In “The Second Mrs. Strom,” Kaira Rouda delves into the intricacies of relationships and the secrets that can destroy them. The story takes readers into a tense environment where the thirst for revenge turns into an all-consuming obsession.
I don’t want the perfect marriage. I want revenge… This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: The Second Mrs. Strom
Author(s): Kaira Rouda
Published by Bookouture on August 16, 2024
Pages: 284
Genre(s): Psychological Thriller
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Netgalley
Format: eBook 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating: 
If you had met me a year ago, you wouldn’t have noticed me. A beautiful woman, but a struggling nobody in a tiny apartment, invisible…
Meeting Paul changed that.
And now here I am in Paris, after a whirlwind courtship and a stunning beach proposal. I smile at my handsome husband, my eyes shining in the candlelight, my huge diamond ring sparkling on the starched white tablecloth. Other women look at me in envy. They see a couple completely in love.
They’re wrong.
Despite this incredible luxury vacation, my husband and I can’t escape our problems. I can’t get over what he did with that woman just after our wedding, and my bright smile can’t hide the hardness in my heart.
I wonder if Paul knows the truth. That our first meeting, when we fell in love, wasn’t the coincidence he thinks it was. That what I want from him has nothing to do with his money.
And now that he’s wronged me, I’ll stop at nothing to get it… 
I was unaware that ‘The Second Mrs. Strom’ was the sequel to ‘The Best Day Ever,’ which I hadn’t read. Nonetheless, I had no difficulty following the story, as it functioned well as a standalone.
Paul and Cecilia are in Paris, celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Their union blossomed from a whirlwind romance that began when they met at the funeral of Esther, the elderly woman Paul dated for over a year. Paul inherited a fortune from her, and now he and Cecilia are reveling in the luxuries afforded by the inheritance.
While reading, I realized that Paul was a narcissist. Their marriage appeared to be fine in the initial stages, but then his true nature emerged. He tried to isolate Cecelia from the outside world, not wanting her to work or make friends. It was satisfying to discover that Cecelia was more perceptive than she appeared. Unknown to him, his wife was equally manipulative, enabling her to outwit him.
The tension between the two characters had me eagerly flipping the pages; I was keen to discover which manipulator would come out on top. The author skillfully interlaced numerous twists in the story, one of which revealed the profound extent of Cecelia’s cunning.
Readers who enjoy stories that feature characters whose moral compass has gone awry will appreciate Paul and Cecelia. Secrets, lies and mind games were the themes that drove the story.
Overall, I found “The Second Mrs. Strom” to be an engaging read. So much so, that I am planning to read “The Best Day Ever” next.
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About Kaira Rouda
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2024 COYER Summer Challenge
- 2024 Netgalley and Edelweiss
