This was so good! Twists and turns and who's zooming who around every corner. Kaira has the narcissistic, psychopath characteristics down to a tee. There really isn't anyone to root for but I look forward to a continuation of one of their stories. I won't say which one. Thrill ride!

This was a fun read!! I was sucked in front page 1, paul is a narcissist and his inner voice and thoughts are awful. His new bride, Cecelia, was a character who I had a hunch about her motive and trust colours, but wasn’t completely sure if she was as awful as her husband or not. The main twist was one that I never predicted or saw coming.

Overall This novel was well written!. I would definitely recommend reading this book to others.

Paul and Cecelia are in Paris to celebrate their first anniversary, but both have ulterior motives for their last night. Paul is arrogant, deceiving, narcissistic, and controlling. Cecelia is the younger wife, beautiful and seemingly loves Paul, but does she really? Things start to get sideways when her behavior doesn’t fit his ideal wife, where he can control her...he starts to get angry and plans to kill her. What he doesn't know is that she is one step ahead.

A decent read well-written, fast pace. If you like domestic suspense, with unhinged and untrustworthy characters this is for you.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC.

I didn't realize this was a sequel to Best Day Ever until I was about halfway through this book. Having not read the first installment of the Paul Strom saga, I don't feel like I fully appreciated this story. To me it read as an insufferable account of every detail in Paul's and Cecilia's trip to Paris. I became so bored by the lack of action that I almost DNF'd. Perhaps if I had read BDE and understood the psychopathic personality of Paul, the read would've been more enjoyable. I don't feel I can give this an adequate or fair rating, having read this book out of context.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

Paul and Cecilia are in Paris to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. It was love at first sight.

Paul inherited his millions by being a “companion” to Esther. Cecilia has been spending Paul’s money and Paul has learned that Cecilia is the daughter that Esther put up for adoption years ago.

Does Cecilia really love Paul or does she just want his money? And if she is Esther’s biological heir, what happens if the court rules that Cecilia should have the money.

Oh, so good and it did not end the way I expected it to. @kairarouda is one my go-to authors and this is my favorite by her! Go get on August 16th.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheSecondMrsStrom in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @bookouture for approving my request

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. The writing is really good and the villainous characters are well done, maybe too well? Because I hated them and didn’t want to continue being in their inner monologue. 🤣 That being said, if you like a villain pov and can deal with a narcissistic male mc, this is the book for you!

Kaira Rouda’s “The Second Mrs. Strom ” is a well-written novel that captures the reader’s attention with its intriguing premise and rich character development. The narrative style is engaging, and the author’s attention to detail brings the settings and characters vividly to life. However, despite these strengths, the pacing of the story felt somewhat slow, which made it challenging to maintain a consistent level of interest throughout. While the book has its moments of brilliance, the sluggish tempo detracts from the overall experience. Nevertheless, fans of detailed, character-driven stories may still find it worth the read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this Arc!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the book #TheSecondMrsStrom by #KairaRouda. This is a book about revenge. Paul thinks he has married the perfect woman, but he couldn’t be more wrong. After his first failed marriage, this time it will be different. But the second Mrs Strom has other ideas. She knows all about his affair and there is one other secret……..

Thank you to @bookouture, @netgalley and @kairarouda for an ARC!

I recently read Best Day Ever, which is the prequel to this, and it was so good so I was so excited when @thrillerbookloversthepulse got the early release of this one! It was even better than the first!

Paul Strom is the best Unlikeable husband and he definitely outdid himself with his new wife. He was back with his narcissistic self, and just like with the first book, Kaira Rouda had twists and turns that I didn't see coming. After the explosive ending, I really hope there is a 3rd book!

If you haven't read Best Day Ever, you should definitely get your hands on it in anticipation of this release in August! Totally worth it!

I started The Second Mrs. Strom unaware that it was the sequel to a previous book. I don't know if having read the first book would have changed my opinion at all, but I could not get invested in this story. Paul's narration was clearly meant to be unlikable, but it came off so over-the-top that I found it hard to read and it went into my DNF pile before I could get to Ceclia's perspective. Clearly a lot of other reviewers really enjoyed the book, but it was not for me.

This book earned the whole 5 stars and honestly I would have given more if allowed. Kaira Rouda is a master author! At this point I know that her books will be great! This book is not an exception. It kept me up and into the book when I should not be!

There is not one truly like able person in this book lol, and I mean that in the best way possible! No one in the books I what they seem: Paul is clearly conniving and narcissistic and his new wife Cecilia seems to be just a pawn in his game but all of them have secrets and skeletons in their closets! This was a page turner for sure like all the others by this author who is quickly becoming a fav!

A fun, fast paced follow up to Best Day Ever, The Second Mrs. Strom offers us another look into the life of Paul Strom.
If you enjoyed the first book you'll definitely enjoy this one as well. Has Paul once and for all met his match?
For a more indepth review, check out my youtube video here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r9S3XR1ESo

Thank you, Netgalley and Bookouture for the copy of The Second Mrs. Strom by Kaira Rouda. With her typical immersive writing, Rouda has written a fun and fast perfect beach read. I despised the two main characters, Paul and Cecilia, but it was hard to stop reading about them and their twisted machinations. I didn’t read the first book Paul was in but trust me, this book had enough about him to last me for a long time! Paul was so self-absorbed he missed so many clues about what was happening. I loved the intriguing story and the numerous surprising reveals. Will there be a book three in this saga? 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Second Mrs Strom
🌟🌟🌟🌟

When I received this book as part of the thriller book lovers promo group, I was so excited to read and find out how the husband wife troped was going to play out and boy I wasn’t disappointed.

Paul Strom is back. This time, he has a new wife, Cecelia, and they're in Paris to celebrate their one year anniversary. But once again, both have ulterior motives for their last night. 

This was another brilliantly written story filled with unhinged and untrustworthy characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and just kept hoping that Paul would finally get what he deserved. I had kind of hoped there would be a point where the two Mrs Stroms met, but maybe there will be another? Finding out this a follow up novel I can’t wait to go back to read the first!

I didn’t read book 1; ch 35 does spoil book 1, so it didn’t really matter. It filled in all the narcissistic horrid details of Paul’s life previous to Cecelia. While this was fast paced and easy to read, it was woefully predictable.

Paul is back in The Second Mrs Strom and he is met his match in Cecelia.

He just doesnt know it .

Yet.

Paul is in his devious sociopatheic way has inherited a fortune and is living the life.

A wife and children will complete his perfect scenario.

His bride Cecelia has other ideas.

She is out for revenge .

Cecelia can out plot and out maneuver Paul and that's not easy.

When he finally figures out he is losing control (while in vacation in Paris) the final games begin.

Kaira Rouda takes the reader down quite the twisted path that will have you turning the pages as quick as you can.

I found myself routing for Cecelia, not that she is much better than Paul.

Perhaps more finesse.

Settle in for a wild read you wont be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a nail bitng read.

Author Kaira Rouda was not finished with her narcissistic character Paul Strom from Best Day Ever (2017) as she continues his story in The Second Mrs. Strom in this twisty psychological thriller coming out August 16.

Paul has been the playboy since his first marriage blew up five years ago, finding favor with the rich, twice-married, twice-divorced Esther Wilmot in Palm Beach. Esther has been showering her lover and companion Paul with gifts including a Bentley, and in death, she has rewarded him with her entire estate.

At Esther’s funeral, Paul, ever on the make, flirted with the lovely Cecelia Babcock who had designed the funeral program, asking her to marry him after a short courtship. They live in a mansion in Malibu as Paul is breaking into the whole Hollywood producer scene. Now they are in Paris celebrating their first anniversary, though both have a hidden agenda.

Cecelia feigns love with Paul to carry out a master plan that has been in place long before she met him at the funeral, not the coincidence he thought. Paul, while seemingly doting on Cecelia, has already had an affair, securing his mistress in her own bungalow in Brentwood.

How far will each spouse go to secure a future that each believes is entitled to them?

Kaira Rouda is a writer of suspense novels that explore “beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives.” The Second Mrs. Strom is a standalone book but pairing it with the Best Day Ever makes for a double-dip read. A master of the psychological thriller, Rouda lives in Southern California with her family and is always at work on her next novel.

My review will be posted on GoodReads starting July 10, 2024.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Another good book by one of my go-to authors, Kaira Rouda! She always tells a good story. Paul and Cecelia are newly married and newly wealthy, living a life of luxury. It is told from two perspectives, Paul and Cecelia, as they move from Florida to Malibu and take a trip to Paris for their first anniversary. This is a fast-moving book. This is a perfect book to get lost in for a while! I recommend this book and all of Rouda’s books.

This was a fun read!! I was sucked in quickly and read this rather quickly. Paul is back and is just as unlikeable as ever. His inner voice and thoughts are so awful, snarky, and even a little comical sometimes. His new bride, Cecelia, was a character who I was unsure of. I had a hunch of her true colors, but wasn’t completely sure if she was as awful as her husband or not. The main twist was one that I never predicted or saw coming. The author’s description of Paris were fun to read about as well as the food. I would have loved more flashback scenes between Paul and Esther. This novel was well written and the storyline was expertly crafted. I would definitely recommend reading this book to others. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for the ARC