Thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. After a brief romance you marry your student's father. You are his second wife and your step son/former student is insistent that his mother, your husband's first wife is very much still alive. She leaves him notes ...but your husband and his other older children tell you she is definitely dead. A well paced twisty read that will have you second guessing everything your spouse tells you about their former partners. ⭐⭐⭐#netgalley #bookouture #goodreads #amazonkindle #litsy #thestorygraph #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookqueen #bookstagram

I was of mixed feelings about this one for a while but finally came to the conclusion that I would round up to 4 stars instead of 3. Lily hires on as an in-home schoolteacher for Noah, whose mother died several years previously. Edward, the father, is quite a bit older than Lily and claims to have fallen in love with her from the start and after just a few months asks her to marry him. So many red flags when Noah whispers he knows his mother is still alive and has been receiving notes from her. Who is sending him notes? The older sisters of Noah are evil and petty and remind me of Cinderella's stepsisters. There are so many twists and turns and dangers ahead, you will need to read/listen to this one yourself for all the details.

Lily Baxendale had a choice to listen to two people with regard to her new marriage to rich widower Edward Morgan - her best friend Marsha and one unlikely source, her new stepson Noah. Noah might only be eight-years-old, but there is something about him that gives Lily pause. She is in love with Edward, of that there is no doubt. He is older than her by 15 years, but that means nothing to her. Even though she is the second wife (Edward also has two daughters), she has no doubt that Edward loves her.

Well, that is how it started anyway. She began as Noah's tutor and fell in love with Edward. While tutoring Noah things went well between the two of them, but after her marriage to his father their relationship began to change. For one thing, Noah is experiencing different feelings about the loss of his mother, so much so that he is traumatized. He lost his mother when he was three years of age. He is home taught, isolated, alone and unhappy.

Lily does love Edward, but she continues to confide in Marsha, and Marsha does not hold back with her feelings about their relationship, which happened rather quickly. Meanwhile, things begin to occur regarding Noah, and soon Lily begins to doubt the state of her marriage.

What happened to Edward's first wife and what impact could that possibly have on her marriage? Why is Noah so distant and seemingly disturbed? What about the odd behavior Lily notices in Edward's daughter? In this thrilling story, these questions and more are answered. I liked Lily and Noah and how things developed. This story was filled with tension and ended with a pulse-pounding conclusion.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. After a whirlwind relationship Lily marries Edward. On their wedding night Lily puts her stepson Noah to bed. He whispers to her "They think I have forgotten, but I remember everything. I know my Mummy is still alive' Lily and her friend Marsha turn detectives. Can Lily trust Edward or has she made a huge mistake? A great domestic thriller.

A twisty, psychological thriller that I hated to see end. I listened to the audiobook, which I would highly recommend. I fell deep into the mystery. Guessing all the way to end. A great book if you like a dark, mystery.

I really liked this book! It did a great job of hooking me in right from the beginning and I hadn’t really encountered a dynamic like this one in a thriller book. The main character having to really figure things out based on things that the stepson remembered and also that he was communicating with his mom. This book just kept me on my toes the whole time and I loved the characters. Narrator is very good too!! The only recommendation I have is that the cover definitely does not match with how great this book was. It’s very boring and as someone who does sometimes rely on book covers, this one would make me feel a little iffy about picking this book up.

Pretty good psychological thriller. A little bit over-done in the drama of the story sometimes, but still worth the read.

Not a big fan!!
This is was dragged by, it could have been a quick conversation...I don't think the amount of time I spent on this audiobook was a waste..such an uninteresting book!
Definitely not for me who look for a laugh, a good mystery, romance, or worthwhile thing while I spend so much time on a book

The audio was great though! I mean the narrator

The suspense of this book was great. I was constantly trying to figure out what was happening. Lily was trying to help her step son determine if his mom was still alive, Is Noah right?

Lily accepts a job to be the teacher for a little boy named Noah, who after the death of his mother, began to suffer from severe anxiety and is being homeschooled. Noah’s father, Edward, sweeps Lily off her feet and after a short courtship they are engaged to be married. Then Noah tells Lily that his father has lied, his mother is still alive. There is even more to the story and I enjoyed all the unexpected surprises in this story which was beautifully narrated by Rosamund Hine.

Such a brilliant book. I listened to the audiobook and was pulled in right from the start. The story just kept building in tension. Twist after twist. Really enjoyed it. 5 stars from me.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller. There were a few good twists and turns. However, I felt the characters were a little superficial and unbelievable. It is pretty easy to guess some of the twists and turns but it is still an enjoyable read.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

What a great listen! Between Jess Ryder’s story and Rosamund Hine’s narration, I was hooked from the beginning to the end. We have quite the dysfunctional family as Lily has married a slightly older man with two grown daughters and a young son. They never mention the first wife and it supposedly upsets young Noah.

I was guessing and reguessing the entire time I listened. Did Edward’s first wife die of a tragic accident or was she helped? Who is telling the truth and is it the whole truth? The twists and turns along the way, kept me guessing until the very end.

The Second Marriage is a phycological thriller you won’t want to miss! I went into it blind and ended up loved the dark a twisted road it took me down. I was constantly second guessing who was sane, who was living, who to trust, and where all the chips would fall.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 bright stars for this phycological thriller that I dare you to figure out before the big reveal.

This book was different than I expected. It was more about marriage and lies. There was not that much suspence. To me this was not a true thriller. I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters. Halfway the book I was bored with the story. I have to admit that I skipped to the end. The ending didn't surprise me.
I listened to the audio book. The narration was good, but the story just wasn't for me.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

The Second Marriage tells the story of Lily, private teacher turned wife to Edward, and his young son Noah. Lily meets Edward while being a private tutor to his young son, after his mother died. On their wedding night, Noah opens Pandora's Box for Lily by whispering that his family (including his sisters) are lying to him, and that his mother is not really dead. As Lily struggles with what the truth could be, her world falls apart. She seeks to find the truth of what happened to Noah and his mother, even it it costs her her own life.

I did enjoy this book. I really liked the beginning and the end, but felt it lagged quite a bit in the middle. It took me some time to read, because I didn't always want to read (while I was in the middle part) because of the lagging plotlines and the lack of twistiness during that section. It did all come to a dark and twisty head at the end, but then finished with a whisper. I liked Lily, and felt connected to her character. Sometimes I had difficulty with some of her decisions or her thought processes though. It made it hard to engage in the story when characters weren't making the most logical of choices.

While this was an entertaining book, it wasn't the most shocking or twisted book. I would recommend this to those readers who really enjoy domestic thrillers. Those who really like them will definitely get on board with this book and enjoy it.

The narration was great, and added a lot to the story. I definitely enjoyed listening to the voice and how it added so much to the tale that was being told.

Thank you to the author, publisher, narrator and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, it was a fun listen! Definitely, something I wanted to get back to and finish reading. I wanted MORE at the end of the story

My favorite thing about this was the end of each chapter. No matter what the chapter was about (suspense, day to day activities, homeschooling) every single one ended on a mini cliff hanger. The last sentence of each chapter is a new hook. The audio on this was really good as well. I also loved the way the author decided to do the dual chapters. This was definitely a twisty little domestic suspense/thriller. In addition the character development for Lily and Noah was really well done. I don’t normally comment on stuff like that (or even notice it) but it really stands out in this book.

EXCERPT: "OMG! Is that what I think it is?" she exclaimed.

"Yup."

"When did this happen?"

"Last night." I told her the story of Edward's romantic proposal, and her eyes widened in amazement.

"Obviously you said yes..." She gave me one of her penetrating stares. 'But are you sure this is what you want? I mean, I was expecting you to move in with Edward - you virtually have already anyway - but marriage? That's a different league of commitment."

"Yes, I know it's a bit sudden, but actually, I feel surer about Edward than I ever did about Alex. When I'm with him, I feel like I've come home, like I don't belong anywhere else. He feels the same. We love each other. What's the point of waiting?"

"You've only been together a few months, Lily, you don't really know him. You come from completely different worlds,different generations. You're only thirty and he's a middle aged widower with three kids. From what you've told me before, he was deeply in love with his wife. The whole family's still grieving. That's a hell of a lot of baggage to dump on you."

I looked up from my bowl of pasta. "I have baggage too - we all do. I like the fact that Edwards a grownup with proper real-life experiences. I'm sick of relationships with boys who are afraid to be honest."

"Like Alex."

"Yes. Like Alex."

"I understand, but...dead wives..." she muttered. "Such a hard act to follow."

ABOUT 'THE SECOND MARRIAGE': 'They’re lying,’ my little stepson whispers, his blue eyes shining with tears as I tuck him into bed for the first time. ‘They think I’ve forgotten, but I remember everything. I know my mummy is still alive.’

My best friend warned me that it was too soon to marry Edward, a widower with an adorable but troubled little boy. She said we were moving too fast. But all I could see was a kind, loving man, struggling with grief, who needed my help.

Yet as storm clouds gather above our small wedding ceremony, my hopes and dreams fall apart. None of my husband’s family turn up to support us. Instead of a honeymoon, we have a quiet night in. My wedding bouquet is placed on his first wife’s grave. And then my new stepson tells me he’s sure his mother is still alive.

What does Noah remember and why is his father trying to make him forget? Have I been completely wrong about my husband? What happened to the woman who came before me, and how far will he go to stop me finding out the truth?

MY THOUGHTS: 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.' 'Marry in haste; repent at leisure.' Need I go on?

Jess Ryder has written a page turner. She kept me interested and ear buds in every chance I got. The plot twists are delicious. The author keeps the reader off balance with the surprising revelations, some of which had me reading so intently I forgot to breathe!

I liked Lily's character, mostly. There were a couple of times I wanted to shake her. Edward is as slippery as a bucket full of intestines. His daughters are awful! I felt sorry for Noah, isolated from the world beyond his immediate family. If you like dysfunctional families - this one takes the cake!

Go into this cold. It's exciting, suspenseful, and I was never entirely sure who was really dead, or who might only be playing possum.

Narrator, Rosamund Hine, was a pleasure to listen to. Her voice conveyed multiple emotions and she had a wonderful range of tones and inflections with which to perform the many different characters.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheSecondMarriage #NetGalley

I: #jessryder @bookouture

T: @jessryderauthor @Bookouture

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Jess Ryder is the pseudonym of Jan Page, author, screenwriter, playwright and award-winning television producer. After many years working in children's media, she has recently embarked on a life of crime. Writing, that is. (Bookouture)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Second Marriage written by Jess Ryder and narrated by Rosamund Hine for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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