Firstly, a special thank you to Harper and Wunderkind PR for my review copy! Secondly, Kate you did an amazing job on this one, as always! Happy PUB Day Kate!!

After Emma’s first husband is murdered, she sells their home and decides to move into a smaller apartment. She’s reeling but, she’s not really grieving as most would after a spouses unexpected death. Her and Derrick were not in a happy marriage. So when she meets Tom, she falls in love and two years after Derricks death they’ve been married and have bought a home together in Westport, Connecticut. Then, out of the blue a Detective comes by and tells her they have reopened their case and are now investigating Derricks murder again. That’s when the notes and weird things begin happening.

I really loved the plot of the story, the writing was fabulous as always and the main character was smart. The characters were all developed well with their personalities and the setting seemed perfect. I enjoyed this read, it kept me wanting to read and I was never bored or not entertained. I will say, I wanted more of a finale sort of ending. This one leaves you to your own devices and that can always be a good thing. Four stars for this gem and I definitely recommend it!

Emma Hawke’s husband, Derrick Rand, was shot and killed in what appears to have been a random murder. He was supposed to be at a conference so why was he killed in a parking lot? Derrick’s family was quite wealthy and his parents left some expensive artwork to him, his brother and sister. So, after his death, Derrick's artwork went to his siblings.

Two years later, Emma is now happily married to Tom Halliday who works in advertising. Emma has her own research business which targets hotels and restaurants. One evening, a policewoman stops by to discuss Derrick’s murder. She tells Emma that the case will be reopened as a DNA match has surfaced.

Emma learns that there may be evidence that she and Tom knew one another before Derrick was killed. So, automatically it’s a given that everyone, including the police, will assume that Tom killed Derrick.

This is where this book started to fail for me. Even if they did know one another WHY does that mean Tom killed him? The back and forth of did he or didn’t he really got old. I didn’t really care for Emma. I have to wonder if the author built the character as herself. For me, the story lacked the spark it needed to be called a thriller.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

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

This psychological thriller by Kate White was fantastic! It drew me in during the first chapter and kept me guessing till the end! This novel explores trust and the question of how well do you know the person you love?!

Emma’s first husband is murdered in a NYC alley. A little over 2 years later, she has moved on and remarried. Tom is everything that she could dream of in a spouse! However, Emma’s first husband’s murder investigation is reopened and questions begin to occur about what really happened the night of the murder.

This book publishes tomorrow (6/28/22) and it is definitely worth checking out if you are a psychological thriller fan!

Thank you @netgalley and @harperperennial for allowing me to read this thriller ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

A woman’s seemingly perfect second marriage is rocked by a discovery about the death of her first husband. I like this author and have enjoyed every piece of fiction she has written. She is excellent as building and keeping the suspense in a story and this book is a prime example of that ability. I had no idea what was really going on until the end which is how a good mystery should be. If I had any criticism at all it might be that the end felt a bit rushed but even with that it was totally satisfying. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

The Second Husband is an intriguing domestic drama that will have you second guessing which, if any, of the characters can be trusted. The main character, Emma, is usually sympathetic, but at times she is frustrating. Especially for a successful businesswoman, Emma often leaps to conclusions and takes action when she should be cautious and think things over first. Then when she should have important conversations with people, she puts it off and instead overshares with others.

In spite of her flaws, I was rooting for Emma to find out the truth and for things to work out for her. I wanted to keep reading to learn what really happened to Emma's first husband and what secrets her second husband is keeping. Clues are given that seem to point in one direction, but the story takes a couple of twists before things are wrapped up in the end. The book is fast-paced and enjoyable to read.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Harper Publishing. The ebook was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

After Emma's first husband Derrick is the victim of a violent murder Emma begins putting her life back together. She meets and marries Tom, a vivacious good-looking businessman. Life for Emma and Tom is happy until a police detective visits Emma to announce the police are reopening Derrick's murder case. Emma thought she had been ruled out of being a suspect in the case until it recently came to light police have many unanswered questions for her. What do police know about Emma and Tom that could turn their world upside down? Kate White is adept at twisting the narrative so it's hard to see what's coming, but this novel delivers on the mystery front.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper for this advanced copy.*

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I found it entertaining for the most part, but overall it was not the best. The author definitely does a good job of building suspense and making you suspicious of basically everyone. Why is the stepdaughter Brittany so stand-offish? Why is Emma's new friend Addison so curious? Why does it seem her husband Tom is lying? Also, the book takes place in Manhattan and Connecticut, both of which I am familiar with, and I do tend to enjoy reading about places I know. However, I found the big reveal anticlimactic, perhaps due to the fact that you suspect everyone. It seemed like the author was ultimately just including a bunch of red herrings.

What a great story! This one will keep you guessing until the very end. You never know who is telling the truth. It is a single POV, dual timeline story. The story is either in the present or 2 years in the past when her husband died. I like dual timeline books so this was great.

Emma is just building her life back after losing her husband, Derrick, to a senseless alleyway murder just over two years ago. She has her career and her new husband Tom, and she is moving along in life.
Till a homicide detective shows up at her door. Is there a new lead on what happened to Derrick? Emma has always hoped that no one finds out that her marriage wasn't all sunshine and roses, and the homicide detective on the doorstep shatters her sense of peace.
The twists and turns of the book kept me going, and I truly never knew who I should be suspicious of when it came to the murder, so I basically suspected everyone. I enjoy books that keep me guessing, and this was one of those.
I think I would have rated it a little higher had the end not seemed so rushed and thrown together.
I am grateful I got the chance to read this eARC thanks to the author and NetGalley, and look forward to checking out more of what Kate White has written.

The Second Husband by Kate White is a recommended domestic thriller.

A little over two years ago Emma Hawke's first husband, Derrick, was shot and killed in NYC. The killer was never found. Now Emma is married to widower Tom Halliday. The two are happy building a new life together in Westport, Connecticut and both of their businesses are doing well. Emma is excited to finally have a new friend over one night but the evening is cut short when a New York City police detective knocks at her door. They have reopened the investigation into Derrick's murder and have some more questions for her. It seems they have some new information and also questions about when she met Tom.

After an attention grabbing start, the pace slows down. At first the narrative alternates between "then" chapters focused on the time period right after Derrick's murder which serve to tell the backstory, and "now" chapters focused on the present day occurrences. Ultimately the plot is all set during the present time period. This plot device works well to tell the history while adding misgiving in the present.

The Second Husband is a well written novel, but the plot does move rather slowly in spite of the numerous twists, turns, and questions thrown into the mix. Emma is a sympathetic character which will help held your attention, but she is not always very decisive and doubts herself way-too-much. The suspense and tension are present but never reach the level where it would be impossible to set the novel aside. The ending was unsatisfying.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

This is a tightly narrated domestic thriller that keep me turning the virtual pages. It’s a gifted author who can make you literally suspect everyone at some point or another when an emotionally abusive husband winds up killed in a New York alley. Starting with the not-so-bereaved wife who’s managed to find herself a much better option with husband number two, all the way through to that husband, his step-daughter, a handful of employees, Ms. White keeps the reader guessing in a way that’s skillful and entertaining.

I especially appreciated how Emma discovers more about herself and her understanding of what makes a “perfect husband” at the end. I thought it was skillful to introduce an art forgery storyline by way of showing who the actual killer is.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys domestic-style thrillers.

I’ve been on the lookout for a little bit for a thriller to suck me in, and The Second Husband by Kate White did just that. This was full of twists and turns that kept me suspicious of everyone.

While the end plot twist wasn’t mind blowing by any means, it still wasn’t what I had initially suspected, although I did guess the who of it all.

I did enjoy Emma playing detective herself (even though that’s a bad idea) but the turn of events that took was a little shocking.

I’m not generally a fan of female main characters ignoring red flags, and Emma ignored a lot of Tom’s, but I liked how it play into the suspense of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and will be looking forward to reading more from Kate White in the future.

Couldn't put this book down! I was hooked from the beginning. Such a great story. Everyone should read this book.

Another great book by Kate White. Emma is married to Derrick and he is murdered. She remarries after two years to Tom and the clues start pouring in about Derrick's murder. There are many suspects but they are carefully woven into the story so you are always guessing and trying to put clues together. It is not until the final chapter when everything connects. Another masterpiece by Kate White.

Unputdownable. This book does a great job with suspense and makes it hard to put down. I loved how we saw and experienced Emma's thoughts and emotions as she deals with several unanswered questions.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book!

WOW! I truly loved this book, it caught my attention right from the get-go.
If you are looking for a good mystery, then this is the book for you!

When widow Emma gets married to her second husband , at first everthing is rosy, but then slowly things just don't seem quite right. Is it just her imagination, or does he have a hidden agenda? Is he trying to throw her under the bus??

It does seem like everyone has secrets to hide, but does that make them a murderer?

This book gave me chills down my spine, like someone scratching their nails on a chalkboard.

This is super chiller is waiting to be picked up and read, you won't be disappointed.

Great read, keep up the good work Kate!

I will also rate this on Goodreads!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Books for my advance copy!

This was my first Kate White novel and I was excited as I saw all the hype from her last novel last year! This one is told between past and present timelines (before Derrick’s death and after) so I felt we really got a feel of Emma as our main character. This novel is a slow burn-know that know going in. I usually am not a fan of slow burns but I enjoyed the buildup of this one and the little red herrings that drop throughout. I was thrown off by the “twist” and did not see it coming so I was happy with that.

I will say I thought this one a bit wordy. There was a lot of description (clothing, food, décor) and while I do like some details, it felt too much for a thriller. The novel could have been shaved down a bit, which may have made it a bit more suspenseful. That is why I gave this a 3.5 instead of a 4. I look forward to seeing what Kate White has for us next.

This is the second book by Kate White that I've read and really enjoyed both! I was hooked from the very beginning to find out what happened. I loved how unreliable all the characters were and how I was second guessing the entire time. The ending was unexpected, however, it wasn't the most wowing. There were a number of sub-plots throughout the book, but I found they worked really well and added a lot to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Some people aren’t so lucky to find love twice. Emma lost her husband in a horrid street crime. How can she feel safe after a random act Of
violence took away her husband? Well, Emma is able to find happiness again with her second husband, Tom. Tom is the perfect man, he is kind and best of all he is just what she needs to feel safe again. But things make take a sharp turn away from her happiness. A homicide detective shows up at their door with questions to ask about her first husbands death. Emma is now worried…do they think she is responsible? What DO the cops actually know? Will her new start of life be taken away?

What I enjoyed:
-this was a fast paced and very easy read! I was able to finish it with in a day.
-whoa baby, some of the sub-plots were just nuts! I couldn’t figure out who to trust. There was lots of suspects to throw you off too.
-lots of twists! A few definitely surprised me.

This was a fun read and I really enjoyed it. I am interested to see what the author writes in the future. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Senseless talk, senseless angst, senseless guilt mixed with fear and terror of absolutely everything is the way I’d describe this protagonist. I can’t imagine living like that and I sure can’t imagine being married to someone who’s so totally overcome with senseless obsessions. Good Grief! Somebody give that woman a chill-pill!

In my opinion the plot went in too many different directions and with too many different distractions to work. The overwhelming minute descriptions of absolutely everything – clothes, food, décor, cars, etc. – did not serve to advance the plot.

Let’s see. None of the main characters were likeable. The most sympathetic one was the 2nd husband who was the most targeted as the villain.

This is the first book I’ve read by White. I don’t plan to look for others.

I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review.