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The Wife of Reilly
When Prudence Malone attends her college reunion, she expects to catch up with her girlfriends and visit the campus she left in the eighties. Over the homecoming weekend, she runs into her college flame -- the one who got (okay, ran) away. The one she’s never forgotten. As they spend time together, both Prudence and Matt realize that their post-graduation break-up was a mistake. On Sunday afternoon, Matt impulsively proposes and the two plan to wed that summer. But before marrying Matt, Prudence has a problem to deal with -- her husband Reilly.
Prudence could divorce Reilly like a normal person, but she’s far too wacky for that. Her solution is to secretly find a new wife for Reilly to replace herself after she and Matt marry. This shouldn’t be too difficult, she decides. After all, she lives in Manhattan where there are plenty of single women. And she can enlist the help of her three best friends: a costume-wearing advertising executive, a saucy single mother and a level-headed gay artist.
Though the newly engaged couple lives on opposite coasts, Prudence still finds herself in as series of near-misses trying to keep Matt and Reilly unaware of the other’s existence. Ever-fumbling Prudence gave her new boyfriend the idea that she is a widow. Her husband has no idea that his wife has a fiancé in California.
Through singles ads and a “Wife of Reilly” gallery exhibit, the gang of four meets New York’s nuttiest single women looking for love. Among the pack, Prudence crosses paths with a recovering lesbian who has just graduated from Straight Expectations rehabilitation center, a horrifying mirror image of herself, and an aspiring writer who lost interest in her own memoirs mid-draft. Along the way, Prudence is rejected by an insipid kindergarten teacher, pumped for investment tips by a demanding attorney, and swarmed by wannabe wives of Reilly. And she finds herself intensely jealous of a creative young playwright who declared Reilly “damaged goods” after learning that he is not actually Prudence’s brother (as she originally claimed).
Through her eight-month search, Prudence ultimately helps find the next wife of Reilly, though not at all in the way she had originally planned. Somewhere along the journey, she discovers something far more important – herself.
Prudence could divorce Reilly like a normal person, but she’s far too wacky for that. Her solution is to secretly find a new wife for Reilly to replace herself after she and Matt marry. This shouldn’t be too difficult, she decides. After all, she lives in Manhattan where there are plenty of single women. And she can enlist the help of her three best friends: a costume-wearing advertising executive, a saucy single mother and a level-headed gay artist.
Though the newly engaged couple lives on opposite coasts, Prudence still finds herself in as series of near-misses trying to keep Matt and Reilly unaware of the other’s existence. Ever-fumbling Prudence gave her new boyfriend the idea that she is a widow. Her husband has no idea that his wife has a fiancé in California.
Through singles ads and a “Wife of Reilly” gallery exhibit, the gang of four meets New York’s nuttiest single women looking for love. Among the pack, Prudence crosses paths with a recovering lesbian who has just graduated from Straight Expectations rehabilitation center, a horrifying mirror image of herself, and an aspiring writer who lost interest in her own memoirs mid-draft. Along the way, Prudence is rejected by an insipid kindergarten teacher, pumped for investment tips by a demanding attorney, and swarmed by wannabe wives of Reilly. And she finds herself intensely jealous of a creative young playwright who declared Reilly “damaged goods” after learning that he is not actually Prudence’s brother (as she originally claimed).
Through her eight-month search, Prudence ultimately helps find the next wife of Reilly, though not at all in the way she had originally planned. Somewhere along the journey, she discovers something far more important – herself.
351 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
134 people are currently reading
952 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Coburn
15 books793 followersJennifer Coburn is the author of CRADLES OF THE REICH, a historical novel about three very different German women who meet at a Nazi Lebensborn breeding home.
She is the author of a travel memoir, six contemporary novel, and contributor to five literary anthologies. Jennifer has written for U-T San Diego, Washington Post, Miami Herald, Mothering magazine, The Huffington Post, Salon.com, and numerous other newspapers and magazines. She lives in San Diego with her husband William and their daughter Katie.
She is the author of a travel memoir, six contemporary novel, and contributor to five literary anthologies. Jennifer has written for U-T San Diego, Washington Post, Miami Herald, Mothering magazine, The Huffington Post, Salon.com, and numerous other newspapers and magazines. She lives in San Diego with her husband William and their daughter Katie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 21, 2015
I thought the premise of the book was completely preposterous. It was incredibly unrealistic. The main character, Prudence, goes out of town, back to her alma mater only to run into her college boyfriend that she never quite got over. He invites her out and they pretty much pick up where they left off years ago. One problem: She's already married. Instead of telling him this, she lets him think her husband is dead. Despite not having talked to this guy for years and only having a weekend with him, he proposes to her! And she accepts and goes back home and starts to slowly fall out of love with her husband. She knows her husband is a good guy and doesn't deserve to be alone so she comes up with the "brilliant" idea to search for her own replacement to soften the blow of the divorce! Come on! Who does that?! And for her friends (albeit reluctantly) to go along? I only finished the book because I am one of those people that can't stop a book once I've started. I am sorry I picked up the book in the first place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2019
I loved reading it Prudence had me laughing so much, I had went with my husband to go play cards and of course I took this book to read, I could not help to laugh out loud and everyone kept looking at me, I didn't care because I was having so much fun with this book. I loved Prudence she is a breath of fresh air I also loved her friend Chad, I wish I had a friend like him. Thanks for Jennifer for a great read.
Happy Reading Lisa
Happy Reading Lisa
January 4, 2015
The book was okay most of the way, though, in general, I hated the main character. I know that isn't really something that you should take against the actual story, but I just really did hate her. I didn't see much sense in her actions, and I don't think a lot of the things she did should've been justified the way they were.
There's was actually a point wherein I was kind of engaged in the story. Some suspense was building, but the book never really satisfied that suspense because the ending kind of sucked.
The ending to me was just terrible. It was anti-climactic, and just...strange.
I was able to get it while it was still free though, at least. If I'd paid for it, I would've returned it by now.
There's was actually a point wherein I was kind of engaged in the story. Some suspense was building, but the book never really satisfied that suspense because the ending kind of sucked.
The ending to me was just terrible. It was anti-climactic, and just...strange.
I was able to get it while it was still free though, at least. If I'd paid for it, I would've returned it by now.
April 2, 2012
Coburn takes a premise that could have easily been an "I Love Lucy" episode and not only makes it plausible, but extremely entertaining as well. The writing is smart, witty and snarky! Brava!
April 21, 2018
Strange.
This is how I can define Prudence Malone.
Married to Reilly, she found herself in love with a former college classmate, Matt.
She tries to count on the help of her friends for a surprising mission: to find a new wife for her future ex-husband.
While Prudence does this, she plans her marriage and the moving from her current fiance from LA to NY.
Despite having the "best intentions", not everything happens exactly the way Prudence wanted...
4 stars
This is how I can define Prudence Malone.
Married to Reilly, she found herself in love with a former college classmate, Matt.
She tries to count on the help of her friends for a surprising mission: to find a new wife for her future ex-husband.
While Prudence does this, she plans her marriage and the moving from her current fiance from LA to NY.
Despite having the "best intentions", not everything happens exactly the way Prudence wanted...
4 stars
September 3, 2012
As I started reading this book, I was planning on maybe finishing it, but not liking it. The premise is what I would say about some sitcoms, and that is having the "idiot plot." I couldn't take the plot seriously. I don't think anyone would really try to find a replacement wife, that a group of friends would go along with it, that any woman would show up for a date with the guy's sister, etc etc etc. I even had a hard time with Matt's marriage proposal after a weekend of reconnecting with Prudence. I just didn't buy it as happening in real life. But, as I read on, I was able to set all that aside and enjoy the book. We suspend reality for all kinds of genres - fantasy, science fiction, etc. so I thought I could suspend reality for this plot and move on. And I wanted to, because I loved her wit and writing style. I thought her thoughts and commentary were really clever and funny. One thing in the plot I did like, was the added dimension of her father - I thought that gave the sarcastic, cynical, selfish Prudence a vulnerable side. I thought it factored into her personality and decisions in a very interesting way. That part of the book was believeable - her anger toward her father. I wish she had been able to to into a little more depth about Prudence confronting him about what he had done, but all in all, I think it was good. I ended up really enjoying the book, despite the reality checks and the main character's flaws.
April 5, 2012
I have to admit that the subject matter made me uncomfortable: a married woman cheating on her husband with her college boyfriend, then trying to find her own replacement in order to make herself feel less guilty. I stopped reading to check out what other readers had to say about the book and found myself surprised at the level of vitriol expressed against both the book and its main character. So I forced myself to keep reading and was glad that I did; I felt better about both the character and the plot as the story unfolded.
It's fascinating to me how a character can be written to inspire such a visceral response from a reader. I didn't really 'like' the main character because I thought she was self-absorbed and shallow, but I certainly wouldn't hold that against the author, especially since she made me laugh out loud several times while reading the book. Characters don't always have to be virtuous or sympathetic to be interesting, and this one is a case in point.
My real rating for this book is about a 3.5; I would have docked half a star since the author needed a good copyeditor and didn't use one. To all of you self-published authors out there: Please, please, please do a little research and find yourselves a reasonably-priced proofreader/copyeditor. They are out there if you look for them and are WELL worth the money.
It's fascinating to me how a character can be written to inspire such a visceral response from a reader. I didn't really 'like' the main character because I thought she was self-absorbed and shallow, but I certainly wouldn't hold that against the author, especially since she made me laugh out loud several times while reading the book. Characters don't always have to be virtuous or sympathetic to be interesting, and this one is a case in point.
My real rating for this book is about a 3.5; I would have docked half a star since the author needed a good copyeditor and didn't use one. To all of you self-published authors out there: Please, please, please do a little research and find yourselves a reasonably-priced proofreader/copyeditor. They are out there if you look for them and are WELL worth the money.
October 3, 2012
Wanting a chick lit novel with a twist ? Meet Prudence , she is married to a man but also engaged to another and now in the middle of planning not only a wedding but a divorce. On a trip back home to Ann Arbour and a Homecoming weekend - Prudence ran into her old flame , he is the one guy she has been convinced all her life - that he is her soulmate , her one true love. Caught up in the thrill of romance, something that has been gone from her marriage to Reilly over the last few years - Prudence begins an affair with Matt. Soon Prudence somehow goes from being a married women to Reilly and newly engaged to Matt. Back home , with the help of her three best friends Prudence has devised a plan to find Reilly a new wife so that when Prudence divorces him - he won't be lonely and have to go to all the trouble of finding a replacement, because of course no-one knows Reilly as well as Prudence. What follows is a fun in parts and sad in others journey on the lengths one woman and her three friends went to find a replacement wife for Reilly - a story of blind dates , Reilly parties with their own commerative mugs and secret rendevous's with Matt.
The Wife of Reilly is a fun novel and in parts though will have you wondering what she is doing is the right thing and is love really for soulmates or can it be fleeting ?
The Wife of Reilly is a fun novel and in parts though will have you wondering what she is doing is the right thing and is love really for soulmates or can it be fleeting ?
June 23, 2011
I finished up THE WIFE OF REILLY by Jennifer Coburn and if you like something really light and fun, this is the book for you. It is comical, and except for one thing that was hard for me to grasp, I really enjoyed this book. Prudence is trying to find her husband a new wife, because she has rekindled an old college romance and become engaged while she is still married to Reilly.
Her friends help her in running an ad and looking through perspective women that might be the new wife of Reilly, so Prudence doesn't have to feel so bad about asking for a divorce. It also has a side story about Prudence's relationship with her Father. How both things are resolved in the end. There are some pretty diverse characters in this book and I think that is why it was so much fun to read. Some of things they had to say were predictable, but still tied in with the point of the book.
I really liked this book and would definitely look for more books by Jennifer Coburn. There is no mystery, just a comical romance that is a little different then the rest on the market. I would give this 4.5 stars out of 5.
Her friends help her in running an ad and looking through perspective women that might be the new wife of Reilly, so Prudence doesn't have to feel so bad about asking for a divorce. It also has a side story about Prudence's relationship with her Father. How both things are resolved in the end. There are some pretty diverse characters in this book and I think that is why it was so much fun to read. Some of things they had to say were predictable, but still tied in with the point of the book.
I really liked this book and would definitely look for more books by Jennifer Coburn. There is no mystery, just a comical romance that is a little different then the rest on the market. I would give this 4.5 stars out of 5.
June 25, 2011
In the first paragraph of chapter one, we learn that our "heroine" cheated on her blameless husband with an ex-boyfriend who believed her to be a widow; then she accepted the clueless boyfriend's marriage proposal. I'm glad the library shelled out the funds for this book because I won't be finishing it. Life is too short to waste on a self-destructing, selfish, two-timing protagonist. (on page 48 of 304)
I liked the author's writing style and would read something else she's written as long as the main character isn't so stupid.
I liked the author's writing style and would read something else she's written as long as the main character isn't so stupid.
June 6, 2018
I hated every character in this book except for Reilly. I was hoping Prudence would have some redeeming qualities but that never happened. The plot was wacky, the ending was boring, and overall this book was a waste of time.
December 5, 2021
So I wouldn't say this was my favorite book of the year, nor my least favorite. It was entertaining.
Prudence is married to Reilly, a successful, kind businessman. When she heads back to Michigan to attend a homecoming game and visit with friends, she runs into her college beau, Matt. Sparks fly and before you know it, Reilly is supposedly 'dead' and Prudence has said yes to marrying Matt.
Only Reilly isn't really dead, and now she needs to juggle her 'dead' husband and Los Angeles-based fiancé. Throw in Prudence's estranged father and family and her wacky best friends, a plot to replace her as Reilly's wife, and a cross-country romance, and antics ensue.
It's a nice little chick lit book. Easy to pick up and put down. It's a tad dated with some of the references, but it's still a cute story.
Prudence is married to Reilly, a successful, kind businessman. When she heads back to Michigan to attend a homecoming game and visit with friends, she runs into her college beau, Matt. Sparks fly and before you know it, Reilly is supposedly 'dead' and Prudence has said yes to marrying Matt.
Only Reilly isn't really dead, and now she needs to juggle her 'dead' husband and Los Angeles-based fiancé. Throw in Prudence's estranged father and family and her wacky best friends, a plot to replace her as Reilly's wife, and a cross-country romance, and antics ensue.
It's a nice little chick lit book. Easy to pick up and put down. It's a tad dated with some of the references, but it's still a cute story.
February 8, 2019
Hilarious chick lit that made me laugh out loud. A ridiculous but funny novel set around the perils of Prudence who is dumping her handsome, smart, nice husband for an old flame she falsely believes has always been her true soul-mate. To rid her conscience of any wrong-doing, she decides to place an ad to find an ideal replacement wife for her husband; before leaving him. The plot and characters are charming and funny. A light, fast and funny read that is both entertaining and surprising with a few twists in it's unique plot.
September 23, 2019
A woman juggles a husband and a boyfriend. The mission of the soon-to-be ex-wife was to find a replacement for her lonely husband once the divorce settles. To find a new wife for Reilly.
Book starts off talking about the array of characters—uppity, prissy characters, if you ask me. I liked the concept, even though it sounded too far-fetched and harebrained. It didn’t really go anywhere. It just seemed like nothing but inane yakking.
Book starts off talking about the array of characters—uppity, prissy characters, if you ask me. I liked the concept, even though it sounded too far-fetched and harebrained. It didn’t really go anywhere. It just seemed like nothing but inane yakking.
December 11, 2025
Ugh....weird plot.
So Prudence Malone goes to a college reunion and runs into a former flame. They reconnect and he ends up proposing to her and she accepts. He's West Coast & she's NYC. Slight snag....she's married and ends up telling boyfriend her husband died. When she returns home, she launches a search for her replacement as wife to her non-dead husband. Husband finds out, they divorce. Kinda dumb scenario.
So Prudence Malone goes to a college reunion and runs into a former flame. They reconnect and he ends up proposing to her and she accepts. He's West Coast & she's NYC. Slight snag....she's married and ends up telling boyfriend her husband died. When she returns home, she launches a search for her replacement as wife to her non-dead husband. Husband finds out, they divorce. Kinda dumb scenario.
March 18, 2017
Struggled through this. Self absorbed silly woman, I can forgive, but it just went on and on. She surrounded herself with other self absorbed people, and the end result was that she got what she wanted. Yay.
January 29, 2025
I found the book 3.5 stars amusing, even though Prudence was ridiculous, Reilly was boring and oblivious, and Matt was just awful. The friend group was great though. I guess that is as it was meant to be.
October 23, 2024
What a great book
December 26, 2024
Well written but Prudence can choke on a bag of ducks.
May 24, 2025
kind of a far-fetched plot
but I ended up really liking this book
lots of funny parts too
but I ended up really liking this book
lots of funny parts too
October 23, 2013
Ok at first I thought pru was an idiot
I mean who goes back to an ex that dumped you
Then I realized that you never really stop loving the person you first fell head over heels for and I started to relate to her you know
Then when Matt turned out to be an even bigger dick than before I kept hoping she would go back to Reilly, then Reilly was engaged wtf
I really thought they could you know fix the marriage :(
But after about half way through I was so upset for pru I couldn't stop crying like a baby
Not one man in her life (father, Matt or Reilly) fought for her
They all left her and didn't love her enough to fight for her
Father left for another family
Matt chose Europe and LA over her
And Reilly left emotionally then physically twice
All I was thinking was that none of those asshats deserve her
Reilly should have fight to fix the marriage that he was supposedly so happy in for 14 years ... At first I thought him the victim but he accepted the fate of his marriage so easily
If my husband cheated on me, yeah I'd be pissed but I'd want to know why it didn't work and at least suggest fixing it
Yeah she was engaged but I would still want to suggesting fighting for us to fix it ... 14 years shouldn't just go down the crapper without a fight and that whole bit about how he won't make the same mistake with his new wife, so she was a mistake, a 14 year mistake... Wanker
Her father still gave her consolation prizes ... A dream catcher ... After he didn't show for her graduation cause his new daughter had an Indian party to go to please... Like that's going to fix 14 years of being second to everyone else
And Matt ... Omg wat a fuckstick... I know she thought she loved him but he did nothing for her... Never once did he actually ask for more details about her supposed deceased husband.... Yeah if I was marring a widow I would try to console them you know or at least care enough to be told the story, their pain is your pain all that jazz.... Two years is nothing for a husband to be dead. I was wooping when she cancelled the insurance woohoo you go girl
Then only reason this didn't get 5 stars is because I'm a sap for a happy ending
She goes to Italy and get a convertible WHAT???!!?? No hotty that she gets her happily ever after with? I thought the nun was like a spiritual guide and she would meet "the one" at the so-called spiritual retreat and get her happy ever after
She deserved a happy ever after ... Yay she went to Italy but still why should she end up alone when all she wants is someone to love her and fight for her and not dump her
Is it so much to ask for her to be happy
I mean who goes back to an ex that dumped you
Then I realized that you never really stop loving the person you first fell head over heels for and I started to relate to her you know
Then when Matt turned out to be an even bigger dick than before I kept hoping she would go back to Reilly, then Reilly was engaged wtf
I really thought they could you know fix the marriage :(
But after about half way through I was so upset for pru I couldn't stop crying like a baby
Not one man in her life (father, Matt or Reilly) fought for her
They all left her and didn't love her enough to fight for her
Father left for another family
Matt chose Europe and LA over her
And Reilly left emotionally then physically twice
All I was thinking was that none of those asshats deserve her
Reilly should have fight to fix the marriage that he was supposedly so happy in for 14 years ... At first I thought him the victim but he accepted the fate of his marriage so easily
If my husband cheated on me, yeah I'd be pissed but I'd want to know why it didn't work and at least suggest fixing it
Yeah she was engaged but I would still want to suggesting fighting for us to fix it ... 14 years shouldn't just go down the crapper without a fight and that whole bit about how he won't make the same mistake with his new wife, so she was a mistake, a 14 year mistake... Wanker
Her father still gave her consolation prizes ... A dream catcher ... After he didn't show for her graduation cause his new daughter had an Indian party to go to please... Like that's going to fix 14 years of being second to everyone else
And Matt ... Omg wat a fuckstick... I know she thought she loved him but he did nothing for her... Never once did he actually ask for more details about her supposed deceased husband.... Yeah if I was marring a widow I would try to console them you know or at least care enough to be told the story, their pain is your pain all that jazz.... Two years is nothing for a husband to be dead. I was wooping when she cancelled the insurance woohoo you go girl
Then only reason this didn't get 5 stars is because I'm a sap for a happy ending
She goes to Italy and get a convertible WHAT???!!?? No hotty that she gets her happily ever after with? I thought the nun was like a spiritual guide and she would meet "the one" at the so-called spiritual retreat and get her happy ever after
She deserved a happy ever after ... Yay she went to Italy but still why should she end up alone when all she wants is someone to love her and fight for her and not dump her
Is it so much to ask for her to be happy
August 29, 2024
Literature is full of main characters who are incredibly selfish or mean-spirited as well as characters who make terrible decisions. So I don't automatically default a novel for that, but the issue here is that not a single person in the MC's life seems to take her decision to simultaneously lie and manipulate two men because she . . . wants more excitement in her life?
While at a college reunion, Prudence reunites with an old boyfriend. Instead of telling him that she's been married for years, she tells him that she's a widow and she returns home secretly engaged. Instead of immediately dumping her husband, she decides that she'll find him a new woman to marry. Her plan is to introduce them and then tell her husband that she's leaving. If a friend told me about this plan, I'd immediately ask her to get a psychological evaluation because this is such a massive miscalculation of how the human heart operates. If my friend, who previously had been acting normal, brought this plan to me I would assume she was having a mental health crisis. But Prudence's friends, while thinking it's a wee bit not-kind, decide to go all in and make this scheme the focus of their weekly drinking sessions.
Terrible person has terrible friends. I guess it's not that much of a surprise. But the thing is that throughout the novel I frequently got the impression that Coburn herself thought of this thing as just harmless hijinks instead of a serious indictment of Prudence's moral code. The tone of the book reads as "wacky" instead of "women systematically lies to two men who are in love with her, including an episode where she moves all her husband's things out of their apartment while he's on a business trip so that she can spend a carnal weekend with her new fiance IN HER MARITAL APARTMENT." This wasn't funny or wacky, this was two men being manipulated by someone because she's bored and annoyed her husband didn't take her on expensive vacations.
While at a college reunion, Prudence reunites with an old boyfriend. Instead of telling him that she's been married for years, she tells him that she's a widow and she returns home secretly engaged. Instead of immediately dumping her husband, she decides that she'll find him a new woman to marry. Her plan is to introduce them and then tell her husband that she's leaving. If a friend told me about this plan, I'd immediately ask her to get a psychological evaluation because this is such a massive miscalculation of how the human heart operates. If my friend, who previously had been acting normal, brought this plan to me I would assume she was having a mental health crisis. But Prudence's friends, while thinking it's a wee bit not-kind, decide to go all in and make this scheme the focus of their weekly drinking sessions.
Terrible person has terrible friends. I guess it's not that much of a surprise. But the thing is that throughout the novel I frequently got the impression that Coburn herself thought of this thing as just harmless hijinks instead of a serious indictment of Prudence's moral code. The tone of the book reads as "wacky" instead of "women systematically lies to two men who are in love with her, including an episode where she moves all her husband's things out of their apartment while he's on a business trip so that she can spend a carnal weekend with her new fiance IN HER MARITAL APARTMENT." This wasn't funny or wacky, this was two men being manipulated by someone because she's bored and annoyed her husband didn't take her on expensive vacations.
February 15, 2014
The Wife of Reilly is about Prudence, a New York accountant, who is married to Reilly. A weekend away back to her old college sees her running into her college love, Matt. By the end of the weekend, they are engaged. There's just one problem, She told Matt that Reilly died in a boating accident. Oh, and there's the fact that she is still married to him. Luckily for her, Matt lives on the other side of the country, which gives her time to solve her little "problem".
Enter - The Scheme. Prudence ropes in her friends to help find a replacement wife for Reilly, so that he doesn't "lose out" when she marries Matt. A personal ad is placed, a singles party is thrown, chaos ensues.
The basic premise of this book disturbed me greatly. Yet it also intrigued me which is why I read it. The story moves quickly in places, but very slowly in others. Sometimes you are left wanting to grab Prudence and slap the stupid out of her. Other times you think she just might be a genius.
The secondary characters are charming and likable, but perhaps should make more of an appearance.
The Wife of Reilly is not your usual "chick lit" and is definitely not a romance, despite what you may think. If you are looking for something light, but different to the usual chick lit genre, give this one a go.
Enter - The Scheme. Prudence ropes in her friends to help find a replacement wife for Reilly, so that he doesn't "lose out" when she marries Matt. A personal ad is placed, a singles party is thrown, chaos ensues.
The basic premise of this book disturbed me greatly. Yet it also intrigued me which is why I read it. The story moves quickly in places, but very slowly in others. Sometimes you are left wanting to grab Prudence and slap the stupid out of her. Other times you think she just might be a genius.
The secondary characters are charming and likable, but perhaps should make more of an appearance.
The Wife of Reilly is not your usual "chick lit" and is definitely not a romance, despite what you may think. If you are looking for something light, but different to the usual chick lit genre, give this one a go.
April 1, 2013
the book was O.K...I felt very uncomfortable reading about Prudence cheating on her husband and carrying on this secret relationship with Matt, while either man not having a clue as to what was going on. The likelihood that a woman would actually try to find a replacement wife for her soon to be ex is far fetched. There were some good points to the book though... her close relationship with her friends, her mended relationship with her dad and her FINALLY going to Italy. I didn't like how there was no explanation as to why Matt bailed on her ...and what was he doing all those times when we expected him to call, but days would pass? Was that supposed to be a sign that he wasn't really ready for the big commitment? Also, Matt had NO idea whatsoever that Prudence was still married... kinda seems like in reality that couldn't really happen, is he THAT oblivious?? And I wish there was some sort of better ending. Italy was talked up a big deal and we don't even know how it panned out for her. This wasn't a horrible book but it wasn't one of my favorites either.
June 7, 2012
When I started the book, I found the main character to be unlikeable. As I kept reading it, the people who surrounded her were also very unlikeable. As the story went on, it got more and more ridiculous and suddenly it was like I was looking at a train wreak, wanting to know what was going to happen next.
I think part of the reason the characters were so unlikeable was that it was hard to comprehend the lifestyle. The main character and her husband both earned 6 digit figures that began with a 2. They could spend money on whatever they wanted, so why wouldn't she go and have an affair? As the story went on and more and more bad stuff started to happen to her, I couldn't help but feel she deserved it.
Still, it read well, and quickly, but I can't imagine ever reading it again. The story seemed unlikely and ridiculous. The characters were not the kind that "stuck" with me, like saying goodbye to an old friend. It was more like good riddance, once I got through the weak ending.
I think part of the reason the characters were so unlikeable was that it was hard to comprehend the lifestyle. The main character and her husband both earned 6 digit figures that began with a 2. They could spend money on whatever they wanted, so why wouldn't she go and have an affair? As the story went on and more and more bad stuff started to happen to her, I couldn't help but feel she deserved it.
Still, it read well, and quickly, but I can't imagine ever reading it again. The story seemed unlikely and ridiculous. The characters were not the kind that "stuck" with me, like saying goodbye to an old friend. It was more like good riddance, once I got through the weak ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2015
I love the story, it's funny, edgy, and I can relate to the character of Prudence. But I know why the rating of this novel is bad, because it doesn't end with happy ending. I was so disappointed with what happened to Matt, he just dropped the engagement just like that, although its a good thing because Pru is having her second thoughts as well. What's really heart breaking about the story is Reilly, I thought Prudence and Reilly would end up together, I almost cry, and something hit my heart as I turn the page and noticing that I'm almost at the last page and Reilly is really going to marry Sarah. Ouch! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE STORY EXCEPT FOR THE ENDING..
March 26, 2012
The Wife of Reilly was a different read than my usaul. It had parts that I really enjoyed, parts that were very thought provoking and parts that drove me nuts. There were a couple places where I was dis-enchanted enough to consider putting it down and not picking it back up. But something about the story compelled me to continue reading to the end. The story of one woman's growth; it was fascinating to watch her grow from a selfish idiot to a caring human being who had learned something from her selfish mistakes and idiocy.
March 26, 2012
Good writing, fun dialogue.... if it had JUST been about Prudence and her friends and the shenanigans they could get into together, that would have been great. It had a real "Sex in the City" feel to it. But the drugs and the actual premise.....awful. I wanted to delete it about 25% into it, but I kept hoping for the story to redeem itself. It never did. This is the first time I've really been sorry to have wasted sleep on a book. Silver lining....it definitely teaches you to be careful what you wish for. Karma is a bizatch.
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