Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this novel.
I found the writing of the novel to be engaging and creative. The novel was a quick read and the storyline was interesting but I found the resolution to be more obvious than the author may have intended. With recent domestic violence news stories I think readers should have a content warning for this story.

Alison Stockham’s The Man She Married is a gripping and emotionally charged story that masterfully blends suspense, intrigue, and personal empowerment. From the first page to the last, this novel keeps readers hooked, delivering a narrative that is both realistic and deeply relatable.

The story’s strength lies in its protagonist—a wife who immediately senses that something is amiss in her marriage. Stockham expertly captures the internal conflict of self-doubt and determination as she second-guesses everything she thought she knew. This realism in her reaction adds authenticity to the story, allowing readers to empathize and imagine themselves in her shoes.

The writing is sharp and immersive, pulling readers into the protagonist’s perspective as she navigates uncertainty, mistrust, and the search for clarity. Stockham doesn’t just focus on the mystery; she also weaves in themes of self-discovery and empowerment. Watching the protagonist reclaim her sense of self amid the chaos is one of the most rewarding aspects of the novel.

The Man She Married is a testament to Alison Stockham’s talent for creating suspenseful and emotionally resonant stories. With its compelling plot, relatable characters, and empowering message, this is a book that stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Stockham is undoubtedly an author to follow, and this novel is a must-read for fans of domestic thrillers and stories of personal resilience.

I enjoyed The Man She Married. The story pulled me in with its gripping narrative and emotionally charged atmosphere. The book follows Beth, a woman who is recovering from a traumatic brain injury and trying to piece together her life and her relationship with her husband, Rob. As Beth begins to regain her memories, she starts to question not only her past but also the true nature of her marriage. What unfolds is a suspenseful and poignant exploration of love, trust, and the power of memory.

One of the aspects I found particularly intriguing was the way Beth’s memories were presented. At times, I found myself questioning whether her recollections were genuine or if they were altered by her imagination, which kept me deeply invested in her journey. The portrayal of Rob was maddening in the best way—Alison Stockham managed to capture his complexity so well that I found myself both drawn to and wary of him.

That said, I did feel like some of the supporting characters could have benefited from a bit more backstory. Their motivations and roles in the narrative were compelling, but I was left wanting more depth to truly understand their place in Beth’s life.

Overall, The Man She Married was a good read. I definitely think it’s worth the read!

What would you do if you woke up in the hospital with a strange man, Rob, next to you claiming to be your husband. Our leading lady, Beth, wakes up after a terrible car crash living a life she has no memory of. Missing five years of memories, Beth tries to piece her life back together with Rob's help but she can't shake the uneasy feeling she gets when he's around. What is he hiding? Is Beth safe? Can she figure it all out before its too late?

I kind of struggled through this book. The premise was so intriguing to me but I felt like there was no thrill in the book. This book likely could have been shorter and ended in the same way. For a thriller, it was pretty tame.

I will say, the ending was satisfying. I could not stand Rob as a character and felt like Beth got the ending that she deserved as well.

I just finished reading 'The Man She Married' by Alison Stockham, and wow, what a ride! I was completely hooked from the very beginning. Kate, the main character, seemed to have it all – the perfect husband, the perfect life. But as the story unfolded, I started to feel this creeping sense of unease. The author does an amazing job of building suspense. You're constantly questioning everyone's motives, and there are so many twists and turns that I honestly didn't see coming.

The characters are really well-developed, and I found myself constantly trying to figure out what was really going on. I stayed up way too late reading because I just couldn't put it down. If you love a good psychological thriller, I highly recommend this book. It's definitely one of those that will stay with you for a while

Beth wakes up in hospital after a car accident. She thinks she's in Australia but, no she's in Cambridge in the UK. She thinks she's single,but apparently she is married. In other words the past few years have been wiped from her memory...

That is the story, briefly. It will only be brief because I cannot continue with this awful book. How the heck did it ever get published with it's clunky writing, and cheesy dialogue!

I know the word “sorest” is the superlative of “sore”, but it just sounds so awful -
“.....where her skin felt taut and sorest”, or is is just me?

“Her dad was always telling her that she needed a “proper” job, rather than stull being at the place that she got part-time work at, while she finished up her photography course at college”

“She was just wondering how long it would be before her parents arrived, assuming that they'd now been told she was awake, when a taller, older doctor, who had the definite look of a military man about him, appeared at the side of her bed”

I'm breathless reading these long, convoluted sentences!

And yet another:

“The juxtaposition of his stiff upper lip way of moving jarred with this overly friendly position, and Beth crinkled her brow in confusion only to wince at the pain this caused”

I'm still at 4% of this download. Perhaps someone can untangle this...

“....wincing at the pain she felt all over her body, trying to work which muscles did not want to do as the were told” Huh? I've read this at least three times and just can't understand it.

I got to 6% and the end of Chapter 2 before I admitted defeat.

This is arguably one of the worst books – possibly even the worst – I have attempted to read this year.

I couldn't care less what happens to Beth or the man whi claims to be her husband. I don't care if the Military-style doctor ever relaxes his stuff upper lip, or if Sister Carmichael ever finds true love, or manages to make perfect Yorkshire puddings, or whatever it is she does when not trying to push Beth back into her bed. I just don't care.

#TheManSheMarried #NetGalley
A fun read.
The Man She Married is a psychological thriller that masterfully explores themes of memory, trust, and identity. It plunges the reader into the unsettling perspective of a woman who wakes up in a hospital bed, five years of her life erased from her memory. The novel’s premise is gripping: how do you navigate a life you can’t remember, and how do you know who to trust when even your mind feels unreliable?
The protagonist’s disorientation and vulnerability pull you in immediately. Her husband, Rob, seems devoted and patient, yet there’s an unsettling undercurrent to his behavior that keeps both the protagonist and the reader questioning his motives. Stockham creates a palpable sense of unease, weaving a narrative that makes you second-guess every interaction and piece of information. The tension is heightened by the protagonist’s growing doubts. The unfamiliarity of her home, the absence of friends and family, and Rob’s evasiveness all contribute to a feeling of isolation and paranoia. These elements are skillfully balanced, keeping the reader engaged as they piece together the truth alongside the protagonist.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an advance copy.

After an accident Beth has no memory of the past 5 years. No memory of moving to London, Covid, getting married, or losing touch with her family. Her husband Rob, wants to help her recover but little things make Beth think her and Rob did not have the picture perfect marriage Rob says they did. We hear the story from Beth and experience everything as she finds new things or memories. Beth is not sure who to trust and I was not either. A book that kept me guessing until the last page.

A super twisty story that had me on the edge of my seat. A definite recommend

Thank you publisher and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Man She Married’ written by Alison Stockham in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Beth is driving home on a dark night in the Fens when she suddenly brakes and two cars collide with her. When she regains consciousness in hospital she’s lost all memory of the last five years and thinks she’s in Australia. A man approaches her who says he’s her husband Rob and that she’s fallen out with her family but she doesn’t know why and she certainly doesn’t trust Rob.

I’m sure that other readers have enjoyed ‘The Man She Married’ but I’ve found it difficult to get involved with the characters or the story.. I didn’t like the way it was written with the very short sentences that I presume are meant to build up the tension but I just found hard to read, and I may be nitpicking but why did Rob continually call her Pook, Pookie or Babe? I found this beyond irritating. By the time I reached halfway I’d lost all desire to continue reading and no interest in how it was going to end. But this is purely my opinion and readers shouldn’t be put off from reading it.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books for the ARC.

A decent psychological thriller where Beth wakes up with no memory. The "who is lying" part was well written but 75% into the story, it all statted going downhill.

The entire premise would've been better had Dee been the manipulator and Rob been an average guy.

Alison Stockham does it again in the psychological thriller novel, it had that element that I was hoping for and was engaged with the world and characters. It worked with keeping me guessing and figuring out what was going on. I thought everything worked well together and left me wanting more from Alison Stockham.

This book was good, it pulled me in from the very beginning. While i probably wouldn't include this book as a whole in curriculum there are some parts that would be good in my group therapy sessions like when Dee uses the Cake metaphor (don't want to include spoilers so ill leave that there). I think that the Natasha character could have been developed more, she seemed a little too directive with Beth about Beth's Children. I would have understood better with more specific info on Natasha and Rob, even at the last page of the book I didn't know if i could trust her but maybe that was on purpose, and i also wanted to know the trust about the old neighbor guy and what he said. I would have liked an epilogue, how was things in Australia? Did Beth and Dee keep in touch? The last seen with Rob fell a little short for me, I didn't feel the emotions and intensity it just felt like rambling. But i would read this book again and will recommend it to friends. The story was good and although I could tell what was happening from the first seen with how the hospital staff was responding it still had a few twists that i wasn't expecting.

THE MAN SHE MARRIED BY ALISON STOCKHAM.
Release date set for the 20th of January 2025.
This is a new author to me.
I thought this was a dark and twisted book which i liked.
Good story line and had me wanting to read more.
I had so much sympathy for Beth the main character.
Overall a really good book.

It stars with Beth waking from a coma and missing the last 5 years of her life, no memories of moving to another country, getting married, nothing.
When beths husband takes her 'home' nothing is familiar, her clothes or her social media pages. Her husband is isolating her from her family, restricting her phone calls, and has some anger issues when beth ties to put her memory back together, but the great thing about the main character is that she is a fiesty, independent woman who is quite logical and doesn't blindly believe everything she is told.

Its a great book and ive never read from this author before thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC

The first hald of this book strated strong, even though I hated every single character! But then half way it shifts and maybe a bot too fast for my taste. I didn't enjoy the wnding much, I thought it was predictable and simplistic at the same time. However, I do think this type of book would do well as a tv series.

This is a new to me author and I’ll be reading more of her books. From the beginning I was into this story and couldn’t wait to see what happened to Beth. Beth wakes up from a coma after a car accident and tries to reconstruct her life and what a twisty life it is!!

Absolutely loved this, super suspenseful, full of twists and even when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about what was gonna happen next.

The plot was good, I thought I had it figured out in the first half but I didn’t. Rob got what he deserved. Thought about being in Beth’s shoes and my stomach was on the floor the entire time. Did not expect that ending. Suspenseful but the ending fell flat.

Alison Stockham’s The Man She Married is a masterclass in crafting an unpredictable and gripping psychological drama. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the intricately woven story of secrets, betrayal, and suspense.

The pacing was perfect—every chapter left me eager for the next, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Stockham’s ability to create flawed, relatable characters is remarkable, and the layers she adds to their relationships made the story feel raw and authentic.

I particularly appreciated the dual perspectives and how they deepened the narrative, offering insight into the characters’ motivations while still keeping me on edge. The ending was as shocking as it was satisfying—a true testament to Stockham’s skill as a storyteller.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that keep you thinking long after the final page, The Man She Married is a must-read. I can’t wait to see what Alison Stockham writes next!