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!

This is an intense psychological thriller that is unputdownable and a page turner.

Paul and Cecelia are celebrating their first year wedding anniversary in Paris. Paul suspect that Cecelia is having an affair while Cecelia is having something in her mind. Both are gold diggers and both would do anything to get the inheritance of a lady who had passed away recently, even if it involves murdering one of them.

I didn't know this was a sequel but then I read this book as a standalone. Paul and Cecelia are typical gold-diggers each greedy with their own agenda. The writing was great, intense and the atmosphere created by the author in the book is also very intense. This was a page turning thriller, unputdownable full of twists and turns and some drama involved in the story. Overall, reading this whole story will make you feel like you are watching an action paced thriller movie.

This book is a five star read for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. Thank you Bookouture for making me a part of the blog tour. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

This book kept me turning pages all night. Intriguing characters whose characteristics are peeled back like the proverbial onion. I couldn't decide if I liked the characters of Paul and Cecilia, but it made for a good twisty book. I don't want to say too much and spoil the story other readers. Just make sure you have some time to read to the very end! I want to thank the Publisher, Ms Rouda and NetGalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

I am disappointed that I didn’t realize until the end of this book that this wasn’t Mr. Storm’s first book. I’m curious what was told in that first book and I definitely will need to be checking it out. This is one of those books where you can’t find any characters you can truly like, but while I hated them they were well written and even better voiced in the audiobook. The narrators did an excellent job and I listened until about 80% despite having the kindle as well because I liked the way they were reading it so much better than my internal voice. I will admit I called some twists coming but some others I had gotten wrong. The mystery was good and I can’t be sad about the ending at all. Some people truly do get exactly what they deserve. Paul and Cecelia are in Paris, it’s their last day and Paul is determined it will be romantic. The perspective changes between the two of them and the time frame, giving some background. As the two go through their final day in Paris the reader realizes that they both have secrets and watching what happens as those secrets start to come to the surface was quite entertaining.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Second Mrs. Strom” by Kaira Rouda.
I went into this book blind and I’m glad I did. This is the sequel to the book “Best Day Ever”. Now I have to go back and read the first one.
Paul Strom is on his honeymoon with his second wife in Paris. He’s a narcissist who always expects things to work out his way. I love the dual narrative with Paul and Cecelia. It was great trying to figure out her story. What a roller coaster of a ride!
Will there be another book? I sure do hope so! Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheSecondMrsStrom #KairaRouda #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was just ok in my opinion. If anything I was sort of expecting it to be quite similar to The Mrs. Parrish books by Liv Constantine. This book wasn't horrible, it just left me slightly dissapointed. With that being said, I would still read more books by Kaira Rouda in the future.


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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3/5 stars. Paul is back with another new wife trying to have another best day ever, this time in Paris. Paul’s behavior was predictable as he followed the same narcissistic ways as the first book. It was easy to predict the ending following his thought process. The sister was a nice twist, I didn’t see that coming.

I hadn’t read the previous book with Paul in it, Best Day Ever, before reading The Second Mrs. Strom, but it wasn’t too hard to see the sociopath, or whatever the proper medical term would be, hiding not too successfully in there; he’s just not right. I laughed at how he loved to describe himself: “Paul Randolph Strom, PRS: almost a person. Just missing a couple of things.” But then, maybe Cecilia’s just not right, either, just missing a couple of things, too. Cold, calculating, scheming and plotting from the start. Nothing that happened when they first met was happenstance or coincidental or serendipity. Cecilia had revenge on her mind and a plan in place for how to get it – and end up with the lifestyle she’s always wanted. She may not be as mentally unstable as Paul, but she’s no innocent. So we start the story with two distinctly unlikeable people, and it only gets worse as the story progresses. What’s supposed to be a joyous first anniversary celebration is clearly going to be anything but.

Author Kaira Rouda makes Paul a delightfully repulsive character. He wants what he wants when he wants it and expects everyone to fall in line. He really does see life in only one way and feels justified in his behavior and superiority. You can almost, for a teeny, tiny second, feel sorry for him; his childhood was horrendous and obviously shaped him. But any sympathy is short-lived. It’s almost the same with Cecilia. Her life hasn’t been easy for far, either. Her childhood was hard and there’s nothing wrong with aspiring for a better life – except when your path to that better life is grasping, conniving, lying.

Rouda does an amazing job of dragging us along with Paul and Cecilia’s anniversary celebration. It’s cat and mouse all the way. Apparent early on that neither of them has the other’s best interest at heart, and it becomes a game of wondering who will get there first, and changing allegiance from one to the other and who you want to see win this deadly game.

The Second Mrs. Strom moves along at breakneck speed, darkly humorous, edgy, suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat beginning to end. The dinner at the Eiffel Tower was priceless. A unique book that keeps you riveted. Thanks to Bookouture Publishing for providing an advance copy of The Second Mrs. Strom via NetGalley. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I have read several books by this author. This was was my favorite of hers I think. I really liked all of the characters. I also thought that the pacing was really good as well.

The Second Mrs. Strom by Kaira Rouda is the sequel to the excellent novel, Best Day Ever. Going into it, I didn’t know this was a sequel and kept thinking how this book was so similar to Best Day Ever. Well, it makes sense now!

This is as good as the first book, with the dreadful Paul and his second wife. If you have read the first book, which I highly recommend, this may not be as shocking, but it's still a great read with twists and turns along the way.

I don’t want the perfect marriage. I want revenge…

If you had met me a year ago, you wouldn’t have noticed me. A beautiful woman, but a struggling nobody in a tiny apartment, invisible…

Meeting Paul changed that.

And now here I am in Paris, after a whirlwind courtship and a stunning beach proposal. I smile at my handsome husband, my eyes shining in the candlelight, my huge diamond ring sparkling on the starched white tablecloth. Other women look at me in envy. They see a couple completely in love.

They’re wrong.

Despite this incredible luxury vacation, my husband and I can’t escape our problems. I can’t get over what he did with that woman just after our wedding, and my bright smile can’t hide the hardness in my heart.

I wonder if Paul knows the truth. That our first meeting, when we fell in love, wasn’t the coincidence he thinks it was. That what I want from him has nothing to do with his money.

And now that he’s wronged me, I’ll stop at nothing to get it…

This wasn’t my favorite. I have enjoyed her books in the past but this one felt more YA with adults. The dialogue kind of drove me crazy. It is a slow burn that takes place over a day with some flashback chapters, and is the second book in a series. I felt I was able to understand what was going on even without reading book 1. Only one of the twists was truly shocking to me. The others I guessed way before they were revealed.

I stuffed up big-time when reading The Second Mrs Strom by Kaira Rouda. It wasn't until the very end I read the note by the author and she mentions taking Paul Strom out on a second outing following his appearance in Best Day Ever. Do'h!

I LOVED that book (it's my fave of Rouda's) and realising that would have given this so much more context. This opens with Paul narrating and he's surprisingly loathsome straight off... in Paris elbowing other tourists out of the way and literally telling them to "Shoo!". Had I realised he was the same character we loved to hate in Best Day Ever I would have understood that Rouda had no intention of us liking him or finding him more palatable. Of course if my memory was better I might have recalled his name or some of his backstory (which he shares here). But alas... I read this with fresh eyes and found myself somewhat agog at his smug arrogance.

Thankfully we have a second narrator, Cecilia - Paul's wife of one year - however she's initially a bit of an enigma, as we're taken back to the time she meets Paul, the pair marry and move across the country together. We learn Paul's former lover left him a fortune. Like hundreds of millions of dollars but he sees himself as very deserving rather than lucky. His sense of privilege is scary as is his very heightened sense of (quite frankly unjustified) superiority.

Rouda stages this cleverly as we hear from both Paul and Cecilia. It means we're privy to memories and thoughts as well as what they actually say - the latter often completely incongruous with their actual thoughts and feelings. I should mention I'd not read the backcover blurb (inset above) before starting this so wasn't expecting the extent of the duplicity, but we learn they're both playing a role and their games get twistier and twistier.

In the present this plays out over the course of a day. Again Paul's planned the 'best day ever' and there's a sense of foreboding given his rather manic frame of a mind - leaping back and forth from suspicion and seething anger to narcissistic confidence. And amidst the events of that day Cecilia's recapping the last year of her life, catching us up to the present.

This would be a great bookclub book as it would be interesting to gauge the extent readers find either character likeable - if at all. I must confess I found myself bonding with Cecilia though my perception of her did travel on a fairly tumultuous journey. I was reminded of the Steve Cavanagh book I just read featuring a somewhat-evil (sociopathic) character. It made me wonder if we judge people the same even the person they act out against (harm or kill) is actually not a nice person. Is it more palatable and are they forgivable? A la' Dexter - serial killer of the truly evil.

So there's much to think about here and Rouda ends it with some ambiguity and - again in her note - promises we'll be meeting at least one of the characters again. And at least I'll know to expect it next time, and there will be a next time as though this book is a mindf*ck of a ride, I very much enjoyed this rather twisted (rather than twisty) read.

Bestselling author Kaira Rouda (a long-time favorite and the queen of dark humor) is back with our favorite love-to-hate narcissistic devilish character from Best Day Ever (5 Stars) Paul Strom, in her latest dazzling thriller, THE SECOND MRS. STROM!

About...

Paul was left money by the rich Palm Beach older woman, Esther, divorced from Mia, his first wife, and estranged from his kids, now married to a much younger and beautiful Cecilia. They met at Esther's funeral. Was this a chance meeting or planned?

Paul is full of himself. He has an exciting Paris trip planned for their anniversary. Of course, he wants to control everything. Cecilia seems to be naive and goes along with Paul's narcissistic behavior, but watch out. There is more to Cecilia than you know as the book moves along.

Has Paul met his match? Absolutely! Paul is in for a surprise he never saw coming.

My thoughts...

Wickedly delicious!

OMG!! 5 STARS +++ Top books of 2024! The minute you receive a Kaira Rouda book, you drop everything. I have never laughed so hard. Paul has met his match! I LOVED this book! The banter and the one-liners are hilarious and highly entertaining.

A razor-sharp, gripping psychological thriller page-turner!

The dinner at the Eiffel Tower was priceless. I stayed up all night to finish in one sitting (well worth it-audio and e-book) and now cannot wait for the next—bring it on—more Cecilia Strom to continue. I loved all the supporting characters. Kaira, you outdid yourself!

No one does dark humor and snark better than Kaira Rouda! Since I live between West Palm and Palm Beach, I loved hanging out on Palm Beach Worth Avenue with all these fun, devilish characters. I can see Worth Avenue out my window, and every time I walk down the street or ride my bike, I think of Paul, Esther, and Cecilia. I would love to have seen Paul and Cecilia in the exquisite Florentine Room at the chic HMF (named after the resort's founder, Henry Morrison Flagler), Palm Beach's hottest and glam social scene at The Breakers!

What wicked FUN in Paris on the last night! —Best Night Ever! What an adventure and, oh, those twists! I loved seeing Cecilia from the beginning to the bold ending! REVENGE.

This book is a non-stop rollercoaster of entertainment. You'll find yourself laughing out loud, and you'll want to revisit it for the sheer joy it brings. Paul is a riot, and Cecilia is a killer character. To truly understand Paul's character and his first wife, you must read Best Day Ever first.

THE SECOND MRS. STORM checks ALL boxes! I have read all of Kaira's books and featured her on my #AuthorElevatorSeries three times, a devoted long-time fan. This is my absolute favorite of hers—a sequel, please.

Yes, a sequel is on the way! Family Secrets #2, What the Nanny Saw: A totally gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist, is set to release on Nov 13. I'm eagerly looking forward to catching up with Cecilia! (I'm thrilled to be part of the Bookouture blog team and to host on Nov 13).

Recs...

Kaira Rouda, Freida McFadden, Jeneva Rose, Emily Shiner, Miranda Rijks, and Daniel Hurst fans, you MUST get this gem on your list! If you have not read Kaira Rouda, you better get started. She will become your favorite too!

Audiobook...

The audiobook was fantastic, narrated by the talented duo Nick Landrum and Laurence Bouvard, making the characters sizzle and come alive. A must-listen audio!

Special thanks to Bookouture for a gifted digital ARC and ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
Pub Date: Aug 16, 2024
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With sympathetic villains and a multiple point-of-view and timeline story that slowly unravels your perceptions of the characters, The Second Mrs Strom was a quick and enjoyable read. I have not read "Best Day Ever", in which Paul Strom previously made an appearance, so I went into this book completely blind about the characters, which worked for me. I largely anticipated the twists as they unfolded, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment (and I wasn't always quite right about things either). Paul and Cecilia met at a funeral and less than two years later, they are celebrating their first anniversary in Paris. But perhaps everything is not as peachy in their relationship as they present to the world, and perhaps they themselves are not quite who they present to each other. Deliciously twisty and twisted.

THE SECOND MRS. STROM by Kaira Rouda is a contemporary, adult, psychological thriller focusing on husband and wife Paul and Cecilia Strom.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Paul and Cecilia) using journal entries, present day and memories from the past THE SECOND MRS. STROM follows a few days in the life of married couple Paul and Cecilia Strom. Fifty year old, wanna-be Hollywood producer Paul Strom has whisked his much younger, thirty-year old wife Cecilia on trip to Paris France to celebrate their one year anniversary but all is not as is appears to be. Approximately two years earlier, Paul met Cecilia at the funeral of an elderly friend, a friend who left her entire estate to our story line hero. Cecilia, a struggling artist, began an instant flirtation, a flirtation that would see Cecilia and Paul married within the year but from the start there were issues that threatened their faltering marriage, issues that would inevitably place one another on a path towards betrayal and vengeance.

The world building focuses on the past, the present and a possible future for two people whose lives could not have been more different yet similar none-the-less. The secrets and lies, once revealed, threaten any possibility of a happily ever after; betrayal and vengeance, greed and deception are at the heart of a deadly plan to destroy one another.

THE SECOND MRS. STROM is a dramatic, dark and thought provoking tale of manipulation and madness, power and control. A richly detailed and complex story of greed and determination, THE SECOND MRS. STROM is a tragic and haunting look at years of built up anger and hate.



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This is a thriller novel with a lot of differences and surprises.

To begin with, the sharp, witty, and sarcastic dialogues between the husband-and-wife duo—with casual banter and flirtatious tone and, at times, some nasty riposte—are a definite hit for me.

The story is about Paul (50) and Cecilia (30). Obviously, you would have guessed that Cecilia is Paul’s second wife. The first wife is Mia, and she has two sons with Paul but leaves for another man (cheating wife—no judgement).

Now they are in Paris, precisely at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Their final day of a weeklong Paris vacation until the unexpected happens!

Flashback:
Paul Strom is looking for a break in Hollywood as a producer. He is rich now because Esther Wilmot, a tall figure and yesteryear celebrity, has transferred most of her property to Paul—her close confidant, escort, and carer/lover during her final days.

Cecilia is a young and ambitious artist and painter. She has not met Esther but has worked closely for her charities and parties, making invitations and artistic cards.

She had a very bad past—shifting between foster care and adopted families, and betrayal of family members.

The meeting point for Paul and Cecilia happened to be Esther’s celebration of life ceremony. It is love at first sight—how cliché!
They get married soon and move from West Palm Beach to Malibu to their (Paul’s) luxurious bungalow.

Paul notices some strange things happening with Cecilia. He gets a call from Esther’s estate agent telling him about her long-lost daughter (rather abandoned) trying to get her share of property (in fact, the whole pie).

Shockingly, he is not sure to believe this news, yet he has an eye on her young and sexy wife. She has some hidden agendas for sure. But what is it?

What happened in Paris? Why do the couple want to take revenge against each other in this play of cat and mouse? Does it involve ‘big’ money? Infidelity? Or sheer vengeance?

Read it to go through multiple emotions at once while crossing the lanes, cafes, and museums of Paris in its sheer beauty.

Happy reading! Remember, it is a page-turner!