Finally a good thriller with well constructed plot twist(s) and engaging storyline.
Everyone suspects handsome single dad of murdering not one but two women, his wife and his missing girlfriend..is he wrongly accused or is it always the husband?

from different POVs we follow the story told by Victoria, Jude, Sorell and Andy
Victoria, the queen bee of the mamas group strongly believes he did it
Jude wants to prove his innocence and solve the puzzle of the missing woman
Sorell didn't need to be mixed in this drama alongside her already complicated life
Andy wouldn't rest till he sees Will behind bars
In an engaging woven web of school run, suburban drama, secrets and gossip I fully enjoyed the book till the very last word.

It’s Always the Husband had a strong premise and multiple POVs that were easy to follow, which kept the story moving at a good pace. The twists were well-executed and kept me guessing, but despite that, the overall plot felt a little lacklustre. While it was an entertaining read, it lacked the depth and impact to make it truly memorable.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this

This is a good mystery book to pick up and read! There were a lot of plot twists, which I really liked. It had me wondering what was going to happen next! lt was a fast paced read that I couldn’t put down. The ending literally left me in complete shock! While I did think this book was a good read, it felt unoriginal and lacked character depth. This book was written in multiple point of views and was easy to read. It had small town vibes with some humor to it! I will definitely be reading more books by this author. Overall, I give this a 3 out of 5 stars!

“It’s always the Husband” is a fiction novel about a single Dad named Will that lives in Lowbridge. Two deaths under a short time span leaves the town suspicious. Will has a dead wife, then a girlfriend of his goes missing. The people in Lowbridge begin to gossip and assume it’s Will. The story unravels as we get to see all the points of views. It’s a mysterious puzzle that soon becomes revealed! So, is it always the Husband?

Content warnings include death, grief, murder and violence.

Thank you to NetGalley, author C. L. Taylor and Avon Books Publishing for this advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book is set to be released on June 5, 2025!

Another great read from this author as we get the twisted dynamics of the school gate mums who rules the roost around drop off and pick up time and the little clique aren’t looking for a new member but when Jude joins the neighbourhood and starts getting friendly with Will tongues start wagging. Will may seem like the perfect guy but one wife dying and another partner gone missing is he quite as innocent as he seems. As Jude tries to find out the truth the gang of mothers are all hiding secrets of their own and will stop at nothing to make sure they don’t come out. A great read I could not put down!!

Omg I have never been so invested in a book before guessing all throughout. A missing person then theres blackmail and everyone is thinking its each other This book has made me realise one thing I'm so im glad I'll never have to do the school run. That stuff is crazy those mamas are crazy. This book is absolutely brilliant. So many twists and turns and a shocker at the end. No questions left unanswered.

Best book I've read so far of 2025
.5 stars

I will definitely be recommending this to the members of the plot thickens book club group on facebook.

From the start I thought this is going to be good and it really held my attention for the first half. After that the characters felt exhausting and I didn’t feel like I could keep up with who was who. I was completely underwhelmed by the ending and still not fully sure how I feel but it did keep me guessing.

Lowbridge is the kind of small town that looks charming on the outside but is packed with secrets, rumors, and a whole lot of judgment. From the moment Jude arrives, freshly divorced and trying to start over, there’s an uneasiness that lingers — and it only grows when she connects with Will, the local widower everyone seems to whisper about.

The mystery surrounding Will’s past had me hooked. Two women gone in just a few years? It’s the kind of setup that keeps you side-eyeing every character and second-guessing the truth. Jude’s drive to uncover what really happened, especially with her own family’s history of loss, gives the story a lot of heart and tension.

The twists are well-placed, the small-town dynamics feel real, and the writing keeps the suspense simmering from start to finish. A solid, addictive read with just the right amount of darkness.

When newly-divorced Jude arrives in the small town of Lowbridge she finds herself drawn to Will, the father of her daughter’s best friend. Will’s past is shrouded in mystery. His first wife’s mysterious death and the disappearance of his second is the cause of gossip at the school gates. Jude is determined to uncover the truth; Because whilst one dead wife is tragic, two starts to look like murder…

I always know when I lift a C.L. Taylor’s book I will not be disappointed and this was no exception! The plot kept the quick pace and had me racing through all the twists and turns. The school mums were very Mean Girls-esque and I think we all know a few in real life! Great plot twists and overall a fab read.

Thanks to NetGalley and C.L. Taylor for an ARC. Much appreciated

Loved this book. Characters and plot were spot on. I was in a slump before I started this but I absolutely flew through it. Loved the writing style

Another fantastic read from C L Taylor. This book had me gripped from the outset.

It's Always The Husband is full of secrets, lies and a fantastic cast of school mum's. As ever Taylor has a way of keeping the pages turning!

Thank you Netgalley

The action in The Husband Before You by AJ McDine is narrated by Alex, a suburban mother of three and her formerly missing first husband Freddie. Freddie disappeared without a trace ten years prior leaving Alex to raise their two daughters alone. While he was gone, she had him declared legally dead and moved on with his best friend Carter who was previously an item with her best friend, (and nurse at the same hospital where Carter and Freddie) Gemma. When Freddie comes back he finds that Alex and Carter have been raising his daughters and their toddler son as a family. Many questions are raised: why did Freddie disappear, why did he come back and which husband will Alex choose to live her life with, Carter or Freddie?

While there is nothing wrong with this book, there is also nothing super compelling either and often trying to remember who is narrating makes the story hard to follow. An average family drama thriller. 3.25 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

It’s Always The Husband follows the story of newly-divorced Jude, who moves to the town of Lowbridge with her young daughter. Soon after arriving, she finds herself drawn to Will, the father of her daughter’s best friend. But Will’s past is shrouded in mystery. His first wife’s death and the unexplained disappearance of his second have fuelled endless gossip among the local school mums. While Jude is reluctant to judge an innocent man based on rumours, she can’t help but wonder if there is some truth behind them.

I’ve always enjoyed C. L. Taylor’s writing style, and this novel was no exception. The plot kept me gripped, eagerly turning the pages as I uncovered more about the characters and their hidden motives. The author's depiction of school-gate gossip was spot on, with characters who felt so real they reminded me of people I’ve met in real life. I especially loved the portrayal of queen bee Victoria and her volatile relationship with her ex-husband. Those dynamics added another layer of intrigue. The author skilfully highlights how, behind closed doors, each character is dealing with their own struggles, which influence their actions in unexpected ways.

However, I didn’t find the ending as strong as the rest of the book. When the perpetrator was finally revealed, I had to go back and remind myself who they were. I felt they hadn’t been prominent enough to justify such a pivotal role. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and would definitely recommend it to fans of domestic thrillers.

A psychological thriller that had me hooked from the very start. There were multiple POVs but that helped with the story and plot twists!

It was a good, enjoyable twisty read but are mothers at the school gates really so immature these days. I get that school girls can be bitchy and best friends one day and sworn enemies the next but do they really carry it through to adulthood? I loved the twist at the end.

It's Always The Husband by C.L. Taylor

Book Review
Are you in the mood for a dark, additive and slightly obsessive read...
I would even go as far as saying stalkerish....
Meet Jude....she has just recently moved to a small, sleepy town in Lowbridge where the school gates in the morning and evening could quite possibly be the highlight of her day...
Jude meets her daughter's best friend's father Will who is struggling to cope with the disappearance of his wife some time ago..
Add to the equation a whole village thinking he may have had something to do with it and it doesn't make for a happy situation.
Jude likes Will though so she is determined to uncover the truth and prove Will had nothing to do with her disappearance.
It doesn't help his situation that she is his second wife to have been presumed dead.
Moving at a fast pace, this read is quite compelling..
It will draw you in for sure trying to keep up with the lies, the deceit and the drama...
One for your list...

Out on 5th June 2025

I have to say, it completely caught me off guard. I don’t usually pick up romance novels, but this one had me hooked from the first chapter. The chemistry between the two main characters was electric—it wasn’t just about the physical attraction, but the way they challenged and supported each other. I found myself rooting for them, even when they were making mistakes or letting their insecurities get in the way.

What really stood out to me was how real the story felt. The dialogue was sharp and natural, and the emotional moments hit hard without feeling overly dramatic. I could see pieces of myself in the male lead, especially in how he struggled to open up and be vulnerable. It made me think about my own relationships in a way I didn’t expect.

The pacing was perfect, with just enough tension to keep me turning the pages. And while there were moments that felt predictable, the journey was so enjoyable that I didn’t mind. By the end, I was smiling like an idiot—it was that satisfying.

I LOVED this one! Id taken a break from crime thrillers as sometimes I feel once you've read a few you've read them all but C. L. Taylor never disappoints. I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal in this one and was kept guessing throughout. Just when you think you've cracked it, your wrong! I was kept on the edge of my seat right to the very end, even staying up until 3am to finish it. That's when you know it's a good book!

4.5 stars - What an engaging and hectic story about a bunch of mothers who all know each other from the school run! Definite desperate housewives vibes.

Jude is new to the area with her daughter and she gets to know a single dad, Will, on the school run. But the other mums are suspect of him and she knows he has an interesting past. What unfolds is a lot of drama and intrigue!

This book is told from a number of different POVs and follows the relationships of not only Jude and Will but several of the other school mums and their husbands too. At times it is a lot to take in but when it all unfolds it makes for a story that is very hard to put down!

The only slight downside is the complex web of characters, at times it gets a bit overwhelming and it’s often hard to remember which school mum is who! But apart from that I loved this one, it kept me hooked and guessing the whole time and there were plenty of twists / reveals along the way!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic read from Cally!

I love how her books are so different yet so readable and relatable at the same time.

Jude is newly single and has moved with her daughter to make a fresh start. She’s struggling to integrate with her school run mums but is happy so meet Will, a single dad. Who is single due to his wife being dead and his partner being missing….

Such a clever story and so well written - will be highly recommending.

From the start I thought this is going to be good and it really held my attention for the first half. After that the characters felt exhausting and I didn’t feel like I could keep up with who was who. I’m completely underwhelmed by the ending and still not fully sure how I feel but it did keep me guessing. Whilst it’s not my favourite by this author I did look forward to picking it up and getting engrossed in the story.