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tigerxwasp's review
2.0
Sadly disappointing but had a know what had happened. But all the characters rubbed me up the wrong way.
livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
3.0
This is an engaging story that’s excellently paced but my word, the main character was so hard to relate to: Kate was a massive thickie. Even I saw where it was going fairly early on. She was so frustrating with her delusions and histrionics. Meanwhile, Roxy was a slimey little toad and I couldn’t fathom why Kate was so hellbent on chasing her across the world. They were both pretty unsympathetic.
The ending was rather unsatisfying. After everything, am I expected to feel good about that outcome? Because I don’t. I feel like we’ve been around the houses for nothing.
The ending was rather unsatisfying. After everything, am I expected to feel good about that outcome? Because I don’t. I feel like we’ve been around the houses for nothing.
faysieh's review
4.0
I've read a lot of Louise Candlish books and I seem to automatically select them as my audio book preference, enjoying listening to the stories as I do things which require some added interest to take my mind off what I am doing!
The Second Husband was easy to listen to, although I wasn't always sure about some of the character's voices, particularly Roxy and Davis. Anyway, that aside I still wanted to hear what was going to happen next, purely because I enjoy an unfolding family drama. It wasn't gripping in that I knew early on what was going to happen, it was inevitable, but I did wonder how Kate Easton failed to see what was coming. And yet I was hooked enough to want to find out how the fate of the family was going to resolve itself and in which direction a solution would arrive.
Set in London and France this is a tale of family and different kinds of love. It is about endings and beginnings with a hefty dose of betrayal. It is about how far parents will go to protect their children and the anguish felt keenly when there is no way to protect them at all. It is about letting go and learning to live with an alternative that is painful, and in this sense I could so easily identify with Kate and Alistair's upset. How traumatic it can be to watch a child make a decision or series of choices which you know will hurt them, and yet be powerless to prevent it.
How do we move on from someone we have loved and had children with? How easy is it to watch from the sidelines as an ex moves on and creates a whole new life? Is it easy to start again? Is it easy to trust again? And what happens when your second chance turns into a shocking nightmare?
I genuinely wasn't sure how this story would end but what I do know is that the familiar detail Candlish weaves into the lives and motives of her characters, ensures I always look forward to reading on to find out. Not her greatest novel but even so, still well worth a read.
The Second Husband was easy to listen to, although I wasn't always sure about some of the character's voices, particularly Roxy and Davis. Anyway, that aside I still wanted to hear what was going to happen next, purely because I enjoy an unfolding family drama. It wasn't gripping in that I knew early on what was going to happen, it was inevitable, but I did wonder how Kate Easton failed to see what was coming. And yet I was hooked enough to want to find out how the fate of the family was going to resolve itself and in which direction a solution would arrive.
Set in London and France this is a tale of family and different kinds of love. It is about endings and beginnings with a hefty dose of betrayal. It is about how far parents will go to protect their children and the anguish felt keenly when there is no way to protect them at all. It is about letting go and learning to live with an alternative that is painful, and in this sense I could so easily identify with Kate and Alistair's upset. How traumatic it can be to watch a child make a decision or series of choices which you know will hurt them, and yet be powerless to prevent it.
How do we move on from someone we have loved and had children with? How easy is it to watch from the sidelines as an ex moves on and creates a whole new life? Is it easy to start again? Is it easy to trust again? And what happens when your second chance turns into a shocking nightmare?
I genuinely wasn't sure how this story would end but what I do know is that the familiar detail Candlish weaves into the lives and motives of her characters, ensures I always look forward to reading on to find out. Not her greatest novel but even so, still well worth a read.
hollybotterill's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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