Confessions of a Bigamist

by Kate Lehrer

What happens when love strikes twice--and the second time it does you are already satisfactorily, even happily, married?

Michelle Banyon has a successful career as a lifestyle guru and "efficiency consultant." She lives in Manhattan with her kind but thoroughly overworked husband, an international lawyer who spends far more time in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bombay than he does in their Fifth Avenue apartment. They are the perfect twenty-first-century successful, attractive, self-sufficient, and understanding of the all-too-frequent absences that can sometimes make theirs a virtual marriage.

While lecturing in Texas, Michelle literally runs into Wilson Collins as she's backing out of a parking space. The handsome Texan is badly banged up and Michelle feels just awful. She performs one kindness after another as she tries to get him medical help and then get him home. A friendship blooms and, almost as quickly, love does, too.

Unlike everyone else in Michelle's life, Wilson has simple needs and desires and, to her immense surprise, she finds that she is someone very different when she’s with him. It’s not that she doesn't love her husband--she does. She just happens to love two men, and the second one wants to marry her, too.

Have you ever wondered how many different lives a person could live or how very different one's life might be if fate were to intervene at exactly the right moment? Could you be happy living two entirely different lives?

Sit back and enjoy Kate Lehrer's romantic, thought-provoking novel that is simultaneously smart and playful, poignant and compulsively readable.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2004

Reviews

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll probably have a better appreciation for this book when I am older. It was entertaining, but I didn't really relate.

[David W. Cofer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a very slow read for me as I was never able to get into the story. The plot was simple and boring. The characters, not well drawn, were one-dimensional. The dialogue was stilted and bland. The plot idea was intriguing, but unfortunately Ms. Lehrer was unable to do anything with it. The story lacked an ending. It appeared Michelle was finally getting a grip on herself, taking control of her life, figuring out who she really was, and what she wanted in life. But no, she maintained the hectic out-of-control chaotic lifestyle she created for herself. Thus the same issues are due to resurface again down the road as the problems the book presented were never resolved.

The only reason the book was published was due to the fact she was married to Jim Lehrer (at the time) and he must have greased some palms or called in some favors. Otherwise this book would never have seen the light of day, and that would have been a better thing.

[*Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michelle Banyan, long-time wife of international corporate lawyer, Steve Banyan, and woman behind the image of Daisy Strait Enterprises (an efficiency expert), finds herself in a tenuous position after accidentally backing over Wilson Collins after a speaking engagement in Texas. Out of guilt, she sticks by him for a few days to help him with his recovery and ultimately finds herself drawn to him and to the "plucky Mickey" person he envisions her to be.

They begin an affair which she at first thinks will be temporary but instead she falls in love with him and with the person she becomes when she's with him. Unfortunately, she has not admitted the truth to him about having a husband back in New York, even when she and Wilson end up in Las Vegas for their own wedding ceremony.

This is the story of how she tries to keep it all together--her two separate lives with two different husbands and their respective friendship circles, and another life as her alter-ego, Daisy Strait, and the joys and anxiety caused by her blossoming fame and how that could expose everything.

It was stressful and disappointing to see her string out her selfishness and big-time dishonesty to her two very different but kind husbands. It was an unusual twist, however, to see the bigamist being a woman rather than a man. This reminds me of Charles Kurault's perfidy, although his "shadow family" knew about his first family at least. It should make both men and women pause a bit when they or their spouse travel a lot for business, especially if it's obvious the marital relationship is put on the back burner.

[Pooch · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Confessions of a Bigamist Kate Lehrer writes "We have obligations, jobs, family....If we're lucky, we stay involved with our children and grandchildren, parents...friends." This fantastical story line with a surprise ending kept me enthralled in the page-turner story of a woman and the exploits of her alter ego in her professional life. This book is full of insight and surprises that make it an unusually fun read!

[Almira · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out really well, then somewhere along the way Kate lost the magic. Towards the end, I really didn't care about Daisy/Mickey/Michelle, I only finished it as I wanted to see if she had to "pay" for being a bigamist - won't tell if she did or not.

Doubt I will read anything else by Kate, sorry.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst pile of drivel ever. I wish I'd have stopped reading about halfway through this book, but as I was reading it on a road trip, I kept going. I guess I was waiting for some resolution to the story. I'm still waiting. I will not be reading another of Ms. Lehrer's books.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoping for happy ending, just wasn't my version of happy.

[Nikki Burdick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it - good mindless beach reading.

[Emaly]

Too stupid.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! quit on pages 105 - not even worth skimming to the end. She ought leave the writing to her husband!! I picked hers up accidentally.