Fantastic book as always from Dorothy koomson. Every book of hers that I’ve read has always gripped me from the very 1st page and this one is no exception! There are lots of twists and turns in this book which keep you gripped right until the very last page.

Description 🔖

Imagine you’re a crime writer and the murders you’ve written start to happen in real life. Not only are people being killed in the exact same way you wrote in your fiction, but someone is framing you for the murders. You know why it’s happening, but you’re unable to speak up and tell anyone because if you did, that would mean telling people about your other husband. And if you did that, there are a whole heap of lies and secrets that would need to come spilling out.

General Thoughts 🤔

I have been waiting to dive into this book for quite a while. I love Dorothy Koomson and I went through a stage some years ago of binging her back catalogue because I couldn’t get enough of her writing. My Other Husband was everything that I had been waiting for and I loved getting lost in this story of lies.

What I found most interesting about this story was that there was so much deceipt, but the intention was for good. That’s not to say that I agreed with the lies, but I understood the reason for them and the intent behind keeping the past secret.

Characters 👫👭👬

Oh how I went back and forth with my feelings for the main character Cleo. She was the protagonist in the story and I was completely sucked into her life from beginning to end, but as with all good protagonists, she wasn’t perfect. There were times that I thought she did the right thing and then others when I couldn’t believe she didn’t speak up and just tell someone about what she knew. I think that the situation didn’t need to escalate to where it did but I also appreciate that she had gone so far down a particular pathway, it wasn’t easy to turn back.

I really enjoyed reading the point of view of Lola; Cleo’s niece. She was only thirteen but my, she had some serious sass and I loved her. She was one smart cookie and she was a great reminder to me that kids aren’t always as naive as we think they are.

Writing Style ✍️

As with other Dorothy Koomson books that I have read, I was completely pulled into this story and was fully invested in the journeys of many of the characters. She has a great talent for creating stories that have many twists and turns and keep you turning the pages wanting to know more and more.

I liked the flip flopping of timelines in this book. It didn’t just switch between past and present, it switched between all different timelines in the middle too. I loved that this kept me engaged I almost felt like I was being vigilant within every chapter to try and spot a clue or a hint as to what was going to happen.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

If you like gripping stories that are thrilling and have jaw dropping reveals, then this is a great book for you to add to your TBR. If you haven’t read a Dorothy Koomson book before, then you simply must. Loved this book and I am slightly sad that it’s over. I think I’ll relive the story by reading other reviews.

I'm a big fan of Dorothy Koomson's earlier books - I feel her more recent books have taken on a more 'mystery' style and I've not enjoyed them as much.
I just felt with this book that i didn't really connect to the characters and so I didn't empathise and therefore didn't really care.
The plot wasn't particularly original either.

I enjoyed this book, but certainly wasn't my fav Dorothy Koomson book.

Another winner from Dorothy Koomson.
Cleo is being framed for murder .
The story has dual time lines we first meet Cleo when she is a student and the layers of her relationships with Trina and the intense Heath who loves Cleo more than she can imagine.
We then move forward twenty five years and we learn about the twists and turns that have culminated in Cleo’s arrest for murder.
This book is a roller coaster of a read with excellent writing which I’ve come to expect from the author.
A tense psychological and engaging read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline.

I was absolutely delighted to learn that Dorothy Koomson, one of my top ten, or quite possibly even my top five favourite authors had written a new novel. My Other Husband is a top-notch read.

Novelist and scriptwriter Cleo Forsum Pryce has had her books turned into a tv series, The Baking Detective but now she doesn't want to continue with the show and is divorcing her husband Wallace. Chloe has a secret and it's massive... and why are people in Chloe's life being attacked?

This was a totally engrossing tale of past crimes and control, and tension and suspense are in plentiful supply. With very strong and expertly drawn characters I found myself invested in them all the way through, though there were some necessary distasteful ones. I have read several of Dorothy Koomson's other novels, including The Ice Cream Girls, The Brighton Mermaid and Tell Me Your Secret, and this novel, My Other Husband is just as good. Great unpredictable storytelling and well-worth five stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Headline via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

I always enjoy Dorothy Koomson books and this was just as good as the others. It grabbed me straight away and I just could stop reading it until I finished it. Twisty and kept you guessing all the way through. Highly recommended. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Dorothy Koomson is an incredible writer and I have loved many of her previous books but I am unable to fairly review this book as I am unfortunately put off by the rather graphic sex scenes (two already in the first quarter of the book) — I am finding the reading experience quite uncomfortable and will likely dnf.

Thank you so much for the e-arc! I will still post about this book on my Instagram but will refrain from a full review. Rating 5 stars simply because I must leave a rating.

This book is published today - happy publication day!! ❤️📚❤️📚

It took me a few episodes in, before it gripped me! Then …… yep I
Could feel the story pulling me in. It’s written in 2 timelines, which I actually
Like! The chapters were marked clearly, so I followed the dual timeline no problem. .

Wow! Once again Dorothy had me gripped from the very 1st page!

What happens when 2 psychopaths get together? What is the fallout? Who is safe?

We meet Cleo, a successful writer, who’s life is suddenly falling apart around her. But why? Who is behind what is going on? Is everything as it seems?

We flit between now and then as we search for answers as to why Cleo’s life is suddenly mirroring her literary works

I absolutely loved this and all became clear for me at exactly the same time it became clear for Cleo, I absolutely loved every page of this book
Highly recommend

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of My Other Husband, a psychological thriller set in the South of England.

Cleo Forsum has achieved success with her novels and the adapted television series, The Baking Detective, but now she’s shutting her life down by ending the series and divorcing her husband before her secrets come to light. This is complicated by the fact that someone is hurting people she knows and trying to frame her for murder, but to reveal what she knows she’d also have to reveal her other husband.

I dipped in and out of My Other Husband over the past month. It didn’t hold my attention and most of it isn’t my kind of reading. The main time frame is 2022 but this alternates with Cleo’s life over the past 25 years. The first half of the novel is all about setting the scene and building the characters with nothing major happening. It speeds up in the second half with more action and perhaps more tension (not being very invested I didn’t really feel it), culminating in a big twist. It’s a novel about obsession and, to be frank, I don’t understand it or appreciate the darkness that comes with it. Why would people behave like that is my question.

The characters are well drawn, focusing on Cleo and Heath, her first love. She is smart but tends to drift into things and make some poor decisions. Most of the narrative is told from her point of view and she has an engaging voice, even if she is obviously keeping secrets. What we know about Heath comes from Cleo and it’s a bit unsettling, but is it true? How reliable is Cleo as a narrator?

My Other Husband is not for me, but it is a well written novel with a likeable protagonist. I think this will appeal to readers who like a character based, slow burning story, but I like something a bit more in your face with the focus on crime.

First of all this book was everything I expected and more, it was an amazing read. I buddy read this with #DKAgentsofchaos and I finished this on day 4 of day 8 of our buddy schedule. Yes, it was that good!

The story is told from Cleo’s POV from
different periods of her life and as we follow her through university and life, you really get a sense of who she is in a deep way. I loved Cleo she was everything such a strong black independent female who showed so much strength and courage.

When Cleo’s life starts to unravel we visit her past to understand why she wants to divorce her husband who she still loves. We see her present life almost falling apart and with little support you really want to jump in and be there for her. The past is the past but it always has an impact someway or another on the future and with untold secrets will Cleo lose everything and everyone she loves because of her other husband.

This story was so captivating and a true page turning thriller. Dorothy really knows how to get all the right elements in to deliver a absolute masterpiece of a thriller, this is no exception.

Whilst the storyline has many twists and turns and is so dark and suspenseful which really draws you in. There are messages within her writing which I really picked up on and I know are very important. There were times I wanted to scream at Cleo and help her, as the reader you can see things she can’t but that’s so true in life. Dorothy really wrote something that felt as though you were witnessing real life events, which made it infuriating at times but not in a ‘I can’t read this’ but as in ‘I need know what’s happening to know it’s all ok’.

As you know Dorothy is one of my favourite authors and I’ve said it before, she is like a fine wine and just gets better and better with every book she writes.

Dorothy Koomson has come up with a dual timeline story which draws the reader into the mayhem caused by obsession.

Cleo is a student and she comes to the attention of Heath in their first year. Not ready for any relationship she gives him a makeover and stands back as the girls flock to his new image.

Years later Cleo is in massive danger and she thinks she knows who is behind the alarming destruction that circles her.

As always Dorothy Koomson has created a multi-layered storyline set firmly in 2022 with a nod to recent events. Although I loved the storyline, I'm not sure I completely believed in it in the way I have her previous books but don't be mistaken, this is an author whose bar has been set extremely high and I'm already looking forward to her next offering.

Fact - I couldn’t put this book down 😨 I love a psychological thriller and Koomson really knows how to write them. Suspense, twisty and complex characters. Yes it has it all and I was thoroughly invested. The story is about Cleo who in the prologue is arrested for attempted murder 😱 The book has a dual timeline that switches from 1996 when Cleo was a student at Leeds University, and the present where Cleo is trying to divorce her husband who she clearly doesn’t want to….This format worked well for the character development of Cleo, as you start to understand how and why she has changed so much since student days. Oh Cleo 😅

It is a slow burner, yet it soon cranks up and it was great how the plot developed. I can’t go into too much detail without giving away everything so 🤫 I had so many questions at the start of the book and thankfully, they were answered. I would have been proper miffed if not 😅 I thought I knew where it was all going but shocker, I was wrong 🤣 I really liked the ending too so a winner for me. Definitely recommend for thriller fans.

A convoluted story of obsession, unhealthy relationships, and excessive dependency that ultimately destroys everyone and everything in its orbit. The premise of a good storyline; a psychological thriller that could and should have delivered tension and fear which frustratingly failed to deliver. Several serious incidents and murders all pointing to one individual without any apparent believable actions or progress by the police to either charge or disregard her involvement. At no point were the police characters outlined by action or description in a believable way. The assumption the reader must make in the plot, that an intelligent and knowledgeable protagonist, a successful writer of murder stories who would be aware of police procedures would behave with lack of insight, no plan or rational course of action other than running around like a headless chicken. Thus too many actions defied probability resulting in a lack of believable plot line.

The two chief protagonists, written with excellent characterisation by the author, held huge promise early in the book only to be unfulfilled by both the trajectory of the overblown plot and weakness in giving enough depth and dimension to our understanding and caring about the other characters. As a huge fan of Dorothy Koomson having read all her previous books believe this to be not up to her usual high standard or my expectations. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thanks to Dorothy and NetGalley for allowing me to read My Other Husband before the publication date.
Having enjoyed I Know What You’ve Done, I was looking forward to this latest book.

Starting in 1996, Cleo takes Heath under her wing at college.
She helps him to restyle his appearance, turning him from a frog into a prince, or is it a monster?
Suddenly Heath is enjoying a coterie of fellow students vying for his attention but he declares his love for Cleo.

Fast forward to 2022. For the last 7 years, Cleo has been the script writer for a very successful series, The Baking Detective. Now she has decided to end the series which angers the staff at HoneyMay Productions.

When people Cleo is connected to start to die in ways which could be a real life enactment of her scripts, Cleo becomes the prime suspect.
The reader is gradually given information about the years between by Cleo, the main narrator but Dorothy uses an unusual technique to introduce a second narrator part way through the book.
This individual speaks as though their story is on a recording which the reader has to navigate, which is very effective.

Someone is trying to frame me fir murder. They're hurting people in ways I write about - and making sure I'm the prime suspect. I think I know why. But I can't tell the police or even use my rock-solid alibi. Because then I'd have to confess about my other husband.

The pace is slow to begin with. It also felt a bit dragged out in the middle. The story has a dual timeline - Cleo wants a divorce in the present day from the husband she's clearly still in love with. And from 1996, when Cleo was at university where she met heath. The story of there relationship is complex. and we see the good and bad side of it. Cleo is a successful author, but the people in her life are dying the same way as the characters in her novels are. This is quite a hard book to review without giving away too many spoilers.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Headline and the author #DorothyKoomson for my ARC of #MyOtherHusband in exchange for an honest review.

Urgh I so wanted to give this book 5 stars as it was another incredible read from Dorothy Koomson however the reason I had to round it down to 4 was because at around half way through the book there was one chapter that left me completely confused and I totally lost my way and found it hard to pick up again. Other than that I loved absolutley everything about this book so please don’t let that put you off. You never know you maybe more clever than me and it may make sense to you 😂

Cleo is a successful author who’s recent work has been developed into a TV series. Cleo’s life is almost perfect apart from the fact she is married twice and someone out there knows that. When murders and serious assaults take place identical to what Cleo has written in her books she’s top of the list of the polices suspect list.

To make matters worse for Cleo she also has connections to all these people. Cleo tries desperately hard to clear her name and convince the police that she’s innocent of these crimes however she cannot come completely and reveal her second marriage without incriminating her self and facing time in prison.

In an impossible situation poor Cleo can’t tell anyone about I liked Cleo’s character and I felt really sorry for her and the situation that she had ended up in. As with any Dorothy Koomson book I thought I knew where this book was going and who was behind it but the queen of big reveal strikes again and I was completely wrong and I really enjoyed the ending that I did not see coming at all.

Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. I’d definitely recommend this book or any Dorothy Koomson book to anyone looking for a good read.

In typical Koomson fashion, this story had many twists and turns. It was exciting to read throughout, keeping my attention gripped.

Cleo is a writer whose books have been made into a TV series. Her life is perfect - she has the perfect husband, perfect job, a lovely house. However, a series of murders that replicate the murders on her TV show threaten to derail her idyllic life when she's the prime suspect. She knows she hasn't done anything wrong, but she knows who has committed these murders. The police cannot know who it is however, or they'll find out about her other husband.

What made this book stand out from other thrillers is how the story, in a way, isn't about murders being committed and finding out who did them, but about the other serious topics that are interwoven into the narrative. The racism Cleo faces in the workplace, the nasty side of love and obsession, misogyny and sexual harrassment are overtly prevalent. It really made this thriller are more refreshing and unique read.

One thing that I was hesitant about was the ending. I thought it was a little too outlandish and cliche, in a way that wasn't necessary for a story already fairly outlandish. It also wrapped up a little too neatly, I wanted it to be a little bit more stressful and messier. But still, it was a great story to read and one that everyone should be adding to their preorder list ASAP.

I usually like Dorothy Koomson stories. I love how they are usually set in Brighton and Hove which I know well and usually the narrative zips along providing an easy, not very believable but engaging read. I'm in total awe of how Dorothy Koomson keeps up her output pace. I'd only just finished one set in the pandemic when this one one comes along.

I didn't enjoy this story as much as some others I've read by her. The pace was really slow and only picked up in the latter part. The slow build up for me wasn't worth the pay off and the mix of serious issues with romantic comedy didn't always gel for me.I

I have read other books by this author and have really enjoyed them and this one did not disappoint, although it was a little slow to start and I was probably about half way through before it really started to pick up pace but it was well worth the wait, would defiantly recommend reading. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.