3.5* This book had an intriguing premise, and the twists kept me turning the pages. I think that the buildup of suspense was well done, and I did enjoy how the layers of secrets were unraveled. That said, at times the pace of the book was a bit slow for me and overall, it didn't fully blow me away. It was still an interesting read though and worth checking out if you enjoy domestic thrillers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Twists and turns…secrets and red herrings…imagine being the second wife…a loving husband or not…realistic characters kept this story moving quickly. Wondering what would happen next…a page turner by a gifted author…intrigue and mystery…guessing…thanks Netgalley.

I enjoyed the book. Read this in a day. Theres some twists here and there but we don't always need crazy twists around ever corner. Emily and Naomi are strong main characters we know from the start Emily is in prison for murder. She was raised a certain way that led to her choices in men not always good. Naomi's mother has a connection to Emily. They have known each other for decades.
The story really is about Emily and how her childhood and early adulthood shaped her and brought her to where she is sitting in a prison. The male characters are explained but not too deeply I would have liked to see some more explanation of the parties over the vague described. Overall it was good though.

The book started out great. The premise was really promising. Yet, somehow the pacing felt off for the first half of the book. It ended up being one of those reads where I’m glad I read it, yet I’m not entirely sure if I loved LOVED LOVED it. it was well-written and well-told, but somehow and at least for me it felt flat-ish and lacked some emotional depth.

I really hoped this would be a great book based on the description and did enjoy the beginning chapters, It may be for others, however sadly it fell short for me. The jumps in time all over the place, the lack of cohesion and the confusion created ended up being disappointing and I realised this wasn’t engaging me in the way I wanted. While the writing itself was done well and there were sections i enjoyed, it was the overall book that somehow left me disappointed. I hope others have a better experience but it was not for me. I’m thankful to Netgalley for letting me read this in exchange for my review - and hope others enjoy this more.

Alluring. Mysterious. Mind-boggling. Are some words that come to mind upon finishing this. With an underlying powerful message in regards to women rights. I loved this book, and you will too. It will keep you hooked wanting to know what happens next and yet keep you guessing.

I really enjoyed this book despite guessing some of the twists and turns. It was very well written and had a great story behind it . I would definitely recommend this book as it was better than I expected , I think the authors alias name put me off to be honest lol . I give this book 5 stars and will look forward to reading more from this author.

This review is challenging for me because I did end up liking parts of it. But getting behind a woman whose character is very questionable was difficult. Maybe this was how we were supposed to feel about her. I don’t know if this was for me, but I’m glad I read it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Written as a series of interviews between a student completing her dissertation and a murderer serving her time for killing her husband.
The interviews dig into Emily's life and the events leading to her imprisonment.
Whilst the premise is good I found Emily a difficult character to get behind as she led her best friend into danger and continually put herself in situations she knew she should avoid. Some of this was explained by her childhood but in many places I just wanted to shout at her for being so consistently stupid.

Emily is in prison for murder. Naomi chooses to visit and interview her for her Phd dissertation. From these interviews we get to hear of how Emily ended up inside. This is very much a story of how how men abuse power to abuse women. I like the writing style of this book and the depiction of the characters. Some of Emilys actions are somewhat frustrating but I also believe that the characters early trauma led to these decisions in her life.
The story entertained and kept me engaged throughout. Highly recommended.

I started off loving this book but I’m afraid it didn’t last long. I found the timelines confusing, and I thought Emily was a very, very, stupid woman. She brought so much of what happened on herself and I had absolutely no sympathy for her. Some of her actions were unbelievable, and everything seemed to go on and on and on. There were contradictions in the story too. Just one example: in chapter 4 we read “I never breastfed Anouk.” Then in chapter 10 we read “I’ve been devoted to her – I breastfed …”. OK, it’s just a little error, but it only takes an error or two for me to question the professionalism of the author and to put me off a book altogether. Yes, I know I’m anal at times but I cannot stand to see mistakes in a book. There shouldn’t be any! There were several proofreading errors in this one too – ‘and but then’ is just one of them – and lots of incorrect punctuation. On the positive side I thought the actual writing was great. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc and I’m sorry I won’t recommending this one.

What a fabulous read! This is one of those books that you are dying to get to the end of but at the same time never want it to end! It grips you from the very beginning. Moving backwards and forwards throughout the lives of the characters the story unfolds with many unexpected twists and does not fail to deliver at the end. Suspense, drama, and betrayal keep you enthralled. Would make such a great tv drama

Emily grew up with her mum working hard and wanting to find a rich husband for security. Emily learnt lessons from this approach. From a young age Emily noticed men noticed her. Her life experiences and the men she as come into contact with means that her view of things doesn't match others and what will she do or be done to her to achieve what she tells herself she needs?
Really loved this book. Loved the way Emily is portrayed as a complex character. The other characters around her fitted too.

The second marriage is a real page turner. It is not at all what you think and the ending sure knows how to make you crazy.

This tells the story of naomi who visits her mums friend Emily who is in jail for the murder of her husband. Its about how emily ended up there. Told on multiple timelines. This interweaves the truth about being a women at night and in an man's world.
This gripped me from page 1 and became a binge read. I was convinced there was more to the ladies connection. The story was full of emotion and gripping. Each character was flawed and it was powerfully revealed. I was glad of the epilogue because although I was gripped I had gueesed the truth so the epilogue redemmed the characters for me.
I would highly recommend thus as a 5 star read. Thank you so much netgallery and publisher.

I wouldn't normally leave a review for a book I dislike, but I'm required to leave a review for NetGalley.

The only positive I can say is that this book was well written, but the story was terrible. I love empowering female characters, unfortunately the main character was far from it, even though it appeared that's how she was supposed to be perceived.

Instead, the hypocrisy and selfishness of this character was disturbing. I disliked many areas of this book, but I'll discuss two. First, she invited her friend, Anna, to the party knowing what the men expected at these private parties, although she didn't expect it would go to the extent that it did. Nevertheless, she never warned her friend, who she supposedly loved. How could somebody put someone they loved, or anyone, in that situation, knowing she would be abused and in this case, even worse.

Then, after her first marriage dissolves, she marries the disgusting man who abused and manipulated her as a young woman. She knows exactly what this man is like, but he's rich and she likes the great, violent sex they have. So, they are engaged, and she and her young daughter now live with him, allowing her daughter to live under the same roof with this sadistic man. What the hell is wrong with this woman?

I appreciate the parts of the story that discuss the struggle of women in relation to sexism, equality, etc. throughout the years, but the main character did little to impress me with her lack of concern for her friend and daughter because she wanted this man so much. I found it disgusting.

I do not recommend this book.

Domestic noir is my favourite psychological genre and The Second Marriage fits the bill perfectly. It is told from different timelines and the points of view of Emily Brigham, who is in prison, and Naomi, a young woman who interviews her as part of her PhD. Emily was a woman who appeared to have it all: a happy marriage and a daughter who she loves. But one day a former lover appears in her life and threatens to upend the status quo, revealing Emily's sordid past. Lots of twists and turns ensue, culminating in the murder for which Emily has been imprisoned. I especially liked the final twist when Naomi's true purpose is revealed. The writer covers some very topical issues relating to #MeToo and the way powerful men abuse and control women, with Emily hell bent on seeking revenge at all costs. Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is interesting. It really pulls you in, in the beginning. As the book goes on, it definitely gets darker and uncomfortable. I definitely think there should be trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book. If there had been, I wouldn’t have read this book. I did find myself skimming through some chapters, especially the uncomfortable ones. There were so many secrets and twists that it did make the book interesting. I was happy to be done with it and definitely won’t be reading it again.

Thank you NetGalley, Rebecca and Storm Publishing for the ARC!

This book was slightly disappointing for me as I though it was more of a psychological thriller when it seemed more of a drama with some thriller aspects. I was not really on the edge of my seat ever and there weren't any major bombshells that threw me. It was interesting in the plot but definitely important to read the trigger warnings ahead of time as there are some really dark and graphic scenes. I found myself skimming long chapters to push forward and just finish the book which is a sign for me that I'm getting bored with the plotline. The main character was pretty annoying too and at times I wanted to just yell at her to not be stupid. Not a strong showing and probably wouldn't recommend this book.

3.5* An engrossing read despite the absolute deserving beotch that was Brigham. The title is misleading, though.

Hmm. This is a hard one to review, as I hated Brigham and how she treated her friends at 'those parties', how she let her supposed BFF Anna down - then went on to name her daughter after her - how she manipulated people and events, lied, gaslit, schemed and colluded with Drew (shades of MuskRat there, methinks) and Liam. But, it was a strangely mesmerising read because I kept waiting for the shoe to fall, which it did in a too-quick, too-convenient manner, and for the other secret that Brigham alluded to, and I kept wondering how much further she could fall. Quite a lot, actually. But, at the same time, she didn't lie to herself - just others - and she was a Tiger Mom, so there was the tiniest bit of redemption in my book, no pun intended.

The book's title and blurb are misleading and had they been less so, I wouldn't have ended up reading it. I kept waiting for the second marriage that happened so belatedly that it came at 93% of the tale gone. It felt like an afterthought, not the subject of the tale or Brigham's plotted end game. It felt like she got lucky with 2 stupid guys and in vino veritas.

On the plus side, it was well written and the author made someone so unpleasant and unappealing strangely addictive.

ARC courtesy of Storm Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.