A twisty, fast-paced mystery that kept me turning the pages! While it lacked originality and deeper character development, the multiple POVs and small-town setting made it an easy, engaging read. The ending was truly shocking!

It’s Always The Husband follows multiple women who become entangled in rumours, and missing people. I found some of the characters rather annoying, and some parts of the story were really difficult to keep track of. I have always loved Taylor’s works, but this fell short for me. I struggled to keep interested, and I found some parts unnecessary. I did like the twists at the end of the book though, and definitely were not what I was thinking. Overall, it was an okay read, but there have been better books by this author.

OMG! What have I just read! This book is amazing!!! I loved the storyline, I loved the characters,. There's so many twists and turns, this book will have you staying up reading well into the night. I read this in one sitting. Definitely 5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was like Desperate Housewives meets Motherland meets Big Little Lies 😍 and Victoria gave me bigtime Amanda-vibes!
I really enjoyed this domestic thriller, CL Taylor’s writes great characters and even with multiple POVs the book remained gripping, a real page turner.
The plot twists were great, with the last one giving me a shiver as a parting shot! Would recommend as an easy-to-read thriller with very satisfying twists
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s Always the Husband by C L Taylor is about a group of women who meet up socially after the school run.There is a group of women, led by Victoria, who form their own inner circle and meet up regularly.
When Jude, newly divorced moves to Lowbridge, she is soon drawn to Will, her daughter new school friend. Father. Will though has a past,his first wife died and his second wife disappeared never to be seen again. The ladies of the school clun are convinced that Will killed both women. However they all have secrets or there husbands do.
An interesting and entertaining storyline with plenty of characters for the reader to guess who is the murderer, who is the blackmailer and who is still hiding from the truth.
Highly recommended

#ItsAlwaysTheHusband #NetGalley
C.L. Taylor returns with another gripping psychological thriller, this time set in the seemingly quiet town of Lowbridge—a place where everyone has secrets and nothing is quite what it seems.
Jude, newly divorced and trying to rebuild her life, moves to Lowbridge with her daughter and quickly forms a bond with Will, a charming yet mysterious widower whose daughter becomes fast friends with hers. But Will isn’t just a grieving father—he’s a man at the center of swirling gossip, tragic loss, and a past that refuses to stay buried. Two women from Will’s life are dead. Whispers of foul play float through the town like smoke. As Jude digs deeper into Will’s past—driven by a need for truth and echoes of her own father’s tragic end—she starts to realize Lowbridge is a place where rumors grow like weeds… and trust can be deadly.
What I like :-
1 Atmospheric Setting: The town of Lowbridge is chillingly realistic—its gossip, tension, and tightly wound secrets adding constant unease.
2 Sharp Characterization: Jude is a strong, flawed, and layered protagonist. Her determination to uncover the truth makes her easy to root for, even as the danger closes in.
3 Relentless Suspense: Taylor masterfully twists suspicion, keeping readers unsure who to believe and who to fear.
Overall, It’s Always the Husband is a slow-burn psychological thriller that delivers emotional depth, creeping paranoia, and shocking revelations. With classic C.L. Taylor twists and a haunting small-town backdrop, it’s a must-read for fans of domestic noir.
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 – Twisty, unsettling, and impossible to put down. In Lowbridge, the past isn’t buried—it’s waiting.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me an advance copy.

I really quite enjoyed this book. I have previously read one of the Authors other books which I enjoyed and added to my Author’s list. I was very pleased to be given the opportunity to read this book.
I loved all the little plot twists and how the characters could be pictured in my mind and I was keen to move onto the next chapter
The ending was really great that I had to read it a couple of times to ensure I fully took it in.
I am can’t wait to read more from the Author

C. L. Taylor never fails to deliver page turners and this is no different.
Jade is torn between the man she's met and the gossip that surrounds him. Surely he can't be what they think he is.

Really enjoyed this. A real mystery and kept me guessing. Storyline was easy to follow and kept me engaged. Another great book by C. L. Taylor.

I really enjoyed this book, as I expected to! CL Taylor never fails to deliver.

The story centres around Jude and the school gate mums.
As her relationship with a newly widowed dad develops the rumours get bigger and bigger and so the story expands leaving plenty of opportunity for speculation.

Love the war story went and how the web of lies all came together.

When Jude and her daughter Millie move to a new area, they cross paths with Will Ledger and his daughter Betsy. While their daughters quickly become friends, Jude quickly learns of the latest gossip surrounding Will: that his first wife died and his girlfriend has vanished. The mums at school drop-off certainly think the worst and Jude is left wondering: is Will a murderer, or is something else going on?

CL Taylor is one of my auto-read authors so this was immediately a book I knew I needed to get! I'm also a massive fan of small-town vibes, and multi-POV, so this hit a lot of my favourites. Fast-paced and immersive, I really enjoyed how the story played out and going back and forward over who was responsible and what were clever red herrings. I especially loved seeing how the story was portrayed through different eyes and viewpoints, which really added to the whole "who can I trust and who is just out for themselves" vibe that CL Taylor is so good at.

The combination of characters, subplots, secrets, misdirections and twists made me want to power through the novel to find the truth. It can be a little bit chaotic with a lot going on, especially towards the end, and I had to reread some sections to properly orient myself and find my way out of the very intricate web. The book finished on a very satisfying conclusion however!!

Overall, I had a great time with this book and CL Taylor continues to be an auto-read author for me!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Another fantastic read from C L Taylor. It kept me turning the pages from start to finish with lots of twists and turns in between. A real rollercoaster. Buckle up for the ride!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Incredible book. So easy to read and follow, but also gripping. I'm looking forward to it's publication date so everyone can enjoy it and I can buy another copy to read again!

Yet another sensational offering from C.L Taylor. I was hooked on this book from the very first page. The characters were expertly crafted and the protagonist inevitably relatable (which helped me connect with the plot that little bit more). Loved the twists and turns along the way.

Jude and her daughter Betsy recently moved to Lowbridge, and are trying their best to fit in. Betsy made a new best friend at school, Millie, and her dad Will, is more than just friends with Jude. The Queen Bee of the mum's group Victoria, is keen to uncover the truth about Jude and Will's relationship, but she can't get the gossip going unless she organise a garden party at her residence and pump Jude for the information. Little does she, and her group members, Shahina, Dawn and Audrey know that this one night is going to alter the course of their lives forever.

This book is a perfect example of unputdownable psychological thriller and I cannot recommend this book enough. It has a lot of characters and the reader may be discouraged thinking it will be hard to keep track of everything that is going on, but the ending joins all the dots and makes perfect sense. The title of the book only makes sense when the story reaches its climax. The character development of the main characters are praiseworthy and so is the plot building. I finished the last thirty percent of the book in one sitting, that is how fast paced and nail biting it gets. The book is not more than 400 pages and can be finished in seven to eight hours.

Overall, this book is highly recommended if you're a fan of One of us is Dead by Jeneva Rose or a fan of gripping thrillers. If you know a young adult or adult who enjoys mysteries with closed door spice, this can be a great gift.

I always eagerly await the new book from C.L Taylor so was very excited to read this one. As ever, such a fantastic plot with brilliant characters and you never really know what is going to happen next. So clever. Definitely recommend to all and if you have never read any of C.L Taylor's books before, you are in for a treat.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

A newish author to me

I absolutely loved this

Very suspenseful and twisty turny. Loved it

This is an average read. There are far too many characters to keep up with. And I lost the thread a few times. I would not have finished the book if I wasn’t reviewing it. The plot twists were weak too.

I have been on a real thriller kick recently, and this did not disappoint. The number of characters sharing their POV's could be a tad confusing at times, but also kept the story interesting and engaging overall. I know some people don't enjoy books with unreliable narrators, but I love them and the way they keep me guessing. As a teacher, I loved reading about parents full of drama because I have dealt with my fair share of shady school parents in my 11 years of education lol. I also enjoyed the single mom looking for love aspect as well because I am also (unfortunately) a single mom, and this reminded me that maybe that isn't always a bad thing, because you truly never know some men's motives. I mean, your first wife is dead, and your new girlfriend is missing? Anyone would be skeptical, and these characters were no exception. If you want a domestic suspense rife with drama, twists, gossip, and unreliable characters, look no further.

This book was gripping from the start and I could not put it down, it was extremely fast paced and a real page turner. I thought the writing style was good and I really enjoyed how each chapter perspective worked its way through the group of ‘friends’. Even though there were a lot of different characters, I found myself straight away invested in each of the characters and their dynamic within the group.

In terms of the plot, I wouldn’t say this was anything out of the ordinary when it comes to a group of friends / school mums in a small town kind of thriller, however I did still thoroughly enjoy it. There were lots of twists through the book and I liked the fact no stone was left unturned and all questions were answered.

Overall this was an enjoyable book and I would recommend. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!