I was thrilled to receive a copy of My Husband’s Wife by Amanda Prowse in return for an honest review. My Husband’s Wife is published in e-book and hardback by Head of Zeus on 14th July 2016 when I hope you’ll return to Linda’s Book Bag to read an interview with Amanda to celebrate publication day.

My Husband’s Wife is available for purchase here.

My Husband’s Wife

Once a week, Rosie Tipcott counts her blessings.

She goes to sit on her favourite bench on the north Devon cliffs, and thanks her lucky stars for her wonderful husband, her mischievous young daughters, and her neat little house by the sea. She vows to dedicate every waking hour to making her family happy.

But then her husband unexpectedly leaves her for another woman and takes the children. Now she must ask the question: what is left in her life? Can Rosie find the strength to rebuild herself? More importantly, does she even want to?

My Review of My Husband’s Wife

Rosie Tipcott has it all in a perfect family unit, but history may be about to repeat itself in a manner she couldn’t have foreseen.

I’ve expressed before how anxious it makes me to read the latest book from a favourite author just in case I’m disappointed, but I was confident about Amanda Prowse and I was right! My Husband’s Wife has all the features an Amanda Prowse fan expects and loves.

I have to comment on the title My Husband’s Wife as it can refer to Rosie, obviously, but it has echoes both before and after the main setting of the novel and many of the more minor characters have a link, often through divided loyalties. I thought the title embodied the concept of the novel perfectly.

The warmth of writing is so difficult to define in Amanda Prowse’s narratives, but I think it is that she manages to convey perfectly exactly how the reader would respond in similar situations so that it really is like reading about yourself for the duration of the book. Even though Rosie’s life is nothing like mine I understood completely how she felt as I was transported to become her as I read. The plot is relatively simple with a couple of large events that drastically alter Rosie’s life and this exactly what any reader can relate to. We are never quite sure just what fate has in store for us to knock us from our path.

The creation of settings also adds to the familiarity and attraction of the narrative. There are vastly different properties described but they are depicted so clearly that it is akin to looking through a magazine and seeing photographs of them. Similarly, I had a real sense of Woolacombe from the writing too.

But the greatest strength in My Husband’s Wife is the creation of character and Amanda Prowse’s total understanding of humanity. I often find children in fiction irritating and unrealistic but both Naomi and Leona are completely believable and I found myself glad I didn’t have to look after them. They also help provide the underlying humour that balances the emotion of the story. It is Rosie, however, who is the star. She is exactly how we can imagine ourselves to be; a friend, a mother – someone’s wife. She’s perfectly drawn so that it is impossible not to be wrapped up in what happens to her and how she reacts. I promised myself I would read My Husband’s Wife dispassionately and not become emotionally involved with the characters. I lied. I cried – again.

My Husband’s Wife is emotional, amusing, heart-warming and entertaining. Think of all the positive words that apply to women’s fiction and it ticks every one. It is another Amanda Prowse triumph.

You can also read my review of another of Amanda Prowse’s books, Another Love here.

About Amanda Prowse

Amanda has always obsessively crafted short stories and scribbled notes for potential books. A few years ago, she quit her job as a management consultant and began writing full time. Her first book, Poppy Day is a contemporary novel following an army wife whose incredible love for her husband gives her the courage to set out to rescue him after he was taken hostage in Afghanistan. Originally self-published in October 2011, Poppy Day quickly became a bestseller and Amanda joined the prestigious Head of Zeus publishing house.

Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…

You can follow Amanda Prowse on Twitter and visit her web site here. You will also find her on Facebook.

All of Amanda Prowse’s wonderful writing is available here.