This is just another domestic noir which unfortunately, does not stand out from the many others I have read. It has all the right ingredients and is a good read but just not memorable or different from the rest.

The Marriage Secret is a domestic thriller with a twist, or three. You need to don your turbulent top-hat towards the end as it becomes a bit... involved. (Convoluted may be a better word). But this doesn't detract from the story, after all Crazy Town can be fun.

The last few twists were unexpected, although I did suspect something was off with Holly and her best friend, but couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Zach, frankly, should have been ditched on the day of Jolene's birth. What an idiot. As for Frances, oi vey. Wake up mama!

Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my ARC.

It's only January and I may have just read my book of the year for 2022! It's a rollercoaster, but every twist is believable and best of all then develop as the main character grows emotionally. Holly might have everything money can by in the beginning but by the time she welcomes her little one into the world her husband will have shown how controlling he can be and I never saw it coming, but after that I was on Holly's side and along for the ride for the rest of the book, and what a ride it was! When most books are tying up loose ends this one was still setting off fire crackers!

Suspense, empathy, revenge, shock and surprise - I felt them all, more than once. But it's the quality of the writing that sets The Marriage Secret apart from other contemporary domestic psychological thrillers. There's nothing worse than having clunky sentences and flat characters distracting you when you get a plot so full of twists and turns paced as well as Carey Baldwin has in this novel, and thankfully this book has neither. The characters are strong and believable, the reading is so smooth and effortless that I found myself reading chapter after chapter without realising how late it was getting. I started in the evening and when I woke up I didn't even think about coffee of my to-do list, all I wanted to do was finish this book.

The Marriage Secret is a must read.

The Marriage Secret by Carey Baldwin
Rating: ★ ★
Genre: 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫
Format: 𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
Length: 𝟑𝟎𝟔 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬
Trigger Warnings: 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐱, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐬

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

The Marriage Secret follows what appears to be a perfect marriage between Zach and Holly. But both are hiding dangerous secrets that can tear their world apart.

I really wanted to like this book, when I first read the synopsis I was hooked. I love domestic thrillers but overall this book fell flat for me.

What I liked about this book:
* There were a few twists and I certainly didn’t guess the ending.
* The author does a great job of creating unlikeable and unhinged characters.
* The writing was easy to read and flowed together nicely.

What I didn’t like about this book:
* Zach - I seriously despised him. I don’t know what Holly ever saw in him but I suppose he’s always been good at pretending to be something he’s not. I just wanted to shake Holly so many times for putting up with his behavior.
* Holly’s secret - it’s made to seem like it’s this awful awful experience but it seems more like a childhood accident to me.
* Characters lacked depth - many character’s didn’t come across as likable or have very many redeeming qualities. It’s really hard to read a book when you’re not really rooting for anyone.
* The twist ending - I’m not saying it’s impossible but I doubt anyone would go through this much trouble.

Carey Baldwin is a new author for me and I enjoyed The Marriage Secret. It’s got the right blend of intrigue, suspense, secrets and lies to keep you enthralled from start to finish. I read it in a day as I found it hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Loved this book about a controlling relationship and a wife who is concerned her husband is making her think she is forgetting things and that he’s a risk to her and her baby daughter. As a body is found and her husband is taken in for questioning things take a dark turn and she doesn’t know who to trust. I won’t spoil it but it’s a great read.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Marriage Secret. WOW WOW WOW!!!! What a Fantastic Book!!! So many twists, great characters and a shocking ending. I absolutely LOVED this Novel!!!!

Holy crap talk about a fantastic book that is so difficult to put down. Read it in one day b/c I had to find out how it ends and man the ending is outrageous. Can't recommend The Marriage Secret more, Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this outstanding novel.

My last read for 2021! And it was a good read at that. This book is a domestic thriller which I love along with romance. The husband Zach is definitely abusive but emotionally not physically. This book had me turning the page to see what happened next! All the lies and deceit sucked me right in. I felt terrible for Holly but was happy for her in the end. I really feel this book was written very well.

Thank you Carey Baldwin and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review! Can’t wait to look and see what other books this author has!

Your life is perfect to everyone looking in. Holly loves her husband Zach but sometimes he can be so cruel. Now that she has had the baby she fears for them both. Zach controls everything that she does and she fears that she will never be free. But once the Police start taking an interest in Zach and his dead students Holly knows that this could be her only chance to get away. But she just didn't realise that the one person that she could trust was actually her biggest threat. Will Holly be able to get out alive? Will she be free to live her life with her daughter in peace? A good solid read just as you think you know what is going to happen the twist takes the story into a new direction. I really enjoyed this book. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Net galley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

this book had me gripped it was a engaging and truly compelling read, I knew it would be about domestic violence but i wasnt expecting it to be so electrifying and as good as it was. It was suspensefu; and full of unpredictability. I couldnt out it down.

“The Marriage Secret” by Carey Baldwin was a bit of a ride. From the beginning it’s obvious that there is domestic (mental) abuse being dished by Zach, the husband. He’s a controller, a liar, a manipulator, and hides all that from the public in order to save his reputation. Once again, what is presented to the world isn’t always the same as behind closed doors. However, unlike a few other domestic abusive/controlling books I’ve read, Holly (the wife) has a plan of her own to escape the situation. I did like how Holly tried to take charge of her own situation, though I’d wished that she had requested something signed as proof of a deal, but that’s a minor quibble. The twist at the end I saw coming, but it hadn’t fully developed by the time the ending was presented. I rather wished that the author had included resources for those in domestic abusive situations in the back of the book but, again, that’s also a minor quibble. I felt that the use of the police was just the right amount (sometimes they’re overused). I felt that the therapist’s comments regarding Holly’s secret were the right things to say - sometimes another’s viewpoint is necessary, along with some kind words. I hadn’t heard of this author before reading this book, but I believe I will read a few others by Ms. Baldwin - the writing was engaging and held my attention. I liked the build-up of suspense.

Wow what an excellent book , lots of twists and turns . I expected a run of the mill book of husband abuse but this was so much more than that . I loved this book so much with all the unexpected areas it went as the book progressed . I cannot recommend this book highly enough . Fantastic 5 stars

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Bookouture and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Fast paced, full of twists and turns. A compelling read.

This book will grab ahold of you on page one and keep you turning pages to the very end. This is a story that will have you on the edge of your seat just waiting for the next shoe to fall. Holly believed she was married to the man of her dreams, Zach an OBGYN doctor. But not everything is as it seems to the outside world. Holly is having their baby and Zach is nothing like he was in the birthing classes. She is unsure of how he is treating her and she is terrified something is happening to the baby. Holly finds herself dependent on Zach and concerned for her daughter as she struggles to understand what happened to her perfect marriage.

Really enjoyed this book. The ending was nothing I could have ever imagined.
Recommended read!

My Review:
Wow, wow, wow!!!!! What a roller coaster ride that was!!!!! This was my first rodeo with this author and it definitely won’t be my last. This book had me hooked from the very first word. It was very fast paced and well written. At the end of each chapter it left me wanting more and more. I couldn’t put it down and had to find out what the heck was going on. All the characters were just right and made the whole book mesh so well together. Let’s talk about that amazing ending. I just loved it. It was dark and twisted just the way I like it. It had me guessing up to the very end. Nothing in this book was as it seemed. There were a lot of twists that finally wrapped up nice and neat in a bow at the very end. I absolutely loved this one and would recommend it to anyone I come in contact with. I can’t wait to read this authors next book.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This was one of those books where the burb just doesn’t do it justice! Absolutely the best thing about a dreary December day! We are introduced to Zach and Holly (who appear to have the perfect marriage), just as she is going into labour. It is soon abundantly clear that he is a philandering, lying narcissist! But Holly is not the shrinking violet that these domestic thrillers normally centre around! But she does have a secret - that Zach knows about - and that fear he will tell someone keeps her towing the line………at first! The tension was great, the twists were fabulous and the whole book was so easy to read, I almost had to prize my eyes open to finish it!

This is the first true page-turner I’ve read in ages, so I’m happy to give it 4.5 stars! This was gripping from the very beginning, and it never let up … totally a “I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it” story.

The book is a classic domestic thriller, but don’t let that make you think it’s formulaic and dull - far from it. This abusive husband is much more emotionally abusive than physical, but his abuse escalates and becomes much more twisted when he and his wife have a child. Soon, Holly knows she’s going to have to leave her cheating, gaslighting husband, to keep herself and their daughter safe from his toxic influence. She’s quite a meek woman, but the power of a mother’s love is soaking into her being the longer she lives with this man and his lies.

This was my first time reading this author, and I really enjoyed the writing style. The whole book was written very cohesively, which made for a fast and easy read. Books also go fast when you can’t wait to find out what happens next, so that’s a bonus this one had. The characters were decent, but not all of them were well-developed. Other than that, I have few complaints. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it as a quickly-paced psychological/domestic thriller.

(Thank you to Bookouture, Carey Baldwin, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

The Marriage Secret focuses on Holly, a new mother, and her relationship with her husband Zach. From the outside, Zach appears to be the most loving husband and doting father; however, as Holly soon realizes, nobody is perfect. As secrets are revealed, Holly must decide what is best for her and her baby. Overall, I found the pacing of The Marriage Secret to be quite slow, and then, when everything comes together at the end for a final "twist," it is very rushed. I was not satisfied with the ending. Additionally, none of the characters are at all like-able, which detracted from the book. I give The Marriage Secret 2.5-3 stars.

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

From the outside looking in you would think that Zach, a well respected head of OB, and his wife, Holly had the perfect life. Holly is pregnant, they have a beautiful home and life, at least that is what you would think. But Holly knows other wise, her husband has a secret personality where his anger takes control but makes her think that she is going crazy. He manipulates those closest around him, including his mother. Holly starts to piece these situations together and quickly discovers she needs to get and her new baby out of this house and away from Zach's control. We read Holly pieces together the facts and others around her end of dead. She doesn't know who to trust up until the very end.