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

I'm giving The Bitter Truth 3 stars. While the book had the potential to be an engaging domestic thriller, it didn’t fully hold my interest. The early setup of political intrigue and hidden secrets was compelling, but I lost interest once witches and the mention of paranormal elements were introduced. I’m not a fan of those themes, and it prevented me from fully enjoying the story. The twists in the second half of the book were farfetched and left me pretty confused. Ultimately, it just wasn’t for me.

The Bitter Truth is a thriller with twists and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing. I really like that Dominic’s character was told in third person point of view while the others were told in first. I felt less connected to him which I liked. Jolene and Brynne were great characters and I really enjoyed them. This story is so well written and the pace is great. I was hooked from the first chapter!

Poor Dominic.....He got what he deserved at the end. This book had me really thinking. Is this what really goes down in the political world? Like you gotta do whatever or use folks just to get what you want. This story started off sad with Dominic and his mom, but then you can see why he was that way. Jolene was my hero. She helped Brynn received justice, got her man at the end. Those two women, one wanted revenge and the other wanted to get away. This book still had you guessing till the very end. Shanora Williams will never disappoint me, her writing is mesmerizing. I fell in love with thrillers by reading her novel "The Wife Before", and will continue to read every book she releases.

I received a complimentary copy from Kensington and all opinions expressed are mine.

Shanora knows how to write a keep you on the edge thriller . The Bitter Truth is the perfect read for those that enjoy Multiple POVs and short chapters. The book follows Dominic the Governor of North Carolina and his wife Jolene. Dominic's secret 🙊 tho scandalous and bloody comes to haunt him and he just doesn't know who knows about his past and who is sending the threatening messages. Wives notice everything right!? Jolene also starts playing Sherlock but what does one do keep a secret buried? Oh how scandalous!

Rating :3.75

Another jam packed twisty thriller from this author! I love how her books are typically dark takes infused with couples drama. This one was another mysterious domestic thriller and per usual packs punch with the twists!

Secrets and scandal abound for the political couple in this book. Jolene starts digging into her husbands past and a buried secret comes to light. What will she do with what she knows?

I liked this book. It kept me guessing and I always appreciate a good twist. I believe this is my first Shanora Williams book and I’d definitely read more. She had me engaged in the story early on and desperately turning pages wanting to know what was going to happen next.

One of the better thrillers I’ve read in a while.

This was an okay, but entertaining thriller.There are multiple POVs and dual timelines which kept things interesting for me. The short chapters made this a fast read, and when things really start to go down makes it an even faster read. I thought the climax had me at the edge of my seat, though, it was slightly confusing.

Like I mentioned, the climax/ending was confusing if you look back at it. Also, there were certain parts of the book that were just simply unbelievable. Despite this, the book was an entertaining read which is why I rated the way I did.

The Bitter Truth had me hooked right from the first chapter. It was a tense and twisted thriller, full of drama and betrayal. I loved the strong female characters of Jolene, Brynn and Shavonne.

The storyline was compelling and at times harrowing, especially with Brynn's back story. I loved the twists and I genuinely didn't see them coming.

This is the 3rd book I've read by Shanora Williams. I've loved them all. She's fast becoming a favourite.

I highly recommend and look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and Shanora Williams for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you haven’t picked up a book by Shanora Williams, then consider this a sign to read one of her books! I have read all of her thrillers and am working my way through her backlog of books! I absolutely devour her books because they are just so good and I don’t want to put them down!

The Bitter Truth is filled with so many secrets and lies, you never know who is telling the truth and where the book is going to lead you! The characters are *chefs kiss*. They are so frustrating yet so compelling at the same time and you are just begging to get to know more about them and figure out how the past relates to the present. Definitely one that I would recommend and an author that I will ALWAYS recommend!!

Have you ever learned that there is a new subgenre that is a perfect way to describe a book that you just read? I just learned that a “popcorn thriller” is a “light, entertaining, and not too heavy suspense novel.” That is a perfect description of The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams.

Jolene feels like her husband, Dominic, the current Governor of North Carolina, is hiding something from her. When a mysterious woman starts showing up at campaign events, what secrets will start to come out?

My thoughts on this novel:
• This book kept me up way too late at night. It kept me guessing throughout the novel – it was a roller coaster of a novel.
• The story was told in alternating viewpoints that kept the story fresh and kept the reader guessing.
• This was a domestic thriller with the story dealing with a married couple, their friends, and a few others in their orbit.
• This was the first book I read by Shanora Williams, and it won’t be my last.
• I listened to the Between the Chapters Book Club interview with the author this week. It was interesting. I learned a lot about the author and her writing process
• I enjoyed that in this book everything was not as it appears, and the surprises kept coming.
• The author has a note at the beginning of the novel that discusses possible triggers in the novel.
• I liked that the chapters were very short, which made this book very easy to read.

The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams is a perfect fun suspense thriller for the summer.

Book Source: Giveaway copy from Kensington Books and the Between the Chapters Book Club. Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another page turner by Ms. Williams. I absolutely love her books and style of writing. She makes you feel real emotions for her characters, and I couldn't stand Dominic. I can't wait to read more of her work. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book.