Firstly thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This book was really enjoyable - great characters and just when you thought you have it all sussed out then another twist happens . All main characters had their own say in individual chapters and this was a timely political thriller which shows that all things that happen in the past may not stay in the past .

Great book would highly recommend

First and foremost I would like to thank NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and the author Shanora Williams for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

The Bitter Truth drew you in (the reader) immediately and I must admit with the suspense, mystery and short chapters I was hooked at first: Not to mention there was some surprising moments. But then half way through, unfortunately I found it a bit repetitive and slow. I really wanted to love this book but it was not one of my favourite Shanora Williams thriller.
Even though I was a little disappointed, I still continued to read and I am still glad I finished. I felt that all the main characters got what was due to them in the end which was good. There was some parts I wasn’t a fan of.
If you like a fast paced thriller with some jaw dropping moments, I say give this book a chance. Even though it wasn’t my favourite, Shanora Williams is still a great author and I encourage everyone to read her books.

The Bitter Truth is a fast paced domestic thriller set in the dirty world of politics. Filled with money, power, greed, entitlement, lies, murder and revenge, this is a book that is a true page turner.

Dominic is a Governor that is seemingly charming, but he has a past that he would rather stay hidden. He's made some bad choices in his life, but he will do anything to get ahead. His wife, Jolene stands by his side and supports him every step of the way, but she has begun questioning her husband and feels as if he is hiding something. When messages start turning up eluding to something that happened in Dom's past, he starts to suspect that his past is catching up to him and will do anything to cover it up.

The Bitter Truth is told in 4 parts with multiple POVs with Brynn, Jolene and Dominic being the main characters with a side of Daphne and Shavonne to get the full perspective. Each chapter is rather short, making for a very fast-paced story that keeps you turning those pages. Williams also dives into the past so we can understand what is currently playing out in the lives of Jolene and Dominic. We must understand Brynn's role in Dom's past to understand the complexities of the lies trying to be covered up.

Williams took a domestic thriller that was set in the political world and didn't make it overly political, which I appreciated. She focused rather on the lies and revenge aspect along with female empowerment that played quietly in the background. Filled with many twists and outrageous turns and evil men in power, I couldn't help but want to root for the women in the book. The men, for the most part, were horrible people that were all about power and entitlement. I couldn't believe how far actions were taken and did have to suspend my belief for some parts of the book, although those were the parts that got my heart racing and rooting for a positive outcome.

Overall, this was a solid thriller and I enjoyed the multiple POVs, although I don't think they ALL were needed. There were some parts of the story that were a bit unbelievable and came together too easily, but I also was able to suspend my belief to just enjoy it for what it was. The story of power and burying the truth was too good to ignore when revenge came into play.

Shanora Williams is officially one of the authors I will drop whatever I'm reading for when she has a new release out! I could not put this book down and loved it so much!

Special thanks to Shanora Williams and NetGalley for this early release of The Bitter Truth in exchange for my honest opinion. Overall this wasn’t a bad thriller it was good. The first half in my opinion was much better than the second half. Because I read a lot of thrillers I feel like it’s getting more and more difficult to shock me or stand away from the crowd of other thriller books. A lot of this book seemed far fetched. The premise was awesome and the characters were likable. After part 2 began it just kind of lost me. Things didn’t make sense to me and I found myself saying really ?? And how is this even possible …then again it is fiction so to each their own! I wouldn’t say skip this I just wouldn’t say it’ll be an unforgettable thriller you read. This was my first book by this author but I am open to reading more of her work in the future!

This story sucked me in from the prologue. It is fast paced, suspenseful and the chapters are short. I love a good revenge plot and this one got a little dark with major power dynamics at play. All the makings for a solid thriller. I really enjoyed this story for the most part.

Jolene and Dominic are a married power couple in politics. Dominic is the governor of North Carolina.

Things start to take a weird turn when Dominic starts receiving threatening messages. The messages leading Dominic to believe someone knows about his past. Something or someone could make his whole world come crashing down. What did the governor do? Does Jolene even know about the secrets he keeps?

Boy, this one was a wild ride for sure! Secrets, lies and murder. Who is telling the truth? I just love a juicy domestic storyline! This was my first Shanora Williams read and it will definitely not be my last! Thanks so much to my favorite publisher @kensingtonbooks, @ShanoraWilliams and @netgalley for the opportunity!
Release date June 25,2024
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW- rape, suicide, mental illness, weight issues

Thrillers draw me in each time I read them. Those one sucked me in from the get go!

A politician, check
A stalker, check

Shanora totally nailed this one. Can't tell you how many times I wanted to jump ahead to find out how this was going to pan out.
That's how you know it's a great story!

Definitely one click this one!

Dark and twisty! Governor of North Carolina, Dominic Baker, is running for a second term. His wife, Jolene, is the perfect politician’s wife with a warm smile and friendly word or handshake for his supporters. College sweethearts, they appear to have the perfect life. At one of the political rallys, a woman approaches the power couple with a gift. But does she have an ulterior motive? Dominic had a complicated childhood that has haunted his adult life. He is a bad man who has done very bad things. It only stands to reason that someone who was wronged may come to exact revenge. But who could it be? He has very powerful allies that help him clean up the messes he’s made.

This is my first book by Shanora Williams and I’m so glad I have a few of her other works on my bookshelf! I don’t generally enjoy political thrillers but I loved this one! The politics do not dominate the story line. This is a story of heinous crimes done by a man with a god complex and much deserved revenge. This story was complex, intricately plotted, with well developed characters. I did not see the twists coming and found the ending to be very satisfying.

Thank you Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on June 25, 2024

It was well written. Who would have known it was a setup from the start? I believe Shanora did an excellent job of connecting all the characters just in time for the grand finale at the end. I love how Shanora had the female characters work together to take down the no-good Dominic! Good work!

I received an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley. It caught my attention right away with lots of twists and turns through out. Definitely had some very unlikable characters but I really enjoyed it. Couldn’t put it down once I got past 50%

Really liked the way she did the different parts of the book and did the different POV.

Dominic, the current North Carolina governor, has a dark past and it is creeping up on him. His wife, Jo, is starting to recognize that he’s not the perfect guy with the dazzling persona that he pretends to be. Four years ago, an evening with a woman from Dominic’s past changed everything. Now, someone from that night is back to make him pay for what he did.

Another Shanora Williams five star for me! There’s just something about her writing that sucks me in, and I can’t put it down. I love when the multiple POVs and timelines all come together in an “ah-ha” moment type of way. I enjoyed that moment, along with the message of being a true girl’s girl, at the end.

Thank you to Shanora Williams, Kensington Publishing – Dafina, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

The Bitter Truth tells the story of a seemingly perfect couple with Governor Dominic Baker and his adoring wife Jolene “Jo” Baker. Dominic is up for reelection and is making his rounds on the campaign trail. He begins to see a particular woman who stares and hovers at his rallies and he begins to think she is stalking him, especially when she starts to chat Jo up. Who is she? Dominic begins to think back to an event from his past that may be connected to this strange woman popping up seemingly out of nowhere. Jo starts to ask questions and then a series of catastrophic events begin to take place. What lengths are these characters willing to go to to ensure their deepest secrets stay buried?
As with any Shanora Williams thriller, this was a twisty wild ride that I could not help but binge! The secrets, revelations, and the characters all had my head spinning. Every chapter you think you have something figured out and then here comes another reveal you did not expect. I loved the building of suspense which each character and their terrible decisions, leading up to an exploding conclusion.
This was a 5*read. Thank you to author Shanora Williams and Kensington Publishing for the E-Arc and the chance to review it! The Bitter Truth publishes June 25th 2024!

One thing about Shanora Williams, she is going to stress you out while you read her books. Every time you turn the page something has happened lol but it makes for a wild, fun ride! The Bitter Truth is the story of Dom and Jolene Baker who are in the midst of Dom’s gubernatorial campaign. However, nothing is as what it seems and from the outside looking in you would never know how chaotic the Bakers’ lives are. It is a story filled with secrets, lies, infidelity, murder and so much more. Shanora does a good job of hitting you with twists that you do not see coming. I thought I had it all figured out but I did not lol This book got heavy at times and can be very triggering so please read the trigger warning and author’s note before diving in! Add this one to your list when it comes out! Happy reading!

Thanks to Netgalley & Kensington books for this arc

Easy 5 stars for this new thriller! This book was PACKED with such amazing messiness, and I loved every second of it!

Jolene Baker, the wife of successful governor, Dominic, seems to have the life many would envy. She stands by her successful husband and offers her constant love and support, even if that love and support is not always reciprocated, especially behind closed doors. Jolene knows her husband and can tell when he is hiding something. How far will she go in her search to find out the truth about what her husband is keeping from her and when she finds out, how far will she be willing to go to stop him?

This book is filled with twists and turns, the strength of friendships, specifically the strength of the bond between two of my favorite characters (Brynn & Shavonne), romantic relationships, lies, revenge and justice. It is a page turner, and you will not want to put it down until you know what is really happening. When you think you have it figured out, you probably don't! Such an amazing read! Thankful for author Shanora Williams and her team for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you Shanora Williams and Kensington Books for the physical copy I won on GoodReads and the digital copy from NetGalley! All opinions are my own.
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“He’s hiding something. He’s lying. Figure it out.”

Jolene (Jo) fully supports her husband Dominic who is the governor of North Carolina. Lately though, they seem to be going through the motions. At a campaign rally, Dominic notices a strange woman who seems to be staring at him oddly. Dominic has been receiving threatening notes and fears she’s stalking him. He does have secrets, but no one could possibly know about that night. Could they? Jo knows her husband is keeping something from her, but despite her reassurances to help him through anything, he refuses to let her in.

THE BITTER TRUTH started off with a bang and did NOT. LET. UP! The intensity and pacing was spot on for me. Full of secrets, lies, and revenge, I read this lickity split! Shanora Williams does a brilliant job of creating multifaceted, richly nuanced characters, each with motivations solely their own. I loved the multiple POVs, especially of the same situations, along with the dual timelines. Just when I started to get a feel for someone, something would happen and I found myself thinking, “Wait, they did what?!” As layers are revealed, more and more truth comes to the surface. I couldn’t turn pages fast enough for all the deliciously twisted behavior.

Domestic thrillers can be hit or miss for me and this was absolutely a HIT! Don’t even get me started on the gasp worthy shocking moments. This was my first book by Shanora Williams, but certainly won’t be my last. I ATE UP every popcorn kernel of this twisty over the top thriller, and licked the butter off my fingers in satisfaction!

There is some difficult content so please check trigger warnings. I have listed some potential spoiler warnings below.































⚠️Content Warnings: suicide, sexual situations, affairs, language, misuse of drugs, mental illness, eating disorder, body shaming, domestic abuse, violence, gun violence, rape, death

"The Bitter Truth" delves into Governor Dominic's past, his supportive wife Jolene, and an unsettling encounter at a rally that triggers fear and paranoia. The story unfolds from the perspectives of Brynn, Dominic, and Jolene, with a fast-paced narrative keeping readers guessing at every turn. As secrets unravel, the thriller takes readers on an exhilarating ride filled with twists and surprises. Shanora Williams crafts a compelling tale that promises to captivate readers, making it a standout work in her repertoire. With engaging storytelling and a suspenseful plot, this book is set to become a bestseller and showcases Williams at her finest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Another solid psychological thriller by Shanora Williams well done. I rated it a 3.5 because I loved trying to figure out who was truly responsible for what. She has you guessing to the very end when you read her work. Dominic is a terrible man who does terrible things and because of this he doesn’t know who exactly who is out for revenge towards him. On top of that he’s the governor of NC so has a bit of a God complex also. His wife Jolene sees every side of this man and begins to try to come up with a plan to better her life with him. Brynn crosses paths with Dominic years after high school and feels like she’s on cloud 9 but that literally goes all up in flames when she learns the real him. This was a crazy story of betrayal and seeking out revenge that I enjoyed. It does get a bit repetitive in some areas but overall I thought it was a solid read. Grateful to the author & publisher for a complimentary copy of this book & all opinions are my own.

Dominic is the governor of North Carolina and is campaigning for a second term. On the campaign trail, he comes into contact with a woman who unsettles him. He also starts receiving anonymous notes regarding an incident he was involved in years ago. Jolene, Dominic's wife, knows that he is keeping secrets from her. When he refuses to talk, she starts digging into his past.

While this book was relatively past paced and the short chapters made it an easy read, there was also a lot of unnecessarily long plot explanations that took away from the thrill of the story. Making a point and then allowing the reader to infer what it means would have kept the suspense and created more 'omg' moments. I didn't like any of the characters as they were all portrayed as having ulterior motives. Including a bit more character development would have allowed more of a buy in to the characters.

I loved this book! This is my second time reading this author and I love her style of writing as I am always hooked and unable to stop reading. It’s so raw and emotional at certain parts but it’s well done and a great story. The characters are amazing ( The women) such strong , powerful and beautiful souls. I liked the different POV as it allowed me to get to know each character better, definitely worth the read and will be reading more from his author.