This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

You think once you say "I Do" you know the one you sleep next to, but do you? Ali and Matthew are in an accident when coming home from a celebration. Ali doesn't remember much from the night but is struggling to heal and discover what happened that night. She is certainly grief stricken and feels as though Matthew is possibly still alive. Ali was once a take charge girl, a leader and now she can barely get out of bed. I loved the prologue and even enjoyed the first part of the book. However, there were too many things that were repeated and too many details. I want a thriller to have room for me to let my mind wonder or speculate a little. The build up was slow and needed more things to happen or progress more. I did like some of the twists at the end! I would have preferred there to not be so many swear words. Over all it was a quick read.

Thank you Avon Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I had a hard time getting through this book and found myself skimming through parts. I really didn't care for the main character, Ali and the parts about her business was very confusing. There were no surprises either. Just okay

Given the 5 star reviews I was expecting a lot more of this book but unfortunately I was disappointed, I found the writing didn’t flow, the story was staid with none of the usual unexpected twists

Thank you NetGalley for the pre-read.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were relatable, and I was drawn in from the first page! Really good story and dramatic twists and turns which I thought were good. Well thought out and executed plot and storyline.

Thank you for letting me read this!

This domestic thriller is a gripping tale. I am so glad that I chose this book. This would be a great book for the lovers of Verity.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was a bit frustrating that the main character Ali neglected every red flag her husband Matthew set off that we as the reader can see right through. It's not until their terrible car accident does Ali uncover truths about him and their lifelong best friends Liz and Dane. I don't know if it's the fact she was blindly in love or just didn't want to see what was going on, but this is a classic case of successful business woman falling in love with a younger man, who her daughter dislikes, ultimately taking advantage of the situation.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I will probably read her again. The story opens with Ali and her husband Matt are celebrating their 3rd wedding anniversary when they get into a horrific crash. Ali survives and Matt cannot be found. The story brought into question how much do you know your spouse and the secrets they may hide.

This story had some great twists and turns at the end had me trying to work out where the truth lies. With so many people keeping terrible secrets it was a bit difficult to feel sorry for any one.

Louis Sharland has written an interesting story and I did enjoy it. I will definitely give her another try.

Thank you to #netgalley and #avonbooksuk for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This was a brilliant on the edge of your seat thriller, could her husband be really dead? Or not. That was the question running through the book. This book gave me the creeps at times, it would make a really chilling film. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

My Husband's Secrets begins on the eve of Ali and Matthew's wedding anniversary. After a dinner/party with friends Ali and Matthew are involved in a fatal car accident. Ali is recovering from the accident and can't remember most of the events up to and all of the accident. Ali is struggling to accept that Matthew is dead and clings to the fact that the body was never found so he must be missing. As time passes Ali starts to notice odd things missing that helps her to keep thinking he must be missing. As her daughter and close friends rally around her to help her recover and keep her business going in her absence, she starts to suspect that she is not being told everything. But are these her fears or is she spiraling out of control, or even worse is there more to Matthew missing than someone close to her is keeping from her.

There were a lot of comments about things being repetitive in the story, but I did not take it that way. Ali has lost her first husband and now her second husband. There were not questions regarding Rory's death, but there are, for Ali, a lot of unanswered questions regarding Matthew. So, for me, I think after such a devastating accident, not being able to remember and grieving at the same time shows how fragile Ali was.

I really liked this story, This story just kept building and building with more questions than proof. I could understand Ali struggling and needing people to believe her that Matthew was still alive. People deal with grief differently, combine that with missing memories and you have someone that questions what she is being told.

This story turned out differently than I had expected. As it progressed I could start to see that something wasn't quite right, there were several red herrings to lead you in different directions until the conclusion. I found this to be a riveting story. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

On the evening of their wedding anniversary, Ali and Matthew are involved in a fatal car accident.
Grief-stricken, Ali can’t bring herself to believe that her beloved Matthew is gone…
The smell of his aftershave lingers in their bedroom. His voice still rings out on their answerphone. She sees his face in the eyes of strangers.
But as the months pass, and her family and friends rally round, Ali starts to uncover secrets that Matthew kept from her.
Did she really know her husband as well as she thought she did? And why can’t she shake the feeling that somehow, somewhere, he is still alive?

This is a really gripping read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

I really enjoyed this second novel by Louise Charland. This psychological thriller started quickly and kept its fast pace throughout. After Ali and Matthew are in a car accident, Ali is left to recover from her injuries while Matthew has gone missing. Ali has much support from her friend Liz, and her daughter Emma. Both women, while supporting Ali, also holds secrets which start to come to light as the story progresses.

This story had many twists and turns and kept me engaged to the very end. While I had some clue as to who might be guilty in this book, I didn’t figure it out the until the very end. The author did a wonderful job with her writing style and flow of story and I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book took me something like three days to read, which is an inordinate amount of time for me really. But as promising as the premise was, MY HUSBAND'S SECRETS didn't quite hit the mark. What began as a compelling and intriguing prologue, pretty much fizzled out into an average story that left me somewhat confused by the end.

Ali and her husband Matthew are involved in an horrific car accident after leaving their third wedding anniversary party. The couple left the event rowing and continued their arguement in the car until they plunged from the road and into the river. Ali was pulled from the wreck but Matthew was unable to be saved.

Three months have since passed and Ali suffers from injuries sustained in the crash as well as amnesia leading up to and surrounding the accident. She remembers seeing her daughter Emma and husband Matthew arguing at the party; she remembers Matthew whispering something in her ear as they left; she remembers screaming at him...but she remembers nothing about why this was so. She does not remember what Matthew said to her as they left the party nor does she remember why they were arguing. All she remembers is flashes of being pulled from the freezing cold water and rushed off to hospital. She had no idea that Matthew never made it.

Since Matthew's body has never been recovered, Ali is convinced he is still alive and is either in hiding somewhere or has amnesia and forgotten who he is and where he lives. She simply cannot believe he is dead.

And then she stumbles across something that shakes her world to its core. Did Matthew die in the accident that night? Or is he really in hiding, waiting to make his next move?

Determined to uncover the truth herself, Ali launches her own investigation into Matthew's disappearance despite her injuries from which she is still recovering. All the while taking comfort from her first husband Rory's positive affirmations that keep her going. Truth be told, I thought Ali missed Rory far more than Matthew. She sure talked about him a whole lot at least.

MY HUSBAND'S SECRETS is my first read my Louise Sharland and I'm not entirely sure if I would race out to grab another. I wanted to like it but I found it decidedly lacking and the pace that it started off with soon fizzled out pretty fast. The characters are mixed and I can't say I liked them a whole lot. The story is a little predictable but not too much so. I just found it a bit of a non-event. By the time I reached the end I was feeling "Whew! I'm glad that's over" as well as "Is that it?"

Overall, MY HUSBAND'S SECRETS is not an earth-shattering thrill-ride of a thriller. As I said, it begins with an intriguing prologue but soon fizzles out fairly fast and not much happens between then and the ending. It was overall an OK read, but not great.

I would like to thank #LouiseSharland, #NetGalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #MyHusbandsSecrets in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Matthew and Ali are leaving a party celebrating their third anniversary where they had had a lot to drink. It is raining heavily, Matthew is angry about something, and driving too fast. Then the car leaves the road, down into a gully and into icy water. Ali’s friends, Liz and Dane had been following them and rescued Ali from the car. But Matthew simply disappeared.

Two months later, Ali lives with severe pain relying on morphine, crutches, and metal pins in her body. In addition, she has amnesia about some of the time before the accident happened.

Ali’s first husband, Rory, has been dead for 7 years and their daughter, Emma, was against Ali marrying Matthew as he was younger than her and she felt he was only after Ali’s money..

After many searches have been made, Matthew has not been found. Ali feels like Matthew has been in the house because money is missing from a cashbox that only they knew about.

Finally, Ali is determined to stop wallowing in her self-pity and ready to get back to work and find out what really happened to Matthew. As she slowly puts the puzzle pieces together, she finds out the truth.

This is an OK book. I know that Ali was injured but she needed to “take the bull by the horns” and step up to the plate. It was exhausting waiting for her to do something other than feel sorry for herself. The plot itself was good and believable but the story could have been shortened significantly.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Forty something Alice (Ali) is a successful property developer. After losing her husband to cancer, she never believed she would fine happiness again, but for the past three years she has been married to Matthew, six years her junior. The story begins as they leave wedding anniversary celebrations on a dark, stormy night. Tragically, on the way home the car crashes. Ali is badly injured, and Matthew and the car are swept away in a heavily flooded river.
We follow Ali’s recovery as she not only works her way back to physical health, but tries to piece together those last moments after the crash. She is convinced Matthew is still alive. No body has been found and until that happens there is hope. But as time goes on, she discovers there is more than finding Matthew to worry about as aspects of his business dealings give cause for concern.
A well written psychological thriller where nothing is as it seems. Everyone, it appears, has things to hide and their own secret agendas. Even the one character I thought totally innocent proved not to be in a surprise twist at the end. It’s a gripping read which drip feeds you information, making it difficult to put down. A well-deserved five stars.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books and Louise Sharland for an ARC of My Husband's Secrets in exchange for an honest review.

On the evening of their wedding anniversary, Ali and Matthew are involved in a fatal car crash. Grief stricken. Ali can’t believe he’s gone especially as his body was never found. Her friends and family rally round, but as the months pass, Ali starts to uncover some secrets that Matthew kept from her. And at the back of her mind, Ali can’t shake the feeling that Matthew might still be alive.

My Husbands’s Secret is a gripping read that will keep you guessing to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)

Publication date: 26 May 2022
Publisher: Avon Books UK

Plot:

After a tragic accident on the eve of her wedding day in which her deceased husband, Matthew was involved, Ali had to deal with the aftermath in her life. She then began to unearth truths that Matthew hid from her as the months pass but was she really as close to her husband as she believed she was? And why can't she get rid of the notion that he's still living somewhere?

Thoughts:

The starting of the book was fantastic, I was reading page after page and it just made me want to continue. But the high didn't stay for as long.

There were a lot of recurring information that started being told about 1/4 into the book and it repeated so much that it dulled the mystery and thrill. The side characters seemed to be all over the place with their appearances, totally unnecessary and it was a little too much for me because it made the book uninteresting. I didn't care about the side characters at all. The buildup was good but the ending unfortunately didn't maintain that level. It's a short and fast read but that is really it to the book.

My Husband’s Secrets by Louise Sharland- Author Page ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️


I hate Matthew with every fiber of my being! With that being said, let’s talk about this book, shall we?

Ali, poor Ali, is devastated after she was involved in a car accident that took Matthew’s life…… or did it? Unfortunately, without a body she refuses to believe he is really gone. Could he be in the water where they crashed? Did he survive? Is he hiding? All of his secrets come pouring out in this gut-wrenching novel. We get an in depth experience of what it is like living in Ali’s shoes as she tries to come to terms with her situation. As she takes a deeper dive into their business, finances, etc she learns that Matthew is not the perfect husband he portrayed himself to be.

Ali has a successful business, an amazing daughter who stepped in to fill a role that was quite large, and who is making a name for herself. She also has a very good friend working for her as well. Surrounded by strong individuals, Ali is forcing herself to push on and be strong for herself and everyone around her.

The story takes a drastic turn when Ali finds out some devastating news later in the novel. Without giving away any spoilers, let me tell you to just grab some coffee and a comfy blanket so you can read this all in one sitting. Once you hit the plot twists you won’t want to put the book down..

I give this novel 4 stars simply because with the amount of drama and secrets coming out, I find forgiveness or understanding to be too far fetched. Some details don’t seem as easily accepted or hidden as they were in this novel. I am, however, going to immediately look up other books by this author, because I love her writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and Louise Saarland for an ARC (advanced reader copy) in exchange for my honest review.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘My Husband’s Secrets’ written by Louise Sharland in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s Ali and Matthew’s third anniversary party where Matthew drinks too much yet insists on driving home. The weather is poor and their car spins off the road, goes down an embankment and into a river and despite Ali being rescued Matthew’s body can’t be found. Although presumed dead, Ali thinks he’s still alive and as she starts to recover from her injuries she uncovers secrets about Matthew that he’s kept from her.

This is the first novel I’ve come across by this author and although it was a well-written and solid read I didn’t much like the characters and found it hard to empathise with them. The plot is fairly predictable, similar to others I’ve read recently, and there was nothing that grabbed me and made me want to find out more. I’m sure other readers will enjoy it but I’m afraid it’s not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the advance read of this title. This story kept me interested as I couldn't predict how it was going to end. A fairly good domestic thriller ⭐⭐⭐