Paul Strom met Cecilia at the funeral of the very wealthy Esther Wilmot. Paul had been her escort and confidant for a long time. Cecilia have been making printed invitation and signage for Esther’s many parties held at her Palm Beach, Florida mansion. A very pretty young woman, Paul was mesmerized by Cecilia and her many charms. It wasn’t long before he asked her to marry him.

Paul is now very wealthy because Esther left all of her money to him. He has dreamed of being a producer in California so he and Cecilia marry quickly and head to Malibu where he has just purchased a very large home. Having lost contact with his first wife and two sons, Paul wants that again and tells Cecilia that he wants her to get pregnant right away and give him three children.

To celebrate their first anniversary, they spend a week in Paris visiting the sights and enjoying the French food. Ah, but something seems to have changed with Cecilia. She has become rather defiant and not the complacent wife she has been. What is going on with her and why is he afraid?

It was in 2017 that I read the first book about Paul Strom called “Best Day Ever” and I loved it. Now, Paul is back strutting his stuff thinking of himself as the King. But, wait! Is the King about to be bested by his new wife? This book is more humorous than scary. I chuckled a lot as I read it. No, I didn’t like Paul and, equally, I didn’t like Cecilia. I guess they had each met their match. Confused? Don’t be. Read this delightful book and enjoy this great story!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is my second book by this author and both were juicy, quick reads. I love the short chapters and this authors style of writing. The story unfolds piece by piece. There’s no shortage of drama and lies! I really enjoyed this read. It was so nice to read about the setting of Paris.

Paul is alone at the funeral of his companion when a beautiful woman strikes up a conversation with him. They become inseparable and Paul founds out he was the heir of his companions vast fortune and he has found the love of his life. They move from Florida to LA so Paul can become a director into a swanky huge mansion and live happily ever after…or do they? Bit by bit we discover secret after surprising secret and the lives of Paul and his new bride. Paul and Cecilia’s characters were so strong, I felt like I knew them. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to love or hate them throughout the book.

I highly recommend this thriller, it’s the perfect end of summer read! All of my thriller book loving friends @ are raving about this book, it’s worth the read!

5/5

This book was such a fast paced read. The characters were interesting and the multiple POVs made it so much more interesting. The twist(s) in the book truly had my jaw on the floor. Such a good read!

Another absolutely amazing book by Kaira Rouda. I cannot wait for the follow up book to come out. She never disappoints!

Fantastic and twisty! My first book by this author but it won't be the last. No problem following the story even though I hadn't read the first book. Loved it!

Wow that was a twisted thriller indeed! The story is told from Paula and Cecelia's point of view past and present. We read diary excerpts from an unknown person and have to puzzle out who the character is. Paul and Cecelia are both really shallow people that seem only to care about money and having it all. Neither character is likable which made it hard for me to decide how I wanted the story to end but we all love a good villain! I sense a sequel coming on. It was a tangled web of lies and deception between Paul and Cecelia and Paul's mistress Susan. I figured out a few twists but it kept my interest because I felt like everyone had secrets I needed to find out about. It did not disappoint.

Kaira Rouda never disappoints. Hooked from the first page to the very end. A perfect marriage being celebrated by an amazing one year anniversary trip to Paris . Is it a perfect marriage or a deadly revenge plot. Told from Paul and Cecelia’s point of view who’s seeking revenge and who’s playing a deadly anniversary?!

This book was a wild ride! This being my first book from the author, I loved her writing. The characters and setting were flushed out, the pace was perfect as it kept me engaged the whole way through and the setting was the cherry on top! Paul is definitely unhinged and maybe I shouldn’t like him, I did! Haha he has this charming effect only a psychopath might possess. I know this is the second book in the series but can definitely be read as a stand alone as I had no problem, but I will be reading more from this author.

Paul Strom is back in this follow-up to Best Day Ever. (I recommend reading that one first, although it isn't necessary.) He hasn't changed, he's still the same old narcissist. An unlikeable character that I actually enjoy reading his POV. Paul is now married to Cecelia, and he's set on making their anniversary dinner the best night ever. But it seems like Cecelia might have other plans...

The story also has Cecelia's POV from the past, which you need to pay attention to the time period of the past since it jumps around a lot. She had a tough childhood and has scored the jackpot marrying handsome, rich Paul Strom. The 2 of them are insufferable.

This is a quick, fun read with some good twists. I like Kaira Rouda's easy to read writing style - always an entertaining read!

The writing felt immature and wasn't at all what I was expecting. I had really high hopes, but couldn't get into it. I DNF'd about 25 pages in.

This book reminded me of a Freida McFadden novel. It was gripping enough to keep my attention and easy to read. The only reason for giving it only three stars is the writing just didn’t feel very polished to me. There was quite a bit of repeating that felt off. Other than that, I would say if you typically like FM books to give this one a try.

In "The Second Mrs. Strom," Kaira Rouda delves into the intricacies of relationships and the secrets that can destroy them. The story takes readers into a tense environment where the thirst for revenge turns into an all-consuming obsession.

I was unaware that 'The Second Mrs. Strom' was the sequel to 'The Best Day Ever,' which I hadn't read. Nonetheless, I had no difficulty following the story, as it functioned well as a standalone.

Paul and Cecilia are in Paris, celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Their union blossomed from a whirlwind romance that began when they met at the funeral of Esther, the elderly woman Paul dated for over a year. Paul inherited a fortune from her, and now he and Cecilia are reveling in the luxuries afforded by the inheritance.

While reading, I realized that Paul was a narcissist. Their marriage appeared to be fine in the initial stages, but then his true nature emerged. He tried to isolate Cecelia from the outside world, not wanting her to work or make friends. It was satisfying to discover that Cecelia was more perceptive than she appeared. Unknown to him, his wife was equally manipulative, enabling her to outwit him.

The tension between the two characters had me eagerly flipping the pages; I was keen to discover which manipulator would come out on top. The author skillfully interlaced numerous twists in the story, one of which revealed the profound extent of Cecelia's cunning.

Readers who enjoy stories that feature characters whose moral compass has gone awry will appreciate Paul and Cecelia. Secrets, lies and mind games were the themes that drove the story.

Overall, I found "The Second Mrs. Strom" to be an engaging read. So much so, that I am planning to read "The Best Day Ever" next.

I thought this book was devilishly devious.
Paul belonged back in the 19th century with his archaic attitudes about and wife and family.
He was a lowlife moocher con artist.
Who met his match with wifey #2. I knew what was happening to Paul in Paris and couldn’t believe he couldn’t see it.
I knew immediately who Susan was and also who Cecilia was early on.
I actually was laughing at the end book because both Paul and Cecilia were so absurd and outrageous they deserved one another.

Brilliant. Absolutely gripping and thoroughly compelling. This wonderful read had me turning the pages late into the night wanting to know more. An assured, well written, wonderful tale.

Our favorite narcissist you love to hate is back!

Paul Strom has planned the perfect one year anniversary celebration in Paris for his second wife Cecilia. Paul is rich, successful, controlling and believes he is superior to everyone. Cecilia is the wife of Paul's dreams. She is young, beautiful and seemingly in love with him. He has planned their last night in Paris to be the best night ever. But will it? It seems Cecilia has her own plans. Has Paul met his match?

THE SECOND MRS STORM is the sequel to THE BEST DAY EVER. I recommend reading it first to get the full background of Paul to fully understand him. Paul and Cecilia each have their secrets and evil plans for their last night in Paris. I was on the edge of my seat as this cat and mouse game played out to see which one wins. The story is revealed at a steady pace in both Paul's and Cecilia's POV. I loved the diary entries that are scattered throughout the book and somehow was not surprised by who wrote the diary entries. I highly recommend THE SECOND MRS STROM.

Thank you Kaira Rouda, Netgalley, Bookouter, and thrillerbookloverthepulse for the gifted ebook and this is my honest review.

Rouda is probably queen of writing about rich people behaving badly and this book is about just that. I didn’t realize going in that this is book two of Family Secrets but it was able to be read as a standalone so that's always a bonus..

Paul and Cecelia were two highly unlikable characters, which is just what you want in this type of book. It’s better to not have anyone to root for and just enjoy the absurdities, lol. The twists were dropped in periodically throughout the book which made this so fun. If you’re looking for a quick thriller with characters you love to hate, I'm thinking this or basically anything from Rouda would fit the bill.

The Second Mrs Strom is utter perfection, filled with morally reprehensible characters, drama, tension and fantastic twists, all set against a Parisian background for that little extra flair.

Best Day Ever is one of my all time favourite books, so I was SO EXCITED when @kairarouda decided to bring back Paul Strom for another whirl. Paul is the absolute WORST, but you find yourself totally hooked to see what kind of bad behaviour he’s going to get away with - and you are sort of rooting for him? What does that say about me?!

This time he’s celebrating his one year anniversary with his new wife, in Paris. Except his new wife might not be the compliant, catering, beautiful dream girl he thought she was. She might have secrets that rival his own.

No spoilers for this because you absolutely must just go in blind and expect the worst from Paul. What I will say is this is just as fun a read as Best Day, and maybe more so because Cecilia is no shrinking violet. I adore the cat and mouse gameplay in this book and I legitimately devoured this dying to see who would come out on top.

This is a genuine can’t-miss for thriller lovers, especially if you like me, adored Paul as a character. It’s exactly the right kind of easy, entertaining and twisting plot that is so entirely satisfying and makes for an ideal end of summer read.

Many thanks to @bookouture for the copy and inviting me on this book tour. And @kairarouda thank you DO MUCH for bringing Paul back to be a summer reading highlight.

Book Review:

I will never NOT sign up for any book by @kairarouda & I’m so glad I feel that way because this one did not disappoint.

When this was offered to our group @thrillerbookloversthepulse , I jumped on it.

This one is actually a sequel to her book Best Day Ever but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. I do recommend reading the first one though. I think you’ll have a better understanding of the characters & the drama ☕️

Paul & Cecelia decide to spend their first anniversary in beautiful, romantic Paris. Paul has everything planned out, per usual. He likes things to go his way at all times & he’s used to getting what he wants. But sly Cecelia has other plans!!

Has Paul finally met his match or will this time in Paris be the Best Day Ever?!?

This was an incredible domestic thriller & I need at least one of Kaira’s series to be film adapted. The Beneath the Surface duo or this one. Or both…I mean…they’re great!

@kairarouda -from one Southern California girlie to another-please keep writing!! I devour your books. & thank you for always being so kind! You gifted my book club paperback copies of Beneath the Surface & now giving us Pulse lovers this ARC & Under the Palms! Thank you thank you!!! 🫶🏼🫶🏼

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars

Wow, just wow. This might be Kaira Rouda’s best book yet! ( and I’ve liked them all!) Holy smokes I read the book in less than 24 hours and now I have a book hangover! I met Kaira years ago at a book event and have been “ running” into her ever since! Recently I saw her at Thrillerfest in New York and then we ended up on the same flight home. Now I wish I had the book on that flight so I could’ve discussed all the goodness with her! I loved all casual drops of jaw dropping secrets you didn’t see coming, it was truely gripping from beginning to end!

Cecilia had a ruff childhood and never really felt wanted, but now that she’s met Paul everything will be amazing. Paul has recently inherited a fortune and now that they’re married it’s her fortune too. Paul adores her will give her whatever she wants, but what Paul wants might be asking too much. Paul isn’t aware of all the secrets Cecilia is keeping but he has plenty of secrets up his sleeve.
The two go on a romantic anniversary trip to Paris that is anything but romantic. Problems at home follow them abroad and they both packed their own agendas. How can they both keep up the charade of the happy couple when they’re anything but happy?
Secrets will be revealed, the past will collide with the present, and lives will be on the line.

Evil meets his match in this Parisian set page-turner! Best Day Ever is my favorite Kaira Rouda thriller and I was so happy to see that Paul Strom had crawled out of a gutter to star in another book. Thank you!! I can't what to see where Cecilia goes next!