Three stars because I thought the writing was excellent. The story was clear, the characters were well developed, I had a real sense of who and what was being discussed. Zero stars for Liz, the main character. Was her extreme narcissism, selfishness, obsessiveness and utter disregard for anyone else’s feelings intentional? I hope so, because I spent the whole of the audiobook cringing on her behalf. This book revolves around Liz finding a kissy face emoji in a text on her husband’s phone, from a coworker, and her assumption that he’s having an affair. Does she ask him? No. This happens early on and the rest of the book is a downward spiral into jealous, delusional behavior. She develops a shallow friendship with a neighbor and pushes away everyone who cares about her and/or offers sound advice. And her therapist? I've been in therapy and if I had a therapist who spoke to me the way that Liz's did, I'd have picked up and walked out. No decent therapist will offer that kind of advice - their job is to lead you to a place where you can draw your own thoughts and conclusions. Clearly, the author has no real life experience in that realm. A slightly surprising ending but not a shocker. My sound advice? Skip it.

This audio ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions are my own.

Liz, is an author, and a new mom. While going through her daily routine she sees a text message that her husband received from a female co-worker that appeared flirty to her. This is the entire premise of the book. We see Liz become out of control, trying to deal with her anxiety and mental issues, while trying to catch her husband cheating.
The narrator, Kelli Tager did a wonderful job portraying Liz and several of the characters.
I found myself a bit bored with the daily routine and grew a bit tired with trying to catch her husband.
For me the narrator carried the story best.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted ALC.

Narration: 5 stars
Story: 3 stars
Overall rating: 3.5 stars

He Said He Would Be Late is very much your typical domestic drama, so if you appreciate that genre, you will be sure to enjoy Justine Sullivans debut. While billed as a thriller, I think slow burn suspense or drama would be a more accurate categorization. Liz Bennet is happily married to handsome and rich Arno, who are recent parents to their one year old daughter Emma. They have a beautiful home in an idilic setting and Arno has a great job, though sometimes he works late nights. Everything is perfect until one day Liz finds a suspicious text on her husbands phone from a colleague that leads her into a spiral where she is determined to find out if Arno is cheating on her. Liz starts off narrating the book with a clear head, quickly becomes irrational as she goes to great lengths to find out the truth. Though I enjoyed the book and it kept me reading, I could see the twists coming very early on and though the ending didn't surprise me, I still liked it! If you're burnt out on domestic thrillers, this isn't for you, but if you like them- give this one a try. Audio narrator did a phenomenal job!

I did enjoy this book. I liked the slight turn of events at the end of the book. I think some people may take issue with everyone in main characters life being oblivious to the amount of mental help she needed. This could be a good book club book as it would has ALOT to talk about.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This one is a difficult one to rate as at times I was getting frustrated with the main character Liz who was an Author who worked at home and took care of her 18 month old daughter. When your husband constantly tells you he is working late and you start to find things out of the ordinary that point to him having an affair.....honey HE IS HAVING AN AFFAIR. Some may think that Liz goes a little overboard in trying to find out the truth but if you have been so lucky not to live through this in your life then you would not know what it is like living through this hell. The author kept me interested through the book as I just had to know for sure so by the end I was cheering Liz on as she kept digging for the truth.....and that twist at the end wow great way to finish it off Justine Sullivan well done.....Enjoy!!

I gave this one a 3.5/5

It was a decent listen. The problem is I feel like the trope of - stay at home mom develops a drinking problem and becomes more and more unhinged as she believes her husband is cheating on her - is WAY overdone right now.

There isn’t much more that I have to say about this plot line.

I did appreciate the subtle twist at the end. It wasn’t entirely unrealistic and you really got into the mind of the Liz and felt her concern. It’s tough to tell whether she’s a reliable narrator or not.

This hit the spot. It scratched the itch i had. May be the book just hit it in the right time for me but i loved it all the way to the END...... The end!!!! Why!!!!! How could i love and hate the ending at the same time.

I’ll start by saying that I’m far more long-suffering when listening to a book than reading one. This was enjoyable, but it plods at a slow pace. I don’t think I would have had the patience to read it.

Liz Bennett’s husband, Arno, works long hours in downtown Boston, while she stays at home with their daughter. Unfortunately, Liz suffers from depression, is emotionally unattached to her one-year-old, has a tendency to expect the worst, and suffers from insomnia. To make things even worse, she has plenty of time on her hands to think.

All it takes is for Liz to see a text on Arno’s phone from a co-worker to cause Liz to start catastrophizing. And so the questions begin.

The story will have you agreeing that some hanky panky is going on between Arno, even though he is portraying the thoughtful husband. The next minute you will question Liz’s stability.

My Concerns

While I enjoyed the writing and character development, the story didn’t progress as I would have liked. Unfortunately, the story offered too little too late. It wasn’t hard to see what was coming.

Final Thoughts

It was an enjoyable, very well-written story and the narrator did a great job of bringing it to life. I applaud Tager for helping to hold my interest, though the character development was done beautifully.

It was a slow story and didn’t pick up until the last few pages. It was too late and wasn’t a complete surprise. It also left me with a few questions.

Is this a debut author that I will keep an eye on? Absolutely. The writing was good.

My thanks to #netgalley and #MacmillanAudio for the ability to review this ARC.

Liz is 33 years old and looks in the mirror and doesn’t like what she sees. She sees dark circles under her eyes, a faint line on her forehead. She asks herself a question, am I still beautiful?

She speaks about her neighbors but doesn’t seem to speak too fondly of them. One of them was a surgeon who didn’t like to converse much at all. She says that first she didn’t want a baby. She now things it was the best thing in the world that she had one.
The surgeon is the lady she tells that too. The surgeon responded by saying that she wants to focus on being just a good surgeon and nothing else. She thinks that she can’t be a mother and a surgeon at the same time. Oh dmy, how old fashioned is that is what I say.

The overall plot of this book seems like it’d be a good idea but I just didn’t love the execution of it. The main storyline is that he’s cheating with Viv and it’s just a wife trying to figure out if her husband is cheating. The ending was good though, a quick twist.

🌀Synopsis
Liz is settling into motherhood and living a fairly wonderful life. Until she sees a “flirty” text on her husband’s phone. A woman from his work? He must be cheating.
Liz is now determined to catch Arno in the act. She begins following and social stalking the woman he works with. Finally, she follows him on a work trip and finds out that woman is a lesbian. All fears put to rest, Liz moves on.
They move to a new house together and life is pretty much a dream. When she surprises Arno for lunch in the city they run into a different co-worker and it takes Liz a bit to put the pieces together but she finds out she was right all along- she just had the wrong woman.

This engrossing novel is neither a thriller nor a tale of female empowerment. It dives into the emotional world of a woman wanting to do more than be a compliant wealthy wife, but lacking the confidence or rage to commit to actions that will help herself. Of course, that isn’t how Elizabeth “Liz” Bennett sees her life. She identifies with the clearheaded eponymous heroine of her favorite novel Pride and Prejudice, but gained her Bennett surname through a marriage that began as one of equals, but has now shifted into something unsettlingly different.

Sullivan has a gift for ironic descriptions of wealthy 21st century American life, calling attention to attitudes about money, physical appearance, and ideas of “the good life” with dry wit. Liz is a writer whose first novel was successful; as the novel begins, she’s struggling to complete her second novel and dodging her literary agent while she cares for her two-year-old daughter. The person she was before marriage is smothered beneath the demands of parenting and trying to make herself acceptable for uncomfortable social gatherings for employees of the investment firm that pays her husband Arno a large salary. Arno is handsome, kind, seemingly loved by all -- perhaps one person too many, as Liz fears when she sees a text signed with a kiss emoji on his phone.

Liz may feel that she is taking control of her situation by investigating hints of an affair, but she is spurred to action by the advice of an acquaintance, a sarcastic, negative woman who isn’t even a close friend. Both women seem mired in a swamp of traditional gender roles and stereotypes about what women should and should not do. None of the wealthy in their social world seem willing to volunteer for a shelter or seek connections or conversations with people beyond their limited world, and as a result their focus turns inward: hours spent keeping fit, shopping, thinking about or having affairs. Liz interacts with women whose conversational skills rely on veiled insults as a form of alleged humor; her in-laws shame her for resisting their childrearing advice and demands for her to move closer. With all this pressure, it’s no wonder that Liz has trouble maintaining her identity. For a special occasion she is willing to pay various services to “style” her, giving other women hundreds of dollars to renovate her eyebrows and choose every part of her outfit, right down to the sunglasses that she wears to a catered holiday barbeque at the palatial home of Arno’s co-worker.

Liz initially seems bemused by the DIY fashion stylings of her likable nanny, a young queer woman that sometimes wears loose-fitting men’s shirts or a set of industrial coveralls -- sensible clothing choices for a person working with an active two-year-old child. I found myself wondering how anyone that got through grad school could have managed to avoid conversations, reading, or classroom discussions that challenged the kind of neo-Stepford Wifery on display in the Stonebridge social gatherings.

The twist at the end of the novel is well crafted, with spare language that adds emotional weight. However, some loose threads felt unsatisfying. I hoped that Mariana, the protagonist’s Colombian friend from graduate school, might be a bigger part of the story, if only to break through Liz’s self-destructive behavior by offering another point of view. The reader may want the endlessly patient Arno to slip up. Given Liz’s ability to lie (to herself and others) and spy, it was hard not to wonder what might happen if she became vengeful, leading to a fast-paced, challenging sequel (“Elizabeth Bennett's Revenge?). Sullivan is an engaging writer, and it will be interesting to read more of her work.

Liz Bennet, a new mother and author struggling to write a follow-up to her debut novel, is living what many would consider to be an ideal life. She has an attractive, wealthy and kind husband, a beautiful daughter, and wants for next to nothing. All that changes when Liz finds reason to suspect that her husband Arno is cheating on her with his stunning, Ivy league educated colleague. This suspicion sends Liz spiraling down a rabbit hole consisting of poor decisions and rash thoughts and actions.

I enjoyed this audiobook for what it was, but I would not personally classify it as a thriller. It was more of a narrative told from the point of view of a new mother who is equal parts unsure of herself and unsatisfied with her life. Though I didn't particularly like Liz, I truly empathized with her. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a character driven story.

*A special thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Justine Sullivan for the opportunity to review an audio advanced readers copy of "He Said He Would Be Late" in exchange for an honest review*

This was a good read! It kept me hooked almost from the start and had me stressing (in a good way). I had to sit with the ending for a bit, I would have loved a confrontation but closure was enough.

Thanks NetGalley for the listen, narrator was great!

Elizabeth Bennett (no, not that one) is living the perfect life. She has a doting husband, a luxurious house in a wealthy neighborhood, and an adorable toddler. When she gets frustrated with her inability to do anything for herself, her husband Arno suggests and hires a wonderful full-time nanny, so Liz is free to work on her book and resume her hobbies. What more could she want? Except, she sees an odd text Arno receives from a flawless female coworker, and Liz starts to spiral into thoughts of Arno being unfaithful. Is she being unreasonable? Or are her fears justified?

This book is SPOT ON with the spiraling-thoughts inner monologue. Spot on. I know I've been there before (not in my marriage, but previously) and it is such a stressful way to live! I think Justine Sullivan captures the struggle brilliantly — Liz goes back and forth between trust and doubt, guilt and rage, plus a slew of other emotions around parenting and being a spouse.

I would definitely NOT characterize this book as a mystery or thriller, it is pretty firmly on the suspense side of things, and could even probably just be called general fiction. It did suck me in, though, so I think suspense is probably the most fitting genre. I truly never knew what to believe of Arno, along for the ride with poor Liz and her swirling thoughts. The ending is very abrupt, which I think is intentional, though I am still a bit confused about how this would have come about. (That's hella vague but I'm trying to avoid any semblance of spoiler).

I enjoyed the ride, and I think that the audio narration was superb! Thank you to Justine Sullivan, Henry Holt / Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my gifted audio copy!

While I liked this book I’m not sure that I would classify this as a mystery/ thriller. It felt more like a novel about a domestic situation that had “thrillery” moments. The book is full of domesticity, but there were some great is he/isn’t he moments as Liz continued to spiral in her paranoia or was it paranoia? If you enjoy a lighter thriller this would be a good book for you. I also saw the ending of the book coming for quite awhile, although maybe not quite like it happened.

3/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of this book.

To be honest, this book just wasn’t for me. It was not poorly written or anything like that. I just don’t think it was a good choice for me. I like when books are more exciting and give you that feeling of craziness. (Like “I totally didn’t see that conking!”)

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for and honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest. Giving 5 stars for the narrator alone. She did that. However, this really isn't a thriller. This is a woman suffering an identity crisis wondering if her husband is cheating on her for 10 hrs.

Liz Bennett has it all. A handsome husband, beautiful baby girl and a lovely home, but something’s not right. Arno frequently says he’ll be late. When Liz sees a kissy face emoji on a text he received, she’s sure he’s having an affair. Liz isn’t loving the stay at home mom thing and feels completely inadequate, as a published author, she’s having a difficult time with her second book. Hiring a nanny gives her the time she needs to write, but instead she’s gone full fledged Nancy Drew to catch Arno cheating. Her antics are often humorous, but also a bit heartbreaking. When she finds out Arno isn’t sharing big news with her she’s even more convinced something is going on. Is Liz right or is she totally unraveling? Will she finally get the answers she so desperately seeks or will her spiral cause her to lose everything? Sullivan writes a fast paced fun debut that’s read perfectly by Kelli Tager! Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

I had to DNF after about 7 chapters. The narrator sounded too much like Siri, but my real struggle was to connect with a character who has disdain for everyone, especially when her struggles are easily fixable. Ex: hiring a nanny and her problems with not writing/complaints about motherhood are over. Beyond that, I had a hard time believing this main character was a writer when the narrative was over-rife with similes like saying her eyes glazing over like donuts then (rightfully) gushing over Ocean Vuong.

After the 7 chapters, I looked at reviews that mentioned the end, so I skipped to that chapter. I would’ve been upset to invest in a full audiobook for that conclusion.

Sooo good!! New mom Liz is suspicious that her husband Arno is having an affair. We follow her down a rabbit hole as she attempts to figure things out. Super twisty, with themes of mental health, cheating, keeping up with the Joneses, and struggling to find yourself after becoming a mom. Excellent narration. Whew. Definitely recommend! Thanks, @netgalley for access to this book!