This author has done her research on psychopaths! In this tale, we meet a wealthy husband and wife celebrating their first wedding anniversary in Paris. As we follow them during their last day in the city of love, we quickly realize that love is the last emotion these two share. It is an entertaining tale populated by opportunistic, greedy, unrelatable characters who make you reconsider your dream of winning the lottery.

★★★★.5

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for an early copy of ‘The Second Mrs. Strom’ in exchange for an unbiased review.

What a great read! The Paris anniversary trip is the perfect cat-and-mouse game. Kaira Rouda did an amazing job keeping the suspense throughout the story. You could feel that something was brewing, and the tension was palpable as Paul and Cecilia tried to outwit each other without overstepping an invisible line—until the final evening…

Paul is a malignant narcissist, and I would argue he has psychopathic tendencies. In short, he is incredibly unlikable, yet I could not wait to see what he would do next (knowing it would be rude and inconsiderate).

Though I had my suspicions, Kaira Rouda introduced so many unforeseen twists with such magnitude that I did not fully appreciate until the final reveal. Speaking of, I could never have predicted the extent of the reveal, including the players we did not even know were involved.

(I loved this book so much that I picked up ‘Best Day Ever,’ which is about Paul’s marriage to the first Mrs. Strom.)


🎧 Narrated by Nick Landrum and Laurence Bouvard, who did an amazing job, both with actual French dialogue and Paul’s butchered attempts.

Oh, Paul, you sly, self-centered devil! He's back, this time with his new wife, Cecelia. My feelings about Paul are all over the place – I despise him, yet I can't get enough of his antics. He’s still that arrogant guy who thinks the world owes him everything, but honestly, that's what makes the book so entertaining. Without Paul, it would be a snoozefest.

The plot? Absolutely loved it! It's well-crafted and fast-paced. Cecelia is on her own wavelength, and figuring out her path is a thrilling mystery. The dual narration from both Paul and Cecelia keeps things fresh and exciting.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for letting me dive into this ARC. Can't wait for more!

If you haven't read a book by Kaira Rouda what are you waiting for!! I've been reading her books since 2017. What I like most is that she always has a surprise twist that I don't see coming. I loved this audiobook. The narrators were perfect. I couldn't stand Paul and I didn't know if I could believe Ceclia. This is a a wild story..I can definitely recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) close to the publication date.

Guess who's back. Back again. Paul is back. Tell a friend.
It's five years later, and Paul has a new wife, Cecilia, and a new life. But we all know a leopard doesn't change its spots. So his narcism is still in full swing, he's still an opportunistic asshole and everyone who knows him hates him, including me. But he may have found his match in Cecilia.

Paul and Cecilia are celebrating their first Anniversary with a trip to Paris, and I must admit to getting chills every time he spoke of wanting to give his wife "the best night ever." IYKYK! Having read and loved The Best Day Ever I had my suspicions as to where this rollercoaster was headed, but I thoroughly enjoyed the crazy ride. Kudos to the narrators for nailing their characters with this one. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Feel what it’s like to be in the centre of competing predators, ruthless in their endeavours, and spiralling rapidly…

Wowzer!!! How did I not know about this author?!?! This book was amazing! I could barely put it down once I started it. We get the story mostly from the thoughts of the two main characters. They are both just absolutely despicable people and you just can’t like either of them. But in the context of the book, you are meant to dislike them. They are both such colorful and interesting characters that their viewpoints are fun. You are getting inside the heads of narcissistic sociopaths. What a fun book! I found the first book in this story online and I will be starting it today

The Second Mrs. Strom by Kaira Rouda
Narrated by Nick Landrum, Laurence Bouvard

He's back! Yes, Paul is back, beloved by no one who really knows him, hated by anyone who really knows him. It's five years on from the first book and Paul has reinvented himself with his usual using, abusing, and scamming. Now he's richer than ever, has more of everything than ever, and has a younger wife than before. But his young, moldable, obedient new wife seems to have turned a corner and is becoming argumentative, head strong, and wanting to make her own decisions. This is a very unsafe state for any wife of Paul to be in because Paul is prone to disposing of those who don't bow to his awesome (in his head) perfection. Paul may need to make some permanent changes in this relationship gone sour.

But has Paul met his match in his new wife, Cecelia? Here they are in Paris with a chance to fine tune their relationship to Paul's liking and Cecelia is always on the phone, walking too fast, disappearing, and bringing up things that never should be mentioned. What has gotten into her? She's beginning to seem very disposable to Paul, another person who just can't match up to the perfection Paul requires and the admiration Paul demands.

Cecelia thought she just might have fallen in love with Paul despite his faults (which he doesn't think he has). But Paul being Paul, he's never going to change his ways so Cecelia is going to make him pay. Who is going to win this battle of wits and psychological dementedness? Since I already know Paul and he's not ever going to change, it is Cecelia who adds something new to the mix for me. The dual narration is very good, it's always creepy hearing this kind of crazy in an audiobook. This is the second book about Paul but you don't have to read the first book since this book brings you up to speed about Paul's past.

Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

A very well written psychological thriller , captivating plot & fascinating characters. Highlighted by the great narration.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ALC.

When I say I devoured this book, I mean it. I started it this morning and am already done. I couldn’t stop listening. There were so many secrets, twists, and shocking revelations that I was too hooked to let go. When I thought an obvious twist was coming, it went another direction. I love when too bad people try to out wit and con each other.

I really loved how the two main characters whose POV we receive have different narrators. It helps keep the story from getting confusing and gives each character more personality.

This audiobook was not what I was expecting! It was more of a domestic thriller and for some reason I was expecting a psych thriller. None of the characters were at all likeable, which wasn’t a bad thing like it can sometimes be. It wasn’t twisty or shocking as you can guess the “twists” early on.

The narrator’s of the audiobook were great. No complaints there.

This was a well written book, just not my normal vibe.

⭐⭐⭐⭐4.5 stars!! Get ready for a thrilling rollercoaster ride with a dash of humor! I went into this book blind and was pleasantly surprised by the perfect blend of suspense and witty humor. The mispronounced French words had me rolling! The narrators were brilliant , bringing the characters to life. I couldn't help but switch between loving and hating them. The ending was a total twist that left me wanting more. If you're looking for a thriller that will make you laugh, say wtf and, have some cringe worthy parts then this book is a must!

This book kept me so booked all the way through! I loved the then and now perspective and the dual pov + diary entries! All around such a good read! I will definitely recommend this book!

Couldn’t take this book seriously it wa# the most ridiculous ‘ plot’ ever and I decided to listen to it as if it were a comedy in the end.
The narrators tried and failed to make a go of it particularly with the male roles when read by the female narrator it was awful.

Paul and Cecilia are celebrating their first Anniversary in a trip to Paris, and on the final day Paul has set up a special dinner for his (second ) wife. But he has a dark and secret agenda for that dinner...
Throughout the entire book we, the readers, learn, by a dual timeline and a dual POV, how Paul and Cecilia met in the first place, how they ended up together and married and how, in fact, both of them keep secrets from each other and both of them have secret plans for their trip to Paris.

I'll first say that, before 5 minutes ago, I had no idea that THE SECOND MRS STROM is a sequel to a 2017 release book named BEST DAY EVER. Apparently, Paul was already the main character on that book.
Well, I haven't read that book and I genuinely believe that reading BEST DAY EVER is not mandatory to understand this new novel, or to feel engaged with the plot and the characters. Because I did feel invested the whole time. And I honestly don't think I "missed" something by not reading the previous book.

I really enjoyed how the chapters are alternated between past and present, and also there are some chapters that are diary entries from someone we don't really know.
Personally, I really disliked Paul, but I do believe it's the author's intention: we are supposed to hate him. And root against him.
The writing was easy and quick to follow, in my opinion. The whole book reads really fast-paced.
And even though some scenes can be very predictable, I'd say there is a final twist that might surprise some readers.

I had fun with this book. It was entertaining, fun, and a crazy ride.
I highly recommend it to everyone who likes fast-paced domestic thrillers with shady characters and couples full of secrets.
The audiobook is amazingly narrated by two narrators who really bring the story to life. Really well done! If you're an audiobook lover/addict like me, consider picking this book up on the audio format.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for allowing me to listen to a free advanced audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Paul Strom is back!! Somehow I missed The Best Day Ever when it first came out, but I went back and read it before this one and am so glad I did! I will say it can easily be read as a stand-alone, but you don’t want to miss Paul’s antics in the first book! This one was such a delight! Going back and forth between Paul’s POV and his new wife, Cecilia, as well as dual timelines and journal entries from someone unnamed and then it all comes together for an epic conclusion! It’s so well thought out and while I was able to predict some things, I still enjoyed reading it and was shocked by a few twists! Being in Paul’s head is an awful treat, I love to hate him! He’s a misogynist, manipulator, conniving, crooked man, to name a few! It’s a fun read that I recommend adding to your TBR now! The audiobook of this was amazing! The narrators really nailed the characters and their personalities! They brought the book to life for me!

4.5 rounded up!

Premise - a female gold digger marries a male gold digger and they set out to kill each other for the fortune. Shenanigans abound!

If you enjoy thrillers from the perspective of deliciously awful people, this one is 1000% for you. It was a little slow to start, but soon enough it sucked me in and then I couldn’t get enough!

Featuring:
- manipulation
- psychopath twin flames
- double murder plots
- French snobbery

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Nick Landrum and Laurence Bouvard. They did a great job, it was hilarious!

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Second Mrs. Strom was a 5-star pleasant surprise. Besides a great style of writing, fleshed out characters, an interesting plot and great audio narration, the surprise for me was realizing this was a sequel to a book I'd previously loved, Best Day Ever. That one was released in 2017, so we can forgive my aging brain that it took me a while to realize I actually knew one of the main characters. I could not find anywhere on Netgalley that this one was a sequel, so, unsure what's up with that. Do you need to read Best first? Ya should. You'll love it, it goes by quickly and you'll appreciate the Second much better with that background.

Keep writing Kaira. You do it so well.

Paul Strom is back and is as twisted as ever! In the sequel to "Best Day Ever", Sociopath Paul is now married to Cecilia and the couple are celebrating their first wedding anniversary in Paris.

Paul is such a brilliant fictional character; he is charming and attentive, nasty and controlling as hell - the sort of guy a reader loves to hate and just can't get enough of! Why can't his wives just behave themselves and do as they're told? Poor Cecilia is in love and doesn't know what she's in for... or does she? Has Paul met his match this time? Good job he has a pre-nup in place for his huge fortune!

I loved the twisted mind games and the cat and mouse games the characters are playing against each other - who will win?

Nick Landrum and Laurence Bouvard did a fantastic job narrating this awesome book.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Kaira Rouda and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Kaira Rouda, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley.

This audiobook is narrated by Nick Landrum, Laurence Bouvard. I love, love, love when each POV character has its own narrator. It makes the audiobook feel more like a movie.

This had dual timelines: a timeline in Paris for a romantic getaway and a newlywed timeline starting 18 months or so before the Paris excursion. Paul and Cecilia met at a funeral, had a whirlwind courtship, a quick marriage, and are on a romantic getaway in Paris. At the best hotels, eating in the best restaurants, visiting the best museums, exclusive shopping at expensive retailers, a dream trip to Paris. The Paris portion is largely narrated by Paul. The initial meeting, courtship, falling in love, and quicky wedding is told by Cecilia.

I was in the mood for a thriller, so when I saw this available on NetGalley, I requested it. This did not disappoint at all! The reveals were wonderful, and I wasn't sure of the full plot until the reveals. My guesses were completely off. I love it when that happens!

Thank you to Kaira Rouda, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.