The subject of this book piqued my interest, and tying to place myself in their shoes.
Wow! Marrying the man that killed your son, not usual! How about having your only son marrying a woman twenty years older than him. The author gives us a story with all of these happenings, and more.
I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but when they began to fall I never saw most of it coming. Talk about being blind sided!
A page turner for sure, I loved the way the author wove this read, and kept me holding my breath!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookoutour and was not required to give a positive review.

The book really exceeded my expectations of a psychological thriller. The lingering doubt and motives really pushed the book hanging onto the thoughts and feelings of the various characters throughout. Slater really delved deep into the gritty part of a drooling quintessential life and failing. The set-up alongside the scope allows for a deeper insight into backstories and how even the most domesticated life can be turned upside down. The deeper tones allow for a very truthful experience of the themes presented. Slater’s writing and characters feel as much as real people you could pass by, facing similarly presented issues and the change of a loved one going to prison.

The novel does become more unsettling where a lot of seemingly good thing are not as they perceive. Stripping back preconceived notions Slater’s writing gives nothing away and the sense of justice is just that.

The thriller’s length really is a slower book for people wanting a quicker however it is worth the push through as for the delusions and the peeling back of layers for the truth.

I had trouble getting into this as the story just didn't grip me. I am not sure if it was just me thinking to much or expecting more

I wanted to read this book because of the interesting premise. It hooked me and I expected a twisty tale. I have read this author before so I knew that I would get an interesting story.

The first part of this story was a bit slow. But it kept building and the second half of the story was where it for interested. I liked that each chapter was written in each character's pov that brought another dimension to the story. And that ending. Nice one. 4 of 5 from me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars and I give very few 5 star ratings!
The novel is on the TOP of my 2021 ‘Fav’ list
I read and loved Ms. Slater's dark and creep book, "The Apartment" and was anxious I read another of her stories.
This story is describes by a reader I like ~ as genius, provocative and one of the most daring plot line she
has ever read.
Story starts out Mavis, a retired school teacher has found that night time walking her dog Harry seems helps with her insomnia and she is able to sleep when she returns. One evening as she and Harry are near “Movers” the local nightclub, she hears loud music as the door is flung open and two men are fighting. . When her eyes adjust she sees they aren’t men but high school seniors and former students Tom Billinghurst and Jesse Wilson. Tom is a bright young man from a good family. Jesse a bit on the wild side and his single mother Bridget has her hands full. As a teacher has dealt with school yard fights but since these two have been drinking, she decided it best to call the police. When they arrive they find Jesse down and injured. He later dies in the hospital. Tom a professional middleweight boxes is arrested for murder. His fists are considered a lethal weapon and he is sent to prison. The family has been close friends. While in prison Bridget Jesse’s mother vests Tom and tells him she has forgiven him.

Now Bridget is preparing for her upcoming wedding. Yep Tom is her soon to be husband and is 20 years younger. He is about to be released from prison now 10 years after the incident with her son. ~ I know you knew this as it is on the book jacket! This had me worried, it seems Bridget profited from her son’s death. The GoFundMe brought in $$ that she invested ~ Hmm!
I read enough psychological thrillers so I know three things:
 ~be suspicious of everyone
 ~expect twists and twist and turns
 ~and expect a secret or two.

These three points ran through my mind plus these characters~
 Bridget ~ Hmmm she had my ‘Spidey’ concerns on high alert but she is too obvious.
 Jill’s friend Aubrey ~ Yep there is a secret or two going on there.
 Tom ~ Aww Tom I certainly didn’t want him to disappoint me!

I always love reading the ‘Author’s Note’ and acknowledgements’. In this case ‘A Letter from K.L. Slater’ and it was great reading the inside scoop on where she got her idea for this story. I certain am looking forward to reading another of her stories!!!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 20, 2021

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I requested this book not only because of the author because of the plot synopsis about a woman marrying the man who killed her son. This is hard to wrap your head around at first, but with the authors writing style easily got me engrossed in to the story. I loved Bridget! Fast and easy read which I enjoyed greatly. KL Slater is not a disappointment!

I loved this book. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites yet. This is a well written story that the author's use of attention to details made the story engaging and fast paced. The characters are relateable and really brought the story to life. Their twists and turns are things you won't see coming and left me guessing. This is a story about Bridget. She marries her son's murderer and the story takes off from there. This is a story you don't want to miss. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Here is another unputdownable psychological thriller in 2021 from the best-selling K.L. Slater. Her earlier books that were also equally fast-paced thrillers, were The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl. Slater's latest has an intriguing plot.

The Plot

Two boys-  Jesse and Tom- and their mothers are friends from the time the boys have been at playschool. The boys grow up together amidst the family and homes of the two. As they grow up into their teen years, on one fatal night, an argument between the two ensues into a scuffle and a punch, resulting in the death of Jesse. The accused Tom serves a 10-year prison sentence for the crime committed. Jesse's mother, Bridget, goes through a restorative justice program and six months before his release, the two are secretly married. Is there revenge? Why marry her son’s killer? Or has Bridget truly forgiven Tom and in love?

The Review

It begins with the lines- "Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.” The book moves back and forth in its narrative from now to ten years ago. It brings in the story told by different characters and their perspectives. There are tense moments, with excitement through the characters, with a twist at the end you wouldn't see coming.

The Verdict

A book with a good theme decently paced narrative and enjoyable on the whole.

I have read all of K L Slater’s previous novels and have enjoyed every single one and this is no exception.
Bridget Wilson is 48 and she marries Tom Billinghurst, who is 20 years younger than her while he is still in prison for killing her son, Jesse, who was best friends with Tom. Add to this the fact that Bridget has stayed in touch with Jesse’s former girlfriend whose son calls Bridget ‘Nan’.
The story is told from different viewpoints and timelines and is complex and thoroughly engaging. Needless to say, a marriage with such an age difference causes more than a little concern especially with Tom’s mother, Jill, who believes Bridget is seeking some sort of revenge. Jill appears to be in a loveless marriage and seeks to control Tom’s every move.
It is clear that there are many secrets within the families and they are gradually revealed as the plot progresses.

Another brilliant read and highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and KL Slater for the ARC of The Marriage in return for my honest review.

I would give this 3.5 stars, but since I can't do a half star, I'll give it a 4. The book starts off a little slow, but it is totally worth it in the end. The first half gives you all the details you need to question multiple motives from multiple people, keeping you guessing what is going to happen, what will the twist be, and who is behind it.

10 years ago, best friends Tom and Jesse get into a fight outside of a local club, with Toms punch causing the death of Jesse. This results in their moms, Jill and Bridget to have a falling out and wanting nothing to do with eachother. Years later, Tom takes part of the restorative justice program in jail, reconnecting with Jesse's mother, Bridget. They fall in love, and get married jail before anyone can stop them, months prior to Toms release. When Tom gets out, and everyone learns about his marriage to Bridget, things start taking turns, multiple turns !

This book constantly keeps you guessing and the end gave 2 twists that I did not expect at any point.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review !

3.5 stars! I love a twisted thriller, which is what this was. Once I was able to keep the characters straight, I did get invested in the connections between them and how their lives have become intermixed over the last 20 years.

The twist at the end is NOT what I was predicting the entire story, so props to K.L. Slater for keeping me on my toes!

Kim has done it again! Created a book with a crazy, unthinkable story line and turned it into a masterpiece! A must read for any Thriller fan. K L Slater, this one is gold lady!

“Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him...”

Now that sentence alone screams “WHAT?!” but that is exactly what Bridget Wilson, 48, does. Not only is she marrying her sons killer, Tom Billinghurst, but he is also 20 years younger than the bride herself?! Oh, and get this, he was also best friends with her son Jesse. 😱 The story begins with their wedding, which happens to take place at the prison Tom is being held in, in secret, 6 months prior to his sentence ending and his release. And that is just the start of the book?! The story then joins Tom and Bridget as they start their married life together, Tom free from the confines of his cell, and now they are facing the judgements and uncomfortable, unwelcoming opinions of those nearest and dearest to them. As the story unfolds, suspicions begin to rise, arguments erupt, disaster strikes, and a massive, life changing secret and lie is exposed, which has a rippling effect on all the lives of those involved! Ending with a little plot twist from an unsuspected, barely mentioned character, that works brilliantly and gives the ending a surprising little spin.

This fantastic thriller was filled with twists and turns and had me constantly guessing and second-guessing myself throughout. Kim, you really are magic with your words and story telling, they are always guaranteed to have me gripped, a queen of psychological thrillers! The character development throughout the book was fab. I really got a feel for the characters, their feelings and mannerisms while in some cases, keeping a bit of mystery behind them too. It’s like there was something you couldn’t quite put your finger on with them, which made them all suspect in some ways or another, but without you knowing what that suspicion could mean or be. The story is told in a back and forth from past to present timeline, through the narratives of most of the main characters. As complicated as that may seem, it flows well and each time the past is re-visited, more of what really happened on that awful night 10 years ago, comes to light and as that unravels, it knits perfectly with the story being told in the present.

A daring, unimaginable story line, full of drama, heartache, and untold secrets, you won’t be able to put down?!

The Marriage had me interested by its cover. The premise that a woman marrying her son's killer after ten years! Did the killer know who he was marrying and if yes,then why? And what did the woman intend to do by marrying a killer?

The story is 'told' by different characters and the intrigue continues to be there till almost the end and then there is a surprise element that I never thought of.

As always a fantastic read. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. K. L. Slater looking forward to more of your wonderful books

This one was a hard no from me.

I really wish synopses would enlighten the reader if there is a dual timeline and more than one/two POVs. Had I known that was the case with this book, I never would have requested it as I am not a fan of this style of storytelling and it would have saved me from writing a 1 star review.

This book jumps back and forth to different points in time and every single character gets their own POV, which I personally do not enjoy in books. Not only that but it changes back and forth from first to third person constantly as well.

As far as the story, I really struggled and had to skim read just to get through it. I couldn't connect with the characters nor did I care about their story. All tell and no show. I also missed the "psychological thriller" aspect completely.

Such an exciting sounding premise. For all the jumping around in the writing style, you'd think it would have an engaging plot and characters to back it up, but I was so bored. This one wasn't for me.

This was a page turner. A twisty little novel that kept me guessing with each chapter. The storyline was a bit unrealistic but with any thriller in keeps you engaged and interested in what could possibly happen next. Looking forward to reading more from K.L Stater.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I love K.L. Slater! Now having said that, that, this book is a little cringe worthy. The age difference and the best friend aspect are a bit much. But, I loved all the twists and turns! I kind of saw the end gam, but loved the ride! Well done! K.L. Slater does not disappoint!

Another author whose books I have enjoyed is K.L. Slater. The Marriage is coming out soon, and WOW look at this synopsis:

Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.

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. My ash-blonde hair has been curled into ringlets. Carefully placed white flowers frame my delicate features. The small, drab chapel has been prettied up with white satin, and there are tiny red hearts scattered on the small table where I will soon sign the register with my new husband.

The man who killed my son.

My friends and family can’t understand it. My neighbors whisper in the street whenever I walk past. How can I love a man like Tom?

They don’t really know me at all…

There’s a lot to unpack with even just this plot. WHY would this woman marry the man who killed her son? Obviously, there has to be an ulterior motive… right? I don’t want to spoil it for you so you will have to go into this blind but don’t miss this book!

Out on May 20.

I have read a lot of this authors books and enjoyed them all. This one was no exception. It had so many twists and turns I didn’t know who to trust or what to believe. Kept me hooked from start to finish. This was a fantastic book

The Marriage
by K.L. Slater
Bookouture
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 20 May 2021 | Archive Date 20 May 2021

Could you marry the man who killed your son? That was the question that led me to be interested in this book..
I found the book thrilling and a page-turner. I have read many of K.L. Slater books and I liked this one as well.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

4 star

If I had a sandwich board I would stand on a main road and shout about this book, it's enthralling, very fast paced and completely addictive, I really wanted to take my time reading it because I love K.L Slater's books and reading about the characters lives and where they live makes it all the more special because I have also lived in Nottingham all my life, but unfortunately I couldn't take my time reading it because it was so good. It has a cracking plot and the characters are relatable. It has love, loss, drama, fraud, attempted murder and lots of twists. I can't wait to see what KLS writes next because this book was bloody fantastic.
I have not read one book by KLS which was boring or bad, she is a phenomenal author who knows how to keep the reader intrigued and turning the pages.