Once you pick this book up you won't want to stop reading. When Andre suprised his wifr Becca with a luxury cruise as a enth wedding anniversary gift was over the moon. She suffered with ill health and knew that this would help bring them close together again. She had a new complete outfit also as a gift and couldn't wait to wear it. What should have been a fantastic holiday soon went down hill.
Brilliant from start to finish. I read it in 2 days, highly recommend reading it.

This was a great read! There were so many twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat! I couldn’t put it down!

This book grabs you from the beginning. There are so many twists and turns. I finished this book in one sitting. Looking forward to the next Mcgarvey Black novel.

Wow. McGarvey Black does it again. A genius writer of psychological thrillers. This may be my favorite one to date. Suspense, twists and turns, I could not put this book down. Talk about backstabbing the backstabber! This is an absolute MUST READ!

Thank you NetGally and Joffe Books for the eArc.

This was a good psychological thriller, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was suspenseful and kept me hooked but the ending was just a little too convenient for my liking.

The Second Honeymoon” is a gripping psychological thriller that immerses readers in a chilling story of love, deception, and deadly secrets. McGarvey Black skillfully crafts a fast-paced plot centered on a seemingly perfect couple whose second shot at happiness takes a dark and dangerous turn. Full of sharp twists and an unsettling atmosphere, the novel keeps you guessing each character’s true intentions until the final page. Ideal for fans of domestic suspense, this book delivers intense tension, unexpected revelations, and a compelling layer of psychological drama. An unputdownable read that will leave you thoroughly hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and McGarvey Black for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

this is my first read by this author and won't be my last! i really loved the plot and the intense, thrilling aspects of it all. very addictive and didnt want to put it down

Loved, loved, loved this book!! This twisty psychological thriller delivers a suspense-filled ride from the moment the cruise ship sets sail. What starts as a romantic anniversary getaway quickly unravels into a deadly game of lies, betrayal, and revenge. McGarvey Black masterfully builds tension, keeping readers on edge as secrets surface and plans fall apart. With a strong female lead and a jaw-dropping final twist, The Second Honeymoon is a dark, gripping read that fans of domestic thrillers won't be able to put down.

This was a DNF due to both writing style and characters. This one did not suit my personal tastes. May work for others.

This book slapped me in the face and the best way possible.

I have a really high standards for thrillers unfortunately and I specifically look at these elements when I determine if I like a thriller or not:
-pacing
-conflict (is it interesting? Believable?)
-rising action falling action etc things need to be planned and in order not just everywhere chaos lol
-characters that you root for and characters you despise
-a writing style that is easy to follow

This book did all of the above in excellence. It’s giving Frieda McFadden and I’m loving it. It’s not so dark that you need to sleep with the lights on. This is a good thing to me personally because I enjoy my sleep. Now when I want something super spooky I’ll pick a horror book. This book was definitely a solid twisty turner of a thriller. The cover is also excellent. 100/10

While there is a lot of action that takes place in the first 20% and then around 40% you start to feel a bit of a slower pace and think that the book is just gonna drive on the author somehow gets in your mind and then slaps you and throws you off the cliff and then catches you.

Now,
I almost put this book down at 70% and was gonna give it a four star just because I liked it, but I thought the ending was gonna get slow and then I stuck with it and the ending to this was so good. I’ve been having very high standards with my thrillers, and this hit the standards. Stick with it past the 50-70 percent mark. It’s all needed info and helps build the ending. Literally everything in this book was so well planned. It’s hard to go into too much detail without giving spoilers. You can just see the attention to detail in this book and it’s clear the author is passionate about storytelling which makes me want to read more of their work.

I will say I don’t know if a sensitivity reader was hired, but I think things were done well. There is a main character with a chronic illness and she’s not treated well so be aware that there is ableism with that from the husband. But (the main character) the husband who’s doing this abuse, is a despicable character anyways so you’re not meant to like him and it is expected for him to be throwing insults at his wife. This was part of the character development. When you don’t actively dislike a character for doing objectively bad things, it gets hard for you to want them to die for no reason and so by picking out a few things that kind of hit close to home for me I personally wanted to murder this man as well. He was a perfect villain.

I inhaled this in one sitting and needed to know what was next. I’m blown away. This is a good one. Also points for a cruise ship setting.

CW:
-ableism
-alcohol use
-murder


Thank you for this treat! I received an eARC and am leaving my honest feedback voluntarily.

This book is a quick and easy read but lacks some suspense. The ending was a little too neatly wrapped up for my taste and the revenge plot points had me rolling my eyes. It was just an okay book.

Separate Agendas..
A second honeymoon is not quite as it seems in this suspenseful drama where a husband and wife both have their own separate agendas. On a luxury cruise ship where champagne is flowing and every amenity is catered, two people are plotting - one against the other. With a pacy narrative, twists aplenty and a well imagined setting this is a tension fuelled read.

I enjoy mcgarveys books and this didn’t disappoint. Very well written but I just felt it lacked a bit of suspense which is usually what the books are filled with.

The Second Honeymoon - Becca and Andre are off on a cruise, a way to reconnect after a few tough years with Becca's illness. Almost too good to be true.....

While this wasn't my favourite of McGarvey Black's books (Twice on Christmas, for those asking!), it was a really good thrilling read. I loved Becca's character, loved the way the story unfolded, and while the ending wasn't a massive surprise, it was a satisfying ending.

I enjoyed the cruise ship setting, and the different POV's - it was interesting, exciting and hard to put down. A solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Becca and Andre head out on a cruise for their 10th anniversary, the arrangement and preparation of which is so unlike Andre that it’s clear from the start that The Second Honeymoon is not going to be smooth sailing for Becca. I can’t entirely fault Becca for not realizing, she suffers from fibromyalgia and feels she has been the cause for the lack of travel and stress on Andre to provide for the past few years of their relationship. But when the predictable happens this thriller heats up to a revenge plot with Becca learning to play her husband’s games better than he could have dreamed.

This is most definitely a book you’ll have to suspend disbelief for but I really enjoyed the plot twists and the writing inviting me to lean in and just run with it. While the ending was a little too cleanly wrapped up I can’t say I was disappointed with how everything turned out. A thriller that isn’t breaking new ground, but one that represents the genre well.

Overall this was a very quick and easy read. I think it had a good plot but I feel like some of it was a little too convenient in how everything worked out.

This book was addictive, fast-paced and a drama-filled rollercoaster ride! WOW!! Never in a million years did I see that twist coming out it literally blew my socks off!

Every chapter was as fabulous as the next, I was reading on the edge of my seat it was truly amazing! I like this authors writing style so I can’t wait to read more from her!


From the minute I picked it up I struggled to pull myself away I was hooked! There were SO many twists and turns it was amazing! My heart was pounding throughout! Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!

I’d highly recommend this book it’s a must read when it comes out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

A very good read, even with unlikeable characters! My first by this author and I’m surprised because she’s right up my street so will be looking at her back catologue to read more.

The Second Honeymoon is a gripping psychological thriller that pulls readers into a chilling tale of love, lies, and deadly secrets. McGarvey Black masterfully weaves a fast-paced narrative that follows a seemingly perfect couple whose second chance at happiness turns dangerously dark. With sharp twists and a deeply unsettling undercurrent, the story keeps you questioning every character’s motive until the very end. Perfect for fans of domestic suspense, this novel delivers tension, surprises, and a satisfying dose of psychological intrigue. A truly addictive read you won’t want to put down.

The Second Honeymoon was a tense, twist-filled psychological thriller-mystery that started out as a romance and escalated into a survival atrocity.

This was the fourth McGarvey Black novel I’ve read to date and I was completely consumed. I loved how this story relied heavily on psychological tension, character-driven suspense, and emotional misdirection. All elements that make a solid psychological thriller-mystery. While the pace started off slow, the story built momentum with intentional precision and layered with tension, until it became impossible to put down.

The Second Honeymoon followed Becca and Andre who had set sail on a luxury cruise to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Their aim was for a romantic “second honeymoon” in hopes to rekindle their connection. Everything appeared idyllic until soon the idyllic surface cracked, and the narrative quickly became a high stakes showdown.

Contrary to the intriguing plot, the characters were not very likable nor were they relatable, aside from Becca. Becca was a former teacher, smart and vulnerable at first. Due to her autoimmune disease diagnosis and the challenges she faced, she was an authentic and likable character. Not only was she vulnerable, Becca was observant, emotionally intelligent, and underestimated. Even Becca surprised herself with her resilience and ability to outwit those who intended to harm her. Unlike Becca, Andre was a cold, charming narcissist with manipulative ways. He was one of the most unlikable characters (in the best possible way) and therefore he made this narrative more compelling and entertaining.

Aside from the finely tuned characters, the themes addressed brought emotion, psychological tension, and transformation. As in every well written psychological thriller, themes of betrayal, deception, appearance verse reality, control, and revenge were incorporated. Therefore they kept me engaged, at the edge of my seat, and questioning everything.

The Second Honeymoon stood out from other books in the psychological thriller-mystery genre due to its sinuous plot, final shocking twist, and its emotional and psychological depth that hovered just beneath the surface. I highly recommend this gripping read to fans of Freida McFadden, Shari Lapena, T.M. Logan and Lucy Clarke.

Thanks to Net Galley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.