Ohhh boy, was I ever tickled to be approved for an advanced audiobook of the continuation story of Paul from Best Day Ever! I did a little internal happy dance and quickly downloaded Best Day Ever to listen to as a refresher (it’s been a whole year… the details were a bit murky).

Paul is up to no good yet again! “Best week ever” in Paris (cue in evil laugh) has never sounded more diabolical and I was so excited to see what Paul had planned for Cecelia. Little did I know I would be in for a surprise. Character development was excellent! The story is told from both Paul’s and Cecelia’s POVs and I absolutely loved it! They both have their own agendas they are playing at, and they both try to ‘up one’ on each other. The development of it all is absolutely brilliant!

I downloaded this audiobook from NetGalley and listened to it while doing some admin.

Three stars from me means that it's a good book and I believe the author has achieved their aims, but I didn't fall in love with it. In this case, mea maxima culpa, since I didn't do my homework well enough - this is the second instalment about the sociopathic Paul Strom, which I did not realise. I can see from other reviews that lots of people absolutely love this character, but he simply wasn't for me - I'm not generally a fan of books told from the perspective of sociopaths (with a few notable exceptions) and because his character had clearly been well-developed in the first book, I found him particularly full-on.

That said, if you *do* like books told in the first person of sociopaths then this book will be an absolute treat for you, since in this novel Mr Strom has certainly met his match in the eponymous Second Mrs Strom, and we hear half of the book from her point of view.

With apologies to the publisher for not reading the NetGalley description properly when I requested this one. I am still glad to have read it.

Three Word Review: two sociopaths together

You never know what you're getting into when you read one of this author's books! In this case too, it was another adventurous story where you don't know who you can trust.
Nine of the protagonists is really likeable....not until you know the whole story!
I couldn't stop and in the end I was completely satisfied!!
Thanky you #NetGalley #Bookouture Audio for this audiobook

I did not read the previous book in this series and feel that I would have benefitted from reading this one first. Still enjoyable tbut not what it could have been if read in order.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was captivated from the very beginning by this audiobook's intriguing premise and fantastic narration. The story follows a woman's journey from obscurity to the high life in Paris after meeting Paul, a charming and wealthy man. However, beneath the surface of their seemingly perfect marriage lies a web of deceit and a thirst for revenge.

The narrators truly brought this tale to life, their voices perfectly capturing the tension and complexity of the characters.

The plot is engaging, filled with suspense and unexpected revelations. As the protagonist's plan unfolds, you can't help but be drawn into her world, questioning what you would do in her place.

Overall, this audiobook is a must-listen for fans of psychological thrillers and tales of love turned sour. The narrators' performances elevate an already gripping story, making it a memorable journey through love, betrayal, and the quest for vengeance.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC (audiobook) in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ☆

Thank you, Netgalley & Bookouture Audio, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I have an assortment of different feelings for this book.

The story follows Paul and Cecilia Strom, who are on a trip to Paris for their 1st wedding anniversary.

The first half was I absolutely hooked, then it kind of turned into a snooze fest, but THEN it picked right back up, and I couldn't stop listening til I finished.

Most of the twists were predictable. However, there were two that had me like "😱 how did I not see that coming"

I would definitely recommend the audiobook. The narrators played their parts quite well

This is the sequel to the author's previous book 'Best Day Ever' and whilst it can be enjoyed as a standalone it would be preferable to have read the first book prior to this one to have a deeper grasp of the main character, the despicable Paul!

The manipulative narcissist Paul and his new second wife Cecilia are in Paris celebrating their first anniversary courtesy of the huge inheritance Paul had dubiously received from an old lady Esther. Whilst things seemed to be running smoothly at the start of their marriage it is clear all is not what it seems and both Paul and Cecilia have their hidden agendas for the trip. Has Paul finally met his match with this particular wife and who is she really?

The story is told from dual points of view across a dual timeline and the narrators do a brilliant job to increase the tension in this twisty thriller.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this book and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

I quickly got caught up in this tale of so called domestic bliss.

Paul and Cecilia are married and celebrating their one year anniversary on a romantic trip to Paris but you can tell from the outset that something is not quite right.

Paul is a millionaire, having worked his way into the affections of a rich lady who dies and leaves him her fortune, so he has it all, a beautiful young wife, a home to die for in Malibu and is a man used to getting his way. His arrogance got my back up from the outset, what he deemed suitable for his wife, expecting her to be waiting at home for him, barefoot and pregnant was his vision but Cecilia has other plans.

I loved everything about it and would definitely recommend reading if you're a fan of domestic thrillers. The narration was fantastic. Thank you to the author and the publishers for an advanced copy. Another hit for Kaira Rouda.

Paul and Cecelia’s relationship is a passive aggressive War of the Roses…They are perfect for each other.

Rouda’s latest novel is a fun read. As the narrative unfolded through the alternating perspectives of Paul and Cecelia, I found myself complacent over the predictability of a scene only to be surprised by the turn of events!

The narration by Laurence Bouvard and Nick Landrum is solid.

Paul’s self absorption matches his lack of self awareness. While Paul’s narcissistic whining is grating, it made me sympathetic to Cecelia for having to suffer his presence.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for an audio version of this title for an honest review.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio/NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook early! Before I started this book I listened to the first book, Best Day Ever. So I was very familiar with Paul's history and the type of person he is, the kind of man you love to hate. But just like in the first story he's not as good at hiding his true self as he would like to think. The story has a nice pace and I definitely said "what?! No way!!" out loud at least once! This was a fun one and I highly recommend it!

This could have been a great story but was ruined with extremely implausible over the top scenarios/reveals. The mistress did not neee to be the sister, especially on top of being the daughter. That reveal was wasted too…

I am also aggravated by how often adopted children or children from the foster system are vilified as if we are all sociopaths because we were fostered or adopted.

Other complaints: the dialogue between the husband and wife was unbelievable and ridiculous. This isn’t how a couple speaks …

Publication date: August 16th, 2024
Page number: -
Audio length: 8.5 hours
Narrator: Nick Landrum, Laurence Bouvard
Genre: domestic thriller
POV: Paul
Setting: French vacation

Paul and Cecelia have been married a year, and are spending their anniversary in Paris. At which time a cat and mouse game begins as both have alternative plans for the vacation. Fast paced, constant action. Twists and turns until the very end!


Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced audio copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

Narration of this book is amazing! I loved this book so much and the audio version is outstanding!

Paul Strom is one of the most despicable characters ever written. Best Day Ever is my favorite Kaira Rouda book and Paul is now married again and is up to his same old ways. But Paul may have met his match in his latest wife…or has he??? The scheming and twists and turns kept me listening to this book and finished in one day!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture audio for the chance to read and review this book!!!

3.5 stars for this one!

A woman who was once invisible meets and marries a man who changes her life. Despite their lavish lifestyle, she is filled with resentment over his past actions and is seeking revenge. She is determined to get what she wants, no matter the cost.

This book was cleverly written with an intriguing plot. It features multiple timelines and points of view that all converge at the end. Personally, I found it to be a bit slow-paced, requiring me to frequently refocus my attention. While I appreciated the concept of the storyline, it didn't quite captivate me as much as I had hoped.

It took me two days to finish listening to this audiobook. Both narrators did an excellent job of bringing their characters to life. I found their performances enjoyable, but the overall pace of the book was a bit too stagnant for my liking. Despite hearing a lot of positive reviews, my expectations were not fully met.

In general, I found this to be a decent read, although not particularly memorable. I was surprised to learn that this book is actually a sequel, as this information was not clearly indicated. Having not read the first book, I hope that this one can stand alone, as some sequels are able to do.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my audiobook ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Told by the two in two intertwining narratives. Paul and his wife Celine are spending their first anniversary in Paris, City of Lights for two souls in love. Paul is wealthy (having inherited a fortune) and much older than Celine who is young, attractive, and fond of purchasing designer goods and jewellry. it seems he is a caring and doting husband, and that his wife is giddy and foolish in love - but as the narratives continue, the story takes on a more sinister tone. Thanks so much to NetGalley for this ARC/audiobook - a magnificent thriller.

Satire is a killer.

I enjoyed how this story was told intertwining the past to present day. The characters were well developed and their stories were eventually reflections of one another. One person isn't better than the next

Not the most subtle thriller. A lot of the time, the foreshadowing sounded like it was spoken differently from the rest of the story to the point where some of the plot twists were incredibly predictable. Other than that criticism, I was absolutely gripped by this book, and I listened to all 8 hours and 35 minutes in one day, resulting in me going to bed at 2am. I always appreciate when a book makes me violently hate and want to murder a character, so this author did a brilliant job writing Paul. The book is split into 2 main POV’s (Paul and Cecilia Strom) and another smaller POV all with their own narrator. Paul’s POV’s were the hardest to listen to and by the end of the story, I had a list of at least 20 horrible things he had done and his terrible justifications for his behaviours. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more of her works in the future. I also found out after reading this book that there is another book about Paul’s first marriage called “Best Day Ever” but I was fine reading this as a standalone.

This really wasn’t my cup of tea. I liked the narrators voices and I liked that the book is written in dual POV. That’s all. The book is written in past and present timeline and it was so predictable to me. The characters are messed up and I didn’t like any of them.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook! This was great! I loved how fast pace this book was. The storyline kept my interest the entire book. I devoured this story! I loved the set up of this book, as a play by play and having back stories of Characters and then having a mystery character narration. I loved the twist at the end!

💄🎧📖AUDIOBOOK REVIEW📖🎧💄

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥰Thank you so much to Bookouture Audio for the gifted audiobook!

📖Title: The Second Mrs. Strom
✍️Author: Kaira Rouda
📆Pub date: August 16, 2024
⏳Audiobook length: 8 hrs 35 mins
🗣️Narrator: Laurence Bouvard and Nick Landrum

👀Freida McFadden fans this one is for you!!

📖If you're looking for an audiobook you can fly through without wanting to press pause at all, you need to check out THE SECOND MRS. STROM!

👀Don't read the synopsis, it gives way too much away! Go in blind and I guarantee you'll have a blast getting to know this newlywed couple with a couple secrets up their sleeves.

📖It was the perfect length so I was never bored or checking the time, the characters were fun, and the flashbacks via diary entries helped keep things interesting.

👀I definitely gasped at the twist and it made me want to go back and reread the whole book!

🎧Both narrators were fab and easy to listen to. Highly recommend audiobook format for this one! It kept me entertained while I walked, pressure washed my patio, cleaned out my window wells, etc. What more could I want? Lol