EXCERPT: "OMG! Is that what I think it is?" she exclaimed.

"Yup."

"When did this happen?"

"Last night." I told her the story of Edward's romantic proposal, and her eyes widened in amazement.

"Obviously you said yes..." She gave me one of her penetrating stares. 'But are you sure this is what you want? I mean, I was expecting you to move in with Edward - you virtually have already anyway - but marriage? That's a different league of commitment."

"Yes, I know it's a bit sudden, but actually, I feel surer about Edward than I ever did about Alex. When I'm with him, I feel like I've come home, like I don't belong anywhere else. He feels the same. We love each other. What's the point of waiting?"

"You've only been together a few months, Lily, you don't really know him. You come from completely different worlds,different generations. You're only thirty and he's a middle aged widower with three kids. From what you've told me before, he was deeply in love with his wife. The whole family's still grieving. That's a hell of a lot of baggage to dump on you."

I looked up from my bowl of pasta. "I have baggage too - we all do. I like the fact that Edwards a grownup with proper real-life experiences. I'm sick of relationships with boys who are afraid to be honest."

"Like Alex."

"Yes. Like Alex."

"I understand, but...dead wives..." she muttered. "Such a hard act to follow."

ABOUT 'THE SECOND MARRIAGE': 'They’re lying,’ my little stepson whispers, his blue eyes shining with tears as I tuck him into bed for the first time. ‘They think I’ve forgotten, but I remember everything. I know my mummy is still alive.’

My best friend warned me that it was too soon to marry Edward, a widower with an adorable but troubled little boy. She said we were moving too fast. But all I could see was a kind, loving man, struggling with grief, who needed my help.

Yet as storm clouds gather above our small wedding ceremony, my hopes and dreams fall apart. None of my husband’s family turn up to support us. Instead of a honeymoon, we have a quiet night in. My wedding bouquet is placed on his first wife’s grave. And then my new stepson tells me he’s sure his mother is still alive.

What does Noah remember and why is his father trying to make him forget? Have I been completely wrong about my husband? What happened to the woman who came before me, and how far will he go to stop me finding out the truth?

MY THOUGHTS: 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.' 'Marry in haste; repent at leisure.' Need I go on?

Jess Ryder has written a page turner. She kept me interested and ear buds in every chance I got. The plot twists are delicious. The author keeps the reader off balance with the surprising revelations, some of which had me reading so intently I forgot to breathe!

I liked Lily's character, mostly. There were a couple of times I wanted to shake her. Edward is as slippery as a bucket full of intestines. His daughters are awful! I felt sorry for Noah, isolated from the world beyond his immediate family. If you like dysfunctional families - this one takes the cake!

Go into this cold. It's exciting, suspenseful, and I was never entirely sure who was really dead, or who might only be playing possum.

Narrator, Rosamund Hine, was a pleasure to listen to. Her voice conveyed multiple emotions and she had a wonderful range of tones and inflections with which to perform the many different characters.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheSecondMarriage #NetGalley

I: #jessryder @bookouture

T: @jessryderauthor @Bookouture

#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Jess Ryder is the pseudonym of Jan Page, author, screenwriter, playwright and award-winning television producer. After many years working in children's media, she has recently embarked on a life of crime. Writing, that is. (Bookouture)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Second Marriage written by Jess Ryder and narrated by Rosamund Hine for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

This book was billed as a twisty psychological thriller, which is the kind of genre I enjoy.

I listened to the audiobook version, and the narration was clear and well done.

Lily is hired as a nanny for a troubled young boy, who seems strangely excluded from a “normal” life. His dad, Edward, is quite handsome and charming, and despite the age gap, he and Lily end up engaged and marry shortly afterwards. Lily’s friend warns her she’s moving too fast but she disagrees.
Edward is a widower and says the death of his wife can’t be mentioned to his son as it upsets him. However, he has mentioned to Lily that his dad is lying to him and she grows suspicious.

I didn’t warm to any of the characters in this book at all, but I still wanted to find out what was going to happen.

The plot is quite twisty and slightly unrealistic at times, but not totally ridiculous. There are a few red herrings and enough to keep you interested.

Overall I quite enjoyed this and would recommend it as a quick read.

Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for a copy to review.

Overall this book was very good. It advanced pretty quickly and then took it's time. The audiobook was great to listen to. The narrator sounded much older than I pictured the main character, but after a few chapters her voice seemed fitting.

The story is about a private teacher who married the employer and learns of tragic events with other lovers. She becomes aware and finds out the truth in the end and the book ends happily.

I couldn't stop listening to the book from the middle on, it had me hooked, wanting to figure out before the end of the book, but I was not able to. I normally can figure out endings but this one got me.

Very well written and cannot wait to read more by this author.

There are lots of twists and turns and this book I really enjoyed the narrator who made the book very easy to follow.

If you are looking for a twisty psychological thriller then I would recommend this audiobook to you. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to listen to this audiobook..

I listened to the audiobook of The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder. The blurb instantly made me want to see what it was all about and I am so glad I grabbed it.
Lily was a great character, although maybe a little bit too trusting but, I am glad she starts seeking answers.
The plot was different, I haven’t read one like this before and it flowed well at an even pace.

This psychological thriller kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, there were twists and turns and a shocking conclusion.
Jess Ryder is new to me but I will definitely be looking out for more from her.

Thank you to @jessryderauthor and @bookouture for this advanced audio copy of The Second Marriage in return for an honest review.

Description 🔖

Lily’s best friend tried to tell her that she was marrying Edward too soon. But it fell on deaf ears. Lily was deeply in love and thought that she was starting the rest of her very happy life.

Not long after they’re married, Lily’s stepson Noah tells her that they are both being lied to. He seems to think that his mother is not dead despite the entire family saying so.

Why is Edward trying to suppress his son’s memories? What does he have to hide and why is he so keen on stopping Lily from digging for more information. What happened to Edward’s first wife? And will Lily find out before she finds herself in danger?

General Thoughts 🤔

I had been looking forward to reading this book for a good thriller fix and it didn’t disappoint. It was tense and the story most definitely kept me on my toes. I had a sneaky suspicion about what had really happened to Edward’s first wife but there was a twist before that that I didn’t see coming.

I wouldn’t say that this was a gritty and hands over the eyes kind of thriller, but it is very well written, the plot is clever and entertaining. What more could I have asked for to keep me busy over the weekend?

Characters 👭👬👫

Lily was a character that I went back and forth on. There were times when I thought she was level headed, calm and I was fully on board with her actions. There were other times that I thought she was blinded by her love for Edward and couldn’t look at the situation rationally. However I respected her determination to not give up with her investigation. She was like a dog with a bone as soon as she sniffed the first sign of trouble.

The characters that annoyed me most were Edwards two daughters; Tara and Georgia. As a step mom myself, these two would be my idea of absolute hell. Entitled and spoilt. Not only that, it wound me up that Edward didn’t seem to notice this about his daughters. I’m sure that making the reader feel this way about the girls was intentional, so mission accomplished.

Writing Style ✍️

I really enjoyed this authors style and voice. The story was mostly told from Lily’s point of view and written in first person but I didn’t get bored of her voice (which sometimes happens to me with first person). I always enjoy a timeline that jumps around, helps to keep me interested, and I thought that Jess Ryder did this really nicely. It didn’t feel like I was being thrown from one decade to another, it was much more subtle and the transitions felt seamless.

I listened to the audiobook and would like to give a mention to the narrator @RosamundHine. She did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life and her narration matched the pace of the book brilliantly.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖️

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a nice middle ground between easy breezy, midsummer murders type thriller and oh my god, I can’t sleep, what on earth am I reading thriller. I thought that it was smart and had some lovely twists and turns to keep readers turning the pages. I would definitely recommend this book so if you haven’t read it yet, you should.

Gripping, well-written and fast-paced story about a naive young woman who marries an older man after coming to work for him as his nanny and being swept off her feet. From the beginning, there are signs that Edward is a bit controlling, made jealous by her close relationship with her best friend, who senses her friend's new husband may not be what he appears to be. Edward has two grown daughters, one of whom is openly hostile to the new bride, and a young son who tells our protagonist, Lily, that he doesn't believe his mommy is really dead. At first, she tells Edward everything the little boys says, resulting in him being punished and losing trust in her, but she slowly begins to doubt her husband and starts to do her own investigating. A few of her actions are of the kind that make one want to shout, "No! Don't go in there!" but overall the story holds together well and resolves with a satisfying conclusion and no red herrings.

I was provided with a free version of this book by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Between the Wines book review #117/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Second Marriage
Author: Jess Ryder
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on November 3, 2021!!!

Sipping thoughts: Lily is a schoolteacher who has been hired to homeschool a little boy named Noah. She ends up falling in love with his dad and becomes his second wife. Now, Noah is saying that his mom is still alive, and everyone is lying. Lily must determine if Noah is mistaken or is she (and he) in danger. I did not know what to think and was wrong on many parts. The only person I really trusted was Noah but then I was unsure at times. This was a fast, easy domestic thriller that will have you making guesses until the end and even then will you have your answer?

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @TheSecondMarriage.

#TheSecondMarriage #JessRyder #Bookouture #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers

Thank you to Jess Ryder and NetGalley for the ARC.
I enjoyed this book enough to keep listening but I’m sorry to report that it never really grabbed me.
Psychological/Domestic thrillers are my favorite genre and I prefer when they adhere to the formula of different narrators for main characters; alternating, short, compulsive chapters; and hidden twists.
With The Second Marriage on audiobook, I felt that the narrator sounded too similar for each character, and the switching between Lily and Fran was abrupt and sometimes lost me in the narrative, which was also more of a slow, drawn-out mystery with few “wow” moments.
I also found the narrator’s voice too mature for the 30-year-old, naive Lily.
I think I felt the most for poor Noah, a savvy yet innocent repeated victim of his family’s enduring craziness. I did not otherwise feel a connection to any character except for Lily.
It is an enjoyable enough read if one can follow along, and while the narrator’s voice in my mind did not match Lily’s character, it was smooth and melodic.

What a fabulous listen this audio book has been.
Praise for the narration which was well paced, easy to listen to and the characters suitably expressed.

The story has many surprises, twists and turns, it's exciting and held my interest to the very end. It's clear from the start that Edward is not a nice man but that's far from all he is.

People do marry soon after meeting and live long and happy married lives, Lily could have been one of them, but did she?

One thing that irritated was a reference to "shooting hoops" and basket ball. This is so obviously for the benefit of readers in USA, wrong for a very English based story.

I did not expect the ending and love a book with a real surprise at the end. I listen to lots of audio books and this is the best of the last few months listening.

I have already talked about the book to my friends, suggesting they look out for it.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen and review this super book but especially to Jess Ryder for writing it.
Please write more Jess.

What a older coaster story! I listened through most of one night and finished this in a couple of sessions. From Lily’s narrative, we learn that she has ended a long term relationship and found a new live; a widower with three children. She takes a job home teaching his youngest, a difficult boy who is much younger than his sisters.

The slow burn element really builds the tension. The inevitable happens; she marries the widower, although he’s much older and settles in as the second wife. The listener/reader soon realises that her husband is manipulative and disingenuous at every level. The familial relationships are off kilter and the circumstances of his first wife’s death are tragic. But bit by bit, it’s clear that all is far from how it appears and the secrets are revealed bit by bit.

The plotting is controlled and clever, leading the reader away from the truth and left wondering what’s going to happen next. The past is revealed in flashback chapters which add to the jig saw and the twists are real crackers. A brilliant psychological thriller which explores numerous themes around relationships, abuse, control, greed and general dysfunction very well. Loved this and narration throughout was superb.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I listened to The Second Marriage as an Audio book beautifully narrated by Rosamund Hine, courtesy of NetGalley. Having read and enjoyed previous novels by Jess Ryder and heard Rosamund Hine’s narrations before, I was excited to begin and I wasn’t disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed the whirlwind of emotions I traversed listening to the point of view of Lily, second wife of the devilishly handsome and charismatic Edmund, after his first wife Claire, died from a nut allergy.

The tale follows the family as they try to recover from the loss of Claire, the first wife and the mysterious disappearance of the babysitter, whom Edmund had left Clair for, after discovering she was pregnant with his child.

Lily comes to suspect that all is not right within the family, when the youngest child reveals that he has a secret and knows more about what happened to his mother than anyone realises.

A mixture of suspense, thrills, whodunnit and who’s going to get it next, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat and eager for more!

Jess Ryder is becoming one of my favorite domestic thriller writers.

As Lily walks down the aisle to a rich and handsome silver fox, known as her soon-to-be husband, her dreams for the future are bright and full of possibilities. But as soon as the ceremony has ended - married life becomes nothing of what she has expected. As mystery after mystery keeps pilling over Lily's head, she decides to dig deeper into her husband's life... the life before his second marriage.

I loved the build-up of the plot. The suspense has gotten better with each chapter. Although Lily's constant need to share everything with Edward was annoying me a bit. This novel has everything you want for a gripping thriller: bratty stepdaughters, mysterious dead wife, alarming comments made by a kid stepson. I loved the web of lies the novel has presented and was pleasantly impressed by Lily's courage to expose the truth at the end. It was such a fast read, I would absolutely read more of Jess Ryder's books. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

The Second Marriage - Jess Ryder
Narrated by Rosamund Hine

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily

‘They’re lying,’ my little stepson whispers, his blue eyes shining with tears as I tuck him into bed for the first time. ‘They think I’ve forgotten, but I remember everything. I know my mummy is still alive.’

My best friend warned me that it was too soon to marry Edward, a widower with an adorable but troubled little boy. She said we were moving too fast. But all I could see was a kind, loving man, struggling with grief, who needed my help.

This thriller was a nice surprise - it was not what I was expecting. I listened to the audiobook and Rosamund has done a wonderful job of bringing the drama to life. I enjoyed the plotting done by Lily and the twists in the story. I found myself unable to stop listening to this book.

Overall this is an enjoyable story with strong characters and enough suspense to keep me intrigued up until the very end.

Rating: 4/5

The Second Marriage is my first book by Jess Ryder and as a fan of psychological thrillers I was not disappointed.

Lily successfully applies for a job as tutor to a homeschooled young boy called Noah. His father is handsome and wealthy and before long she finds herself in a relationship with him. But over time she becomes increasingly unnerved by his behaviour and resolves to investigate why he is so keen to repress his son's memories.

A gripping and twisty psychological thriller with great narration of the audiobook. Certain actions of the characters seemed slightly unlikely but were necessary to the plot and overall a really good read/listen.

Lily takes a job as a tutor for an 8-year-old boy, and just a few months later ends up marrying his father, a widower. But there are lots of mysteries for her to solve--why does he keep his son in virtual isolation in their mansion, what secrets are his daughters hiding, why won't he let his son have a photo of his mother. The process of becoming a controlled individual is chilling. This is a book full of suspense that will keep you listening until the very end.

The Second Marriage is a psychological thriller that will keep you entertained. Parts of it made my shake my head, but other parts kept me guessing. The highlights for me:

*Everyone needs a BFF like Marsha - she tells it to you straight!
*Kudos to Lily for wanting to find answers for Noah
*Fantastic narrator

3.5 rounded up to 4

What would you do if your older and very rich sophisticated boss tried to woo you into a relationship? Yes, he's widowed and availble, but what happened to those previous women? Why does he have such a mysterious past? That is what happens to Lily Baxendale after she accepts a tutoring position from the older and very rich Edward Morgan. She is easily swept off her feet, if not a little surprised at the speed of how quickly things are progressing. She says yes to his hasty marriage proposal, followed by their quickly planned wedding, at which she notices very few of his family members are attending. Once she settles into their house and routine, she realizes how little she knows of his past, and how things aren't adding up to how Ned explains them. As she starts to dig deeper, she realizes she may not be safe and quickly starts looking for a way out.

I enjoyed this audiobook, the pacing was very good. Not too much of a twist to the end, but still enough to keep my interest until the end! Lily was a great main character, I felt myself full of anxiety for her!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thirty-year-old primary school teacher Lily Baxendale, recently out of a long relationship, needs a new challenge. So Lily interviews with Edward Morgan, a rich widower looking for a private teacher for his 8-year-old son Noah.

Edward explains that Noah is still traumatized by the loss of his mother several years ago, and warns Lily she can NEVER mention Noah's mum as it will cause a panic attack. Lily enjoys tutoring Noah, a lonely boy who's almost completely insulated from the outside world at Edward's instructions. Lily also gets romantically involved with Edward, a charming 45-year-old man who claims he fell in love with Lily at first sight. The couple get married just months after they meet, though Edward's grown daughters, Tara and Georgia, are cool toward the idea.

Lily is just starting to enjoy her newlywed bliss when young Noah makes a shocking confession. Noah secretly tells Lily he 'remembers everything' and that his father and sisters have been lying. Noah goes on to say that his mother is alive and will be coming to get him. Lily HAS been concerned about Noah being purposely isolated at home, and - with the help of her best friend Marsha - secretly investigates Edward. Lily learns that Edward has lied to her about many things, and that he may not be the man she thought she married.

For me, Lily is one of those fictional protagonists who are much too compliant with manipulative deceptive controlling men. Though Lily has proof Edward lied about something very important, and her friend Marsha advises Lily to get out, Lily decides she has to give her marriage a chance. Even after Edward exhibits more shady behavior, Lily seems to brush it off.

In fact Lily DOES have some backbone, and continues her inquiries about Edward and his late wife, but she's too naïve for my taste. I can tell Jess Ryder tried hard to make Lily's actions seem brave and sensible, but (for me) she didn't completely succeed.

Lily's (somewhat) gullible attitude aside, this is a thriller that would appeal to many fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jess Ryder, and Bookouture for a copy of the book.

The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder is a slow-burning psychological mystery/thriller. Lily starts homeschooling Edward's son, Noah. Lily and Edward fall in love, get married, and on their wedding day, Noah mentions that his mother is alive and that he remembers everything that everyone tries to hide. Lily does some investigating and finds out a whole bunch of stuff. That's somewhat it in a nutshell. My big problem with this book is that Edward is a total twit and very unlikeable from the start. The entire book seems to be about uncovering the plethora of lies that Edward has been telling everyone. Why Lily feels like she needs to solve this "mystery" even though she just married Edward and they barely dated before getting married, is beyond me. Once I started learning that my jerk of a husband had been lying about MAJOR issues, I would have been out of there. Regardless, I didn't really love any of the characters, which makes for a slow listen.

I feel like this book was an attempt to follow along the psychological lines of Gone Girl but just doesn't pull it off with quite the same finesse. Rosamund Hine did a great job narrating the story though, and brought life to the characters, and was very easy to understand (for an American listener and a British narrator).

Thank you Bookouture Audio for the ARC of The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder. #TheSecondMarriage #NetGalley