A snowstorm of secrets and suspense

THE BROKEN MARRIAGE by ELENA WILKES

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Genre: thriller, mystery

This psychological thriller delivers secrets, lies, and a storm both literal and emotional. Set almost entirely within the confines of a beautifully renovated house turned pressure cooker, the novel follows the unraveling of a seemingly perfect couple after the unexpected arrival of an estranged best friend, who resurfaces after 17 years and brings a blizzard of tension in her wake.

The premise is gripping: three people with a shared past, forced into uncomfortable proximity while snow isolates them from the outside world. The setup is claustrophobic in the best way, and the author does a solid job keeping the reader guessing about each character's motivations. Everyone's hiding something, and the pacing is carefully calibrated to reveal just enough to keep you turning pages, but never so much that the suspense dissipates.

Rachel is a well-drawn character-restless, polished, and clearly teetering on the edge of something darker. Matt is compelling in his flaws, and his obsession with Hannah adds a dangerous edge. Hannah herself is both sympathetic and enigmatic, though her "dark secret" might feel a bit underwhelming when it finally emerges, especially given the buildup. There's a strong undercurrent of mistrust, repressed guilt, and emotional entrapment that gives the novel its bite.

That said, the book leans a little too heavily on familiar domestic thriller tropes. If you've read The Girl on the Train or The Couple Next Door, some of the plot beats will feel overly familiar. And while the tension is well maintained for most of the story, the ending rushes to tie things up, sacrificing emotional payoff for convenience. The final twist doesn't quite land with the shock it aims for.

Thank you kindly to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for this advanced readers copy!

This book was a little slow & really didn't grab my attention at all unfortunately. It was a real struggle to finish!

The Broken Marriage is a fast-paced domestic thriller with plenty of twists to keep you turning the pages. The tension builds steadily, and the author does a good job of creating a sense of unease as secrets unravel. While some plot points felt a bit predictable and the characters occasionally made frustrating choices, the story kept my interest throughout. It’s an entertaining read for fans of psychological suspense, even if it doesn’t break new ground. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It was pretty good plot, and the writing is amazing, but something was off for me. Couldn’t like any character and the twist was so-so (even if the idea itself was amazing!)

I think it’s a good book overall, just very sadly not for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Loved. Kept me guessing the whole way through. Read in like 2 sittings. Obsessed from beginning to end.

This was an okay read for me—not one I loved, but not one I hated either. I struggled with the unlikeable characters, and parts of the story felt a bit unbelievable and confusing. The ending also felt rushed, which left me wanting more closure.

That said, the story still kept me curious enough to keep picking up my Kindle. While this particular book wasn’t the right fit for me, I’d definitely give another book by this author a try.

SO many lies and secrets!! the betrayal! This was a new author for me & she didn't disappoint. This was a great thriller with great plot twists. i really enjoyed this one from start to finish.

Arc copy from Net galley.

This book had taken me 6 months to read, mostly due to the fact I could not get hooked on it. It would give you the bait and it would drop off. About 80% it got me hooked for a bit to then drop off and leave me disappointed with the ending.
I find there are many plot holes in the book. For example if someone I had not seen for 15 years turned up at my door without calling in before , I would not be asking them to stay over. I wanted more from the book and it left me with to many unanswered questions.

The Broken Marriage by Elena Wilkes is a tense, atmospheric thriller that explores the dark side of the so called perfect lives. As old secrets comes to the surface, tensions are build and it's clear everyone is hiding something. The atmosphere of this book is amazing and the suspense and twists are the chef's kiss. This book is a psychological thriller about betrayal and secrets, and the lengths the human being goes to protect their lies.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
Unfortunately, I only got 1/2 way through the book.
I could not get into the story and seemed to drag on.

The Broken Marriage by Elena Wilkes is a tense, atmospheric thriller that delves into the dark side of seemingly perfect lives. Rachel and Matt’s idyllic marriage is rocked when Rachel’s estranged former best friend, Hannah, unexpectedly arrives at their home during a snowstorm. As old secrets resurface, tensions build, and it becomes clear that each of them is hiding something that could unravel everything. Wilkes masterfully creates an eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere, with mounting suspense and twists that keep readers on edge. The Broken Marriage is a captivating, psychological story about betrayal, buried truths, and the lengths people will go to protect their lives—and their lies.

Lots of surprises, an interesting plot, and a story that kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. That makes for a really good psychological thriller!

Hannah and Rachel were inseparable best friends in their young adult years, but then Hannah experienced a terrible tragedy that led to her fleeing back home. Rachel helped her clean up the mess from the trauma, but swore to never bring it up until Hannah was ready.

They both also lived with Matt, and the story takes you back to relive those early days of their friendships with each other.

Years later, Hannah is still seeking ways to recover. Her therapist suggests reconnecting with someone who reminds her of that time for processing, so she starts to seek out Rachel. When she finds nothing online, she searches for Matt. AFter connecting at a work conference that quickly turns into more, he discovers he's actually married to Rachel. Hannah quickly learns where Rachel is and ends up at her doorstep.

The plot was a little unbelieveable to me, but I still thought this was okay

From the opening scene to the final shocking twist, this thriller is a non-stop thrill ride. The tension builds steadily as secrets are revealed and lives are shattered, a real page turner of a book.

The Broken Marriage by Elena Wilkes: Kindle Version 2.5 stars rounded up. First of all, love the cover of the book! I really wanted to like this one, but it fell a bit short. I was excited by the synopsis of this book because I love a good domestic thriller. The married couple, Matt and Rachel, were more like side characters in this book and the majority of the story revolved around Hannah and her story that intertwined with Rachel and Matt. There were some decent twists at the end but the story was all over the place and most of it was pretty farfetched. None of the characters were likable and there was an immaturity to them. There were some situations in the book that could be triggering for people so check those trigger warnings beforehand if you need to. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of the book. Much appreciated!

I didn’t enjoy this book. It was too predictable and I didn’t really like the characters! Very disappointing

This book was pretty messed up…. But in a good way. The story was entertaining and kept my interest from start to finish and definitely kept me guessing

Hannah, Rachel and Matt share a history from 17 years ago and when Hannah turns up on her friends' doorstep to try to process the trauma that happened all that time ago all manner of secrets and lies are let loose. The plot was sometimes difficult to follow but, nevertheless, The Broken Marriage makes a good holiday read. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thankyou to NetGalley for the book to review.

Great sandwich filler book with twists/ turns and it keeps you on your toes. Only downfall is that it is really predictable but overall an enjoyable read and would recommend.

Bit of a slow read, a book full of lies, betrayal and emotion but I did find myself getting a little frustrated at times and at times the pacing was a little slow.