and that the family could be in danger with this man under the roof with them.

As Simon slowly becomes more controlling, Nina begins to doubt herself and wonder is Maggie right all along.

This whole book was a real blast for me. Hugely readable, we have some nicely nuanced and well written characters. Nina and Maggie being two of the strongest. The pacing in this one I found perfect. It leads to a very exciting climax. It does get a little fantastical at times with Simon but I was more than happy to go with it. He’s a really creepy character, slowly teased out as the book goes on.

This is my first read by this author and I will be definitely looking into her other work. Sometimes authors have a writing style that just sits very well with the reader and this was certainly the case for me here.

Many thanks to Netgalley, D.J. Palmer and St Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very riveting story, that will keep on the edge of your seat. It will give you insight into love, marriage and how well we know each other.
Nina discovers her missing husband Glen was having an affair. Glen is gone, assumed drowned while out fishing. This leave Nina frustrated and angry that she can’t question him about his affair or about his choices.
After a year and a half later, Nina feels like her a widow, even though they never found a body.

Nina meets a widow Simon Fitch, a middle school teacher at her daughters middle school, Nina decides to take another chance on love and move forward with her life finds love.

Simon, considers Nina his dream girl. Nina's son Connor, enjoys time together with Simon since his dad never had time for him. Nina’s daughter Maggie resists the idea of a new father figure in her life. She’s sees a mean side to Simon that the others appear to be missing. Nina’s friends wonder if Simon is to good to be true or is he too controlling of Nina’s every move.

Nina and Simon start to have trouble when she starts to resume her career as a social worker. Nina finds herself wondering if she has made another mistake in her choice of partner.
Will Nina and Simon be able to come to an understand about her job? Will Maggie ever accept Simon in the family?

Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book starts out slow. It took me a while to really get into it (and I took more breaks than I usually do while reading.) Once the story finally gets going (about 50% in,) though, it is hard to put down. It has that 'sitting on the edge of your seat' thing going for it. The characters felt real. They had real emotions and thoughts that anyone in the same situation would have. I did get frustrated with Nina (the mom) often. She would finally have some doubts about certain things (rightly so,) but then in the next breath she dropped those thoughts. She never believed anything her young daughter would tell her, blaming it all on the daughters dislike of the new man of the house, or her fragility after losing her father. Nina was meant to be a smart woman, but you'd think a former social worker would at least give some consideration to what all her friends and family were saying about a new man she was bringing into her families lives. I mean if pretty much everyone in your life has bad things/feelings about a person, you'd think it'd make you pause. (I'm not saying she should have seen the signs or anything like that, but just take it all into consideration.) That was basically the only negative feelings I had towards the story (or more accurately towards that one character. (Aside from starting out slow.) There are several suspenseful moments. Some real nail biters. It's fascinating to see how far the villain actually took things. How much thought and preparation went into their plans. There are a few questions that were left unanswered. Nothing in the grand scheme of things, but things that will leave you wondering. There is some violence. No sexual content. There are a couple of sensitive subject matters mentioned that may be considered triggers (but all those things were mentioned but not played out in the pages.) Including abuse, drug addiction & suicide.) It alternates between several POVs. (Primarily the mom's.) The plot is well developed and complex.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

The New Husband is a fast-paced and engrossing thriller by DJ Palmer. The chapters were short and easy to read. I was a fully submerged in the plot and flew through the pages! Before beginning this book, I knew very little about it, which worked for me because I had little to no expectations.

Brief summary: Nina Garity’s husband, Glen, went missing while out on a fishing trip. The only clue of his fate was some blood left on the deck of his fishing boat. Presumed dead, Nina attempts to move on, but discovers that Glen may have been leading a double life, one that includes a mistress.

Enter Simon Finch, a teacher from Nina’s daughter Maggie’s middle school. Nina is swept off her feet by Simon’s sensitivity and charm and they quickly move in together. Nina’s son Connor accepts Simon in his life as a father figure, but Maggie has seen a more sinister side to him and is intent on showing it to her mother. The whirlwind romance and Simon’s possessive nature also has Nina’s friends questioning his motives.

It was hard not to feel frustrated while reading this book because there were so many warning bells going off in my head and I found it hard to understand how Nina could not see the creep factor in Simon. He’d call her at work multiple times in the same day; his insistence on her not working/quitting her job; the way he had a full-blown temper tantrum when Nina came home with a slightly different haircut then he had chosen for her— and the list of Simon’s possessive behavior does not stop here! I became discouraged with Nina’s awareness of Simon’s need to control her because she was constantly making excuses for it instead of looking at all the problems he was causing in her life. In all fairness, Nina was a vulnerable woman so perhaps that made it easier for her to fall into Simon’s trap, but it was hard to accept this excuse when it came to how she treated Maggie’s issues with Simon.

Once I came to the realization that most characters in these types of books have to be (to an extent) unsuspecting and gullible— otherwise how exciting would the book actually be?— I was able to set aside at last some of my frustrations and enjoy the book. It was most certainly hard to put down once you got going and I flew through the pages in no time.