I had really mixed feelings about this book. I found almost all the characters, including the main character, to be quite unlikable; there were only two secondary characters that I found at all likable. The main character was extremely negative and what were probably supposed to be wry and witty observations came across as just mean. I suppose the fact that I grew up in Wellesley made me resentful of the relentless criticisms of the town and every person it in. I understand it is now a bit different from how it was when I lived there, but I know there are still many more modest neighborhoods, and even in wealthy sections not everyone is a jerk, as portrayed in the book. The fact that there was no nuance to the town or the residents came across as lazy, cliched writing. On the other hand, I did find myself compelled to keep returning to the book and it kept my interest, so there were definitely good points to it, too. The writing itself was quite good and engaging, except for my reservations noted above. I'm not quite sure why the title was chosen; I don't really recall the husband saying he would be late and it certainly wasn't instrumental enough in the plot for it to be the title. The narrator of the audiobook may have been a good fit for the material since the protagonist was largely depressed, but I found the first few minutes so slow and, well, depressing to listen to, that I increased the speed to 1.25x and found it rather enjoyable that way. Not sure I would have made it through otherwise. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio e-ARC of this book. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4

OK, so I just finished this and have so many feelings. At first, I thought Liz was right to question her husband, but then it just got to be where I was like, come on. You have a great relationship, and you're self-sabotaging. I figured she was just reading too much into it based on her past. The lengths she goes to are not okay and are very concerning. The ending, though, is one that I was like, wait seriously. I just started to be like, okay, now what, and it's just over. Like come on, that was not where it should have ended. Overall, decent book.

A beautiful family, successful careers, and a mysterious text that starts then unraveling.

I found this audiobook on NetGalley. Thanks for sending it to me!

Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Pace: Fast
Summary: Arlo is a wealthy, handsome and successful man who marries Liz, a beautiful and successful author. They make the dream complete with the addition of a baby girl. All seems well when one day a text comes across his cell phone and she sees a text from another woman with kissy faces. This sends Liz on a descent into madness as she tries to figure out if he is having an affair.

I liked the narration, and the pace was great. Loved the writing style of the author, hard to believe this is Justine Sullivan debut novel! It’s so well written. I enjoyed the side characters as well! My only note is the ending… there is reference to a character that I admit I had forgotten about. Had to go back and figure out who they were. There were a couple things Liz’s character did that seemed unbelievable but then again, we do crazy things when we think we might be being lied to! Overall, super fun and quick read!

This was a really enjoyable book. I wouldn't necessarily call it a mystery/thriller but more of a domestic woman's fiction. It's about a woman, Liz who is the author of one book and is working on a second novel. She has a loving husband, Arno and a little girl, Emma who's just one years old. This women's imagination gets the best of her and maybe it has to do with postpartum depression as was suggested. An innocent text from a coworker with a little winky face at the end of it, and suddenly her husband is having a full-blown affair. Is he or isn't he? That's the general premise of the book, and Liz is determined to find out.

The narration was excellent, and found myself laughing out loud several times while listening to this audiobook. I loved the author's wit and her sense of humor. I like the differentiations in the tones of the voices of each of the characters especially in that of her nanny, Kyle. Yes, there is a little twist at the very end, which makes me wonder if there will be another novel involved. If there is, then I'm game. I'd be willing to read another book by this author.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co., Justine Sullivan, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Bennett has it all: handsome husband, beautiful house, and a baby girl who recently turned one. Unfortunately, she also has a lot of anxiety and what is probably untreated postpartum depression, because Liz sees a slightly flirty text from her husband's female co-worker, and she goes off the deep end.

I really had to wonder about the strength of this relationship and the balance of power, because at NO TIME does Liz even ask her husband, Arno, about the text. Instead, she sets about amateur sleuthing while also beginning to day drink. Add all this to the fact that she already feels like a failure as a mom (she forgets to bring a water bottle to a trip to an arboretum in the blazing sun and beats herself up over it). Her concern about her fitness as a mom goes out the window as she gets mentally ensnared in this would-be affair between Arno and his slender, under-30 yoga practitioner colleague.

All of Liz's relationships are surface-only, and we hear a bit about her rough childhood with her maybe-narcissistic mom and distant dad after their divorce. I would have liked to hear more about those characters, but they serve only to explain why Liz feels adrift while her husband works late *constantly.* Like, arriving home after midnight several nights a week - at what point do you sit your spouse down and have a discussion about this? Liz never does, and when Arno suggests they get a nanny so she can start working on her second novel (many months overdue now), she starts really going off the deep end with impromptu visits to Arno's office while lying to the nanny about her activities.

While this mental dis-ease tour de force is happening ... and happening, and happening! we know the whole time that Arno is not shtupping the yoga woman. You can see The Twist in the far distance - Arno will definitely be having an affair, because without that there is no book - so when the yoga woman turns out to be a lesbian (this involves an undercover trip to Las Vegas, complete with disguises and following people around bars) it's not really a shock. The rest of the book has Liz coming to terms with her catastrophizing and denying all of the odd bits of evidence staring her in the face, eventually agreeing to move down the street from Arno's overbearing mom while he keeps a pied-a-terre in the city (can you say philanderer?) and only THEN after her life is all back together does she find the damning clue and THE TWIST arrives. And, fin. Woof.

There is little to no "mystery" here; this is a novel that the trades will describe as a "psychological thriller." It's really the story of a woman hoist by her own petard, all because she won't have direct conversations with her spouse. She talks to almost literally everyone else in the book about her suspicions. It's infuriating.

Kelli Tager does a nice job with the voice acting.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I loved this book! It hooked me from the beginning and didn't let up. The pacing was great, and there were little hints along the way that kept me guessing what would happen next.
The end surprised me as well. I don't want to give anything away, but I didn't anticipate it ending that way. Definitely a good read!

Unreliable narrators can be a cheap trick or a solid plot device. It’s done very well in this new book by Justine Russell. Is Liz Bennett suffering from paranoia and postpartum depression, or is something really going on with her husband? The truth is unclear until the very end.

There were parts of the book that seemed overblown (she’s worried her husband is having an affair — not killing someone!) but the unreliable narrator trope is done so well, it makes up for a lot.

I felt alternately exasperated with and sympathetic for Liz — which is exactly what I think the author wanted.

Video link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Com_7DYpE2s/

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a very bizarre book. I kept waiting and waiting for something to actually really happen and it never seemed to. It was not my cup of tea. A lot of lead up and then a lot of nothing.
The very end was a surprise but then it was all done after the best line in the book. The lead up to that could have been shortened and then we could have gotten something after that last sentence.
Narrator did an ok job.

This ended up being an ok thriller for me. It didn't break any new ground or stand out but there also isn't really anything wrong with it either. It dragged because it was all her trying to find out if her husband is cheating based on a text she reads on his phone. There are better thrillers out there, but if that premise is particularly compelling to you then you may enjoy this one.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Very entertaining, well-performed audiobook about a perfect housewife and her anxiety over her perfect husband, who may be cheating. Suspenseful and interesting throughout, as we follow Elizabeth Bennett (the name is intentional!) through her new mom anxieties, her suspicions about her seemingly perfect husband, and her crazy behavior as she digs deep to find the truth. I thought the audiobook was really well-acted and gave me more sympathy for Liz and her obliviousness than I may have had just reading the words. The narrator and the writer do a great job of communicating Liz's conflicting feelings about giving up her own goals and profession to raise a family with a man who may be losing interest. The characters are well-drawn and Sullivan does a great job making Liz unaware of problems the reader can see more clearly. I would have given this five stars if the ending was just a little bit more satisfying. Still, I was thoroughly entertained throughout and will definitely be on the lookout for this author's next work! Thanks to NetGalley, Henry Hold, and Macmillan audio for this great read.

Great narrator. I received an advanced reader review via audio at my request. This book will drive.you mad. It is chain of thought continuously and quite realistic. Repetitive in places and drawn out but I suppose a woman in this situation would have similar thoughts. As irritating as it is, being constantly inside someone's thoughts, once you start listening you can't stop. I wanted to skip.ahead many times but didn't. Make yourself.read till.the end and then decide. Lots.of twists No spoilers, read the publishers' synopsis and decide for yourself The opinions expressed are my own. I was under no obligation to review. Thanks to the author, publisher & NetGalley for this thought provoking book.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book until the ending. The ending was incredibly clever & tacked on a few stars for me! I‘ve been thinking about the ending continuously since I read it. It totally changed my feeling about the entire book & about Liz & Arno for that matter! It was very well done!

This book is about Liz and her husband
Arno. Liz thinks her husband is cheating with his coworker Viv. I really enjoyed the many tactics she used. Like making cookies for a deceased dog.. It’s a good book.

He Said He Would Be Late by Justine Sullivan is a such a fun read! It tells us a story of Liz Bennett as she navigates her life as a new mom, a stay at home wife, and a hopeful author. Her life seems so great and easy from the outside: a beautiful new baby girl, a hard-working and caring husband, a nice house... But inside, Liz is going completely nuts. After she finds a text on her husband's phone that may or may not be suspicious (idk, you guys can decide for yourself), she worries herself into a complete and utter despair.

The author did a fantastic job with Liz' inner monologue. It was funny. It was raw. So many questionable choices. It was definitely crazy. I loved it. The narrator, Kelli Tager, did a fantastic job with giving voice to Liz' thoughts. I listened at 1.75 and 2x speed and it was just perfect.

I mean, what's not to love? There is stalking, there is a MAYBE cheating husband, there is a plot twist, there are many cringe-worthy decisions, there is honesty. It's a solid and entertaining debut novel for a Rich Lady and Her Maybe Cheating Husband subgenre of the domestic thriller.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for an advanced copy of this audiobook ahead of its publication date of 3/14/2023. My review is completely voluntary.

I really enjoyed this book until the ended. The ending left me confused and I had a lot of questions. I am really wondering if there will be a sequel to answer some of the question. The book kept me guessing but the ending left me wanting more answers. I really liked the narrator and the characters in the story.

Is her husband having an affair?
This very cleverly plotted book toys with that question. It's a fun read. However, the narrator did the book a real disservice -- the register was all wrong. And the author deserves an editor who ruthlessly prunes bad similies.



Review copy provided by publisher.

When Liz sees a text from her husband‘s coworker Viv She becomes obsessed with him cheating on her. She even starts to see a psychiatrist and despite Arnos thoughtful contributions to the marriage she cannot shake the notion of his infidelity and it doesn’t help when she finally meets his coworker and she is a beautiful Harvard graduate. She will go down a rabbit hole, it’s her curiosity valid and is her dissent into makeovers and disguises something she can recover from or will her husband find out? I really didn’t know where this book was going but totally enjoyed the journey. I totally understood her inner dialogue and found it fun to listen to this isn’t a short book but it’s one of those books where time just slips away from you and truly entertained you and before you know it all words have passed. I really thought the narrator did a superb job narrating the book and this one I highly recommend. This is the author is a debut in what a contribution I truly enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from this author. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving the review of the voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Let me tell what I liked about this. Homegirl is doing relatable things like hate lurking on people, being weird in general, and saying things without thinking.
New motherhood is a journey. You change. You get crazy.

However, I hated the protagonist. She is really mean. She is an all out mean girl. She even says her weird stuff to her husband's coworkers like they deserve this mean girl stuff.
But I am 100% in support of her stalking her husband. I don't get it but go be insane.

This was a fun read/listen. The voice actor nailed the role!

Liz Bennett has the perfect life. The baby, perfect house, an attractive husband with a fancy, well paying job. When she finds a flirty texts on her husband, Arno's phone, she becomes paranoid that her husband is cheating on her. She decides to basically stalk a coworker of Arno's who she assumes he is cheating with and starts to basically become obsessed with proving that he is cheating.

I loved this story and was captivated the whole time. The ending killed me and left me with all these unanswered questions. It really does make you wonder if you will feel the same way once you have a kid since the therapist in the book blamed it on postpartum depression.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Justine Sullivan for this advance copy. My review will be live on my instagram account @annas.book.reviews on February 10, 2023.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I hate to be that other person, but I did not like this audiobook. Maybe it was that I got the audiobook, not the physical book, because it was anything but quick and exciting. It was slow and very boring. The narrator’s performance took away from the story and I think is the biggest detractor.

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