The Broken Marriage by Elena Wilkes: Kindle Version 2.5 stars rounded up. First of all, love the cover of the book! I really wanted to like this one, but it fell a bit short. I was excited by the synopsis of this book because I love a good domestic thriller. The married couple, Matt and Rachel, were more like side characters in this book and the majority of the story revolved around Hannah and her story that intertwined with Rachel and Matt. There were some decent twists at the end but the story was all over the place and most of it was pretty farfetched. None of the characters were likable and there was an immaturity to them. There were some situations in the book that could be triggering for people so check those trigger warnings beforehand if you need to. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of the book. Much appreciated!

I didn’t enjoy this book. It was too predictable and I didn’t really like the characters! Very disappointing

This book was pretty messed up…. But in a good way. The story was entertaining and kept my interest from start to finish and definitely kept me guessing

Hannah, Rachel and Matt share a history from 17 years ago and when Hannah turns up on her friends' doorstep to try to process the trauma that happened all that time ago all manner of secrets and lies are let loose. The plot was sometimes difficult to follow but, nevertheless, The Broken Marriage makes a good holiday read. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thankyou to NetGalley for the book to review.

Great sandwich filler book with twists/ turns and it keeps you on your toes. Only downfall is that it is really predictable but overall an enjoyable read and would recommend.

Bit of a slow read, a book full of lies, betrayal and emotion but I did find myself getting a little frustrated at times and at times the pacing was a little slow.

Thank you Net Galley and Elena Wilkes, however due to personal things that had happen during the period that this book was to be published I was unable to read it and provide feeback.

annah and Rachel were inseparable best friends in their young adult years. Until the event. Hannah experienced a terrible tragedy that led to her fleeing back home. Rachel helped her clean up the mess from the trauma, but swore to never bring it up until Hannah was ready.

They both also lived with Matt, and the story takes you back to relive those early days of their friendships with each other.

17 years later and Hannah is still seeking ways to recover from her trauma which gives unreliable narrator vibes. When her therapist suggesting returning to the setting of her trauma or reconnecting with someone who reminds her of that time for processing, she starts to seek out Rachel. Online searches turn up nothing, that’s when she searches for Matt.

After tracking him down at a work conference, Hannah and Matt have a drink that quickly turns to more until Matt reveals he’s married….. to Rachel. A quick glance at his I.D. has revealed Rachel’s location and now she has two missions 1. Reconnect with Rachel about that night and 2. Let her know the truth about her husband and his promiscuous ways.

When Hannah turns up at Rachel’s doorstep she happily welcomes her in. Matt, however, is not so excited to have her there. When she gets snowed in, she has to stay the night in this home with all of her secrets. Matt reveals his relationship with Rachel is not genuine and he thinks about what would’ve happened if he was with Hannah. Hannah also feels the spark but doesn’t know who to trust. Rachel also has a way of manipulating and gaslighting her friends to do whatever she wants to do and wasn’t the best friend to Hannah as she remembers her past more.

This book shifts from past to present and was a bit hard to tell what was what, it could have benefitted from some more clearly defined timeline words.

3 stars for me just because the plot was hard to follow and a little unrealistic, like she showed up and then just stayed for days with this clearly effed up couple ?? The whole jail scene??

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting premise!

I did find the plot a little predictable at times and that sometimes ruined the suspense.

Overall, it was enjoyable and a good holiday read.

This book was confusing for me. It just didnt have that wow factor . The ending was just too abrupt and a bit unbelieveable at times.

This was such a great book! I could not put it down and read it in one sitting! It was super edge of your seat when the best friend came to town! I would definitely recommend this book!

When an old friend shows up on their door step, Rachel and Matt are unsure what to say to her. Hannah makes a wave and causes them all to be very uncomfortable. Switching back and forth from past to present it was a little hard to keep up. Due to reading this book over a period of time and not all at once I felt like a few details may have not came all together for me. All the characters were different and very interesting. They each had secrets from the past and when everything came together at the end it was different than I thought, but wasn't a super shock either. I gave the book 3/5 stars because I don't feel like I completely get all of the details of the story. I do believe if i had read it quicker I could have liked it more. I was given this ARC book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be a little confusing. I wasn’t sure who I was rooting for or what side to take, which is some cases can be good, however this just made it hard for me to get through to finish. I did finish it but it was a struggle. Just an ok read for me.

Thank you so much for being able to read this advanced copy of The Broken Marriage by Elena Wilkes.

This was a twisting, turning, suspenseful book from the very beginning. Independently each of the main characters - Hannah, Rachel, Matt, Alison and Emily seemed plausible. As the plot unfolded though the reader began to take sides. Just when you thought you had it figured out another storyline was added. It wasn't confusing which kept my interest high.

Then the ending is near and all hell breaks loose with the plot! This really peaked and maintained my interest - a fast paced read which would lend itself easily to a book club pick.

The Broken Marriage by Elena Wilkes was good but honestly it was not my favorite book I have read. It was a story about broken friendships, lies, secrets, jealousy, and betrayal. To be honest it was kinda a slow read for me. It did get better for me as it got halfway in the book up until the end. It was kinda confusing to me too because it goes from the past and present with the Characters Matt, Rachel, and Hannah telling their story and looking back at their friendship when they met in College. This book is not really about a broken marriage but about how your past can break up,your relationships with your friends, family, etc. Overall, I liked the story because it does have some surprising and shocking twist at the end but I just wish it would have not been so slow paced for me as a reader leading up to the good stuff. Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to receive a ARC of this book to read and review.

Are you ready for a book that will keep you guessing until the very end? Characters who come alive within the pages and will have you doubting everything you were once led to believe?

Rachel, Matt and Hannah, all have secrets they want to keep hidden but what happens when someone’s secrets explode and turn these lives upside down ?

As the secrets begin to reveal themselves you’ll be left with your jaw on the ground.

Your emotions won’t change anything…. They’ll just get in the way .

Let me leave you with this little teaser :

The perfect couple is hiding something deadly…

Rachel and Matt have it all. They are the beautiful couple - from their tastefully renovated house to their highly successful careers. But beneath the happy façade lies a relationship strained by secrets and lies. While Rachel grows increasingly restless, Matt can’t stop thinking about Hannah, Rachel’s former best friend, who they haven’t seen for seventeen years...

When Hannah suddenly arrives on their doorstep in the middle of a snowstorm, Rachel and Matt’s perfect marriage begins to crack dangerously. As tensions mount to a breaking point, Hannah reveals her own dark secret – one she's been afraid to face. But has Hannah brought that darkness with her? Has it followed her to this place of safety? Trapped together while the snow falls heavily outside, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide…

Just why has Hannah reappeared in Rachel and Matt’s lives now, and what isn’t she telling them? And how far will this perfect couple go to keep the growing web of lies from destroying them all?

This is a book about relationships, good and bad. Relationships even when uncomplicated may be confusing and I found some confusion, particularly since the story moves about in time. There are unpredictable moments and in all an enjoyable read.

"The Broken Marriage" is a captivating exploration of fractured relationships and hidden truths, punctuated by shocking revelations that will leave readers speechless. From its gripping opening to its suspenseful conclusion, this novel delves into the complexities of past traumas and the tangled webs of deceit that bind its characters together.

The story begins with a chance reunion between college friends Rachel and Hannah, setting off a chain of events that unravels long-held secrets and exposes the fractures in Rachel's marriage to Matt. As tensions escalate and suspicions mount, readers are kept guessing as to who holds the most significant secret of all.

With its unreliable characters and intricate plot, "The Broken Marriage" keeps readers guessing until the very end. While the title may suggest a focus solely on marital discord, the heart of the story lies in Hannah's past trauma and the relationships she forged during her college years. As the narrative shifts between past and present, the pieces of the puzzle slowly fall into place, culminating in a shocking revelation that will leave readers reeling.

Elena Wilkes crafts a tense and atmospheric tale, brimming with suspense and overflowing with secrets. For fans of psychological thrillers and gripping mysteries, "The Broken Marriage" is a must-read that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Broken Marriage by Elena Wilkes.
I really wanted to love this book, the last book by this author I did enjoy and was excited for a new one to delve into. Once I saw the cover I knew it would be something I just needed to read, but, after reading I think the title and cover are EXTREMELY misleading. This really has nothing to do with a broken marriage as the married couple aren't even really main characters in this story. This book, the dialogue and the story felt ALL OVER THE PLACE, honestly, when I got a few chapters in I felt like giving up, but, persevered, and I am sad I did. These characters are adults and yet the whole book made me feel like they were 8 year-olds from the dialogue and the stupid story line. There were so many random, stupid twists and stupid additional unneeded side stories and characters it was wholly unbelievable. All up, I just would not recommend this read.

wow!

I went into this book kind of blind. Obviously with the title being The Broken Marriage you have a general understanding, but I was on the edge of my seat.

I love when a book can keep me guessing. I had so many theories floating around as I continued reading but was actually shocked by one of the twists! I feel like I made so many guess at least one had to be true so I did guess a certain part. Obviously no spoilers so I won’t elaborate too much on that but I can say the twist had my jaw on the floor.

This is definitely one of those books where it is so easy to binge it all in one sitting. I was dying to find up what ultimately happened. And the ending???? SCREAMING!!!