Never Trust the Husband
By Jessica Payne
Publication date: March 5th 2024 by Bookouture

Jessica Payne is an author that has never disappointed me so far. I don’t need to read the description, I know she will deliver. “The Good Doctor” was one of the best reads of 2023 for me.

The Prologue was already perfect! Madeline is in her honeymoon trip with her new husband Benji and a couple of close friends. Wanting to surprise her husband, she sneaks out at night to set up for the perfect time lapse photo. Until she feels a hand between her shoulder blades, pushing her down a cliff.

Three years later, Benjamin is about to marry Gwyn, who was Madeline’s best friend. But their common friend Rebecca is doing her all to prevent this marriage to happen.

betrayal, grief, revenge, exquisitely crafted characters, the perfect pace, Jessica has done it again!! This is an example of how to craft the perfect thriller, how to mix emotions with just the right amount of twists.

I was happy for the dual timeline and the dual perspective from both Rebecca and Madeline.
Some of the twists I figured out or was at least fairly sure I had them figured. Other things I did not see coming. That’s what I enjoyed most, the anticipation of what to come. In the end, you’ll never know who to really trust.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Jessica Payne for my gifted copy. I was under no obligation to review, all opinions are own.

Wow, I just couldn't put this book down. I was instantly hooked and wanted to find out what happened to Madeline! I loved the then and now time line. How you think you know where the story is going and then BAMM! you get thrown for a loop. I love this author and even though I know it is coming I still get blind sided every time.

I absolutely loved this book and I thought I had Rebecca figured out but I was completely wrong!

Madeline was pushed on her honeymoon over a cliff. Rebecca now wants to get revenge and figure out who the killer is.

The boat scene was so sinister and will sit with long after this book is done. I can't get enough of this author and can't wait to see what she writes next.

Excellent book!! I read in one day! Honestly, once you start this book plan on spending your day reading, You will not be able to put it down. I love Jessica Payne's books and this book just shows how talented she is to craft such a captivating thriller! What really happened to Maddy ? Who tried to murder her ?and why? SO many twists and so much suspense! Absolutely recommend this book. If I could give more stars I would. This book is everything I love about a mystery. Read it!! You will love it !!

Never Trust the Husband is a page-turner that keeps you guessing until the end. The prose is beautiful and poignant. The story unfolds with a sobering tale of love, betrayal, and revenge.
The plot is packed with twists and turns, carefully arranged by the author to keep readers guessing until the end. Each revelation adds another layer to the story, making it richer and more intriguing. The author's deft hand gradually unfolds the mystery, so you wonder what will happen next.

The characters in the story are rich and multi-layered, each with secrets and hidden aims. Their complexity adds layers to the story, making it all that more intriguing. They are imperfect but readable, and the reader can relate to them on a higher level. Shifts in character dynamics keep spicing up the plot, another element of surprise and uncertainty.

An eerie and unsettling atmosphere is added to the story by placing it in a glass-fronted Seattle home. The picturesque descriptions of the surroundings also add dark and mysterious color to this novel. This bizarre setting adds suspense, unease, and the feeling of being watched.

The story is interesting, and the suspense and mystery add to its appeal. You'll keep turning the pages, wanting to know what happened. An undercurrent of tension flows through it all.

In short, Never Trust the Husband is a fantastic book for lovers of psychological thrillers. Although chilling, it combines the thrill of suspense and mystery with strong characterizations to create an impactful read. The vivid and somber atmosphere, the multi-layered plotlines, and the interesting characters you wouldn't expect in this kind of novel make it a read to hold your breath. This novel takes many unexpected twists and turns, leaving you hanging on each word, eager to discover what happens next. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Never Trust the Husband is a twisted psychological thriller by Jessica Payne.
Right from the start of the story Ms. Payne knows how to lure her readers in.
She kept it fast paced, intriguing and me reading happily.
There are so many pivotal parts to this story that are woven by the twisted people in the story.
I don’t want to give anything away in the story, but be sure Jessica Payne has written
top notch thriller with Never Trust the Husband. You’ll love the most satisfying ending too!
This would be a great Netflix movie.

#NeverTrustTheHusband
#JessicaPayne
#Bookouture

This is a fast moving, easy to read thriller. Rebecca tries to figure out who killed her close friend right after she got married. The other best friend? her new husband? or both of them together. While I guessed some of the twists early on, it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book

WOW. Stayed all night reading this story. Time well present. I move along at a brisk pace, the characters were so interesting, a few red herrings, plot twists. It had it all

Madeline is a trust fund girl, an influencer who loves her life. She doesn't think she will ever fall in love. Her family is small, her father and a half sister, Elena.
She has good friends and feels they are loyal.
She meets Benjamin, and falls in love. Soon they marry, and their honeymoon is an outdoors one, together with their friends.
The unthinkable happens, Madeline falls off a cliff late one night, and is believed to be dead.

I was transfixed by this book. I read it in one sitting. Just so suspenseful and rivetting!
I had my suspicions, and then I changed my mind, and then changed my mind back again, and I was right. But I had to wait to the last 20% of the book to find that out.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every book I had read by this author and if you want suspense, I recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

Rebecca is trying to find out what really happened to Madeline after she was murdered. She suspects recent husband Benjamin or best friend Gwen, who are now in a relationship with each other. Will Rebecca work out what really happened?

This was a fun book to read; full of secrets, suspense and an intriguing narrative. The story is told in two perspectives and each worked well, helping to build the characters and backstory. There were plenty of twists and turns and although I worked out some things, others came as a shock. This is definitely a really entertaining, pacy, well written thriller and I won’t hesitate to pick up another book by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars! Wow, I really enjoyed this story! I had my theories from the very beginning and parts of the story and narrative made me rethink all my theories constantly! I couldn't wait not only to find out who the ultimate villain was but also to find out who the Narrator was. I was delighted by the twists and loved the ending! The pace of the story was great, with the alternate chapters of current vs past storyline, and the short chapters made this a very quick read. I love a good revenge story with twists! I wish we could have had a last couple of chapters seeing where the characters ended up. However, highly recommend this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

When newly married Madeline disappears on her honeymoon, everyone fears the worst. She has no reason to abandon her life…….. or does she? Three years later, her husband, Benjamin has moved on, engaged to Madeline’s best friend Gwyn. Odd, right? Could the husband and the best friend be responsible for what happened to Madeline?
Told in the present by Rebecca, a woman determined to find out who killed Madeline. Then we learn about what led up to that fateful honeymoon, by Madeline. While I figured out one of the twists early on, I could not figure out who wanted Madeline dead. It was right in front of me, but apparently, I was flipping pages too fast to see it. The pace never slowed down, and while everything was wrapped up by the end, I would love to know what one of the main characters (no spoilers) did next.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏?

I don't know how she does it every single time, but once again, Jessica Payne has crafted the perfect thriller. However, the depth of emotions displayed in this book set it apart from others in the genre.

Rebecca is grieving the loss of her friend Madeline. Just days after marrying Benjamin, she was pushed to her death on her honeymoon hiking trip. Setting up a time-lapse photo as a gift for Benjamin, Madeline was caught up in looking at the stars and felt the hand on her back too late. This first person narrative was jarring, and it set the tone for how the rest of the story unfolded.

Now, three years later, Benjamin is prepared to marry Gwyn, Madeline's best friend, but Rebecca isn't going to let that happen. She knows that Benjamin's business needed an influx of cash, and she saw how Gwyn flirted with him right under your nose. Rebecca decides that if Madeline isn't getting her happily ever after, then neither will they.

NEVER TRUST THE HUSBAND is a twisty thriller, yes, but it's also a deep dive into betrayal by the ones closest to you, of grief, and of revenge. I couldn't believe the direction the story went, and although I had a theory early on that proved to be correct, that in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this book. Forever grateful to the author for my place on her ARC team and to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the early read. This title will publish March 5, 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of Never Trust The Husband by Jessica Payne. There is so much to love about this book I don’t even know where to start! If you have read books by Payne you already know she’s a great writer. I loved how chilling Rebecca’s POV was, and it made it hard to know if she is trustworthy. I liked how she wormed her way into Gwyn’s life. The story was really intriguing and kept me glued to the pages to find out what was going to happen. If you’re looking for a well-paced and expertly plotted read, with a ton of surprising reveals, don’t miss this one.