The Scandal by Nicola Marsh is a fast-paced tale of lies, deceit, marriage, friendship, and the devil you know. This one will keep you fully engaged as the puzzle pieces gradually slot into place.

When a pregnant young woman shows up in the Hamptons at the door of wealthy socialite Marisa, the identity of the woman is unknown, and the father of her unborn child is open to speculation. A small community will be turned on its head, testing long-held friendships, and threatening to destroy previously solid marriages.

This is a tale of intrigue that I raced through in a bid for answers. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This was a hard book to read. At first I thought it would be an easy going casual whodunnit but the issues the main characters face are stark and heartbreaking. Realistic. It's very easy to imagine and that's a great thng.

The main characters are doting housewife Ris, policewoman Claire, and beautiful yet fragile Elly. They're best friends who meet once a month for a gardening club which really means they drink and eat cheese aka my kind of club. What I liked about this book is the friendship these women had for one another, they had one another's backs no matter what. They all worked hard to help one another and other people and all of their jobs reflectled that. Even Elly with all of her problems and her second hobby.

There were problems I felt in the development however. Characters were told to us rather than shown. The plot was easy to read through an even with the twist at the end I wasn't the least bit surprised. All of the men in this book were honestly perverted or abusive. It made it very uncomfortable to get through at times. And if you asked me which one of them did it I would have a hard time differentiating between them since all of them seemed to be the same character.

These are characters who who would benefit well from therapy instead of self medicating with alcohol, sex, and mollycoddling. But it is that realness that also makes the book, it just didn't resonate that well with me.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and ARC, all opinions are my own. Please follow my blog for more reviews: https://aelilyreads.home.blog/

A great page turner that kept me gripped. A strong story with interesting characters and a great storyline. Really enjoyed this book

The Scandal introduces us to the privileged lifestyle of those lucky (read wealthy) enough to live in the Hamptons. Marisa (married to Avery who is an influential, CEO) is the consummate trophy wife, entertaining her husband’s clients and a lynchpin of the community charity events and perfect hostess. She is very much an organiser and dispenser of advice and support.
Marisa has two very good friends, Elly who is very glamourous who has several secrets, and Claire a detective who has discovered her husband is infertile, leaving her distraught.

Marisa – Ris is hosting her usual lunch for her friends when Claire reveals the problem of her inability to conceive. They are interrupted by Avery, Ris’s brother in law, a charming flirt, who is married to a neurotic wife purely for her wealth. The scene is set. Trouble in paradise is about to descend when Jody blows into town from New York, pregnant and looking to track down the father of her child who she believes is Avery. She crashes a dinner at Ris’s house and promptly collapses and, of course, Ris is there to help – not only Jody but also Claire – if things work out perfectly.

The plot is revealed in droplets of information, different perspectives designed to leave you questioning and guessing. I can’t say that I guessed the father of the child, but I did guess a fair bit of the plot. As for the ending? Cannot say I was delighted, it all felt a bit rushed. That said, definitely worth a read, even if the lives of Ris et al is a bit clichéd.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Nicole Marsh is a great author. The Scandal is about just that. A young pregnant mom arrives in town, and the secrets begin. Everyone has a secret... some are deadly though. The secret child is the talk of the town. Whose child is it?!

What a page-turner.

In a town where everyone is striving to achieve perfection, Marisa seems to have the perfect life. Secrets are everywhere and when a young pregnant mother arrives, the secrets begin to unravel. As the story progresses it becomes apparent that everyone has a secret, but some secrets can be deadly. A gripping story that leaves the reader guessing.

The Scandal by Nicola Marsh
Thanks @netgalley @nicolamarshauthor and @bookouture for my ARC
Publication date 25th July 2019
‘A secret child will tear a small town apart’. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Oh my goodness this book was fabulous. From reading the blurb, I thought ‘hmm this sounds quite good’ but that really would be a huge understatement. It was fabulous, just really bloody fabulous. I am huge Liane Moriarty fan and this book is quite similar in style and story. That is meant as a huge compliment. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The first thing I loved about this book was the setting. I was completely transported to a beautiful town in the New York Hamptons, where sex, scandal, secrets and lies are embedded in every corner. Each character has their own undisclosed secret which made this book a pure all-consuming, completely engrossing story. The ending was incredible and not what I predicted at all. Amazing. Highly recommended. Five big stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 xxx

This is a story about friendship and secrets. This was a quick read about what happens when you keep secrets for too long and how they can destroy you. Bookouture always has great reads!

A young, pregnant girl unexpectedly arrives on Marisa's doorstep. Marisa and her friends cannot begin to imagine how this girl's arrival will change their lives. All of the friends have secrets to protect. These friends will never be the same.

Ris, Claire, and Elly are close friends harboring secrets, some bigger than others. They live in a privileged world, enjoying the luxurious comforts of the Hamptons. But an arrival of a young, pregnant woman turns their existence upside down.

I enjoyed reading this book. The three women were very different, so it wasn’t hard to keep them apart, especially when their pasts were revealed. I had some difficulty believing that they were actually that close, because of those vast differences. Ris is the envied paragon of the community, for example. I had a hard time believing that her controlling husband would allow her to socialize with Claire, a police officer.

Oh yes, and the male characters. They were all consistently slimy, even the sole example of a “good husband.” He was also violent, sulky, and slightly unsavory.

The very very end of the book also had me asking more questions. The biggest is, why???

So I have mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed it, but there were some issues.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

Thank you for this advanced copy of "The Scandal" by Nicola Marsh.

This was an okay storyline, slow, not very fast paced, ungripping, the short chapters where it flicked between the 3 narratives of the women in this book were a good point at best.

Repetitive life stories. By 66% Elly had already mentioned her lifestyle for the 50th time.... Certain phrases are repeated throughout each women's story throughout the book.... By the end I felt like screaming, "I know, you've said a million times!!!"

Why had Elly not recalled the "Sandalwood" smell of her rapist right until the end of the book? - when she had been in contact with the guy numerous times over the 2 years? - his wife had already said earlier on in the story that he always wore the same fragrance. Surely it would trigger a memory way before the end of the book when everything is being wrapped up?!.

Not many of the plot twists come as a shock in this book, you can tell how they're going to pan out, the final chapter is and isn't a shock. I'd guessed this scenario a few times over the course of the book especially when a certain thing is mentioned twice, it was as if it was meant to stick in the back of our minds for a reason. I think it would of been better to have not mentioned it for the fill effect of shock thriller we would want from a Physcological Thriller.


All the characters aren't very likeable. Apart from Claire's Husband Dane.... But even he gets tainted with the suspicions that are implyed that playout throughout the story.

I'm not sure this book was for me, though I did manage to stick with it and finish it, I wasn't gripped like I usually am. Sorry I probably wouldn't read more by this author.
2 & 1/2 stars from me

I will rate The Scandal by Nicola Marsh as a 5/5 stars. This was a damn good read! I cannot stress that enough. The title of the books says it all... It truly was scandalous. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns and trying to uncover the deceit of so many elite people residing in the illustrious Hamptons. The way this author weaved this tale of secrets and lies was amazing to say the least. This story goes to show how desperately far one goes to keep up appearances so that they won't lose their social status, "perfect" lifestyles, family, fortune and fame. If you're looking for a thrilling, murder mystery with a sprinkle of lies and deceit as icing on the cake, then this book is for you.

What I enjoyed about this book:
I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author kept me guessing at who was the father of the poor 25 year old, Jodi, for Manhattan. With so many husbands lying and flirting and keeping secrets from their wives, I was thrown off my detective's scent on the cheater's tail, but as the story unfolded and we reached the end, my first guess ended up being correct. I must say, the author did a great job of having me second guess myself.
I enjoyed the fact that this story was told through the eyes of four women. Three of those who were rich and resided in the Hamptons: Marisa, Claire, and Elly (the only one among them divorced, yet this is a secret she fights tooth and nail to keep). And lastly through the eyes of Jodi, who discovered she was five months pregnant after sleeping with a married man. A husband who could either be Marisa's (Avery), Claire's (Dane) or Marisa's sister-in-law's, Maggie, husband (Ryan).
My favorite character of this book was Elly. Even though she appeared to be a backstabbing, traitorous bitch, she was the most real in my opinion. Yes, she was sleeping with one of her best friend's husband's behind her back, but she had a good, even though it was warped, motive behind it. Elly is the kind of character that keeps me glued to a story. Her flamboyant ways and air of sophistication (even if it was a pretense and self-constructed) reels readers in. She's the type of character you love to hate.

What I didn't like about this book:
I didn't care for the sprinkle of UK terminology thrown into an American story being told through the eyes of American characters. E.G.: Using words such as Pram, Cot, Proper, and the phrase "gave me a fright". Those are not terms that American's use. I would only see fit for those terms to be used in this story if one or more of the character's originated from the UK. I like to see consistency in the stories that I read. If a character is American, it makes more sense for them to use American terminology and slang. The same goes for an European character. While this did not take away from the story, it did irritate me while I was reading it.

Thank you Bookouture for the opportunity to read this fabulous book. Kudos to the author and thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for the exchange of an honest opinion.

A domestic noir novel in the Hamptons, reminded me of Big Little Lies and I could see it as a movie. The novel revolves around three friends, the men in their lives and the secrets they all keep to maintain the supposed.y glamorous lives they lead. Plenty of red herrings and clues along the way after a young woman comes to town threatening to expose the trio and we see how far will the women go to protect their intricately woven facades.

One night during a gossipy – very Witches of Eastwick-esque girlie get together at a house in the Hamptons, the doorbell goes and a pregnant girl faints on the doorstep. She’s the catalyst in the story ensuring a wide range of secrets and lies will need to bubble to the surface before anyone finds out – who the father is!

But this isn’t just a gossip book – it’s a proper thriller too as the characters come out of their shells and start to reveal their true natures and as things take a more sinister turn.

To be honest, this isn’t my usual read but it did keep me turning pages to the very end. And I honestly didn’t see the end coming. A proper small-town noir thriller.

This was a great thriller!

Everyone is suspect so it's hard to figure out the ending. Everyone is completely screwed up, which makes for an interesting read.

It's a book that illustrates that things are not always has they seem. Everyone faces demons we don't see.

If you're looking for a fast-paced twisty thriller definitely preorder this beauty!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elly: Glamorous and is secretly having an affair with one of her friend's husband.

Claire: a detective that has fertility issue

Marisa: a trophy wife that loves to help the community as well as all of her friends. A caretaker.

Avery: Marisa's husband and one of the top CEO in the city.

Ryan: Avery's brother that only married his wife for money. Always the trouble maker

Three women with three different secrets. Each in their own right to lead the life they lead. Appearance is everything to them in this uptown Hampton city. They not only have to keep up appearance for others, but as well as each other. Even though they claims they are best of friends. One day a young girl came into town and slowly each ladies' secrets are revealed.
The story line was captivating and believable. However, Elly over the top personality was a dead giveaway that she was not she claimed to be. That was somewhat generic. Marisa was ever the pushover and is overly friendly that just overcompensate for her lack love in her marriage. The ending was what I most love about this story. It came out of no where. The book was not that mysterious or twisted, maybe on the part with Elly but not the overall story.

Excellent suspenser set in a wealthy enclave of the Hamptons and three unlikely friends whose bonds are tested. There is a murder, affairs, revenge and all the deliciousness set in one neighborhood. Well paced and plotted perfectly. Did not guess whodunit until the end!

The Scandal was not what I was expecting but it sure got my attention! 3 friends in the Hampton’s that meet up for socials and the garden club (no reading club - just the wine and cheese!)
Marisa, Claire and Elly form an unlikely trio of friends but each have their own demons and while they don’t share this aspect of their lives with one another they derive comfort from each other none the less. But each has a secret. And when a young pregnant girl shows up on Marisa’s front door all the secrets start to unravel. It is here the plot twists really get going and you may or may not know which way things are headed. Until you do. And you might be very surprised!

It took me a while to get into this one but after a couple of chapters it sucked me in. I like the different perspectives and voices. The characters were developed beautifully and the story moved along smoothly.

Three best friends. More than three secrets. Marisa is quite sure her husband is a cheat. Claire will do just about anything to have a baby. Elly is in an altogether different situation.

Despite their domestic problems, parties, clubs and even jobs - the three ladies are best friends. They all have secrets to hide that would be devastating to themselves and one another.

In walks Jodi, 15 years younger than they are. Jodi is 25 and 5 months pregnant. Why is she coming to their town in the Hamptons when she lives in New York City?

Thrills abound in this twisty, brilliantly written story. Nicola Marsh has done a fantastic job of character definition and plotline development. Superb!

Many Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a great read!.