The Husband's Secret

Couldn't put this book down, read it well into the early hours of the morning to finish.

Vibrant characters, compelling conflicts and real-life dilemmas.

Will be glomming this author.

Cecilia Fitzpatrick is a woman that has it all: a handsome and loving husband, kids that are well adjusted and love their folks, and she has a good standing in the community. One day she goes to the attic to fetch something for her daughter and comes across an envelope. On it is her husband's writing requesting that she read the contents of the letter only after his death.  She resists her urge to read it and respects his wishes until she observes some uncharacteristic behavior from him which prompts her to open the letter soon after she finds it. The contents of the letter are shocking to her and her knowing the information sets her and her and her family's life on a different course. Though it was a good read I think I had higher expectations for this one, but the ending did leave me thinking what kind of life Cecilia (and others affected by the contents of the letter) might have had if she never read the letter.

I enjoyed this light read. It was thought provoking how the separate actions of three different families all intertwined by story's end. I also liked the connection to the daughter's fixation on the Berlin Wall. The epilogue was full of surprises!

One of those books that ties the lives of multiple women together through a single event. But I liked it more than others I think because I found all of the characters so realistic and relatable. There wasn't one woman whose story I wanted to skim through.

This book is based around 3 women and how their lives at the start of the book are separate but become inextricably linked by the end.

Cecelia is a woman with it all, 3 beautiful daughters and a loving husband. When she finds a letter in the attic from her husband to be opened in the event of his death. She opens it and uncovers a secret that devastates her family.

Rachel is a grandmother who is struggling to come to terms with the death of her teenage daughter over 20 years ago. Tess is betrayed by her husband who admits he's having an affair with her cousin.

This story brings them all together as the contents of the letter affect all of their lives. It is a good read, not too emotional or overly taxing.

I found the ending a little weak, I wasn't sure that I believed Rachel's character would have been so lenient or that after fighting for so long she'd be happy not to bring things to a head.

This is the second book I've read by this author and find her to be good but not outstanding. This seems to be a very popular read in the book charts just now but whilst it's good I'm not sure it's worthy of the hype.

I have loved every one of Liane Moriarty's books, but this one just blew me away. It's like a time bomb disguised as an innocuous chick lit novel. I wouldn't want to give away the plot, so I will just say that it will make you think about good vs. evil, difficult choices, loyalty, honesty, split-second timing, and responsibility. Not bad for a book with a cute pink flower on its cover! Don't start this if you want a comfort read or a happy ending that comes tied up with a bow. But do read it if you want to challenge yourself and think “what if?”