THE MAN SHE MARRIED

4 stars out of 5

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive!"

--Sir Walter Scott

I've read, and enjoyed, two other books by this author. So when the publisher made an advance copy available for review, you bet your boots I jumped at the opportunity. And once again, I was not disappointed.

Chapters flash from "then" and "now" primarily for main character Alice, who runs her own successful catering business. Not one to trust relationships ever since a former fiance left her almost at the altar, she's a bit hesitant when she meets handsome and eligible Dominic. But not for long; early on, he convinces her of his love by proposing marriage - followed by asking to move into her beautiful home in London.

For the most part, happiness abounds for the first three years of their marriage - and Alice is overjoyed to learn she's pregnant.  But just as she's planning the perfect Valentine's Day dinner to celebrate the news, she gets a knock at her door and it's not good news: Her husband has been in a terrible accident and is dead.

Alas, the news gets worse. Despite his plausible excuses, Alice has always been a little curious as to why Dominic has kept her from meeting his brother and mother. In fact, he may have had good reason. When said brother comes to identify the body, both he and Alice get the shocker of a lifetime: The body is the guy Alice married, but according to the brother, it's not the real Dominic. 

Say what? At this point, "oops" is an understatement. Dominic's brother is certain it's not his brother, while Alice certainly knows it's the man she was married to for three years. So who is he, really? At this point, Alice realizes she's been living with some kind of liar - but he's also the father of her child. Now, the important thing is to determine who he really was.

In the end, the only option is to hire a private investigator - but a very busy and reluctant one at that. And it is at this point that I'll stop my review; if you want to learn more - and I hope you do - you'll just have to read it for yourself. Well done!

The Man She Married by Alison James (Bookouture, January 2020); 1244 KB).