A novel every woman should read: Her Husband’s Mistake by Sheila O’Flanagan #HerHusbandsMistake #WomensFiction #BookLovers

Her Husband's Mistake by Sheila O'Flanagan UK book cover paperback

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a book I really loved, and even though it has been some time since I’ve finished it, I still think about it at times.
Her Husband’s Mistake was published on August 13th 2019 by Headline Review, and it has 448 pages.
I want to thank Becky Hunter for sending me a physical ARC of the book, in an exchange for an honest review.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / Roxy’s marriage has always been rock solid.

After twenty years, and with two carefree kids, she and Dave are still the perfect couple.

Until the day she comes home unexpectedly, and finds Dave in bed with their attractive, single neighbour.

Suddenly Roxy isn’t sure about anything – her past, the business she’s taken over from her dad, or what her family’s future might be. She’s spent so long caring about everyone else that she’s forgotten what she actually wants. But something has changed. And Roxy has a decision to make.

Whether it’s with Dave, or without him, it’s time for Roxy to start living for herself…

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Review:

Once again I am guilty for not reviewing a book as soon as I finished it. It has been quite some time since I read Her Husband’s Mistake, so I do apologize for having only brief and short review.
The book is still (kind of) fresh in my mind when it comes to main points of the story, but, as I already stated, it has been some time so I don’t feel comfortable writing a full in depth review.

The story follows Roxy who one day finds her husband in their bed with their hot neighbor.
Her husband wasn’t supportive of her when she took care of her ill father, and now when he passed away Dave (husband) made this big mistake that is so hard to forgive and forget.

I would say that the story talks about a woman who is torn apart between her husband’s infidelity and the two possible decisions it brings: to forgive and try to work it out as a couple, or to leave and move on while she can.
She is also grieving her late father and the situation is not easy, especially when people around her also have their opinions.

I would also call this coming of age story because it talks about a woman finding her voice and her own strenght.

I think every woman should read this novel because it talks about the capability of a woman to support herself even though that was not something she has done for her whole marriage life, and also how sometimes husbands like for women to depend on them.
Even though it officially does not belong to that kind of genre, I dare to say that this also talks about feminism.

The writing style is amazing. The book does not read quickly but it has so many beautiful sentences and thoughts that it is worth to spend time with.
It is written in first person. from Roxy’s POV.

Sheila O’Flangan is well known author with many books written and this book reminded me how much I loved her novel Suddenly Single that I still remember today, even though it has been years (we talk here about cca 14 years) since I read it.
I kind of regret now for not reading more of her work, but at least I know it is not too late to keep up with them.

I loved everything about this book and the only think that bothered me, and it is personal pet peeve of mine, is that the sentence “I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding” was in there three times (and if you ask me even one is too many), but I have to stress out that I read an ARC, so maybe that was change in the finished copy.
As I said, it is my own personal pet peeve, so please don’t take it seriously.

To wrap up, I want to recommend this book to readers (especially women) who enjoy reading general and women’s fiction, and to those who love beautiful writing in their books.

5 hearts rating

Book Review: The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

Title: The Perfect Girlfriend
Author: Karen Hamilton
Publisher: Wildfire
Date: March 8th, 2018
Pages: 359
Format: Physical ARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Juliette loves Nate. She will follow him anywhere. She’s even become a flight attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him.

They are meant to be.

The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to win him back. She is the perfect girlfriend. And she’ll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants.

True love hurts, but Juliette knows it’s worth all the pain…

Review:

First of all, let me say that this book won my mind and soul with it’s uniqueness. I have never read anything similar to it in my entire life, and now when I finished it (I read it twice, in case you wonder, that’s how good it is!), I wonder why there isn’t more books like this out there? Or maybe there is, and I am just not aware of them (In case you know anything similar to this (novel, short story, a movie or a TV show), please recommend!)?

The story follows Juliette who figured out how to be a perfect girlfriend, and nothing will stop her this time around to have her happily ever after with Nate.
You see, six months ago Nate left her and broke her heart, but now she knows how to win him over, make him fall in love again and be everything he ever wanted and needed.

The best thing about The Perfect Girlfriend is it’s perspective. We get to see everything from the psycho’s POV, every move, every thought that Juliette has, we get to experience there with her.
And the best part, even though we know what she’s doing is wrong, we still feel the empathy.
At least, that’s what my reading experience was like.

I caught myself rooting for Juliette even though I knew what she was doing was so wrong. I even detected myself breathing hard thinking: “No, don’t do that, you’ll turn him off from you! No, This is wrong, you should do it differently!” like I wanted for Juliette to complete her mission and really manipulate Nate into falling in love with her.
Even though I knew that my compassion is coming from the wrong place, but I still couldn’t help myself.
I guess Juliette manipulated me as well! 
Or maybe there’s a little psycho squatted in me, and this book helped her to see a glimpse of light.

Enough with my philosophy, I will tell you just few more things about the book.

The writing style is amazing (as you probably already concluded basing on my previous ramblings) and the fact that this is Hamilton’s debut novel blows my mind! I can’t wait to read her next novel, and the one that’ll come out after that one, and every one after that, because I just want to be in the first class on that Karen Hamilton wagon that will takes us whatever it will take us. I don’t care where, I just know I want to be there (again me and my philosophy, it is obvious I haven’t write reviews for a while).

The Perfect Girlfriend is a brilliant piece of work. Thrilling and unique read that will stay with readers long after they finish it.

I highly, highly recommend it!

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Bullet Short Stoy Review: The Summer I Met You by Victoria Walters

the summer

Title: The Summer I Met You
Author: Victoria Walters
Publisher: Headline Review
Date: February 11th, 2016
Pages: 65
Format: ebook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Escape to Cornwall and meet the characters of Talting in this wonderful digital short story and prequel to Victoria Walters’ captivating debut novel, THE SECOND LOVE OF MY LIFE.

This is a summer romance that will last a lifetime…

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Review:

„In that moment he made me as if we had lifted off from the ground and were dancing amongst the stars.“

What you need to know about this short story:

  • It is a prequel to Victoria Walter’s debut novel The Second Love of My Life, that comes out this April.
  • It is written in first person, from the perspective of a young girl called Emma.
  • Emma is telling the story in two different time periods: now and then, which are separated by the three months period.
  • The Summer I Met You is a story of falling in love.
  • Although Emma and her love interest, John, are main characters in this story, they are not main characters in the full-leight novel that follows this story.
  • Main character in The Secon Love of My Life is Rose, Emma’s best friend, and we get to meet her in this prequel.

What you should be warned about:the second love

  • It contains insta-love (which is not a bad thing, from my perspective).
  • Not all 65 pages of this ebook are an actual story, some of them are a part of an exclusive extract from The Second Love of My Life.

What I liked about this book:

  • The writing style is worth to be commended
  • The way the writer describes places is just so realistic and beautiful at the same time. I could’t help but imagine Emma’s room, the view to the sea and the smell of pigs and cows in the air, it was like being there partly.
  • Both setting were just amazing.
  • Characters were likeable, especially Rose and her husband Lucas.

What I’d like to change in this piece of work:

  • I only wish it was a bit longer so we could watch how Emma and John’s love was developing and how they spent time that Summer.

Overall, the purpose of this short story is to introduce us to characters from The Second Love of my Life. In that purpose, it succeeded.
When I say I can’t wait to read Walter’s debut novel, I mean it wholeheartedly. I really enjoyed this story and find the writing style so beautiful and appealing that I just can’t wait to see what the writer is going to present us in her full-leight book.

Even though this is a prequel, it can be read on it’s own and I think if you decide to give it a try, you will probably enjoy it. I know I did.

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