Richmonde has divided her psychological thriller into three parts, but what grabbed my attention was her narrative technique, which changes depending on present situations or past musings and happenings. And reading the first and third points of view is far from confusing; she simply delivered the emotive goods. 

In part one, Ava had already signed the pre-nub before even reading the small print, and although she suspects something isn’t quite right in her marriage to Lucas, she’s more astute than he or others in the game give her credit for. So, keeping thoughts to herself only the reader is aware of raises the story’s ‘what’s she capable of doing next’ feel. Whilst she never grew on me–I’m sure that was what the author set out to accomplish–I liked that her heroine wasn’t overly self-piteous, all things considering. 

The faster pacing in the second part was just what I’d been waiting for. Although we already know Claudia is well into the picture, the 3rd-person narrative that flips back and forth gives the reader a chance to get inside her head. Minnie, Lucas’ PA by fluke, appears too. Gosh! What a piece of work. And then it felt like Claudia was sharing her predicaments with me and the lies–whose, you may ask? Wait for it! Nothing is what it seems. 

Most of part three is told from Ava’s perspective. We hear from Minnie and Claudia again; find out what’s cooking, but as the author would have it, only to a certain degree. Yeap, Richmonde’s dap hand at teasing her readers is non-plus. You must have noticed I’ve said little about Lucas, who happens to be the story’s nucleus. Trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes, I expected him to be shrewder in the light of his profession. His reasonings from various perspectives had a telltale red flag feel; however, the carrot he dangles in front of whose nose–read to find out whom, the author cleverly construed. The doubts sown made me question all the characters’ ulterior motives just until.  

Richmonde’s descriptive writing creates a great reading mood from the word go, and all the goings-on kept me stuck to the pages. I loved that she’d included fur babes in the story, and although a plot twist or two threw me off balance, the one in the epilogue floored me. Four strong stars, Richmonde!

Lucas and Ava Fox look like the perfect couple living in Los Angeles. Lucas is a successful lawyer with his father's practice and Ava has a career helping in movie sets. However, behind closed doors Lucas really plays on Ava's emotions and sets up her for emotional abuse. When Ava becomes pregnant, she realizes that there is more at stake. When Ava discovers that Lucas has been having an affair with a local movie star, it only makes matters worse. Ava soons learns that the only way to serve her husband with some of his own tricks is to stay a step ahead. Ava Fox devises a plan to beat her own husband out of his prenup. There are so many plot twists and turns in this novel, the reader will truly hang on until the last page.

This is the ultimate gaslighting domestic thriller!

What I liked:

The premise and the cover! Both talked to me and drew me in.

The work ethic depicted with the MFC. She was described as a worker, poor side of the track, opposite of the MMC.

What I didn’t like:

The initial pacing. It took quite a bit of time to warm up, but also (confusingly) I didn’t feel connected to the characters as much. They felt a little hollow to me.

That especially goes for the husband at the onset.

It has its ups and downs ultimately, and I think it’s worth powering through for.

3.6 overall, which, of course, I’m rounding up.

The Prenup by Arianne Richmonde kept me up late at night reading.
This was a well written novel. I was seriously mind blown by this one, in the best possible way. The pacing of the book was excellent. I didn't feel like the slower parts were slow at all, it was such a great rollercoaster ride of suspense and character development.
This book has so many twists and turns, just when you think you have it figured out, you realize that you're wrong.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable and entertaining read!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a twisty psychological thriller that kept me hooked from the start. I loved the characters and the ride they take you on through this story. You can read it in one sitting easy!

What a gripping, twist filled, shocking book that kept me on my toes and turning the pages!!! Arianne Richmonde kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat the entire book. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, she turned the tables on me with twist after exciting twist!

Before Ava and Lucas married, she was presented with a prenup that his attorney father wrote. It's not in her favor, but she loves Lucas and plans to live happily ever after with him. But several years later, Lucas changed. There are little things at first that he easily explains away, but then there are things that just well...…


What is a wife to do?

Talk about a gripping psychological thriller which did not disappoint! I loved that I had no clue about what was going to happen next! This book kept me on my A game flipping those pages at breakneck speed. From the very beginning to the very last page, this was a thrilling page turner!

A shocking, well written and twist filled page turner!

An enjoyable read, although it wasn’t so much a psychological thriller in that Ava was in danger from Lucas, as indicated in the blurb, as he never threatened her, he was simply a cheating git! She wasn’t actually bothered about the pre-nup, as she loved him, at that point.

I liked Ava and admired her spirit, Claudia too, however I felt that the character development needed more work, particularly Crystal and the pacing wasn’t quite right.

I’m struggling to put my finger on what didn’t work for me, as I didn’t hate it and the plot was good, but it didn’t draw me in and hold me in suspense as I felt it should have done.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book had an amazing plot. I liked how the reader is taken on a journey seen from different character perspectives until the main issues are clarified . I particularly liked how the ending tied everything together. The author clearly has a lot of talent and I look forward to reading more of her books!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read this advanced copy. This novel was fast paced, and once Ava found out her husband was cheating on her, and with a celebrity at that, she didn't think she could get past it. Then she recognizes the obvious gaslighting he is doing and sets out to prove it all. I loved this one, and want to go look for more by this author.

Ava wants to divorce her husband, Lucas, but she’s desperate for a baby and doesn’t want to fight against his prenup. But when she catches him cheating, Ava decides to come up with a plan that’ll get her everything she wants.
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🌹I really don’t want to do this but to be super honest, this was just not it. I’m not a fan of the “tell, not show” style of writing at all. I hate narrated writing in 1st POV. It makes the story so hard to engage with and loses all intensity. Didn’t help that the MC is so whiny and insufferable, and that the “timeline” of events didn’t match up with the way they were portrayed. None of the characters were likable, the suspense was thoroughly lacking, and none of it came off as relatable. There were too many plot holes and inconsistencies. I really had to force myself to keep going to the end just to see how things got resolved - and still wound up massively irritated by it all. I’m glad others enjoyed it but this one was just highly disappointing for me and I sadly can’t think of anything to “redeem” it. Can’t give something only a single star, so two it is.

A cleverly crafted tale about a cheating husband, a thwarted wife, and the mistress.
I thought Ava was fairly smart but my opinion shifted during the course of the book.
She was being taken for a ride, but what if she was actually the driver??
I liked how it all played out and Lucas got what he deserved.
Ti bad we all can’t rewrite contracts we have signed as our situations change.

The “Queen of suspense” is back with another exciting, nailing biting psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the end!!😱🤯

Brutally raw, unique and t-w-i-s-t-e-d, the author got me with this one… she really did!

This is Ava and Lucas story.
It begins as a slow burn, passionate story of a young couple hopelessly in love! The perfect couple about to embark on their perfect happily ever after. Well paced with well developed characters I was hooked!
A prenup is no big deal right?
Oh no…the word Prenup is a dirty little word in the world of marriage and this story masterfully explores what a prenup can do…or not do!
Brace yourself!
This read is twisted, unpredictable with a touch cruelty that made their story heartbreaking.
Oh but things are never what they appear and the ending was perfect!

Let me start with I really enjoy books by this author so I knew I was hoping to get on with this as ticked all my boxes. At first I wasn't sure but based on my experience as before knew I was going to be in for a ride and boy was I.. The last half was amazing, and made the first half make sense.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This story was not for me. The description sounded interesting and I wanted to like it. I didn’t care for the main character as she seemed spineless to me. I couldn’t get engaged in the story, started skipping chapters, and didn’t feel I was missing anything. Even when finding out Ava might have agenda, she was unlikeable. I didn’t find the other characters engaging and the ending of the story didn’t strike me as a twist.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Arianne Richmonde for the eARC.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" says the proverb, and in this case there are two "scorned" women. Lucas is a handsome and perfect husband for Ava, until she begins to suspect infidelity and deception.

In her prenup, she gave away any rights to Lucas's fortune should they divorce or part, but Ava is so in love she thinks nothing of it. Until later on. And then there is Claire, who is also overwhelmed by Lucas and his attentions.

A suspenseful psychological thriller involving a prenup, and the clever way the wife handles this roadblock to security in her marriage. The second half of the book was slow as it headed back into the past of some of the characters, but the waiting was excellent as the plot developed.

An excellent and quick, entertaining read.












'Hell

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley I received an advanced reader copy of this book. For the first half of the book I really didn’t like the main character Ava, or any of the characters really - the plot was jumbled and bounced around a lot. I’m glad I persisted, the author did a great job bringing it all together with a twist you think you figured out, just to learn you didn’t figure it out after all.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: Miscarriage

I picked this one solely based on the cover & title but let me tell you… it did not disappoint! Once I started reading it I was expecting the story to be extremely predictable & while some of it was slightly predictable other parts had me saying “whoa! what the heck just happened?”

I liked that the author had multiple POVs. It made it easy to like some of the characters while hating others (for obvious reasons), while also helping with character development.

This is a first for me with reading the author & it won’t be the last. The twists were well thought out & executed well. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was definitely mistaken. If you like books that have twists til LITERALLY the last page… this one is for you!

A twisted love triangle which could end very badly!

Ava and Lucas had a whirlwind romance and married quickly. To protect his inheritance, Lucas encouraged Ava to sign a pre-nup.

A few years later, the marriage turns sour. Lucas isn't the man Ava fell in love with and she discovered he was having an affair.

Claudia is a famous actress. In fact, one of Ava's favourites, until she finds out that she is the one having an affair with Lucas!

Written in three parts from each main character's pov. This style really helped the storyline flow well.

I didn't actually warm to any of the characters, but I don't think I needed to. They were all flawed. A story about "What goes around, comes around".

I read this in one sitting as I needed to know how it ended. What a great and justified ending!

★★★ 3.5 stars

She signed the papers…Now she must pay the price…

I've enjoyed two previous thrillers by Richmonde - "The Guilty Sister" and "The Breakdown" - so I was keen to dive into this one after reading its intriguing premise. Ava, Lucas and Claudia in a love triangle like no other!

Ava met Lucas and it was lust at first sight. They were at it like rabbits for days until reality set in and Ava had to actually go to work. And then she discovers she's pregnant. Well, for well-to-do Lucas' conservative parents, a baby out of wedlock just won't do. So a wedding for three weeks hence by pulling a few strings and voila! Ava and Lucas have walked up and down the aisle, thus married.

But first, a pre-nup. One which states that everything Lucas has, or doesn't have but will have or may have, Ava will have no claim on should they divorce. She's no gold digger but she is in love with Lucas so she signs the papers without a second thought.

And now here we are.

Three years on and Lucas has changed. At first it was little things. Late home from work; a lipstick in his pocket; an earring that wasn't hers. All these things added up to one thing - Lucas was having an affair. Oh no, work has been busy; I must have picked it up by mistake; I bought you those earrings and here you are wearing them! Ava is pretty sure nothing could be further from the truth and that her husband is an expert manipulator is gaslighting her with smoke and mirrors.

And then she meets Claudia. Star of her favourite show and her husband's mistress. A recipe for disaster? Or a perfect storm? What could possibly go wrong?

There isn't a lot I can say about this book without giving too much away. It does start off a little on the slow side and it was almost depressing. Why, if she knew what he was like, was she staying with him? Pre-nup or no pre-nup, no man is worth risking your sanity or your self worth for. She loved him, more fool her, because it is clear from the outset that Lucas suffered from "Tom Cruise syndrome" in that the only person Lucas loved was himself. He took risks and didn't care if he was caught because he just manipulated the picture with a sleight of hand move that left Ava questioning what was real and what wasn't. And Lucas just went about life as if everything was his God-given right. The man was a snake and I hated him from the first moment he opened his mouth.

By the time the story hit Part 2, things were ramped up a notch and began to get interesting. By Part 3, I could see where this was going, was wholly invested and couldn't wait to see it play out. And although I knew it was coming, that ending was just superb. I wasn't hoodwinked by any means and saw it coming from a mile off but it was pure perfection. While the book as a whole was average, it was that ending that was its saving grace. Just brilliant.

Overall, an entertaining read that dipped in parts but stick around because the ending is worth the wait.

I would like to thank #ArianneRichmonde, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePreNup in exchange for an honest review.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a suspenseful psychological thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end! I was totally hooked from the very beginning and so down for this twisty ride! The story starts as a slow burn but quickly intensifies into a mind-blowing thriller. You know that saying, I did not see that coming!?!! Well, I did not see that twist coming!!

Ava and Lucas quickly fell in love and they seemed like the perfect couple. However, we all know that appearances can be deceiving. When you're in love and about to get married the last thing you care about is signing a prenup, right?! Ava surely did not think twice about it! Three years later, Ava realizes that her husband is acting strange and has changed. It appears Lucas is manipulating and gaslighting her or is he? Will Ava be able to figure out what is really happening with Lucas and beat him at his own game or is she going crazy? Who is telling the truth and who is lying?

My only critique is that it is told from multiple point of views which made it a bit repetitive at times. Additionally, it often switched timelines that created confusion.

Overall, I was completely captivated from start to finish! The two golden retriever dogs 🐶🐶 were the shining stars of the story for me. Furthermore, I absolutely loved the epilogue so much!! The entire time I was reading the book I couldn't help but think that what goes around comes back around. I do recommend this book!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️