NetGalley review: The Husband Before You by AJ McDine. A great little twisty thriller. When Alex’s first husband Freddie disappears without a trace, and is declared d3ad after 7 years, she eventually settles down with Carter, her first husband’s best friend. Which is great… until Freddie turns up on their doorstep 10 years from the day he disappeared. As a reader, I felt torn and was kind of wanting her and her first husband to get back together, Carter seemed a bit smarmy and too good to be true. When Alex starts getting creepy notes, she doesn’t know who to trust.
Really enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and grabbed my attention quickly.
4/5
Thankyou to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alex lives a happy life with her husband Carter, her 2 daughters and their son. One day, she opens her front door and Freddie (her first husband and Carter's best friend) is standing there after missing for a decade. He comes with a warning

I liked the dual POV, and it kept the plot moving quickly. I don't believe that psychological thrillers need to be completely realistic and believable, but this one was was fairly outside of the box. Alex was frustratingly patient while awaiting answers from Freddie after he returned after 10 years with a cryptic warning. I wasn't sure which husband to hope Alex ended up with as both showed red flags and behaved in odd ways. The twist was predictable as well for the most part.

It is a quick read, Freida McFadden-like, and can be read in one or two sittings. Solid 3 star read.

Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Husband Before You is the newest psychological thriller by favoured author AJ McDine.
It’s fast paced, suspicious, engaging and very compelling.
Alex and her second husband Carter and their children live an ordinary life in the ‘burbs.
Ten years before her first husband Freddie walked out and mysteriously disappeared.
He was declared dead, Alex moved on and is finally happy again.
One day there’s a knock at the door and Freddie has reappeared.
Alex is in shock and cannot believe her eyes.
Where has he been and what has he being doing all this time…….
A kind of mystery with components of emotion, thriller and domestic drama.
I did work out the twist but it didn’t change my enjoyable reading adventure.
Worth a read and comes highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own and freely given.
Trigger warning - Post Partum Depression
Alexa is married to Freddie. After the birth of their second daughter Alexa falls into a depression. Freddie, who works in the local hospital is having a hard time with his wife's state and at work. There is a patient that he missed the signs and now he feels there is no way to save her. After a fight, Freddie "disappears". Fast forward and Alexa is married to Carter, Freddie's best friend. Freddie comes back on Carter and Alexa's anniversary and Alexa has to ask herself who Freddie really is. Then things start happening and Alexa wonders if it is the mother of the sick patient whom Freddie tried to save seking revenge. Twisty story and I recommend.

This was my first ARC read, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to dive into "The Husband Before You" by A.J. McDine. The premise is undeniably gripping: Alex's first husband, Freddie, vanished a decade ago, presumed dead. She's since rebuilt her life, marrying Carter, Freddie's best friend and coworker at Dolphin Ward. The sudden reappearance of Freddie throws her world into turmoil, especially when he warns her not to trust Carter.
I appreciated the dual perspectives of Alex and Freddie within the book, which added depth to the narrative and provided insight into their complex emotions. The suspense was palpable, with layers of jealousy and mistrust that kept me engaged.
However, I found that certain chapters felt drawn-out, slowing the pacing and diluting the tension. While the story had its twists, some were predictable, and I wished for more unexpected turns to keep me on edge.
Overall, it's a decent psychological thriller that explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the complexities of past relationships and for that I gave this ARC read 3 starts.

Thank you to NetGalley and. the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Had me gripped from the first page, I just couldn’t put it down and read it in a few sessions. A great plot and well defined characters, not a dull moment in a fast paced story. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

2.25 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Husband Before You by AJ McDine.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t land for me. It wanted so badly to be a twisty psychological thriller, but instead it wandered aimlessly, teasing suspense that never really showed up. The plot meandered, the characters felt flat, and just when I thought it might redeem itself—it ended. Badly. Like, throw-the-Kindle-across-the-room badly.

I kept hoping something would click, but by the time it finally reached the climax, I was more annoyed than intrigued. Definitely not the "thrilling" experience I was promised. I don’t recommend this one.

Alex 1st husband Freddie disappeared 10 years ago and out of the blue shows up at her front door when Alex and her new husband Carter (Freddie's best friend) are on their way out the door to celebrate their anniversary. This book did have a few moments of suspense about the past with Freddie's disappearance and in the present with the threats happening to Alex but when it came down to to the end of the book, the ending was pretty predictable and didn't have a whole lot of surprises that I like to have when reading a mystery book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC copy of this book!

When I read the premise to this book I knew I had to have it.

The storyline is twisty right from the second that Alex’s first husband returns after being presumed dead for the past decade.

Very fast paced, short chapters - each ending on a cliff hanger.

The epitome of a popcorn thriller as far as I’m concerned.

One of my favourite books of 2025 so far!

The Husband Before You had such an intriguing premise. This was my first book by A.J McDine, and I was totally hooked.

Picture this: Ten years ago, Alex’s first husband Freddie walked out one night and never returned, leaving her with their two young daughters. After seven years of waiting, she had him declared dead and eventually remarried. Then, out of nowhere, Freddie shows up on her doorstep. Where has he been all this time? And why has he returned now that Alex has finally moved on with her second husband, Carter?

Told from the POV’s of both Alex and Freddie,darting between the present and the past, things get juicer when cryptic notes begin to slip through the mailbox.

This was twisty, but beneath the thrills, I connected deeply with Alex’s mix of grief and hope: her struggle through postpartum depression, the pressure to present a picture‑perfect family, and the messy reality of loyalty and love.

Many thanks to Bookoture, A.J McDine and Netgalley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5*
Have you ever seen a ghost? I haven’t and I think I might freak out if I ever did. Maybe a similar reaction to Alex’s when husband Freddie knocked on her front door when he’d disappeared 10 years previous and she’d had declared dead.

What ensued was addictive. It was one helluva ride!!!! Alex doesn’t know what the hell had happened of the past years and neither did I! I needed to know what had happened to Freddie to make him leave and where he’d been. I also wanted to know who was behind the unsettling notes Alex was getting. Was it someone who knew what had happened 10 years ago or was something else going on that Alex didn’t know about.

This is my first taster of McDine’s writing and boy was it a taster!! I was drip-fed nuggets of information to help me solve the puzzle. As the pieces slowly slotted into place, my reading pace picked up. I needed to see whether I was right with my suspicions, not just in the present but also in the past. Cracking read!

The Husband Before You is a twisty, fast-paced thriller that had me flippingggg pages! Just when Evie thinks her life has finally found its rhythm (remarried with kids and a fresh start), her supposedly dead first husband shows up at her door. Alive. And warning her not to trust the man she rebuilt her life with.

A.J. McDine’s writing is sharp, suspenseful, and perfectly paced. I loved not knowing who to believe, and while I thought I had it figured out at one point, I absolutely didn’t. The tension builds with every chapter, and the final reveal was satisfying.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This was an interesting premise revolving around a woman caught between her ex husband who disappeared and mysteriously reappears after she marries his ex best friend. It felt drawn by and some parts dragged but it was wonderful story.

This book was a bit slow to start but then really started to pick up after about 25% and I really enjoyed it.

I blame The Husband Before You for making me seriously sleep-deprived! I couldn’t stop reading AJ McDine’s latest psychological thriller.

Alex’s first husband Freddie disappeared a decade earlier and now she’s married to his best friend, Carter. So when Freddie appears on her doorstep, it’s quite the shock. Oh, what a tangled web of lies and presumptions and grudges! The characters are extremely well-developed and engaging. Although I guessed who the antagonist was, this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. It’s a fast-paced, breathless read and one that you shouldn’t miss.

Thank you to Netgalley, A J McDine and Bookouture for my advance copy.

I was drawn in to the story from the very first page. And I thought I knew where it was leading but I was wrong.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in return for an honest review. Great story and one I would definitely recommend

Where has he been? And, why is he back now that she has finally moved on?

“DON’T TRUST CARTER” he says speaking about his former best friend- who is now her SECOND husband.

“I KNOW THE TRUTH” one of the eight anonymous notes, slipped through the mailbox reads…

Alex,s huband Freddie went missing years ago and is now declared dead. She is also now married to his best friend Carter and they have a baby together. Carter has helped bring up Alex and Freddies other children and they are living a happy family life. All this is thrown into turmoil when one day Freddie appears on their doorstep!
I really enjoyed being absorbed by this book and trying to find out what had happened to Freddie and who Alex would choose. There is more to the story and it has just enough twists to keep the reader interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. What would you do if your husband, who died ten years ago, showed up at your door? I'd probably pass out on the spot. I thought I knew all of the answers, but I was not close.

This was my first A J McDine read and it certainly won't be my last! This was such a well-written thriller; and I was hooked from the very first chapter because it just drew me in with the fact you were thrown straight in! Even though I had guessed the twist as to who was behind what was going on, I was still hooked and wanted to see how it all unfolded. There were also small twists along the way which i didn't see coming!

If you know me, you know I love a multiple POV, and getting both Alex and Freddie's POV from both present day and 10 years ago, just added whole other dimension to the story! I really felt for Alex and how she must've felt with Freddie returning, I just wanted her and her daughters to get the answers that they deserved✨️

The Husband Before You follows Alex, who is married to Carter who she has a son with. She has two daughters from her previous marriage with Freddie. One day 10 years ago, Freddie seemingly vanished off the face of the death, never returned, and was presumed dead. Until now.

There is a knock at the door, and Alex answers to see Freddie staring back at her. All Alex wants is the answers as to where Freddie has been for the last 10 years, and why he decided to come back now. She then starts receiving threatening notes through the door, and feeling like she's being followed and watched in her own home. Which starts off a spiral of paranoia, distrust, and uncertainty. Alex thinks she knows who is to blame; but does she?

Thank you again to A J McDine for sending me an ARC copy of this book for review!
*All views and opinions are my own*