If you like thrillers, you’ll like this.
If you’re a survivor of abusive and controlling relationships like me, be warned, this book can be very triggering.

I love thrillers, but I was thrown by the abuse and controlling behaviour and didn’t expect to feel the way I did reading this. It was actually difficult to read and it took me several sit downs to get through it all. There is great character development and I enjoyed that. This is a well-written novel, but despite the content, it still wouldn’t be a top thriller for me, but it’s a good one.

This was delightfully delicious and everything I like in my trashy thrillers - and that really is a compliment even if it doesn't sound that way. I sped through the pages, relishing every sordid detail, as if you can sit back and take pleasure in just how sordid some of it is. Only in books, my friends - I would only every tolerate this in books!!!

I had high hopes for this one, and on the whole I wasn't disappointed.
Zach was a horrendous character, so hats off to Baldwin for making him so detestable. His gaslighting of his wife was just awful and really got my blood boiling!
I did find the story wane a little but then when Zach gets suspected of a woman's murder, this book goes places! I wish Holly could have had more of a backbone though, she was infuriating to me at times.
But that ending! Worth it.

This story is an unexpected page turner and had interesting twists and turns. Please be aware it may be triggering for those who have been involved in domestic violence or been gaslighted by a partner. This story took a few chapters to get into but I was unable to put it down until I finished it one sitting.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

What a wild ride. Gaslighting to the MAX in this one. It frustrated me, kept me curious and had me questioning my theories. Fantastic execution of this one!

Holly is stuck in an abusive marriage. She no longer loves, or trusts her parent, but she feels stuck and like she has to stay in order to keep her child. He has set her up to look postpartum crazy, so if she tries to leave she fears she will lose custody. She also talks to and trusts the dumbest lawyer ever, who tells her to stay in an abusive relationship. When the police come questioning her family about a murder, where her husband is a suspect, instead of using it as an out, she gives him an alibi to save him. This made zero sense to me, as being a suspect in a murder would definitely give her a one up in the custody department. Then, after a long winded and unnecessarily complex mess, things finally come to heed and one of them makes it out alive.

I could have done without this while book. It was a jumbled and jumpy mess with poor plot lines, incomplete characters and unnecessary twists.

Holly and Zach seem to have the perfect marriage but behind closed doors it is something different.They have a new baby but Holly is desperate to escape her unhappy life. Zach has a hold over her so Holly is trapped...
The Marriage Secret is a domestic psychological thriller set in America. There is a significant crime element to the novel, especially in the second half of the book.
Zach is relentless in his abusive campaign of control and fear against Holly in the opening half of the book. I found this often difficult to read as it was quite implacable with sinister danger lurking. We then discover some of the hold he has over her and the balance of power begins to shift.
The book begins with a diary entry which gives hints about the future. But the majority of the book is written from the third person perspective of Holly, showing the insidious ways that Zach takes over her life and emotionally abuses her. The opening chapter about the birth of their child is very unpleasant as the terror is so vividly described.
There were major plot twists along the way, significantly at the end. I had various potential scenarios playing out in my head and loved how the author kept me guessing which outcome would be correct.
The Marriage Secret was hugely entertaining and had me completely hooked.

Oh my God, this really is as unputdownable as the blurb says! I was totally consumed by this book from start to finish and it was responsible for a couple of late nights of reading!

Zach is a truly horrible character and I couldn’t understand why Holly would stay with him. He’s gaslighting her, but she’s much cleverer than I first realised and there are some twists and turns that take this cleverly plotted book to new heights.

I have read many books in this genre of domestic thriller, but this is one of my favourites, it flows so well, is super twisty, and has a main character that you’ll love to hate and will want to see him get what he deserves.

Be warned, it’s so addictive that you’ll find it hard to put down. I raced through it, I just had to see where it was all going to end.

A new favourite author for my list, I’ll definitely be reading more from Carey Baldwin. Can’t recommend it highly enough, superb!

There was a lot of raving feedback on this book. Unfortunately, I didn't like it. Mainly the husband character Zach. He was such a controlling jerk. Sorry, just not for me!

Absolutely brilliant. It sucks you in and you can't put it down until you finish the final page. I couldn't figure it out, the twists and turns in the book had me spinning. If you enjoy a good thriller then I recommend this one for you. To the outside world it might look like Holly has it all, married to a successful doctor and starting their own family in a lovely house, wanting for nothing materially. Yet if you look closer you will see Holly isn't happy and her husband is controlling every element of her llfe, from what she eats to what she wears and to who she sees. Is Holly safe, can she trust her husband not to hurt her or is he betraying her in other ways too. Throughout the book we see Holly's character develop and her husband might learn there is more to her than he thought.

Wow !! Full of twists and turns . This gripped me from the first page . Fantastic read , would definitely recommend

February 22, 2022
This was a fast paced page turner. The Marriage Secret had me guessing until the end. The plot was good but at times I found it a little far fetched.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This book was so good and had so many twists that I didn't see coming.
Holly was married to Zach who was a doctor and very controlling of her. He tried to make it seem like she was forgetting things and going crazy which was scaring to her as she had her newborn daughter whom Zach threatened to take away.
I thought Holly was a very strong person who became a lion to protect her daughter.
Very good read!

This book was impossible to put down. Zach and Holly have a happy marriage, with a new baby. But do they? After Holly gives birth to their daughter, Zach begins to change. This book is fast paced and will keep you guessing. Is Holly experiencing psychological issues after the birth of her daughter, or is there something else going on? Things begin to escalate at home, and Holly is beginning to recognize that perhaps Zach is many secrets and is punishing her (in ways that are difficult to prove). The characters are very well developed and I found myself continuing to read and it was impossible to put down. This book is a wonderful example of a well written, psychological thriller. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

WoW, didn’t see this end comming. This is a great thriller with Homeabuse, Mulder and an escape. I woke up at 6.30 am on this morning and starten reading, couldn’t stop reading. This book is a must read for thriller readers! Good story, very well written characters and a great end!
Woke up this morning at 6.30 am on my Day off and just couldnt stop reading!
Thanks @netgalley and @authorcareybaldwin for the opportunity to read this arc in Exchange for an honest review!

The Marriage Secret, written by Carey Baldwin, is an unforgettable psychological thriller that was impossible for me to put down! I started this book and finished it in less than two days! The characters are great, the twists are shocking, & the ending was perfectly dramatic! I loved The Marriage Secret and cannot wait to tell everyone about it!

While this book was a page turner at times it also presented itself as fairly fake in some ways. The main character Holly and her husband, Zack, constantly use the word 'darling' when speaking with each other. It was used so often that I started to detest it. It's entirely possible that people use this word when addressing their significant others but honestly, it felt dated and fake. Especially considering the content this book deals with (domestic abuse). It irked me.

I didn't love either of the characters either. Zach was horrible. Sometimes Holly was confusing at times and I wanted to root for her but the way she was written made that difficult at times.

Unfortunately, didn't love this one. Rated 2.5 stars.

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this one. Suspenseful. Full of twists. Absorbing. I was completely transported. A really wonderful book. Highly recommend.

This is my first time reading something by this author so I didn't know what to expect. This is a breathtaking, suspenseful novel that is quite the page-turner and had me on the edge of my seat. Zach and Holly are happily married. They definitely appear to be at least. Before they married, Holly confessed her darkest secret to Zach and he has quietly kept that secret. But once their baby came, things changed. Zach became more controlling and mentally abusive. When a woman is found murdered and he is a suspect, he begs Holly to be his alibi and in return he will not reveal her secret. What choice does she have but to stand by her husband and keep her family safe?
Wow, this was one gripping domestic thriller! From the very beginning the story pulled me in and I was engrossed till the end. Plenty of suspense and intrigue kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next and the plot twists kept me guessing till the end. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more by this author.

Thank you Bookouture, Ms. Baldwin, and Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Excellent thriller with lots of twists. Really liked the ending and writing style. Highly entertaining, Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.