The characters are realistic and believable, and you can certainly feel yourself sharing in their emotions throughout.
Well paced, brilliant characterisation and an ending I didn't expect, this was a wonderful thriller. A complex, suspenseful plot with tension so thick that it felt palpable.

#HowCanITrustYou #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the early copy of the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was fine. I have no complaints whatsoever with Eilidh Beaton's narration.

Also, let's address the big elephant in the room. The blurb and the quote on the cover were somewhat inaccurate compared to what was on the book itself. As for the writing, it was readable. We're following Ashley as she uncovers if her husband killed his childhood friend or if someone else did it. It has that unreliable trope that I didn't mind, but somehow I am confused about almost the entire book. There were a lot of misdirections and suspiciously unrelated things that Ashley uncovered. When the ending and the reveal came, it wasn't satisfactory at all. 

I still give this a three-star rating because the intrigue kept me reading and I wanted to know who really killed the bestie. I would recommend it to those who were new to thrillers and wanted family and relationship drama.

A.J. Campbell's latest novel, MY PERFECT MARRIAGE, begins with a car crash. Then, a child's birthday party turns deadly in this twisty whodunit domestic thriller.

Do you ever honestly know anyone? What happens behind closed doors?

Ashley, Danny, and their son Elliot have a perfect life and marriage and own a successful marketing business. They met in university and have been married for many years.

The family is attending Grace's birthday party. Lucy is the mother, and Elliott and Grace are best friends. Ashley is in the bouncy house with her son when she hears the commotion coming from the garage. when Lee, Lucy's husband, screams. Lucy's body is covered in blood, and Danny is holding a hammer.

Danny is the logical suspect, even though he says he was trying to save her. Do the police believe him, and most importantly, does Ashley?

Lucy was Danny's best friend. What is going on? Does Ashley know her husband, and is he capable of murder? What is the motive?

Thus begins Ashley's investigation into her husband. Can she trust him? Is there something going on between him and Lucy? Maybe their marriage is not so perfect.

MY PERFECT MARRIAGE is my first book by the author, and I enjoyed the audiobook. Dark secrets of a marriage emerge and unravel in this mystery suspense thriller of love and betrayal.

In this popcorn thriller, the author does a great job of keeping the reader guessing about the murderer's identity and motive and how they relate to the crash at the beginning of the novel.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 8, 2024
April Must-Read Books
April Newsletter

Light read for those who want to transition to a mellower psychological thriller. It kept my curiosity open on who is lying or what is the next excuse of each character.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Bookouture Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

When I requested this audiobook from NetGalley, it was called ‘How Can I Trust You?’ and I seriously was wondering that as I read it. Nothing about this book was as it seemed or at least not as it was described to be.

First things first: The description of this states “My husband is accused of killing my best friend. Can I trust anything he says?” Well, the victim is not our main character’s best friend, it is her husband’s best friend. This was probably the most crucial part of this story. The concept of this book sounded a lot more intriguing to me with the victim being the main character’s best friend. If the description was honest and read “My husband is accused of killing his best friend. Can I trust anything he says?” I just don’t know if I would’ve requested it.

The description continues to be a little misleading. It’s difficult to say how without giving away the story, but what actually happens in this book is not exactly what the description says.

Beyond the inaccurate description, this book just moved along way too slowly for me. Even the narration was dreadfully slow. I moved the speed to 1.5 times to move it along quicker and about 2/3 of the way through, I bumped it up to 1.75 because I just wanted to finish it. It wasn’t until the 90% mark that anything actually happened and for me it just wasn’t realistic. And I like unrealistic. I just felt that the first 90% of the book provided no foreshadowing of what was actually going to happen.

The title of this book is being changed to ‘My Perfect Marriage’ and honestly that just doesn’t fit with this story either. The murder happens at the very beginning of the book and there is very little written about their marriage before the main character’s husband is hauled off for questioning. I never really got the feeling that our main character and her husband were the perfect couple. That’s not to say their relationship seemed flawed, it’s just that we literally don’t get enough insight into their relationship before the murder occurs to form any kind of opinions about it.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me and the description of it is very misleading.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Danny and Ashley have just relocated to Danny's tight knit hometown with their 9 year old son Elliot. Everything is going right in their lives...or so Ashley thinks.

The story opens up with the little family getting ready to go to a birthday party. The party is for Danny's childhood friend, Lucy's, little girl. The party is going nicely, but next thing everyone knows Lucy is dead and Danny was found at her body. He's quickly put in handcuffs and taken to the police station for questioning. But did he do it?

Throughout the whole book we follow Ashley's POV of finding out more and more of Danny's secrets. She just wants to know what happen and why. Has she been with a murderer all this time?

I enjoyed following the course of events that unfolded. A few scenes left me scratching my head wondering what the heck was truly going olon in the tight knit little town. Elliot and Susie are my favorite characters. Elliot for his stubbornness and childhood attitudes. Susie for her devotion to Ashley and Elliot. She is the best big sister and Aunt.

Would recommend giving this a read. This is my second AJ book and most definitely not my last I have a few others on my TBR.

This is a domestic thriller that makes you question how much you really know about your spouse. The conflicting emotions that the FMC goes through wanting to defend her husband but questioning if he's been lying to her and feeling guilty when she doesn't defend him.
The psychological battle within is real. She swings back and forth on this pendulum throughout the book. Let's book will keep you questioning till the end.

This was my first AJ Campbell book. After reading the synopsis, I was excited to dive in. The prologue hooked me and the excitement continued through the next few chapters. At some point after that things became repetitive and the pacing felt a little off.

The story was predictable at times, but it did veer off in a few unexpected directions, which I appreciated. I didn’t connect with any of the characters so I was a bit bored at times. But I was entertained enough to finish quickly.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the arc.

How Can I Trust You’ by AJ Campbell delivers an enthralling rollercoaster of suspense and surprises. From the very first page, the twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing, leaving me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Campbell's mastery of suspenseful storytelling is evident throughout, making this novel a must-read for any thriller enthusiast. With unexpected twists that will leave you reeling, ‘How Can I Trust You’ is a captivating read that I couldn't put down.

Try to figure out who committed this ghastly crime. Gather clues within the story and try to figure it out while listening along to this audiobook. It’s a fast paced read with many characters that will keep you guessing. This books goes from zero to 90 mph fast. It’ll make you feel so sorry for the main character and demand answers for them. I really enjoyed the narrator, soothing voice kept me engaged. This novel was a fantastic psychological thriller, I look forward to reading/listening to more from author AJ Campbell.

I really enjoyed this audio. I was so engaged from the start to the finish.

It had me guessing right from the start; it has a lot of twists and turns.

Danny's childhood friend gets murdered, and he gets arrested for her murder. A lot of things start happening, and Ashely (Danny's wife) starts digging into Danny's things, and now she is questioning her husband's life with him to see if she really knows who Danny is and that he has been lying to her all these years.

I had an OMG moment when Danny told Ashely he murdered Lucy. I didn’t want to believe it.

Overall, it was a good audiobook and story. I also enjoyed the narrator's voice.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC of How Can I Trust You?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This book was ok. It was a little hard for me to get into and I thought I would like it more.
A little confusing at times as well.
Narrator did ok with it.
Just not my favorite listen.

How can I trust you follows Ashley as she struggles to decide if her husband is a murderer…….this book has a lot of internal dialogue. Ashley seems to waver in her thoughts about her husband. I constantly wanted to tell her to just make up her mind.
The narrator did a good job for the most part. They have a nice melodic tone. The voice used for Ellipt though made me think of nails on a chalkboard…..which honestly with his dialogue that might have been the intent.
The ending turned out to be good. It picked up speed in the last four chapters which probably helped me decide to say 3.5/5 stars.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

3.25-3.5 Stars

Ashley's world turned upside down when she found her husband, Danny, standing over his best friend's dead body, Lucy, with a bloody hammer. The police immediately took him in for questioning. Her husband claimed he had nothing to do with it, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that he was involved somehow. She decided to start her own investigation and began looking for clues and evidence. As she dug deeper, she uncovered a shocking truth that left her reeling.

The book has an interesting premise that I enjoyed, but I didn't connect or like any of the characters. The storyline was somewhat predictable, and I wish it had more elements that kept me at the edge of my seat. Nevertheless, if you're new to mystery novels, this book is a good choice to start with. It has all the fundamental elements of a classic mystery. However, for avid mystery readers, it may not offer anything new or unique. Overall, it's a decent read that has its moments and is worth considering.

***Thank you to NetGalley, A.J. Campbell, and Bookouture Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this book at first. It took me awhile to get into the book but when I did, it hooked me!

I loved the suspense and mystery of trying to figure it out. It wasn’t a big plot twist for me but it was still so good!

Quick overview: Ashley, her husband Danny and their son Elliot have recently returned to the town Elliot grew up in. They are spending the afternoon celebrating the 6th birthday of the daughter of Lucy's - one of Elliot's friends. The celebration turns into a crime scene when Elliot is caught with a bloody hammer in his hand and over the body of Lucy.

While Elliot is detained for questioning and suspicion of murder, Ashley starts uncovering many things about her husband she had no idea about. It is one thing after another and Ashley is caught between trying to help clear her husbands name and also wanting to figure out why he is hiding so much from her.

Overall. this was a solid domestic psychological whodunnit read. I enjoyed the writing style of AJ Campbell and was invested in the enthralling story. I was left questioning the motivates of the people in the town and caught up in the suspicious nature of pretty much everyone! They may seem flawless on the outside but if you dig deep enough, you find what is buried.

While the story flowed at a steady speed, the ending picked up fast. It was pretty dramatic and I could not listen fast enough! I thought the narrator Eilidh Beaton did a phenomenal job. The characters were easy to differentiate and Elliot's character made me laugh because he was a bit of a whiny child and the voice embedded in my brain sounded perfectly like Caillou. If you had kids growing up in the late 90's you KNOW what I am taking about! lol

4.5 solid stars - rounding up to 5 stars for Goodreads rating. Protagonist Ashley was definitely well written but some of the other characters could have been developed a bit more to relate to them,

Everything in Time End is perfect. A quaint countryside village outside of London where everyone knows everyone and they all look out for each other.
That is until Lucy is brutally murdered at her daughter’s birthday party and her best friend’s husband is arrested. All of the lies and secrets come spilling out and it’s up to Ashley if she should trust everything she is piecing together while her husband is in jail or if she should trust her husband of almost 2 decades. So who killed Lucy?

How Can I Trust You by AJ Campbell is an enthralling rollercoaster of emotions and suspense. From the very first page, the author hooks you in with a gripping narrative that keeps you guessing until the very end. Ashley’s inner turmoil and conflict are depicted masterfully, making it easy for readers to empathize with her plight. The twists and turns throughout the story are both unexpected and satisfying, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the final revelation.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, & AJ Campbell for this ALC of How Can I Trust You.

This story really dragged for me, the characters were dreadful, and I thought the narrator was just okay.

Holy crap!! This book starts off speeding and doesn't let up off the gas until the very end! This one was full of twists and turns. Everything I thought to be true was WRONG! Once I started this one, I couldn't stop until it was over. It was such a tornado. It was so gripping!

Danny and Ashley seem to have the perfect life until Ashley's best friend Lucy is found murdered, and it looks like Danny did it. Will Ashley believe him when he says he didn't do it even though it looks like he did?

Campbell did a great job at developing the characters and the plot in this book. The characters were well developed, and the plot moved at a pace that made this one hard to stop reading. There were twists and turns with an ending that will leave your mouth on the floor!

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

Thank you #netgalley , the publisher and author for the audio book. This was great! I loved every minute of this. I was shocked by the ending and that to me is how you know you’ve read a good thriller. Ashely and Danny’s story was a ride. Did he kill Lucy? Was he involved with her? Why did he insist on moving back to his home village? This came together nicely and didn’t leave unanswered questions. I liked how this ended and I will read more by this author.