Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: 29 August 2013
ISBN13: 9781405911665
First Line - "It was all because of the Berlin Wall."
At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read
"My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died..."
Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive...
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all — she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia — or each other — but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.
What a wonderful story! I'm always a bit hesitant to read a book that is so hyped because I'm usually the one to upset the apple cart and hate it. Not this time though! I loved every word and the hype is spot on! It's such a good book. Believe the hype and the great reviews. It's marvelous.
I was a bit confused at the start, trying to keep up with all the different characters because there are three different storylines going on and I lost track of the names and characters for a while. It didn't take long to get them all sorted out though and I was invested in each little story. Usually with these split storylines I like one line better than the others and get frustrated with the less liked parts but here I loved all the characters and rooted for all of them.
It's a layered plot and I'd go so far as to say I've never read a layered plot done better. The three semi-seperate plot lines are filled with flawed, interesting and real characters and gradually they all start to intertwine and become one big story and I loved watching it all come together. It's very skillfully done and eminently readable.
The husband's secret lies at the core of the story (obviously) and I'll be honest, I guessed the secret before the reveal but that didn't really spoil anything because the real story is what happens 'becasue of' the secret, not actually the secret itself. It's just so good and so very well done.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to friend's, family...strangers on street corners...anyone and everyone. I just loved it and if you're considering this as your next read I'd say definitely go for it. It's so good!
I received an ARC of this book for review purposes. Opinions are my own.
