Wow. This is definitely a challenging book, given its subject matter. 'The Man I Married' follows Lucy's life after meeting and marrying Paul, who initially appears perfect before something far darker emerges from his personality... However, the abuse is not traditional domestic violence as it is commonly portrayed - instead, it focuses more on coercive control and gaslighting, the more emotional manipulation that is just as painful and damaging as physical abuse.

There are sections of this book that are very difficult to read. The author clearly knows what she is talking about, and the slow burn of the abuse gradually escalating and encompassing more and more of Lucy's life was absolutely heartbreaking to read. As such, it was amazing to see Lucy begin to fight back and explore Paul's backstory in an attempt to find out what really happened to his former partner.

Indeed, it was the second half of the book where things really picked up, and there were so many plot twists, it made for really gripping reading. Initially, I found the pacing a bit off, as the first half of the book is a bit slow with unnecessary subplots, but this completely changes in the second half, where everything is ripe with tension and you're desperate to find out what happens next! The ending itself was good, it wrapped everything up whilst also leaving the reader guessing, which is something you'll either love or hate. For me, this began as an ok read but transformed into a great one as the book went on.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in conjunction with NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

My Review
Are you looking for an edge of your seat type read???
Then look no further than The Man I Married....
A very enjoyable debut.....
We meet probation officer Lucy in this story.
Lucy is married to Paul.....
I often wonder when we go out with or marry someone, how well do we really know the person.
So much trust is needed for a relationship and a lot is taken at face value isn't it....
Their first meeting in the pub felt somewhat staged if I'm honest...
Very unprofessional of Lucy to even discuss a case with someone she's only known all of five minutes..
Elena's characters I did find quite enjoyable if somewhat strange...
Her writing was atmospheric, dramatic and at times bloody creepy..
When Lucy finds some messages and a photograph on her new husbands phone, it takes trust and plenty of restraint to not let her thoughts get out of control...
Easier said than done...
Just what is her husband hiding from her though? It certainly had me guessing for sure...
Well worth your time and effort...

Whoa! This was one heck of a ride. I saw more ups and downs in this book than on the roads. The turnpins the author Elena Wilkes took brought the whole twist to the story.

A whirlwind of romance and secret marriage saw the main character Lucy bound to psychologist Paul Webb. But things started to happen. Paul’s behavior too left a lot to be questioned.

A debut by this author, I savored the freak-out tale, where I didn’t know what the truth was, right till the end. I loved how the twists turned me inside out. Nothing was as it appeared, and the author managed to keep the atmosphere suspenseful.

Some scenes were far fetched, but that was okay. I was too into the tale to not enjoy it. The main characters, oh Lucy, what could I have told her? I tried to poke her and get her to see the truth. But she was in love.

The race to know the reality of Lucy’s life got me tapping on my kindle until the last line. Whew!! It was harrowing, I tell ya!! Looking forward to see what this author would come up with next.

What an amazing read! It kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through.

This psychological thriller follows Lucy, a woman who has horrible taste in men. She meets Paul, who says and does all the right things. She finds the relationship moving really quickly. Eventually, cracks begin to appear; Lucy is often confused and doubting herself. Paul isn't the great man she once thought after all...

This book was so gripping, I couldn't put it down. I had no idea where the story was going. It is a dark love story that shows how emotional abuse can be somewhat subtle and how people might stay in such situations.

The only criticism I have is that a couple of the story lines, while they were really interesting, don't really go anywhere. Like what was the point of Simon? And her doubting Emma? I was waiting for all of it to tie together.

4/5

Thank you to Hera and NetGalley for the free eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow, is what I can say about The Man I Married by Elena Wilkes, from start to finish it had me gripped, I had no idea where the story was going, one minute you think the journey was going one way and the next it was going another way.

A well written, fast paced book, with it also being scary knowing this sort of thing goes on behind closed doors.

This is a brilliant start to Elena's writing career, I cannot wait to read her next book.

Most of us want to believe the best in others, especially when a dashing man comes up to us.. saying all the right things, acting in a way that makes us feel seen but.. when you rush into things, that perfect reality you imagined can be broken in a myriad of ways.

The Man I Married is one book that you definitely to not want to miss! TRUST me when I say that this book is a must read that’ll keep you paranoid for days to come.

The Man I Married by Elena Wilkes

Dark disturbing psychological thriller that left me wondering at the end of the book. So many times, I wanted to shake Lucy then sit her down and have a LONG talk with her about…a LOT of things. I kept thinking, “You are thirty-four, well respected in your field, capable, see the truth in others…wake up!” I will be thinking about this book for a while.

What I liked:
* The introduction to Lucy as she met soon to be paroled Simon
* The respect Lucy had at work
* Being intrigued by the way Lucy and Paul met at the pub
* The slow unveiling of the backstories of both Lucy and Paul
* The building chill I felt as the story progressed
* The questions I had throughout the story – what was real and what was not
* Wondering what I would have done faced with a similar situation


What I did not like:
* The manipulation and how easily it was accomplished
* Did and did not like that I wasn’t SURE that I knew what REALLY had happened when I finished the last page.

Did I like this book? I believe I did…though it was definitely different
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera Books and BOTBS for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

I love to discover new authors and Elena Wilkes is certainly a new author for me. I read the synopsis for 'The Man I Married' and it certainly sounded like the twisty and creepy psychological thriller that I love to read. Well I have just finished reading it and overall I did enjoy it but more about that in a bit.

I can honestly say that I didn't take to either the character of Lucy or the character of Paul, a psychiatrist, as both in their own way got on my nerves. When the story begins, we learn that Lucy is a probation officer, who travels to York to meet a prisoner, who is soon to be released from prison. After the meeting she ends up going for a drink with her friend, who then leaves her. Lucy meets Paul in a bar and it takes less than five seconds for them to discuss a case with which they are both involved. I just couldn't believe that Lucy could be so naive as to spill her guts about a sex offender in the middle of a pub to a man, who she had known for five seconds and who said that he was a psychiatrist without him having provided any proof. I used to work in safeguarding vulnerable adults and children and discussing a case in public was a big 'no no'. There's also something about Paul that set off alarm bells for me. I won't say what it is as I would hate to spoil the book for anybody but he just seemed to be too good to be true. Romance blossoms for them but it doesn't take long for the rose tinted spectacles to fall off. What happens? Well for the answer to that question and more you will just have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.

I must be honest and say that it took a while for me to get into this story. I think that has something to do with the fact that I was feeling very tired when I started to read the book and the fact that the main characters irritated me somewhat. Once I got over the character irritation, I got into the story and then found it hard to put the book down for any length of time. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and of course I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or not.

'The Man I Married' is well written. The author certainly grabs your attention from pretty early on and then draws you into the story. This was one of those books that had more twists and turns to them than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders'. The story is well plotted and the situation in which Lucy finds herself is certainly plausible. I would say that I was gripped by the story from about a third of the way in right up until the very end. I can't say that I was on the edge of my seat for the duration of the story but I did have several moments where I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen next. Elena certainly knows how to create a tense and dramatic atmosphere and I found that the level of tension steadily built throughout the story.

Overall I did enjoy reading 'The Man I Married' and I would recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers. I will be reading more of Elena's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.



The Man I Married by Elena Wilkes is a pyschological thriller that kept me definitely busy for a couple of days! Lucy works in the probation office and deals with the types of prisoner that give her the creeps, never mind anyone else. She meets, by accident a psychiatrist, Paul, who sweeps her off her feet. Lucy goes from living in her own place and spending her time with Emma, her best friend, to spending every moment with Paul. They marry after weeks together and have everything they ever wanted, as a couple. Then comes the day when Lucy discovers a photograph of who she presumes is an ex. She then realises he is receiving texts from someone, she presumes it, again,
his is ex but he denies it. Paul begins to act odd, reacting one way them denying he ever did. Lucy begins to think she is going crazy especially when she is contacted by a man who has been released from prison and he starts sharing things with her that the police and work say he couldn't be doing.
A true psychological thriller with so many twists to the story you have no clue where it is going. I was really immersed in the book and the found it a suspenseful story that kept me turning the pages! I loved Lucy, and understood her trains of thought. I wanted to give her a hug half the time! Paul is one of them characters you just want to smack in the face, a horrible man who pretends to be everything everyone wants, but is sneakily working behind the scenes with his own agenda. Emma, Lucy's best friend is a woman who really cares about Lucy and is dragged into Paul's games and causes Lucy so much heartache when she comes to the realisation. I will say I was almost shouting at Lucy and wishing she would just belief in herself and do what she needed to do for herself!
In conclusion a psychological tale that will definitely have you thinking about that one decision or that one meeting that could change the course of your life, forever and not for the good!
Thank you to Books On The Bright Side, Hera books and Netgalley for the copy of the book to give you my thoughts today.

3.5 stars

It is a solid story afterall for a debut novel. I could feel the tension of toxic relationships with throughout the story and really enjoyed it. The story ended in a way that most people would have guessed and expected but the author's skill of story telling had kept me intrigued all the way. Recommended to those who love domestic thrillers.

Loved this book, I found it to be brilliantly written which had me gripped from the start. My only complaint is I read it too quickly as I just couldn’t put it down!

This book was quite hard to get through for me, Elena Wilkes writes about the coercive control so well that it did make me feel uneasy and i felt like i was in Lucy's position. The story follows Lucy being slowly alienated from her family and friends by her new boyfriend, Paul, until she is completely alone and under his control.
The ending is rather predictable (i won't give spoilers) based on the way the story plays out, and if you've read similar books before, but that doesn't take away from the impact it has on the reader.
Wouldn't recommend for those who have been in abusive relationships as it does hit very close to home. Quite a tough read and i don't think i got much in return- but the beginning of the book was very intriguing and did hook me to reach the end

Me reading this book: What the heck am I reading?!

Paul Webb (the male lead in The Man I Married) could be the poster child for gaslighting narcissistic psychopaths.

You guys have no idea what you’re getting into when reading this book. Having read The Wives by Tarryn Fisher, I too found myself doubting the female lead Lucy. But after one suspicious event after another, I could see how truly terrifying Paul was and now scary it was to imagine being in Lucy’s shoes, married to a man who is seemingly perfect.

Most of us want to believe the best in others, especially when a dashing man comes up to us.. saying all the right things, acting in a way that makes us feel seen but.. when you rush into things, that perfect reality you imagined can be broken in a myriad of ways.

The Man I Married is one book that you definitely to not want to miss! TRUST me when I say that this book is a must read that’ll keep you paranoid for days to come.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The man I married is a fantastic dark novel about the inside of domestic abuse told in a deeply disturbing but gripping way.

Lucy met Paul by chance on a night away and they fell quickly into a relationship that had alarm bells ringing from the very start. Lucy chose to dismiss these and before she knew it they were married and buying a house.

Paul fits the profile completely of a domestic and emotional abuser and I found myself almost shouting at Lucy to get out! This story has much more to it which I won't spoil for you as it is a fantastic debut and I can't wait to see what Elena Wilkes writes next.

Lucy is a probation officer and today is meeting with Simon, who is a wily sex offender soon to be released from prison. He had bought and sold little children but now he swears he has changed.

Lucy laters meets up with her friend, Emma, in a pub. She is also a probation officer and saying how she wants to move to New Zealand with her boyfriend. After Emma leaves the pub, Lucy stays awhile longer waiting for a rainstorm to stop. She accidentally bumps into a man, causing him to spill his drink. She buys him another to replace it and they start to chat. He is Paul Webb, a prison psychologist. He is familiar with Simon agreeing that he is a scary person. After several drinks, they leave together and have sex in a remote area. Spending time with Paul has become wonderful for Lucy and she finds herself falling for him.

When Lucy gets a phone call from Simon, she is shocked that he managed to get her phone number. Therefore, she switches her phone to another one. At the same time, a young child has gone missing and Lucy fears that Simon has taken her.

After a short time together, Paul insists that they get married. Lucy is hesitant but relents. They seem to be happy but Paul acts strangely at times which confuses Lucy. Thus begins a crazy and scary time together.

This story was dark, but compelling. The reader doesn’t know whom to believe - Lucy or Paul. As the tension builds, we realize who the crazy one is and it’s really scary. I enjoyed it and realize how terrifying it must be to married to a controlling spouse.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book has teeth, tiny sharp pointy ones. I’m finding it really difficult to process my thoughts yet alone words on this mind manipulating book. It is Crazy with a capital C and the fact this is a debut makes it even more impressive. It’s sharp, clever and on finishing it I was sat there pondering what the hell I just read.

Lucy is an unusual protagonist and Paul is certainly an unusual antagonist. Is she crazy? Is he a master manipulator? The fact that she is a probation officer and he is a psychologist just had my mind spinning as these are intelligent people and should be a great match. Then there is the sub plot regarding Lucy’s exposure to a child sex offender recently released on parole and a missing child, this made me question Lucy’s mental state even more as things she swears are true are being questioned and she’s accused over being over worked and under extreme stress. Is she having a mental break?

Then there is the matter of Paul’s past and a photo Lucy has seen that has since disappeared and the single red roses. Paul says things and then denies them and by the end I was questioning my own sanity.

If you like the strange and twisted like Gone Girl and Behind her eyes then you will love this.

You love him. You’ll do anything for him. But do you really know him?

This is the story of Lucy and Paul.

They met. They fell deeply in love. They got married.

Lucy thought that she had everything she wanted.

Until she found the photograph from Paul's past life, read the text messages he's so desperately trying to hide. Until she uncovered Paul’s darkest secrets.

Now Lucy realises she doesn’t really know her husband. She doesn’t know if she can trust her own mind. She doesn’t know the lengths Paul would go to keep his perfect life.

And worst of all, she doesn’t know that she’s in danger...

This book was just to confusing for me and ended with to many unanswered questions.
For the first few chapters I thought the book was going to be about Lucy and the released sex offender, but that story sort of fizzled out with no real conclusions.
The story then moved onto Lucy and Paul and there whirlwind relationship. For me there were to many red flags for Paul, I would have steered clear of him. But Lucy just seemed desperate to be loved and excepted the first man who showed her any interest. I found Lucy to be a bit of a doormat she did not really question Paul’s stories and even though at times he was clearly lying she just let that slide.
I feel also that her friendship with Caitlin was all one sided and that they were not true friends if Lucy could not confide in her.
The ending was even more confusing, it was all wrapped up to quickly and was very vague on what happened to Paul and who the children belonged to.
This book had potential if the author stuck to one plot that made more sense, instead of jumping from one story to the next and trying to squash them together to create one big story.

I thought this book started out slowly, and sometimes I worry that I won’t finish books that start slowly. So I figured I’d read a few chapters and then go to sleep. That was about 10pm. Before I knew it, it was 5am, and I seriously had to force myself to stop reading! (I finished it the last night.)
This book is THAT good!
I’m not one to give out parts of the story. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. This is my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

This is a twisted story where the tension just builds and builds. I did wonder how it could possibly end, but a well written conclusion. Highly recommended

The Man I Married is a psychological thriller with many twists.

When Lucy meets Paul, she's a completely different person and makes her feel her very best. They end up in a relationship and get married pretty quickly. But Lucy feels confused as there seems to be a lot that Paul hasn't told her about his life.

This book did have me saying to myself "just one more chapter", so I thought it was a good read. However, I still have some unanswered questions and the ending was a little confusing for me, even though I went back and read the last few pages a couple of times.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hera books for providing me with this copy.