Thank you for letting me read an early copy of Rosie Walsh’s new book, which I raced through in record time because, once started, putting it down didn’t seem to be an option. The One Day You Were my Husband is, yet again, an absolute barnstormer of a novel, gripping and twisty, fascinating and immaculately researched. The characters are well drawn and entirely believable, the settings immersive. Trust me, once you begin reading this book, you won’t be able to stop.

This made me want to cry so many times. Twists, bittersweet and ultimately satisfying. Amazing read.

This novel centres round the relationship between Carrie and Johan - a chance meeting in the hospital where Carrie works as a medic leads to an intense 5 month relationship and a proposal and wedding in Thailand. Then he is arrested for drug smuggling and Carrie is left with no understanding of what has happened to the man she thought she knew and loved.

Forced to return to rescue her career, Carrie moves on with her life but still has so many unanswered questions.

A chance internet query leads to her finding out that Johan is now living in Sweden having received a royal pardon and is married.

Carrie, also married and with 7 year old twins, needs to understand what happened - however her quest sets up a train of unexpected events which derail her quiet measured existence. She is forced to take charge of her life and move on.

A compelling love story and thriller combined.

One to be recommended.

The One Day You Were My Husband is a really brilliant read from Rosie Walsh. Full of suspense, and twists the book is well paced and Carrie is a likeable lead.
5 stars

A five star read with clearly depicted and relatable characters. Set against equally imaginable settings, the story takes the reader down a path where it’s impossible to see what will happen next as you learn and slowly begin to understand along with the characters where this will all end up.

The One Day You Were My Husband (the title is a little unwieldy) looks like a romance,and I suppose it is in some ways, but it's also got a strong slant towards psychological thriller. Which I love! I've read all of Rosie Walsh's books, I think, and she's a really great storyteller.

This story is about Carrie, a surgeon, who once had a whirlwind romance with Johan and married him on a beach in Thailand, only for him to be immediately arrested by armed police and subsequently imprisoned on drug trafficking charges. She hasn't seen or heard of him since, has never had any real explanation about what happened, and is now happily married to Robin, and the mother of twins, whose very premature birth has derailed her career.

When fate causes her path to cross once again with Johan's, will Carrie finally get some answers?

This was a really fabulous read. I loved Carrie's character (and her twins Raffy and Maeve). Her relationships with her family - her largely absent mother, beloved father who is now almost lost to dementia, temperamental sister Maya - are beautifully drawn, as are her vocation as a surgeon and need to get back to it.

As Carrie gradually learns more about what really happened back then, many aspects of her life - past and present - are suddenly thrown into question.

Brilliant read.

Carrie is a trainee dr when she falls hopelessly in love with Johan. They are separated and their lives go in different directions. Well told and fast paced. A great read

Read in 3 hours and 31 minutes.

What am I supposed to do now?
How am I supposed to go about my day, knowing that this book is yet to be released to the world (hold tight until June 2026 rolls around) and that few readers have been impacted by its blow?

Carrie Cole was a respected surgeon, storming up the ranks of a London hospital, when handsome Swede, Johan Kullberg, sweeps her off her feet with a whirlwind romance.

Their intense, passionate relationship mimics a Hollywood film so it seems perfectly natural to quietly marry on a remote beach when Johan is booked to complete his archeological diving work in Thailand.

During their First Dance as husband and wife, they’re dragged apart by the local police, and Carrie’s life- and heart- is shredded.

Johan has been charged with smuggling illegal drugs into the country and sentenced to 25 years in a Thai prison.

Carrie is stunned when the police reveal this; “I had read about Bang Kwang. It sounded like the darkest place on earth. It housed Thailand's highest-security male prisoners, along with the national death row and execution chamber. I distinctly remember one post on a forum that said the only way out of Bang Kwang was in a box.”

This isn’t happening. It can’t be real. Except that it is. Her loving new husband is a convicted criminal and his actions have left her in shambles.

Eventually, Carrie meets and marries Robin. He’s the antidote to her traumatic past, she thinks; he’s reliable, doting, and always supportive. She’s a protective stay at home mother to their two children and she’s at peace. She’s happy.

So why does her life screech to a halt when she sees a B&B available in the city that she’s scheduled to visit, run by a very-much-free Johan?

How did he escape prison? Why will no one tell her what happened?

Carrie can’t stop herself from scratching at her scars and opening those wounds again.

She needs closure- she needs the truth.

“Shamefully,” she recounts “I've also relapsed into reading and rereading the few things that are available online about Johan. I don't know who I resent more for this wasted time, him or myself.”

Her sister, impulsive, ex-pat Maya, firmly believes that the past should be the past- even though that means siding with their controversial mother.
First love is always going to be rose-tinted; it doesn’t mean that you have to derail your life to rehash history:

“And Carrie. No matter how badly he did you over, no matter how badly he broke your heart, your trust, your career, and, let's face it, your life, for a while - before all of that happened, you loved him like he was the last man on earth. You adored him.”

In many ways, Carrie has only just begin to reclaim her life back. She owes so much to her dedicated husband- can she really risk her marriage over a fruitless reunion with her notorious first husband?

“Robin, my rock.
I think of the agony I suffered over Johan all those years ago; the despair I felt at having failed to recognise who he apparently was. And then the gratitude when the universe sent Robin my way. Solid, kind, generous Robin: a man I could finally trust.”

The more that Carrie learns about the events that led up to that beach arrest, the less that she can trust the people closest to her…

This book was incredible. It’s bitter, vulnerable, hopeful, and loving.
The author writes about a flawed mother who’s desperately trying to find her way back to the original path that she set for herself, and the pain that she feels about being torn between two men; a hero and a villain.

Having read a book by this author before,I knew that this story would be saturated with emotion but I wasn’t prepared for the twists; it was a treasure hunt where every flashback uncovered a new lie, and I was hooked.

Learning about the intricacies of life as a surgeon (trainee and fully fledged), and how the legal system works (both in Thailand and the UK) was fascinating, as was the explanation of a standard charity framework.
The author describes the longing and shame that unresolved trauma generates, and the what-ifs that haunt any special occasions.

At first, I judged the main character for her knowingly seeking out Johan and demanding that he explain dangerous secrets, but I understood why she spiralled.

It’s an intense story- even more gripping because this does happen in real life- and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the chance to read such a vibrant book.

In the end, we have to remember who we really are…

The wait for Rosie Walsh’s return is over - The One Day You Were My Husband is a stunning page-turning mystery, beautifully written and plotted. Set in three starkly different locations which reflect both the tyranny and wonder of emotions and experience, Walsh explores control, motherhood, career and trust. A brilliant brilliant book.

I've always loved Rosie Walsh books, and this one was no exception! It's a really interesting story which makes you think 'what if...?' When Carrie and Johan got married, their lives were suddenly changed... twelve years later, Carrie is now married to someone else, has children with him but... Johan is back in her life.

I was really intrigued from the start. I wondered what would happen, what had happened in Johan and would they find a way to move forward?
There were some moments which seemed a bit extreme and unlikely, however, I enjoyed the story as it was pure escapism.

Review of ‘The One Day You Were My Husband’ by Rosie Walsh, due to be published on 4 June 2026 by Pan Macmillan.

A story of two lives, in two parts - focussed on Carrie and Johan, her first true love and a whirlwind romance which cruelly ends with Johan being arrested on their wedding day in Thailand.

Carrie remarries, has twins and attempts to rebuild her career as a surgeon, when a chance encounter on a business trip to Sweden blows everything she thought she knew apart leading to a quest for answers, reliving her past and discovering that everything she thought she knew, may all be an elaborate lie.

The characters are well developed and scenic locations are well described.  It’s a heart wrenching, beautifully written, compelling thriller that is a highly recommended read.

I had read and enjoyed Rosie Walsh’s previous novel, The Man who didn’t call, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so was intrigued to receive an advance copy of this latest one. Thank you to Net Gally and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
I have to say that I absolutely loved it and it is one of my favourite books of the year.
I particularly enjoyed the varied locations- Thailand, Sweden, the wilds of Wales and London which were very different and all brought to life in a clever way. The protagonist Carrie is a trainee brain surgeon, quite an unusual profession. However she is portrayed in a relatable way, as a mother without all the answers, a young woman in love bewildered by her surroundings in Bangkok and finally a mature woman who finally seems to have her life in order. There are many unexpected twists and turns and I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend it!

An enthralling tale across many years that throws back together a couple who had been pulled apart by an arrest on the day of their wedding. It’s good to remember to assume nothing

The title made me read it, but this book blew my mind. It delivered on so many levels, from the thriller element to the love story. I enjoyed the different locations, the impact of parenthood on life choices and the balance of work and family. It's such a different story to many others out there and I found the combination of thriller and love themes, to interweave brilliantly and deliver what is truly an exceptional book. You want something different? Boom, this is it! I must also mention the twist near the end, which I was reading while in a cafe in Hay-on-Wye for the Winter Hay Festival. I had presumed that the story was pretty much going to be sewn up, with a light touch, then I read a certain reveal and I actually swore out loud it was so good! This is not something I think I have ever done before, but it took me by surprise so much (in a good way) it shook me!

Carrie meets and marries her soulmate on a romantic island in Thailand. Within 24 hours, he has been arrested and taken from her.

Life moves on and Carrie marries and has a family but in a chance turn of events, she finds that Johan alive and well. She then feels compelled to get some answers. Where did he go? What was the story? She needs to know so she sets about finding out.
Will she like what she finds?

Written between real time and past time, Rosie Walsh writes a wonderful narrative that keeps the reader completely engrossed with the storyline.
The ending did not disappoint.

Stick with this; the twists when you find out what happened to Johan I just didn’t see coming! This is the story of Johan and Carrie who meet by chance when Carrie is at work and end up falling in love. Josh. Is arrested within four hours of their marriage but it takes us to the end of the book to see what really happened.

Carrie's youthful marriage to Johan - after a whirlwind romance - ended in his tragic death, and left her with emotional damage that took years to get over. Now she is finally happy in her life with Robin and their two children, and is even considering a return to the medical career that she was forced to jettison at one stage.

So the last thing she expects, during a brief visit to Stockholm to meet with her one time mentor and explore the possibility of a surgical internship at a hospital there, is to discover that Johan is alive. And even though she knows that she would be wise to stay away from the possibilities raised by this revelation, Carrie finds herself unable to resist opening Pandora's Box...

Rosie Walsh has delivered an atmospheric, emotional, and utterly unique piece of story telling that lands a number of body blows in the process of delivering it. While I could have wished that the book was not quite so long, it is undoubtedly one of my most memorable recent reads. Don't miss it!

4.5 Stars

This was my first Rosie book and I liked it. I cried A LOT!
It was sweet and sad and mysterious and heartbreaking and adorable and I really enjoyed reading it. I just wished that the first 75% would've been a bit shorter - I wanted more of the last 25%! But I liked it all.
I'm glad I'm not a doctor in England - all those things you have to do to become one and then stop being one and then starting to work again? Jeez! I didn't understand anything when she said all those British doctor things! LOL. There might've been a tiny bit much of that for a non-British, non-Doctor reader.
Oh, and I thought that maybe they should've been a few years younger in the beginning? 27 and 30 seemed a bit old for things.
But the story was really interesting, plottwisty and beautiful ... and I enjoyed it.

This is a brilliant, twisty love story disguised as a thriller, and I loved it. The pacing is impeccable, the twists are excellent, and the story unfolds with ease.

I was totally immersed in this book from the first page. It’s the story of Carrie and Johan - their lives touching, joining, breaking apart and magnetically pulling back together - but the hows and why’s are the real drama. Just when I thought things were resolved, yet another revelation appeared and I was swept back along on a new trajectory. Well written, pacy and a great read - I’m off to look for more books by Rosie Walsh.

A fantastic story, Once started, you have to finish.
Its major strength is the characters.
I loved the love story between Johann and Carrie. Here was a man steeped in charisma, the most attractive fictional man I've encountered in a long time. This made it all the more perplexing when he was accused of a crime. Carrie was also a great character, determined to succeed in surgery but forced to give up her work to look after her premature twins. Her mother, a firebrand who takes part in protests and knows people in high places, is also a fascinating character. Her poor parenting, as she prioritised her own career, impacts the way Carrie reacts to situations.
The twists were dropped gently with incendiary effect. So enjoyable.

Wow! Just wow! Welcome back, Rosie Walsh! This book is phenomenal!!

There are more twists and turns than a roller coaster! The characters are so well developed that it felt like I was actually part of their lives, like I really knew them. When things started unfolding, lies were discovered, and truths were finally told, I literally sat with my mouth open in shock.

This book had me in a complete choir hold from the first page to the last. I couldn't sleep last night until I finished it (3am).

I urge you to pre-order now! This is a psychological thriller you don't want to miss!!

What an amazing read ! This book was full of twists and the perfect mix of thriller and love story combined.

The characters were well written, I felt like I knew them, The plot was brilliant. How our past can shape our future so well explored, also how unexplained events can never really be forgotten until we find out the answers,

Motherhood, career , love, control and trust are all tied up in this page turning book. I highly recommend it .

I absolutely devoured this book. The writing is perfection and so emotional at times. I loved everything about it – the love story, the main characters, the location, the many twists that I didn’t see coming. The ending was a wonderful shock, and I’m now on the lookout for more books from this brilliant author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review. Truly excellent!

I loved this book heart wrenching at time a wonderful read that drew me in & kept me turning the pages totally involved.Rosie Walsh writes so beautifully her characters come alive.#netgalley #panmacmillan.

Rosie Walsh used to write as Lucy Robinson and I loved those books. Rosie Walsh writes more grown up books and I adore them.
This was so good. Starts of as just a normal love story but there were so many twists and surprising turns. I read it so quickly. Now will have to wait ages for her next one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sensational!

I went into this book with absolutely no idea what to expect. From the blurb, I assumed it would be a mix of genres, but nowhere does it warn you that it’s essentially a masterclass in how to write perfection.

Love story? ✔️
Mystery/Thriller? ✔️
Characters? Beautifully crafted, creative, and imperfect in the best, most human ways.
Locations? I want to go everywhere these characters went and see everything they saw.

A complete delight from start to finish.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC of “The One Day You Were My Husband.”

I'm gonna need a quick lie down after this one. Because I don’t read descriptions, I had no idea what to expect. This really is a story about quiet and heavy betrayal, conditional versus unconditional love, and how hard it is to pull yourself back together after being put through the wringer. As frustrated as I felt at times, I couldn’t put it down.

I really enjoyed this. The pacing is quite slow, but it works perfectly to build the atmosphere and kept me intrigued the entire time. It's a gripping mystery about love and loss.
The core emotional journey was well-executed, and the ending was helped tie up any loose ends. Highly recommended.

The one day you were my husband is a cracking novel. I couldn't put it down and I'm certain you won't either. Its insanely well written.

An enjoyable book which developed with many unexpected twists and turns. Slightly slow to start but soon gathers pace with a variety of diverse characters with many complex intertwined relationships. Set in Devon, London, Thailand and Stockholm over a period of 14 years with main characters Carrie and Johan and their love affair.

I have written this unbiased review from a free copy received from netgalley. I absolutely loved, loved this book. I love all of Rosie's books to date, she manages to write books based around romantic relationships but they always have an unexpected twist which keeps you reading and wanting to find out the outcome. The description of places and relationships, you really get a sense that Rosie has lived some of that life herself and is able to draw on her own experience. The book centres on a split second in time and a decision you make which can change your life forever. Would highly recommend this book. 5 stars from me.

I enjoyed this book! It was a bit slow at first but then it really opened up! The characters were believable and throughout I needed the answers, to what actually happened? So it left me guessing! All in all a good solid read.

This book was simply beautiful.

The cover matches the story perfectly.

I loved it. Every single page.

I’m sitting here in the early hours having just finished reading it because I couldn’t put it down.

I’m utterly blown away by the poignant, heart wrenching tale of love and loss.

This book captivated me from the very beginning and has required a lot of will power to not read it in one sitting. Only because I need sleep and have work to do. If I was on holiday I would have finished it in one go.

There are no words to say how powerfully profound this book has felt to me. There have been many moments when tears bubbled up from my eyes.

It’s felt like a therapy, opening me up, there was no choice to resist it. The words written by this author moved me beyond anything I’ve read in a good long while.

As I said at the beginning, this book was simply beautiful.

I haven't read a Rosie Walsh Book in forever so I was glad to see this one come up on Netgalley. It kept me guessing all the way through and I couldn't put it down. Even after I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking about it which is the sign of a great read.

What a fantastic read to start the New Year!

This is the story of happily married mother of two Carrie, who had once been a trainee surgeon but readily gave up her career to be a loving mother to twins.

The story takes us back and forwards in time and location, reflecting on a past episode of her life when, young and single, she had had a deep whirlwind relationship with somebody she met through a chance meeting.

The story which is full of mystery and questions that need answering, transports us between the UK, Thailand and Stockholm, and her writing style is fantastically engaging and believable. It touches on topics as diverse as drug smuggling, Alzheimer’s, and family break-up, and with a strong thread of romance.

An absolute page-turner, one by one every member of her family is called into question, and her faith in every family relationship she had ever trusted turns out to be based on falsehoods. She is left with unanswered questions and an impossible decision to make.

My only criticism would be that in my opinion the book title diminishes the literary value of the novel, it comes across as a bit “romance novel” or Chick-Lit which does not at all reflect the fantastic writing style and depth of content.

I had not previously come across this author, but will definitely be looking to read more of her.

I received an advance review copy of The One Day You Were My Husband from Netgalley in late 2025 and this was my first read of 2026. I have to say I absolutely loved it. A great holiday read. Loads of intrigue, some interesting twists and that slight feeling of not knowing who can be trusted that I love in a thriller. As I read it I could see how this book might work on a screen - it has a filmic feel at time. The setting of the beach wedding dragged me back to my twenties in Thailand and contrasted well with the later, harsher realities of parenthood. For this reason, there were elements of the book that felt quite real, although others that felt perhaps a bit more unrealistic. At those points I decided to just suspend disbelief and go with it. Glad I did.

This book is fabulous! Not really a thriller but also not a lovely story in the traditional sense. I would say it's a mash up of both. Very well developed characters and a strong storyline that weaves through many twists and turns. The flashbacks to Thailand tease the reader into thinking something will be revealed before whipping you back to the present. Thoroughly enjoyable.

‘The One Day You Were My Husband’ by Rosie Walsh is an epic tale spanning over a decade of love, loss, heartbreak and deception that is quite unlike anything I’ve read before!

At the beginning of the book, the main character Carrie is marrying Jonah in a gorgeous beach ceremony. However, we learn that moments after her marriage became official, he was taken by armed men and never seen again. We then see her re-married with children and planning to return to her job as a surgeon after recovering from a complicated birth and still bearing the scars of the horrifying experience on her first wedding day in Thailand twelve years ago… scars that are ripped wide open when she comes across Jonah online and living in Sweden!

There are so many twists and turns across the chapters, and a few breathtaking betrayals, but also so much genuine emotion. Aside from the central narrative about Carrie’s heart, the focus on her career and the barriers facing women in the workplace really resonated with me. Ultimately, I highly recommend this novel, which gets 4.5 stars from me!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Pan Macmillan via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Oh my goodness, what a book! I loved every page of this one. I finished it a few weeks ago, but the plot has stuck with me. It’s one that is more than worthy of 5 stars and that I would highly recommend it.

Rosie Walsh is doing what she dos best in writing a delightfully addictive book once again.

And with such a great concept. She is also a queen of twits and I certainly didn't see this one coming, I was totally shocked.

I had to keep reading to find out if Carrie would ever discover the truth about the man she married in 2010 in Thailand, only for him to be arrested later that same evening.

I couldn't read this fast enough as I was flying through the pages, and various time lines, determined to know the truth.

And I was definitely not expecting the direction it went in at all, so kudos to the author.

I loved the travel elements in this especially the descriptions of Thailand. I also loved that Carrie is trying to once again get her life back on track, including becoming a surgeon.

There are many fabulous storylines to wrap your head around, each more addictive than each other, and all totally fabulous.

A triumph of a book, one I absolutely was hooked on.

Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Just a sublime five-star read. This one had me on pins for most of the story, there were so many ups and downs, mis-leads and wrong turns that have you thinking the worst and then realising that you had it wrong all along and believing in Carrie all along. If your world was shaken, what would you do to put it back together and what would you risk if it could all come apart again. The detail in this story are sublime, there are so many points that could have been glossed over like some authors would, but you can tell the hours and days of research that has gone into this story, to give the best level of depth that pulls you in and keeps you deep in the story.

This is such a fab book that I felt honoured to be allowed to read & review it.
Kept me guessing.
Rosie Walsh is a fab author!

Thank you to the author Rosie Walsh, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I’m genuinely grateful to have experienced such an emotionally powerful and beautifully written story ahead of publication. It was a compelling and memorable read, and I appreciate being trusted with an early review.

The One Day You Were My Husband is one of those rare novels that grips your heart from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s bittersweet, haunting, and devastatingly human, a story about love, betrayal, identity, and the kind of unresolved past that refuses to stay buried.

The novel follows Carrie, once a brilliant, ambitious surgeon whose life was derailed by a whirlwind romance with Johan, a charming Swedish diver she meets by chance. Their five-month relationship burns fast and bright, culminating in a quiet wedding on a remote Thai beach, only for Johan to be arrested moments later on drug-smuggling charges and sentenced to twenty-five years in a notorious Thai prison. Carrie is left shattered, heartbroken, and without answers.

Years later, now married to dependable, loving Robin and raising seven-year-old twins, Carrie has carefully rebuilt her life or at least convinced herself she has. But when a chance online search reveals that Johan has been pardoned, freed, and is quietly living in Sweden, married to Carrie, Carrie’s world tilts again. The questions she buried resurface. The scars she thought had healed begin to tear open. And her search for the truth sets off a chain of emotional shockwaves she can no longer outrun.

Rosie Walsh writes with extraordinary emotional depth. Carrie is flawed, fragile, stubborn, and utterly believable. Her relationships with her gentle father, fading into dementia, her distant yet complicated mother, and her fiery sister Maya feel textured and real. The novel captures the sacrifices of motherhood, the ache of lost ambition, and the pull between who we were and who we’ve become. The medical and legal details are woven in beautifully, enriching the story without ever overwhelming it.

This isn’t just a love story; it’s a psychological thriller wrapped inside one. Every flashback reveals another layer, another lie, another devastating truth. The pacing is gripping, and the twist near the end is breathtaking, the kind of reveal that makes you gasp in public and reread the page to process it. It’s raw, emotional, and utterly unforgettable.

At times heartbreaking, at times hopeful, this novel explores the danger of nostalgia, the cost of truth, and what happens when the past finally catches up with the life you built in its shadow. It made me want to cry more than once, but it also left me deeply satisfied.

A compelling, emotionally charged blend of love story and psychological suspense. Truly exceptional and absolutely one to recommend.

WOW. I have spent the past few nights racing through this, staying up way past the time I should have been asleep because just… one… more… chapter. Rosie Walsh has long been a must-read author for me (I adored all her Lucy Robinson books, too!), and she undoubtedly gets better every single time. The One Day You Were My Husband has everything I want from a novel – brilliantly layered and relatably flawed characters, a twisty mystery, and heart-crushing, goosebump-inducing romance. The reveals, when they landed, had me gasping. It's such a skill to weave together a plot this intricate AND make a reader feel deeply, too. I have a feeling this book is going to be the biggest of Rosie's career so far – and I for one will be cheering alongside all the others on those lofty rafters.

Thank you to the publisher for approving my request. I feel extremely privileged to be an early reader.

Oh wow!! if you want a book that keeps you guessing and up into the small hours reading wanting to know what happens next, but at the same time not wanting the story to end then this is the book for you!

Thank you Netgallery for allowing me a copy before publication for an honest review. This is my own opinion.

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh is twisty twisty! While I guessed some of the plot, other bits took me completely by surprise. (This doesn’t happen to me often – so I loved it for that!)
Carrie is a doctor and met Swedish Johan in A&E one day, Over time they fell in love. He is arrested on the day they get married in Thailand and the mystery of why is at the heart of the story. I found Carrie likeable and relatable, and sympathised with her. Although she is happily remarried with children, not knowing what happened to Johan understandably remains with her.
If you like a book that keeps you guessing and keeps you invested – this will work. You’ll need to suspend your disbelief – but it is worth it.

Another fabulous read and well worth the wait since Rosie Walsh’s last book! This story had a particularly strong sense of place, with the beautiful, lyrical descriptions of the Devon countryside. The story was tightly plotted and totally unpredictable - I was shocked by what I thought was the twist, only for the plot to twist again! A thoroughly engaging read and one I’d highly recommend.

Preposterous plot and yet also somehow entirely believable. Characters I longed to spend time with despite all their flaws. And mainly utterly unputdownable. I loved it.

Rosie Walsh is an exquisite storyteller. She had me chomping at the bit throughout. Incredibly gripping with moments of sadness and what-ifs. I loved reading it and can’t wait to see what Rosie can think up next.

I loved this book.
It grabbed hold of me and didn't let go.
Carrie got married 12 years ago on a beautiful beach in Thailand after a whirlwind romance. Hours after he was gone. It took years to rebuild her life, not knowing if he was alive or dead, but now she's happily married with beautiful twins.
Then one day she sees his photograph, he's alive!
Superb writing, this book will draw you right into Carries life.
I will be looking for more books from this author.
#NetGalley #Macmillan 'TheOneDayYouWereMyHusband #RosieWalsh

Ultimately, this is a story of love, passion and betrayal, but there’s one hell of a story to reveal with lies and hidden truths creating a tangled web of mystery.

It’s a very intense narrative from the off, told in the first person by Carrie. The opening chapter is set in Thailand, the day of Carrie and Johan’s wedding on a beach, the perfect romantic setting. Until armed police grab Johan, handcuff him and take him away. In the weeks that follow Carrie is bereft, struggling to understand what has happened to this beautiful man she had fallen in love with.

Skip forward 12 years and Carrie now lives in Devon, a once promising junior doctor who wanted to specialise in gastro surgery, she lives with her husband and two young children – twins. But her children are a little older now and she hopes to return to her career and continue working towards becoming a surgeon. It’s through a previous work colleague/mentor inviting her on to a training placement that by pure chance she stumbles upon Johan where she sees him mentioned online.

The story then takes us back and forth as more detail is revealed as to what happened in the intervening weeks after Johan’s arrest, to the present and back again to the past.

It’s very emotional, very intense and further on into the book there are some huge, surprising, completely unexpected twists adding to the turmoil that Carrie’s life has become, leaving the reader turning the pages with bated breath.

I enjoyed this book very much. It lures you in and doesn’t let go until the very last pages. This will be at the top of my favourite reads of the year as was the last book I read by this author.

The One Day You Were My Husband is a sweeping, emotionally charged book that blends romance, mystery, and long buried secrets. It opens in 2010 with a whirlwind beach wedding in Thailand, where Carrie, a British surgical intern, marries Johan after just five months together. The joy is short lived. Armed men storm the ceremony, arrest Johan, and take him away without explanation. In custody, he refuses to see or speak to Carrie, and she never sees him again.

Fast forward to 2022 and Carrie is living a seemingly settled life in the English countryside with her husband Robin and their six year old twins. After a traumatic start to motherhood, she has stepped away from her medical career and convinced herself that this quieter life is enough. That certainty fractures when she discovers online that Johan has been out of prison for years. The revelation pulls her back into the past and ignites an obsession with uncovering what really happened all those years ago.

As Carrie begins to dig, memories of her intense first love resurface alongside uncomfortable questions. Why was Johan released early. Why did he never contact her. And how has he built an entirely new life without her in it. What starts as a search for closure quickly becomes something far more dangerous as secrets from both timelines collide.

I loved this book. It is quieter at the beginning, carefully laying emotional groundwork, but once it gains momentum it becomes absolutely relentless. The mystery is tightly plotted, the pacing sharpens beautifully, and the character development feels deeply earned. Carrie’s emotional conflict is handled with nuance and empathy, making her choices compelling even when they are risky.

The final act is gripping and satisfying, delivering twists that feel shocking but completely justified. This book asks powerful questions about first love, identity, and whether it is ever possible to fully leave the past behind.

I loved this even more than the author’s previous books. Intelligent, addictive, and emotionally resonant, this is a story that stays with you long after the final page.

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Powerfully profound, full of twists and certainly not the romantic story I was expecting. This book had me gripped from the start.

what a great book! i think i expects a love story but what you get is a whole lot more! I didn’t see the twists (and boy there is a big one!) and it had been hooked! i think this is my favourite book by this author and would recommend!

Having really enjoyed ' The Love of My Life' by Rosie Walsh I was very keen to read her latest offering. 'The One Day You Were My Husband' is part romance, part mystery and part domestic thriller i.e. it has the lot!
Carrie Cole, a junior surgeon, meets the love of her life Johann but things take a sinister turn when he is arrested and thrown into prison on their wedding day in Thailand and Carrie eventually learns he was caught up in a criminal drugs gang. With the aid of her mother, Carrie is persuaded to give up trying to establish the truth about what happened to Johann and returns to England.
Carrie eventually re-marries and has twins but over a decade later she learns Johann has been released from prison and is living back in Sweden. Whilst on surgical re-training programme Carrie crosses paths with the long lost love of her life and establishes all is not as it seems in relation to both the past and the present. Who is telling the truth and how will she navigate the future?
A great bunch of supporting characters add to the depth of the story and so many twists and turns keep you hooked right to the final pages.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this highly recommended book.

A fantastic read. I loved the characters and empathised with Carrie as she struggled to rebuild her world after her one day husband is arrested on a beach, never to be seen again.
The plot thickens in ways you would not predict and the story is compulsive from page 1

Emotional, captivating and heart breaking. Just a few of the words I would use to describe this book. It drew me in from the first to last page. Absolutely the best read of this year. When Carrie and Johan meet they know they are each other’s soul mate. What happens on their wedding day changes the courses of their lives forever. Rosie Walsh tells a compelling story of lust, love, trust and deception. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with a totally unexpected ending. The characters are believable and Rosie’s descriptive writing is so obviously researched.
I would highly recommend this book.

I’m a huge Rosie Walsh fan. I love how when I pick up a Rosie Walsh book I know she’ll deliver not only a gripping storyline, but also one that carries an emotional punch. The One Day You Were My Husband didn’t disappoint. The writing captured me from page one, and the structure of the novel kept me desperately reading on. And the twist! Just brilliantly weaved in and SO clever. Five stars.

I last read a previous Rosie Walsh book a few years ago and knew I’d enjoyed her writing style; direct, pacey and easy to read.

This book did not disappoint. It was an absolute rollercoaster of flawed characters, double crossing, smoke screens and wrong turns.

Just when I thought I had a handle on who was doing what to whom, the story shifted again! If you enjoy psychological thrillers, you’ll enjoy this.

It kept me guessing right to the end.

Carrie is a young woman training to be a surgeon when she meets and falls in love with Johan a Swedish diver. They have an impromptu wedding on a beach in Thailand but before the day is over Johan has been arrested by armed police and is subsequently charged with drug trafficking and sentenced to 25 years in jail. When Johan refuses to have any further contact with her Carrie is forced to return to the UK. She later marries Robin and they have twins. Because of the extremely premature birth of the children, Carrie decides to put her career on hold to care for them. Now 12 years later Carrie is keen to resume her training as a surgeon and is travelling to Sweden to meet her mentor. She is shocked to discover that Johan has been out of prison for some time and has had an extremely successful career change. She can't help but wonder why he hasn't contacted her and what exactly happened all those years ago which resulted in his arrest.
This is an extremely enjoyable read with many twists which I didn't see coming.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity of reading an ARC of this book.

I requested to read this book as the title intrigued me. This is so beautifully written, it captivated me from the beginning right through to the last page. It is the story of newlyweds Carrie and Johan and the awful tragedy that happens on their wedding day, which changes their lives forever, or does it?

Firstly a big thank you for my opportunity to read and review this book..
I’ve been a fan of Rosie even before she was writing as Rosie .
This is an absolute journey of a read !
You think it’s one story then the layers expand d and unravel , revealing the truth .
A fantastic book with exceptional writing so mi h so I read in one evening .
A thought provoking , emotive and captivating story.
Who is telling the truth and are people ever who they say they absolutely loved the characters as they all had their own stories and flaws .
There’s moments where your questioning what is she doing but then asking yourself what would you do ?
A brilliant read and highly recommend to add to your summer list of books to read .

I can't remember the last time I was so immersed in a book than I was reading this. I genuinely felt I was living this story such was the depth and quality of the writing. Easiest 5 stars ever

Wow! Blimey! What a roller-coaster ride this was! It had me sitting on the edge of my seat! Superb book! Fantastic ending!! I highly recommend. Big fat 5 stars from me.

Having read “The man who didn’t call” book years ago, it stayed with me and I was delighted to read this new book by Rosie Walsh.
I enjoyed every moment of this book, the story was great and had twists throughout that I did not see, it’s the sort of book you want to curl up and read all night. Engaging characters, interesting backgrounds and very readable. I would totally recommend this book, you won’t be disappointed.

A very gripping description of a love affair and a mystery.

Carrie and Johan fall for each other and they fall hard. A few months later they marry on the spur of the moment, on a beach in Thailand. Mere hours later Johan is arrested and Carrie has no idea why. She never finds any answers.

Twelve years later, Carrie is happily married to Robin and living in Devon with twin children she adores when a series of coincidences throw everything she thought she knew up in the air again.

It’s hard to say more without spoiling the twists and turns but suffice to say, I didn’t see them all coming.

Mostly very past paced, and successfully jumping between past and present, I did, however, feel this book lost its way a little about two thirds through. The mystery suddenly didn’t seem so mysterious and it seemed like the story was just fizzling out… but that made subsequent revelations all the more surprising.

I enjoyed the detailed medical context of Carrie’s work. I imagine the author must have a medical background… this goes beyond watching every episode of ER and Grey’s Anatomy! Details of London, Devon, Thailand and Sweden could have been researched but felt very realistic as well.

A head-over-heels love affair, a mystery, betrayal, the complexity of family relationships, it’s all here.

Grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in return for an honest review.

What a book. So powerful, emotional and gripping all the way through. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. Carrie and Johan's spontaneous wedding ends in his arrest by Thai police. But as we flip from present day to the past in this amazing book, we start to piece together the events of that night and beyond.

It was brilliantly told, a moment towards the end had my heart in my mouth (didn't see it coming!), Just loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a brilliant long weekend read. I could not put the book down.
I liked the characters, they were so well described and thought through, you could sympathise with their flaws and fears.
Book is running across two timelines. Has twists and turns you would not expect.
Excellent read!

'The One Day You Were My Husband' by Rosie Walsh is a beautifully written story about love, loss and trying to move on after tragedy. A whirlwind romance leads to a wedding on a beach in Thailand, but the celebrations are cut short. What follows is a haunting and evocative mystery. The prose is immersive, vividly capturing the setting and main character Carrie’s emotional journey as she navigates grief, pain and the impact of her loss. This is a twisty and emotional page-turner that lingers long after the story ends.

Carrie and Johan fall madly in love and have a beach wedding in Thailand, but Johan is arrested at the wedding by the Thai Police.

Carrie is forced to come back to the Uk where she trains as a surgeon, marries Robin and has twins. But she discovers the truth about what really took place in Thailand and what happened to Johan and her life starts to unravel.

Loved this book, totally had me hooked from the start and loved the twists

Really enjoyed all of this book I couldn’t put it down and when I did I quickly had to pick it back up again! I just felt I needed to race through it the ending was amazing so unexpected !
I have since read again in case I missed anything but I hadn’t and it was so good to read again this doesn’t often happen for me !!
It’s a sort of love story and thriller combined.
It’s the first novel I have read of this author but will certainly be seeking more of her books Thanks to the author Rosie Walsh the Publishers and Net Galley for giving me the chance to read the ARC

This was a fantastic thriller mystery with two romantic interests for the main character Carrie; as we move backwards and forwards to her past and present, from being a carefree young surgical intern, spontaneously marrying her Swedish boyfriend on a Thai beach, to her life as a wife and stay-at-home mum to premature twins in the Devonshire moorlands.

Written in first person, it is an intense roller-coaster of a novel, slowly feeding the reader information on husbands Johan and Robin, and an important storyline involving Carrie's childhood, and immediate family.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Pan Macmillan. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love Rosie Walsh’s writing, she keeps you gripped from the start, I was invested in Johan and Carrie’s relationship throughout the book with all its twists and turns!

Wow! I absolutely loved this book, I couldn't put it down and when I did I was thinking about it.
The book grabs you from the very first page, Carrie and Johan on the beach getting married, partying, happy and in love when it all comes to an abrupt end.
Carrie a Surgeon tries to put her life back together but can never really let go of her past, now a wife with two children she tries to rebuild her career but a chance trip away sees her meeting back up with Johan and they try to make sense of the past.
Just when you think its over another twist comes which I definitely didn't see coming!
A definite must read highly recommended

A fantastic, fast-paced domestic thriller/love story that I went into knowing nothing about and just was completely engrossed. There is so much flawed and frustrating initially about the main character, but this builds beautifully to how confusing and muddied the waters are by manipulation, misogyny and betrayal.
It is so cleverly done and I ultimately think a real testament to the struggle for women to "have it all" and what personal cost comes with those expectations.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Incredible story which had lots of twists you just dont see coming. Definitely a love story, thriller and tear jerker rolled into one. I was totally gripped from beginning to end

Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending it.

The first book from this author Ghosted (also published as the Love of My Life) was one of my favourite books of the year over 7 years ago now. Her new one is just as good.
I would class her books as romantic/domestic thrillers. A good twisty page turning story with a romance at the heart of it.

In her new book, young Carrie, a talented surgeon in training, meets the dashing and irresistible handsome Johan after he comes to her hospital as a witness to an accident. The connection is immediate and strong and a whirlwind romance follows where they impulsively marry on a Thai beach, only to have police appear on their wedding day and cart Johan away.
Jump 12 years later and Carrie is happily married with young twins, only to accidentally stumble across Johan on the internet now married with a son. What had happened and why hadn’t he contacted her?
Their story is told through alternating chapters from the past and the present as the horrible truth emerges where she no longer knows what is the truth or a lie or who to trust.
Thoroughly enjoyable and engaging story.

@currentlyreading__
Book 9 of 2026

Back in 2019 I was enthralled by ‘The Man Who Didn’t Call’ by Rosie Walsh and always recommend this such was the beautiful and deeply layered narrative. Fast forward seven years and here’s another absolute corker of a read. I love books with a nested or Russian Doll structure where each layer opens to reveal another layer beneath and that’s what we have with Rosie’s new work of brilliance due out in June.

‘The One Day You Were My Husband’ had so many characters I absolutely loved and yes, it’s a lovely story but it’s also a mystery spanning back twelve years. Our FMC Carrie married the handsome Johan on a beach in Thailand, they ate Pad Thai and danced under the stars. All was perfect until armed police descended on the scene of romantic bliss and whisked Johan away from Carrie.

Fast forward twelve years and Carrie is married to Robin and the mother of twins. Life has moved on in so many ways but in her heart she wants answers to what happened to her husband of only a day.

This is the sort of book where the characters will live on for me much like Sarah and Eddie from ‘The Man Who Didn’t Call’. Beautifully written and as much as I was racing to finish I am bereft now. Thank you so much to Rosie, Pan Macmillan and @Netgalley for my ARC. Released on 4th June - pre-order now.

#rosiewalsh #theonedayyouweremyhusband #netgalley #bookworm #iamreading #bookreview #kindle #bookreviews #bibliophile #bookreview #mustread #bookobsessed #bookrecommendations #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #fiction

When Carrie said ‘I do’ on a beautiful beach in Thailand to Johan, she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him. But tragedy struck, when armed men came and took Johan away never to be seen again.
Years later Carrie is married to Robin and mother of two twins. She is considering getting back to work as a doctor after having a difficult birth and bring the twins up. She has been asked to go to Stockholm to train with one of her old colleagues. When she discovers that Johan is alive a well and is married with a stepson. She wonders what happened that day and why he hasn’t communicated with her. But doing her investigations she finds things out she never imagined.
I can confess, I didn’t read the blurb for ‘The one day you were my husband ‘when I picked this up. I was drawn in by the title and the cover. So, when I started reading, I was surprised in a positive way that this was more a domestic thriller with a bit of romance thrown in. I like both genres so I wasn’t disappointed.
This was intriguing and kept me engaged through out wondering what Carrie was going to find out next. Do we really know the people that we hold close too? This is a very enjoyable read. But I did find for me personally the ending a bit too far-fetched. But I enjoyed it nevertheless. 4.5 stars from me.

Imagine you get married on an idyllic beach in Thailand. You're dancing with your brand new husband and our of nowhere armed police arrive and arrest him. He's taken away and it becomes clear he's not who you thought he was. This is what happened to Carrie, a surgeon madly in love iwth Johan a Swede.

This is the story of what happens after. For some years Carrie is happily married to Robin. They have twins and although they have their problems they look set to live happily ever after, But then Johan comes back into their lives and Carrie is forced to face up to the fact that all is not what she thought.

A compelling read which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Rosie Walsh never misses! Another emotional rollercoaster of a story, the twists are so wonderfully twisty. Loved it, an easy 5 stars!

A bit of a slow start for me but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Quite heartbreaking at times because I always felt that for Carrie, there was always something missing. I loved the way the story went from the past to the present and I didn’t feel that any of Carrie’s personality got lost on the way. A thoroughly enjoyable read
5⭐️

Carrie’s first love doesn’t quite go as planned , the story is lovely it focusses on Carrie’s life and relationships. The plot is great and the realistic family life adds depth. The sad parts involving the extended family enhance the overall impact.
Little gritty parts and twists to keep you turning pages. Unexpected turns a great read. Highly recommend.

At first this seems to be a romance gone wrong but with a happy ending with a new partner. Then the full story starts to reveal itself. And boy what a story that is. Nothing is as it seems. there are so many twists and turns your head will spin. Brilliantly written and cleverly constructed, be prepared to sit-down for the duration!

This was my first foray into books by Rosie Walsh I don't think it will be my last.
The title "The One Day You Were My Husband" made it impossible not to read. I visualised some post apocalyptic horror or maybe a sudden discovery of another wife and family or a cult of vegans.
But not this.
I did wonder what kind of idiot gets married on a Thai beach by a German they have never met before but claims to have taken an online course to allow them to officiate at weddings?
Hours (or pages) later that became irrelevant as the Groom is forcibly removed from the beach by the authorities. Wedding unconsummated.
Then the book got really strange!
Definite recommendation. Read this book.

I loved this book, it was a gripping storyline, and one that kept me up late reading then desperately trying to slow down as I didn’t want it to end but equally I needed to know that it would be a safe ending. Wonderful descriptions of Thailand and Sweden, and not so wonderful but true ones of hospital life.
Excellent read, would highly recommend. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

What a fantastic story.
I cried reading this book. A love story that definitely goes in very different directions.
An intense relationship that ends in tragedy that resurfaces years later.
Can't explain without spoiling the twists but life is not ordinary.

How can I describe this book? It’s definitely a romance but also it has shades of a mystery and psychological thriller with several unexpected twists.
It certainly had me gripped from the very first page and I found it difficult to put down- always a good sign.
Carrie is a trainee surgeon, dedicated to her job. One day she meets Johan at the hospital where she works and a whirlwind romance ensues. They are so madly in love that whilst on a trip to Thailand, he proposes and they get married on the beach…….however, the very same day he is arrested by armed police and accused of wrongdoings! Carrie is devastated that the man she loves is in prison with little chance of release and in the end flies home. She eventually moves on , never seeing him again…..until a chance internet search for accommodation in Sweden, Johan’s home country, reveals he is alive and well, no longer in prison.
Carrie, who is happily married with young twins, is torn but she wants to know what happened all those years ago and why he behaved as he did.
I loved the way the story was told, the plot twists and above all I really liked Carrie who has tried to pick up the pieces of her life and forget the trauma of her wedding day but who still really needs closure. She does not want to upend her current life but she feels desperately drawn to find out what happened in Thailand all those years previously.
I’ve read and enjoyed other books by Rosie Walsh- she certainly knows how to write a story that instantly draws a reader in. I definitely recommend “The One Day You Were My Husband “ as an enjoyable and compelling book that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

A family drama, a romance and a mystery all wrapped into one to make the most perfect story. Apart from the satisfying ending, I was taken aback by all the twists and turns. It held my interest throughout and nearing the end I had to ration my reading time because I didn’t want it to end.

I loved this book. I enjoyed the back story and thought I had everything worked out but then it was all turned on its head in a twist I did not see coming at all.
Loved the very satisfying conclusion too.
Thanks to the author, publisher and to netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Oh my goodness, what a ride I went on with this book! I don't want to give too much away because the twist was amazing. I spent much of the boom trying to piece together the different parts that were given but absolutely didn't see the ending coming at all. I haven't read a Rosie Walsh book before but will most definitely be reading her books in the future. Once I had started, I couldn't stop reading until I had found out what had happened. Fantastic!

I have loved Rosie Walsh’s previous books and this was no exception. There always seems to be the perfect balance between character development and plot twists. Her writing deepens your connection to the characters and I felt fully invested in the story.

I don’t like romance novels, but I love Rosie Walsh”s novels. That might seem strange when often her novels are categorised as romance, but for me there’s much more to them than a lot of the more formulaic romances. Rosie Walsh novels have such complex characters, facing heart-wrenching situations and with really tough choices to make, This is definitely the case for our narrator Carrie Cole who’s a surgeon by profession, but since the premature birth of her twins has been more focused on home life. She and her husband Robin live in a draughty cottage on the moors, with a small ‘Roof’ (AirB&B) holiday let next door in the old piggery. Robin works in the world of medical philanthropy, matching investors to areas they can support medical causes. This is how the couple met, at a fundraising event. Nearby, her Dad lives with his wife Nicola, but has recently been struggling with dementia and may need to move into a home. Both Carrie and her sister Maya have a complex relationship with their mum, who is an international activist and charity worker, Carrie has been feeling the urge to return to work and has put out feelers with her old mentor Yanika about what steps she would need to take to come up to the required standard. There’s an event coming up for Roof hosts in Sweden, where Yanika works and they discuss meeting up for a conversation. Carrie has never left the children overnight, although she knows they’re perfectly safe with Robin, in fact he gives her his blessing in the form of a generous booking of a lovely hotel near to the venue. Carrie had been looking at cheaper Roof accommodation nearby, when a familiar name and face appear on the screen. All of a sudden Carrie’s mind sweeps her back to her twenties, where she’s dancing barefoot on a Thai beach with her new husband, Johan, mere moments before Thai police swarmed the beach with guns and arrested him. Carrie knows that Johan was sentenced to twenty years in a Bangkok prison, so how can he be in Sweden hosting a beautiful lakeside retreat?

There were so many questions I wanted to ask during this novel, as Carrie’s narrative follows her present and a deeply traumatic past that she thought was buried, It’s a love story that’s also a mystery, as we see how the couple met when he came into the hospital with a trauma patient he’d been helping until the ambulance arrived. Their connection is immediate, but it’s incredibly deep and even though she knows she can’t pursue anything with him, she can’t stop thinking about him. Slowly, through flashbacks we piece together their story and I was devastated for both of them. Carrie pieced herself together after Johan’s court case with the help of her family, particularly her mother who had flown out to Thailand to use her influence and local contacts. Over time Carrie has hardened her heart towards Johan, feeling both betrayed and abandoned by him. Abandonment is a big deal for Carrie and her sister, after they were removed from their mother’s care as children when her advocacy and activism were so absorbing she’d overlooked their safety. Since then Carrie and Maya lived with their father who had a more stable home life. Both girls show signs of abandonment issues and a tendency to self-medicate their feelings. Carrie doesn’t eat when stressed and Maya has issues with alcohol, both of them display displacement activity like cleaning madly when they’re in distress. Robin has proved himself to be a safe harbour for Carrie and she calls him her rock. However, she can’t deny that she wants to know what happened to Johan and the urge to see him is stronger than she expected. I could understand why she needed this, to have someone ripped from your life in this way is devastating, but even worse would be the questions: was Johan really trafficking drugs? If not why did he plead guilty? How did he end up back in Sweden and when? Lost love is painful enough but when you’re left unsure of what was real there’s no sense of closure, Can Carrie meet with Johan and get her answers without her carefully balanced life back in the UK imploding?

I really understood Carrie and I believed in her love story with Johan. Their connection leaps off the page like a flame and never goes out. I also had so much time for Robin, who is an incredibly supportive husband and dad. I was willing Carrie to be honest with him and explain why she still needed the answers. Carrie’s inner voice is so powerful that I believed in her utterly. She has the problems of every working mum who has gone through a traumatic pregnancy with incredibly premature twins and all the ailments that come alongside that. Her little boy still struggles with asthma and her instinct to be with them is a definite response to her mother’s inability to put her and Maya first. Carrie doesn’t want her children to ever doubt her love and commitment to them, but that has come at the price of her commitment to her own goals and perhaps she’s even denied a strong part of who she is - that drive and ambition to the best doesn’t just disappear. She berates herself for thinking about Johan, telling herself she’s very lucky and has everything she needs, but does she? I loved how the author gave Carrie room to ask questions of herself and her closest relationships. Is there a part of her that has hidden away since the birth of the children? Although she loves the feeling of being cared for and supported, where does caring end and control begin? In some ways her sighting of Johan isn’t about her feelings for him, but her feelings for herself and the person she was when they met, I also loved how Johan called her Carrie Cole, as if only her full name could encompass all the things she is. Part of me wanted their love to still be there, but the more rational part of me knows that long term relationships and parenthood are tough. Often what we long for in past relationships is a fantasy, one that doesn’t include vomit on the rug, temper tantrums and a Dad that’s slowly losing his sense of reality. Can Johan really be all that Carrie sees through her young, love filled eyes?

Once the questions start there’s no stopping this complex tale from unravelling and the tension builds as we realise there’s so much that Carrie doesn’t know. As Johan realises that Carrie truly knew nothing from their final moments in front of the courthouse in Bangkok until a week ago when she looked for accommodation in Sweden, he asks why nobody told her. But who should have told her? Who in her protective and much loved inner circle has been keeping secrets? Can she cope with another betrayal? The answers, when they came, were totally unexpected..Nothing here is exactly as it seems, for both us and Carrie. What happened on her wedding day in Thailand created a huge scar across her timeline, with her life divided into before and after as if severed from each other, Now she knows there were tiny unseen strands of connection and the cut was never as clean as she thought. Despite telling herself, ever since that day, to make decisions with her head could her heart and her gut have been right along? This really was a heart-breaking love story, with so much depth and emotion for the reader to relate too. I was rooting for Carrie, both with her ambitions to return to work and her personal life. I felt an affinity with her discovery that she had allowed herself to become small and knew that only time alone, recovering and accepting the truth would help her make the right choices. Yet there was still an impulsive and romantic part of me hoping that love, froze wherever it came, would find a way.

I was so absorbed by this that I forgot to make notes for my review whilst reading it.

It was so good. It took me longer to read than it normally would but I think that's because it's so layered that it demands your full attention.

I initially thought it would be quite a light-hearted, fun romcom, and whilst there is that, it's got so much more depth that it's a really thought-provoking story.

I loved how she has given us the present scenes, but instead of just adding the odd flashback, she's given us big chunks of background scenes, so it's like two stories in one and I ended up loving both parts to it.

I think she's written two books so far, with the second one being one of my favourites, and they get better with each one, and this is no different. So with that trajectory in mind, the next one should be even better.

It's not a thriller, nowhere near, but it still has plenty of twists and turns I couldn't see coming.

The characters are all marvellous. There are some proper baddies who we don't like, but even they are quite likeable in a weird way. But most of the characters are good and are just wonderful. The main character of Carrie is a fantastic protagonist and I was on her side from the very start to the very end. She felt so familiar, almost like a friend who I wanted to support.

She just gets better with each book. They're all a bit different but they do have similar qualities. Firstly her fabulous talent in storytelling. But mainly it's in her characters. In every book it is the characters who shine and they really make each book special.

I am obsessed with this book and recommend you all read it the moment it comes out.

I cannot wait for her next one. If it follows the same pattern, it will be her best one yet.

What an absolutely amazing read from Rosie Walsh. The One Day You Were My Husband is an intriguing title which hides an intriguing story. It has everything you could want. A love story (not soppy), a mystery and a good handful of twists. The main character Carrie can be a bit annoying but can't we all. The storyline held my attention throughout. To the extent I couldn't put it down and completed the book in one sitting. A very satisfying, enjoyable book I'm happy to give a 5 star recommendation.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Carrie Cole meets the love of her life Johan and marries him quickly in Thailand. However on their wedding day armed men take him away and suddenly reality comes crashing down. Carrie returns to the UK devastated and alone and wondering what has happened and did she ever really know Johan at all? She slowly rebuilds her life as a surgeon

Time moves on and she is happily settled and remarried with twins when life takes a strange turn. All her memories come flooding back. Will life ever be the same again?

I loved this book. Part love story and part mystery it is told in two time frames and we slowly, as the reader, get to knit the two parts together. Yet it still retains an air of intrigue throughout.

A huge five stars for this book and highly recommended! Thank you to all for my advance copy!

I adore all of Rosie's books and this was no exception. Gorgeous writing and a slight thriller lean to it which I really enjoyed.

Rose Walsh has perfected the art of writing love stories, and I mean love, not romance. I couldn’t wait to read this book as I read The Love of My Life a few years ago and inexplicably fell in love with the story and the writing style. I wanted to rush through this book and take my time as I wanted to know what happened but didn’t want it to end. She always writes strong female characters and writes about lives that are messy and imperfect. This book ad me gasping out loud at times and brushing away a tear at others. This is a beautiful but messy love story.

Wow what a roller coaster of a read. When Carrie marries Johan on a beach in Thailand little does she know that her husband will be arrested a few hours later and she will never see him again, but years later by now happily married to Robin and the mother of twins, she comes across him on line he is alive and well but should she get in touch or forget about him. This is a brilliant story full of twists that will keep you gripped from the beginning and what Carrie eventually finds out about what happened on her wedding day all those year's ago was something I never expected. A fantastic read

Oh wow, this was a really great book! The first book I’ve read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last. I was drawn to the plot summary when I requested this and I’m so glad I discovered it. I really wasn’t prepared for the rollercoaster of emotions I’d go through reading this! I absolutely raced through it, Normally I don’t like books that heavily mention healthcare or working within it as it hits too close to home but it didn’t seem to matter with this one, I was too absorbed in the story to care. I actually need time to process it I think. Best book I’ve read in a long time. I’ll be recommending this to everyone.

The characters were believably real, the location immersive. A romantic wedding on the beach in Thailand, which turns into a nightmare
It's twisty and a very compelling read. Very, very highly recommended. You won't want to put it down.

Sink into this and enjoy. It’s a romance but so much more. Complex characters, great settings and a plot that will make you gasp. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Omg, what a book, what a story! What a life! I could not stop reading this and didn’t want it to end! Definite movie coming for this book and I will get front row seats. I love Carrie! Please can we have a follow up: the emotional roller coaster had me turning labels so fast while wanting it to last forever! Amazing!

On Carrie’s wedding day, to a man she has only known for a short amount of time, he gets dragged off to a Thai jail for drug smuggling. Ten years later, with her new husband and young twins, she finds herself in the same Swedish city as him and feels the need to find out what happened on that day and why he never contacted her when he was pardoned.
This is an addictive book which I raced through. I really liked all of the characters, in the way they were so individual yet all endearing and I enjoyed how there were long sections on then and now, meaning I could really get onto each period of time. I enjoyed it so much and now need to read more by this author. An easy 5 stars.

Absolutely unputdownable.

I loved this book. Will be recommending to everyone. I really really enjoyed the story, loved the characters and the whole idea was just so unique.

Will be looking out for more by Rosie Walsh.

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh is one of those books that completely pulls you in, I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and suddenly hours had passed. It’s a gripping, emotionally charged story that slowly unravels, dropping just enough breadcrumbs to keep you constantly guessing.

The story builds full of tension, secrets, and unanswered questions. I found myself trying to piece everything together alongside Carrie, second-guessing what I thought I knew at every turn. Loved it!

More than a rom-com. A love story and mystery combined, with lots of twists and interesting characters. You really root for Carrie. Will look out for more from Rosie Walsh