The prologue to this book sets the plot up nicely, as I spent the rest of the book trying to figure out how everything fit together (I had many theories throughout – most of them wrong). I thought the characters were interesting, and the author captured small-town life, which apparently is the same no matter what country it is! This is one to pick up for an escape, as it will pull you in and keep you entertained. For a full review, please check my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

I am something of a Emma Davies novice having read none of her other books yet. I was so impressed with this outstanding psychological drama/thriller! The premise of the book beckoned to me and I knew that I had to read this novel.

In My Husband's Lie, the reader gets the opportunity to meet Thea who has stumbled across an advert for the chance to buy Pevensey House - the gorgeous old rectory that she lived in as a child. Her family suddenly moved away from the area when she was eleven, though Thea still has many happy memories from their time in her small hometown. Keen to recreate a similar idyll for her own children, Chloe and Lauren, she mulls things over with her husband Drew who is from the same town, but oddly, he is not so keen on making the move. Thea convinces Drew and the Gordon family arrive at Pevensey House, but Thea cannot settle. Why is Drew is growing more distant... and why do old friends cross to the other side of the road when they see her coming?

Emma Davies wowed me in this classy psychological thriller with style and flair. The plot execution was tremendous, as was the characterisation, and pacing. There were no disappointments and I was completely gripped from the outset, loving the drama and twists. Jammed full of secrets, lies and betrayal, I couldn't help but get caught up in the each of the characters lives.

In My Husband's Lie, the author had the smalltown lifestyle, complete with the gossipy mums and judgmental people, down to a T, but also masterfully encompassed the power of friendships and strong relationships, which were the main crux of the story.

An immersive, captivating and satisfying read, delivered with aplomb.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

My Husband's Lie, Emma Davies

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (adult), Women's fiction

I thought this sounded interesting, I like to have a range of different genre books on the go, so I can dip as suits my mood. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the deep suspense, drama, thrill I was expecting.

I enjoyed the first half, meeting the family, being with them on their exciting move and new work venture, and of course meeting the other book characters. Anna and Rob, and Tilly, what a wonderful family, I'd love to live near them. I'm glad Anna wasn't as full of Faith as Rob, but had her doubts, was unsure, it made her more real. We expect curate's wives to follow their husbands beliefs even now, and that Anna was her own person was wonderful.
It was when The Secret came to light that things actually went downhill for me. I felt Thea's reactions at first were as expected but the way she fell apart, blamed poor Drew, her mother, her friends....it all just felt to OTT for me. Nothing has changed, just her knowledge. Yes, I could see that others knowing, especially those close to you with who you think you share everything, hurts. However the motivations, it wasn't done to escape blame, but to try to save her being hurt.
What came over far better for me was the bullying, both adults and children, and the way it was handled. We've all known people like the girl's headmistress, like Leo's mum Stacey, like the shop gossips. Small towns and villages can be a gem but when a rumour takes roots it spreads rapidly and folk quickly take sides. That part felt incredibly real.

I guess for me I just felt the story wasn't what I expected, it was good, but not what the title and blurb suggested. I also had the problem of Thea, I just felt like she over-reacted, and when she took to her bed, left the girls to Drew, went on a giant sulk I just wanted to say Get Over Yourself, Grow up. Her kids needed her, she knew her actions would hurt them. She knew Drew acted in what he thought was her best interest, he got it wrong ( IMO) but he was trying to help. She irritated me, even though she's not real, because there are people who would act exactly as she did. Real First world Problems ;-)

I thought the ending was great, the little drama that happened was good but superfluous for me, it didn't actually need that, the ending worked out well even without that.

Stars: Four, a story that started well for me, right up to the revelations that sent Thea off into a kind of madness, throwing blame around and acting like a child. Her poor mum had lived through it, protected her and now Thea is throwing blame out for everything to everyone it seems.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher

EXCERPT: Something stirred in me on that holiday and, whatever it was, it wouldn't lie back down. Was it just nostalgia, or something deeper? I don't know, but it grew inside of me just as surely as the two girls I had once carried.

It wasn't as if we were unhappy, sure, things had been difficult when Chloe and Lauren were little, but show me a family with young children where things don't get fraught. We got through it and, and although the girls and our lives filled our three bedroom terrace house to the rafters, I never thought I hated it, not really, not until two weeks of space and fresh air and love, actually, made me realise how cramped we all were. Not just our house, but us, everything that made us what we were, was being slowly crushed to death. So when I stumbled across the details for Pevensey House I knew I had found a way for us to be free, to settle the thing that had stirred inside of me and I didn't hesitate. I should have done, I realise that now.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: When Thea sees her old family home is up for sale – a beautiful old rectory in the small town where she and her childhood sweetheart, now husband, Drew, grew up – she knows she has to have it. Her parents moved her away suddenly when she was eleven, but her childhood there was filled with happy memories. Drew seems less sure, but Thea is certain it’s the perfect place to raise their two children.

But as the last boxes are unpacked, Thea can’t seem to settle. She thought the move would bring her family closer together, but Drew is growing more distant. And why do old friends cross to the other side of the road when they see her coming?

Alone in the house, exploring the creaky corridors she used to cartwheel down as a young girl, Thea smiles as she slides open the loose panel she once used as a hiding place. But it only takes one look at the faded local newspaper clipping hidden inside for the bonds holding her perfect family together to break.

It’s not long before news of the scandal spreads further and the whole town turns against her. Thea’s life is in freefall as her head and her heart wrestle between taking the blame, and fighting for her innocence. In a small town where no one ever forgets the past, can Thea find a way to save her family’s future?

MY THOUGHTS: I started off really liking this book. The writing is relaxed and interesting, the characters believable. But somewhere around 60%, I began to get really annoyed by Thea. I kind of understood her reaction, but even so I thought it was totally OTT. And from there on, even though it kept me interested, I was not as invested as I had been.

I felt sorry for Thea's husband, Drew. And I think that this book is mistitled.

The strongest theme in this book is bullying, both by children and adults. And yes, spreading unsubstantiated rumours is just another form of bullying.

I was hoping for more of a mystery than what we were given. It was never fully developed and I found the resolution unsatisfactory.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧👩‍🎨🤦‍♀️. 4

#MyHusbandsLie #NetGalley

'People always feel that they should do something when they hold information (like this) as if it's the proverbial hot potato that will burn a hole in their pocket unless they pass it on. But of course the option always remains to do nothing. To merely set it down and let it cool. It's a pity more people don't use it. '

THE AUTHOR: Emma Davies once applied for her dream job in the following manner;

'I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.' Well she's now a forty something mother of three, and is working on the rest.

By day she's a finance manager and looks at numbers a lot of the time, but by night she gets to use actual words and practices putting them together into sentences. Her twitter bio says she loves her family, her job, reading, writing, singing loudly in the car, and Pringles, so that must be true then.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of My Husband's Lie by Emma Davies for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

Emma Davies takes a different direction in My Husband's Lie. I am used to reading romances by her, so to read a story that had an emotional edge was really nice.

This suspenseful story starts with promise for Thea and her husband Drew, friends since childhood, now and married with two children. Thea is thrilled to have a chance to move back into her childhood home. She never fully understood why her parents moved the family away when she was eleven years old.

A few things happen just as Thea and Drew are getting settled. Thea meets her next door neighbor, and they become fast friends. This is especially wonderful because her daughter also has a new friend. Lauren is about her only friend, however, because as she goes about town, even for a normal activity like taking her children to school, everyone treats her like a pariah. Then one day while in her daughter's room, she discovers a very old newspaper clipping in a long-ago hiding place. Lastly, there was a scandal years back that is now right in front of her.

Thea now begins to piece together things about her childhood and why her family moved away. Will Thea unravel the truth behind her past and can she do so before everything falls apart and ruins any chance at happiness for her and her family?

What a wonderful family drama that explores the bonds of friendship, all while being drawn along with taut suspense. I found this to be a quick read because I just had to see how things would work out and to see if Thea and her family could rise above everything suddenly going on. Kudos to Emma Davies for writing such an engaging story.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

This story was really well written and the characters were well thought out and I found they were brought to life well. I didn’t guess the twist which I really love. I would feel this is more a family drama over a thriller/suspense book but I still enjoyed it.

I picked up this book thinking it would be a domestic thriller, but until 40% I couldn’t get what the author is trying to get to. Even after knowing what the issue was about, the plot just meandered and there is not much weight to the title too. Sorry, not my pick.

“When I stumbled across the listing for Pevensey House I knew I had found a way for my family to be free and I didn’t hesitate. I should have, I know that now…”
Thea and her family have moved back to what was formerly her childhood home until she was eleven years old. She and her husband are now both self employed and can work from home. Her children can escape London and grow up in the countryside, what could be more idyllic. She soon meets Anna who lives nearby and the children quickly make friends as do the adults. There appears to be more than “just the new people” stigma when Thea is seen in the village and people are acting rather oddly. Around twenty years beforehand a girl was assaulted and he perpetrator was never found. Thea finds a news cutting about this in her secret hiding place she had as a child. Why would it be there and what does it mean? I enjoyed this. It's one of those that begins to read as “just” a domestic tale Then there is that unease, that something you can’t quite put your finger on. A village where everyone knows everyone’s business but not letting on and how some as in real life will believe the smallest thing which then germinates and grows. A clever plot that kept me within its pages and beautifully written as with Emma’s books. An absorbing engaging read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
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This book was good and emotional with a touch of suspense and mystery. It sheds light on bullying between kids and adults. I loved the characters and the ending was all tied up nicely. I did feel like the book kind of dragged the storyline out for a little longer than it needed but overall I was glad I read it. I’d recommend this book.

An interesting & gripping family drama that drew me in right from the beginning. It was not the domestic thriller I was expecting but I very much enjoyed the book anyway.

The story is set in a small village and focuses on Thea & Drew and their two daughters moving back to Thea’s family home. To start with everything is roses and light, a lovely new next door neighbour, a kind old head teacher but things soon take a darker twist when gossip and rumours begin to circulate about the new residents, in particular Thea.

Thea is an easy character to like and her internal struggles with the rumours are written in such a way that you can’t help but be on her side. I thought her visit to her mum raised some interesting points about relationships & truths. The book looks deeply into morality & also the bonds of friendship, with both themes running throughout the book.

This is my first book by this author & I look forward to reading more of her work. Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one.

I came in to this book expecting a nice twisty domestic thriller. Husband hiding things, secrets abound. And the beginning makes you think that is what you are going to get. But that isn't what you get. Instead, this is a slowly winding story of a couple returning to the small village they both grew up in. Coming home to find out secrets kept from them and being subject of the rumor mill of a small town. Parts of the book felt rather extraneous but I did enjoy the characters in the story. I did feel like reactions and the drama were artificially heightened and appreciated at one point where Thea, the main character who provides the POV, is called on it. So while this was a good story, I felt like it didn't meet the intensity that it was trying to achieve.

Thea and Drew grew up next door to each other, married and had kids and settled in London...now they decide to move back to Thea’s childhood home and live ‘the village dream’

Have they never read any books where bad things happen to those that do this 😎🤓

And all is apple pie and cream
Well for a few weeks
Until the villagers shun them and gossip is rife about them, the ( wonderfully portrayed ) village shop goes into silence when they walk in and the playground Mummies shun Thea, heavens even the Harvest Festival Supper is under threat as the locals refuse to help out

But what is the secret, what did happen all those years ago and why are the villagers starting a war

A sterling cast of village folk inc the vicar and Anna his wife next door to Thea, Stacey the thin lipped gossip and a further array of colourful characters made this a book that bought smiles and grimaces and although covered a nasty secret kept the balance right

No massive whodunit surprises or shocks but you dont need that in every book

A good read

8/10
4 Stars

Can you ever go home again? This was a dark domestic drama packed with secrets, rumors, and lies. Thea is so excited to return to not only the town where she grew up, but to the house she grew up in. Her husband Drew and she have been inseparable forever in fact he grew up in the same town and lived in the house right next to her. But returning home to this small village was not exactly what Thea was expecting. She keeps getting dirty looks and seeing people whispering about her behind her back. When she finds an old newspaper article tucked away in a hiding place in the house she begins to realize that there are things people are not telling her.

Small town stories usually make me want to move to a small town, but definitely not this one. The people of this town were very judgemental, very unwelcoming, there was a definite uncomfortable vibe. I really felt bad for Thea she was so excited for this move and then these people were just so rude. I love the connection she had with Drew her husband and I really was hoping he was not involved with what was going on. I was so curious as to what could’ve happened to cause this entire town to turn against thea. I have to admit when I found out what it was I was surprised that these people acted like this? But I myself have never lived in a small town. This was a quick read with a satisfying ending.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Thea sees a listing for the house she grew up in and just has to have it. She and husband Drew currently live in London but pick and move back to the village where they grew up with their two young daughters. But Thea is soon being given odd looks and people are steering clear of her and she doesn't know why. This change to the country isn't working quite like she had hoped.

Once it becomes clear what the book is about, I initially thought the title was really misleading. By the end of the story it's clear what it really means and why it was chosen. Well, at least it was for me. I also initially thought this was a thriller but it's more a drama than anything. There is a scene that is thrilling towards the end of the book although I almost could have predicted it well before it occurred, almost like it couldn't end without something similar.

I really enjoyed the book for the most part and give this 3.5 stars.

I think when I started reading My Husband’s Lie I was expecting something more sinister until I realised this falls in the ‘family drama’ genre. Certainly the title and the beginning had me deciding exactly which route this storyline was going and was eager to discover if I was right!! Whilst I was right in some respects, for the most part I have to admit my imagination had gone into overdrive.
Having not read this author before I was impressed by how quickly I was drawn into the storyline, which is always a good sign. Thea, husband Drew and two daughters are uprooting their lives in London and returning to live in the village both Thea and Drew grew up in;in fact they’ve bought Pevensey House which was Thea’s family home until the age of eleven and even more bizarrely Drew lived next door, making them childhood sweethearts. The idea of a slower pace of life coupled with glorious countryside for the children to explore is the motive for returning. But as we all know, even if we haven’t personally experienced it, small villages are hotbeds of gossip, often with everyone knowing everyone else’s secrets. There has to be a reason why Thea’s family moved away and after receiving a rather hostile reception from some of the villagers, it becomes imperative for Thea to know why.
This is a novel about malicious gossip and how mud sticks no matter whether you are innocent of a wrongdoing/misdemeanour or not. Primarily the storyline’s focus is the rippling and damaging effects such gossip can have. It’s about being made to feel like an outsider and unwelcome and the author shows through Thea’s experiences that it can quickly become a form of bullying. Of course another major theme is the consequences of keeping secrets, telling little white lies to protect those we love, which is fine as long as they stay buried. Of course in this scenario you know that isn’t going to happen. Returning to Pevensey House is like opening a can of worms which will rock the foundations of Thea and Drew’s life forever.
I think this is a well written drama as I raced through the pages and on the whole I did enjoy it. Thea is like a dog with a bone in her determination to understand the reasons for the unexpected hostility which you have to admire. Plus her sense of right or wrong doesn’t falter and despite the odds she still has a great sense of community.However when you start picking the plot apart it does strike me as rather implausible from the off but that is only my opinion and could be considered as nitpicking! Sometimes I felt the dialogue was a touch too twee and whilst husband Drew is integral to the plot his role isn’t as major as I was expecting. Having said that I would be keen to read other books by this author and my thanks go to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read. It’s always a privilege to discover an author whose writing is unknown to you and I do think this book will have mass appeal.

My Husband’s Lie is the first book I have read by Emma Davies. While I was expecting more of a thriller story with twists and turns, the story reads more like a well thought out drama filled mystery.

Tired of the daily grind in London, with two kids, a husband and a house they have now outgrown, Thea thinks it is time for a change. So, when she sees her old childhood home, Pevensey House is up for sale, Thea and her husband Drew jump at the chance to move their family out to the country. But with unreliable memories of the past, is Pevensey House all it is cracked up to be?

I really love the setting of this story and how it takes place in such a close knit village. Emma Davies paints such a vivid scene and really draws her readers in with her beautiful scenery. It almost felt as if I was there. Everyone knows everyone and has either been living there since Thea’s childhood or have been recent transplants to village life. One thing stands out though, there is a really big secret that everyone seems to know and Thea can’t understand why she is given the cold shoulder and why her husband has grown a bit distant since the move.

Thea is a really strong character, one you can sympathize with. I really loved her relationship with her husband, Drew. They were childhood sweethearts and now have a loving marriage where they can both rely on one another. Her husband’s lie is a pretty big one, but when you think about it you can see where he is coming from. I think in the end Thea handled it the only way she knew how.

My Husband’s Lie is a gripping and emotional mystery laced with a strong message about strength and character. I definitely stayed up well into the evening reading this story and it is one I can definitely recommend.

This is a new direction for author Emma Davies; having loved everything she has written so far I couldn't wait to find out what this was all about!

Spotting her childhood home up for sale at a time when her family is considering moving from their London home, Thea can't believe her luck. Her husband, Drew, lived in the house next door and they grew up together, enjoying the kind of village life that they want for their two daughters. After all, life in a small village is always friendly, isn't it? So why does Thea get the feeling that she's being cold-shouldered?

Can you ever go back in time, or do we all wear rose-tinted spectacles when thinking of the past? This is a well-plotted and gripping tale which shows the best - and worst - of village living. Moving into any new area can be full of pitfalls; when you don't know how the friendships and hierarchy work it's like being back at school. Thea has no idea what she's stepping into, and neither do we. I love that there is so much happening and yet there are unsolved mysteries in the background. A successful genre-change from an author who always delivers an entertaining read, and a novel which would make an excellent tv drama. I'm very happy to recommend this one, and give it four stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Thea and Drew grew up living as neighbours until The a and her family moved when she was 11 years old Dress family followed soon after. Fast forward and Drew and Thea are now married with 2 children and live in London.

Thea sees a listing for Pevensey the house She grew up in and persuaded Drew to buy it and move there with their children.

Thea is so happy to be back, the house holds so many great memories of her childhood and her Dad who is no longer alive. As she explores the village she noticed the funny looks people give her but with no idea why. The book slowly reveals the truth and Drew may know than Thea realises. Her world as she knew it starts to crumble......

The story was good, the writing very descriptive and I had no trouble picturing the house, village or school having brought my children up in Somerset in a very similar place.

It was a Family drama, with good bones but just a bit of a slower burn than I was hoping for. That being said I will definitely read another book by Emma Davies.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Bookouture and Emma for the chance to read this advance copy. Four well deserved stars from me. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Overall this is a good read. I thought that this story started really slowly and was too long in places. I thought that the ending was predictable but it brought everything together well. This story is about love and friendship and not judging a book by its cover.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

"And when it came down to it, that's what everything was about, wasn't it? Who was to blame..."

Thea and Drew are moving back to the town they grew up in. They have just bought the house Thea lived in and it finally feels like everything is on their side. It is a dream come true for Thea. But why are people not welcoming them with open arms? Why are some people openly hostile? What happened in the past? Will this tranquil life that Thea was dreaming of turn into a nightmare that will cost her everything that is dear to her.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book! I enjoyed the style of writing and storytelling. The title was a little bit misleading but I understand why it was used. Thea's husband is her everything. It's again that age-old question of what will we do to protect the people we love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.