The premise of this book was very strange and I really thought that would be the plot twist, but it wasn’t. I enjoyed reading this and it kept me interested. There is a surprise ending, which was unexpected.

Jesse and Tom have been best friends since childhood. At eighteen they end up having a scuffle outside of a night club and Jesse winds up dead. Tom is sentenced to ten years in prison and both Jesse and Tom's families are left to pick up the pieces. Jesse's mom, Bridget, and Tom decide to take part in a restorative justice program to try and bring a bit of peace to one another for losing a son and a best friend. But what no one expected was for them to fall in love and get married ten years later. When Tom is released from prison, the marriage starts to have a ripple effect on everyone in both Tom and Bridget's lives. But what secrets have been hidden about that night ten years ago? And what consequences will those secrets have?

"10 years ago he killed my son. Today I married him..."

I'll be honest, this did not go like I was expecting it to go AT ALL (which is a good thing). The story had me hooked from the second I read the blurb to the very end. It's a fast paced thriller and a very quick read. There's a lot POV's and there's a few flashbacks too, but that didn't make the story hard to follow for me. For me it helped with the fast pace of the story.

The story has a lot of twists and turns and I had so many theories throughout the entire book (one of them ended up being the right one, yay me!) that it just made me wanna finish it ASAP to find out every single secret the characters were hiding. K.L. Slater definitely keeps you on your toes while reading this one, because you start to suspect everyone of lying/hiding something.

"Sometimes, life was so incredibly cruel."

The characters were well written, in my opinion. Each had their own backstories and personalities. I found myself rooting for different "sides" constantly. I also want to say thank you to the author for tying up every loose end in this book,

I do however, find some parts in this story hard to believe and I'm still struggling to wrap my head around them, which is why I'm rating this one 3,5 stars. It was still a very entertaining read though, and I love this writing style!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and K.L. Slater for giving me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“It was a smile filled with triumph, with accomplisment. All of which seemed invisible to my husband and my son."

Overall rating: ★★★½

Being newly engaged and reading a thriller called The Marriage may have seemed like a foolish idea...

Alas, it was such a brilliant idea that I ended up thoroughly enjoying this clever plot from start to finish! I mean, I guess my fiance NOT being a convicted murderer nor 20 years younger than me did help... xD

The family dynamics between each household represented in this novel, really gives an interesting insight into the aftermath of tragedy and how relationships will be tested. From the start, you will most likely assume you know the motives of each character. However, Slater indeed brings us on a journey of lies, secrets and illusions!

The tale is told from the POV of a multitude of intriguing characters, each showing us their sides of the story. The timeline swings about between the present and the past in an easy to follow fashion.

If you're into mysteries, I propose ;) a suggestion that you go and check out K.L. Slater's newest gift to us all!

"The Marriage" by K.L. Slater has an intriguing premise. Two childhood best friends got into a fight one night outside of a bar, and with a single punch, one ends up dead. To make things more interesting, Jesse (the deceased)'s mom ends up marrying Tom, the one whose punch killed him. Needless to say this brings a lot of confusion to those around them.

Tom's mother, Jill, is particularly upset and confused. At every turn she wonders if Jesse's mom Bridgette is sincere in her marriage to Tom, or does she have ulterior motives. While all this is unfolding, another wrench is thrown into the mix. Ellis, Jesse's son, who Bridgette lovingly dotes on, may not be Jesse's after all. But if not Jesse's then, whom does he belong to?

One piece of the book I enjoyed was that it alternates between different characters' perspectives. When done well, I enjoy when a writer does this. Slater mastered this! It allowed me to get to know all the characters' personalities and form my own opinions about all of them without being swayed by only one narrative's perspective.

I enjoyed the book throughout, and then once everything was revealed, I was a little let down. I feel like there could have been a more sinister ending, one that featured Bridgette. That is why I ultimately decided to give the book 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of "The Marriage" by K.L. Slater in exchange for an honest review.

In The Marriage we are introduced to several main characters. There is Tom, who is coming to the end of his 1o year prison sentence following the death of his best friend Jesse after 1punch during an argument.
We also meet his mum and dad Jill and Robert, Jesse’s mum Bridget and a couple of side characters, Audrey, who is Jill’s best friend and Coral who was pregnant with Jesse’s child when he died.
During his prison sentence Tom agreed to restorative justice program which brought him and Bridget together to discuss the events surrounding Jesse’s death. They never expected to fall in love, the knew their families would disagree so decided to get married in secret.
As expected their families do not take the news well. Jill suspects Bridget has a plan to take her son away from her as punishment for what Tom did. Coral and Jesse’s 9 year old son Ellis does not like Tom and his grandma being together because To is the reason he never met his dad.
Things are as expected tense and relationships are strained. This is not helped by the secrets that several of these characters are hiding.
The story delves into these secrets to uncover the truth.
I really enjoyed reading all the different sides of this story as we discovered the truth behind the marriage and everyone’s secrets.
KL slater really wove a tale and helped you to feel for every one of the characters involved in this book
Highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

What an amazing book, I read this within a day it was such an addictive read, absolutely loved the twist, such an enjoyable read.

Wow! Ten years ago, a boy named Tom accidentally kills his friend, Jesse and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Then after he was released from the prison, he marries Jesse's mother, Bridget, which was a shock to both Tom's parents and Jesse's girlfriend, Coral. What was the real motive behind Bridget marrying Tom? Is it for revenge? Tom's mother, Jill is determined to find the reason and would do anything to annul the marriage.

I was so hooked into the story from the beginning and didn't really want to put the book down. The story is told from the perspectives of Bridget and Jill, Tom's mother, spanning back and forth between past and present. The story got more intense, dramatic with twists and turns you didn't expect. The author did a good job keeping the reader hooked into the story and as I read on, I was craving for more! The characters to me are OK, though some characters I didn't like much. The twist at the ending was unexpected that I couldn't even believe that ending!!!

Overall, this is the second book I have read from this author and she didn't disappoint me in anyway! An epic thriller with twists and turns that will keep you up all night--worth four stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC--the review is based on my honest opinion only.

I was surprised by the endind, but felt like the book was slow. The characters were not likable and a little predictable.

This is my first book by K.L.Slater and what a ride it was, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Full of twists and turns, grabbed me from the start and kept me guessing until the very end! Fantastically written! Would definitely recommend!

Wow! What a book! This is certainly one of the best books I have read this year. Cleverly plotted and well written, this is the epitome of the page turner, with twists and turns in every chapter. The basic premise is brilliant: ten years ago Tom killed his best friend Jesse with a single punch. Now he is released from prison, having married...Jesse's mum. And that is just the start...

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

While I’m not sure it lived up to the “unputdownable psychological thriller you’ll read this year” hype in the release notes, this was a decent read. Kind of dragged a bit in the beginning, but the second half was more page-turning-ish.

Nice little twist at the end. While I was expecting a twist, that wasn’t the one I was expecting.

A solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

WOWSER!!! From the blurb about this book to the end of the book, I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't put the book down! This was such a fast thriller! I had my own theories about what was going to happen and none of them were right but what did happen was better because it wasn't what I expected. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers.

As soon as I read the description of this book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. As soon as I got my hands on it, I couldn't put it down! While I found parts of it to be a little hard to believe, (She marries the guy who killed her son?) it was still an entertaining read. I will definitely read more from K.L. Slater.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an ARC in exchange or my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC copy.

Just wow, wow, wow. I knew this would be good as K L Slater writes brilliant books but even without knowing that the blurb was enough: Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.

Jesse and Tom were friends from toddlers. AS close as brothers. At age 18 a terrible accident leaves Jesse dead and Tom in prison for his manslaughter. A restorative justice program prior to Tom's release puts him back in touch with Jesse's mum Bridget. After everything that's gone between them they manage to find love and marry. Friends and family can't understand how and why they are together. The ripple effect from the original accident that reached far and wide continues after Tom's release. I really don't want to say much more without spoiling it. There are so many twists and secrets I couldn't tell who was telling the truth and what secrets they were hiding.

Absolutely gripping and I read it in one sitting. Massive 5 stars and highly recommended.

Bridget is getting married...to her deceased son's best-friend-turned-murderer. Tom accidentally killed his lifelong best friend, Jesse, during a heated argument outside a nightclub. While going through a special restorative justice program in prison, he spent time with Jesse's mother, and the two fell in love. Just before Jesse's release, they got married in a small prison wedding. What will the community think? What will Tom's mother think - a woman who put her entire life on hold and wasted away during Tom's 10 year prison stint? Are the two really in love? Maybe one - or both - have an ulterior motive for their marriage.

I've read K.L. Slater before, and I thought this title sounded like a fresh and interesting take on the often overdone domestic thriller. Boy, was I right! The storyline was fresh, the book read quickly, my attention was kept, and I was even surprised by the twist! The final little epilogue was such a fun twist that I found myself almost cheering for a minor character. I thought the book was going a certain way, then I thought it was going another way...only to find out that I was completely wrong. The character development is done so well that the "whodunnit" didn't feel like it came out of left field, either. I was very impressed with how well the plot came together.

A definite perfect easy summer read! I need to go back and see what else Slater has written that I may have missed!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I finished reading The Apartment by K L Slater and decided to jump right into the Marriage. I love her way of unique writing, how it can be easy to read her thrillers and still be unable to figure out the twist. She is definitely my go-to author for British thrillers.

Thanks NetGalley, my favorite publisher Bookouture and the talented K.L. Slater for an ARC to review.
A shocking emotional page turner thriller that will make you believe it's going one way where it's actually going a totally unexpected way.
Same with Blink for the same author, she knows how to grab the reader instantly from the first page and keep throwing shocking twists along the way.
10 years ago Tom killed his childhood best friend Jesse accidentally, now he's marrying Jesse's mother Bridget.
My heart broke for Bridget and I loved her fierce will to live, love and forgive.
I absolutely loved it.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Marriage' by K.L. Slater.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and K.L. Slater.

Publication date 20th March 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Girl She Wanted' which I would also highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and beautiful cover and its intriguing synopsis. I have also previously read 'The Girl She Wanted' by Kim which I loved so am hoping this will be just as good. The synopsis also stated 'If you love The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl, you’ll be totally hooked on The Marriage'. I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' so I'm intrigued to see if it lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 60 chapters. The chapters are short to medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Mansfield, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited Nottinghamshire on several occasions so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere mentioned in the book. (Written before I've read the book)

This book is written in both first and third person perspective with the main protagonists being Bridget (first) , Tom (third), Audrey (third), Ellis (third) and Jill (first) . The benefits of third person perspective especially with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. With there being several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The fact that this book is a mix of both is fantastic as you get to go alot more in depth with the characters thoughts and feelings thannif it was just third or first person perspective.

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

OMG!! Love, love, LOVED IT!!!! Well done Kim you have absolutely done it again. Completely smashed it!!! Fantastically written with vivid descriptions that completely absorbed me into the chapters. The cover and synopsis suited the plot perfectly.

The storyline was realistic and completely addictive. I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. I cannot remember the last time a book made me question myself so much!! Completely packed with lies, secrets and explosive twists I was on the edge of my seat biting my nails throughout. I was not expecting the shocking (several) twists so a HUGE congratulations Kim, its getting harder and harder to shock me but you managed it several times. The setting was perfect for the storyline and I loved that you got to see so much from so many characters perspectives. I truly thought I knew what was going on and was pleasantly surprised when I was completely wrong (not something I normally admit to!!). Completely unputdownable!!

The characters were all very well portrayed and unique with their own strengths and weaknesses. I went from feeling sorry for some to disliking them to wanting to fight their corner. The book is jam packed with deceit and one thing I did enjoy was that everything was explained at the end. Nothing worse than loose ends. I am also very pleased with the way the book ended.

Another hugely successful novel by K. L Slater who is one of my favourite authors. I cannot wait to read what she comes up with next!!! Well done Kim, keep them coming!!!


Overall a highly addictive non stop psychological thriller that will keep you hooked and guessing throughout!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' and C. L.Taylor

356 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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This book had so many twists and turns that I could not put it down. When I thought I had it solved I was completely wrong. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who wants to be up all night reading a book just to get to the end.

Brilliant. I’ve read this book in less than a day. It’s really really gripping. Very fast paced, the story evolves with unbelievable results. A great exploration of human emotions, good and bad, it’s all laid bare in this tangled web.