Im a fan of this authors juicy thrillers and this was no different - addictive and bingeable, twisty and oh so juicy!

I usually don't pick up books around politicians as they typically aren't my thing, but I had to request this one because it was written by Shanora Williams! This is the second thriller I've read from Williams and each one has had me unable to put the book down!

This book was fast-paced and had me guessing until the very end. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jolene is the best wife she can be, fully supportive of her husband's political career. Supposedly they have the perfect marriage and she does her part. But when he starts acting weird and a stranger starts appearing everywhere her husband is campaigning, she becomes determined to figure out what's going on. She just never realized exactly how deep the levels of secrets would go.

Whew, what a rollercoaster! Lies, secrets, betrayal, and much worse. I don't read a ton of thrillers, but when I do, I prefer them twisty and suspenseful like The Bitter Truth. I was questioning everyone and everything right down to the last page, and kept expecting Shanora to pull a "gotcha" bit at the end. Even now that I'm done, I'm wondering if a certain character is truly how they were portrayed. I guess I'll never know, but I have my doubts, which is the way the best thrillers should be.

I can usually rely on Williams for a decent soapy type of thriller, and I love that she sets them in NC (where i’m from). Unfortunately, this one was probably my least favourite of her books. It just felt a bit generic and it dragged on for me, it ended up being pretty predictable. I’ll continue to check out her books though but this one was a miss compared to others Ive read from her

This book is definitely a page turner. I really liked it, but some parts were a bit much for me. I recommend paying attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

God. This was a tough read. There are trigger warnings at the beginning, but they don’t do the tough subject matter justice. I had goosebumps at multiple scenes and almost didn’t feel strong enough to continue. This was so hard.

But despite that, this book was about women supporting women, and though it left me shaken, it also left me feeling empowered.

Ahhh! How is this in Shanora's brain!? Amazing writing and insane story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

It's a well-written dark and twisted thriller. I loved this story, The Bitter Truth is a masterpiece of secrets, lies and so much more. I love Shanora Williams. I'll read everything she writes.

Dominic is running for reelection as governor of North Carolina. His wife, Jo, is doing her best to stand by him, but he is making it very difficult by keeping so many secrets from her. When his past starts to come up and haunt them both, Dominic is determined to keep his past a secret and not risk his reelection.

It is pretty rare that I am shocked by a twist in a thriller, but this one completely caught me by surprise in the best way. Williams found a way to make a twist shocking and yet still believable. The web storylines in this book is so well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC of The Bitter Truth.

I enoyed the twists. it seems like everyone had a secret but some parts felt dragged out. Overall i enoyed!!

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥?”

I really enjoyed Shanora Williams’ The Other Mistress, and although I haven’t gotten to her back catalogue yet, I was excited to dive into her latest.

Williams is so good at a popcorn thrill-ride that is easily bingeable; I read this book in two sittings, and got fully sucked into the secrets Dominic and Jolene were keeping from each other. I don’t always love political storylines, but Dominic’s re-election for Governor worked well here as it amped up the stakes for both husband and wife. Jolene is a total badass who you root for, especially when Dominic’s narcissistic qualities rear their ugly head, even though she is not perfect. Their respective secrets turn into such a juicy domestic storyline with many threads woven together. The chapters were short and told from many different points of view, which I worried would become cumbersome but they only helped to keep the story moving at a breakneck pace. Williams’ takes this story down a dark path, involving sexual assault, domestic violence, and body shaming; I appreciated the note at the beginning that would allow a reader to either mentally prepare before diving in or set the book down, if needed. The ending pulls things together well, even if it is a bit over-the-top; I love that kind of drama in a popcorn thriller and this definitely delivered.

The Bitter Truth is a story of secrets, trauma, confronting the past, and loyalty. If you need a fast-paced juice read, this will do it. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley & Kensington Publishing for an eARC of The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams! As always, another bingable, twisty novel by Williams. She has a true knack for writing characters that you love to hate, with a story that will absolutely suck you in. I'm not into politics and often stray from books with the theme, but Williams twisted this into the stalker-suspense theme perfectly without overdoing it whatsoever.

Jo and Dominic have a seemingly perfect life. He's in the middle of his North Carolina gubernational run, and he has Jo's unwavering support. But, is all as perfect as it seems? And why does it feel like they're being followed by the same woman who keeps appearing on the campaign trail?

The secrets that are unraveled don't stop coming with this one. As always, can't wait to see what this author comes. up with next. 4.5 stars!

I submitted my review on goodreads. I thoroughly enjoyed the authors writing style and the story kept me engaged from beginning to end. 4.5 stars!!

Jo is a devoted politicians wife on the campaign trail. A strange woman starts showing up though, and it causes her her to start acting suspicious. Jo starts digging. It was slightly predictable, but I was ok with that, I really liked Jo!

Politics and lies go together like coffee and cream.
Dominic is a special kind of dirtbag and I was satisfied he got what he deserved.
I don’t think anyone told the truth in this book. Jo wanted out of her marriage but she also wanted to ensure she took lol of her money with her.
Williams tied the past with the present quite well and there is one small twist at the end.

Full disclosure: I've attempted to read a book by Shanora Williams before, and just honestly couldn't get into it. Thankfully, this book was absolutely on the opposite end of that spectrum- I couldn't seem to put this one down! I was very invested in what happened to the women in the past, as well as what was going to happen to them in the future. (Dominic, not so much. What a horrible piece of work HE was. . . .I was excited for him to get his just desserts, however!) This book definitely swayed me on the author, and I have been recommending it, and I also plan to keep my eyes open for future titles, as well.

Solid contemporary thriller and domestic drama.

A North Carolina governor, Dominic Baker, and his wife, Jolene, are on the campaign trail for his reelection bid when he is beset by a stalker. From the notes they've left, he knows he's got to take care of a problem that he thought had been handled a long time ago. In a world where powerful men think they can get away with anything, some strong women take a stand.

This was fast paced and, with short chapters and alternating points of view, a quick and fun read. The characters were a bit stereotypical -- the wronged wife, the victims, the side piece who is protective and good, the henchmen, the best friends, and the bad man. There are triggers of sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence. It was a good, if predictable, revenge story.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The two narrators, Sable Lyn and Roderick Ross, did an excellent job of giving voice to the characters with an appropriate amount of drama and expression. I always appreciate when the producer uses both male and female voices for the cast of characters as it lends much more of an authentic sound and creates more of a listening experience vs having the book just read aloud.

I really enjoyed the last book I read by this author, The Other Mistress. This book was just as unique, twisty, and fast-paced. But unfortunately I just didn't enjoy the plot itself as much and found it to be predictable. But I will absolutely keep reading more books by this author because I do love her writing style.

Read if you want a book with:
- short chapters
- multi POV
- politics and secrets
- set in the South

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Absolutely a wild ride! I loved every second of it!!!! Kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the very end!!!

Thanks for Netgalley and my approval for this arc...I have finally read my 1st Shanora Williams book and it shall not be my last .

A domestic thriller at its finest with some politics thrown in makes for a fun ride. Seeing what the all powerful and entitled can get away with and how it effects those around them is such a timely subject matter

Shorter chapters and an engaging story make it a quick read. You get to know the characters. You get angry, sad, get a few jaw drops . Definitely recommend