Book Review: The Marriage Lie (Kimberly Belle)

Iris and Will are living a peaceful, married life: a nice, Victorian home, careers they love and the plan to start a family. Iris is shattered when she hears the word that Will has died; he was aboard a plane heading towards Seattle that crashed. Iris finds herself with so many questions: Why was Will on a plane to Seattle when his business trip was in Orlando? What else has Will been lying about? Desperate to find answers, Iris begins digging into Will’s past.  She soon finds out that even the perfect marriage has its dark side.

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle is a suspenseful, domestic thriller that will send shockwaves to your system. Belle is able to masterfully write a suspenseful story that was filled with heart pounding, on the edge of your seat moments. This novel was filled with so many twists that I could barely recover after each explosive turn to the plot.   What. A. Ride.

The novel opens with Iris and Will in a state of bliss after deciding to expand their family. Will is getting ready to leave town on business and Iris goes about her day. Without warning, she sees a news story about a plane crash and it names Will as a passenger.   Overcome with grief, Iris is instantly confused. How could it be Will? The plane was on the way to Seattle and Will had a conference in Orlando.   This sparks Iris into looking into her husband’s past and leads her on a trail of betrayal and deceit.

The novel is narrated exclusively by Iris, which I loved.  Not only is she dealing with the heartache and confusion of losing her husband, but the idea that everything they had could have potentially been a lie.  The narration is raw and real.  As Iris digs deeper and deeper, finding more out about Will’s past, I felt like I was the one discovering these things.  During my reading, like Iris, I was on an emotional rollercoaster.  I was angry, frustrated, confused; just goes to show how meticulous Belle’s prose was.

I will not say anything more about the plot because I will not (NEVER!) partake in any spoilers, but I will say one thing. Nothing in this novel is how it appears.

This was my first experience with a Kimberly Belle novel and it won’t be my last.   I was not able to put this book down. I read it late into the night and finished the next morning (under my desk at work!). I needed to know how this book would conclude. AND THE ENDING?!! The ending. I actually gasped out loud.

If you are a fan of the domestic thriller genre, this one will be a delicious treat for you.  I am naming this one of the best books I have read in 2016.    This one releases December 27, 2016, so add this one to your Christmas lists!!

Thanks to MIRA Publishing and the author, Kimberly Belle, for granting me access of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide and honest review.