The Marriage by K. L. Slater

Tom and Jesse, two boys as close as brothers.

One fateful punch leaves 18yr Jesse dead by his best friend, Tom, a trained boxer. Jesse had a knife. Was it an accident? Self defense? Or did Tom really mean to kill him?

Bridget, Jesse’s mom, found it in her heart to forgive Tom! They fall in love and get married, while he’s finishing up his prison term for killing her son!!

Wait....what?!? Reading the books description caught me right away! I couldn’t wait to read this book!

Tom’s mom, Jill, is so excited for his release! His dad Robert, not so excited. Little do they know he’s married. Jill and Bridget were good friends. Jill confides in her other friend Audrey.

Then there is also Coral, Jesse’s girlfriend who was 6 months pregnant when he dies. With a boy she names Ellis.

Is there revenge? Why marry your son’s killer? Or has Bridget truly forgiven Tom and in love?!

Family isn’t happy. People will be gossiping. There will be secrets and betrayals. Another death.

Even though I guessed the plot twist, this was an enjoyable book! I kept wanting to read more!!

Thank you K. L. Slater, Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy to read this book for my honest review!

Wow another brilliant book from K.L. Slater. I have been a fan since her first book and this shocking gripping thriller that will keep you guessing throughout.
Ten years ago, best friend Tom and Jesse were arguing outside a nightclub. When Tom who is an amateur boxer punches Jesse and kills him.
Ten years later after serving time in HMP Nottingham Tom now 28 leaves prison and at first goes home to his family home. But tells his mother Jill who has been waiting all these years for her dear son to go home, that he got married in prison. The woman he married his Jesse’s 48-year-old mother Bridget!! It comes as a complete shock to Jill, and she wonders why Bridget is so forgiving to the man that killed her son and she also thinks that she has a secret agenda.
Tension files between both families and Jill keeps cajoling Tom to leave Bridget and come home. But Tom agrees he has a new life and that he loves Bridget even though of what happened and their age differences. But things start to go wrong and when Coral the mother of Jessie’s son ends up dead. Things start to unravel.
This is another Brilliant book from K.L. Slater that I really enjoyed so much that it kept me awake into the small hours of the morning because I did not want to put it down. This has a unique storyline which kept me guessing, with an unexpected twist at the end. 5 stars from me.

The Marriage by K.L. Slater pulled me in from the very start, and did not let go until the final page. Admittedly, I would read a shopping list if it was penned by K.L. Slater, and this latest book exceeded even my highest expectations. Brilliant.

Tom is serving a prison term for killing his friend Jesse with a single blow following an altercation at a nightclub. While incarcerated, Tom forms a strong bond with Jesse's grieving mother Bridget and, despite the circumstances, not to mention a considerable age difference, the two decide to wed. As expected, the news does not go down well with Tom's mother Jill, who cannot understand how the pair can possibly be drawn to each other given their shared past, and wonders about the true motivation of her former friend, Bridget.

This is a story that provides all of the twists, turns, and jaw-dropping revelations that we have come to expect from a K.L. Slater novel, and I devoured every word.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Another amazing read by KL Slater. Every book I have read by this author I have rated 5 stars and this one is equally as good.

10 years ago, Bridget’s son was killed, today Bridget is marrying the man who killed him. Well that alone intrigued me and I could not put the book down once I started it.

The book changes from now and ten years ago, and tells it by different characters perspectives. The story takes you through a tense and exciting plot, with interesting characters and a twist at the end you will not see coming.

Thankyou Netgalley and bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.


This book to be honest is not that much of twists and turns but will keep you hooked to your seat .

The author has done a great work with the story and characters . It is a slow paced book but is filled with all suspense and the masala you definitely need in a story.

The theme of the book is eye-catching and you can't resist yourself from reading this .


A somewhat 50ish woman gets married to a 20ish guy who is her son's killer .

I liked the way the author has portrayed Ellis and the way he was wants to take revenge of his father's death who actually is not his father to my utmost surprise .


The moment I read that he is Tom's half brother I was literally like what the fuck !I couldn't breathe for a minute .I thought maybe Tom is his father but the story went two steps forward making it more suspenseful for the readers .

If you are a fan of thrillers you would definitely love this.

I absolutely have fallen in love with this author. Every book I’ve read has kept me interested from beginning to end. Wonderful suspense and twists that will keep you on edge. Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for ARC.

Pub date5/21

I remember loving Blink and The Apartment by KL Slater so I was excited to dive right into The Marriage. This book starts out with a bang and only gets better from there! I was glued from the very first page and had the chance to read it nonstop for several hours while at the dermatologist getting Mohs surgery on my nose. So many in unexpected twists at the end, I wasn’t sure where this book was going but happy with the outcome. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

The Marriage - KL Slater

Tom and Jesse were best friends, until a drunken argument saw Tom killing Jesse with a single punch.

Ten years later Tom is about to be released from prison, and has fallen in love with Jesse's mother Bridget. They are about to get married, The Marriage of the title.

A unique premise, and one I struggled to believe in.

I found it fairly slow to get into, with a lot of dialogue and explanation (rather than description). It picks up in the second half.

I wouldn't say I was particularly involved with any of the characters but was interested to see how it would develop.

I know KL Slater has a solid reputation, this is the first of her books I've read and I started reading it with high hopes after seeing glowing praise online.

Sorry to say that this wasn't one for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre.

Overall Good Read But For Me A Slow Burner 🤔

The Marriage is told from a few different perspectives, but mainly Bridget, Tom or Jill's. It starts April 2019, Bridgets wedding day to a man 20 years younger who 10 years earlier killed her son.

It then takes you back to the night in 2009, Mavis a retired school teacher out walking her dog when she sees something from the shadows she fears will not end well, which ends in tragedy. From here it's mainly in the present, but moves back 10 years and to the year Jill and Bridget met.

Overall a good read, for Me I found it a slow burner but worth reading.

The Marriage is compelling, exciting and shocking. KL Slater does an amazing job of weaving together different character’s perspectives and times periods to tell a story that captivated me the entire time. I’ve read every other book by this author so I knew the ending would be unpredictable, and that’s exactly what it was! I highly recommend this book and will be telling all my friends & customers about it!

I really don’t know how she does it but K. L. Slater just keeps on coming up with the most amazing stories – every one different from the last and this, her latest, is like nothing I’ve read before. The plot is so unusual. A situation where the mother of a man jailed for murdering her son and who actually then goes on to marry that man is different to say the least! Add in the fact that the murderer is 20 years her junior and her dead son’s best friend who she has known since he was a child is definitely a ‘Wow’ situation. You know from that point that questions will arise, most notably, WHY? Does she have an ulterior motive? Revenge perhaps? Straight away the suspicions are there. The repercussions from family and friends – many of whom have their own deeply hidden secrets – adds to the mystery. Layer after layer of suspicion, clues and red herrings slowly build as the plot twists and turns and I was left quite breathless and whipping through the pages in order to unlock the secrets and motivations of a number of the characters involved. I had to force myself to pause in my reading a few times just to assimilate what I had just read as the various and shocking twists just came at me like a bolt from the blue and kicked away all my theories and expectations leaving me stunned. I cannot praise this book enough and, indeed, am raving about it to my book friends, my various book groups and anyone who’ll listen! What a story. Genius. Just genius! My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

This story went in a completely different direction to where I thought it was headed which is definitely a sign of a good twisty thriller! K L Slater is one of my go to authors, all her books are great reads. There are plenty of twisted family scenarios at play here with characters whose motivations are far from clear! I would certainly recommend any of this author's books.

How is it possible to fall in love with someone who ended your sons life so viciously?
This is a quote from the latest thriller by K L Slater. It starts with a wedding, wonderful you may think but this wedding is not all it seems. Bridget a 48 year old woman is marrying Tom a man 2 decades younger than herself. Nothing wrong with that I hear you say, however they are getting married in a prison Chapel where Tom has been serving a 10 year sentence for killing Bridget"s son Jesse. Six months later Tom is released from prison and the story becomes even more intense. Family and friends disapproval, Ellis, Bridgets grandson does not like Tom after all he killed his dad that he never knew. Jill, Toms mum has her suspicions about the wedding. Lots of twists culminating in a fab ending. Advise everyone to read this book. Absolutely fantastic
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, my opinions are my own

I was interested in this book because I have read some of KL Slater’s books before and very much enjoyed them. In The Marriage, we learn that Jesse and Tom had been best friends growing up but due to an accident when they were 18, Tom went to prison for the murder of Jesse. Once he is released from prison, he marries Tom’s mother, to the shock and discomfort of everyone.
I enjoyed The Marriage and thought the story was compelling and I kept reading to find out what happened. There are plenty of secrets in the book but I wanted more still! My problem was that some of the secondary characters weren’t fleshed out much and I had trouble remembering how they were connected to the families.

I don't even know how to review this amazing book without spoiling it for future readers but trust me....this is the one book that if you only read one this year, this must be it. It's a wild ride and so different from anything I've read lately. The ending blew me away. You must read this! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Honestly this author can do no wrong. I started reading this book thinking one thing and was completely knocked over by the end of the book. This is an exciting thriller which does not disappoint but I’m not going to spoil it for anyone.

Wow... just wow.

I dont even know where to start reviewing this book. There are so many aspects that I'm scared to talk about, in fear that I could spoil everything.

K.L Slater is, just quite simply a writing mastermind. I cant even begin to imagine the tangles she got in while writing this book.

There are so many characters and POV from them, that you would think it would be difficult to keep up, and no doubt confusing. But actually, it is the complete opposite. I found it very easy to decipher who's chapter it was just by their inner dialogue!!

The characters are brought to life in so much depth, through inner dialogue, the conversations they have. You really feel like you get to know each and every one of them.

I will admit, that when I read the blurb I wondered how such a crazy thing of marrying the killer of your son could turn into a thriller. Thought it was going to be such a simple thing to work out and predict what was going to happen.

But then you get further into the book, and in the words of Steve Irwin 'Crikey!' Because K.L Slater hits you with a bang, and then another and then another. And they don't stop until you turn that last page.

Another thrilling masterpiece from this author and I CANNOT wait to read the next one!

Oh my gosh! This is stunningly genius, shocking, provocative and one of the daring plot line I’ve ever read: Bridget at age 48 is ready to tie the knot with her 20 years younger groom. The age difference could be least of their problems. Because her young groom Tom was calling her aunt Bridget when he was wearing short pants and playing with her son Jesse. And now her groom is about to release from prison after 10 years later. What? Is he a criminal? What did he do? He killed her son and now she’s marrying with her son’s murderer because they learn to let bygones be bygones and the magic of restrictive justice program not only help them get through their traumas, it also push them fall for each other?

Is your mouth wide open now? I guess your answer is yes! I felt the same after reading a few chapters and asking myself if it could be for real.

My suspicious mind and spider spider senses push me question Bridget’s ulterior motives: could she really fall in love with the boy she took care of like her own son, the very same boy who has taken her own son’s life! Does she have secret agenda to make pay Tom’s family Jill and Robert who turned their backs to her after the murder and blamed her to raise a wild son who triggered Tom into a big fight, carrying a knife which ended up with Tom’s prisoning when only thing he did was defending himself.

Is Tom looking for mother figure who truly understands trauma he’s been suffering. Or has he been really platonically in love with Bridget for years? Could he have killed Jesse intentionally and now paying the price of his crime by marrying her?

And what about Tom’s family: Jill stopped living her life when her son arrested and put behind the bars for ten years, waiting for his release to provide him safe and sound life. And his father Robert who estranged for his mother is more agitated and hostile around him, reminding him of his mistakes over and over. Could they approve the marriage? You can guess their outrageous reactions and tremendous shock, can’t you?

And let’s not forget Coral who was Jess’ pregnant girlfriend when he died, raising her ten years old son Ellis who has hard time to understand the weird family dynamics because Bridget and Tom married in prison and they want both parties accept their marriage and adjust the new normal.

But of course the resentments, untold opinions, boiled frustrations will escalate. As the secrets and web of lies will reveal, somebody will get truly hurt!

I like the original, juicy, outstanding storyline idea and execution of it was also well crafted with impeccable characterization.

The ending was also made me laughed and reminded me of dear karma is truly b*tch!

K.L. Slater is one of the talented authors made you read her amazing, heart pounding, smart, fast pacing works in one sit.

This is one of the most provocative, dazzling, outstanding works of her I advised to go blind and enjoy!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Wow! What a story! 5 Stars!
I couldn't picture this scenario - still can't.. As I kept reading it was a surprise after another surprise. Kept me on my toes.
I have read many books by K. l. Slater and have loved every book. I highly recommend this book.
KL Slater certainly knows how to hook a reader.

KL Slater does it again! I loved this domestic thriller with multigenerational layers of love, hate and everything in between. Great twists and turns throughout the book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.