The Newlywed's Lie
Morgan thought she escaped from her husband, Henry, but he isn't dead.
Fleeing to Portugal, she takes a job as a maid, desperate for a place to hide. But the house isn't a sanctuary. It’s a cage.
It starts with a familiar scent: the perfume Henry gave her. Her new boss wears it. Then, the horrifying truth surfaces: her employer has been waiting seven years for him to come home.
Morgan didn't just find a job. She ran directly into the other side of her husband's secret life.
- Morgan - Henry’s wife
- Henry - Morgan’s husband
- Elena - Woman staying at Henry’s house
- Sofia - Elena’s daughter, 8
- Genevieve - Henry’s previous wife, deceased
- After living on the streets of Portugal for a week Morgan breaks into an empty mansion hoping for a shower and a little comfort.
- Inside the mansion Morgan finds photos of Henry.
- A woman named Elena is in the house and Morgan convinces her she’s a friend of Henry's so Elena lets her stay and work as a maid.
- Sofia and Elena talk about how much they miss Henry and hope he will come home soon.
- After recovering from his many injuries, Henry travels to Iowa to look for Morgan but she’s not there so he considers that she may be in Portugal.
- Elena kicks Morgan out of the house but as she's leaving Morgan runs into Henry.
- Henry professes his love for Morgan so Elena hits her over the head.
- Henry asks Elena who she is and why she’s in his house.
- Elena locks Morgan in the basement.
- Henry finds photos of himself with Sofia and Elena and is very confused because he doesn’t remember them, the house in Portugal was his and Genevieve’s vacation home.
- Henry assumes he’s forgotten years of his life because of the concussion from his fall.
- Sofia finds Morgan's wedding ring in her room and gives it to Elena.
- Elena forces Henry into the basement with Morgan.
- Henry finds photos in the basement that are exactly like the ones upstairs but instead of Elena in the photos, it’s Genevieve.
- Sofia lets Henry and Morgan out of the basement while Elena is gone because she doesn't want Elena to hurt them.
- Elena comes home and Henry distracts her so Morgan can escape with Sofia.
- Elena sees Morgan and Sofia running across the lawn so she attacks Henry.
- Elena shoots Henry.
- Morgan sends Sofia to get the police and goes back to the house for Henry.
- Morgan finds Elena holding the gun and Henry on the floor surrounded by blood.
- Elena tells Morgan she doesn't need Henry; she just wanted to steal Genevieve's perfect life, and Henry was only a small part of that.
- Elena confesses that Sofia isn’t her or Henry’s daughter - she kidnapped Sofia from an American tourist.
- Elena and Morgan struggle and end up shooting a lamp that sparks and starts a fire.
- Morgan and Henry escape but Elena refuses to leave.
- Three months later, Morgan and Henry have adopted Sofia, are living in Iowa, and get married in their backyard.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was excited to pick up The Newlyweds Lie. Unfortunately, this one just didn't hit the same way for me.
The pacing felt very slow for the majority of the story. It seemed like not a lot happened until the last 20% of the book, which made the middle feel boring and a bit of a slog to get through.
My biggest struggle was with the main character, Morgan. I found it really hard to empathize with her because she spent so much of the book making assumptions about everything and everyone around her. It was frustrating that she never simply asked anyone any questions, which would have cleared up a lot of the drama (and her own internal conflict) much sooner.
While the ending did pick up the pace, the slow build and my frustration with the main character ultimately made this a bit of a disappointing read compared to the first installment.
- Elena - Dead - Burned to death in Henry’s house
- Morgan - Alive - Settled into a happy, normal life in Iowa with Henry and Sofia
- Henry - Alive - Reunited with Morgan and committed to their life together
- Sofia - Alive - Happy living with Henry and Morgan as her new family
- Gun violence
- Child abuse
- Fire
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9798297163195
Publication Date: August 15, 2025
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
