This book started off quite slowly, but in a nice way and letting the reader get to know the characters. It goes back and forwards between present times and seven years ago . I did guess at who was the guilty party but was wrong! This is a book I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC

The day her husband Tom disappeared, Rachel's life fell apart. Childhood sweethearts with two very young children, they'd done everything together. And then, suddenly, Tom was gone. Without a word, without a note, without a single sign of where he might be, leaving Rachel to survive alone. Now, nearly seven years later, Rachel has come to terms with life as a single mother, caring for her children who still secretly long for their father's miraculous return. But in his absence, Tom's hidden life started to emerge, and Rachel has discovered things a wife should never have to.

This is a story about forgiveness, moving on with life and memories you shared. The timeline goes back and forth between the present day and the past, seven years ago. The chapters are titled with the timeframe. This is a quick and easy book to read. I was intrigued by the books title and the storyline kept me invested throughout. There's a few curve balls thrown at you to try and keep you off the right path. A most enjoyable read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #LesleySanderson for my ARC of #TheWidowsHusband in exchange for an honest review.

A standalone psychological thriller author Lesley Sanderson. This was a decent read but I didn’t enjoy it as much as my previous experience with this author.

For the last seven year Rachel had believed her husband Tom was dead. But then out of the blue she receives a note with familiar handwriting, “My darling I’ve missed you so much. Give me a chance to explain”. With just one month until Tom is to be declared legally dead. the husband she had lost is alive along with all his secrets.

Tom suddenly disappeared with no warning or explanation, leaving Rachel in tatters with two small children. Seven years later, Rachel has come to terms with her life as a single mother, caring for their children who still secretly long for their father’s miraculous return. When Tom left Rachel discovered things she would rather not known, a secret life that betrayed everything Rachel thought she knew. Not knowing where he’d gone was no longer the main worry keeping her awake at night, it seemed much more likely he’d been silenced. Forever.

The synopsis sounded appealing and exciting to me but failed to deliver what I was hoping for. There were some good parts and I didn’t hate it but was hoping for so much more.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book delivered for me. It was a page-turner that kept my interest until the very end. Some of the characters were annoying *coughs Heidi and Lara* but that didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. I loved the pacing and the different points of view the most.

Crumbling Cookies! 😳😯🤯😳

Well this was one crazy, majorly messed up ride of a psychological thriller. Holy Fluffy Buffin' Balls! I'm still absolutely trying to wrap my head around the kerfuffle of nuts-o I just read. Wow. I mean beyond messed up.
It's been nearly several years since Rachel's husband disappeared without a trace. She's had to keep going with their two young children, but life wasn't always grand before he vanished. Under a year before he went missing, he had left Rachel for another woman, Heidi, whom he was having an affair with. But now Rachel is receiving letters a month away from his being cleared dead; that seem to be from Tom and starting to unravel & reveal some deeper secrets about her husband wondering if she ever really knew him at all.
You will question everything every which way and then some while reading this! And when you see it come together at the end, holy cannoli. 😳 Excellent premise & execution of this book. Trust nothing. You won't know what hit you.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this DARC.
Release Date: April 21, 2022

I give this 4 / 5 Bouquets! 💐

An engrossing domestic thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged. The characters were well-drawn with enough mystery and complexity to keep you guessing. I enjoyed the different perspectives and the unfolding of the plot, it kept me hooked! A great one to enjoy on a sunlounger this summer!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this novel.

For seven years, Rachel has believed her husband Tom to be dead. He simply disappeared one day and she has to cope with being a single mum to their two children. Her world turned upside down. In the seven years he’s been gone, she’s discovered a number of secrets. Secrets that should be buried, but with one month to go until she can legally declare him dead, she receives a note. The note is from Tom. He’s alive and it seems so are his secrets.

I wanted to love this book. From the synopsis it’s right up my street but i found the book a little underwhelming. The ‘secrets’ are revealed early on and some of it is easily predictable. Unfortunately it just didn’t grab me and entertain me as I expected. I did want to finish it though so I would rate it 3*. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

I really enjoyed this thriller with an excellent storyline and all the right ingredients. An ex-husband, a very young girlfriend and the ex-wife who stays behind when the husband moves in with his girlfriend. When he suddenly dissapears and when 7 years have passed since then and he is just about to be declared dead, hé seems to be still alive.
This is a great thriller, I didn’t know the author and hope that she had written more books because I really want to read them. Great book, great plot and well outlined characters! Never a dull moment. Nailbiting!

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This was really hard to get into. Definitely not my cup of tea. Rachel's husband cheated on her and left her seven years ago for another woman. Now he is missing right at the same time she is planning to declare him dead. My question is why would she wait that long after he left her for another woman.

This was a bit of an underwhelming predictable read for me and I found the characters frustrating and just didn't connect with the writing or story it just wasn't one for me.

This was a great domestic thriller with an amazing delivery. So many ups and downs! Twists and turns around every corner.
Loved the characters and story. I was grabbed early on and it never let go.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Rachel's husband Tom disappeared for seven years and it is one month until Tom is to be declared legally dead when she received a letter from her husband and in handwriting she will never forget her entire life.

The suspense novel about memories, forgiveness and moving on your life and then when you think everything is going your way, what you will do when your past resurface and with it the haunting memories you thought you will never have to relive again?

Name of Book: The Widow’s Husband
Author: Lesley Sanderson
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub Date: April 21, 2022
My Rating: 3


Rachel and Tom have known each other since they were children, in fact, they were childhood sweethearts. They seemed to be living a dream come true ~ they were very happy with two young children ~Lara and Josh. However, when Tom meets beautiful twenty-four year old Heidi and he is totally knocked off his feet. She seems to be as interested in him as he is to her. He claims he loves both women but Heidi definitely has a hold on him. He soon leaves Rachel and moves in with Heidi into her small apartment. Almost immediately there is talk of a new home and Heidi is off buying new furniture.
Then Tom goes missing without a note or any clues as to where he may have gone.

Now nearly seven years later (actually six years and 10 months later), Rachel has moved on. She got an inheritance from her aunt so is having some remodeling done to the house and is waiting for the Insurance Company to declare Tom dead. However, when she receives a mysterious note from Tom she is not sure if it is fake or if he really is alive and wants to come home.

I am a big psychological thriller fan and am immediately suspicious of everyone.
• Rachel seems sincere in wanting to move on.
• Heidi is unlikeable and is highly suspicious to me. Puzzling that someone still young hasn’t moved on to
someone who can give her the dream life she wanted with Tom.
• Freddie and Tom were partners. Is Freddie interested in Rachel or is he anxious for the seven years, so that he has full partnership of the business?

Story had me curious. I thought it had potential to be great. However it didn’t deliver to the level I had hoped.
I have no doubt it will find the right audience who will love it, other readers will see the characters and setting different than I did!
My first read by this author and I enjoyed most of it so will try another.

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 April 21, 2022.

I loved this book! It sucked me in from the first page and once I got to the end I had to stay up until I finished it! It was a suspenseful whodunnit that had me doubting everyone!

Tom disappeared nearly 7 years ago. Back then he was living with his girlfriend Heidi having left his childhood sweetheart wife Rachel and their two young children. As the date is looming for when he can be legally named as deceased and his estate put in order. Rachel, still legally his wife receives a note. Tom wants to come home.
Where has he been all these years? Why did he disappear? Are things as they seem? Also is Rachel putting herself and her children at risk by trying to find out.
This book will keep you gripped as the story unfolds. A great holiday book.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

It was hard sometimes to follow the timeline in The Widow's Husband by Lesley Sanderson because it goes back and forth between the present day and eight years ago.

The book's plot has been overly done in other books: a man falls for a younger woman and leaves his wife and children, the new girlfriend wants what the wife had, which doesn't make sense because if the life was so good, why would the man leave in the first place?!.

The story was a bit predictable and not as page-turning as I had hoped.

#TheWidowsHusband #NetGalley @Bookouture

I do love a domestic thriller and so The Widow's Husband really appealed to me. The plot is clever, full of twists and Lesley's writing style is easy to follow and really has that one more chapter appeal. The ending was particularly brilliant.I will be definitely recommending this one to my friends.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC of The Widow's Husband.

3.5 ⭐

While The Widow's Husband was somewhat enjoyable, there were a couple things I just couldn't overlook.

Why did Rachel NEVER call police? Especially after the red paint incident. While I can see reluctance after the letters, not wanting to interfere with declaring him dead, I just cannot imagine a mother who doesn't call police when she knows an intruder has been in her home she shares with her children.

The multiple mentions of how Rachel thought Lara found Danny attractive also made me uncomfortable. She is 12.

There also just were not the twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat.

I really enjoyed this book and was intrigued to continue reading to discover what had happened to missing husband Tom; was he dead or had he started a new life somewhere else? The writing flowed well and although was mainly written from the perspectives of his wife and his girlfriend between flashbacks and present day, the chapters are clearly titled with the time frame, and the story line is not at all complicated and didn’t require much concentration. In conclusion, an entertaining easy read that will help pass the time.

Rachel's husband, Tom went missing seven years ago. Before he disappeared he was having an extra marital affair with a woman named Heidi. Now after seven years, Rachel was ready to declare legally that her husband is dead until she starts receiving notes from her missing husband...after all these years.

The plot of the story is great but I feel like this was more a slow burn thriller. Not much twists and turns you would expect in a thriller. The story started out slightly boring though when Rachel started receiving the notes things began to get a little bit interesting. However, I felt the story was direct--knew who was going to be the mysterious person who was sending the notes and I kind of predicted the ending as well, so it wasn't that exciting thriller to me. Nevertheless, the author's writing was good.

This is a short review so I would say, this is an OK thriller. Worth three stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.