The Doctor
- Judith D Collins
- Dec 27, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 6
The Doctor's Wife #5
Prequel
By: Daniel Hurst
ISBN: 9781807220426
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 01/23/2026
Format: e-book
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
Is he the perfect man or the perfect liar?
From the moment I first see Doctor Drew Devlin, I want him to be mine. Drew is the perfect man – he’s charming, handsome and wealthy. And I need the security that comes from being with someone like him. I’m at my lowest point and I have nothing to lose; this is my chance to escape my troubled past. So I’m going to stop at nothing to ensure that Drew marries me…
Whatever it takes, I will become the doctor’s wife.
Except when I get closer to Drew, I realise the doctor isn’t who he says he is. He’s hiding a dangerous secret.
But so am I…
From the number one bestselling author of The Doctor’s Wife, this is a totally gripping and page-turning psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the final jaw-dropping twist. Perfect for fans of John Marrs, T.M Logan and Freida McFadden.
My Review
In THE DOCTOR, a wicked, delicious prequel thriller by Daniel Hurst, readers are invited to journey into the intricate backstory of Fern and her eventual marriage to the enigmatic Doctor Drew Devlin.
This fifth installment in "The Doctor's Wife" series artfully unravels the deep-seated secrets and profound motivations that shape both characters, providing a vivid exploration of their lives before the pivotal events of the first book unfold. The narrative promises to enrich our understanding of their relationship, illuminating the connections and challenges that brought them together in a dangerous, obsessive love partnership and game of cat-and-mouse.
About...
Fern's Pursuit Fern, at a low point in her life, is determined to marry the charming, handsome, and wealthy Dr. Drew Devlin as a way to escape her troubled past. She will stop at nothing to make him hers.
Drew's Deception:
Drew presents himself as the "perfect man" and a respectable figure, but he is hiding a dangerous secret.
Uncovering Secrets:
As Fern gets closer to Drew, she realizes he is not who he claims to be.
Alternating Perspectives:
The story unfolds with alternating chapter perspectives from Fern and Drew, allowing readers a glimpse into their inner thoughts, motivations, and the pathological narcissism characteristic of Hurst's novels.
The Catalyst:
The book details Fern's initial actions and discoveries that lead to the events in the subsequent books of the series, where her desire for revenge takes center stage.
My thoughts...
I had the pleasure of reading all the books in the Doctor series and enjoyed this delivish prequel that sets the stage for the addictive and twisty series that follows, where the seemingly perfect life of the Devlins is unraveled by dark secrets, betrayal, and a quest for revenge.
The prequel explores the origin story of Doctor Drew Devlin and the events leading to his fateful meeting with Fern, the manipulations, and the dangerous secrets.
In Fern's initial pursuit of Drew, she was driven by a desire for security and escape from her own troubled past as she meticulously plans to ensure Drew marries her—at any cost. She then realizes there are cracks in his facade.
The Doctor serves as an origin story for the couple’s toxic dynamic, exploring the beginning of their relationship, showing how Fern first targeted Drew as the perfect escape from her own dark past, and Drew's dangerous secrets.
The prequel establishes the foundation of their "wickedly twisted game of cat-and-mouse," and power dynamics, showing that neither was ever truly the innocent party they pretended to be in the first book. These revelations establish that Fern was a "femme fatale" from the very beginning, setting the stage for the diabolical revenge she eventually takes in The Doctor's Wife.
The prequel highlights that Fern does not merely stumble upon these secrets; she recognizes them and chooses to use them to her advantage to "snare" him into marriage.
True to Hurst's signature style, the narrative features alternating perspectives between Drew and Fern, highlighting the pathological narcissism and early betrayals that define their toxic relationship with fun, diabolical twists fans adore.
Series...
While this book is the fifth release in the series, it is chronologically the first. It precedes:
The Doctor’s Wife (Book 1)
The Doctor’s Widow (Book 2)
The Doctor’s Mistress (Book 3)
The Doctor’s Child (Book 4)
The message of Daniel Hurst’s The Doctor’s Wife series, reinforced by the prequel The Doctor, is a cynical warning about the danger of underestimating others and the toxicity of perfection.
The prequel highlights that Fern does not merely stumble upon these secrets; she recognizes them and chooses to use them to her advantage to "snare" him into marriage.
Recs...
Fans of the author and the series will enjoy this one, and if you like the fast-paced, manipulative, and domestic psychological thrillers characteristic of Daniel Hurst, these authors and books are recommended.
~Dear Debbie Freida McFadden
~The Intruder Freida McFadden
~My Husband's Wife Alice Feeney
~Rock Paper Scissors Alice Feeney
~Jill Is Not Happy Kaira Rouda
~Jane Doe Victoria Helen Stone
~None of This Is True Lisa Jewell
~The Good Samaritan John Marrs
Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating; 4 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 23, 2026
About the Author
Daniel Hurst is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of fast paced psychological thrillers. His most popular titles include Til Death Do Us Part, The Passenger and The Doctor's Wife, the latter title reaching #1 on the Amazon UK Kindle store in February 2023. A regular KDP Select All Star since he became a full-time author in 2021, Daniel prides himself on writing fast, releasing stories often and engaging with his readers.
You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'
