“Everyone has high hopes for Dominic Baker, the man uplifting North Carolina. That’s his slogan, anyway. Uplift North Carolina.”

Governor Dominic Baker is running for re-election and he cannot lose. He’s worked so hard to get here and he’s risked everything.

Jolene Baker is the devoted and supportive wife. She has been there for her husband on this political journey, standing strong by his side since college. She knows him well, well enough to know that he’s hiding something and she’s determined to figure it out.

I love a scandal and Ms. Williams delivered! I was on an emotional roller coaster with this one. There were so many twists and turns to keep you on your toes. The characters are well written and there’s a ride or die duo friendship that I really enjoyed.

I think the pacing could’ve been a little better towards the end because there was a lot going on, but it was scandalous and very entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC!

Ahhh! Thank you to Netgalley and Shanora Williams for this advanced copy of The Bitter Truth. I had an incredible time with this story! I was hooked from the prologue. This is the story of North Carolina Governor Dominic and his wife, Jolene. Unfortunately, these two have a rocky relationship, but they know how important it is to save face for the current re-election. Dominic is working to get re-elected as Governor, but when a mysterious woman begins popping up at campaign events and around town, a few interesting incidents begin to make Dominic more and more paranoid. Things begin to get more complicated as time progresses.

I loved the drama of this story! I was excited to see where the story was going every step of the way. I felt like I flew through the last 60% as everything was revealed. This story has so many hidden secrets between all the characters that you, as a reader, end up feeling like you can't trust anyone. I loved not knowing who to trust. Not knowing who to trust also created so many dynamic characters who you were able to see both the positive and negative sides to overall. From 65% to 90%, my head was swinging from side to side, trying to keep up with what was going on. After every chapter, I kept saying to myself, "Hold on, what? Wait, what?" So yeah, I enjoyed myself massively.

Dominic Baker is running for his second term as Governor of North Carolina and he won’t let anything get in his way. He is supported by his wife Jolene, who dresses to please, watches her diet and attends every campaign event. She, and her multi-million dollar inheritance, is the reason he had enough cash backing him during his first run.

On a campaign trip, Brynn, a beautiful young woman working at a high end restaurant, sees Dominic and a friend. He was her high school boyfriend and she is thrilled when he slips her his phone number. She is thrilled when she calls him and is invited on a date. This does not end well for Brynn and Dom believes she is dead. Now, four years later, with Jolene at his side, Dom is confronted with a series of troubling events. A strange woman seems to be following him from event to event. Anonymous letters are sent to him asking what happened to Brynn. Desperate that his election is threatened and fueled by paranoia, Dominic takes out his anger on Jolene. She finds a way to fight back, using his mistakes as a weapon.

The Bitter Truth, narrated by Dominic, Jolene, Brynn and her friend Shavonne, is absolutely impossible to put down. Dominic, although the product of a dysfunctional childhood, is a man you love to hate. As the delicious retribution planned by the three women, all strong characters, begins you’ll turn the pages as fast as you can. The ending is surprising and satisfying. This would be a fantastic TV movie! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Shanora Williams for this ARC.

Woah. I don’t know what I was expecting when I opened The Bitter Truth, but I was blown away by this book. Shanora Williams’ newest thriller is a fast paced, action packed book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

First off, we have Dominic- a politician who is being haunted by the biggest mistake he’s ever made. His wife, Jolene, is a strong, bad-ass woman who is taken for granted by her husband. A mystery woman interviews her life with the lives of the power couple, and it all comes to a head when Dominic can no longer outrun his past. I LOVED the characters in this book and all the development that went into them (except Dominic, f*** that guy) and I really liked how everything wrapped up at the end. There were several twists that I didn’t see coming, and overall everything tied together nicely.

I loved this book. Now it’s time to go binge everything this author has ever written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was truly one of my favorite reads of the year.

Let me tell you that I absolutely loved this book. From beginning to end whew 😅I didn’t not want this book to end. Every time I thought I was on to something, I wasn’t even close. Highly recommended!!

The Bitter Truth could be Shanora Williams's best thriller yet! I loved all the twists and turns as Dominic Baker watched his world be destroyed by more than one surprising woman, all hellbent on getting the revenge this man deserved once and for all. A total page-turner, the fact that Dom's chapters are in 3rd person and Jolene and Brynn's were in 1st person, shows you just who was in charge all along.

Although I felt for Dominic and the crazy that may have befallen his mother, the man has an evil side that he kept carefully hidden until he didn't. His political career is his driving force and he'll stop at nothing to stay Governor of North Carolina. His charm may have gotten him all that he currently has, but his thirst for continued power and success could and will be his ultimate downfall.

Both Jolene and Brynn prove just how clever and determined a destroyed woman can be. Williams is very skilled at how she manages to link these two women, together with the mysterious 'Lena' in a plot that kept me guessing until the very end. You have to pay careful attention to every word, every character and every inner thought because even after finishing, I'm finding myself realizing just how intricate a storyline this became. No one is unimportant in this wild game of cat and mouse.

I truly feel as if Williams's writing has hit yet another level with The Bitter Truth, a book that was easy to read and literally kept me captivated from the first words until the last. And I honestly wouldn't mind more should it strike this talented author's fancy to delve a bit deeper with one particular side character who I am sure would have one heck of a story to tell.

The Bitter Truth is just that as everything comes to light and what a journey in deciphering the truth this was. Well-written and unique, I happily give this crazy-good book a big 5 stars!

I read it in one weekend because I could not put it down. While it was obvious who the mystery woman was if you read enough thriller books, the additional amount of twists and turns was not expected and kept you wanting to read more. I really did not like one of the main characters and was hoping that he would get what was coming to him. Isn't that what makes a book good though?

Dominic is the state governor and is up for re-election. As it gets closer to the election he starts growing more distant from his wife, Jolene. Dominic is getting threatening notes about a mistake from his past with an ex-girlfriend, Brynn. He thought that everything was handled back then, but now he is learning that you cannot trust people to handle things that you should do yourself. Jolene is also learning that Dominic is lying and is not he not the man that she thought that he was. Can Dominic keep his past hidden? Will Jolene be able to find out what Dominic is hiding before she loses everything?

I have been taking time off of reading due to my hubbs having knee replacement surgery this year.

With that being said, I tell you what, picking up Shanora Williams' newest book- The Bitter Truth, Williams, has made me get all excited about reading again. Y'all, this psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns kept me flipping those pages like a mad woman dying to know what was going to happen next... lol

This is one of those books I wanted to cheat and jump to the end of the book to find out my answers, but I was a good girl and did not dare do that!!! Lol

All I can say is... *eye roll* at politicians!!!! Haha

Make sure you one click this one on release day.. you will absolutely love it!!!

5 OMG Stars!!!!

Thank you Dafina and Shanora Williams for the gifted ARC!

This was a WILD. RIDE. in the absolute best way possible. I have no choice but to stan!

The mystery was super twisty and I couldn't put it down until I figured everything out. Kudos to Williams because I think this is her best thriller yet. I loved the alternating POV chapters and the fact that I never really felt confident about which characters I could trust until I finished the book.

Shanora can do no wrong for me! The Bitter Truth pub date is June 25.

The Bitter Truth is about a governor who will go to great lengths to bury the truth of his past. Dominic is the governor of North Carolina and his wife Jolene is proud of him and very supportive of her husband’s achievements.
…
They met in college and fell in love instantly. With Jolene’s money she helped fund Dominic into politics. Although, her father never trusted Dominic. He knew Dominic had a lot to gain by marrying Jolene that’s why he continued to control how much money he gave to her.
…
Being a good wife meant that she supported her husband and kept a healthy figure. In high school Jolene was overweight. In college she made it her mission to lose weight. When she did Dominic noticed her. Dominic has been focused and driven to become governor that he’s made it his life’s mission.
…
Ten years married and Dominic is on the campaign trail once again. At one of his rallies he sees a woman who spikes fear and concern in him. Then a few days later he starts getting letters asking him where Brynn is? Dominic grows paranoid as the reality of that night with Brynn starts to unfold.
…
The Bitter Truth is told from three points of view: Brynn, Dominic, and Jolene. There are four parts to the story. Shanora Williams writes a fast paced thriller that has my mind swirling with possibilities. It’s an exciting read. Let me tell you this is one helluva a story. The twists and turns keep coming at you. What a fun and fantastic ride. I was beyond thrilled and ready to ride again. This fore sure will be a bestselling book. This book is by far Shanora William’s best work to date.

3.5 stars rounded up.

First, I have to applaud Shanora for always including a trigger warning at the beginning of her books. I wish more authors would follow suit!

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't my favorite of hers. While it was a quick read, so many of the characters were unlikable (some intentionally so). I also felt like it was just a bit too farfetched for what I prefer.

One other thing I want to point out is that initially I was really annoyed that Dominic's chapters were all in third person while the others were in third person. I thought this was an oversight at first but now I 100% think it was intentional and a super smart way of showing that the women and their thoughts/feelings mattered more than his. The feminist in me ended up loving that ;)

Let me first start off by saying that Dominic deserved every ounce of everything that came his way! Oh how the mighty fall and it sure is a bitter pill to swallow. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The level of vindictiveness and manipulation in this book was wild. Every single person has a secret and ulterior motive, you have no clue what direction this was going to lead you to. I had to trust Shanora on this wild ride. I love how she implemented girl empowerment. It was tough to read what Brynn and Jolene went through, all three women were strong and I loved that! Jolene rose to the occasion for Brynn and Shavonne. I really love this side of Shanora, I'm not one much for politics but she knocked this out of the park!!

The Bitter Truth by S. Williams, published by Kensington Books is a fast paced, complex stand alone full of unexpected twists and turns.
An outstanding read that had me in suspense right from the star and had me guessing till the last page.
Blurb: For Jolene Baker, the least she can do for her adoring husband, Dominic, is give unwavering support for his North Carolina gubernatorial run. He is not only the love of her life, he's also helping her prove that she's far more than just a pampered trophy wife. With huge crowds showing up at Dominic’s speeches and the polls consistently in his favor, she's never been happier to stand proudly by his side . . .
Until she and Dominic start seeing the same, strangely ominous woman turning up all along the campaign trail. Until their tour starts becoming a nightmare of botched events, crucial missed information, and increasingly dangerous “accidents.” Suddenly Jo can't get any answers from Dominic—or understand why he is acting so paranoid and terrified . . .
What Jo can do is start digging into his past—one she's never really questioned beyond his perfect image and dazzling accomplishments. What results is an alarming series of events that leave her Good friends turn into enemies, truths are revealed to be lies, and all clues lead back to one secret, shattering weekend that changes Jo’s entire life. With her world splintering into pieces, can Jo risk trying to set things right?

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

I've had this one on my TBR since it was announced, so I am sad to say that this was not my favorite. From very early on, the story felt like one big set up for a dramatic ending, instead of naturally introducing the characters. I didn't get to know any of the characters well enough to like them or root for a good outcome for them.

I loved Sharona Williams' last release and will continue to read her work in the future, but this was just ok.

3 stars.