Okay, so here's the deal. I just could not get into this book the way I had hoped. I found the narrator didn't engage me or enrich the story much. She wasn't terrible, and I've heard much worse, but I personally had a hard time connecting to the book because of it and honestly, the story didn't grab me either, though the description was great. I just kind of went through the story in a general haze of confusion and annoyance.

Lucy ends up meeting and marrying Paul, who seems like the perfect guy. As their marriage progresses, Lucy ends up pretty isolated from her friends and when she finds some things from Paul's past, Lucy doesn't really have anyone to turn to. She feels like she's in danger and though she tries to uncover the truth about Paul, it seems like he's always one step ahead of her.

I think the overall premise of the book is good, but at the end, I still had a lot of unanswered questions and was a bit frustrated by the continual gaslighting of Lucy by Paul, and I honestly feel a bit gaslit by the story myself! Ha! What was real? What wasn't?

I was given this ARC in return for an honest review. Thank you! #TheManIMarried #NetGalley

I couldn’t get into this story due to the narrator being so boring I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Maybe next time.

Dark thrillers are one of my favorite kinds of books, so this one was a book that I thought I'd be a great fan of!
The main character, Lucy, is a probation officer to criminals who do some of the worst acts, especially to children. Lucy also marries a man named Paul, who wants to control her and possibly kill her after doing the same to his past wife and children.

This seems like it will be a great audiobook based on the description, but after listening, I don't feel much that way. The two different aspects of Lucy never fully get finished and it left me wanting so much more from this story.

This audio book was a delightful, easy listen. The narrator was clear and able to differentiate between the different characters making it easy to follow.

Spoiler alert; I was happy at the end when a certain character died. I think the author portrayed his controlling, abusive behaviours well and as the story progressed, the character development allowed the audience to see his true colours, and the monster he really is.

I liked how the author was able to create the emotions of the characters, like the anxiety and unease really came through in the writing.

Overall, I enjoyed this audio book. I would definitely recommend to someone who enjoys a domestic thriller.

** I received an advanced copy of this audiobook to listen to and review. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publishers for allowing me this opportunity **

The Man I Married is the story of Lucy and Paul's marriage. On the surface, they have the perfect relationship, the whirlwind romance, the undying affection, and the wedding for the ages.

Paul is the perfect man, and Lucy cannot find fault with him... Yet, when Lucy discovers photos and text messages that Paul cannot explain away, she begins to wonder how well she actually knows the man she chose to spend the rest of her life with. Paul's secrets are far darker than Lucy knows, and what's worse? How far he'll go to keep those secrets quiet.

I wanted to enjoy this book a lot more than I actually did. While the first half was incredibly slow, the second half felt rushed and vaguely puzzling. With that being said, this is a nice book to spend your weekend with. I wasn't sure what the twist would be and was surprised, which was nice given my overall feelings about the book. The audiobook was more engrossing than I was expecting, but it only marginally improved my opinions.

Overall rating: 2.5/5 (rounded to 3)

The Man I Married is now available for purchase. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf, and see where it's available to buy. Also, be sure to check out Elena Wilkes’s profile on Fantastic Fiction!
I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Reviewing
The Man I Married
By Elena Wilkes

This domestic thriller is full of suspense and goosebump moments that will keep readers wondering what is Paul hiding from Lucy? Or is Paul on the up and up while Lucy is just plain crazy?

Fast paced and smartly written, this book will pull readers in from page one. Unfortunately, the ending is rather cryptic leaving readers wondering just were the truth lies…..

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 starts for and addictive read with a disappointing finish… or perhaps I just missed something?!

At the beginning of this book, I was intrigued; it had many possibilities and had good potential. However, this tale of gaslighting and how Lucy tried to justify Paul's wrong actions and doubting herself ended up having many other plots and left many unanswered questions. I felt some situations were repeating over and over, and some scenes were far-fetched. Other parts of the book had nothing to do with the main plot.

Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio, for this opportunity.
#TheManIMarried #NetGalley

I listened to the ending twice and then the prologue again. For a book about the main character experience gaslighting by her husband - the author does an amazing job gaslighting the reader (listener). What is true? What is a misinterpretation of reality? What is an outright lie? This is a smart book. The red herrings and false flags are very well done, but I think I would have enjoyed it more with a cleaner ending—an "aha" or "ohhhh" moment.

What is Paul hiding from Lucy? Or is Lucy just crazy?
Great domestic thriller! Suspenseful, and creepy at times! Fast paced read was disappointed with the ending, since I wanted to know what happened after the events unfolded. Overall great audiobook!
Thank you NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for this audiobook ARC!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my audio version of The Man I Married. The narrator was excellent, using different tones for the various characters rather than putting on different voices which generally tends to irritate me.

This is a dark and deeply chilling tale of emotional abuse and coersive control within a marriage. For me personally it could have done with a trigger warning and I found the various levels of fear and apprehension too much to take at times.
I thought the storyline regarding the paedophile rather weak and almost unnecessary and various parts of the plot were just confusing, none more so than the ending which was very disappointing.

EXCERPT: Blood has a smell.

I look around me. I'm sitting on a bench.

It comes again.

It's visceral, like meat.

I gaze down at my hands. I don't recognize them; they lie upturned and curled in my scarlet-stained lap. Every crease is dark with what looks like rust. My palms open like flowers and I feel the skin stretch and tighten. A cold breeze skims the wet patches on my dress. The wool sticks unpleasantly to my skin and a chill slides down my spine.

I close my eyes.

Behind the lids the dying winter sunlight zigzags in orange and purple flashes. Somewhere behind the bushes I can hear the girls, giggling. I squint; I can't see them now, but I know they're there.

'You can't hide in here forever you know!'

There's a woman's voice. She's getting closer.

'I think it's time we should be going though, don't you? Come on.'

I squint. The viburnum bush trembles; its propeller-headed flowers nod and bounce in bright pink bells against the thicket of black. I imagine her reaction as she walks past. She'll see the state of me and I'll see her face: the shock at my matted hair and disheveled clothes. She doesn't know who I am and I don't want to scare her. 'You don't know me -' I'll say. She'll look at me, wary and unsure.

'-But can I tell you what happened? I think you'll understand when I explain.' I'll hold out my hands and she'll see the state of them.

I know my story is also her story.

I've done this for her, for the children, for all of us... that's why he's dead.

ABOUT 'THE MAN I MARRIED': This is the story of Lucy and Paul.

They met. They fell deeply in love. They got married.

Lucy thought that she had everything she wanted.

Until she found the photograph from Paul's past life, read the text messages he's so desperately trying to hide. Until she uncovered Paul’s darkest secrets.

Now Lucy realizes she doesn’t really know her husband. She doesn’t know if she can trust her own mind. She doesn’t know the lengths Paul would go to keep his perfect life.

And worst of all, she doesn’t know that she’s in danger...

MY THOUGHTS: The character of Lucy both irritated me and intrigued me. I couldn't understand why she married this man. I couldn't understand why she continued to stay married to this man. I wanted to slap some sense into her. I wanted to watch the train wreck that I knew was coming.

Paul is a master manipulator. He plays Lucy like a virtuoso. He has a past that he continually lies about. Lucy is afraid that his past is colliding with her present. But how can she tell what is true and what isn't?

Although there were things in The Man I Married that didn't quite gel for me, and Lucy comes across as desperate and unhinged, I enjoyed it. This was due in part to the relentless pace of the plot, but also to the sterling narration by Colleen Prendergast.

My jury is still out on the ending. It's quite a strange ending, and I am not totally convinced that this was the best possible outcome.

The Man I Married is Elena Wilkes debut novel, and I am excited to see what she writes next.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TheManIMarried #NetGalley

I: #elenawilkes #sagaegmont

T:

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicalthriller #romanticsuspense

THE AUTHOR: Elena Wilkes grew up in Walsall in the West Midlands and then worked for eighteen years in H.M Prison Service. The people she met there provided the basis for all her novels.

Many of the prisoners there came across as very ordinary people who had committed the most appalling crimes but would, one day, walk straight back on the streets.

This begged the question: how much do we know about anyone, really? The people who live amongst us may seem no different from us at all, but when you scratch a little deeper, you realise they hold some very dark secrets.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Saga Egmont Audio via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Man I Married written by Elena Wilkes and narrated by Colleen Prendergast 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

Lucy and Paul meet unexpectedly one evening in a local pub; engrossed in conversation by the roaring fire, drink by drink, they fall deeply and utterly in love. Lucy and Paul, Paul and Lucy; a seemingly perfect match. Lucy is in a lovestruck bubble of absolute bliss, ecstatic that she finally has everything she’s ever wished for; the charming husband and the perfect house, until she begins to realise that things aren’t perfect at all. Paul begins to control her life in every aspect; slowly carving away at it until there is nothing left, but the two of them. Lucy no longer socialises or even leaves the house alone, and Paul’s mood swings leave Lucy questioning her own sanity; insulting her then whispering sweet nothings, starting arguments and pretending they didn’t happen, moving her things and denying it. One morning she comes across a briefcase containing photographs of Paul’s past life, and along with strange phonecalls and text messages he is trying to hide. Lucy realises she is in danger, and it dawns on her that she really doesn’t know the man she married.

This was a completely gripping psychological thriller full of suspense, leaving me turning pages deep into the night. It begins gently as the author introduces us to Paul; we are instantly charmed by his likeable character, causing suspicions to arise as we ponder if he really is as perfect as he seems. We painfully watch as their relationship grows more and more toxic and I found myself gripped with frustration for Lucy as she appears so oblivious, giving the book a slight sense of monotony. I found myself rooting for her and almost begging her to escape as her life spirals out of control. Wilke’s twists and turns really kept me on my toes as Lucy begins to uncover Paul’s dark secrets. No matter what Lucy tries, Paul is always one step ahead, his evil side begging to surface, leaving me completely on edge and holding my breath in anticipation. Disappointingly, the a book leaves a lot of questions unanswered and I found myself turning the final page with a sense of confusion, not completely comprehending the ending, which sadly made this promising and well written novel extremely anticlimactic.

While listening to this book I kept thinking about women in general and the choices that we make sometimes when it comes to love relationships .

Here was Lucy, at a stage in her life where she was looking at having a happy life and of course this is what drew her to the handsome Doctor Paul Webb. But was this handsome man too good to be true?

Paul's character was well written because I was able to picture him as that perfect person from the beginning.
I think Lucy became really blinded by love or infatuation perhaps that she was unable to trust her instincts about him and like most people in love she was in denial.

Towards the middle to the end of the book I thought her friend Emma did not really stand up for her as I would have expected but then again that was part of Paul's manipulation. The ending of the book was a bit shocking to me as well I really did not expect that outcome. I will have to ponder on that for a few days. The audiobook was very well narrated, very easy to understand and very entertaining as well. I enjoyed this book very much.

This was a decent psychological thriller that I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version. Initially it started off slow for me but quickly escalated & got my attention. There are lots of twists & turns that keep Lucy & Paul two pretty interesting characters.
The narration was enjoyable & I definitely would read/listen to more from this author.
Thank you #NetGalley for this early audio version.

Lucy is a probation officer, and after one of her cases challenges her emotionally she goes to a pub, there she meets Paul , a psychiatrist, they hit it off and the relationship develops rapidly marrying within a few months . At first Paul appears to be extremely nice, but as the story goes on he becomes controlling and manipulative making Lucy begin to doubt herself, Paul and the people around her , that is until Lucy discovers a photograph from Paul's past and the secrets begin to come out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written, dark psychological twisted thriller. It started off a little bit slow to get some insight on what was yet to come, but once it started to pick up it was extremely fast paced and hard to put down. Definitely a book that I would recommend and I look forward to future books by this author.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Saga Egmont audio and Elena Wilkes for an ARC of The man I married in exchange for an honest review.

So this started off quite slow and so I had to stop a few times but it eventually got going and got really interesting. I really wanted to scream at Lucy at times - sign of a very good book/story. Really do recommend this book

Really did love the narration - it just added so much. Will definately be on the lookout for this narrator.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

What a dark and twisted read! I listened to it in one day because I just couldn't stop! Lucy, a probation officer, meets Paul, a psychologist, in a pub and they quickly fall in love. But things are not quite as they seem with their relationship.

Nothing is what it appears in this book and I didn't know who or what to believe but little alarm bells were ringing and I wanted to scream at Lucy to get herself out before it was too late! As the story unfolds it is truly harrowing and scary and the gaslighting is written really well.

This could so easily have been a 5* book, but I knocked off a star because I was so confused by the ending. I have thought about it a lot (the mark of a good book, I guess) and I do have my theory. I would also have liked a proper conclusion to the sub-plot involving a paedophile and a missing girl.

Colleen Prendergast did an amazing job narrating.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy. Lucy meets Paul in a pub and marries him after a whirlwind romance. Then Paul becomes controlling and manipulating. Lucy finds a old photograph in Paul's drawer of his old flame. Then Lucy keeps seeing the same lady and presumes Paul is having an affair. This book had me gripped from page one but I found the ending abrupt and confusing.

Where to even start with this book...

This book was crazy! The majority of the time I had no idea what the h*ll was going on. For a book like this, that can be a good thing, but it also wasn't. I loved how twisty it was and there was always something going on to keep you thinking. But, this book gave me some serious anxiety.

Paul's sides of the story, was a bit much. There was a lot of what seemed like gasslighting and anger, it was a bit all over the place. It was honestly hard to get through. As for Lucy, I kept wondering why she was putting up with all of the terrible things Paul would put her through, especially so soon after meeting him.

As for the end, again I still don't fully understand what happened in this book. It was confusing, and I couldn't quite tell if the other characters were real, if Paul really was the bad guy or if Lucy was just bat sh*t crazy.

The audiobook itself was wonderful. The narrator was great and you definitely got the feeling of suspense from listening. I'll maybe try a print book of this later to see if I can figure out what really happened.

Thank you to Saga Egmont Audio and Netgalley for. a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

A well written psychological thriller that has some unsettling moments and tense encounters. Lucy is a probation officer who finds herself in a stressful situation when dealing with Gould, a child sex offender. After this encounter she finds herself on a night out unsettled, alone and slightly intoxicated when she meets Paul a psychologist who grabs her interest. What follows this initial evening is a relationship that rapidly moves to living together and finally marriage. Circumstances at work, with her family, her previous relationship and her best friend all combine to overwhelm Lucy until she finds that Paul is her only safe space. But … is he really?

Elena Wilkes delivers a debut novel filled with sinister plot twists, suspenseful moments, creepy characters and an unreliable narrator who appears to be descending into a breakdown. At times it can seem predictable and some of the situations take a stretch of the the imagination but it still delivers enough to land as a good solid psychological thriller.