Book Review: My Husband's Sweethearts

Lucy Shoreman is a confident, professional, woman who, on the outside, appears to have it all. Great job, nice house, successful attractive husband, who is eighteen years her senior. But then she finds out he’s been cheating on her. She leaves him and stays focused on her job (as an auditor) for six months, purposely staying away from the home they share. She’s trying to decide if she should or can forgive him. Then the unexpected happens. Artie is told he’s dying. Now what? Is she expected to forgive him and stand by him during this terrible time? Will she be looked at as heartless if she doesn’t? These are some of the questions running through Lucy’s mind. Then she learns that Artie has many ‘sweethearts’ as he calls them and she wonders how many of them he kept during their four year marriage. Then a crazy thought pops in her mind: If these women shared his good times, why should she have to suffer through his bad times alone? It didn’t seem fair to Lucy. So one drunken night while flipping through Artie's little black book, she calls a few of the sweethearts to let them know he's dying and invites them to take their turn at his deathbed. She didn’t expect anyone to actually show up. But they did.

I received this book from the Library Thing Early Reviewers. Apparently it was the most requested ARC for July, so I was surprised to have snagged a copy. It sounded like it could be a little dicey and entertaining, so I was happy when I found out it was on its way.

Bridget Asher's MY HUSBAND’S SWEETHEARTS turned out to be an enjoyable, light read for me. I can’t say that I loved it, but it was well written and had some smart, witty dialogue. It did take me awhile to connect with a few of the characters, especially Artie. I usually can get a visual feel for the character in my mind early on, but I had a hard time with him. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I just never fully connected with the character. However, there were others that I did connect with. The parade of women who come to see Artie are all different and they each have their own reasons for being there.

Ultimately, this is a story about forgiveness and finding comfort in the most unlikely places. Personally, I couldn’t identify with Lucy because I just don’t see myself being able to do what she did. I don’t know many women who could. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say I just found parts of the story a bit unlikely. Perhaps I’m too practical or maybe I took it too seriously? I don’t know. That being said, there were parts of the story that I did enjoy. I especially liked the dynamic between Elspa, one of the youngest sweethearts and Lucy along with Eleanor, who has a particularly cold reaction to the news. There is a twist to the story and some touching and funny moments. It also shows how Lucy tries to come to terms with the infidelity. The ending was a bit predictable, but satisfying. I think it could make an interesting book club pick given the unusual subject matter.

I’m anxious to see what others think of this book. If anyone else has received an advanced copy, I’d love to read your review, so leave me a comment with a link and I’ll add it to mine.

MY HUSBAND’S SWEETHEARTS release date is August 19th.

MY HUSBAND’S SWEETHEARTS
Author: Bridge Asher
Publisher: Bantam Dell
Published: August 2008
Pages: 288
ating: 3 Stars (out of 5)