4.5 stars
OMG 😲 😱
From the beginning of the book i got some theories of what's truly going on but even though I was right about the night that all happened there were some many plot twist that my head was spinning 😳 The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I was expecting an even stronger ending, something that could make my jaw drop but nevertheless I have no words for the Fmc (powerful -an idol -fighter) and as for the male character......I couldn't hate that guy more !!!
I hope Kaira Rouda will write more books because this one was impressive i want read more of her work !!!!



Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the e-Arc in exchange for my honest opinion 😀

Best Day Ever is my favorite book by this author. Paul Strom was such a memorable and unlikable character and such a narcissist that he made me laugh. When I saw the author was writing a sequel, I knew I had to read it. It was fun to be back in his world and mind again. He does love himself! LOL

This time, he is married again to his young, beautiful wife, Cecelia and they are celebrating their one-year anniversary in Paris with "the best night ever." These words were mentioned more than once, and I really think this would have been a great title for this book. The whole book takes place on the couple's last night in Paris and it is most definitely NOT his best night ever.

If you read the first book, and you really need to before this one to enjoy Paul in all his element, then you will basically have an idea where this book is going. I am not going to spoil it, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Thank you to @bookloversthepulse and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first book by Kaira Rouda and it won’t be my last, very enjoyable read!

Paul and his wife Cecilia are celebrating their first wedding anniversary in the romantic city of Paris. However, Paul and Cecilia are not the same as normal newlyweds celebrating their first year of marriage, both have hidden agendas and are keeping big secrets from each other. Paul was an escort/ companion to a very wealthy elderly lady, Ester, and when she passed away, she gave her whole fortune to Paul to inherit and he became a very wealthy man. He met Cecilia at Esters funeral; it was love at first sight and they married quickly. However, over the last few months things have changed between them, Cecilia is spending too much money, challenging him a little too often and changing from the innocent unworldly woman he fell in love with a year before and Paul is tiring of her. Cecilia, in turn, has her own ulterior motives and is indeed a very different woman to who she was when she said “I do” to Paul a year ago. They both have very different plans for each other but whose plan will work, if any? And after a few days in Paris, will this trip save their marriage or destroy it completely?!

This was a strange but very compelling story, and I definitely enjoyed it especially as the intensity was building throughout. I really didn’t like Paul from the very first page and I was on the fence about Cecilia to begin with, but I did end up liking her and found myself rooting for her, especially when I found out about her tumultuous childhood. I enjoyed the diary excerpts from an unknown character, and it took me a while to put two and two together and realise who the unknown character was. Paul and Cecilia were such a toxic couple, but I did enjoy them playing cat and mouse with each other and wondering who, if either, would come out on top and I couldn’t wait to read how things would all end. I am quite excited to see that Kaira Rouda hasn’t yet finished Cecilia’s story and so I look forward to reading the next part of this story once it has been written.

Overall, a definite page turner and I would recommend this one for anyone who enjoys the psychological thriller genre. Solid 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kaira Rouda and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers The Pulse, Bookouture, #partner, for an advanced e- copy and ALC of The Second Mrs. Strom in exchange for my honest review.

We over at The Pulse – @thrillerbookloversthepulse – have been giddy with excitement over this latest book by Kaira Rouda. Our favorite villain is back and we have been talking about him nonstop! If you loved Best Day Ever, you definitely want to grab this one when it hits shelves on August 16…and if you somehow missed that one – read it now so you are ready for this one!!! ⁣
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Paul is one of my favorite characters of the characters Kaira Rouda has written, so I was thrilled to see that he was back in another story!!! And what a story we are given here in The Second Mrs. Strom. Not only is Paul, our favorite narcissistic sociopath back, but he has a new wife and it turns out she’s got a few secrets of her own. And I loved that this time, not only do we get Paul’s POV, but also Cecilia’s. He truly might have met his match this time around!⁣
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With the stakes in this domestic suspense raised, I found myself completely captivated. This quickly became a battle of epic mind games and it was so cleverly plotted. I’m always a fan of unlikeable characters but this book takes it to new levels! Such a fun, twisty read and I sure hope it’s not the last we’ve seen of Paul…he really is one of my favorite characters ever!

The Second Mrs. Strom is the sequel to Best Day Ever, which I remember being one of the best books ever! Paul Strom is back with wife #2 and boy, what a nut job she is. Of course, he’s not much better but I loved the whole story. This book has it all with jaw dropping twists all along the way. Thanks to NetGalley for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published August 16, 2024. I give it all the stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of hopes for this book as i was excited that paul was back. I feel like this book fell a little short as it was just too dang slow for me. It came together at the end but i almost decided to DNF.

This twisted ride is character-driven by two unlikeable characters—a husband and wife named Paul and Cecilia. Both have their own motives and goals for their first anniversary trip to Paris. Having never been to France, I love reading stories set there that reflect aspects of French culture. Cecilia's rich backstory adds so much to her character and gives the reader a basis for understanding where her motivation for her actions comes from. The plot is filled with drama and mind games, and I just needed to know how the story would play out. Fans of domestic, psychological thrillers are likely to enjoy this book.

💍THE SECOND MRS. STROM💍
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋: 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝟷𝟼, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...Paul & Cecelia seemed madly in love at the beginning of their courtship, but the cracks are starting to show & both have an ulterior motive for their anniversary trip in Paris.

🌹𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...This is the sequel to 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓, but you can def read as a standalone. In this one Paul Strom is back(ugh, he’s pretty awful I will say!), but now he is RICH! 🤑You will have to read to find out how. The alternating POVs between husband & wife was really fun & keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The backdrop of Paris made it even better. If you are in a marriage you may not feel is thriving right now then read this & you will feel better about it I am sure.😆 I see why everyone at The Pulse is talking on this one. Comes out really soon!

4.5/5 (rounded up)

This was such a fun listen. Paul is absolutely nuts! This story follow Paul, and his second wife Cecelia for their one year anniversary. Paul takes Cecelia to Paris to celebrate, and while there, Cecelia isn’t acting like herself, and Paul can’t stand it. I definitely recommend it.

What a great story, bringing more of Paul to us. This one was full of drama and twists. It was a great read. I follow Kaira on social media and also in the Killer Author Club. I always recommend her books. Thanks for the advance copy.

Thank you to @thrillerbookloversthepulse @Netgalley for the #gifted copy.

Guess who's back, Guess who's back, Guess who's back.....

Oh wait, not shady, but Paul!! Yes, people Paul is backkkkk! Boy, have I missed Paul. I was so excited to get to read this book. If you haven't read the prequel, the Best Day Ever, you must go read it. (And no it isn't necessary, but I promise Paul will become the person you love to hate)

Paul recently inherited a fortune. He and his new wife, Cecilia travelled to Paris to celebrate their one year anniversary. Is it love at first sight or was this love of money?? As with all Rouda's books, I was captivated from the start and quickly plowed through this book. It was full the usual vindictiveness we expect from Paul and the twists and turns we love. Don't miss it!

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. It always makes me happy when I get to read and review books before they get released to the public.

This one took me for a ride! It was a slower thriller but, the story came together so nicely! It was perfection. The ending surprised me the most. To the honest, the whole book surprised me and I loved every word of it.

Overall, solid thriller and so glad I read it.

Thank you to Kiara Rouda, Netgalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for the ARC/ALC.

“There really is such little space between love and hate, life and death…”

When my friends at the Pulse were raving about this book, and I saw it had a prequel (called “The Best Day Ever”), I did the only reasonable thing and read both books! And I am SO glad I did, Kiara Rouda NEVER disappoints with her books. While “The Second Mrs. Strom” can be read as a standalone, I think it’s more fun to read the first book beforehand (possibly back-to-back like I did!) In this book, Paul Strom is still up to usual ways, now rich after an elderly friend passed away and left him her fortune. But this time, he may have met his match in Cecilia - the beautiful, smart young woman he quickly marries. With a fast pace and characters that you love to hate, “The Second Mrs. Strom” was a fun ride. Without giving any spoilers, I am SO hopeful that there will be another installment because I need more!

“The Second Mrs. Strom” releases August 16, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

When I first started reading this book I wasn’t aware it was a sequel to a previous book called ‘First Day Ever’. Now as I am a little bit OCD (well in truth a massive bit) I had to stop reading and download the first book to read first. The first book gives us the opportunity to first meet Paul Strom. However I will say you can absolutely read The Second Mrs Strom as a standalone read.

My first thought after finishing this book was what an utterly despicable and appalling person Paul Strom was. I actually think my blood pressure rose a few notches as I was reading . Now I’m one of these strange people who love awful characters in books, think of the author Liz Nugent and her books , that’s he sort of characters I mean. And Paul Strom is up there with those characters.
This was a fast paced and twisty read with untrustworthy characters and it difficult to know who you can actually trust. From the very start I was gripped by the story and by the end I needed a lie down after all the drama. Kaira Rouda has yet again written a superb read packed full of suspense and tension .

Paul Strom is back!!! The whiplash I got from this book 😅 there were quite a few twists and I didn’t see all of them coming AT ALL. While this is a sequel to Best Day Ever, you can absolutely read this as a standalone as many important details from the previous book are mentioned.

I really enjoyed "The Second Mrs Strom". It kept me guessing until the end and was a quick moving book. I also loved the continuation of Paul's character from "Best Day Ever." I highly recommend this book, especially if you liked "Best Day Ever".

The Second Mrs Strom is the sequel to Best Day Ever, which was published in 2017 - before unreliable narrators and toxic marriages completely took over the crime fiction market. If you have read that one you’ll have an idea what to expect here, which means there will be few surprises, so for once I think this could be a sequel that works best if you haven’t read the first book and so know nothing about the main character. As for me, I enjoyed it but felt it was all too obvious what was going on - but at the same time as being outrageously far fetched.

Five years on from the end of his first marriage, Paul Strom has landed on his feet - he’s inherited a fortune from his elderly former companion and swiftly moved on to a much younger bride, the beautiful Cecilia. Now they are in Paris to celebrate their first anniversary and he’s determined that their last night there will be the Best Night Ever…

This is mostly told from Paul’s first person present perspective as the world’s second most malignant narcissist brags about his perfect life, and his plan to bring his newly rebellious perfect wife back into line by getting her with child. If only he didn’t feel so sick from all that rich French food… We also hear from Cecilia as she recounts her side of things and the truth of their whirlwind romance is revealed. I felt it was not believable given their respective histories that neither would know what the other was up to - I don’t want to spoil things by saying more.

It was amusing reading this while the eyes of the world are on Paris, and it was fun to revisit the various famous locations with Paul and Cecilia as they bicker their way through their supposedly romantic holiday. It’s unfortunate that the author didn’t consult a bilingual beta reader though, as there are lots of small but irritating mistakes with the French language, names etc
The ending was pretty well signed-posted and as with the last book, leaves things open for a third instalment. 3.5 rounded down for the present tense.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The Second Mrs Strom Is published on August 16th.

The author keeps your guessing through entire book on who is going to kill who at the end. I love how she built up your annoyance with the characters. Paul is not as bright as he thinks he is. What irony he loves mystery/thriller books. Great read!

Our favorite character we love to loathe is back. YEP, Paul is back and in prime form.

I heard great things about book 1, Best Day Ever, so I read it before jumping into this book, although it's not necessary. You really get to know Paul in The Second Mrs Strom but I did like having more of his back story.

The ending was great and is a nice set up for another book ❤️

If you loved Best Day Ever this one is sure to be a winner. If you didn't read it but love a good character you love to hate, don't miss your chance to grab this one.

Kaira Rouda's books never disappoint. I always fly through them in a matter of one to two days. This book was no exception. I kept trying to guess the twists and was sometimes surprised. Even when I would guess them correctly, they way she got to the reveal kept me invested in the story.