Have you ever read one of those books that drive you crazy, yet captivate you the entire time? The New Husband by D.J. Palmer is one of those books.

Nina Garrity is moving in with Simon Fitch. He seems so perfect. He knows all about her favorite foods, music, and movies. Her son is over the moon about him. He is always there when she needs him.

He's a little too perfect.

The thing is Nina's last husband was anything but perfect. She found out he was living a double life and having an affair with another woman. Now that her husband is gone - presumed dead from a boating accident - she wants to focus on her new life and her new husband.

But things aren't as perfect as they seem. Simon can be controlling at times. The very idea of Nina working creates conflict. And not to mention her daughter Maggie is having a lot of problems with him.
Her son, Connor, loves him, though.

In the book The New Husband we read this story from a variety of points of view. We read the book mostly through the eyes of Nina and Maggie. It's both outraging and thrilling to read the relationship between Nina and Simon. Through the eyes of Maggie, we see a glimpse behind the true nature of Simon's character. Once Nina tries to work and begins to question the things Simon tells her, things begin to fray at the edges. What's outraging at the same time though is that she questions herself more than she questions Simon. So often throughout the book, I wanted to yell at Nina about her self-doubt! But in a loving friend kind of way.

The New Husband is a thriller, but it's also a lesson in abusive relationships. Simon may act like the perfect husband, but he's not. There are signs along the way that he is controlling and abusive. At times, to an obvious point. You notice that the second he doesn't get his way or someone gets in his way, he'll make sure they don't stick around long.

More than that, there is also a persistent question - what really happened to Nina's ex-husband? That becomes more important than you realize later down the road for this book.

All is not what they seem in this book. If you are looking for an exciting thriller that will also outrage you all at the same time, you will want to read this book. This roped me in immediately and I couldn't put it down.

Purchase a copy of this book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Also, be sure to add this to your reading list on GoodReads.

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer is a stunning thriller. The minute you start reading this book, there is a feeling of foreboding and dread but you don’t know why. Nina Garrity’s husband Glen has disappeared, leaving everyone wondering if he left intentionally or may have met with foul play. She later finds out that he has had an affair with a local waitress. A year and a half later, Nina falls in love again and moves her family in with Simon Fitch. She is thrilled with the new relationship: he seems to know her so well and is devoted to making her happy. Her daughter instantly exhibits dislike towards Simon and her son enjoys spending time with him, making for a tense household. The plot cannot be discussed here but I think that you will not regret reading The New Husband. It is simply unpredictable and an absolute thrill-ride. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an outstanding book from D.J. Palmer! Many other people didn't seem to like it as much, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a bit slow to start of with, but ended with a couldn't put down, heart wrenching page-turner! It was full of secrets, good intentions, misgivings, deception, and a whole host of back and forth!

I knew something was up all along, obviously, it's a mystery book, but I was a bit surprised by some of it, and pretty much saw the rest of it coming and predicted it long before the end! Simon was the type of character that made you want to root for him! The rest of the characters were very likable and relatable.

Other than the slow start, this book got off to an excellent finish, one that with the exception of a few small details, that I never saw coming!

I would like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and D.J. Palmer for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest and unbiased review!

This novel started out like so many other domestic thrillers that it took me a bit to get into it. Not because it wasn’t good or intriguing but because it seemed like the same old trope. Boy, was I wrong! About halfway through the book got very dark and took a twist I was not expecting. What had appeared to be a formulaic domestic thriller was anything but and, suddenly, I could not put it down. The best part about this novel, in my opinion, is that it is realistic and, in some instances, even likely. Most of the situations and secondary plots were entirely feasible and even probable. I greatly enjoyed this slow burn novel with a twist.

When Nina's husband, Glen, goes missing, Nina's world is turned upside down as secret after secret is revealed. Nina moves on rather quickly with Simon. Her older son is happy to have a man around, but her daughter is reluctant and believes her dad to be out there somewhere. Is Simon really a good person?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From pretty much the first page, you know what's going on. It's a whole different level of nerve wracking to know what's going on when the characters don't. I don't think I've read a thriller that has the reader knowing the outcome, and I found it to be a fun perspective. I was rather surprised when the POV switched to the daughter's, I thought it was unique to have that POV. Overall, I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
This psychological thriller was very enthralling. Nina is trying to rebuilt her life after her husband disappears, even though she is not sure if he is dead or ran off. After his disappearance, she found out he was having an affair and this makes her questions their entire marriage.
Enter Simon, the new man in her life. He seems to be absolutely perfect, anticipating her every need, knowing all of her favorite things. Is she blinded by new love or is he absolutely as perfect as he seems? His only flaw is her teenage daughter hates him, which is not surprising, considering Nina and him started dating not long after her dad disappeared.
This book took a chapters for me to get into, but once it did, I could not put it down. Even though at times it was a little predictable, it had some twists and turns, some likable characters (I adored Ben) and a lot of suspense at the end. Would recommend it to thriller lovers.

The main character in this story is far too slow at putting the pieces together, no matter how many people tell her to pay attention to her situation. What I found to be particularly frustrating was that she was generally a capable and intelligent woman in all other areas of her life, but around her home life she was clueless. She is even a therapist, but completely ignores the signs or makes excuses.

I think if the book left the reader wondering what was going on it might not be so frustrating that she doesn't see it, but the reader knows who the bad guy is pretty much right away. There are some minor twists, but nothing really that you are shocked by.

The last 20% of the book is definitely the best part. I was considering upping my star rating at this point, but it just wasn't enough to make up for the 80% of the book that I found myself waiting for the mom to catch up with us.

Overall, this wasn't a bad book (despite my earlier complaint!) and it is worth a read. The writing is good and the story is ok. I think you just need to be prepared for the main character missing all the signs and not expect an edge of your seat thriller until the end. I will read more by D.J. Palmer because I did like his writing style.

This book was meh for me. I really didn’t like any of the characters and couldn’t believe the actions and choices Nina made. She was such a doormat and did not often stand up to Simon and, when she did, it was over inconsequential things.

I think the story tried to do too much. There was one plot line that I kept thinking would play into the story and when it didn’t, I was annoyed at the wasted time.

I did like the relationship between Maggie and Ben, although I found the reason why Maggie was an outcast to be far fetched. That being said, I’m a long way from middle school, so maybe that’s all it takes these days.

This was a great thriller. Even when you know who the bad person is half way through the book, it's still good. You are on pins and needles waiting to see what happened. Very well written and with some good twists!

Nina Garrity’s husband, Glen, disappeared while fishing. Nina and her children have tried to hold out hope that he is still alive but, after nearly two years, the possibility seems remote. Meanwhile, Nina and her son have begun to move on. Her younger child, Maggie, is still not sure. And, now her mother has a new love, Simon, who teaches at Maggie’s middle school. Simon seems perfect in so many ways and is completely compatible with both Nina and her son. But, Maggie and Nina’s close friends are suspicious of Simon. Why is he so perfect?

It’s interesting that in another context I would have thought Nina to be naïve and maybe even a little bit dense. But, in this book, D.J. Palmer has created an intelligent woman who expects a partner to be honest, thoughtful, and faithful and she doesn’t want to make another mistake. So, as a result, she isn’t willing to listen to the concerns of others and, instead, relies on her own observations and what she hopes is true. However, as the story progresses, Nina starts to have her own doubts and she begins to question some of the events that are occurring.

The New Husband is a great psychological/domestic thriller. The tensions slowly build and the story moves along at a steady pace. The twists that occur are jarring. The characters are well-conceived and the story itself is well-told. The only thing I felt to be somewhat out of place was the epilogue, where Maggie voices her thoughts concerning the trials her family endured. It seemed to be a bit gratuitous and unnecessary, but overall it is only a minor complaint.

I thoroughly enjoyed The New Husband. It’s 4.5 *s for sure and I enthusiastically recommend it for fans of psychological thrillers.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
Nina, her 13 year old daughter Maggie, and 16 year old son Connor are moving in with Nina’s new boyfriend Simon. Maggie is resentful of the move and doesn’t accept Simon in their lives. Also Simon is her social studies teacher. Connor is more accepting. Their father Glen is gone, he has been missing for 16 months, and New Hampshire says someone must be missing for 2 years before they will grant a divorce. Once her divorce is granted, Nina plans to marry Simon. Nina was having some financial troubles and it moved the move in with Simon up and she worries about how Maggie is taking things.
I loved this book, I loved the fast paced storyline and the characters, and I saw part of the twist, but when the truth came out I actually gasped aloud!

Psychological thrillers are not my "go to" genre, but this one sounded interesting and I do recommend it, even if thrillers, murder mysteries, suspense is not your favorite. Nina really knows how to pick men, NOT. The story begins with what looks like a possible murder scene. Nina's husband, Glen, usually goes fishing on Saturdays with the family dog, Daisy, but another fisherman finds the boat adrift, with only Daisy and a lot of blood on deck. What happened to Glen? The lake and surrounding area is searched, but no body or clue to what happened to Glen is found. But then slowly it is revealed that Glen has been leading a secret life- or has he? After a few months, while Nina and their 2 children are very vulnerable, about to lose their house and mov win with her parents, another man enters her life- Simon, a high school social studies a robotics teacher. While Nina, a trained social workers, who has been out of the work force while she was raising her children, refuses to consider marriage, they do move to a new house together. But it is 13 year old Maggie, that refuses to believe that her Dad is not coming back or the things that he is accused of. The book jumps back and forth between Maggie's perspective and that of the narration. Lots of twists and turns, but it is Daisy who saves the day.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

When Nina Garrity's husband Glen disappears suddenly while on a fishing trip leaving her with two children, a dog and debt she was never aware of, she was not sure how she would be able to cope. But a few months later she is accidently introduced to Simon Fitch, a teacher at her daughter's high school who as a widower himself, is kind, generous, charming, attentive and even smells like her missing husband. Simon seems to good to be true.

As their relationship progresses, much to the ire of her daughter, but to the excitement of her son Connor, they decide to move into a house together and be their own family. Although Maggie and Simon clash, Nina believes everything is going well.  Until little problems seems to pop up.  Simon gets sick on a night Nina is suppose to go out with her two best friends.  He finds a picture in a magazine and begs Nina to cut her hair in the same way. When Nina decides to get a job, although Simon does not admit his disapproval, she can tell for some reason it bothers him.  Nina blames herself, thinking it must be her fault.  She's not communicating enough with him.  

As she tries to adjust to her work and home life, she finds herself constantly doubting herself and feeling overwhelmed by trying to adjust to work, home and the constant fighting between Simon and Maggie.  When Nina suggests to Simon that they go to counseling to try and put themselves back on track he immediately agrees.  But the night before their session, her counselor's home is broken into and she is attacked.

Then, Maggie has a terrible accident and Nina begins to question not only herself but what Simon could really be.  There are only so many accidents until they begin to seem like something more sinister. 

The New Husband is a psychological rollercoaster thriller with twists and stunning turns you could never imagine.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #D.J.Palmer #TheNewHusband for the advanced copy.

After my enjoyment of Saving Meghan (see review HERE), I was honestly worried when i was offered the chance to review The New Husband on whether it could keep it on the edge of my seat like Saving Meghan did. But to start of, I would caveat that this book should have some kind of trigger warning for abuse – just as a heads up. there were a few places that I felt uncomfortable and I’ve never been in that kind of situation.

While I found this one to be must more in your face with the whole done it (I mean, i had a pretty solid idea of who the bad guy was fairly early on) but seeing all the psychological twists…at one stage I tweeted that the book was a total mindfuck – and it was. Its honestly hard to write a good review without divulging spoilers and I hate doing that.

I will admit that through most of the book Nina kind of annoyed me – I know that Simon was a psycho and all that but it seems like she had no personality even with her first husband and now was just trying to find herself. Her daughter was by far the more interesting of the 3 characters you get to know in the Garrity family – and I really liked her friend (and of course, the dog made the story all the more enjoyable like dogs do). My only other comment will be that there was a bit of a dangling thread to simon’s story that i would have loved to have seen tied up – but that makes me wonder if there is another story coming…

Thoroughly enjoyed this page turner. I could feel the angst in the characters as if they were neighbors going through a difficult time. Excellent thriller to read deep into the night.

We were about to become a living, breathing Dateline special. Cheating husband vanishes. The grieving wife, the abandoned children, the New Husband.

Glen Garrity has mysteriously disappeared. The family dog with Glen's blood on him is their only clue. Glen has left a mess. His business dealings failed. An affair and his wife Nina holding the bag and what is left of her family. The only good thing is Simon. A teacher at her daughter Maggie's school, he has been the support she never had.

Maggie misses her father and cannot stand how Simon has stepped in. Her brother Conner seems to accept him but Maggie has seen a side of Simon that is calculated and cruel. No one believers her but her best friend. Maggie begins to uncover that Simon is not who he appears to be. She tries to clue in her mother but Simon has an answer that leaves Maggie looking like a manipulator. It is only when she gets a strange text from her father that she has not heard from in 2 years that she becomes desperate for family's safety.

The narration is done between Maggie and her mother Nina and the answers are in the voice of her father Glen. Is it a believable manipulative thriller? That is up for you to decide. I am still on the fence.

A Special Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

There's crazy, and then there's read it in (almost) one sitting, shake your head, talk to yourself crazy. The New Husband is a book best read at once, I realized, as I raced towards the conclusion. The New Husband is the perfect thriller for lovers of Lifetime movies and believe-it-or-not twists. After the disappearance of her husband, Nina struggles to blend her family with her new guy, Simon. Is Nina crazy for having her concerns? I guess you'll just have to read it and find out.
The protagonist, Nina is frequently frustrating, but her daughter Maggie really brings the much-needed skepticism and grounding of the story as the audience avatar. She's the person at home yelling at the television. Without Maggie's voice alternating in chapters, I would probably have liked this a lot less. Maggie is the hero, here.

⛓The New Husband⛓
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Trying a new format and getting straight to my review. I sometimes think the synopsis on the back give too much information so I’m going to try leaving it out and see what y’all think.
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Why I loved it: To me, this is a fresh take on a mystery/thriller. This novel is told from three different POVs, one of which is Nina’s daughter Maggie. Was some of the plot predictable? Sure. But I really enjoyed seeing it through someone other than the main character. It gives it a different perspective. It’s like watching a thriller and watching them walk into a dark room. You keep thinking “TURN THE LIGHTS ON” and they don’t. This is very much that same feeling. I was holding my breath at times and wanting to scream at the book. This one will hook you!
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Rating: 4/5⭐️

No doubt about it. The New Husband by D.J. Palmer pulls you in immediately. Nina Garrity's world, as she thought she knew it, collapsed the day her husband disappeared. She and her children lurched through the gamut of emotions: loss, heartbreak, deceit, denial, you name it. It has been an extremely difficult time for them.

Then a fortuitous encounter leads her to Simon Fitch. He is perfectly loving, kind, thoughtful, and passionate in a somewhat...familiar way. There are occasional hints of something else simmering beneath the surface. She can't quite see what it is. Is she just imagining it? Why is she questioning his motives? He has been so supportive of the family and what they have endured. Why can't her daughter Maggie accept that her father is gone. Her son Connor has embraced Simon and sees how much he loves them. As Nina becomes stronger and independent, Maggie is pulling away from her. Simon, well he's just great! isn't he?

I knew all along that Simon was not all he appeared to be, but I never guessed what D.J. Palmer had up his sleeve with this one. Tighten up that seat belt at the end. It's a fast pace that will make your heart skip a beat or two.

Thank you @netgalley my favorite publishing house #stmartinspress #macmillanusa and @djpalmerauthor for my copy of #TheNewHusband.

#AdvancedReaderCopy #arc #bookmail #bookhaul #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #kindleeditition #ebook
#thriller #mystery #suspense

This book was in parts riveting but mostly predictable. If you read a lot of this type of genre the twists and shocking outcomes were almost predictable from the first few chapters. Having said that a lesser reader I am sure will find it a page turner and hunt out more by this author.
Nina Garrity’s first husband, Glen has vanished, presumed drowned when his boat was found drifting off shore with their dog Daisy on board. Some mere 18 months later Nina has a new man in her life, school teacher Simon Fitch. Nina’s son Connor is quite accepting of Simon as he spends a lot more time and is a lot more involved with him than his dad was. Younger sister Maggie isn’t persuaded and thinks something is off with Mr Fitch, who is a teacher at her school. Trouble is no one else sees this dark side that Maggie has glimpsed and Simon does indeed have secrets of his own. But as Simon ingratiates himself further and further into the Garritys lives it soon becomes clear he is trying to control Nina and slowly has her break ties with those she loves.

#thenewhusband #netgalley