This was a really interesting book, with an original storyline.

I enjoyed understanding each of the characters, which went into a lot of detail, switching between the past and now.

The use of Spanish and Mexican phrases added to the authenticity, however as I don’t speak these languages, I may have missed additional information.

The only negative was how long the book was.

The description of this book where a woman manages to keep two marriages and husbands secret from each other simply drew me in to wanting to read this book. However I found it a very slow burn with very few parts of interest as it was written in a way that i did not feel hit the crux of the matter. It is a long book and I found that I kept stopping reading as it was not a compulsive read. and so It has taken me much longer than normal to complete this book . I struggled to the end because I did want to find out who did murder Andres and the ending took this from 2 to 3 stars in my mind as it did close well. The story bounces around scenes and characters of which often changes mid chapter causing the reader to pause to realign their thoughts. Apart from casa meaning house I do not know any Spanish or Mexican and so the constant insertions of these foreign phrases and statements without any translations did not add to my reading and understanding but simply made me ignore whatever the author was trying to impart to the reader.

I liked the premise of this book, but despite starting it twice, I really couldn't get into it. I found it hard to engage with the characters or care about their lives and feelings. Unfortunately I didn't finish it.
thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book

This was a fascinating read, a really interesting and original premise.
One woman - Lore, two husbands Fabian and Andres, two separate lives. Until they're not separate any more and the men find out about each other. One husband is murdered and the other is in prison for 35 years.
Cassie, a true crime podcaster tries to get Lore to open up and share her story.

It's sad and emotional, a little long, but very interesting and I was intrigued enough to keep reading.

A huge thank you to Net Galley and to the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I found More Than You'll Ever Know to be too long and drawn out for me. I found it difficult to read and it just did not hold my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I chose to read a free eARC of More Than You'll Ever Know but that has in no way influenced my review.

My reading schedule for July and August was overflowing a few weeks ago. To the point where I was reading all day, every day in an attempt to catch up. And then More Than You'll Ever Know landed on my radar, helped by a blogger friend whose opinion I really trust. She said it was a masterpiece of literary fiction and compared the writing to one of my all time favourite authors. Resistance was indeed futile. So this beauty was added to the TBR and prayers were whispered to an almighty deity that I would be able to get everything I needed to read read in time. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful piece of true crime-esque fiction, but my TBR is still utterly terrifying and there's doubt I'll make it out the other end alive

True crime blogger Cassie Bowman is on the hunt for her next story. The pressure is on to find something that will grab her mainly female audience's attention and get her visitor numbers up. That's when she stumbles upon a piece about a woman who wanted it all. Lore Rivera was married to two men. One man in Texas with whom she had two sons, and one ready made family in Mexico City. Lore was living two lives until the day her Mexican husband, Andres, turned up unexpectedly in Texas. The devastation of Lore's lie, her deceit, sent her Texan husband to Andres's hotel room where he shot him in cold blood. But Cassie feels there's more to the story than meets the eye. She wants to tell the story from a different perspective so reaches out to Lore for her side of things. The two women become closer, sharing secrets they've both held close for years. But the more Cassie discovers, the more confident and excited she becomes about the success of the project. She's on to something with Lore's story, she just knows it! What really happened that fateful summers day in 1986...

More Than You'll Ever Know is an engrossing book with beautifully written characters and an utterly riveting plot which takes the reader to the heart of one woman's devastating deceit. You would think it was hard to feel any compassion towards Lore but she's so perfectly human that the reader actually ends up being quite fond of her, or I did anyway! Gutierrez scrapes away the outer layers of Lore's character - the successful businesswoman, the mother of twins, the wife of a local tradesman - and presents the reader with her inner most thoughts, feelings and desires in the most exquisite and captivating way.

When Lore is approached by Cassie to tell her side of the story, she feels drawn to the younger woman. The chemistry these two characters have is magnetic and I was drawn into their story - and it is their story. A deal is struck and in return for sharing the past, Cassie begins to share her own closely guarded secrets. I loved the character of Cassie just as much as I loved Lore. These two women with their complicated lives and troubled pasts made for the most sublime reading experience and it will be impossible for me to forget either of them.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. More Than You'll Ever Know is a superbly written debut which ticked all of the boxes for me. The unravelling of the mystery drew me into the story, the true crime element worked beautifully, the settings - both Mexico City and Loredo, Texas - were vividly drawn by the author and I could picture the scenes unfolding clearly in my mind. I loved the dual timeline where the reader gets to meet Lore and Cassie in the present day but we also get to sneak a look behind the curtain with flashbacks to Lore's life in 1985/6 and the path she took to the ultimate deception. Plus, of course, the night of the shooting. The entire book worked for me. But the characters, they were EVERYTHING. More Than You'll Ever Know is a sublime novel which, if you're a fan of beautifully written literary mysteries you will devour. I was completely entranced and captivated by this stunning novel. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of More Than You'll Ever Know, The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

This review will be posted on damppebbles.com on 14th July 2022.

How far does someone go for love? Lore is a happily married mother of twin boys with a good career in banking. Her husband, Fabian has his own business. The perfect life. However, a deep recession, travelling away for work and the trials of every day life somehow conspire to allow Lore to be tempted by another man, Andres. Going against everything she stands for, she relents, commits bigamy and her perfect life will never be the same. When eventually her two husbands discover each other, one ends up murdered, the other serving 35 years in prison. Some years later, Cassie, a keen True Crime blogger comes across the story, is intrigued and wants to discover just what makes a woman marry and love two men at once. Armed with many questions she begins her quest to delve into the lives of those involved. Continuous research and interviews take their toll in her own life and she ignores those close to her. Her obsession only escalates and discoveries are made, secrets revealed and Cassie knows she can write a new book on the case. A thought provoking story that garners sympathy and annoyance in equal measure. A slow build that gradually reveals its secrets in this well written book.

This was an interesting take on an apparently open and shut murder case. Presented through the eyes of a journalist hoping to make a name for herself with a true crime book, it examines the case of a woman who was married to two men, one of whom murdered the other. As the investigation continues, it becomes clear there's more going on than meets the eye with this genuine crime of love and passion.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

This was a fascinating story but it was very long.. There were lots of details which were gone over several times with slight changes. Amazing how a story can be slightly changed to give a very different result..

Lore and Fabians life seems perfect. Lore works for a major bank in their hometown in Texas, whilst Fabian has his own ironmongery business. They have adorable twin boys, Mateo and Gabriel.
But one evening Lore has to attend a wedding dinner in Mexico City and that is where her life turns upside down.
She meets the wonderful and charming Andres Russo but neglected to inform him that she was already married.
One dance and a motorcycle ride later she has started to fall for Andres.

As her affair blossoms and she falls for not just Andre's but also his two children from his previous marriage to Penelope. When Andre's asks her to marry him she agrees .

With two husbands and two completely different lives what happens when both of the world's collide?
One husband is murdered but which one?

Nearly thirty years later true crime writer and blogger Cassie Bowman reads about the story and wants to her it from Lore's perspective but with one husband dead and the other in prison will Cassie be able to convince Lore to share her story?

A very enjoyable debut novel.

Well... this was exciting and kept me on my toes all the way through. We follow true crime blogger Cassie in 2017 as she stumbles on an old case that really piques her interest. That of Delores (Lore) Rivera who bucked the trend in crime by having two husbands. A situation that completely imploded one night when one, Fabian Rivera, killed the other, Andres Russo, back in '85.
How could she have pulled the duplicity off - well, Fabian and her lived in Texas, and Andres in Mexico City. Lore herself worked for a credit union with clients in both places, enabling her travel.
Cassie's interest comes about when she reads an article about the crime which, she feels, did not represent Lore properly and really wants to redress that balance. Which is how she spins it to Lore and others involved when she is setting out.
Told in alternating chapters - past and present - and told by Cassie and Lore, we see how it all began for Lore's bigamy, and how it all fell apart in the past, as well as follow Cassie's investigation in the present. The two timelines complement each other as they meander along until finally the whole truth is fully exposed. And boy what a truth it is!
As well as being interesting and intriguing, it's also quite an emotional read. I did feel for many of the characters along the way, also changing my mind about several too! There's a lot of historical background to be found within which added another layer to what was happening, and another emotional level too. And explained a lot of Lore's motive.
The truth when it arrived wasn't quite as shocking to me as it could have been as I did guess certain things a little early. But I did have fun as it crescendo-ed towards its final conclusions. And although I did guess the who, the why and other details did escape my wiles.
I know we all have secret but Lore's were a bit of a doozy. Do I condone her actions? Of course not. But it doesn't mean that I can't sympathise and empathise with her. Circumstances and all that. And doing a bad thing does not make you a bad person.
The narrative is peppered throughout with Spanish. Most of which is directly translated soon thereafter. It did irk me a while initially but then I got used to it and it didn't really bother me thereafter. Not enough to drop a rating anyway!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

i struggled with the mexican words and also it was very slow in places i found i kept putting my kindle down and thats never a good sign, for me

others may like this one but for me it was very slow

MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW is the fab debut by @katiegutierrezwriter @michaeljbooks telling the story of Cassie Bowman, a young struggling true crime blog writer, who stumbles on Delores Riviera’s story and just knows there is more to it. In 1985, Delores - Lore, marries Andres Russo in Mexico City, but she’s already married to the father of her twin sons, Fabian Riviera in Loredo, Texas. She lived a double life for many years, until one husband is arrested for murdering the other. Cassie sees an opportunity and is desperate to get Lore to open up and reveal her story.⁣
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The truth unfolds through alternating POVs and dual timelines, as we slowly piece everything together. (You guys know I love this structure 🤩)⁣
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I’ve got to admit, I got so sucked in, just as intrigued as Cassie as to how someone can live secret double lives for decades and was unable to put this book down. I loved the slow burn build up and how that the mystery around the murder actually took a backseat to understanding the complex characters that will stay with you long after you finish this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The description of this book really drew me in but I’m afraid it didn’t really hold my attention and I found the story really slow and drawn out and I think I struggled too much with the Spanish words that kept breaking my concentration I’m afraid.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

This is a real page turner of a book. A mystery that involves everyone in the family. They all had their take on what happened all those years ago, but who really knows the truth? Cassie only wants to write a best seller but she’s stumbled on more than she expected. Has she made a good friend or a dangerous enemy.
It’s a great read and has a twist which leaves you wondering if Cassie gets to write the story.

The premise for this book was interesting and it was a tense read in parts, but didn't live up to my expectations unfortunately.

In 1985, Dolores "Lore" Rivera marries Andres Russo in Mexico City, even though she's already married to Fabian Rivera in Laredo Texas, and they share young sons together. Through her career as an international banker, Lore splits her time between two countries and two families - until the truth is revealed and and one husband is arrested for murdering the other.

In 2017, while trawling the internet for the latest, most sensational news reports, struggling true-crime writer Cassie Bowman encounters an article detailing that final tragic act. Cassie is immediately enticed by what is not exposed: Why would a woman - a mother - risk everything for a secret double marriage?

The story is told from Lore's point of view and the story alternates from the 1980s to the present day, 2017. The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up. By the third part of the story, the pace is racing. But we do need the slow pace to begin with because of the build-up to the main part. The authors writing style was a little different but it kept the book interesting.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #MichaelJosephPenguin #RandomHouse and the author #KatieGutierrez for my ARC of #MoreThanYoullEverKnow in exchange for an honest review.

Lore Rivera was married to two men at once, until on a baking hot day in 1986, one of them found out and shot the other. A secret double life, a tragic murder.

That's the story the world knows.

It's not the story that fascinates Cassie Bowman.

The premise for this story was exciting, I wanted to dive in straight away and read more. However, the novel itself was disappointing. I felt that the character of Cassie seemed very flat, it seemed to me that she didn’t exist as a person but rather a plot device to help unravel Lore’s story.

In the first abstract from Lore, the section was passionate and well written. I fell in love with her character and the way she saw the world and how she came to fall in love with Andres. I was heavily invested. However, when Cassie and Lore talk in real life, their voices sound very similar, and Lore begins to feel less well rounded and more like a plot device too.

I also found that Cassie does a lot of telling instead of showing when it comes to her sections which is possibly why her character felt so drab. We don’t feel her emotions, she simply tells us them, which is a less engaging method of writing.

Parts of this book also felt like a silhouette of the Seven Husband’s of Evelyn Hugo, such as the way the book was formulated with a young relatively unknown journalist interviewing an older more established woman for a story. Also, with the way the story is presented to us in terms of the flashbacks. Even the name Lore Rivera feels like a homage to Mick Rivera who makes an appearance in all Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books. I am not sure if this is accidental, or a nod to Jenkins Reid but the way it contains aspects of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo feels uncomfortable and is detrimental to the novel.

In the end I DNRed this at 25% because it became too dull and the promise of the payoff simply wasn’t enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Cassie Bowman attempts to make a living by writing articles about out of the ordinary crimes and, one day, unearths a remarkable murder case involving a woman, Lore, married to two men, Fabian Rivera and Andres Russo. One husband, on finding out that his wife is a bigamist, murders the other, and is imprisoned long-term.

Against the wishes of her long-standing boyfriend and now fiancé, Duke, Cassie pursues the story and gets deeply involved. The more she investigates the more she feels that a book could be on the cards, and that could set her up for life. Cassie and Lore end up investigating each other’s fragile pasts and more traumas arise.

I am guessing there is still some editing to be done on this book?
Not a bad read, quite tense at times but also seemed quite long and drawn out
Overall readable but a few changes to be madev