A quick thrill ride of a read! A bit chilling. a bit thrilling, some good twists and turns and shocks, but nothing too original or mind blowing! Overall, if you are looking for a quick, decent read, which will give you a few thrills, chills, and shocks, then this is your book. If you’re looking for a completely original, mind blowing book, this may not be the one that gets you. I think it is definitely worth reading though!

So this book had lots of good, but also a bit of bad! Firstly it was written so well - I loved the style of writing!
I loved the suspense and the anxiety that went along side the gaslighting and mental abuse!
I really did not love Lucy - who was a complete muppet!
I really didn’t like her ridiculous pouty friend Emma!
I am not onboard with the ending! It was trying to be enlightening and spiritual but it was just rubbish!
Some of it was far fetched!
What was the point of Simon?
Why doesn’t Paul get caught out - that dude is never at work!!
Worth a read for the sheer evilness of perfect Paul.

I really enjoyed this book.

It kept me on the edge of my seat.

So many twists and turns.

Brilliant read, edge of your seat thriller!! Loved it. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a well thought out story.

I am really looking forward to reading more from Elena Wilkes in the future!

A twisty thriller! Lucy and Paul fall madly in love with each other from the very first moment. They met one night in a bar, hit it off, and got married rather quickly. Just when Lucy thought everything was perfect she finds a photo from Paul's past. On top of that she reads text messages that Paul had been hiding. Lucy starts to realize she doesn't know her husband like she thought she did. She noticed something was off with Paul. His entire mood changed. He became angry and controlling.

This book took some pushing for me to get into it. The premise was interesting - how much do we really know the people we form relationships with? There was some interesting intrigue and I do think there were some moments of what a domestically violent relationship looks like. Lucy is a probation officer over seeing released criminals including a sex offender who gets under skin and targets her personally after his release. She meets a psychologist named Paul and despite her resistance to forming relationships they form one ridiculously fast. I think what kept me from from really getting into this story is that Paul was clearly.a bad guy from the start and despite Lucy recognizing many of those flags she still falls deeper into him.

This book was good and I enjoyed it, but I felt there were too many stories and sub-plots within that were just dropped with no explanation. The last chapter got me even more baffled.

The Man I Married by Elena Wilkes again uses a familiar theme, the evil husband who initially is too good to be true. A one night stand leads to disaster a heady relationship that begins to fray at the edges. This just read as a been there, done that kind of story. Not terribly original, but not horrible. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy.

Twisty thriller asking how well do you really know your spouse or your partner?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it the characters. I would call it a psychological thriller that literally leaves you guessing until the last page. It was a great read and I would recommend it for people who enjoy suspense.

I did not finish this book. It was too slow moving, didn’t keep my attention & was a little unbelievable. I would be interested to read another book by this author though to give them another chance.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I read this for a blog tour.

What seems like a whirlwind romance deteriorates into a gaslighting nightmare, with a dangerous and controlling man manipulating everything.

Paul is a psychiatrist and knows exactly how to pull the strings and cause Lucy to doubt herself and her grip on reality. He plays games with her, lies, tells her best friend conflicting stories, slowly breaking down her resilience.

As Lucy's mental state grows more fragile and she can't trust the people around her, Paul claims more power, sending her to the mental health unit and making sure no one will believe her.

This was gripping, shocking and frustrating (I really hate men like Paul and he just seemed to keep getting away with it) and the ending was a twist I did not see coming.

4.5 Stars

A cleverly plotted and brilliantly constructed psychological crime thriller, if like me you simply cannot get enough domestic noir, then you are sure to be gripped by Elena Wilkes’ impressive debut, The Man I Married,
Lucy and Paul fell head over heels in love from the very first moment they clapped eyes on one another. A whirlwind romance had quickly ensued and Lucy and Paul, unable to even contemplate the thought of spending the rest of their lives apart, had proceeded to get married. A lifetime of marital bliss awaited them and Lucy had been full of hopes and dreams for her future. But just how well did she know her husband? Who was the man she married? Was he the prince charming who had come into her life to sweep her off her feet? Or was he someone who has dark and twisted secrets which he daren’t reveal to anyone – not even his wife.
Lucy has no reason to entertain even the thought that her husband is not the kind and honest man she thought him to be. She is blissfully happy and has everything she has always wanted. But her perfect marriage is about to be rocked by a shocking and scandalous secret that will force her to question everything about her relationship and the man she promised to love, cherish and obey…

When she finds a photograph from his past life, Lucy is absolutely floored. But worse is to come. As she begins to dig deeper, she stumbles across text messages that leave her scandalised which make her question how well she knows the man she has chosen to spend the rest of her life with. Lucy knows that she can no longer stay in this marriage nor can she run the risk of spending eternity with a man she cannot trust. But as she finds herself overwhelmed by her husband’s shocking secrets, she begins to wonder whether he is not the only one she can trust. So consumed is she about uncovering who her husband really is that she quickly comes to the conclusion that she has absolutely nobody she can rely on and turn to – not even herself…

As she begins to question her own judgement and doubt her own sanity, one thing is for certain: Paul will do whatever it takes to ensure that he keeps his perfect life – even if it means putting his wife in danger!

Elena Wilkes’ The Man I Married is a domestic thriller that will make the hairs at the back of your neck stand on end. Full of tension and twists and turns, The Man I Married is a chilling tale about trust, betrayal and deception where the suspense is so deftly ramped up that you will be on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

A thriller that is impossible to put down and one which will go down a treat with fans of Sophie Hannah and B A Paris, Elena Wilkes’ The Man I Married is a heart-thumping and nerve-twisting tale that will have you sleeping with the light on for weeks.

Like all good psychological thrillers, The Man I Married had me tied up in knots. Admittedly it took me a chapter or two to become completely enveloped in the story, but once I was, I found it hard to put down.

I’m all for whirlwind romances, but I had red flags waving and alerts blasting from the beginning. Complete with shouts of, “Warning: danger ahead!” and “Abort, abort!” at my kindle screen. *shrugs* I can’t help myself!

I was in a perpetual state of unease reading TMIM. Eerie, menacing, and sinister are just a few of the adjectives I’d use to describe what I felt. With each turn of the page, I never knew what was coming next and I felt continually on edge. Wary of letting my guard down for even a second.

Never mind Lucy questioning what was real and what wasn’t, I found myself doing the exact same thing and flipping back and forth in the book.

With each new revelation I could feel the tension building to an inevitable crescendo, but... but... but I honestly didn’t see that ending coming...

Mind games are the worst when your thoughts and feelings are twisted and manipulated to fit an alternative narrative. I feel emotionally drained (don’t laugh!). In fact, I’d go so far as to say mind games isn’t a strong enough term. Psychological warfare is more apt!

My only one grumble was with a secondary story thread. I wish I’d been able to see how that played out as I felt sure more had to come out in the wash. Or maybe that’s just my over-active imagination making 2+2 = 10 *snorts*.

What can I say? Elena Wilkes has gained a new fan. I look forward (with a hint of trepidation) to her next offering.

I was not very happy with the ending but the basis of the story was good. How well do we know the people we meet? Interesting the authors comments at the end of the story. I am always fascinated with where story ideas originate.
I enjoyed the story and will read more by this author!

First, I want to thank Elana Wilkes, Hera Books, NetGalley, and BOTBSPublicity for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

WOW!! What a twisted must read book!! After reading Elana Wilkes The Man I Married I am reminded that being single is not so bad! This book reads like an intense man hating movie from the Lifetime Channel!! It is that good!

The graphic designers did an incredible job with the graphics on this cover! They were beautiful and so perfect to the storyline!

Elana’s prologue is intense, deep, descriptive and got your attention very quickly. I loved how she drew me in so quickly to the storyline. From there and all the way through the book it was incredibly fast paced-which I loved. I was glued to the book until the last page!

This book does cover some topics that may be triggers to some readers. If child sex offenders, pedifila, stalkers, abductions, murderers bother you then this may not be the book for you.

I was not a huge fan of Paul’s even from the beginning. He just rubbed me the wrong way. Then again his personality reminded me of my ex’s.

Simon’s Story was very interesting.

Elana has a true gift for writing in this genre. I was totally shocked and dumbfounded by the ending of the book as it totally took me by surprise. Never did I see any of that coming.

If you read Elana’s letter at the back of the book you will learn about her 18 years working at H.M. Prison. There she met a prisoner who was a lot like the one she writes about in this book. She must have seen and learned a lot of fascinating things working there. It paid off in this book!

thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review

3.5 stars - rounded up for rating

THE MAN I MARRIED is a solid thriller debut for Elena Wilkes! There is plenty to keep you guessing from start to finish as the tension builds. This brings up the age old question: do you ever truly know who you’re married to? What secrets have they been hiding from you? Do you ever really know their full past? So many questions and the reader is desperate to find the answers as the book continues.

Lucy falls madly in love with Paul and they soon get married. Lucy had the perfect life and all that she wanted – but we all know that doesn’t last long in this genre. A photo and some text messages unravel everything as she begins to discover his dark secrets. How far is Paul willing to go to keep their perfect life and keep his secrets buried? Who can Lucy trust?

This was a very gripping novel from start to finish but I feel like there were some unanswered questions at the end. For readers that aren’t fans of ambiguity or being left to wonder, this might not be for you as I know that can be a make it or break it for some. That’s really the only reason why I took off a little from the solid 4 star read it was from the beginning. I highly recommend picking this one up and can’t wait to see what she releases next!

Wow. This is definitely a challenging book, given its subject matter. 'The Man I Married' follows Lucy's life after meeting and marrying Paul, who initially appears perfect before something far darker emerges from his personality... However, the abuse is not traditional domestic violence as it is commonly portrayed - instead, it focuses more on coercive control and gaslighting, the more emotional manipulation that is just as painful and damaging as physical abuse.

There are sections of this book that are very difficult to read. The author clearly knows what she is talking about, and the slow burn of the abuse gradually escalating and encompassing more and more of Lucy's life was absolutely heartbreaking to read. As such, it was amazing to see Lucy begin to fight back and explore Paul's backstory in an attempt to find out what really happened to his former partner.

Indeed, it was the second half of the book where things really picked up, and there were so many plot twists, it made for really gripping reading. Initially, I found the pacing a bit off, as the first half of the book is a bit slow with unnecessary subplots, but this completely changes in the second half, where everything is ripe with tension and you're desperate to find out what happens next! The ending itself was good, it wrapped everything up whilst also leaving the reader guessing, which is something you'll either love or hate. For me, this began as an ok read but transformed into a great one as the book went on.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in conjunction with NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

My Review
Are you looking for an edge of your seat type read???
Then look no further than The Man I Married....
A very enjoyable debut.....
We meet probation officer Lucy in this story.
Lucy is married to Paul.....
I often wonder when we go out with or marry someone, how well do we really know the person.
So much trust is needed for a relationship and a lot is taken at face value isn't it....
Their first meeting in the pub felt somewhat staged if I'm honest...
Very unprofessional of Lucy to even discuss a case with someone she's only known all of five minutes..
Elena's characters I did find quite enjoyable if somewhat strange...
Her writing was atmospheric, dramatic and at times bloody creepy..
When Lucy finds some messages and a photograph on her new husbands phone, it takes trust and plenty of restraint to not let her thoughts get out of control...
Easier said than done...
Just what is her husband hiding from her though? It certainly had me guessing for sure...
Well worth your time and effort...

Whoa! This was one heck of a ride. I saw more ups and downs in this book than on the roads. The turnpins the author Elena Wilkes took brought the whole twist to the story.

A whirlwind of romance and secret marriage saw the main character Lucy bound to psychologist Paul Webb. But things started to happen. Paul’s behavior too left a lot to be questioned.

A debut by this author, I savored the freak-out tale, where I didn’t know what the truth was, right till the end. I loved how the twists turned me inside out. Nothing was as it appeared, and the author managed to keep the atmosphere suspenseful.

Some scenes were far fetched, but that was okay. I was too into the tale to not enjoy it. The main characters, oh Lucy, what could I have told her? I tried to poke her and get her to see the truth. But she was in love.

The race to know the reality of Lucy’s life got me tapping on my kindle until the last line. Whew!! It was harrowing, I tell ya!! Looking forward to see what this author would come up with next.

What an amazing read! It kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through.

This psychological thriller follows Lucy, a woman who has horrible taste in men. She meets Paul, who says and does all the right things. She finds the relationship moving really quickly. Eventually, cracks begin to appear; Lucy is often confused and doubting herself. Paul isn't the great man she once thought after all...

This book was so gripping, I couldn't put it down. I had no idea where the story was going. It is a dark love story that shows how emotional abuse can be somewhat subtle and how people might stay in such situations.

The only criticism I have is that a couple of the story lines, while they were really interesting, don't really go anywhere. Like what was the point of Simon? And her doubting Emma? I was waiting for all of it to tie together.

4/5

Thank you to Hera and NetGalley for the free eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.