The Second Mrs. Strom by Kaira Rouda

Author Kaira Rouda was not finished with her narcissistic character Paul Strom from Best Day Ever (2017) as she continues his story in The Second Mrs. Strom in this twisty psychological thriller coming out August 16.

Paul has been the playboy since his first marriage blew up five years ago, finding favor with the rich, twice-married, twice-divorced Esther Wilmot in Palm Beach. Esther has been showering her lover and companion Paul with gifts including a Bentley, and in death, she has rewarded him with her entire estate.

At Esther’s funeral, Paul, ever on the make, flirted with the lovely Cecelia Babcock who had designed the funeral program, asking her to marry him after a short courtship. They live in a mansion in Malibu as Paul is breaking into the whole Hollywood producer scene. Now they are in Paris celebrating their first anniversary, though both have a hidden agenda.

Cecelia feigns love with Paul to carry out a master plan that has been in place long before she met him at the funeral, not the coincidence he thought. Paul, while seemingly doting on Cecelia, has already had an affair, securing his mistress in her own bungalow in Brentwood.

How far will each spouse go to secure a future that each believes is entitled to them?

Kaira Rouda is a writer of suspense novels that explore “beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives.” The Second Mrs. Strom is a standalone book but pairing it with the Best Day Ever makes for a double-dip read. A master of the psychological thriller, Rouda lives in Southern California with her family and is always at work on her next novel.

My review will be posted on GoodReads starting July 10, 2024.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.