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)

Book Review: The Richest Season

Joanna and Paul have been married for 25 years, they have two grown children who are embarking on their own new, young lives miles away from their parents. Paul is a communications executive who has worked very long hours for most of his married life. Joanna, the dutiful corporate wife who always put her family first. Her career was her children and Paul, when he was home from his constant business trips. Until now. With the surprise news of yet another transfer and the thought of doing it alone, without the children, it was just too much for her to take.

Joanna makes a decision that will affect not only her entire family, but people she doesn't yet know, but will become very important to her life. Pawleys Island, South Carolina holds special memories for Joanna from her teens and she feels that if there's any place she can go to figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life, that's where she needs to be.

Grace Finelli, a recent widow who has always dreamed of living near the ocean, is finally living her dream on Pawleys Island. After spending her life completely afraid to follow her own path, she has reached a point that its now or never. She has a beautiful beach house that is so close the sea, you can hear the waves kissing the dunes below her deck.

This is the story of two women who are each facing very different challenges in their lives and whether they like it or not, they need each other. Their needs are what bring them together and sometimes what pushes them apart.

Without getting into too much detail that may give the plot away, this is a story of regret and second chances. For the most part, the characters were believable to me, but at times, I found myself questioning the choices Joanna made. I didn't agree with some of them and it would irritate me. When you've been married to someone for 25 years, I believe you owe that person a little more than what Joanna showed her husband. Paul's character was very believable and I'm sure his corporate personality would be a difficult thing to live with. However, it bothered me that Joanna would up and leave without so much as a conversation with her husband. I don't think people in the real world just walk out of their life within hours of deciding and with no plan at all. Especially after being such an organized and profficient wife for so long. She showed more loyalty to her new friend, Hank in Pawleys Island than to her husband of 25 years. Another thing about Joanna and Grace is they came across a little cold. I think I was surpised that these two women didn't seem to bond with each other until almost the end. I was expecting a little more of a friendship between the two. That being said, I did enjoy the story and felt like I knew the characters pretty well even though I didn't agree with their actions all the time.

Maryann McFadden has a good writing style that flows easily from page to page. Her descriptions of the locale are so vivid you can almost smell the salt air and feel the wind on your face as you read. It is a lovely story about people and choices they make. There's not a lot of drama and it did get a bit slow for me at times, but I did enjoy the book. It would make a nice beach read for the summer.