Member Reviews

# The man she married # Netgalley
Started of ok and read the first few chapters as just as I got in bed. I was so tired rather than really push it I thought I would leave it until lithe following day. So when I picked it up I remember thinking it was going to be good book I waited. I read some more and waited read some more. I kept on reading waiting for the book to really take of Alas unfortunately it didn’t. How disappointing it was. Oh don’t get me wrong it was a good storyline. It just didn’t take off as I thought it was going to do do you make it a great book, it’s a shame really it had all the potential of being one of those books you struggle to put down. Where this one after some time I could have gladly put down and never picked of up again, the only thing that kept me picking it up was purely and simply i did think I would take off. Of as I realised it was getting too late for the book to suddenly pick up and run away with itself I did start to think clever it’s going to be in the ending. So there I am reading as fast as I can to sit there absolutely dumbfounded ending as I had predicted. If I was honest I felt cheated in away I think some readers will
Understand what I mean by cheated... A synopsis that made a book sound like yes I can’t wait to read that. I book you think is suddenly going to open up to be a write good read as my northern farther would have said to being a disgrace l he would have said that would have bin his polite best. So it’s best to leave it as he would say it politely.

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Great intro and solid writing made this a fun read.

It wasn’t much of a shocker where this was going but it’s laid out nicely and was a quick read. I admit I was a bit irritated by Alice and all the signs she chose to ignore at the beginning. I was glad when the story switches to her husband’s narrative.

It’s an alarming story and it’s not all that believable in this day and age of social media and forensics (DNA). But it’s fiction and it made for an entertaining read. As I said, his perspective was a good changeover and more interesting. The story has a satisfying conclusion.

I would recommend and read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.

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What drew me to this book was the eerily beautiful cover! I loved the design, and after reading the blurb I decided to read this one. Now, in the past I have read books on similar themes before and the gullible characters have frustrated the hell out of me. But this one is different, although you can sense the direction in which the story is headed, I found Alison James' narrative to be very compelling. So just like that, I finished this one in 1 day! The Man She Married is a good, suspenseful book and I would recommend this book as a good one time read.

When Alice meets the charming Dominic, she's literally swept off her feet and into his arms. After only a few months of dating, Dominic decides he wants to move in with Alice. In love, Alice knows that he's the one and they get married. Three years on, Alice’s catering business is thriving and she is living in marital bliss. So when she sees that little blue line, it should be the happiest moment of her life: they’re going to have a baby. But then the police knock on her door and Alice’s whole world is turned upside down… Dominic is found dead.

Distraught, Alice goes to identify the body. There’s no doubt that it’s her husband. Yet when his estranged brother comes to view the coffin, he insists the man lying there is not Dominic. Alice refuses to believe it at first, but when confronted with irrefutable proof, she finally has to face the truth:

The man she married is not the person he said he was. And if he lied about that, what else was he hiding from her?

I cannot say I loved the characters in this one, but I came very close to it. I really liked Alice, she makes the perfect central figure in the story. I really loved how Alison James told us her story. Here's what bothered me - Considering that she's runs a successful catering business, has been on her own since her parents died and has been left at the altar before, I was expecting her to be more vigilant and smart about who she lets in her life. But I can understand why she would turn a blind eye to potential issues as and when they presented themselves. What I don't understand is why her own brother did not sound any alarms. I don't think I can even forgive her best friend Jojo for that matter. The plot is twisty but if you've been reading this genre for a long time, you know where this is heading and the end may just not surprise you. I still liked the story even though its not any different from the typical plot where the death of a partner reveals new things and nothing is all that it seems. I liked the chapters on Ben and found those to be exciting than the Alice chapters. This is purely the reason for the 4 stars. I like the way the book ended. I thought it was poetic!

Thank You NetGalley, Bookouture and Alison James for an arc!

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This book is told in three points of view, past and present. Alice and Dominic seem to have the ideal marriage but when Dominic is found dead and his brother tells Alice that is not his brother was Alice in the complete dark? Thanks Netgalley and to the publisher for the advanced ecopy.

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** spoiler alert ** 3.5 Stars

Positives:
I like how the chapters are set out
The switching of perspectives and time and how the story is told
I enjoy Jojo's character, her relationship with Alice and how they interact
Jim is my spirit animal and I love him.

Negatives:
Red flags all over the damn place
Alice ignoring her own unsettling feelings about him all. the. time.

I understand that she's in a relationship with a very charismatic man who is extremely good at lying and distorting the truth and that both women and men are in these sorts of relationships with no way of getting out or controlled to the point of despair, going along with their partners behaviours because they're afraid.

We see the red flags because we aren't in that relationship. I just can't see why, before they got married, she didn't trust her instincts and nope the fuck out of it. She found him unsettling and creepy before all the rest of the stuff happened.

I'm just unsure about this and I'm sorry if anyone finds this review troublesome, not the word I want to use but can't think of the exact one at the moment. If anyone want to discuss this with me, please do, I want to understand more about this type of situation and relationship.

*Huge thanks to Alison James, Bookouture and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*

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#NetGalley #The Man She Married #Bookouture

Alice has her own successful business and a beautiful home in a nice upscale area. She is somewhat naïve and unlucky in love having been basically left at the alter by her former fiancé. Alice meets and marries Dominic Gill very quickly. At first the marriage is good, when Alice starts to notice some strange behaviors by Dominic she tells herself it is all in her head. When Dominic is killed in an accident Alice soon learns that she did not know her husband at all. The story alternates between now and then, with both Alice and Dominic telling their sides of the story. The story grabbed my attention from the start and kept it all the way through. The story contained many twists and surprises. A very enjoyable book.

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This book is another one that surprised me when reading it. I really liked it. There was so many twists and turns that kept me hooked. It was a great read with great characters. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I thought Alice was very gullible by not delving into her husband's past and then she finds out he is not who he claims to be. The red herrings are many but it is worth it for the ending.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced reader copy

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After reading the prologue I thought this was going to be a great thriller however, from the first chapter this book was very predictable. Alison was very naive and it made me just want to smack her and tell her to wake up. Dom was a very predictable scam artist and unfortunately this book was very dull. I kept hoping for a great twist or for something big to happen but it fell short.

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From the very moment he proposed three months into the relationship I was already suspicious of him.

Told from two perspectives; Alice and Dominic moving between then and now, this was an amazing quick read for me.

I was fascinated by the prologue and I wanted to know more. Each chapter that ended pushed me to want to go on even when I felt sleepy.

I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

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Love this type of book - imagine being married for 3 years - to find out not only that your husband is dead, but also that he isn’t the man you thought he was!
Well written, creepy and totally relatable - I was drawn in and kept on the edge of my seat until the end!

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Y'all this one really creeps me out because I recently just got married! OOOO but I love these types of novels because I really get sucked in and then I'm just like WOAH. Now this the book you want to be reading.

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Imagine being swept up in a romance, getting married and a few short years later, your husband dies. When his brother comes to view the body, he says, “That’s not my brother.”

Then who on earth were you married to? That’s the premise behind The Man She Married by Alison James and I love the idea of this!

Since Alice’s fiancé walked out on her, she never thought she’d meet ‘The One’. But all that changes when she meets Dominic. Handsome, charming and kind, Alice can’t believe her luck when he proposes a few months later and moves into her West London home.

Three years on, Alice’s catering business is thriving and she is married to a man she adores. So when she sees that little blue line, it should be the happiest moment of her life: they’re going to have a baby. But then the police knock on her door and Alice’s whole world is turned upside down… Dominic is dead.

Distraught, Alice goes to identify the body. There’s no doubt that it’s her husband. Yet when his estranged brother comes to view the coffin, he insists the man lying there is not Dominic. Alice refuses to believe it at first, but when confronted with irrefutable proof, she finally has to face the truth:

The man she married is not the person he said he was. And if he lied about that, what else was he hiding from her?

The book is told in present/past timelines and also from Alice/Dominic. Its a great suspense and I wanted to shake Alice and a few times and tell her to wise up! I love books that keep me guessing and I look forward to more from this author.

Get this for 99 cents on Kindle!

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#TheManSheMarried #NetGalley I love this author's Rachel Prince series so I was excited to read one of her other novels. Whilst the beginning was a bit confusing timeline wise and I didn't think it was necessary to do all this 'now', 'then' and back to 'now' the writing style and plot soon drew me in. Very well written and easy to read with plenty of action. I sped through the chapters wanting to see what happened to Alice in the end. A great read!

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This was a unique take on a psychological thriller and it was great to enjoy this experience. What happens when you do not know the man you married. This book has more plot twists than i would have imagined and i really enjoyed this story. It was a very good serial killer thriller and it made the main character look like a total idiot for blindly going along the whole time. And yet... you feel so bad for her the entire time! Great thriller!

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Deception beyond belief lies at the heart of The Man she Married by Alison James. The storyline is astounding in the amount of deceit one individual is capable of which left me flabbergasted. I devoured this novel since it is such an engrossing read and hard to put down once you start!
Alice is an independent young business woman, owner of Comida , her catering company and is fortunate enough to be sole occupier of a lovely big property in London. However she is extremely unlucky in love having been jilted just weeks before her wedding so a chance encounter (in a lift!) with Dominic Gill, charismatic and handsome, potentially gives Alice hope that her love life may take an upward turn.
Do her circumstances make Alice an easy target for gold diggers and love rats?? Alice is an incredibly trusting person but her need to find love and live happy ever after clouds her vision. Whilst the reader can clearly see that there is something very strange about Dominic’s circumstances and the sudden appearance in her life, it feels like Alice is deliberately turning a blind eye, fearful to face the truth. Except what exactly is the truth?? It does make her a rather frustrating character, no doubt she will really annoy some readers but you can’t help but feel sympathy for Alice as events unfold. I can see how easy it would be to fall into the trap of placing your trust wholly in someone if you’ve never had cause to distrust in the past. This makes it rather odd that Alice hasn’t become slightly more cynical and wary since her wedding that never was.
This is a gripping novel where lies, lies and more lies are the secret of the day. I think Dominic’s character is well drawn, leaving the reader wondering at the extent of his deceit. He’s secretive, ruthless and amoral, not a pleasant character at all.
As I sped through the pages, I was totally immersed in the storyline, intrigued to discover how this would play out as the author draws you in so effortlessly so that you become entangled in a complicated web of lies. The plot maybe becomes slightly convoluted towards the end but overall this a cracking good read.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

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Wow! Very well written and intriguing storyline, some of the twist and turns really took me by surprise and I loved every moment of it, Well done! Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

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Wow, what an absolutely intriguing read! I found it to be original, well written, chilling, and absolutely possible, which I believe makes the books even better! Not many thrillers have used identity theft and I’m not sure why, as it’s definitely something many are victims of and commit! Alison James really knows how to weave a tangle web for us to unravel! Unputdownable! Highly, highly recommend!
Will make sure I buzz it up on all the different platforms!

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This is another one of those stories that is so improbable that it is actually quite possible. It is quite feasible for someone to copycat or what they call identity theft nowadays and become someone else.

Alice was trusting. She was a bit naïve. Not overly so. Brought up by loving parents and with a very normal sibling there was no reason to distrust people. When Dominic came into her life, despite that there were certain twinges of misgivings she over rode those feelings. She also knew distinctly that her best friend had reservations about the relationship but once she knew Alice was in deep, she put them aside and gave her the support she needed.

It was only after his death, that the entire mess unraveled in stages and showed the workings of a clinical, cold blooded man who was only after one thing - himself and that anyone who wanted more from him had to go. Alice escaped with her life, after several near calamities and should be considered one of the lucky ones.

A mystery serial killer murder/thriller. Psychopathic character who literally got away with murder until he was killed surprisingly by accident himself.

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Alice Palmer, age 33, has been married to Dominic Gill for nearly 3 years. Alice owns a catering business and a large home from funds left her when her parents died. Now, Alice is ready to start a family but Dominic is not quite ready.

When Alice and Dominic met, he was somewhat vague about his family and so she has yet to meet them. Alice is still feeling lost after the death of her mother and would like to meet and hopefully bond with Dominic’s mother. But there are always reasons why that can’t seem to happen.

Tonight Alice is preparing a special celebratory dinner for her and Dominic as she has just discovered she is pregnant. But as she waits for him to come home, it gets later and later. Then police arrive to tell her that Dominic has been killed in an auto accident and she heads out to identify him. At the morgue, she approaches the coffin only to find that the man inside is her husband but his brother says he is not. Who is this man that Alice had married?

Alice’s grief leads her to hire an investigator to find out who this man is that she married. Although the reader knows this by now, investigating it further opens up more facts about Dominic than Alice could ever imagine.

This is a compelling, and twisty plot about a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. It’s scary how some people think and those close to them have no idea. I’m sure readers will find this story one that can keep their attention and keep them turning those pages. Remember that wonderful Shakespeare quote that’s a favorite of mine: Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. It fits this book perfectly.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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