Holy Mother of the Gods!!! Strap yourself in because this one is a helluva ride!! Twisty and turn-ey, with highs leading to stomach-turning lows and moments that will leave you gasping for air! Wow!
Vivien is married to Ashton. To look at, they’re a model couple with a picture perfect life. He’s a successful, well-respected neurosurgeon, she doesn’t need to work and dedicates as much time as she can to volunteering at Community Promise, a shelter that cares for those in need. But to the reader, it’s apparent almost immediately that something’s a bit ‘off’.
From the opening pages, where Vivien describes their magical, beautiful wedding held at Distant Island, Ashton’s family house, she hints that perhaps she shouldn’t have gone ahead with the marriage that seems to be so wonderful. But what on earth could be the problem? Is she just sad that her parents (dead years ago in a car accident) are not there to share her special day? Maybe Vivien is just upset that Ashton’s mom, Georgia-May needs close supervision due to her Alzheimers and is only able to be with them on the day for a short period of time, probably not even sure what event she’s attending? What could the problem be?
Over the next few months as Vivien starts to immerse herself in her new life, she gets to know Ashton’s circle of friends, particularly Lindy, wife of his best friend Richard. Lindy becomes her confidante, and when she starts noticing bruises on Vivien’s arms she becomes concerned. Vivien tries to brush off Lindy’s questions and makes the usual excuses, telling her there’s really nothing to worry about. However, when Vivien shows up with a very obvious black eye, Lindy starts insisting that she consult with a divorce lawyer and says that she’ll help her with whatever she needs to ensure that she walks away from her marriage well taken care of, financially speaking! She’s frustrated when Vivien still seems reluctant to leave Ashton though – why on earth would you want to stay with someone who uses you as a punching bag!
Then Vivien decides that she needs to help out 17-year-old Cady, one of the teens from Community Promise who has nowhere to live. Knowing that Ashton has expressly forbidden it, she moves Cady into the cottage at Distant Island, and that’s when things start to go well and truly pear-shaped!
As the story unravelled and I became more and more absorbed, I couldn’t wait to see where the author was leading me, and when the reveal came I was so shocked, I had to go back and read it a few times just to check myself!! It was a real blinder! Well played Arianne Richmonde, well played!
This is a 5 star domestic noir thriller, filled with tension, mistrust, secrets and lies. It ticks all the boxes for that perfect edge-of-your-seat page-turner that will keep you reading late into the night!
Many thanks to Bookouture for inviting me to tour with them once again! Take a look at what other bloggers are saying about The Newlyweds …
Author Bio:
Arianne Richmonde is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thriller, The Wife’s House (released by Bookouture Aug 24, 2020) and suspense and romance. Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.
When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.
Social Media Links:
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Purchase Links:
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