Book Review | Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

After a whirlwind romance, aspiring novelist Abigail Baskin marries tech millionaire Bruce Lamb. He takes her to an exclusive retreat on a private island for their honeymoon. Then she sees the man she slept with at her bachelorette party. Can she save her marriage – and is she the only one telling lies?

Twelve hours later there was no reply.

She told herself that was the last she’d hear from the stranger she’d slept with on her bachelorette weekend.

Every Vow You Break is the best kind of thriller – one that takes you on a ride completely different than you would guess. When I first started reading this, the story kind of feels like first-world problems. Like “oh no a rich guy falls in love with me and pays off my loans but I cheated on him with a hot stranger who might be into me now, what do I do”. The first half of the book is a recap of Abigail’s life – her childhood, her parents’ failing theatre company, and her romantic history. We don’t get to see much of her relationship with Bruce, and strangely for a millionaire, he doesn’t talk about his finances or even mention a prenup. I found the first half to be quite dull and couldn’t really relate to Abigail’s situation.

But the storyline kicks up a notch when they arrive on the island and I was pleasantly surprised at where it ultimately goes. The tone changes – which might be a problem for readers who are expecting a domestic dispute – and certain scenes would not be out of place in a horror book! I’ve read plenty of thrillers set in isolated locations but this is the first one where I truly feel the claustrophobia and helplessness of the characters. The book deals with fidelity, consent, male violence and power, and asks some tough questions about marriage and relationships. The final third is thrilling! I didn’t care for Abigail at first but by the end, I was rooting for her. If you can push through the slow first half of the book I think you’ll find the ending worth it.

Overall, Every Vow You Break brings exciting ideas into the domestic thriller genre and delivers them to an exhilarating end.

CW: infidelity, sexual assault, physical violence

Thank you to Times Reads and Faber Books for a review copy.

About the author: Peter Swanson

Photo by Lachlan Dempsey