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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Only retirement and senility to come?' Thankfully, nothing like..., 22 May 2008
This review is from: Another Woman's Husband (Paperback)
I enjoyed this book thoroughly from the opening family photograph scene [catching the heroine in 'mid-squawk' - loved that!] to its tearful close. Becca is an endearingly anguished four-way piggy-in-the-middle between her mother June and her daughter Lily on one hand, and her marathon-training husband and Paul the Director on the other... it might all be too much, and sometimes it feels it nearly is, but somehow we're kept together and swept along in a story that's easy to read, but with far more depth than you might think if that's *all* someone told you about it!
Becca's a lot stronger than she thinks she is, too, which is just as well when you realise what those tears are for at the end. Read it!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sorry, just didnt like it ...., 25 Sep 2010
This review is from: Another Woman's Husband (Paperback)
I hesitated a little before posting this review, as I seem to be out of line with other reviewers. But here goes .... I didn't like Becca as a heroine. I listened to the audio version of this book and this can make a difference to your perception of characters. Becca's voice whines her way through the story. She comes across as being naïve and immature, and personally I feel she makes some pretty duff decisions throughout the book. I can't say what these decisions are as these would spoil the story for other readers. Suffice to say, she has the chance to change her life into something more rewarding, where she can develop the skills and talents she has, and to my mind, makes the wrong decision.
To me, the author has created an unbelievable character. Becca is upset by her parents' marital problems, but launches herself into an affair as though it were a game. At one point in the story, she goes home after a meeting with her lover, and snuggles up in bed to her husband. No guilt ?? Either she is as hard as nails, or incredibly naïve.
Martin again just doesn't ring true as a character. At the beginning of the book, he is selfish, self-absorbed and totally lacking in sympathy/empathy with his family, and if his wife looks elsewhere for support and reassurance, then who can blame her? By the end of the book, we are expected to view him with sympathy, but nothing has changed. And Lily - well, I found her very tiresome - an over-indulged, pouting child.
I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed other books by Sarah Duncan. I loved A Single to Rome and Kissing Mr Wrong but this one just doesn't gel!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An often funny take on one woman's trials and tribulations, 30 Jan 2010
This review is from: Another Woman's Husband (Paperback)
This week just finished has been a busy one for me work-wise and this book has provided me with the perfect way to chill out when I got home, and is definitely a lot better for my health than downing a bottle of wine! On the whole it's a funny, light read and, although it touches on some tough topics such as adultery and parents splitting up, the tone is, for the most part, upbeat.
The story centres around Becca, who has been married to Martin for so long that they have settled into a bit of a routine and Becca accepts that this is simply how her life will be from here on in. They have one daughter Lily who is in essence a good kid but who is still prone to teenagerish strops. When Becca finds out that her mother is about to leave her father for a new life - a chance finally for some 'me time' - she suddenly starts to wonder about everything she holds dear. Martin seems more interested in training for a marathon than discussing anything with her and when Paul - charismatic, handsome and cultured - starts showing her interest she finds herself propelled forward into a situation she would never have considered a few weeks before.
I really liked the character or Becca. She was well-drawn and I liked seeing how she dealt with the various problems thrown at her throughout the novel.
Sarah Duncan uses a technique of cliff hangers at the end of chapters and on the whole this worked well but I felt this technique wasn't as necessary towards the end of the novel as by this point we were already involved with the main characters' lives and would happily have read on anyway. The story is very well paced and there are lots of twists and turns to keep you reading and I really did find myself looking forward to getting into bed and settling down with this at the end of a busy day.
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