This book started off good. I was somewhat baffled by the fact that chapters from each character's POV were told in the third person apart from one, Kait.
When Liv (FMC) tells her son Maddox they'll soon come into money, I can't help but think hmm, how so?

At the same time, Maddox who is 14 years old, gets involved with a guy who used to attend his school (but was kicked out) and I honestly thought this isn't going to go down well.

We soon meet Kait (who is married to Daniel) is pregnant with her first child (or is she) and begins to suspect she's being cheated on. She eventually calls for reinforcements to get to the bottom of things.

Now....  the story had me wondering if/when certain revelations would be made.
By the time I reached 80% of the book, I was ready to call it a day but I pushed on. The remainder of the book to me felt confusing and rushed.
Yes, the author had some twists (and you find out how some characters are linked) but it felt like it was pieced together quickly in order to wrap the book up.
I was quite intrigued initially with this book, however, the ending left me feeling underwhelmed.
I gave it 2.5 stars

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this free eARC.

A slow read with LOTS of characters and time jumps and poor execution

The premise pulled me in. As did the author, as K. L. Slater is one of my faves. So it devastates me to say I did not enjoy anything about this book. I’d expected to love it, and I feel so let down. Although I see lots of five stars for this read, I find myself in the minority of people who didn’t like it either, and firmly so.

Not one line lent itself to a pull quote to show readers how much I loved the narrative. All of my highlights showed filler words, split infinitives, tense changes—all over the place!—and extreme passive writing, which when written in the present tense always seems worse to me.

None of the characters made me care about them or connect, and the plot went all over the place. Usually, I don’t mind POV and time shifts, but this time none of it gelled at all for me.

I loved the premise and have enjoyed books from this author previously; however, The Married Man gets a soft 2 stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.


5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’ve never read a book by the author I haven’t enjoyed so I knew I was in for a treat when I started this one. I loved the premise here, it was unique and there were so many questions raised right from the start and I was desperate to hear the answers to them. It starts off on the slower side, the groundwork is being laid for what’s coming up but by about a quarter of the way in things start to get faster and by the end things were even faster and my head was spinning at times. There are several points of view here and I was hooked by each one, many chapters ended on a mini cliffhanger which is a great tactic to keep me furiously turning the pages. Twisty doesn’t even begin to cover the turns this took, and they were smart twists too, definitely not the kind I could predict. Another super solid read from a trusted author, if you like well developed domestic suspense this was really good.

This was my first book by K.L. Slater, and I went in with great expectations since the premise of the book seemed so interesting. Unfortunately I struggled with this and I think perhaps it just was not for me. It took me some time to get through it, but I did manage to finish it after a while so here are some of the thoughts I had.

The start of the book was good and caught my interest with the plot that they had, as well as the mystery around the disappearance. However from that point onwards it tapers off and the plot seems to drag on without a clear progression. The different character POVs jumping back and forth in time also makes it hard to keep track of the events, and I ended up being more confused than i would have liked. Unfortunately it was hard to connect with any of the characters when the POV keeps switching and we don't really get much time with them.
The ending of the book was not really satisfying BUT the bonus is that it was rather quick and painless.

Another great book from K. L. Slater. Liv lives alone with her son Maddox, her husband previously disappeared and was declared dead. But is he? And why does Kait's husband acting cagey with information relating to the Leighs? Full of twists

Choices in life have consequences.

Eleven years ago, Liv’s husband Rich and their son Maddox left the house to fly a kite at a park and she began to worry they had not returned home. A storm was brewing, and it was not like her husband to not respond to her calls or texts. She began to search for them and soon after, her son was discovered but her husband was nowhere to be found. Soon after, Liv changed her name and she and her son moved to start a new life.

As the years go by the authorities declared Liv’s husband dead despite never finding his body. As Maddox got older his attitude and behavior became troubling to Liv and the school he attends. While her concerns for her son grow, a woman named Kait appears and claims that she is Rich’s wife, and she believes her husband-whose name is Daniel- is the son of Maddox.

Detectives, Helena and Brewster are investigating a case that leads them to Maddox and the detectives find themselves trying to connect the dots of what on the surface seems to be two different situations.

Liv has been hiding secrets as to why her husband disappeared all those years ago and her troubles are about to explode, and her life is spiraling out of control.

At first, I couldn’t stop asking myself if there was one redeemable or likeable character in this story. Nothing is as it should be, and everyone has something to hide. When secrets and lies start to reveal themselves, I felt like I just experienced whiplash. There are so many turns of events going in many different directions but oddly enough, they are all connected. When I began to think I had figured it out, another detail came to light, and I was shocked all over again.

What an extraordinary psychological thriller. K.L. Slater certainly knows how to weave a thrilling story.

Stephanie

The married man had my jaw on the floor several times with twists I didn't see coming. It was a fantastic read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sorry, but a DNF at Chapter 12. I didn't feel interested or invested in the characters, especially in Maddox's POV. The premise of the story was interesting, and it was well-written, but it didn't pull me through the pages. Too much telling. Side note: error on page 41 where "Rich" should be Daniel on the first page of the chapter.

This is the first KL Slater book I have read and it won’t be the last.
When Rich and Liv are enjoying the good life with their friends, little did Liv know what was really going on. When Rich confesses all and says his only option is to disappear for a while, Liv stands by him and brings up her young son Maddox.
The book spans over ten years with snippets going back and forth.
Teenage Maddox is drawn into some dangerous situations but what’s the real reason behind all this?
The book had some great twists and despite quite a few characters was easy to follow. A great read.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC! Wow! This had my head spinning the entire time. There were times where I literally could not stop reading because it NEEDED to know what happened next. The different POV made it so interesting and face paced. I had no idea where this was going and I love that you couldn’t figure out the twist. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author! Overall, an amazing thriller with lots of twists and turns! 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eleven years ago, my husband disappeared. Eleven long hard years I waited, my heart breaking for our son, who didn't know his father was coming back. Today my hands shake as I try to understand, my husband has a new wife, it wasn't part of our plan. Eleven years ago my husband made a terrible mistake. I sacrificed everything to help him fix it. But now he's put our son and me in danger again.

Eleven years ago, Liv's husband Rich disappeared when he was out flying a kite with his three-year-old son Maddox. Maddox was found, Rich wasn't. Kait is married to Daniel and she is pregnant with their first child when Daniel starts being secretive. All the classic signs of that he is cheating on her. But when she finds Maddox's unique pupil number, she knows Daniel is hiding something from her.

The story starts off slowly, the twists kept coming, and I was intrigued to find out how the story was going to unfold. I was not disappointed. There were a lot of characters to remember. It's also told from multiple points of view. It's filled with lies and deceit. This story shows how even the best made plans can go terribly wrong.

Published 1st November 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #KLSlater for my ARC of #TheMarriedMan in exchange for an honest review.

Just when you think you’ve figured it out, there’s another twist! As always K.L. Slater has produced another blinder.

A gripping thriller that kept me turning the pages until the shocking ending, brilliant twists and turns!

K.L Slater does it again with The Married Man. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down. This one was filled with twists and turns that I never saw coming.
The Married Man is filled with deception, betrayals, secrets, lies and characters that you just love to hate.
I like the different points of view and the past and present perspective. The plot was well thought out. Clear your schedule because you won't be able to put this one down.

This was a good read. Interesting twists and a few different plot lines that I wouldn't suspect. I enjoy this authors style

I really liked this one! Well written, short, fast paced chapters with identified timelines (past and present) and various POVs keep you guessing. Likeable and unlikeable characters. The dodgy Caleb, who screws over is friend, is particularly despicable; I found myself cheering his demise. The story twists and turns right to the end. I highly recommend it!
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and K.L. Slater for the opportunity to read and enjoy this ARC.

Fantastic thriller i could not put down based upon a mum and her son whose husband/father left many years ago due to some really bad decisions. Great character development which the author brings together so well at the end- read this you won’t be disappointed

Absolutely fascinating! I was stunned multiple times throughout this story and missed multiple clues that left me baffled when they were revealed later on. This feels a little more mystery than thriller, but still very fun and twisty.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Will include a review in my upcoming October Reading Wrap Up on YouTube.

Hooked from page 1!!! My mind is blown! Everything I thought was the complete opposite!!! Read in one sitting, just couldn't put down.

I love all of Ms Slaters books, but have to say this is most definitely my favourite to date! A deliciously deceitful plot that gets more and more complex as the layers are peeled away. Fantastic and authentic characters keep the story fast paced and engaging.