Review: The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

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. 

The past eighteen months have been hell on Nina Garrity and her kids.  After her husband, Glen, mysteriously disappears from his boat early one morning, she feels like her life will never be the same again.  Then she meets Simon Fitch.  From the beginning, Simon is a lifesaver.  As a teacher, he’s good with kids and used to dealing with all the problems that come with a couple of teens.  Plus, he’s considerate, charming, and anticipates Nina’s every need.  Finally, she thinks that things are going her way.  She couldn’t be more wrong.

Nina Garrity is a strong and competent woman.  She loves her kids and, despite all the things she’s discovered about her missing husband, Glen, she still loves him, too.  Navigating her new life without Glen is tough on her and her kids, but she continues to push forward no matter what.  It’s easy to see why she discounted all the signs that something wasn’t quite right, even if it’s clear to the reader.  However, it takes her way too long to see the truth of what’s right in front of her.  I could have understood this if she was a struggling waitress or something, but as a trained social worker?  How did some of this not raise red flags sooner than it did?

Maggie Garrity is the true star of this story.  The victim of bullying due to things that come out after her dad disappears, she truly doesn’t give a flip about her former friends or what other people think.  She’s exceptionally strong and resilient for someone her age and, when she pairs up with her new friend, Ben, she becomes a force to be reckoned with.

From the very beginning, The New Husband is a wild ride.  The reader sees so much that the characters don’t, and for me, that amped up the tension!  I had to keep myself from yelling at Nina numerous times.  Things like, “Trust your instincts!” or “Listen to your kid!”, because this book was just that insane.  I was grabbed from the first page and, even though the first half is a bit of a slow burn, when it picks up, it moves fast.

4/5

*Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a fair review.