As a fan of psychological thrillers, I am always drawn to AJ Campbell's works. Her unique creativity and ability to create relatable characters always hold my attention, and I find myself reading her storylines until the end.

‘My Perfect Marriage’ is no exception to her excellent work. The plot kept me engaged throughout, with its twists and turns leading to a satisfying conclusion that left me wanting more. Fans of this genre will appreciate the storyline and its structure.

Ashley and Danny, the story's leading characters, are well-developed and ideally suited for their roles. I found myself thinking I knew how they would react in certain situations, only to be surprised by their unpredictable behaviours.

The audiobook version of the novel is also exceptionally narrated, bringing the characters to life. I was particularly impressed with this format, as it enhanced my experience of the book even further.

Overall, ‘My Perfect Marriage’ is an entertaining and engaging read for fans of psychological thrillers. It is an excellent introduction to AJ Campbell's work and a must-read for anyone looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking story.

My Perfect Marriage (formally How Can I Trust You?) 3.5 stars

I was confused that on the cover of the book (then titled How Can I Trust You but now is titled My Perfect Marriage) that it seemed like Lucy was Ashley's best friend but turned out that Lucy was her husband Danny's best friend from childhood? I'm not sure if this was a mistake with editing but it made it difficult for me to fully immerse into the story until this became more clear.

This book really held my interest up until the last 20% of the book. I really had a hard time liking or even siding with the main character, Ashley, as she was so wishy washy with her feelings toward her husband. One minute she was deeply in love with her husband and would stand by his side, but the next minute she didn't even recognize the man she married and was digusted with him. They seemed to have the perfect marriage but somehow didn't have good communication skills especially when Danny came back from speaking to the police and Ashley was trying to understand what was going on.

It was also ironic that Ashley didn't like gossip and how fast news spreads in small towns, but at the same time she was diving into everything her husband owned to figure out if and what he was hiding from her. Not to mention, she was also trying to get information from people close to her husband

All in all I found the story interesting and at times enjoyed it, but it was hard for me to really connect or like most of the characters aside from Ashley's sister Susie.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the ARC audiobook to review.

How can I Trust You? (🌻New title My Perfect Marriage🌻). If you’re after a fast paced thriller - Campbell delivers!
The storyline is filled with shocks, suspense, secrets, drama, lies, family, tension, mystery, deceit, murder and drama. Campbell created a fast paced and a wild ride. The characters were well developed and relatable that delve into the complexities of trust, loyalty, and deception.

Review of My Perfect Marriage by AJ Campbell

I have really enjoyed every book I have read by this author and I think this one may be my favorite. Or at least my second favorite. 😉 This one grabbed me from the first chapter. And it was an extremely quick read that was that was fast paced and a wild ride the entire time. The ending was somewhat shocking, which I always appreciate in a book. I also really liked the main character. This one was out yesterday so definitely go grab your copy now.

Synopsis:

My husband is accused of killing my best friend. Can I trust anything he says?

It feels like all the air has been knocked out of me. My best friend is dead, killed at her own daughter’s birthday party. All I want to do is run into my husband’s loving arms. But he’s in handcuffs, covered in her blood. His voice quivers, almost sobbing as officers put him in the police car. ‘You don’t think I did this, do you? I was trying to save her.’

At first, I’m sure he couldn’t have done it. The man I love wouldn’t hurt anyone. But as I try to prove that he didn’t murder Lucy, secrets begin unravelling…

It starts with the messages between the two of them. Initially, they seem innocent enough. But the more I look, the more I become convinced they were having an affair. Then I find out about his divorce lawyer…

Suddenly my whole life feels like a lie. If he was hiding his plan to leave me for Lucy, can I believe his protests that he is innocent? And if he really did murder his lover, what else is he capable of?

This book was removed from my net galley before I got a chance to finish it, I think maybe because they changed the title of it? Unsure. But from what I got to listen to of it, the story seems interesting and I really like the style the narrator had. I think it's definitely worth a read.

Thanks to Netgalley for this audio ARC.
3.5 stars
This to me is just a normal mystery/thriller with the affair trope with a troubled married couple. This isn’t a bad thriller by any means but it could have been way better. Some twists and turns I actually liked and it had me entertained. Ashley seems a bit dramatic with the scenarios she thinks about as she goes about figuring out what her husband has to do with Lucy’s murder. The thing I didn’t like was the way the narrator used the voice she used for Elliot. The characters weren’t the best and I felt like the story was dragging for me but it could be because I just couldn’t focus. I also feel the story would have had a better impact if it was first person pov. I'm not a fan of third person.

This was a compelling thriller exploring the intricacies of trust, loyalty, and deception.
Ashley finds her husband Danny covered in blood and standing with a hammer over his childhood friend Lucy’s dead body. But he claims that he had nothing to do with it and all he was trying to do was give her CPR.
With the support of her sister Susie, Ashley finds herself and her family entangled in a web of lies and betrayal, unsure of who to trust, and has to face what might be coming in for all of them
Overall, it's a thrilling read that will leave the reader questioning everything.
Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and AJ Campbell for approving the audiobook ARC in exchange for honest review.

I found this to be very slow to get going. Several chapters in, I was invested. There was enough intrigue to keep me listening.
Narration is well paced, clear and easy to listen to. I wasn’t, however, a fan of the voice portrayal for several of the characters.
Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This one hooked me. It is a domestic "who dunnit" psychological thrillers with a variety of plotlines and characters.
I enjoyed all the weaving of stories although the end was a little chaotic and seemed like it was trying too much for the twists.

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"They never had secrets...or had they?"

"You think you know someone and then...BAM...a monster appears."

My Perfect Marriage by consummate murder mystery author AJ Campbell is more than just a "who done it." It's a story of how well we really know the people in our lives, the secrets we keep and the ones we tell; and, maybe more importantly, who we choose to tell and to keep those secrets.

Chapter one is a picture of upper class suburban domestic bliss as Ashley and Danny attend a bouncy castle birthday party for their son's best friend. Just so happens the birthday girl's Mom, Lucy, is Danny's BFF since childhood.

Before the party is over a bloodied Danny is standing over Lucy in the garage with a hammer and Lucy's head smashed in lying dead on the floor. As the police take him away he looks horrified at his wife Ashley yelling, "You don't think I did this, do you? I was trying to help her."

Ashley tries to find clues to save her husband but instead finds a secret safe, a burner phone and an appointment with a divorce lawyer! How could she be oblivious to her husband's secrets? But does it mean he killed his best friend?

The always reliable talented English voice actress Eilidh Beaton was flawless from a harried Ashley to her son's whining brattiness.

There really wasn't a twist and maybe that's the twist. The mystery was the extreme uncharacteristic behavior of the murderer. I wish there had been more history into their mental state or why they had such an emotional break they resorted to murder at a kid's birthday party.

I felt for Ashley. She believed she failed not knowing Danny's secrets but he failed her by keeping them and though there can be a happy marriage none is perfect.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Bookouture Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Loved this book!!! It has all the elements of a good thriller: keeps you guessing, lies, secrets, high stakes, and so much more. The title changed from How Can I Trust you? to My Perfect Marriage so if you see both titles, they are the same book.

The narrator is very good and I love the English accent.

What do you do when your friend has been killed and your husband is being questioned about it? Do you fully trust the man you’ve shared a life with? Or do you start to nosey around and try to see if you can get things cleared up?

This book kept me so interested from the very beginning. I kept thinking about going back to listen some more. In the middle, I felt like it dragged on just a tad but quickly picked up again to spark my interest. It was twisty, secretive, and overall an amazing experience. I would recommend this book to anyone who normally enjoys mysterious books.

4⭐️ for me, I enjoyed myself!

3.5/5 ✨ rounded up

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and A.J. Campbell for giving advanced access in exchange for an honest review.

Overall this title was medium-paced and kept me guessing who/what was slinking around the garden. It has moments I feel could have been shortened and others that I feel it needed or could have had more info and scenarios to make me like this audiobook more.

I appreciated how the story started with instant action and who-done-it. I enjoyed learning about the multiple village characters, who all seem very guilty, but it may (or may not) be as nefarious as it all looks and seems.

The audiobook was read by Eilidh Beaton - loved her.

3.5 rounded up

The premise was good and the book was filled with plenty of secrets to keep you engaged.

There wasn't any big twists but the ending was very intense.

I was entertained and it was an easy book to dive into and finish quickly.

I liked the narration and the pace was good. No real complaints.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC. This was definitely a wild ride with twists and turns right up until the end! I definitely will read more of this author based on this book. I also enjoyed My Perfect Marriage.

Read this if you enjoyed: the perfect marriage (Jeneva Rose) and My Lovely Wife

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was phenomenal- distinct voices and even accents for each character. Like everyone else said, the blurb doesn’t match the story so that definitely needs to be corrected. Also the new title doesn’t fit with the story at all. The main character, Ashley, wasn’t relatable for me at all, she drove me crazy and if this wasn’t an ARC, I doubt I would have finished it. It felt like Ashley drummed up the suspense in her mind only but it didn't translate to me and their son read more like 3-4 year old than a 9 year old. The storyline was interesting and the whole book was pretty fast paced, especially the end. I’m not sure I would recommend this one based on my issues with it but I’m sure it will be a favorite for some.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'My Perfect Marriage' by AJ. Campbell.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for AJ Campbell, Bookouture publishers, Bookouture Audio, Hachette UK, Eilidh Beaton, Rakkit Studios Ltd and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 8th April 2024

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY A.J CAMPBELL!!
This may be the first book I have read by this author but I am definitely looking forward to reading more!
This novel consists of a prologue, 58 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!!

An intriguing book that I listened to on Audiobook. The storyline is filled with shocks, suspense, secrets, drama, lies, family, tension, mystery, deceit, murder and drama. In this book we meet Ashley who has moved with her husband Danny and their son Elliot from London to the countryside. Ashley misses the business of London and when they are invited to the birthday party of Danny's childhood best friend Lucy's daughter Grace they are looking forward to it. The party is going well and Ashley is having fun with Elliot on the bouncy castle when all of a sudden there's a scream. Lucy's husband Lee is found starting over the bludgeoned body of his wife holding a hammer. It seems an open and shut case of a husband killing his wife but as Ashley starts trying to work out what happened she starts finding out her husband has been hiding secrets from her. Who can Ashley trust? Why has Danny been keeping secrets? Who really did kill Lucy? Well, grab your copy now and find out!!! This book captivates the reader straight away starting with an explosive car crash then it becomes slower paced and picks up towards the end. I would definitely liken it to being on a rollercoaster ride but one where you start at the top of the drop, shoot straight down then go along the tracks calmly until you start speeding up hitting twists and turns along the way. While I did enjoy the storyline at times I did struggle to keep up with some of the secrets being discovered as there seemed to be quite a lot going on at once. When I had worked out what secret went where it became less confusing but it did take a while. There was a mix of characters in this book and I felt differently about them all. They all had their own unique personalities and were all well developed. I liked Ashley and found her to be quite a strong character who stood up and questioned her husband and was determined to get to the truth. I must say though that I wasn't a fan of their son Elliot and did find him to be a spoilt brat at times and I felt like shouting at him through the pages. Eilidh did a fantastic job creating different voices for each of the characters and it felt like there were different narrators as she did it so well. This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Eilidh Beaton who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Eilidh Beaton did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Amanda but also to listening to more books narrated by Eilidh! I must say that the cover and synopsis was a bit deceiving as it states that it is Ashley's best friend that was killed when it was actually Danny's childhood best friend but it didn't alter my feelings on the storyline I just found it a bit strange. This is an intriguing book which kept me trying to work out if Danny really was the killer and if not who it could be with AJ constantly taking the reader on roundabouts and twists trying to work out what really happened. I enjoyed the mystery and trying to solve it with Ashley. AJ's excellent writing skills and descriptions really brought the storyline, surroundings and characters to life and I felt as if I was with Ashley throughout. With AJ's evocative writing skills and Eilidh's brilliant narration I was walking around with my earphones constantly in while I was doing the washing, cleaning the house and driving around. I ended up reading this book in two sittings and am looking forward to seeing what AJ has next up her sleeve!

Overall an intriguing mystery that will keep you guessing throughout.

326 pages/ 9 hours 42 minutes

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, £9.99 in paperback and £16 for the audiobook via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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How Can I Trust You is a Domestic Thriller with Murder & Secrets!

Ashley has a perfect family & an amazing husband, at least she thought she did.
When her husband Danny is found standing over his best friends dead body covered in blood and a hammer in his hands,
Ashley's world is turned upside down. Lucy & Danny were each others oldest friends from childhood..
Did he really kill her? Why would he kill her?

Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for the ALC of this book.

Comments:
1. The summary needs to be edited... Lucy is Danny's best friend.. from what I've read Ashley didn't even like her much..
2. I DID like the twist with the opening scene, I've read several reviews saying they didn't..
3. What was Toms deal? Why was he super sweet & then super weird...
4. From 3, Dannys whole family seem weird to me. Give me a book on them weirdos!
5. I would recommend, i enjoyed Ashley trying to figure everything out... Even if she was a little delulu!

How Can I Trust You?
by AJ Campbell
Narrated by Eilidh Beaton
Publisher Bookouture Audio

My Perfect Marriage is another fabulous domestic thriller by the very talented AJ Campbell. Ms. Campbell will take you on a twisty rollercoaster ride from page one right up to that mind blowing ending. It is well written, fast paced with well developed characters. I tried many times to figure this one out but always got it wrong so I gave up and just kept reading (and listening) to see how it played out. Highly addictive and unputdownable, the family drama and mystery are unbelievable….it will make the hair on your arms stand up!! This is an excellent story if you are a thriller fan, it will knock your socks off!! I also had an audio copy and the narrator truly added to the feel of this one. Kudos Ms. Campbell, you have an excellent one here!!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, Bookouture Audio and AJ Campbell for the honor to read and listen to this thrilling one!! I was not disappointed!!! The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#netgalley #bookouture #bookoutureaudio
#ajcampbell #myperfectmarriage. #domesticthriller. #ajsthrillercamp

Ashley and Danny have a perfect marriage. They share a business in which they are very successful and live in an idyllic village where everyone knows everyone. They’re parents to a wonderful little boy, Elliot.

However, everything changes one day at a birthday party. Screams are heard near the garage and as everyone investigates, Danny is found covered in blood, standing above his best friend’s body. Is he responsible?

The blurb on the book says, “My best friend is dead. Did my husband kill her?”. This isn’t true. The best friend, Lucy, is actually Danny’s childhood best friend. Ashley only knows her through Danny and through business dealings. So, I’m not sure why the reader is misled before even starting the book. I feel as though if Danny had been accused of killing Ashley’s best friend, this would have been a different story, and potentially, a better one.

I was initially intrigued as the book starts with a car crash and then very quickly moves on to the murder but then slows down and doesn’t pick back up. The amount of self-talk incorporated by Ashley became very annoying to me. So much of the book is spent in conversations with herself discussing things like, “why is Danny hiding things from me. He’s a good guy, isn’t he”? Or, “we have a good marriage, don’t we”? These are not direct quotes, just examples of her inner dialogue.

I was really hoping for some sort of payoff but didn’t find anything to be surprising, suspenseful or thrilling. It was just…ok. If you’re looking for a book where you don’t have to pay close attention to keep up with the plot, then this may be for you. This was my first book (audiobook) by AJ Campbell, and it doesn’t entice me to want to read, or listen to others.

I found the narration by Eilidh Beaton to be done well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.