Alex a devoted mother, wife, and friend is doing the best she can when her husband disappeared without a trace. She continurz ro live her life with the support of friends and family. Ten years later she starts to recieve anonymous dark letters. Are these from someone in her past? She is determined to find out who these are from whole trying to keep a level head.

This book was a fast read and was hard to put down. I enjoyed the mystery that went along with it. You really get to know the characters of the story. Like any good story thier are characters you love and others you don't but all are necessary for a good story. Would reccomend to anyone who likes to read thrillers or mysteries.

I will share this review on Amazon and Goodreads once the book has been open to review.

This was my first time reading a book by A J McDine and it will definitely not be my last one.
I was completely hooked and read it in just over a day. It was gripping and the story was really well laid out. The characters were interesting and came across well.

Some of the twists were unexpected and I loved how it unfolded. The short chapters made it easy to read and I couldn't put it down.

I will definitely be recommending this one!

rating: 4.5

GoodRead review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7410654747

Will upload review on Fable and Instagram too

This moves back and forth in time to tell the story of Gemma and Freddie- and Carter who Gemma married after Freddie disappeared and was declared dead. There are also anonymous sort of threatening letters. Except Freddie's back ten years after he left. I felt for Gemma dealing with these two (I was not a fan of Carter). Fans of the domestic suspense genre might see some of this coming but McDine is a good storyteller. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC>

10 years ago, Alex’s husband, Freddie, disappeared without a trace. As she is about to celebrate her anniversary with her new husband, Carter (Freddie’s friend), Freddie shows up at the door.

The book explores the time leading up to his disappearance and now, alternating between past and present. While the premise of the book was good, I felt it was very predictable. When reading a book like this, I like to be surprised and hit with wow moments and I didn’t feel like this book delivered that. It wasn’t a bad book, just not one that had me frantically flipping the pages to find out the next details.

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for the advanced eARC copy of this book.

The Husband Before You by A J Mcdine was such a great book. It's filled with many twists and secrets and is tension filled. The action starts right away and continues throughout.

Alex has moved on with her life after her first husband walked out on her and their two daughters. With the help of her best friend Gemma and Freddie's friend Carter, she is able to get it together and raise her girls. Who knew she would fall in love with Carter, marry him and have a son with him? The night of their anniversary they are planning a ritzy night out, but that plan is thwarted when the doorbell rings and Freddie is standing at the door. Where has he been for the last 10 years?

This is a story that celebrates family and friendship, but also one that touches on betrayal and jealousy. It went in a totally different direction than I was expecting which I loved. Alternating between the past and present, it gives the reader a picture of how Alex and Freddie's love story began and how it ended up the way it did. The chapters are short and easy to read. I highly recommend this book to domestic suspense lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

Non-spoiler review:
The Husband Before You opens with Alex's husband, Freddie, returning after being gone for ten years. He had been presumed dead and she is now married to his best friend from before he disappeared, Carter.

The novel jumps between the past and present, explaining the events leading up to his disappearance as well as how Alex and Freddie's relationship began. The novel is entertaining, with the two main storylines being how/why Freddie was gone for ten years and why he's suddenly returned, and suspicious letters Alex keeps getting from an anonymous source saying things like "the truth will be revealed". It kept me reading and avoided some of the bigger pitfalls of suspense thrillers (e.g. too many twists, the ending being too obvious, etc.). My bigger concerns can't be discussed without spoilers, so I'll separate those out below.

Trigger warnings: <spoiler>post-partum depression (which I thought was really well done and represented), suicidal thoughts/attempts, loss of a child.<spoiler>

Spoiler review:
<spoiler>Carter is one of the most unlikeable characters I've read in a long time. He's a walking red flag and the fact that Alex ends up with him really ruined the book for me. First up, he's a terrible partner to Alex. Issues include:
He openly flirts with her best friend as a way to make her jealous.
When her husband (and his best friend) returns after ten years, he immediately wants to kick him out, even though Alex clearly needs to understand and have closure over why he left and what he was doing.
He takes her to restaurants she doesn't like for their anniversary and there's no attempt at understanding what she does like or compromising on what she wants to do.
He gets mad at her when she doesn't want to have sex with him...
The insecurity that manifests as arrogance is astounding.
He doesn't participate in the household labor/mental load for running the household.

Secondly, he's an awful father. His one saving grace was that he checked online multiple times to get his step-daughter tickets to a Taylor Swift concert. The issues with his parenting include:
His step-daughter's father returns after ten years, and rather than facilitating them connecting (which the oldest daughter, Erin, openly communicates wanting), he's in a rush to get him out of the house and is physically confrontational.
Again, doesn't participate in household labor/mental load.
He's thrilled he "got his son" when him and Alex had a kid.

Just in general, he's a terrible person. He says that Gemma misreads the situation when he sleeps with her/goes out with her...but then continues doing it. If it happens one time, fine, but to continually do things when you know she's taking it as something more serious is just using her and treating her without respect. He then blames her being crazy, but he's the one causing/driving the issue! Also, how does he still have a medical license at the end of the book?! He covered up Gemma's transgressions, which then led to him caving to blackmail and a child almost dying. Freddie gets blamed for it even though he didn't do anything wrong, it was Gemma and Carter that should lose their jobs/ability to practice medicine, but Carter just gets away without any repercussions? Alex is fine with this and still marries him and has a kid with him?!

I get that Carter was made to look like a terrible person because we were supposed to suspect him and think he had to do with it. The fractures in his relationship with Alex and his abuse was intentional to make us think she'd get back with Freddie, especially once she kisses him. The problem is that when you show such massive red flags with him and their relationship, it can't be fixed with a simple, and he bought these concert tickets in the past and they're fine, don't worry about it.

For Alex, her being in love with Carter the entire time she was married to Freddie. She straight up had an emotional affair on her husband that was there for her and cared for her. I get that post-partum depression caused the events of the book (and she's the victim there and not at fault) but the emotional affair and being in love with your husband's best friend IS her fault. I guess maybe Carter and her deserve each other?

Lastly, the reason for Freddie being away for ten years was too weak. Additionally, his comments about not trusting Carter were really stupid. It was a way to create suspense but doesn't make ANY sense once you finish the book.<spoiler>

This book has a great premise. A woman's husband just up and disappears one day leaving her and their two young girls. Ten years later and she is married to his best friend, and they have a young son. One day, the first husband (legally declared dead) knocks on their door. Surprise!
The story picks up from there. There is a very big story going on with someone who is sending anonymous letters and being a bit scary. There are twists and turns and although it may not be incredibly hard to sort out who is doing what. it's a lot of fun getting to that point!
I enjoyed this author's writing style a lot. It flowed well and was perfectly cohesive. I'll definitely read more by the author.

A thriller of family affairs! This was my first AJ McDine book. I enjoyed this easy to read thriller. The story was character driven and I connected well with the characters. I liked the multiple POV and short chapters. The book takes place over a week or so and I devoured it quickly. It reads like. Frieda McFadden book…if you are a fan of that series I recommend this book. I find the characters more intriguing/intelligent/human in this book which I like.

I was able to predict the villian in this book early on. They intensely bothered me and I wish there was more revenge and justice against their actions. I look forward to reading more AJ McDine books.

Imagine your husband just walking out on you leaving you to cope with bringing up two young children while your in the middle of what appears to be a serious breakdown? He’s been missing for ten years and you’ve had him legally declared dead and now you’re settled, a new husband and a new child. Your life is made and then you open your front door and there he is standing – dishevelled and slightly worse for the wear but most definitely alive.

This is the dilemma that faces Alex, who is getting ready to celebrate her anniversary to her husband, Carter – a successful and handsome consultant in paediatrics, she thinks her life is made but deep down she still has feelings for Freddy, her first husband. If this wasn’t head screwy enough, Freddy and Carter were once best friends and Alex’s own best friend Gemma, was once romantically involved with Carter. Talk about close relationships!

But when Freddy warns her not to trust Carter, Alex finds herself unsure as to who she should trust and she’s got a few dark secrets of her own. This creates a dark and twisted tale, full of suspense and intrigue. The threatening notes Alex is receiving adds an element of fear to the story which gets the old heart rate pumping!

Told from multiple viewpoints and across past and present, we learn why Freddy left, the impact on Alex. Short pacy chapters keep you turning the pages as you get caught up in exploring the dynamics between the characters, and as a reader I really didn’t know who I could trust. At times I wanted to reach in, pack Alex’s bags and get her the hell out of Dodge!

The Husband Before You is a pacy and engaging read, it has all the elements of a suspenseful thriller with characters who will frustrate you and engage you at the same time. This is a must read for psych thriller/domestic noir lovers!

A J McDine is one of my favourite authors so when I seen this I was so excited to read it and wow I definitely was not disappointed. I was gripped from start to finish the story was unique with such well developed characters I didn’t know who to trust or how it was going to end and wow I thought I knew how it was going to end but I was so wrong fantastic writing.It was such a fast paced thriller with many twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat. Overall another fantastic thriller by this author which I will definitely be recommending to everyone it was so good. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this fantastic thriller.

This book had a great message to it and that is that communication is key. When you get married someone always gives the advise of being good communicators. This book shows why it is so important. I loved this book and loved the hidden meaning, whether it was intended or not.

I was on the edge of my seat at times, but I did guess who was the culprit/ what the ending would be and I thought that it should have been pretty obvious to our main characters.

So while it wasn't a thrilling keep you in suspense book, it was a lovely domestic drama style book and I really enjoyed it.

To be honest this book fell flat for me. At times it was a great read and at other times it felt predictable. Not bad but not great either. Just ok

*The Husband Before You* by AJ McDine is a thrilling mystery that revolves around Alex, whose husband, Freddie, disappeared without a trace ten years ago. He was presumed dead, but to everyone’s surprise, Freddie reappears a decade later. During the years after his disappearance, Alex has moved on and married Freddie’s best friend, Carter, a doctor who supported her through the years of uncertainty.

McDine does an excellent job building suspense and maintaining a sense of mystery throughout the novel. The story keeps the reader on edge as Alex is confronted with the sudden return of Freddie, and she is forced to reconsider everything she thought she knew about his disappearance. What happened to Freddie all those years ago? Why did he vanish? These questions drive the plot forward and keep the mystery enticing.

The emotional complexity of the characters adds a rich layer to the story. Alex’s struggle to reconcile her past with Freddie and her present with Carter is portrayed with sensitivity and depth. As secrets unravel, Alex is forced to navigate a delicate balance between the life she has built and the man who has suddenly reappeared in it.

However, while the twists and turns keep readers engaged, the ending of *The Husband Before You* may feel a bit predictable. After all the tension and suspense, the resolution doesn’t come as much of a surprise, which could leave some readers feeling a bit underwhelmed by the conclusion.

Overall, *The Husband Before You* is a captivating mystery that delivers suspense and emotional drama. Although the ending may lack a shocking twist, the journey to get there is engaging, and McDine does a great job keeping the reader invested in the characters and the mystery at hand. This book will definitely appeal to fans of domestic thrillers and those who enjoy a story with emotional depth and intrigue.

Absolutely brilliant book, twists and turns that will leave you shocked. Read this in a day and genuinely didnt want it to end xx

This is my third book by A J McDine and I really enjoyed the first two I read so I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of this book.

The premise of this book had me hooked from the start. Alex's husband disappeared and she gets married to his best friend many years later, however one day her first husband turns up on the doorstep.

This was an easy read, I read it across a couple of sittings and was pretty invested in the characters and the story wanting to see how it all plays out. I did find it slightly too predictable, the biggest twist I had been waiting to happen for half the book so that was slightly disappointing. But all in all I really enjoyed the story, not my favourite by the author but still a great read and I would definitely recommend.

Freddie has been dead for ten years so when he shows up at Alexs' door she is rather shocked... Alex has remarried and now has to discover the facts..

This is a twisty psychological thriller that amazed and shocked me.
It is pacy, punchy and has more than few of OMG moments.

Well written with a unique plot I loved it..

Another great book by AJ McDine. I really enjoyed this one, well paced and easy to read. The characters were really good and I enjoyed reading about the family life. I have to admit I guessed a couple of twists but it didn’t spoil the story in any way. Overall a really good read and I definitely recommend it.

This the fourth book written by A J McDine which I have read and it will definitely not be the last one 😊
I have really enjoyed reading this book including the other ones!
I love her style of writing! Her books are always character driven and this one is no exception. It is written from the POV of two main characters - Alex and Freddie and goes back and forth to the current time and ten years back. It's fast paced and quite gripping and there is not a moment where you get bored! In fact, I was so invested in the life of the characters that it was difficult to put the book down 😀Highly recommended!
Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!!

Just wow! Another fantastic AJ McDine novel. This was fast, furious and totally captivating. A roller coaster of a ride with captivating storytelling. I loved the characters and family ties.
Thank you NetGalley, AJ McDine and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When Freddie shows up after 10 years missing, everyone is shocked—his re-married wife Alex, her best friend Gemma, his best friend Carter (who’s the new husband), and their kids. Tension mounts in this story told in time jumps between now and ten years ago. Relationships, messages, malpractice, and more are woven together into an interesting tale.