Earlier this year, Rachel Hawkin's thriller The Wife Upstairs capitalized on the idea of secrets between spouses. I mused then that no matter how long two people are together, there will always be things in each other's past that remain a mystery. In the world of literary thrillers, this conceit can be used to drive some pretty crazy stories. Author Peter Swanson is no stranger to that setup. In fact, his 2019 novel Before She Knew Him used secrets and lies between spouses to weave a tangled web of brilliant suspense and deceit. In his latest novel Every Vow You Break, Swanson hopes to once again use the unknowns between a married couple to thrill audiences anew.
Abigail is living a dream. Her life has become something right out of a fairytale, a modern-day romance that she never saw coming. How could she, a normal girl, capture the attention of a handsome millionaire like Bruce? Her life seems destined to be perfect from here on out, and she's truly met the man of her dreams. Then, on her luxury bachelorette party weekend, Abigail risks everything. Too many drinks and an encounter with a stranger at the bar lead to a single night of lust. Abigail is overcome with regret in the morning, vowing never to speak of the night to anyone, especially not Bruce.
Secrets have a way of coming back to haunt you. As Abigail celebrates her wedding with Bruce, she can't help but think about the man with no name who nearly brought her marriage to an end. She never dreamed her marriage would begin with a lie, but she also knows that Bruce values honestly and loyalty above all else. Her one night of infidelity could derail their entire life together. Even as the couple celebrates a magical wedding night, Abigail can't help but think of the other man. For a moment, she even thinks she can smell the cigarette that he smoked that night. But that is crazy. Her life is with Bruce now. She never has to think about that night again. Or does she?
As the happy couple arrives for their honeymoon, they are glowing with the kind of bliss that most newlyweds experience. Abigail was a bit hesitant about spending the next week at a luxury resort on a private island, but she's now confident that a week unplugged from everything is the perfect way to begin her marriage. All that goes awry when she spots him. At first, she's certain that she's dreaming. How could the stranger whom she had a one-night stand with be at the private resort that even she didn't know about until arriving? At second glance, though, Abigail knows that it is him. The secret with the potential to end her marriage before it even gets off the ground is here, and she will stop at nothing to keep it buried.
Peter Swanson has become one of my go-to authors of standalone thrillers. Each year, he reliably releases his latest novel filled with an intriguing setup, quick pace, and plenty of twists and turns. Every Vow You Break continues that tradition but to more middling results. The story of a future wife's infidelity against her seemingly perfect husband and the subsequent effort to hide those actions provides a great setup for the thriller. That being said, I found it tricky to root for her, especially given that her troubles were mostly self-inflicted. Nevertheless, Swanson knows how to keep the pages moving through ever-tightening suspense and enough twists to keep you guessing. The ending of this one was pretty much sealed from the start. There are only so many ways this story could go, and the last few twists felt more forced for shock value than actually advancing the narrative. In the end, this won't be my favorite novel by Swanson, but it also won't be my last. I've already got my eye on his next effort Nine Lives that releases next spring.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2021, 46)
I'm hoping this one is on Storytel, I've snatched some good thrillers off of your blog and read them as Audiobooks and all of them were a hit! I'm going to put it on my Audiobook list :)
ReplyDeleteThis was far from my favorite thriller, but I'll always be a fan of Swanson.
DeleteI've just finished listening to A Good Marriage by Stephen King. The blurb of this book maybe reminded me a bit of that book. A Good Marriage really is a good quick read :)
DeleteI'm always game for some Stephen King, so I'll have to give that one a listen!
DeleteIt's tough to pull for a character whose situation is based solely on their bad decision-making. But it sounds like Swanson delivered plenty of twists and that it was a good time, even if it wasn't your favorite.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Having a character who I could root for would have probably made this one a bit more enjoyable, especially as things got more and more far fetched.
DeleteWhile it wasn't your favorite, it still sounds like it was ok.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better myself.
DeleteSecrets like Abigail's never stay hidden! I'm not sure this is one of Swanson's books that I'll be reading any time soon, but I am really looking forward to reading Nine Lives.
ReplyDeleteNine Lives definitely sounds like a premise that Swanson will be able to really execute on. This one was a little less original of a take, and I felt like it suffered because of that.
DeleteI did not much care for The Wife Upstairs. I tried. Would you say I would feel the same way about this one, or to give it a try?
ReplyDeleteI'd say skip this one. I had a pretty middling reaction to The Wife Upstairs too, so I think the comparison between the two is apt.
DeleteWait, singing the song. Ok, done. I love having lots of goto authors who I can depend on for a great read. Sounds like Swanson delivered another satisfying book for you
ReplyDeleteI was too haha. Like, for days on end. I even used it for my instagram story promoting my review.
DeleteThis was my least liked book of Swanson. I'm still going to pick up his next book, Nine Lives.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you. This was the first Swanson book that left me unsatisfied. Nine Lives looks very promising though. Here's hoping for a return to form!
DeleteThis is an author that I have been wanting to try for some time. I may need to start with something else though.
ReplyDeleteI recommend Before She Knew Him as a great place to start!
DeleteWasn't a huge fan of The Wife Upstairs, it was just okay for me. I think I would find it hard to root for Abigail as well being that her actions created the mess. I think I'd try another of Swanson's before this one.
ReplyDeleteI had a pretty similar reaction to The Wife Upstairs. Swanson is well worth a shot though!
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