Netgalley

I received a copy of this book to review for my my honest opinion from NetGalley

The Man I Married was an Ok read that had great potential. Lucy is a parole officer who goes to prisons in interviews men who are up for parole.She interviews a man who is released a known sex trafficker over in London. That case kind of set her up for a breakdown. During the process she meets a man named Paul who kind of sweep her off her feet and after A brief couple months of dating he proposes and she says yes. I never quite understood where the parolee comes in. He is brought up several times in the beginning of the book but does not show up again after the first half. I think he was there as a person that drives her a little bit towards her breaking point and helps her husband use that against her. Her husband is a psychologist who also works in the prison with parolees and he ends up making Lucy thinks she is losing her mind she gets hospitalized several times and he makes her believe whatever he wants. Certain stories he tells her he ends up saying he never said or never did. Come to find out he had a wife and children that he ended up killing because she try’s to leave. The deceased wife’s sister shows up and tries to warn Lucy that the man she married is not the man that she thinks he is. With Moira’s help she tries to leave the husband, the end of the book is still unclear of what actually happened.

Pooh this was a good book!
Such a twisty plot, an absolute page turner. It was predictable, but in a good way, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I don't feel this spoiled it for me at all.

I couldn’t connect to the first half of this book. This was an ok read. I couldnt get into it at first and then honestly just skimmed. I didn’t really connect with the characters and theme of this book. It got mixed reviews but I thought the story line on the synopsis would lure me in. Still a good read!

Lucy is a parole officer, she knows all about the tricks, the snide comments, and hooded stares used to try to make her feel uncomfortable, intimidated or confused. She also knows how to use her own position to counteract most of them but that's work, where she has the influence to help or hinder a prison release; it couldn't happen in her own life, could it?

Paul is a confident, fun, attentive man, she loves him and amazingly he loves her but what's that saying? Marry in haste ...? So what can you do when all the things you know are red flag warnings tell you something is very wrong and almost unbelievable? Who can you turn to when you no longer trust anything or anyone? Lucy is aware her is life moving too quickly but she has no idea how to apply the brakes.

This is a well written, fast moving story and for the most part I enjoyed it. Lucy and Paul were believable and their behaviour became clearer as the story progressed as it should in this type of situation. The denouement however, wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be and I was left feeling a little disappointed but I expect that is more to do with me than the ending itself.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller or books by this author.

This was a decent read. The story revolves around Lucy who meets Paul and their relationship progress very quickly. Paul seems the perfect guy at first but slowly things changes.

The book is filled with many twist and turns and it was surreal how Paul controlled everything in Lucy's life. He manipulated not only Lucy but also her friend and colleagues. What Paul did to Lucy was really well written and it was interesting how the situations turned around and it look totally different to the other characters. Paul's wickedness was on another level. The writing was good and engaging.

I enjoyed how Lucy was coming up with terms that something is wrong with Paul,and the subplot where she tried to unravel Paul's past.The ending was a bit abrupt. I felt things escalated very quickly. Overall, it was a interesting story with tons of plot twist and I enjoyed it.

ucy had recently been in a relationship with Dan – she thought he was “the one”. Yet, it turned out badly. Dan was already in a relationship with his WIFE. This did a number on Lucy’s self-esteem. After all, her friend, Emma, had lots of dates. the greatest guys, yet Emma seemed OK with this.



When out/drinks with Emma, Lucy meets Paul. They have dinner and overnight connect with each other. He was nice, not really handsome, but he had not relationships, children. He really seemed like someone Lucy could be happy with.



But Paul had secrets – and those secrets weren’t so nice...



This read hooked me right in! A very well-written novel that will satisfy any reader of thrillers, mystery and suspense. There is always something happening in this book – no lag time here!



Many Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for a great read!

Lucy is a probation officer and her profession allows her to interact with various kinds of prisoners. Lucy has some problems with one of them though - a young sex offender called Simon Gould, and he's on a trial for an early release although Lucy doesn't support his release. Simon has a way of playing mind games with her and as much as Lucy doesn't want to admit, in truth he terrifies her.

Lucy's best friend, Emma, knew all about the dynamics working as a probation officer. After all, she and Lucy met six months before at some Personal Development for Probation Staff conference and they've clicked from there. On one occasion when Lucy and Emma are drinking at a bar, they meet a psychologist named Paul Webb. Sparks fly between Lucy and Paul and soon they are in a relationship. Things are going on well until their whirlwind romance culminates in marriage, which surprised Lucy herself. Suddenly, Paul is like a changed man. No longer the sweet and understanding man, he becomes secretive and worst of all, wants to control Lucy's life.

It is also at this time that Lucy finds herself being harassed by Simon's phone calls, or someone leaving a stalk of rose at the front of their house. But when Lucy reported these to her superior, it becomes clear to them that Lucy is too stressed for the job, and that Simon has never left the facility. Back at home, Lucy continues to live in fear under Paul's control until she finds stacks of old photographs of a young woman in Paul's drawer and began to question about his past.

Intense-wise, this book checks the box and I was intrigued by the dynamic between Lucy and Paul. The author has done a good job in portraying their characteristics as well as their credibility, for my choice kept switching back and forth between these two characters (is Lucy sane, or does Paul has something to hide?)

While the startup of this convoluted psychological thriller turns out strong and well, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and there are some loose ends which aren't fully explained. For example, what happened to Simon Gould since he was a terror to Lucy? And perhaps it's me, but I didn't fully grasp the meaning of the last few pages although I think it might be the author's intention of putting it that way. Overall, it was a decent read and the intrigue had kept most of my interest.

(3.5 stars)

3.75 stars rounded up to 4
This book is very hard to rate for me. So I’m just going to break down this review what I liked and what I disliked.
What I liked:
-The pace of the book-things moved fast, sometimes confusingly so but not once does the pace slow down.
-I literally couldn’t put it down, the plot is so engaging, dark, and twisted that you have to keep reading.
-The gas lighting that Paul does is just unimaginable and you can see that Lucy is seeing the flags but not fast enough
-I liked how Lucy tried to find ways out and plan and re plan.
-The whole plot is twisty and creepy at times. The twists are not something you see coming. Which gives me a perfect segue to
What I didn’t like:
-some bits are confusing, how does Lucy end up from one place to the other isn’t clear and kind of muddles the readers brain. While this does help you feel some panic/confusion that Lucy feels it does make it hard to keep track of what’s going on, some connecting bits need to be added to the plot just so the reader follows.
-yet another book with smart women making dumb choices- seriously I understand love, fear of loneliness etc but come on, she’s a high performing officer who deals with sleazy people and she doesn’t smell Paul a mile away? She still falls for his BS? Enough to sell her house and cut off her friends?
-parts of this book made me wonder if Lucy is a super unreliable narrator and if she is the one who’s messed up in the head and parts made me see clearly that Paul is manipulative! I would have liked it better if Lucy was a clear victim with no room for doubts
-Simon’s plot needed better handling, it played a huge part in the plot but wasn’t handled very well int he second half of the book.
-the usage of quite a few British slang(?) words, unnecessary IMHO, examples Brolly (which means umbrella), Bril (assuming it means brilliant) etc.

So what makes me round this up to a 4? The fact that the book left me confused yet wanting more, the fact that the ending leaves so much for the reader to assume and that it messes with my head enough that honestly I don’t think I can say that I know who to believe in this book. It is powerful writing, and a brill (hope I’m using that right!) debut novel. So for all it’s messiness and more I would suggest reading it.

The Man I Married
*𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝟴/𝟬𝟰/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬.
While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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Hello and welcome to my first ever Netgalley review! I am really trying to utilize this service as much as I can, as I have learned that making the tone on my phone warmer helps
prevent the migraines that usually come from reading online. Let’s jump right into this, shall we?😊
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Our main character Lucy is a parole officer, just trying to stay afloat in her job, when one day she meets Paul at a nearby pub. Everything is picture perfect: they get married almost instantly, and find a beautiful house to stay in. However a piece of Paul’s past comes to life and everything Lucy thought she knew is ruptured before her very eyes, and her husband is clearly not the man she thought she married.😱
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Something that the main description doesn’t include is that there is a second mini mystery that hangs around for the first half of the book,
possibly even more, focused around Luce’s job. I actually really liked that aspect and was disappointed with how it wrapped up, and was tossed to the side. Two other things kept me from giving this a four or higher, and one of them, unfortunately was the main character. I often felt frustrated by her actions, and felt like she was a stereotypical horror film dummy from time to time. Speaking of stereotypes, if you’ve read a lot of psychological thrillers, like myself, this book and it’s twists might come across as easy to guess, or predictable. That being said, I can tell a lot of people will enjoy this when it comes out, and I am excited to see what else Elena might put out in the future. I’m keeping my eye out for sure!🤗
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What’s a thriller stereotype you enjoy? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

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3 Stars

I really liked the premise of this novel and looked forward to reading it. However, the story just didn't work for me. Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher, Hera Books, for the eARC.

Lucy, a probation officer, is back in Yorkshire for a job assignment, a place she never thought she'd return. A place full of only painful memories and guilt. Painful memories of a failed relationship with Dan. And, guilt for abandoning her sick mother and leaving her toxic older sister to care for her. Then, Emma, her colleague/confidante drops a bombshell. She is leaving, moving out of the country. Now, Lucy is the one left behind. As if the past wasn't bad enough, the present and future is not looking much better for her. Until she meets him...Paul.

They dive into a whirlwind romance and things are moving fast. But, even in the closest, long-lasting relationships, there are secrets. It's inevitable. Lucy's discovery and disillusionment crops up much sooner than expected. She doesn't know who to believe. Who to trust? Herself and her instincts? Emma? Paul? The woman from Paul's past? The man she married has changed. Or, has he?

Told from Lucy's perspective, this was a pretty good psychological thriller. The second half was better and moved faster than the first. The Simon Gould sub-plot was intriguing and could have been expanded. Overall, I liked it.

Not a bad read at all, Lots of suspense and action, with a slow burn that leaves you guessing right up until the end. Lucy meets and falls in love with Paul, and it appears her dream life has just begun. Strange things start to happen along the way, has Lucy made a terrible mistake? And who can she trust? Certainly gives rise to the question 'do you ever really know someone?'

An interesting study into the horror of emotional abuse. many thanks to Net Galley, Hera Books and Elena Wilkes.

Entertaining, yet very predictable. This book was extremely slow in the beginning. The story did pick up at about the halfway point. Lucy is in a constant battle between what she believes to be true and what the new man in her life, Paul, tells her is true. The plot unfolded like your typical Lifetime movie. Once the final twist was revealed, I expected more. The ending was somewhat convoluted and rushed. This is definitely not the worst thriller I have read, but undoubtedly not one of the best either. Three stars for entertainment value. Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When you’re reading this book you have a real sense of danger right from the beginning. This book is fast paced, intense and an edgy read and also a little bit provocative! This is a real psychological thriller and when I say that I mean it in a very real sense, you can feel the psychological manipulation and that someone is messing with your head. And at times you don’t know who is messing with who’s head. If it was a TV show I would have found myself shouting at the TV, instead I was shouting in my head!

Lucy and Paul meet, fall in love and get married. It’s a whirlwind romance. Lucy suddenly finds she has the perfect life, everything she’d ever wanted. But one day she finds a photo in Paul’s bedside draw, that leads her to realise she doesn’t really know much about Paul’s past life. But what does she really know? Can she really trust anything Paul tells her or even trust her own mind?

Twisty and turny. Something I feel like I have read before but it was well written and enjoyable. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

The Man I Married by Elena Wilkes is a dark psychological thriller that will keep you reading long into the night. Just how well do we ever really know those with whom we share some of our most intimate moments? And to what lengths will someone go to conceal the very darkest recesses of their soul?

When Lucy meets Paul, she believes that her prayers have been answered. After all, he is everything that she could ever want in a partner, and life seems to be idyllic. That is, until Lucy discovers a past that Paul will do anything to keep hidden from his adoring wife.

This is a compelling read that will leave you questioning all that is initially accepted at face value. It is probing, sinister, and creepy, and I loved every word of it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC.

The Man I Married is the story of Lucy and Paul. Lucy is a probation officer and meets Paul after work one day in a bar. Within weeks they are married. On their wedding day Paul tells Lucy something about his part that makes Lucy realise she has no idea who her husband is.
This book felt like a hard slog for me. It took me forever to get in to it, in fact I’m not really sure if I ever got completely in to it. I work in the same profession as a Lucy and some of the practices and things that happened caused me to roll my eyes due to inaccuracies.
The ending was ok, I still felt like there were some unanswered questions though.

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

Do you really know someone? Or do you really only know what they tell you about themselves? Does anyone ever question if the person is telling the truth? Of course not we tend to believe what people tell us. Lucy has had bad relationships with men, until she met a charming man (Paul) and he swept her off her feet and quickly married her. Things were great for awhile until he started acting very strange. She started wondering who this man she married was. What did she get herself into. He started making her think she was losing her sanity because there were days he was normal and suddenly was controlling and angry. She wasn't sure what do. Then she noticed a women kept following her. Lucy knew this was so strange but things got creepy, even scary when she found out what this woman had to say about her husband. This book was amazing until the end. I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Wow - fast paced and a page turner! At times I was frustrated with both Paul and Lucy
And never sure who to believe or who was crazy! Ma6be both!!
Disappointed in the Simon storyline and her friendship with Emma - neither were really resolved.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to more by this author.

This was a pretty good read, with multiple twists and turns. It centers on Lucy, a probation officer who meets a psychologist named Paul in a bar- sparks fly and they end up in a whirlwind relationship that is uncharacteristic for her, and isolates her from her friends. Turns out that Paul is not everything that he seems, and the reader has to decide who the crazy one is as the book progresses.

The gaslighting that Paul did to Lucy was really well written throughout the book- you could easily see how situations got turned around so they looked different to others and caused Lucy to question herself. The whole subplot of Lucy trying to figure out what happened with Paul and his former partner was an interesting twist, though I wanted to yell at Lucy sometimes for not doing a little more research, rather just jumping to conclusions. I was fully surprised when I found out what really happened, though., and that is hard to do!

The ending got a little convoluted for me- it felt like things with Paul and Lucy escalated more quickly than was reasonable and the book crashed towards an ending after being a slow burn up until that point. I was also confused by the last few pages of the book- even after reading it over a couple times, I couldn't fully understand what was happening, which I guess is what the author intended- I came up with my own idea and assume others did too, but I would have preferred a clearer culmination to the story.

All in all, this was a decent read- the "messing with your spouse psychologically" theme didn't really stand out in a genre filled with this storyline, but it was well done and the mystery behind Paul's first relationship kept the story fresh,

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.