This story is about husband and wife Thomas and Martha. Thomas is a bully and constantly abuses Martha but physically and mentally.

It shows how women convince themselves that they are the problem but also shows that in time they are stronger than they think.

Well written the story hooks you in from the very start.

It Won’t Happen Again is a novel which takes a hard, courageous look at domestic abuse and its consequences. Martha has been married to Thomas for thirty years. They have a too-perfect home, and Thomas is a pillar of the Church. In public he is the ideal husband, but in private he is a sadistic monster. Martha has suffered continually throughout the marriage from his drunken rages and violent beatings, which mean she often ends up in hospital. Thomas has even hit their daughter Laura, causing her to lose a baby. However, Martha refuses to see herself as a victim. She “loves” Thomas and believes the violence is all her fault for being a less than perfect wife. Thomas always apologises and promises to change, but we know he never will. We also suspect that Martha will eventually snap – and she does – but to say more would be a spoiler for other readers. Diana Coombes develops her characters well and pulls no punches in her treatment of their flaws. She has an attractive style which moves the story along so that the reader is eager to get to the climax. On the negative side, the narrative shows weaknesses in syntax, punctuation and proofing which create hiatuses and slow the reader down. This is a great pity because, otherwise, It Won’t Happen Again is such a good story.

I purchased this book in ebook format due to a recommendation although this is a genre I usually don’t read. Boy, am I glad I did! “It won’t happen again” is an amazing story that deals with the subject of spousal abuse, a usually difficult thing to read about. However, Ms. Coombes portrays it in such a masterful way that the reader is compelled to move through the pages to the book’s suspenseful end. The story is relatable, captivating, and heartfelt. And, just when one thinks “why is she putting up with this?” the author explains the psychological reasons why. At the back of the book is a listing of helpful resources. This is a well written, wonderfully plotted, must read story!

This is a realistic story of a woman's repeated abuse and her justification for it. The author does a good job of showing the reader the woman's mindset that she is to blame for the abuse she suffered. I recommend this to anyone who wonders why people have difficulty leaving abusive relationships.