What a fantastic read. I was totally engrossed in the story. I couldn't put it down

Thank you for the opportunity to review

Leah and Matt are due to get married in two days’ time at a cabin belonging to his parents. A strange choice of venue because, eight years ago, Leah’s husband, Callum (who was also Matt’s best friend), went missing from the same place.

Then Leah receives a loving note, signed ‘Callum’, but he was declared dead after going missing. Things start going wrong with the wedding plans so is Callum still alive or is someone pretending to be him?

A great psychological thriller that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

I thought this was a decent read that was definitely creepy at times. It centers on Leah, whose first husband Callum disappeared 8 years ago. She is now marrying his best friend, Matt, who is also a long-time friend of hers. In the days leading up tot the wedding, creepy things start to happen and Leah isn't sure who she can trust. The story jumps back and forth from the current time to when Callum disappeared, with many of the same characters in both narratives.

First off, I thought it was insane and entirely unrealistic that Leah and Matt would choose to get married at the cabin where disaster occurred 8 years ago. I couldn't get past why anyone would have agreed to that. Putting that aside, I liked the dual timeframes and thought that the dynamics between the characters was good; it was hard to know who to trust, and that is how I like it! The back and forth timeline worked, though I didn't think the author spent quite enough time helping the reader understand what Callum was like in the flashback chapters. The ending was extremely abrupt, taking only a few pages, which was a little off-putting after the slow build to get up to it. There were also some questions left unanswered, where it felt like the author was either just trying to create red herrings or leaving the reader to their own devices to connect the dots.

Overall, it was a fun read and I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery along with Leah. There are some things that could have been done differently to increase my enjoyment even more, but I felt like it was a solid 3.5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was crazy tense and gripping from the very start!

Leah's husband, Callum, disappeared eight years ago and in two days time, she is marrying Callum's best friend, Matt. When she receives a note, purportedly from Callum and in his handwriting, Leah understandably panics, as did I! As more sinister things happen, Leah becomes suspicious of everyone and so it is a relief to finally reach her wedding day with everything in place, but just as Leah relaxes, disaster strikes.

The story is told in the present day and through flashbacks leading up to Callum's disappearance. it was very suspenseful and I found myself reading faster ad faster, desperate to know what happened to Callum and who was threatening Leah. A brilliant read!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Elisabeth Carpenter and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I got this book from Netgallery.

Summary:
“Callum was my first husband. He disappeared eight years ago, leaving only secrets and pain behind. He’s dead. In two days’ time, I’m getting married again. Then a card comes through the letterbox:
Two days to go. I can’t wait to see you. I’ve missed you so much. All my love, Callum”

Conclusion:
I have often read books in which the future and the past are mixed up. This book sometimes confused me by jumping back and forward into time. I mixed up people or backgrounds. Maybe also because a lot of background information is given that does not contribute to the story.

A number of things could have been worked out better, for example:
- The 2 ladies from the catering, there is ultimately 1 small thing that’s explaining something and then it is over. However, I did not find the reason credible.
- The accomplice of the perpetrator is eventually revealed, but how that ends is not described. It is just a statement.
- The last chapter could also have been explained a bit better, it is finished in 3.5 pages and 1.5 page is a repetition of what you read earlier.

I didn’t like that the time counts down to the moment that Callum disappears. When you’re there you skip to after the time he disappeared. So, you still don't know what happened. At the end of the book you go back to before the disappearance, you read the same thing as what you read before and suddenly the story continues.

I found it surprising that the main characters were honest about the threats they received. Normally people keep that to themselves and you get uncomfortable situations. Now they helped each other. That was nice. And at some parts I thought the book became really exciting.

Give the book a chance, you might like it.

Thank you very much for letting me read this book.

Absolutely raced through this book! Full of twists and turns that had me on edge of my seat! Full on terrified of what was going to happen next!

Alright, so this book had me hooked right from the jump! It was my first Elisabeth Carpenter book and let me tell you something… She knows how to spin a story and keep you locked in from the start. I’ll admit, the middle got a little messy and had me like, “Wait, what’s going on?” But don’t worry, by the end, it all makes sense. The plot was good, and I’m all about those wild, crazy-husband vibes. lol So yeah… I enjoyed it!!

3.25

I did enjoy this book. But the ending fell a little bit flat for me. So it could have been better for me ....

It is a beautiful time for a wedding – or is it? Leah and Matt fell in love after Callum, Leah’s husband, disappeared several years ago. Why is she receiving a note signed with his name if he has been legally declared dead?
This thriller had me guessing and pointing my finger in multiple directions. This is the fun part of following the threads between the past and present. Carpenter does an excellent job weaving the storylines from various characters experiences prior to Callum’s disappearance and up to the wedding.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The twists kept on coming and the last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat. I’m pretty good at predicting endings but had no idea what was going to happen in this book! The plot is both believable and terrifying! I’d recommend to anyone that loves psychological thrillers like me.

THE FIRST HUSBAND BY ELISABETH CARPENTER.
Release date set for the 4th of February 2025.
I liked the plot for this.
I thought it was gripping and i was suspicious of every single person.
Page turner for sure.
This is my first book by this author.

Leah and Matt should be looking forward to getting married but Leah has some reservations. Why did she agree to get married at the same place her first husband disappeared they they were last there. When things start to not go as they planned and Leah started to receive disturbing messages her worst nightmare has just started.
I really enjoyed this book with the twists and turns.

Leah and Matt are getting married at a house at the lake that his family owns. Oddly enough, eight years ago they were there with a group of friends and Leah's husband (at that time) who is also Matt's best friend. Leah's husband, Callum, disappears out of what seems like thin air. Why not go back, right?
This story takes place between the present and eight years ago, which I loved. I feel like it really helped to develop the characters personalities and gives the story a little more depth. The female main character, Leah was very likable. The only thing I didn't like about her was that she fell for this Callum guy to begin with. He seems like he was very charming and everyone loved him. I don't know if I missed that parts where he won people over because all the interactions with him made him seem like an arrogant narcissist. Definitely made me loathe the guy.
A good story, and I will be reading more by this author.
Thanks to NegGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

This one kept me guessing the entire time. When a couple is getting married and mysterious notes show up from the first husband who is presumed dead threaten more than a new marriage.

A good thriller that you can rip through at quite a pace. I was hoping for a bit more drama near the end but nevertheless it was till a good book.

A new author for me but an extremely well written read with good characters.

For me personally it wasn't an edge of seater, a bit slow in some parts but a thoroughly good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

Good plot with wild twists. It got a little slow in some parts but I could not put it down. I was hooked. The writing flowed well.

It was a great idea to include snippets from the past, however those chapters could have gotten to the point much quicker.

I really enjoyed this as a psychological thriller novel, it had that element that i was looking for and enjoyed the feel of this. It had that twists that I was looking for and enjoyed figuring out what was going on. I was invested in what was going on and enjoyed the characters and how they were developed. Elisabeth Carpenter has a great way of telling a story and am excited for more.

Whyyyyy.
I wish they would have drawn out the climax a little longer. But such a good story. Cant wait to read more from this offer.

Leah is preparing to marry Matt, her ex-husband's best friend, but odd things keep happening. Is Callum, her ex-husband, actually dead, or is he just missing?

This book had so much potential, but I felt it fell short. None of the characters were likable, and the storyline was predictable. I kept waiting for an "ah-ha" moment, but it never came.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.