Carey Baldwin writes one heck of a thriller in "The Marriage Secret". Zach, at first glance, seems like the perfect husband and his wife tries her best to think so too. He is an ObGyn and her first inkling that he is not what he seems is on the day she delivers their daughter. Zach is angry that she left her shoes in the kitchen causing him to trip...so angry that while she is suffering thru labor he does some seemingly cruel things...Then there is a note. Things get worse, but with the help of her friend Tamara whose own husband tragically was killed in a car accident, she may just make it out of this mess. However, life is a twisty mess and things get more and more interesting.
This was a really engaging book. Nothing is as it seems. I figured out a few things as the book progressed but the ending sneaks up on you. If you like a good mystery, thrilling plot, and really ugly relationship mysteries this book will keep you up all night. Thanks to #The MarriageSecret#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this page-turner!

A domestic thriller which sucks us into the lives of Holly and Zach, the definition of couple / life goals.. to the outside eye. "But I know deep down, only one of us will make it out of this marriage alive".

Manipulation! Deception! Secrets! An ever growing web of lies in which more and more people are rapidly finding themselves tangled up in! Oh this book is full to the brim. The Marriage Secret had me gripped from the offset and I appreciated that it was a fast-flowing, easy read.

This is the first book I've read by Carey Baldwin and it certainly won't be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 📖

Another great read! Loved this domestic thriller. Hooked me from the very beginning and did not let go. Great cast of well developed characters
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

This book took a bit for me to get into. It seems kinda far fetched, to me anyway. However, I can understand that this scenario probably does occur & more often than one would think. Really rams the “you never know what goes on behind closed doors” saying home….🤔

This was my first book by Carey Baldwin, and I devoured it in 24 hours. This is an unputdownable thriller! If you ever wanted to loathe a character in a book, Zach, the husband in this book is for you!!! This was such a great domestic thriller, and I highly recommend it!

Baldwin is a new to me author, but when I saw this book and read the synopsis, I knew I had to read it.

The Marriage Secret follows the life of Holly, who is a devoted stay-at-home wife to OBGYN Zach, a new mother to baby Jolene, and a somewhat absent friend to a small circle of gals.

The secrets that unfold within this book kept me on the edge of my seat, hurrying through the novel to find out what happened next. I loved the dynamics and the plot twists that I never would have thought could take place.

I can't wait to get my hands on the other works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an advance copy of this book for me to enjoy. As always, this book was read and reviewed voluntarily, and the opinions stated above are completely my own.

The Marriage Secret immediately puts you on edge. Holly and Zach have everything they could ever need and more. He is the head of the OBGYN department and she is a soon-to-be stay at home mom with a beautifully healthy baby due to make her appearance any day. Though the luxurious lifestyle that Zach and Holly have created together is perfect from the outside, there is something you can't quite put your finger on.

Baldwin unravels the mystery in such a well-paced way, the twists and turns making for a quick page turner that you alternate between not being able to put down and having to take breaks from the way she effortlessly transports you to the story.

This was SO good!!

Wow!! Jaw to the floor dropping good. Carey Baldwin has written a stellar of a story filled with Hitchcockian aspects. I was immediately drawn in with the opening paragraph and could not put down till the final sentence. Looking forward to read more from this author.
Special thanks to Carey Baldwin, NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read and review this ARC.

The Marriage Secret
by Carey Baldwin

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Bookouture and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.
The Marriage Secret! A domestic thriller that has you on edge from start to finish. Gaslighting, secrets, lies, and danger. It was a wild ride.

Sucked in from page 1… this was a heart-pounding thriller that continued to deliver twisty punch after twisty punch. I can usually predict how much I will love a book by the time I am 50 pages in. I started this book last night as I lay in bed knowing I would probably only make it a few pages in before falling asleep. Not the case! I made it to 40% before I forced myself to close my kindle!!!

This is the perfect example of how an author introduces readers to characters that you either love or hate… or love to hate! Baldwin, almost subtlety at first, introduces readers to Holly and Zach. They seem like the perfect couple. Zach, loving, doting husband and soon father-to-be… Holly, dedicated, loyal wife and mother-to-be. Well it isn’t long before readers will know Zach’s true colors! (In sing song-y voice… Controlllllll freeeeeaaakkk) 🤯

Truth in a marriage is a two-way street, and if only one person plays by the rules, it puts her at a disadvantage.

Things go from bad to worse and the most unthinkable scene (well one of many but just one of the first in the story) happens on the day Holly gives birth to a beautiful baby girl. Like… “what the hell just happened there?” No way did Zach just do that… say that… I can’t even tell you how badly someone needed to punch him in the face. 🤬 Oh… and if that wasn’t bad enough…wait until they all come home from the hospital 🤮.

“If you didn’t want to stay until death do us part, you should never have told me your secret.”

Little did I know… one unthinkable scene turns into another and another! I kept saying… “if Holly doesn’t grow a spine and get rid of him, I’m not going to keep reading”!!! Ugh!!!! The question is, does Holly really know her husband, her friends, his friends? Is Zach really as crazy as readers may think?

Then she straightened her shoulders. Not this time. No freakin’ way was she going to let him do this to her again.

This story is twisty and twisted! I loved every minute of it and my heart was pounding as I learned about the most twisted pieces of how events from the past and present weave together and deliver an ending that took my breath away! Just FABULOUS!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just finished reading The Marriage Secret! A domestic thriller that I read in 2 days. It took me a few chapters to really get into the book but once I got past halfway I could not put it down. A real page Turner and well worth a read. @netgalley Out in February

Review can be found on Instagram @bookstoreadtonight

This book will certainly having you turning the pages. I devoured this in one sitting. Carey Baldwin has created a well crafted story with interesting characters.
Hollie is married to her charming doctor husband Zach but their marriage is not what it seems. He's controlling. He's a bully and a cheat. However, he knows Hollies secret and that keeps her chained to him for the sake of their daughter. But then the tables turn and he needs her help. Will she do what she needs to.
This has a fabulous ending. Certainly one I didn't see coming.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC

The Marriage Secret
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

From the outside, Holly has the perfect life: a doting husband, a beautiful home and a sweet baby on the way. But is everything ever really perfect? As Holly starts to learn that the loving, affectionate man she married has a dark and twisted personality underneath, she fears she and her daughter may no longer be safe. But her husband has knowledge of her own dark secrets, so she can’t exactly leave, either. When a young woman turns up murdered, the stakes reach an all-time high for Holly. Can she and her daughter make it out, alive?

This was one dark and twisted tale and it starts from page one! The Marriage Secret had me on the edge of my seat for the entire wild ride. I did feel that it took a good chunk of the book before we got to the real plot line, and I guessed the twist ahead of time, but all in all, a really solid domestic thriller.

You Should Totally Read This:

• if you love domestic thrillers
• if you like the cat-and-mouse dynamic
• if you liked “The Perfect Marriage”

This thriller is full of suspense and tension - a gripping read! Highly recommend for those seeking a new compliment to Gone Girl or The Last Mrs. Parish.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review The Marriage Secret.

This is seriously one of my favorite Mystery reads thus far. It was so exciting and thrilling that it kept me at the edge of my seat and on my tip toes when cliffhangers came up.
This book was so uncalled for, and it lives up to the hype!
I came into this read with high expectations, and trust me, those expectations were not once dulled. If you want a mystery that would keep you up at night, searching for clues, then this is certainly for you! The investigations, suspects, Holly and Zach's relationship and Holly's parental instincts that made her want to protect her child made me flip through the pages in a matter of hours.
Everything in this book was something I loved.

The writing style of the author was on point. Carey had laid out the plot of the book in such a clear and understandable format. Her conclusions were amazing and they kept me right on edge and begging for more! The plot was not rushed or slowed down too much to the point where it got boring and the reader could guess what would happen next.
And that ending! What a surprise, one that I surly loved.
This was my first Carey Baldwin book, but I think that I'll probably pick up any other book that she writes next without a thought.

The characters were also really nice. They got developed as the plot moved on which was very linked and I enjoyed reading about Holly and her experiences, as well as how her character developed to become a parental figure and a strong protagonist who fears nothing just to protect her daughter.
I also liked Zach's character as a villain. His character was really interesting to read about and he played a big part in the plot. The fact that he was a suspect and played the role of a wealthy doctor was amazing!

I absolutely loved this book, and I am telling you now, here on out. Go. Read. It.

I flew through this book in a day! Its quite a common plot with the gaslighting and such but in saying that, it's still really well written. And there is a really good twist at the end! The characters are well written and it's nice to see the victim make some intelligent choices and not always be naive and idiotic like they're often portrayed in domestic thrillers. I found jysekf actually caring what happened to the main character and I had an amazing evening completely engrossed in this story, dying to know what was going to happen next. If you like domestic thrillers then you will definitely enjoy this little gem of a book

This book was a real page turner! I could not put it down! The plot twist I did not see coming and that always makes reading more enjoyable for me.

Holly and Zach met, fell in love, and got married quickly. Everything was perfect. However, after Holly got pregnant and had the baby things changed. Zach became controlling, mentally abusive, and isolated Holly from her friends and family.

When a young woman is found murdered, Zach is the number one suspect. He pleads with Holly to be his alibi, and in return he will keep the secret that has haunted her. Will Holly stand by her man?

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

WOW! I was floored by how gripping and absorbing this book is. I think I knew from the first page that I was going to read it in one sitting.

Zach is a perfectly written, often unintentionally funny, D-bag and Holly is his dutiful and devoted wife...but both have secrets and both will go to great lengths to guard them. This is a domestic battle of wills and I was so there for it.

Great book....SO good.

Thank you to publisher for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

Holly is married to Zach and he is a doctor and they live in a big house and she is pregnant with their first child. They seem to have it all. Only trouble is Zach is not the nice guy he appears to be. Zach is going to be one person that you will hate! I mean really really hate this guy and all the stuff he does. Things get out of control when Holly goes into labor and she realizes that Zach might not be the loving husband she thought. She is blessed with a beautiful daughter Jolene. She will do anything to protect her daughter.

Holly did something in high school that she told Zach about on their wedding day. He now holds this secret over her and will use this and other mishaps so that she can't divorce him or get custody of Jolene. Holly pretends to be loving wife while secretly hoping she can get something on Zach so she can get divorced and get full custody of Jolene.
So many lies and twists make this a gripping book that just grabs you from the beginning and you can't wait to see how this ends.

First off I just want to say THANK YOU to NetGalley for this advance copy! My goodness - this book!! I literally could not put this book down. I’m a fast reader and I felt like I couldn’t read fast enough. The twist and turns, the characters, the story —- loved it all! I almost always usually root for a happily ever after or for a couple to stay together but not this one. I kept waiting for the madness to end. I love a good twist on the end and this book definitely gave me that.