#ATBR2020 – The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

Ending this week with this new domestic drama!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the free early copies in exchange for our honest reviews

THE NEW HUSBAND – D.J. Palmer (Released April 14th, 2020)

You can see my thoughts on Palmer’s other release, SAVING MEGHAN, here

Book Description:

What makes Simon Fitch so perfect?

-He knows all her favorite foods, music, and movies.
-Her son adores him. He was there when she needed him most.
-He anticipates her every need.
-He would never betray her like her first husband.

The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes.

The question is, why?

Nina Garrity learned the hard way that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But with Glen gone―presumably drowned while fishing on his boat―she couldn’t confront him about the affair or find closure to the life he blew apart.

Now, a year and a half later, Nina has found love again and hopes she can put her shattered world back together. Simon, a widower still grieving the death of his first wife, thinks he has found his dream girl in Nina, and his charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina’s teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, while her friends see a different side to him, and they aren’t afraid to use the word obsession.

Nina works hard to bridge the divide that’s come between her daughter and Simon. She wants so badly to believe her life is finally getting back on track, but she’ll soon discover that the greatest danger to herself and her children are the lies people tell themselves.

Chandra’s Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars

Love is blind and can certainly also be fatal.

Phew.  This book.  I love this trope honestly.  Obsession.  Controlling.  Needy.  The blind woman who JUST DOES NOT SEE IT.  And listen, these types of books, you have to suspend a bit of reality for it to be that truly juicy fruit for you to absolutely drool over.  I will say that a year and a half isn’t a long time so damnnnnnn NINA. (channeling my inner Martin Lawrence for those who get the reference

I will say that the first 100 pages really dragged for me.  I had JUST enough interest (again, because I love this type of story) that I wanted to see where the author took us.  I knew from the first few pages where this was going to go (and I was RIGHT) but I really had to see how Palmer fed me this version.  It does pick up towards the middle and then ramps up on the crazy.

If you’re going to fall in love with a character here, you have to fall in love with Maggie.. and Ben.. let’s please not forget about Ben.  My favorite parts were with them.  The POV does main go back and forth between Nina and Maggie with the occasional other person thrown in but it’s never confusing and you know exactly who is speaking and when, which is always nice.

My first Palmer and while it may not have been a home run, I am certainly intrigued enough to want to read more by this author…. and I most definitely will.

My Thoughts: 3/5 stars

Last year was my introduction to D.J. Palmer with SAVING MEGHAN. I did enjoy that book so I was definitely intrigued by this new one! Another solid domestic suspense/drama and while it doesn’t bring anything terribly new to the genre, the author created a fun ride to the ending. Like other reviewers, this did have a slower start for me. So just know that ahead of time – it might not read like a crazy thriller in the beginning, but it DOES pick up!

I really enjoyed the way the author was able to keep pulling us along, even through the parts that felt a little slower. There was always just enough to keep my curiosity piqued and I needed to know how it was going to end. I think that most that frequent the genre will be able to figure out the end, but I don’t think that took away from the overall entertainment and reading experience.

How well do you really know those closest to you? Do you ever truly know what someone is like? There’s a good range of characters and the emotional journey they all end up taking as the story progresses – Maggie was one of my favorites and she’s the best example of why you should listen to your intuition. While I did enjoy SAVING MEGHAN just a little bit more, I still plan on picking up more from Palmer in the future!