The Marriage Lie
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-16 08:31:13
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Ali Mercer
- ISBN：B08Y8JLVPQ
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Priya
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Stella has everything in her life， a handsome and rich husband， a lovely daughter and a beautiful home。 But it doesn't necessarily mean everything is going fine in her life。 Her husband takes her out for dinner on her 40th birthday and gifts her a brand new home and has arranged everything that she needs in advance。In short， he wants her to move out of his house and agree to the divorce。 If she rejects or questions any of it he will reveal the secret she is hiding all these years to their daught Stella has everything in her life， a handsome and rich husband， a lovely daughter and a beautiful home。 But it doesn't necessarily mean everything is going fine in her life。 Her husband takes her out for dinner on her 40th birthday and gifts her a brand new home and has arranged everything that she needs in advance。In short， he wants her to move out of his house and agree to the divorce。 If she rejects or questions any of it he will reveal the secret she is hiding all these years to their daughter。 Will Stella agree to his terms？ What's the secret she is hiding from her daughter？ I thought this would be a good thriller but was very disappointed at the end。 It started with an interesting and mysterious circumstance but it was just for a few chapters。 As the story progressed I lost my interest and found it very hard not to DNF it。 It wasn't a thriller but rather it was just a family drama with a bit of mystery。 And the secret when revealed did not surprise me even for a bit and there was no thrill whatsoever。 The main character was very weak at the beginning but gradually she became confident and strong but it's hard to like her character in the story。 If you like family dramas and women's fiction with only a bit of mystery then you can give this a read。 。。。more
Olivia
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I discovered that Ali Mercer's last book was a perfect read for lockdown - compelling but not gruesome or too complex - so I was pleased to see she'd published another。 Once again it ticked all the 'distract me from reality but not in a distressing way' boxes: the plot is intriguing， the characters are relatable and the informal writing style carries you along。That said， it's not always an easy read as some dark topics are covered。 I discovered that Ali Mercer's last book was a perfect read for lockdown - compelling but not gruesome or too complex - so I was pleased to see she'd published another。 Once again it ticked all the 'distract me from reality but not in a distressing way' boxes: the plot is intriguing， the characters are relatable and the informal writing style carries you along。That said， it's not always an easy read as some dark topics are covered。 。。。more
Michaela in Bookish Wonderland
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I loved Ali's previous book so as soon as I had the chance to read this， I jumped at it！ Once again， Ali had me hooked from page 1。 What a beginning！ Almost immediately the plot thickens and we are made to question everything we thought we knew。As the story goes on a huge secret is revealed which to be honest I already had my suspicions about。 However even though I was expecting it， I was still completely engrossed in it。 Ali writes in a way that just draws you in and made it very hard for me to I loved Ali's previous book so as soon as I had the chance to read this， I jumped at it！ Once again， Ali had me hooked from page 1。 What a beginning！ Almost immediately the plot thickens and we are made to question everything we thought we knew。As the story goes on a huge secret is revealed which to be honest I already had my suspicions about。 However even though I was expecting it， I was still completely engrossed in it。 Ali writes in a way that just draws you in and made it very hard for me to put down。I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see what Ali writes next！ 。。。more
Brenda
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I'm disappointed to say that I am in the minority with those that rated this a 5 star book。 And I wish I could even give it a 4 but I don't feel I would be honest if I did。 Originally I was drawn to this book by the well done cover and the enticing synopsis。 It is a well written book and an easy read but with a slow start and not much excitement throughout。 I wouldn't classify it as a thriller。 It is more of a women's fiction with domestic/family drama and little bit of mystery thrown in。 The tw I'm disappointed to say that I am in the minority with those that rated this a 5 star book。 And I wish I could even give it a 4 but I don't feel I would be honest if I did。 Originally I was drawn to this book by the well done cover and the enticing synopsis。 It is a well written book and an easy read but with a slow start and not much excitement throughout。 I wouldn't classify it as a thriller。 It is more of a women's fiction with domestic/family drama and little bit of mystery thrown in。 The twist wasn't really a twist and I wasn't surprised by it so no "thrill" for me。 Unfortunately， I was not able to connect with any of the characters。 I did not really like any of them especially Stella， the main character。 During the first part of the book I couldn't stand her and almost gave up on reading because of how weak she was。 I hated Rob all the way through。。。 what a jerk！ and was really happy to see him get what he did in the end。The story was told all from Stella's perspective with flashbacks to the past。 I like that through the story Stella grew stronger and more confident。 I especially liked that she "won" in the end。 If you like family dramas， women's fiction with a little bit of suspense then I recommend you check this book out for yourself。 If you are looking for a thriller， you may be disappointed too。Thank very much to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Connie
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Rob and Stella Castle are having lunch at an expensive restaurant to celebrate her 40th birthday。 Rob works in property development and Stella is a teacher。 They are the parents of Georgie， age 14， who is currently on a school trip。After lunch， Rob takes Stella to show her a remote home telling her that she will live there and Georgie will live with him。 He plans to divorce her and she has nothing to say about it because she has a secret that he knows Stella does not want Georgie to find out abo Rob and Stella Castle are having lunch at an expensive restaurant to celebrate her 40th birthday。 Rob works in property development and Stella is a teacher。 They are the parents of Georgie， age 14， who is currently on a school trip。After lunch， Rob takes Stella to show her a remote home telling her that she will live there and Georgie will live with him。 He plans to divorce her and she has nothing to say about it because she has a secret that he knows Stella does not want Georgie to find out about。I really thought that this “secret” was going to be truly explosive， but it’s really not。 Stella’s mother， stepfather and sister are all people I would want nothing to do with。 Rod needs to be shot off into space somewhere。 What a hateful， arrogant， conceited， and downright mean jerk。 Stella needed to learn to stand up to bad people Why didn’t she head straight to a solicitor and file for divorce from Rod？ Georgie is the only character with any class。 I kept reading thinking there was going to be some big ending but it just didn’t happen。 I’ve read two other books by this author but neither of them were what I would call spectacular。 However， I am willing to try another of her books and hope that it is more appealing。Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews
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First， I want to thank Ali Mercer， Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review。OH SNAP！！！ The Marriage Lie is the best written book with the most shocking storyline written by Ali Mercer！！ Trust me I have been a fan of hers for a while and loved many of her books。 However， this one had a different feel to it！ Ohh it was so good and must be added to your must read list！！ Ali has you hooked right from the first chapter from then on it is completely fast First， I want to thank Ali Mercer， Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review。OH SNAP！！！ The Marriage Lie is the best written book with the most shocking storyline written by Ali Mercer！！ Trust me I have been a fan of hers for a while and loved many of her books。 However， this one had a different feel to it！ Ohh it was so good and must be added to your must read list！！ Ali has you hooked right from the first chapter from then on it is completely fast paced！ Ohh right off the bat and into the story there was one character that I totally despised-Rob！ Oh he was such an evil and heartless man to shock the heck out of his wife on her Birthday。 She didn’t deserve to be blind sighted by any of that！ Oh the more I learned about him in the book the more I hated him。 Oh I know hate is a strong word。 My heart went out to so many characters in the losses that they suffered。One of the things I loved about the book was there was a hidden secret: why Molly would have nothing to do with Georgie or the Mom。 It intrigued me to know what happened。 。。。more
Stephanie
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The Marriage Lie is the story of Stella and the unexpected changes she faces in her life as her husband “surprises” her on her birthday with a new home and a pending divorce。 The story looks backward and forward as we see some of how they got to this point and then forward as Stella deals with not only her marriage changes but also her extended family and their impact。 At first it seemed like Stella and Rob were going to be caricatures but the author humanized them and allowed them some nuance w The Marriage Lie is the story of Stella and the unexpected changes she faces in her life as her husband “surprises” her on her birthday with a new home and a pending divorce。 The story looks backward and forward as we see some of how they got to this point and then forward as Stella deals with not only her marriage changes but also her extended family and their impact。 At first it seemed like Stella and Rob were going to be caricatures but the author humanized them and allowed them some nuance which made the story more enjoyable for me。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lorraine Martin
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Enjoyed this book wasn’t keen on rob though he was a selfish asshole for the way he ended his marriage。 The secret won’t say as spoilers but a similar thing happened to my auntie but we were told a good read x
Page~Turners
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It’s Stella’s fortieth birthday and her husband Rob has the perfect day planned for them to celebrate。 They go to the fancy restaurant with the white tablecloth covered table。 At the pop of the champagne bottle Rob drops the bombshell on Stella。 He wants a divorce and if Stella doesn’t divorce him and give him what he wants then he is sure to tell their fourteen year old daughter， Georgie everything。 Stella is in quite the bind。 Does she give Rob everything he wants or does she fight him and ris It’s Stella’s fortieth birthday and her husband Rob has the perfect day planned for them to celebrate。 They go to the fancy restaurant with the white tablecloth covered table。 At the pop of the champagne bottle Rob drops the bombshell on Stella。 He wants a divorce and if Stella doesn’t divorce him and give him what he wants then he is sure to tell their fourteen year old daughter， Georgie everything。 Stella is in quite the bind。 Does she give Rob everything he wants or does she fight him and risk Georgie finding out the truth。 So many mixed emotions and so many relationships in this story。 The plot twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat。 This riveting read is sure to capture your attention and keep you reading to the end。 Thank you Ali Mercer for this engaging read。 。。。more
Gia
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Celebrating her 40th in a fancy restaurant with her handsome husband， didn’t end up how Stella had imagined。 Driving to a strange house， instead of a surprise cheesecake， her husband announces he wants a divorce and hands her a set of keys。 Stunned and shocked， Stella listens to his list of conditions and demands。 Realization takes some time to dawn on Stella but the one thing that is clear immediately is how she is being threatened to stay away from their daughter， Georgie。 And if she doesn’t， Celebrating her 40th in a fancy restaurant with her handsome husband， didn’t end up how Stella had imagined。 Driving to a strange house， instead of a surprise cheesecake， her husband announces he wants a divorce and hands her a set of keys。 Stunned and shocked， Stella listens to his list of conditions and demands。 Realization takes some time to dawn on Stella but the one thing that is clear immediately is how she is being threatened to stay away from their daughter， Georgie。 And if she doesn’t， he’s going to rip the lid off her secret。 With much to lose， Stella slowly finds her voice and her way around the mess he has dumped her in。 A fundamental loose thread is introduced by way of Stella and her dissolving marriage， but once that thread starts to unravel， you find an intriguing， compelling story of a broken family riddled with years of dysfunctional relationships and damaging secrecy。 Another remarkable， must-read from the extraordinary Ali Mercer。 Highly recommend The Marriage Lie。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read of Ali Mercer’s， The Marriage Lie。Opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Bella Killorn
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Story telling at its finest！ Hit me right in the feels！ ❤️
Suzanne Pitchford
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Great start， laboured endingI loved the sample that I had downloaded and bought the book via Kindle only to find that the story dragged on and on with the same old theme throughout。 Disappointing and very repetitive。
Renita D'Silva
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Just beautiful。 A stunning， astounding story that will stay with me。 Written with heart。 Wow。 A book to savour。 Just wonderful。
Chelsea
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⭐⭐⭐⭐Stella has the perfect life。 Hot husband。 Beautiful daughter。 Gorgeous home。 Money。 Only we quickly realize that she's hiding a massive secret。 On her 40th birthday， her husband takes her out to a fancy lunch。 And informs her that they're over。 He's already bought her a new home and had her。things moved in。 Oh， and if she questions any of this he'll tell her secret to their teenage daughter。 I'm on the edge of three and four stars with this book because I have such mixed feelings。 The book a ⭐⭐⭐⭐Stella has the perfect life。 Hot husband。 Beautiful daughter。 Gorgeous home。 Money。 Only we quickly realize that she's hiding a massive secret。 On her 40th birthday， her husband takes her out to a fancy lunch。 And informs her that they're over。 He's already bought her a new home and had her。things moved in。 Oh， and if she questions any of this he'll tell her secret to their teenage daughter。 I'm on the edge of three and four stars with this book because I have such mixed feelings。 The book as a whole was very well written。 It kept me interested from beginning to end so that wasnt an issue。 The characters were so well written as well。 However， poor Stella had absolutely no backbone and it drove me up the wall。 The story wouldn't have worked as well if she did I suppose， but the way she let Rob run all over her was admittedly awful。 This is also in my opinion not a thriller。 If you're picking this up for thrills you'll probably be disappointed。 Women's fiction or domestic fiction yes， but thrilling she is not。Granted， by the end Stella has found herself and genuinely become much more likeable。 The ending did shock me a bit as honestly I was not expecting the turn it took towards the end。 All in all， this is a genuinely good read。 The growth of Stella was beautiful to see and the whole the truth shall set you free cliche definitely happened here。 Thank you to Bookouture， NetGalley， and Ali Mercer for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
J_Mc 251
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I’m left with mixed feelings about this book。 On the one hand it was a decent family drama that explored the secrets families keep from each other。 On the other hand， I found the characters to be weak and frankly unlikeable。 Not weakly written， but their nature was weak。 It’s a beautifully crafted， well-written story with characters who are just not appealing， relatable， or even likeable。 My favorite character， and the one I thought was the most developed， was Georgie。 Not only was she a teenage I’m left with mixed feelings about this book。 On the one hand it was a decent family drama that explored the secrets families keep from each other。 On the other hand， I found the characters to be weak and frankly unlikeable。 Not weakly written， but their nature was weak。 It’s a beautifully crafted， well-written story with characters who are just not appealing， relatable， or even likeable。 My favorite character， and the one I thought was the most developed， was Georgie。 Not only was she a teenager with gravitas， but she handled the crazy adults who surrounded her with class。 I thought the second half of the book was smoother than the first。 I guess in a way， that mirrors Stella’s experience。 I would still recommend the book for the great writing。 Maybe other readers can relate to the characters more than I did。 For a full review， please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book。 。。。more
Natalie
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This is the first time I've read。this author and I wasn't disappointed。Stella and Rob are married but Rob ends。the marriage in the most surprising and cruel way that you'll be feeling disbelief and shock。The story has twists and turns and it will keep you hooked from the first page。 The story flows very well and it will leave you speechless in some parts。 I will be reading more of Ali Mercer in the future。 This is the first time I've read。this author and I wasn't disappointed。Stella and Rob are married but Rob ends。the marriage in the most surprising and cruel way that you'll be feeling disbelief and shock。The story has twists and turns and it will keep you hooked from the first page。 The story flows very well and it will leave you speechless in some parts。 I will be reading more of Ali Mercer in the future。 。。。more
Kim
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This was a riveting and emotional family drama with a bit of a mystery。 The story starts out with a cruel plot twist and I could not stop reading till the last page to see how it all worked out。 I will be checking out Ali Mercer’s backlist for sure， she writes a compelling story and creates characters that you can’t help but love。。。or hate。 Thank you to Netgalley， Bookouture Publishing， and Ali Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 This book is available for purchase May 28， 2021
Patty
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The Marriage Lie by Ali Mercer is an interesting domestic thriller， that I enjoyed。 Stella's husband， Rob， takes her out to lunch for her fortieth birthday。 Afterwards he drops her at an isolated house informing her that this is where she now lives。 He wants a divorce and full custody of their daughter， or he till expose her lie。 Wow really？ I was hooked， and had to know what happened。 I will be looking for more books by this author。 I highly recommend this book。 I received a complimentary copy The Marriage Lie by Ali Mercer is an interesting domestic thriller， that I enjoyed。 Stella's husband， Rob， takes her out to lunch for her fortieth birthday。 Afterwards he drops her at an isolated house informing her that this is where she now lives。 He wants a divorce and full custody of their daughter， or he till expose her lie。 Wow really？ I was hooked， and had to know what happened。 I will be looking for more books by this author。 I highly recommend this book。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Kirsty Bookworm86
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BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Marriage Lie' by Ali Mercer。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Ali Mercer， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 28th May 2021。This is the first book I have read by this author。 I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beaitiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title。 The synopsis stated 'Fans of Amanda Prowse， Kate Hewitt and Susan Lewis will be gripped by this emotional family drama from the very first page'。 I am BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Marriage Lie' by Ali Mercer。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Ali Mercer， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 28th May 2021。This is the first book I have read by this author。 I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beaitiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title。 The synopsis stated 'Fans of Amanda Prowse， Kate Hewitt and Susan Lewis will be gripped by this emotional family drama from the very first page'。 I am a huge fan of Kate Hewitt so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement。 I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture。 I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed。 Hopefully this won't be the first。。。 Watch this space！ （Written before I started reading the book）。This novel consists of 33 chapters and an Afterword。 The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed。。。OK， I know yeah right， but still just in case！This book is based in Oxfordshire， UK 🇬🇧。 The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture。 I have actually visited Oxfordshire on several occasions so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere。 This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonist is Stella。 The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them。 It is set over multiple time lines。 When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader （if it is well done） understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions。 It also shows the bigger picture。 This book is very well written and the insights into the past let's the reader piece together what is going on。 The descriptiona are vivid and help to set the scene。 The cover and synopsis worked well with the storyline。 The storyline itself is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing what the big secret is。 Unfortunately I managed to work it out pretty quickly but I was thrown by the explosive revelation which I was not expecting。 Although I worked it out please don't let this out you off as I read loads of psychological thrillers and it's getting harder and harder to be surprised。 It definitely shows how quickly things can change when you least expecting it。 Although I had figured out what the big secret was it was still an enjoyable read which had me on the edge of my seat on a few occasions。 The storyline was filled with deceit， lies and secrets。 The characters are strong and realistic。 Unfortunately I just didn't click with any of the characters。 I felt like screaming at Stella on several occasions and just felt that she was very weak but she did pull through in the end and I am glad how it ended。 I couldn't stand Rob from the start no idea what she saw in him and her mother absolutely disgusted me with her attitude。 On several occasions I did feel sorry for Stella。 I did like Tony and would have liked to see more of him。 I also really liked George and thought she was very mature for her age and a very likable character。 Overall a suspense filled novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing。 Some of my favourite quotes in this book include the following:Genres covered in this book include Saga and Psychological Fiction amongst others。 I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 364 pages。This book is just £1。99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book！！！ Rated 4 /5 （I enjoyed it ） on Goodreads， Instagram， Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook。 Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews #TheMarriageLie #Bookouture #AliMercer #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour@AliMercer @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 https://kcmw86。wixsite。com/bookworm86https://m。facebook。com/Bookworm1986/？。。。https://m。facebook。com/Bookwork86/？__。。。 。。。more
MeWriter
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"Every dysfunctional family is dysfunctional in its own way。" Ali Mercer's latest， The Marriage Lie， exposes all that is wrong within this particular marriage and family。 It takes a bit to flesh out how all the characters fit and why the husband has taken the position he has。 As we go along we understand the intricacies of this family's particular type of dysfunction。 But once the spell is broken all can heal in their own way。 A solid read！Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC！ "Every dysfunctional family is dysfunctional in its own way。" Ali Mercer's latest， The Marriage Lie， exposes all that is wrong within this particular marriage and family。 It takes a bit to flesh out how all the characters fit and why the husband has taken the position he has。 As we go along we understand the intricacies of this family's particular type of dysfunction。 But once the spell is broken all can heal in their own way。 A solid read！Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC！ 。。。more
Robin Loves Reading
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A beautiful lunch， just the two of them。 Their daughter is away on a school trip for a couple of days。 Stella is happy。 Everything is going well in her life。 Then her husband Rob takes her to show her a beautiful house in a gated community。 But。。。wait。 Rob has a plan and he is not about to compromise。 In short。 The marriage is over， and he is taking primary custody of their teen daughter Georgie。 If Stella balks， Rob will share a secret she has been hiding for years。 Blackmail， and not a gentle A beautiful lunch， just the two of them。 Their daughter is away on a school trip for a couple of days。 Stella is happy。 Everything is going well in her life。 Then her husband Rob takes her to show her a beautiful house in a gated community。 But。。。wait。 Rob has a plan and he is not about to compromise。 In short。 The marriage is over， and he is taking primary custody of their teen daughter Georgie。 If Stella balks， Rob will share a secret she has been hiding for years。 Blackmail， and not a gentle one by any stretch of the imagination。Stella is reeling。 While it is true that the secret that Stella is hiding will devastate Georgie， she looks for a way to get around Rob and his ideas。 However， Stella is plagued with concern when she worries about Georgie discovering the secret she has been hiding。 Will Stella accept a divorce from Rob and accept the conditions he is pressing on her？ What is this secret？ What actually happened in Stella's past？ What about now？ What is more is that Stella has a strained relationship with her mother， stepfather， and especially her sister。 Considering that her mother is Rob's #1 fan certainly doesn't make things any easier for Stella。 Then， considering the fact that her stepfather is terminally ill doesn't make anything going on right now any easier。 What about Stella's sister Molly？ Will the two of them ever be able to deal with the incredible amount of tension and distance between them？What a story！ A domestic drama at its best。 So many relationships in this book。 All of them filled with tension beyond belief。 Stella might have one person in her corner， and that is new neighbor Tony， but even that seems iffy。 Then， faced with an unexpected loss， Stella hardly has anywhere to turn。 Then when we factor in Rob's agenda and Stella is forced to take matters into her own hands。 The Marriage Lie was an intriguing story and I enjoyed and watching things unfold as they led to a satisfying conclusion。Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review。 This is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Stina
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I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Ali Mercer's THE MARRIAGE LIE。I'm not sure how to categorise Ali Mercer。。。it's not thriller but it's not just contemporary fiction either。 It's a bit of domestic drama， a bit of suspense and plenty of surprises。 I found it slow to begin with but that just could have been me because I was dealing with my senior dog， who has a bit of dementia， getting up every two minutes in the middle of the night whilst trying to read。 Once she fin I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Ali Mercer's THE MARRIAGE LIE。I'm not sure how to categorise Ali Mercer。。。it's not thriller but it's not just contemporary fiction either。 It's a bit of domestic drama， a bit of suspense and plenty of surprises。 I found it slow to begin with but that just could have been me because I was dealing with my senior dog， who has a bit of dementia， getting up every two minutes in the middle of the night whilst trying to read。 Once she finally settled after a couple of hours I also settled more into the book。The story begins with Stella， excited for her 40th birthday her husband Rob is taking her on。 Then he drives her to an isolated house at the end of a lane and she wonders what are they doing here？ He assured her it would only take a minute to have a look around as he was eager for her feedback on the place。 Rob is a kind of property developer， buying houses and doing them up and then selling them for a profit。 He doesn't normally share them with her so she was surprised he wanted her feedback on this one。 As soon as she walks in she is hit with traces of Rob all over。 The interior is stark white with a minimalist touch throughout。 It was sparsely furnished with just a small table and two chairs in the kitchen， a sofa and flat screen TV in the sitting room and although there were three bedrooms upstairs there was a single bed in only one of them。 When he had finished showing her around， he asked what did she think。 Stella was at a loss for words。。。what could she say that wouldn't offend him and spark a row？ He assured her he could take her criticism。 When she said that she was sure it would be someone's dream home but it wasn't her's， he answered her with "I'm sure you'll get used to it" and placed a set of keys in her hand。 She looked at them and asked what was going on？ He informed her that this was her birthday surprise， that he wanted a divorce and she would comply。。。or else he would reveal her biggest secret。 Thus losing the greatest love of her life - her daughter Georgie - who he apparently would allow her to have on weekends though she would live with him throughout the week。 And she would agree to his terms。 If she didn't， she would be sorry。Without a backward glance， Rob leaves Stella standing dumbfounded in her new house with instructions that she would be at the mediator's the following morning to begin the process of their divorce。 Almost at once I thought how the hell did he expect her to get there when she was in the middle of nowhere with no car， since he drove her and left her there？ But Stella was nothing if nor resourceful。 She began trudging down the lane looking for a bus stop to take her back to Kettlebridge and their house in an affluent neighbourhood。 However she was in heels that weren't made for walking and after taking a tumble， her kindly neighbour called her a taxi which took her back home。 And there， she got another nasty surprise。 Suddenly it was clear why Rob wanted this divorce。Her world crumbling around her， Stella needed a voice of reason as well as comfort so she went to the only other person she could turn to - her mother。 Unfortunately， her mother was a fully paid up member of the Rob Castle fan club and in her eyes he could do no wrong。 She told her what had happened and as expected her mum really had no sympathy and pretty much hustled her out the door as soon as her terminally ill husband awoke from his nap。 She had one other person to call。。。who she hadn't seen in years and who had turned their back on not only her， but all of them。 Her younger sister Molly。 But the reception she received was cold and dispassionate。 Stella suddenly realised she was in this on her own and if she was to get through this she could only rely on herself。 After spending the first 30% feeling a little sorry for herself， Stella finally got her bitch face on and started to fight back and when she walked into that mediator's office the next morning， Rob didn't know what hit him。 Yes， Stella knew there was no going back for them but they had a daughter whom they both adored and for her they needed to do this amicably with as little fallout as possible。 But on one thing she was clear - Georgie was living with her and he could see her weekends。But when they were in the midst of a war of words at the mediator's Stella's phone rang， her mum's name flashing on the screen。 She took the call and everything changed。 Even Rob sat up and asked if everything was alright。 No， it wasn't。 Her mother was dead。 I have to hand it to Rob。 As dastardly as he was， he showed some compassion for the woman he was tearing apart by jumping up and being with her through the difficult time。 But when she mentioned contacting Molly to let her know， he became agitated and tried to dissuade her。 But Molly had a right to know her mother had died。 As her phone calls were going unanswered， Stella had only one option left - to go to London and tell Molly in person。 And the reception she received upon arrival was anything but warm。 She thanked her for letting her know and asked her to leave。 She wasn't surprised by Molly's coldness but Stella had other things to worry about。。。like how she was going to break the news to Georgie when she returned from her school trip the following morning。 At least she had convinced Rob to allow her to stay at the house while they worked out how to tell their daughter they were separating。 But Georgie was more perceptive than they gave her credit for。 And yet the secret of Stella's past still haunted her。 The one that Rob had dangled in front of her that if Georgie were to find out she would hate her。 But Stella reminded Rob that he was just as complicit as she though she had to agree。。。she could lose her daughter if the truth ever came out。Throughout the book， readers are teased with "the secret" that threatened to tear Stella's world apart should people， particularly Georgie， were to find out。 Which has everyone guessing as to what it possibly was。 I figured out fairly early on what I thought it was， and I was proved correct， but the manner in which it happened wasn't really any great drama I thought。 As it was hinted as being something so terrible， I had envisioned a much darker playout。 But I was hoodwinked by one aspect that I never saw coming。。。and that made everything else fall into place and why the family was so estranged。THE MARRIAGE LIE is a domestic drama filled with suspense but it is not a thriller。 It pulls you in from the beginning as you turn the pages wanting to uncover Stella's dirty little secret and why she should be so ashamed。 The family dynamics between them all are strange to say the least。 And then I had to laugh。。。Rob got what he wanted and when he did， he realised it wasn't what he wanted after all。 But by then it was too late。The characters weren't all that likeable honestly。 Stella drove me nuts at times and Rob was a complete jerk from the beginning。 His arrogance was astounding that I was surprised Stella fell for it at all。 He is manipulative， controlling and pretentious。 I don't know what any woman saw in him， to be honest。The story is told solely from Stella's perspective， mainly in the present but also with flashbacks to the past。 And through her narrative we see her grow from strength to strength as she fights to keep her equilibrium and her some of comebacks had me chuckling and wishing I had her balls。 THE MARRIAGE LIE is not a fast paced tale but it's not a slow one either。 Still it's not as fast as I like my stories but I enjoyed it just the same。 I do recommend it for those who like family dramas and contemporary fiction with a little bit of suspense thrown in。I would like to thank #AliMercer， #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMarriageLie in exchange for an honest review。This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic。blogspot。com/。 。。。more
Joanna Lambert
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Stella is married to successful property developer Rob。 They have a beautiful home and luxurious lifestyle。 It’s her fortieth birthday and he has booked a table at an expensive restaurant。 Stella is expecting jewellery or some other luxury present。 Instead， Rob drops a bombshell。 He wants a divorce。 He’s now ‘truly’ in love with dasughter Georgie’s twenty something home tutor。 Not only that， his birthday ‘gift’’ to Stella are the keys to a new home。 One where he now expects her to live alone。 An Stella is married to successful property developer Rob。 They have a beautiful home and luxurious lifestyle。 It’s her fortieth birthday and he has booked a table at an expensive restaurant。 Stella is expecting jewellery or some other luxury present。 Instead， Rob drops a bombshell。 He wants a divorce。 He’s now ‘truly’ in love with dasughter Georgie’s twenty something home tutor。 Not only that， his birthday ‘gift’’ to Stella are the keys to a new home。 One where he now expects her to live alone。 And if she doesn’t agree he is going to tell their daughter Georgie a secret Stella has been holding onto for a very long time。 One which will ruin lives， including Georgie’s。Well， this story began with a super shock。 Rob is a thoroughly dislikeable character。 Someone who has been conducting an affair behind his wife’s back and now plans to move his lover into the family home。 Not only that， as he’s calling the shots， telling her he will only let her see Georgie at weekends。 Stella fights back， aware Rob has the upper hand。 On her own， she finds a strength she didn’t know she had。 And maybe the way out of this is to risk everything by getting in touch with the person who could cause the most damage。A great read， full of twists and turns with super villain Rob， a man who takes it as read that he can do exactly as he pleases while making it look as if he’s being generous to his soon to be ex-wife。 A definite five star award for this book！Many thanks to Ali Mercer， Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of The Marriage Lie 。。。more
Sheri
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On her 40th birthday her husband puts her up in a remote house and demands a divorce。 He demands she agree or he will share the secret they have been keeping for years。Unfortunately for her husband Stella is not going to go quietly。 I love her strength and comebacks as she finds out things about her husband。 I’ve read the author’s books before but was not as impressed with this one。 It was a quick read with plenty of surprises but if fell a little flat for me。 I think it was the way the lie turn On her 40th birthday her husband puts her up in a remote house and demands a divorce。 He demands she agree or he will share the secret they have been keeping for years。Unfortunately for her husband Stella is not going to go quietly。 I love her strength and comebacks as she finds out things about her husband。 I’ve read the author’s books before but was not as impressed with this one。 It was a quick read with plenty of surprises but if fell a little flat for me。 I think it was the way the lie turned out。 I won’t spoil it by sharing what it is。 Overall a worthwhile book to read。 。。。more
Jude Srivalsan
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This was a very well written book that kept you in suspense right to the end。 Stella has a secret that she doesn't want her daughter Georgie to know about so when Rob threatens to reveal this if she doesn't do what he wants， she is in turmoil。 At first I was annoyed with her for pandering to Rob but once she stopped to think and devised her own plan， I was behind her all the way！A good thriller with an ending that I guessed part way through but that worked out well in the end！ This was a very well written book that kept you in suspense right to the end。 Stella has a secret that she doesn't want her daughter Georgie to know about so when Rob threatens to reveal this if she doesn't do what he wants， she is in turmoil。 At first I was annoyed with her for pandering to Rob but once she stopped to think and devised her own plan， I was behind her all the way！A good thriller with an ending that I guessed part way through but that worked out well in the end！ 。。。more
Rachel
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It took me a while to get into this book as it didn’t grip me from the beginning like the others I’ve read by Ali Mercer。 I persevered and glad I did。My opinion of the characters changed throughout the book， from not liking them to feeling sympathy for them to not liking them again， I think this is because they changed too so my feelings for them changed with their personalities。Overall， it was a good read。
Karen Tebbutt
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Although I struggled to get into this book in the beginning， I am so pleased I stuck with it。There were lots of twists， turns and family secrets and I particularly liked the way the story finishes。I would recommend this to friends and look forward to reading more of Ali's books。 Although I struggled to get into this book in the beginning， I am so pleased I stuck with it。There were lots of twists， turns and family secrets and I particularly liked the way the story finishes。I would recommend this to friends and look forward to reading more of Ali's books。 。。。more
Helen Appleby
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Here is my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️review of the marriage lie by Ali mercer。 Thank you to the review group for the opportunity to read this。 It won’t let me review on Amazon yet but as soon as it does I will copy it over。 I read this book last weekend and as soon as I picked it up I was hooked。 I love this authors books as she has a way of drawing the reader in and also keeping you on your toes with the twists and turns。 This was a brilliant domestic psychological thriller with lots of secrets and lies that u Here is my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️review of the marriage lie by Ali mercer。 Thank you to the review group for the opportunity to read this。 It won’t let me review on Amazon yet but as soon as it does I will copy it over。 I read this book last weekend and as soon as I picked it up I was hooked。 I love this authors books as she has a way of drawing the reader in and also keeping you on your toes with the twists and turns。 This was a brilliant domestic psychological thriller with lots of secrets and lies that unravel as the book unfolds。 This book also dealt with a lot of themes in a very sensitive and heartfelt and emotional way I won’t describe them here for fear of spoilers。 。。。more
T Rowley
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This is a hard review to write as I had mixed feelings about this book。 It took me a while to read as I was not totally gripped and kept getting distracted and putting it down。I also found the main characters very unlikeable - to the point it put me off reading。 The way Stella is treated and that she puts up with it just made me cross。 You know there is a reason why， but even then I found it a bit unrealistic as it was not consistent with her general personality/character in other areas of the b This is a hard review to write as I had mixed feelings about this book。 It took me a while to read as I was not totally gripped and kept getting distracted and putting it down。I also found the main characters very unlikeable - to the point it put me off reading。 The way Stella is treated and that she puts up with it just made me cross。 You know there is a reason why， but even then I found it a bit unrealistic as it was not consistent with her general personality/character in other areas of the book to put up with this。 Unfortunately this really affected my overall enjoyment of the book and I just didn’t click with this one at all。 On a positive， the book is well written， the storyline/plot is well thought out with some good twists。 The characters certainly stay with you and make you think。 I do accept that many readers would enjoy this， so it’s well worth a try if you generally enjoy tense family drama with a secret。I have certainly enjoyed other books by this author so although this particular book didn’t grab me， it won’t put me off trying her next one。I rated it 3。5 stars。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 。。。more
Sherry
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