My Husband’s Wife

My Husband’s Wife

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Like reading my grandma's diary. Then there were cheesy elements to the plot line, which made me wonder if it was meant to be cheeky rather than realistic like reading Confessions of a Shopaholic or watching Death Becomes Her. But it turns out, it was meant to be serious The plot was far-fetched. Characters did things that didn't make any sense in terms of human nature.

What ruined this book for me was the age-old notion of the weak and masochistic woman overpowered by an arrogant man. So why do I feel a sense of rising excitement as well as annoyance? I can smell his skin. I want to move away. The change in the character that comes at the end of the book is too little, too late. I did want to know what happened next. But every character is living a miserable life or making dumb choices, such as when a married woman lets a young woman move in.

But the story manages to get even creepier when, toward the end Lily reveals another affair, this one even more sordid than the one she had with the murderer. Even as I speak, I can still recall the illicit thrill. I really wanted to like it. I didn't like any of the characters. With the exception of Joe, the convicted murderer, they were all whiny and manipulative.

See a Problem?

Joe was manipulative and creepy, but not whiny. I'm not sure why I stuck with it; I guess it was just barely interesting enough to keep me coming back, but I'm really glad it's over! This book was just ok. The story line could get laborious and silly at points instead of suspenseful. I didn't hate it but it was a mediocre book.

So every time, I saw this book cover and title, I would say to myself, "get this darn book and read it already". I kept putting it off and telling myself I'd get it when my work day was over. Imagine my surprise when I won! Author Jane Corry does a wonderful job introducing her characters and weaving their stories together. I found myself undecided on who I wanted to root for. The poor little Italian girl bullied by the rich kids for being so different. The beautiful mom who made very little money to support her kid and had to play the "other woman" role. The newly married wife with her insecurities.

In the end, I didn't root for any of them. Instead, I chose to root for the friend who was always there. Even though he is not a huge part of the book, I felt like he ended up with the better story. Thank you Viking Books for the Goodreads giveaway opportunity. But then she takes on her first murder case and meets Joe. A convicted murderer whom Lily is strangely drawn to.

For whom she will soon be willing to risk almost anything. But Lily is not the only one with secrets. Her next-door neighbor Carla may be only nine, but she has already learned that secrets are powerful things. That they can get her whatever she wants. When Lily finds Carla on her doorstep sixteen years later, a chain of events is set in motion that can end only one way. A Novel , a tale of so many flawed characters with secrets and lies that bind them together.

Carla was a child when we first met her, and I could feel a bit of sympathy for her, but the manipulative aspects of her personality overwhelmed me, and from then on, I was wary of her. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences. It's the perfect love story. Lily meets Ed at a party, and on their second date, he proposes.

She's a lawyer, he's an up-and-coming artist. They own a small but beautiful flat in London and mix with all the right people. But Lily has a secret. Something from her past, that is soon to collide with her present. And she thinks her new husband is hiding something too The vows they made will soon be tested to the very limits. But the newly weds have no idea about each others' secrets that can destroy them. Lily has just begun her job as a solicitor after a week long of romantic honeymoon in Italy, and Ed is doing well at his advertising firm as well as with his part-time painting dreams.

Lily is assigned to a case of Joe Thomas, who has appealed to the court, accused of murdering his girlfriend, but with the progress of the case, Lily somehow connects with a criminal in an emotional level. Moreover, both Ed and Lily also gets involved into the lives of their neighbor, an Italian woman with a little daughter, Carla. But little did they knew that, meddling with other people's lives, might force them to pay a heavy price may be with the cost of their marriage and their life. This is the one such book that I came across in quite a while, which is so high in multi-dimensional layers not only within the story line, but also in the mystery and also among the characters.

Right from the very start, the story begins pulling me into its deepest, darkest and craziest maze of mystery, and till the midway into the story, I could not afford to turn away my head from this book. The author did a great job in playing games with my mind as well as twisting my mind into so many knots that I finally had to rely on the author's power to unravel the mystery layer-by-layer.

The author's writing style is articulate and is extremely deep with suspense, drama and tension that will not let the readers move from the edges of their seats. The narrative is highly arresting although at times, too much depth will leave the readers confused and puzzled, so this book demands for a lot of patience from a reader's end to enjoy the story thoroughly. The pacing of the book varies from being very slow at times to being very swift near the end.

My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry | www.farmersmarketmusic.com: Books

A multi-layered story is always good for a human brain, but too many layers can mar the charm of the book and slightly that what went wrong with this book. From the start, everything was going good, unpredictable twists kept me rooted and anticipating, but midway through the book, everything mixes with one another as the author introduces more twists which are completely unnecessary to the plot of the story, leaving me baffled and forcing me to skip few lines.

The characters are really well-developed, especially the two female protagonists, where both of them evolves through life's difficult challenges even though they are psychologically flawed. Lily will appear as someone very weak or meek right in the beginning with all her past secrets, but gradually she gains power when she sees a way to win her very first case, although her insecurity over her husband's trust and love never once left her side, and that might annoy a few readers. Carla is a helpless little child who is subjected to bullies mainly because of her outlook and the fact that she has no father, but few years later, due to some incidents, she turns into a cunning and calculative woman who would pounce on her prey no matter what.

The male characters, like Ed or Joe, are not at all well-etched out, as they not only lacked depth but also lacked from their backbone or strength or realism in their demeanor. In a nutshell, the story is quite riveting as well as poignant at the same time, that begs its readers to stay glued to its very heart of the story and this book is a must read for those who fancy a powerful domestic and psychological thriller that has innumerable layers. A promising as well as intriguing thriller that you need to look out for in the month of August.

Thanks to the author, Jane Corry's publisher for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book. The genres are mystery, thriller, suspense, and fiction. If time was on my side, I would have plowed t About: If time was on my side, I would have plowed through this book in one day!

She pays attention to every little details and uses it to her advantage while appearing innocent.

Editorial Reviews

I also like her views as an adult. I like learning the difference between solicitor and barrister from this book. I like learning of Asperger syndrome. The lies were so cleverly weaved for the crimes committed. Excellent twists to that last crime! In this book, readers will follow Lily Macdonald, a twenty five year old newlywed to Ed Macdonald. Lily is a solicitor defense lawyer and Ed is an artist on a rocky career path.

Carla lives with her mom. Carla learns early on how to manipulate to get what she wants. This book starts out with a death 15 years later without further information. Their marriage is bumpy due to many reasons. As a lawyer, Lily is to represent a convicted murderer Joe Thomas to appeal his case. Joe reminds her of her dead brother Daniel so she goes above and beyond to get him acquitted.

Carla, on the other hand, is having a hard time fitting in. She has moved into another school because the kids from the previous school were mean to her. Some lies are caught and the past sticks around to haunt the present and the future. Fast forward to 12 years later and readers will follow Carla in her early twenties and Lily in her early forties.

This book is very well written. Each page, the story becomes intriguing. One thing that is a dead giveaway is the trouble marriage which readers are well aware of right away. If there is trouble in the marriage, anything happen afterwards is bound to happen. Also, welcoming a single woman into a home is a welcome trouble to come. Even so, I still enjoy the read greatly and I highly recommend everyone to read this book! Many thanks to the author Jane Corry, publisher Penguin Books, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review.

Please be assured that my opinions are honest. The title to this book is what made me want to read it. Everyone was full of secrets, lies, and deception. Feb 21, Megan Johnson rated it it was amazing Shelves: I've been wanting to read this book ever since I first saw the cover on a shelf probably at least a year ago.

Why I didn't pick it up, I have no clue. Eventually, I had to have it. I read a few reviews, saw that most people thought it was pretty good, and figured it was finally time.

Questions?

Long story short, I should've picked this one up ages ago. For some reason I love domestic thrillers. There's something so "close to home" about the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist and how they c I've been wanting to read this book ever since I first saw the cover on a shelf probably at least a year ago. There's something so "close to home" about the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist and how they coexist that gets me. I swear, every review I write makes me out to be some sort of crazy person but the more insane and psychopathic the characters, the more I tend to love them.

Make of that what you will. The best thing about this book is that it's not just one antagonist - at some point, everyone in the cast seems to play that role. It makes for a very interesting dynamic and one that was never at any point boring or predictable. I also found that at various points each character played a role where you felt a level of endearment toward them - any author that can make me both love and hate a character within the span of pages is truly talented in my eyes.

What did I think?: Honestly, this is one of my favorite books that I've read in a long time. I was impressed not just with the story but also the flow of writing and how the different perspectives didn't feel clunky or irritating. I was left with cliff-hangers that kept me up well past my bedtime.

Who should read it?: If you enjoy thrillers and enjoy the unique relationships that can exist between characters that genuinely dislike one another, this is going to be a good choice for you. I can't recommend it enough, especially if you're a fan of legal or courtroom dramas as it has enough of that to qualify but not enough that you feel bogged down in it.

I have never read so much drivel in my life. I only persevered with this book as it was recommended to me by a friend I will choose my friends a bit more wisely in future. It was neither psychological or thrilling. This novel is merely an undramatic unfolding of events surrounding two main characters - Lily and Carla - and their relationships with others. Characters I neither cared about or related to at all. The "twisty" plot is based on the good old, and overused, I have never read so much drivel in my life.

The "twisty" plot is based on the good old, and overused, foundation of secrets and lies. What shocks me more about this novel is that the author is supposedly a creative writing teacher I thought creative writing was all about the showing rather than the telling. There is absolutely no showing in this novel at all. It's all 'this happened, then that happened, oh and wait, years ago something happened but I'm not going to tell you, you'll just have to wait And seriously, what creative writing expert, or editor for that matter, would allow sweeping cliches as "went from strength to strength"??!!

So this definitely gets the big thumbs down from me. It's two days of my life I will never get back. However, thankfully, it's two days of my life I was doing nothing interesting anyway as I'm laid up with a chest infection ; Sep 03, Vanessa rated it liked it Shelves: I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. The plot was intriguing and the cover immediately caught my eye, but something just fell short. Perhaps it was that I found none of the characters to be likable or relatable?

Or that the book felt like it tried to do too many things. I felt uncomfortable reading this and kept wanting to rush through to move on to other books, but, despite my complaints, this was an enjoyable and speedy read. View all 8 comments. With a clever title, this dark psychological thriller is a perfect example of a new wave of the genre which has excited readers for the past couple of years think Girl on a Train, Gone Girl etc. This is very much a story of two halves, told from the perspective of Lily, a newly qualified lawyer desperate to leave her mark on the world as she struggles to adapt to her young marriage to Ed, the self-confessed artistic genius.

Meanwhile, across the hall, lives nine year old Carla and her mother - With a clever title, this dark psychological thriller is a perfect example of a new wave of the genre which has excited readers for the past couple of years think Girl on a Train, Gone Girl etc. Meanwhile, across the hall, lives nine year old Carla and her mother - Italians, shunned from their own community due to Carla's hertiage, that being she was born out of wedlock.

I enjoyed the fact the story included narration from Carla, although I felt this could have more of an impact had it been told from first-person perspective. Having said that, the author decently manages to uphold the thoughts and sometime irrational actions of this troubled young girl.

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The story overall was extremely enjoyable and I felt, a very unique idea. As a line in the book so beautifully illustrates, humans are a bundle of contradicitons, all of the characters are challenging at times and many hold their own demons. There was also enough interesting sub-plots to keep the reader interested throughout until the final showdown, as it were, comes to pass. Some parts of the story are very much tongue-in-cheek and cross boundaries into which some readers might find surprising; indeed, I felt Lily and Ed's relationship with their son who has behavioural and developmental issues to be appropriately recorded.

Perhaps the author has some first hand experience of people with learning difficulties, which could explain how she was able to create a very realistic "life-is-not-a-bed-of-roses" picture of the reality of caring for someone with autism. There is so much more I want to say in my review but I fear it would spoil some of the story for prospective readers..! I believe this to be the authors debut - lets hope its not beginners luck and she continues to write like this, as she is surely destined for a career in writing psychological thrillers.

Is it possible to write a readable novel that will keep you turning pages, yet about unlikable characters? This book shows that it is. It was strangely compelling reading despite the fact there is not one likable character in it. The story is told from two points of view. One is that of Lily newly married to Ed. The other is that of the child Carla and her Italian mother who live on the same floor of the apartment building.

Each of these characters feels unloved at times. Their behaviour reflect Is it possible to write a readable novel that will keep you turning pages, yet about unlikable characters? Their behaviour reflects the way they feel. Lily always feels unworthy of love because of events that happened in the past. Her brother Daniel is a palpable presence throughout the book.

Carla is a manipulative child who grows up into a manipulative, bitter adult. Ed is a not so successful artist with an obsession for painting the child Carla after Lily agrees to babysit her occasionally for her mother. Joe Thomas has been imprisoned for the death of his girlfriend. But is he guilty? When Lily meets him in prison to start his appeal of his conviction and sentence, she feels attracted to him.

She is convinced Joe is innocent. He does have a large part to play in the way the story develops. I wanted to see how it all played out. When I had finished, I was left feeling unsettled. I would rather finish a book and end up feeling good or thinking about the characters and their choices. In this case I was happy to put them all out of my mind and turn to something else. But well done to this author for keeping me turning the pages on this one, even though at times I found credibility stretched a bit. A lot will depend on your outlook as to whether you love this or end up feeling as I did.

Gostei bastante deste livro e da forma como foi escrito. A whirlwind romance and a proposal on the second date a recipe for disaster for sure.

Lily meets Ed at a party. She is an up and coming Lawyer and he is an inspiring artist. In the same building as Lily and Ed live is Carla and Francesca.

Carla was just 9 years old when they met her. Carla Cavoletti is a solitary little girl, living alone with her mother in their London flat, and disliked at school for her Italian looks. Spitefully, she is called Spagoletti by her cruel classmates. Lily Macdonald has spent her life feeling too tall, too plump and too dowdy, but her intelligence and work ethic mean that she is making her way in the legal profession. Her mother, beautiful as she is, has a low-paid job, but has a friend known as Larry.

Ed becomes entranced by her beauty, and takes every opportunity to make pictures of her. Lily is now highly sought-after and has become a partner in her firm, while Ed has made a small fortune by selling just one painting — that of young Carla. This is quite a long book, but author Jane Corry makes use of the available space to slowly but surely built up a sense of unease and mistrust between the main characters.

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