Never Trust the Husband
by Jessica Payne
Pub March 05-2024

This book was written for the long game and man is it so good. The betrayal of someone who is suppose to be your lover or your best friend or even worse both of them. Fast forward three years and you are declared dead since your body is missing and your best friend is engaged to your husband. Who can you trust, who can you believe?

The story is told in two voices Madeline then and Rebecca now. Rebecca returns to Seattle to see what happened to her friends life and help get closer for her. There was already a hint of cheating and deceit when Madeline was dating Benji and then marries him. This deceit continues when Rebecca returns, She finds Madeline's missing items and people. The crazy twist in this story makes you realize you need to be very careful who you believe.

The end of this book is so very chilling when you get to it. Like didn't see that coming and how screwed up it was, like dang. I am glad that after the long game played out the truth was found and it was bad but maybe not as bad as she thought or was it? I highly recommend running not walking to get your hands on this book on March 5th!! It's a fast paced thriller that you will devour.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture & Jessica Rayne for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.
Keep Reading and finding your next adventure in black and white.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read in quite some time. Madeline and Benjamin have a beautiful wedding but the honeymoon was cancelled because of a hurricaine. One of their friends, Kip, suggests they all go backpacking for a few days to celebrate. Madeline ends of being pushed off a cliff as she is trying to photograph the night skies for a picture for their new home. Who pushed her??? This story is told in a then and now format which makes for a very interesting read with lots of twists, turns and surprises.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this phenomenal thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

4.5 stars

I loved the two POVs & timelines and how untrustworthy all the characters were. I had suspicions on how things would play out but mostly I was surprised!

Thanks to NetGalley & Boukouture for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Who pushed Madeline? Jessica Payne pulled the wool over my eyes until the very end. Well done! The story is told utilizing two 1st person POVs -- one past and one present. The two threads kept things moving. I devoured this in one day and was caught by complete surprise more than once. This is my first read from Jessica Payne and I will try to find time for more. The ARC I read very kindly included inserts from all her other books. What a great way to hook me into another one. Good thinking, Bookouture. In the Acknowledgements, Jessica Payne mentions her appreciation for her cat Lilst Kitty. For a cat-lover like me, that is worth an entire star. Meow! 🐈

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Madeline is on a backpacking trip for her honeymoon with her new husband and a few friends, when one night while photographing the night sky, she is pushed off a cliff.
This story definitely kept me interested. I did guess the ending pretty early on, but for me that doesn’t affect my reading experience.
This is a pretty solid domestic thriller. Especially for newish thriller readers.

This was a good, fast paced, well written story, but very predictable. The story contains a dual time line that wasn't horrible, but I wasn't a fan...especially once you figure out the ending. Overall, it's worth a read, but I can't say that it will be a memorable one.

I love the cover!

First book I’ve read by this author…and won’t be the last. Always kept me on my toes and loved the plot!

I would recommend this author to others.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review

First book I’ve read by this author…and won’t be the last. Definitely keeps you guessing the whole way through from beginning to end. Thought I had it figured out…..but no, I wasn’t even close. Nice, short chapters. Not too many characters to confuse you. I would absolutely recommend this book to others.

This book has it all It had all. You’ll be drawn in, lied to, pushed into thrills so much so that you’ll wonder how the ending can shock you so much.

This was a great book! Even though I was able to figure out the twist it was still really good. There were times I was nervous for the main character as she was doing her investigating. This was a good plot that kept me engaged.

#NeverTrustTheHusband #NetGalley
Didn't work for me.
Madeline wasn’t looking for love but when she saw Benjamin on her thirtieth birthday she could not let him go without meeting him. After spending time with him that night he convinces her to go out with him. From the beginning she knew he was different. He made her feel what no man had been successful at in the past. Soon they were planning their wedding. Three days after the wedding, Maddy disappears. Was it accisdent, was it the new husband with the business that was in trouble or was it the best friend who wanted her life? Rebecca is determined to find out who killed Maddy. She is convinced it wasn’t an accident and she has gone to great lenghts to determine the killer.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy.

Four years ago Madeline went missing days after her wedding to Benjamin. Now, Benjamin is engaged to Madeline's best friend and there is someone out there who is convinced one of them is guilty of Madeline's murder.

Wow. I really enjoyed this thriller! Go into this one as blind as possible because some of the twists are just amazingly done. Here's what I loved:

-The narration. You follow Madeline in the past as she meets Benjamin and goes through her life all the way up to her fateful trip where she disappears. While this is going on you also get a present day narrative that looks into what really happened and how the characters are moving on. Both are laid out really well for the story and the twists.

-The Twists. They are pretty cool. I'm someone who figures out thrillers and I did figure out all of them, but the fact that I still LOVED this book shows just how well done it all was. I was hooked, wanting to know if I was right and very satisfied when I was.

-The characters. They all have so many secrets and that makes for a really good story.

All in all, this was such a good thriller that will keep you guessing.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy.

I adore Jessica Payne’s twisty twisty psychological thrillers, and this one might be my favorite yet!

Benjamin and Gwyn are an engaged couple with thriving businesses and a beautiful home. There are flaws below the surface though- she is the best friend of his former wife Madeline, and Rebecca is pretty sure one of them killed her. As she watches and waits, slowly inserting herself into their social circle, the couple begin to look guiltier and guiltier.

I finished this binge worthy read in just two reading sessions. The short chapters and dynamic storyline kept me flying through the pages, dying to know what would happen next. The story is told with plenty of flashbacks to the past, so that we get to observe Madeline and Benjamin falling in love and the events leading up to their wedding and that fateful night. Madeline and her friends are gossipy fun in these chapters, even as the cracks are already forming beneath the surface.

Rebecca’s storyline is full of audacity and determination, and her methods were clever and unique. I was absolutely positive I knew where things were going, and then I was shocked and thrilled to be absolutely wrong. Fabulous twists led to a shocking conclusion. I can’t wait to see what Payne dreams up next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a good book! It had all the drama, thrills, lies, & deceit all wrapped up in a pretty bow. That ending shocked me, I wasn’t expecting that plot twist!

There were lots of twists and turns and while I guessed most of them, it was still an enjoyable read. It took me a little while to get into it but I flew through the last half as the story became unputdownable. The characters were unlikable for the most part but I think most of the time that’s what we want in a thriller/mystery. Overall, I enjoyed it and it felt unique compared to a lot of thrillers I’ve read.

I just didn't want to put this book down and the further I read into the story, the more addictive it became.
Rebecca wanted revenge for the murder of Maddy, but who did it, was it her husband, her best friend or were the two of them in cahoots?
Rebecca didn't know who she was able to trust, plenty of twists and turns in this book to keep you guessing.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Bookouture, Netgalley and Jessica Payne for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A bit too far fetched for my liking. But I am sure lots of other readers will enjoy this story of trying to find out who was the murderer and to make them pay for their crime.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Bookouture and Jessica Payne for the opportunity to read Never Trust the Husband, to be published March 5, 2024. 4/5 Stars for this multiple time., multiple POV thriller. It was unusual to start reading a book in which someone dies so early on! But Payne gives us a chance to learn about the victim through flashbacks. I liked the way it all came together at the end. Good read. #NetGalley #Bookouture #JessicaPayne #NevertrusttheHusband

Payne is absolutely phenomenal at writing binge worthy psychological thrillers! I loved the Good Doctor and this was just as good!

Madeline wasn’t looking for love but when she saw Benjamin on her thirtieth birthday she could not let him go without meeting him. After spending time with him that night he convinces her to go out with him. From the beginning she knew he was different. He made her feel what no man had been successful at in the past. Soon they were planning their wedding. Three days after the wedding, Maddy disappears. Was it accisdent, was it the new husband with the business that was in trouble or was it the best friend who wanted her life?

Rebecca is determined to find out who killed Maddy. She is convinced it wasn’t an accident and she has gone to great lenghts to determine the killer.

The fast pace keeps the plot moving and I couldn’t put this one down!
Told in dual timelines and multiple POV this is a book that will keep you guessing until the last page! Payne will have you second guessing all or your assumptions. If you like a revenge book, with plenty of plot twists look no further!

This was my first read by this author and will definitely not be the last. I liked the dual POVs the most.. Really fantastic and well paced read.