BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Marriage' by K.L. Slater.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and K.L. Slater.

Publication date 20th March 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Girl She Wanted' which I would also highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and beautiful cover and its intriguing synopsis. I have also previously read 'The Girl She Wanted' by Kim which I loved so am hoping this will be just as good. The synopsis also stated 'If you love The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl, you’ll be totally hooked on The Marriage'. I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' so I'm intrigued to see if it lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 60 chapters. The chapters are short to medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Mansfield, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited Nottinghamshire on several occasions so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere mentioned in the book. (Written before I've read the book)

This book is written in both first and third person perspective with the main protagonists being Bridget (first) , Tom (third), Audrey (third), Ellis (third) and Jill (first) . The benefits of third person perspective especially with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. With there being several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The fact that this book is a mix of both is fantastic as you get to go alot more in depth with the characters thoughts and feelings thannif it was just third or first person perspective.

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

OMG!! Love, love, LOVED IT!!!! Well done Kim you have absolutely done it again. Completely smashed it!!! Fantastically written with vivid descriptions that completely absorbed me into the chapters. The cover and synopsis suited the plot perfectly.

The storyline was realistic and completely addictive. I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. I cannot remember the last time a book made me question myself so much!! Completely packed with lies, secrets and explosive twists I was on the edge of my seat biting my nails throughout. I was not expecting the shocking (several) twists so a HUGE congratulations Kim, its getting harder and harder to shock me but you managed it several times. The setting was perfect for the storyline and I loved that you got to see so much from so many characters perspectives. I truly thought I knew what was going on and was pleasantly surprised when I was completely wrong (not something I normally admit to!!). Completely unputdownable!!

The characters were all very well portrayed and unique with their own strengths and weaknesses. I went from feeling sorry for some to disliking them to wanting to fight their corner. The book is jam packed with deceit and one thing I did enjoy was that everything was explained at the end. Nothing worse than loose ends. I am also very pleased with the way the book ended.

Another hugely successful novel by K. L Slater who is one of my favourite authors. I cannot wait to read what she comes up with next!!! Well done Kim, keep them coming!!!


Overall a highly addictive non stop psychological thriller that will keep you hooked and guessing throughout!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' and C. L.Taylor

356 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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This book had so many twists and turns that I could not put it down. When I thought I had it solved I was completely wrong. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who wants to be up all night reading a book just to get to the end.

Brilliant. I’ve read this book in less than a day. It’s really really gripping. Very fast paced, the story evolves with unbelievable results. A great exploration of human emotions, good and bad, it’s all laid bare in this tangled web.

** Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

The summary of this book had me very intrigued. The book is about a woman who marries the man who killed her son. What?! I just had to read it. I was hooked at the very first page. It is a slow build up but very shocking ending. Loved this one!

I love KL Slater books! They are all quick paced and fun to read. The Marriage is no different. In this book, a mother marries the man who killed her son. However, this book had unexpected twists and turns. Delightful quick read!

This was a new author for me so I didn’t know what to expect. However, I soon found myself engrossed in the story. It had short sharp chapters, which left me wanting to read on and on. Most of the characters were likeable and the story didn’t go as I expected it too which was also a nice surprise for me.
I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another great book by K.L.Slater. An interesting but strange concept of a woman marrying the man who killed her son but I enjoyed it. It kept me guessing right to the end, not sure who was telling the truth or not. I still never guessed the ending which is a great book for me. I recommend this book and author.

Marrying the man who murdered your son is an interesting concept. I don’t recall reading a storyline quite like this. It was a little far-fetched for me. Overall an interesting read.

I love it when a book keeps me guessing until the end, and this is one of those books! There is so much drama going on between the characters, and you aren’t sure who is telling the truth or where the story is going! The ending left me in shock. Good book!

Love a book that doesn't take me on the plot path that I had predicted.

Tom has just finished a 10 year prison sentence for the manslaughter of his best childhood friend Jesse. On his release Tom has to explain to his parents that he recently married Bridget, Jesse's mum, in the prison chapel.
His mother, Jill, is distraught at the news and is convinced this is not a marriage of live but one of revenge from Bridgets side. After all...a 20 year age gap and the murderer of your son.
Matters become further complicated when Bridgets grandson Ellis suddenly loses his mother Coral. She is the victim of a hit and run. Bridget has supported Coral financially and emotionally but Ellis finds it impossible to accept and build a relationship with Tom.
Questions begin to be asked when Tom lies about where he was on the day that Coral died.

Easy to read book which, as a mother, makes you question what would you do in Bridgets shoes.
Well worth a read.

This was AMAZING!
I am a huge fan of K. L. Slater so I had to request The Marriage when I saw that it was being released. Her style of writing is something I really like and every book of hers I have been gripped from early on and this was just the same, I was hooked!
A marriage that many people would say was completely ridiculous. Just ten years from Tom killing his best friend Jesse with just one punch and serving time for it he is out. But while he was inside, he marries Jesse’s mum Bridget!
Now obviously this did not go down well, considering Bridget is old enough to be his mother. Tom’s parents are not happy, Jesse’s son and his mum who had a close relationship with Bridget were not happy about it either. How could she forgive Tom for killing her son? Is what they are wondering.
This is not just a story about Tom and his relationships on the outside world, it is about secrets that have been festering for ten years that come to light in a shocking way.

I just couldn’t put this down; I was on the edge of my seat. I had my suspicions early on of what was going to happen and what this book was about, but what I thought was going to happen certainly did not! There were some huge twists, like immense, shocking, mouth open wide shocks. Especially towards the end. Although I did feel that the ending left me completely satisfied.

It is told from multiple perspectives which were great as I felt I got to know the characters individually and not just from how others perceived them.
A huge 5 stars from me, I really don’t know how K. L. Slater writes brilliant books over and over again. All very much different from one another but she does, she is very talented and I can’t wait to read more from her.

I had an idea about how this book would go - I was SO wrong, in a good way.

After the prologue the book starts with the wedding of Bridgett and Tom. How sweet, until you realise that Bridgett is 20 years older than Tom and the wedding is taking place in prison where Tom is serving 10 years for the manslaughter of.........................Bridgett’s son Jesse, her only child. What, what? For the last two years they had been part of the restorative justice program and Bridgett had been visiting Tom regularly. Jesse’s death was an accident and Tom is totally remorseful. Gradually they fell in love. You do wonder though if Bridgett has an ulterior motive for marrying Tom! They didn’t tell anyone about the wedding, correctly predicting negative reactions. But they underestimated just how negative.

Tom’s mum, Jill Billinghurst, is one of those people who likes to control everything and she has planned for Tom’s release to the nth degree. She has bought him clothes, organised a flat for him to inspect and teed up a job at the library. When his parents pick him up, it is all very awkward. And they still don’t know. Bridgett, or Brid as he calls her, is to come around later and they will break the news. Oh dear, it couldn’t have gone worse.

At Brid’s end it’s a similar story. Brid has been supporting Coral these last ten years. Coral was Jesse’s girlfriend and was pregnant when he died. Brid took care of both of them, her grandson Ellis being her only remaining link to Jesse. But Coral has turned the boy against Tom, he only knows that Tom killed his dad and he hates him.

It is clear that Jill is not the only person in this sorry saga who wants to control things. Bridgett, too, has her own ideas about how things should go and you wonder again about her motives for marrying Tom! Everything gets thrown into even more turmoil though when someone is killed in a hit and run accident. Tom knows he will be the main suspect and so it is time for some old secrets to come out.

I’m pleased to report that I saw none of the twists coming so I really enjoyed the run up to the ending and the ultimate reveal. Despite Jesse’s death being an accident, he was not really that nice a person as you will learn. Both of the mothers had faults too although I did find myself rooting for Brid - until I started questioning her motives. There were a couple of other characters who acted questionably. Robert, Tom’s father, was a total jerk and Audrey, Jill’s friend, did some pretty underhand things. Jill was totally unreasonable and mean and even Coral was quite manipulative and not very nice. As to the secrets - you will have to read the book to find out. I ended up really enjoying this twisty domestic noir. Thanks to Netgalley who provided an advance review copy for free, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ten years ago, my darling son Jesse was murdered and our perfect family was destroyed. My strong handsome boy, so full of life, became a memory, a photo i carried with me everywhere. But today I'm finally close to finding happiness again. Today i will soon sign the register with my new husband, the man who killed my son.

Tom is serving a prison sentence for killing one of his friends. Jesse was hit by a single blow and two families were torn apart. After Tom's decade long prison sentence, Bridget, Jesse's mum, marries his killer. The story is mainly told from Bridget and Jill's, Tom's mum, perspective. Bridget and Jill had also been friends. When Tom is liberated, secrets threaten to surface that will have far reaching consequences and could destroy everything people think they knew. I found this story a bit creepy with lots going on. The story is told in the past and present day format. There's some really tense moments. Does Bridget really love Tom? Or has she a hidden agenda?

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #KLSlater for my ARC of #TheMarriage in exchange for an honest review.

“10 years ago, he killed my son, today I married him” !!

3.5 stars for me !!This was definitely an interesting book ! A slow burner thriller, with an exciting twist in the end.

Jesse and Tom have been best friends since they were kids, and even their moms Bridget (Jesse) and Jill (Tom) were best friends. They did everything together, even get into trouble. Until one day, a disagreement leads to a fight and a fatal ending for Jesse. Since Tom was a trained boxer, he was sentenced to 10 year in prison for manslaughter. This news is devastating to his mother Jill. And for a long time Bridget hates him for what he did to her son. However, as time passes, Bridget and Tom make amends and eventually end up falling in love and getting married while Tom is still in prison. Once Tom gets out, they have to break the news to everyone - his mom and Bridget grandson, Ellis, and his mom, Coral. They do not take this well, for obvious reasons and have to just deal with it. Things start to get crazy from there. Jill is convince that Bridget has alternative motives with her reason to marry a man 20 years younger, and Coral is trying to protect her son from the man who killed his Dad. But there is a secret about the night of Jesse’s death that some people are trying to keep secret, and others are trying to reveal.

This book was definitely a slow burner thriller. I feel like the first half was more like a TV drama, with all the secrets, and hatred between mothers, and age difference relationships. I kept waiting and waiting for anything exciting to happen. The second half is really where things start to pick up and each chapter gets closer and closer to the big secret. The twist in the end was very unexpected, which is always what you want in a thriller. I personally like it when a thriller hooks be in the first chapter or two. This one was not that- it was over 50% into the book before I was really “thrilled”

With that being said, this book has multiple POV, which I always love because you get to see what all characters are thinking. I also loved the twists, I just which there would have been more suspense or thrill in the beginning to really hook me in. Lovers of slow burners will definitely love this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutor for this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I always love a K.L. Slater book because you know you will be entertained all the way through! Her writing is smooth and she twists and turns like few others. Of course the blurb for The Marriage was incredibly interesting and I couldn't wait to dive in. I was rewarded with a fascinating read where the surprises came at you when you least expected. Very original!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

K.L Slater has woven a twisted and intriguing web with her new thriller 'The Marriage'. This is one dysfunctional family! Tom is about to be released from prison for the manslaughter of his best friend Jesse. 10 years after his initial crime, Tom has just married Bridget - who is not only 20 years his senior but also the late Jesse's mother. The people in their lives find it highly suspect a woman would marry her son's killer (and they would be right to be suspicious!), leading to fights, gossip and juicy revelations all round.

We see events from the point of view of a range of characters across the text which keeps the reader guessing throughout. Just as one character is about to have a big reveal, we switch to focusing on someone else which ramps up the tension and intrigue (and a healthy does of frustration too!). I found myself desperate to unravel the character's motivations and layers of lies. There are certainly plenty of reveals and twists in the narrative but I found myself slightly disappointed at the explanation for events. I didn't gasp with shock which is what I want from the careful plotting of the best thrillers.

Overall, this is a solid and interesting narrative and certainly worth a read for the entertainment factor. Just don't expect to be knocked off your seat once the twists start! 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"5-Karma has no menu. You get served what you deserve- Stars!"

This was a wonderfully written and well-paced suspense thriller.
The characters seemed like such normal, average working-class people, but underneath the masks were lies, cover-ups, revenge, blackmail, and murder.

The plot was well thought out, and the characters were believable, engaging, and had the reader questioning throughout the story if their motives were real or if there was an ulterior motive for their actions.

There is some bouncing around from past to present to explain the story and fill in much-needed information.

I loved the suspense as well as the mystery as to the motive as to why a mother would marry the person who murdered her son - who was also happened to be his best friend?


The author nicely tidied up all the loose ends and all the events of that fateful, life-changing, and life-ending night 10 years ago come into the light.

This is the first story I've read by K.L. Slater, and it certainly won't be my last.
Great story!
Great read!

I always enjoy books by KL Slater and The Marriage was no exception. A brilliant concept for a book and, as one expects from this author, perfectly executed. Bridget's son was murdered ten years ago, by his best friend Tom. Tom is about to be released from prison. Prior to his release from prison, Bridget has married Tom! Why on earth would Bridget marry the man who murdered her son? Why would Tom marry a woman old enough to be his mother and a woman who would constantly remind him of what he had done ten years ago? One, if not both of them must have a motive other than love to marry? Who is lying and why?
Such a great plot! So original and really well thought out. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A twisted, well woven path of secrets and deceit. This book kept me reading and wanting to know more. After Tom is released from a ten year prison sentence for killing his best friend Jesse in a fight, he has to tell his own mother that he has secretly married Jesse's mother. Not only does this shock everyone involved to the core, the main question is why? I was reading this book at very opportunity to find out the reasons behind everyone's actions. Why had Tom married the mother of the man he killed? Why had she married him? What was going on with Jesse's child who was born after he died? I highly recommend this book, the real meaning of a page turner!

I was instantly drawn in from the moment I read the description of this book and it did not disappoint. Each chapter was from the perspective of a different character which I really enjoyed. K.L Slater describes the characters so well I felt like I knew them!
Plenty of hidden secrets and agendas to keep you wanting to read more.
The story flows well and K.L Slater has an excellent style of writing. This is the first book by K.L Slater I have read and I will definitely be reading more!
Thank you to K.L Slater, NetGalley and Bookoutre for the opportunity to read and review this book.