Friday, April 29, 2016

REVIEW: Difficult Husbands by Mary De Laszlo

Title: Difficult Husbands
Author: Mary De Laszlo
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: October, 2014
Genre: Chick-Lit
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Description: Difficult Husbands - In sickness and in health, for better but definitely not for worse…

Newly divorced Lorna is struggling to adjust to life on her own. When she discovers that her beloved godfather has left her the grand (and crumbling) Ravenscourt House in the heart of Sussex, she soon has a project on her hands.

Nathan sells delicious goodies at Mulberry Farm. When he meets Lorna at a Christmas market, neither of them can ignore the chemistry. But as they get to know one another, Lorna wants to know one thing – is he after her or the house?

Together with Gloria – whose marriage to alcoholic Adrian has hit rock bottom, and Rosalind – struggling to deal with her womanizing husband Ivan, the three friends hatch a plan. They’ll ditch their difficult husbands at Ravenscourt House and enjoy stress-free Christmases with their families. But nothing is ever that simple…

My Thoughts: Interesting story about three women who will go to extreme measures to ensure their worthless husbands don’t ruin another Christmas. Lorna, Gloria and Rosalind are all women in their forties married to older men. On the heels of her divorce, Lorna discovers she has inherited a home in Sussex from her godfather, she and her friends, eventually decide to lure their husbands to the home and abandon them there to their own devices so they can enjoy a stress-free and hopefully pleasant Christmas holiday with their children. These women have become fed up with the behavior of their husbands; the divorce, the alcoholism and the womanizing; these men have definitely worn out their welcome. Lorna also struggles with allowing the home to be used in a photo shoot while trying to make sense of the attraction she feels towards, Nathan. The house is in disrepair after years of neglect and it will cost Lorna a fortune to repair it and make it habitable, so selling seems to be her only option.

Though this book takes place during the Christmas season, it did not feel like a holiday read for me. I found myself getting annoyed at Gloria for her insistence on what Lorna should do with the house. I wished several times that Lorna would tell her to butt out. The book primarily focuses on Lorna, but there isn’t a lot of relationship development between the three women and I had a hard time trying to figure out what Gloria’s motivation and intentions were. I also would have enjoyed more interactions with Nathan. This book is a great lesson in reminding us that you cannot change others and their behavior. You can only change your reaction to it and modify your own behavior. If you enjoy stories with complex characters, even though they can be annoying, I recommend you give this one a look.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Difficult Husbands from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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I am not a professional reviewer, but I love to read and share my opinions on my reading with others who are interested. I work full time but my ideal perfect day would be to curl up with a good book. The majority of the books I review here are from my private collection and my reviews are provided purely for entertainment purposes. I receive no compensation whatsoever for sharing my thoughts and review on any book. If you would like me to review your book, please email me at sharalsbooks@yahoo.com Happy Reading! :o)