The Fiance by Rona Halsall
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 26th January 2025
Published: 2nd August 2024
★★★★ 3.5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
He killed my husband. Now I’ve promised to be his wife.
After my first husband died, I thought my heart was completely broken, and that I’d never feel happy again.
Until I met Theo. He’s a doctor. A man who seems good and caring and kind. Soon after we start dating, he says he wants to marry me. And even though his grown-up children are less sure about me, to everyone else it’s the second chance for love and happiness I deserve.
But the truth is maybe his children are right to be suspicious. Because I know something about Theo. That he was there in the operating theatre the day my first husband died. And I think it was his fault.
Am I in exactly the right place for revenge? Or am I living with a killer?
A pulse-pounding cat-and-mouse psychological thriller, full of the most jaw-dropping twists and turns. Perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden
MY THOUGHTS:
They say revenge is a dish best served cold but in the end, as it turns out, revenge is a dish that shouldn't be served at all...
I tried reading this book six months ago but I had so much going in my RL that I struggled to get into it and found myself completely exasperated with Anna's way of thinking. So I shelved it. And it sat there, accusingly, for six months until last night I decided to give it another go. And I flew through it until it's final pages.
Anna is devastated when her husband Ollie goes in for surgery only for complications to arise and she to be left a widow. She is certain that someone is to blame. And who best to aim her accusations against than the surgeon responsible for the operation. But no matter what avenue Anna took, no matter who she complained to, no matter how far she took her allegations - the surgeon was clear of any malpractice and Ollie's death was deemed an accident.
But Anna wasn't going to let it go. Instead she found out everything she could about the surgeon, Theo Heaton. She stalked him and garnered as much information as she could until all her plans were in place. And then she engineers a meet with him. Project Theo. She was going to make him pay.
But then things go awry. Anna never planned on actually liking the man, of falling in love with him. And she enjoyed every moment in his company and found she loved being there. He whisked her away to Paris for her birthday and upon return, he proposed. Anna was speechless. This was what she was leading up to, wasn't it? Everything she had done, all she had planned, it all lead up to this. So why was she hesitating? Could it be she actually was in love with him?
However, like any relationship, there is always another person involved. In this case, Theo's children. Specifically his daughter. Neither of them had warmed to Anna from the moment they met her and now a campaign of hate has been launched against her. Why? To drive a wedge between the happy couple? To break them up? But no matter what hate-fuelled attack was launched at Anna, Luna and Gino (Theo's children) always had an alibi. So it couldn't have been them, could it? Anna is certain they are behind it because no one hates her as much as they appear to.
But then she has another problem. Theo doesn't believe it's his children either. Neither to do the police, no matter how often they are questioned. Anna is left scared and alone, unsure of what is coming next.
This was certainly different from what I expected. Maybe a little OTT but then what thriller isn't? I still enjoyed it despite wanting to scratch Luna's eyes out and give Anna a slap for making some stupid decisions. But the one person I couldn't get a proper read on was her friend Tanya. This is a tale with so many twists you won't know who to trust. I certainly didn't. And I felt as isolated as Anna did as I turned the pages until the end. I wasn't surprised by the who even if others are.
An entertaining read.
I would like to thank #RonaHalsall, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheFiance in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Rona was born in Nottingham, grew up near Blackpool and went to college in Leeds. She then moved to Snowdonia, North Wales where she brought up her family while working as a business mentor.
She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful beaches on the Island while she's plotting how to kill off her next victim. She also makes sure she deletes her Google history on a regular basis, because... well, you can't be too careful when you spend your life researching new and ingenious ways for people to die.
She has three children and two step-children who are now grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories!
Rona had lived on the Isle of Man with her husband, two dogs and three guinea pigs. After losing her husband, Rona moved to Wales where she now lives. She has been a bookworm since she was a child and now she's actually creating stories of her own, which still feels like a dream come true.
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