I got into the story really quickly. It did drag a bit in the middle but it kept me gripped and was definitely a page turner. I guess the ending was a bit predictable but still worth the read. I would definitely read others by this author

The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder is a thriller novel. This one is a story that makes one wonder just how well do they really know those closest to them or just how much can you trust someone.

When Lily married Edward she thought that she was going to live the happily ever after that everyone wished for. Sure Edward was a little older than Lily but age was just a number, right? Lily adored Edward’s son, Noah, and was looking forward to becoming his step mother. Edward’s older daughters seemed to have come around, hadn’t they?

Shortly after the wedding was when things stopped adding up for Lily. That was when little Noah said that they were lying, that his mother was alive. Lily at first was skeptical and thought the young boy was confused but as time passed Lily finds so much that points that Edward is not the man she thought she knew.

Having read this author before I knew I should find good writing in this one and was curious what the story would bring. The Second Marriage was one of those stories that the deeper I dove into it I still had to wonder where it was going. There were a few moments that I wondered if I even liked the main character and her actions but regardless I wanted to know what would happen every moment. With several twists and turns I was certainly hooked and curious all throughout.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a psych thriller that better typifies the genre than this one. It has everything a reader wants in a book.
Lily is a sympathetic main character/narrator. She’s smart, intuitive, and a little too trusting. That last one is important because it has a big impact on the plot. It is vital she sees nothing wrong with her life until she’s in the middle of a mess.
But exactly what is the mess, and who is responsible for it?
I don’t think she is naïve in any way, although some readers may take her as such. I like that she is a teacher first and foremost, because she looks at her problems from several different angles. As a teacher myself, I can relate to that.
The author does a great job of building the foundation through the first part of the book. It is the perfect example of “setting the stage.” The action moves along even though there are a lot of details to put in place.
And once those details are in place, hang on…because once Lily starts to realize certain things the action takes off and doesn’t let up until the very last pages. Actually, not even then.
The way the storylines converge is masterful. The parallels between the past and present situations are each detailed and unique but with enough similarities that the reader recognizes the important patterns.
This is vital to the story. But I’m not going to say why, because that would give away the plot. And that would be no fun to new readers. I did guess a few points, but only because I like to challenge myself to see if I can think like the author.
I rooted for Lily pretty much the entire book. There was only one part about ¾ through that I thought was out of character, but as I continued to read, I realized why she did what she did.
There are other characters in the book (of course). I don’t want to say anything specific about Edward and his family, because I might slip up. But let’s just say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I felt for Noah. And Marsha was a good friend.
But really, this psych thriller should be at the top of your list. I couldn’t put it down and read late into the night to finish it. An excellent entry in the genre.

An entertaining psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. I must admit that I found most of the characters not that likeable and yes I know some of them weren’t meant to be. The story however is intriguing enough that you want to keep reading to find out what happened.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

My Review:
OMG, I was hooked from the very first page!!!!! What a fantastic read this was. I’ve read several books by this author and they were all great. Her books keeps you guessing up until the very end. When you think you know what’s going on, BAM, there’s another twist you never saw coming. I loved everything about this book. All the characters worked so well with each other and made the book what it was. The plot was interesting and each chapter ended with the reader wanting more. The ending was a shocker and left you wondering what the heck just happened. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read her next one. Thank you Jess Ryder for such a wonderful book.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I absolutely loved The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder. The description and the book cover had me gripped before I even started reading it and I could not put it down. It had plenty of twists and turns and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Lily has got a job teaching Noah. A boy who lives behind closed doors in Hampsted with his father Edward. Lily and Edward grow close and her proposes. Edwards two older daughters are not impressed. They have never gotten over the tragic death of their mother.
On the night of her wedding Lily goes to say goodnight to Noah. He chills her by saying that his mother in not really dead.
As Edward becomes more controlling, Lily has more questions. Why are there no photo's of Noah and his mum? Why is Noah so isolated? What secrets are Edward hiding?
As her happy marriage begins to crumble, questions need to be answered.
I loved this book. It was fast paced and held my attention. I alternated between text and and audiobook as I was so engrossed in the story. A very quick read. Would be perfect to be made into a TV film.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and listen to this book

3.5 rounded up

Lily Baxendale accepts a marriage proposal from Edward Morgan even though she’s only known him a few months. He’s fifteen years older than her, they meet when he hires her to home school his eight year old son Noah over whom Edward is extremely protective, maybe overly so. Edward has two older daughters, Tara and Georgia whose reaction to the second marriage can best be described as luke warm. Is Lily naively going into the marriage in a blinkered fashion, her love for Edward blinding her to potential issues? Why does she feel like the first wife Clare is a ghost at the wedding feast? Is she a benign presence or the opposite? It soon emerges that things are not entirely as they seem as Lily digs beneath the surface charm.

At first it seems as it will a path well trodden towards predictability but pleasingly the plot journey takes plenty of twisty detours through thought dead ends and quite a few U-turns in beliefs and suspicion. There are so many off notes right from the start sometimes clamouring like an inebriated orchestra and it’s entertaining seeing how Lily deals with it or ignores it. One very positive feature of the novel is the character of Lily who is no shrinking violet, this is an intelligent woman driven by logic , her trail to the truth is well reasoned common sense. However, I’m not quite so keen on how she deals with some of her investigating via Noah, it seems a bit relentless for the poor kid . The dynamics between the various characters is very good and the scenes with the daughters are often intense especially with Tara who has a sharp tongue to say the least. There’s plenty of tension and uncertainty which builds well towards the ending which is maybe a bit neat for my taste.

Overall, this is an enjoyable, well paced, easy read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A creepy atmospheric domestic thriller with chills, secrets and lies. A solid read with lots going on!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I loved the slow build up of tension in this book. Lily being swept off her feet by the silver fox, Edward, who has the cutest but damaged little boy Noah. What could possibly go wrong? Well where would you like me to begin? I suppose warning bells should have rung when no one from Edward’s side turned up at the wedding but of course he had a plausible explanation for that. Just as he has for Noah conviction that his mother is still alive even though we know she has been dead for five years. And don’t get me started on the bitchy daughters. Slowly Lily begins to realise that nothing is as it seems and the more she investigates the more twisted and terrifying the story becomes until the day she discovers the truth and everything comes together in a dramatic climax that has Lily fighting for survival.

This is an absolute must read. Make sure you have an empty space in your diary once you start reading because I guarantee nothing will get done that day.

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Jess Ryder's domestic thriller THE SECOND MARRIAGE.

A fast paced read that is as addictive as it is absorbing, THE SECOND MARRIAGE will have you second guessing as you plough your way through the secrets, the lies, the deception and the twists. Just when you think you know what's going on, along comes another sharp turn taking you on yet another bumpy thrill ride. I will say this, it certainly wasn't what I expected...and pleasantly so.

The story begins with Lily, having taken a job as 8 year old Noah's private tutor, ruminating over the interview she was late for and thus being swept off her feet by Noah's charismatic father Edward. What follows is a whirlwind courtship resulting in a proposal and a registry office wedding as she becomes Mrs Edward Morgan.

But as Lily is soon to discover - marry in haste, repent at leisure. For with Edward comes two adult daughters and a mysterious past which he refuses to discuss. His main stipulation at her interview should have been a red flag - forbidding her from mentioning Noah's deceased mother...EVER. And yet Noah confides in her that the rest of the family is lying; that they think he doesn't remember but he remembers everything; that his mother is alive. Lily is shocked. Maybe he's mistaken. Yet when she broaches the matter with Edward he becomes cool and distant, dismissing the idea as Noah's imagination and wishing it to be true. But Lily isn't so sure.

She confides in her best friend Marsha whom Edward outwardly loathes and does his best to keep her from seeing her. Classic control behaviour. But Lily will not be swayed. Marsha does some digging into his mother Clare's death which proves to be tougher than it should be. But her determination pays off and she has a doozy of a story to share with Lily about her discovery. The problem is, is it true? Is the information Marsha has uncovered her Edward? Or is it someone else? Because if it is in fact Edward then he has some explaining to do...not that Lily would believe him after the lies he has spun over and over again. So what exactly is the truth?

But at the centre of this story is an innocent little boy who awaits the return of his mother to whisk him away from a life locked inside the fortress his father has built around them. And for what? Is it to protect them? Is to keep others out? Or is it to protect himself? Lily isn't sure anymore. But one thing she is sure of and that is Noah remembers more than what the family thinks he does, despite being only 3 at the time his mother disappeared, and Edward is doing his level best to suppress the boy's only remaining memories of his mother. Surely that can't be healthy...can it?

Lily has no choice but to confront Edward with what she knows...and he breaks down with tears of relief that he no longer has to keep the secret from her. So why keep it in the first place? To protect her? Noah? Or himself? And what about his grown daughters, Tara and Georgia? Every time the three of them are together Lily gets the feeling they are talking about her as the conversation ceases the moment she walks into the room. Tara, the eldest, is constantly aloof and doesn't care who Lily is or what she is doing there. Georgia at least pretends to like her. And Edward? He just continues to appease his entitled daughters while Lily is inwardly fuming. While poor Noah is the pawn in some secretive game they seem to have going on.

Lily has obviously gotten herself into muddy waters and soon finds that she is in too deep to do anything about it without raising suspicion. I began to wonder how it was all going to end for all involved because it wasn't going to be pretty, that's for sure.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed THE SECOND MARRIAGE as its fast pace kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next. And I was hoodwinked this time. I couldn't foresee the outcome as much as I tried to conjure up possible scenarios. So I gave up trying and just enjoyed the ride. There were enough twists to give you whiplash and enough unlikeable characters to leave you speechless. I didn't like Edward from the first moment. He was too smooth and too perfect that he had to be hiding something. He was creepy and controlling, and I couldn't believe a word that came out of his mouth. His daughters were two faced, bitchy and completely self-entitled. Lily was naive and honestly stupid to be taken in after just coming out of a seven year relationship herself. Noah, despite his obvious anxiety which was at times frustrating, was probably one of the most redeeming characters alongside Marsha who could spot the wolf from the sheep, even if her friend couldn't.

While in some ways it may not be hard to work out where THE SECOND MARRIAGE might be heading, there are still plenty of twists to keep you guessing and second guessing throughout. There is plenty of tension that makes it a solid thriller and like Lily, you're not sure who or what to believe.

Filled with secrets, lies and deception, THE SECOND MARRIAGE is intense and addictive read that is perfect for fans of domestic thrillers.

I would like to thank #JessRyder, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheSecondMarriage in exchange for an honest review.

Lily got married to Edward, a rich widower who has three kids only after dating in a very short time. It was too fast, but at the moment Lily was in love and thought the man she was about to married is a kind hearted and honest man who struggle with grief.
However, things started to change after the wedding. None of Edward's family show up at the wedding, her bouquet flower is placed on Edward's first wife's grave and the strangest thing was her stepson told her that her mother is still alive.
Is Noah lying to her or does he actually know the truth and Edward is pressing his memories to make him forget it ?

This is a very fast paced and interesting psychological thriller.
I have to admit, everything happen too fast in the beginning, especially about the wedding. It feels like I didn't have time to process anything. Thankfully the pace slowed down a bit in the middle towards the end which allow me to actually breathe and can enjoy the story while making theories to what could really happen in this story.

There are multiple POVs from different characters and also different timeline (past and present) which is a nice touch to the story, so the readers will get more insight and could try to guess what really happen in the past and whether Noah (the stepson) is actually telling the truth to Lily or not.

The characters are really great and I like the character development on Lily's character. To be honest, I don't really like Lily at the beginning because she was too rash and feels like a teenager who didn't think twice even though she was a 30 year old woman but I'm glad that she started to open her eyes and sees everything more clearly. I also love her relationship with Noah!
Edward and his kids are one messed up family, that's all I'm going to say without spoiling the whole story of this book

Overall, this is an enjoyable, fast paced, full of suspense and gripping psychological thriller book. I manage to guess one or two twists in this story but I was still able to enjoy reading how the secrets started to unravel one by one.
Looking forward for other books from this author!

Actual rating: 3.5⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley, Jess Ryder and Bookouture for giving me the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Note: Review on Instagram will be posted on the publication day, at November 3rd.

This is a brilliant psychological thriller.
Lily meets Edward when she applies to be his son’s teacher. There’s an immediate attraction and soon they are lovers.
They get married within a few months and despite a warning from her best friend, Lily is very happy.
She has been told that Edward’s first wife died and his grown up daughters are not very welcoming. On her wedding night she is speaking to Noah, now her step-son, and he says that his mummy isn’t really dead.
Lily questions Edward and the girls but doesn’t get a satisfactory answer, so does some digging of her own.
Lily meets a dead end but her friend has more luck and it seems Edward has been lying to her.
I loved the way the truth came out and even when you think you know everything, there’s more secrets that have been hidden.
This is a real page turner that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Very clever plot. Very much enjoyed the story and the twists. Best of all I liked the main female character was portrayed as young but not dumb and one that knows how to use her brain. This author was new to me, but will definitely be on the look out to read more. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I did the audio of this book - I was so hooked I cleaned so I could listen more.
After leaving a stressful job, Lily goes for a job interview- a homeschooled little boy having trouble coping with the loss of his mother.
Shortly after, Edward begins to seek Lily out. After a short courtship, they marry.
And the fun begins.
Lily becomes obsessed with Edward's previous wife, Noah's mother- Claire died from a food allergy. Why can't Lily find any pictures of her? Why the secrecy? And hiding Noah away from the world?
The truth has a way of coming out - with the help of Marsha, Lily's best friend.
Lots of family drama, twists and great plot.

Very good story from an author I hadn’t heard of until now.

Lily has had a whirlwind romance. She meets Edward, who is a widower, when she applies for a job to home school his young son, Noah, and Edward and Lily both immediately fall in love with each other. Within months they are engaged and then shortly after, married. Edward has said from the day he met Lily that she isn’t allowed to mention or talk about Noahs mother, telling her that Noah has panic attacks when she is mentioned so its best to not talk about her. However, on their wedding day when Lily is tucking Noah into bed, he stuns her by saying his mother is still alive and he remembers everything. With the feeling that Edward is hiding something from her and his two older daughters Tara and Georgia acting shiftily Lily doesn’t know who to trust and what to believe. Is Noah’s mother still alive or is Noah just a little boy grieving the loss of his mother and why is there so much secrecy surrounding her? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

Wow this was good! I’ll admit the first part was a little slow and it seemed to amble on a bit, but I was intrigued so I had no intention of stopping reading as I was enjoying it. I understand it was setting the scene for part 2 and once the second part came along, I was hooked. Twists and turns everywhere and I loved hearing from a different character in part 2. By the last quarter I had guessed the twist, but this didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book because I wanted to see if I was right (and I was pleased that I was!). I don’t want to spoil the story so all I’ll say is the setting for the last part of the story was brilliant, so descriptive and creepy I felt I was there with the characters.

All in all, a really good read from Jess Ryder and I would definitely recommend this book for psychological thriller fans. I'm so pleased I found this author and I am already lining up more of her books to read in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Jess Ryder for my advanced reading copy. Due out 3rd November 2021.

I absolutely loved this tension filled psychological thriller and stayed up late into the night to finish it.

The story centres around Lily who has recently married Edward, a widower with two grown up daughters and a small son, Noah who appears rather troubled and withdrawn. But it's when one night Noah confesses that he is certain that his mother is still alive, that sets off a dramatic and troubling turn of events.

The characterisations are brilliantly portrayed from the initially smitten then suspicious heroine Lily, the sly and seemingly manipulative and secretive Edward, to poor confused, traumatised Noah. I especially empathised with Lily's character, and was willing her on throughout her investigations.

I loved how the plot progresses and the twists and turns are so cleverly written, you end up not knowing who to believe or where the story will go next.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves well written psychological thrillers and I'm now off to seek out Jess Ryder's other books.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In a lot of ways this book was typical of the genre - rich older man woos younger, inexperienced woman who soon wonders if she has made a mistake. And what really happened to his first wife? Where this book differed, in the best possible way, was in depicting the said younger woman not as a scared, whiny victim of gaslighting but rather a woman who knows her own mind and is not afraid to use it! Yes!!!

Lily Baxendale is engaged as a governess for Edward Morgan’s son, eight year old Noah. Edward also has two grown daughters, Tara and Georgia who have flown the nest. They are a little hostile towards Lily. His first wife, Claire, died five years ago when Noah was only 3 years old. But Noah claims his mummy is still alive and that he remembers everything. Of course such discussion is shut down immediately by Edward who claims the child is prone to panic attacks so he is kept at home, in cotton wool.

Lily is immediately attracted to the much older Edward, as he is apparently to her. They marry after only a few months and that’s when things start to go down hill. It soon becomes apparent that Edward is quite controlling and has been lying to Lily. But she is not having a bar of it and when he tries to stop her from seeing her best friend, Marsha, she flips him off and goes anyway.

When the lying becomes too much, Lily is seriously considering her options and she confronts Edward about it. It’s not too hard to figure out where this might be going but, on the other hand, there were quite a few little surprise twists yet to come. Lily was a wonderful character as she stood up for herself really well. Edward was a bad guy, then a good guy trying to protect his family, then a bad guy until we finally learned what he actually was. Noah was an endearing little lad and I was certainly rooting for him to have a happy life. The older daughters though were quite a surprise packet but I can’t tell you in what way.

Overall it was an enjoyable story with good pacing and strong characters, with just enough suspense to make it interesting. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Second Marriage’ written by Jess Ryder in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Lily meets Edward Morgan when he employs her to home-teach his eight-year-old son Noah. There’s an instant attraction between them and it’s only a few short months before Edward proposes marriage and Lily accepts him. But it isn’t until Noah whispers to her that they’re all lying to him and Lily that she starts to doubt Edward’s version of events surrounding the death of his wife Clare.

‘The Second Marriage’ is a gripping thriller with a cleverly written plot full of menace and intrigue that at times makes me feel uncomfortable and worried at what’s happening to Noah who’s a troubled young child at a loss to understand the absence of his mother. The tension escalates with each twist and turn and becomes increasingly sinister as Lily learns the truth about the family she’s married into. Perhaps the conclusion hasn’t built up to the crescendo I was expecting but it’s still a thoroughly entertaining novel that I’ve enjoyed reading and that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A spine tingling read that has you wondering from start to the astonishing end.
I adored the characters in this book. The way they were written was amazing, the author manipulates and navigates how you feel about each player magically throughout. This really drives the narrative and takes us from happy families to discovering something is amiss and not all the players are who we think they are. This was told with the perfect number of twists and turns and a wonderful storyline. A great read