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Wives and Lovers
Victoria Stratford's birthday party for her husband David shows off their beautiful Wimbledon house, their wonderful children, and their perfect lives. But while Victoria welcomes her guests, the only person missing is David himself. Victoria's sister Clara and her husband Tom are at the party. Unworldly and idealistic, Tom scorns David's quest for wealth. While Clara is content with her job as a university lecturer, she yearns for a change in her life. In the garden, the youngest sister Annie talks to her husband Hugo. Very happy together, the only blight on their lives is Hugo's mother, whose jealousy and possessiveness have turned into a poisonous hatred of Annie. So begins a train of events that will lead each sister down a different path—towards love, sex, grief, betrayal, and happiness.
410 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 7, 2017
I really enjoyed the character evolution of the 3 sisters. It made for an enjoyable read.
January 7, 2018
I wanted to start this year reading a genre that I usually keep away from, because sometimes it's important to explore that which you find tedious, because it might (or might not) help you see a different world. In the spirit of this endeavor I picked up Wives and Lovers, and Lord! it was quite a task. Perhaps I'm being a bit unfair here, but the book just wouldn't get over soon enough!!
I had picked up this title from the second hand book bazaar in Abids (Hyderabad). I wouldn't really call it chick lit - I've read some well written ones - neither can I call it pulp fiction because it's missing a certain element of "lurid" that might put it in that category. So I'm going to settle for calling it a consumerism-romance, and I'll tell you why in a bit.
The core plot in itself is quite basic. The story is set in London, somewhere in the late 80's or early 90's, and revolves around the lives of 3 sisters and their marriage. Victoria, the oldest, is married to a successful lawyer with a high-end life, who nurses political ambitions. Quite predictably, she's trapped in the role of a trophy wife, pandering to the needs of her children, taking care of the house, attending PTAs, and constantly meeting the demands of an ungrateful (and ill tempered) husband. All of this has led to her losing a sense of self, and her only joy lies in spending money on clothes, hair, and expensive furnishings for the house.
The second sister, Clara, has a successful career and is married to an idealistic social worker, but their marriage has lost spark on account of predictability, the loss of romance, work pressure, and other cliches. This eventually leads her to have an affair, and the novel explores the unsavory side of liaisons, and how they can leave a massive mess that takes time and patience to clean up.
The youngest sister, Annie, has the perfect marriage, but finds herself in a sinking situation when she has to deal with the sudden death of her husband, and a resulting bankruptcy that leads to her losing the house. But of course, realism takes a back seat, and feminism throws up in the corner, as she finds herself being rescued by an unlikely guardian angel - a man! Who by the way is rich, hot, and a perfect gentleman who falls hopelessly in love with her at first sight! I'm rolling my eyes so hard right now that I'm pretty sure they've reached the back of my head!
The plot in its basic from isn't half-bad, and might even have spoken for something if it was handled with a bit of maturity and depth. But what kills the book for me is the narrative! I think the author nursed an interest in fashion/interiors, because the paragraphs drone on and on with each chapter, about houses and their interiors, period furniture, color schemes, curtains, and even walls! I think the author hasn't missed describing in detail, one single building that makes an appearance the story, no matter how brief!
As if filling the chapters with the details of buildings and interior design wasn't bad enough, she also commences to describe most of the characters (minor or major) in social gathering scenes, in painful detail, but only with descriptives of what they are wearing and how they are dressed! All of this, makes the overall novel tediously one dimensional. It almost felt like Inside-Outside and Vogue magazine had a glossy covered baby, and I was leafing through it seemingly forever, with a few honest spurts of real writing in between.
But I must be fair, reading this wasn't a completely futile attempt. It did give me a peek into the tiny, consumerism driven world that some enjoy living in. Also, I did learn a few new words in fashion and architecture, which I might have otherwise never known!
I had picked up this title from the second hand book bazaar in Abids (Hyderabad). I wouldn't really call it chick lit - I've read some well written ones - neither can I call it pulp fiction because it's missing a certain element of "lurid" that might put it in that category. So I'm going to settle for calling it a consumerism-romance, and I'll tell you why in a bit.
The core plot in itself is quite basic. The story is set in London, somewhere in the late 80's or early 90's, and revolves around the lives of 3 sisters and their marriage. Victoria, the oldest, is married to a successful lawyer with a high-end life, who nurses political ambitions. Quite predictably, she's trapped in the role of a trophy wife, pandering to the needs of her children, taking care of the house, attending PTAs, and constantly meeting the demands of an ungrateful (and ill tempered) husband. All of this has led to her losing a sense of self, and her only joy lies in spending money on clothes, hair, and expensive furnishings for the house.
The second sister, Clara, has a successful career and is married to an idealistic social worker, but their marriage has lost spark on account of predictability, the loss of romance, work pressure, and other cliches. This eventually leads her to have an affair, and the novel explores the unsavory side of liaisons, and how they can leave a massive mess that takes time and patience to clean up.
The youngest sister, Annie, has the perfect marriage, but finds herself in a sinking situation when she has to deal with the sudden death of her husband, and a resulting bankruptcy that leads to her losing the house. But of course, realism takes a back seat, and feminism throws up in the corner, as she finds herself being rescued by an unlikely guardian angel - a man! Who by the way is rich, hot, and a perfect gentleman who falls hopelessly in love with her at first sight! I'm rolling my eyes so hard right now that I'm pretty sure they've reached the back of my head!
The plot in its basic from isn't half-bad, and might even have spoken for something if it was handled with a bit of maturity and depth. But what kills the book for me is the narrative! I think the author nursed an interest in fashion/interiors, because the paragraphs drone on and on with each chapter, about houses and their interiors, period furniture, color schemes, curtains, and even walls! I think the author hasn't missed describing in detail, one single building that makes an appearance the story, no matter how brief!
As if filling the chapters with the details of buildings and interior design wasn't bad enough, she also commences to describe most of the characters (minor or major) in social gathering scenes, in painful detail, but only with descriptives of what they are wearing and how they are dressed! All of this, makes the overall novel tediously one dimensional. It almost felt like Inside-Outside and Vogue magazine had a glossy covered baby, and I was leafing through it seemingly forever, with a few honest spurts of real writing in between.
But I must be fair, reading this wasn't a completely futile attempt. It did give me a peek into the tiny, consumerism driven world that some enjoy living in. Also, I did learn a few new words in fashion and architecture, which I might have otherwise never known!
February 14, 2018
I went into this book expecting a Bridget Jones style story, complete with the warm fuzzies and silly smiles that you get from a chic-lit. Which is what I got for the most part.
I found the story to be a bit of a slog, it was hard to get through and there were parts of the story that were not needed, such as lengthy descriptions of the house and its décor. I found David to be particularly annoying, and I suspect that this was deliberate, so the story arc with Victoria was definitely a highlight for me, even though I would have preferred to have been shown the final plan rather than seeing the end result. I also hated the description of her enduring sex as an illustration of how bad the relationship was between them, as I felt that it was overused and altogether too descriptive.
Annie was another character that I enjoyed reading about, with her development through grief and coming out of the other side. Her story was something to be enjoyed, and was definitely the chic lit element of the story, although again there were elements of her story that I felt were unnecessary and added very little to the overall plotline other than as a character introduction.
Finally, Clara and Tom (and this may get a bit spoliery). I canrnot believe how this storyline ended. It was completely out of place in the narrative and, although it mostly ends well, I am so annoyed at Tom and the fact that there is the hint that he has got away with it. His punishment is to live forever as a hypocrite, and it is different for men, isn't it? So we can assume that the relationship will fall apart sometime in the future as it has a huge lie going right down the centre of it. Considering everyone else got a hopeful resolution, this was such a downer and I think a huge waste of a potential storyline.
There were times that I was not sure if I would complete this book, but I am glad that I did (Tom aside). An overall ok read.
I found the story to be a bit of a slog, it was hard to get through and there were parts of the story that were not needed, such as lengthy descriptions of the house and its décor. I found David to be particularly annoying, and I suspect that this was deliberate, so the story arc with Victoria was definitely a highlight for me, even though I would have preferred to have been shown the final plan rather than seeing the end result. I also hated the description of her enduring sex as an illustration of how bad the relationship was between them, as I felt that it was overused and altogether too descriptive.
Annie was another character that I enjoyed reading about, with her development through grief and coming out of the other side. Her story was something to be enjoyed, and was definitely the chic lit element of the story, although again there were elements of her story that I felt were unnecessary and added very little to the overall plotline other than as a character introduction.
Finally, Clara and Tom (and this may get a bit spoliery). I canrnot believe how this storyline ended. It was completely out of place in the narrative and, although it mostly ends well, I am so annoyed at Tom and the fact that there is the hint that he has got away with it. His punishment is to live forever as a hypocrite, and it is different for men, isn't it? So we can assume that the relationship will fall apart sometime in the future as it has a huge lie going right down the centre of it. Considering everyone else got a hopeful resolution, this was such a downer and I think a huge waste of a potential storyline.
There were times that I was not sure if I would complete this book, but I am glad that I did (Tom aside). An overall ok read.
December 5, 2017
Il libro inizia con la descrizione di un ricevimento e per venti pagine non si fa altro che presentare gli ospiti, la casa, quali casi del marito avvocato siano occorsi per arredarla e altre astrusità del genere. Consigliato a chi ama i classici alla Orgoglio e pregiudizio.
April 17, 2019
Took a while to find the book engrossing but became more interesting towards the end.
October 16, 2019
An enjoyable book to read! Took a while for it to get into but definitely some intense parts and I loved how the author linked the sisters together to show what sisterhood really is like. :)
November 11, 2019
A very enjoyable quick read with some quirky twists. Not just a usual 'aga saga'
May 4, 2020
Slow start but brilliant read
May 9, 2022
Beautifully written
May 14, 2022
I do not dislike nor do I like this book. It was easy to read and some interesting chapters now and then. It's about family dramas. Overall I do enjoy this book.
June 10, 2025
I liked Victoria's story and that was about it.
June 29, 2025
The story was okay, easy to read.
April 10, 2023
el libro me ha gustado mucho, desde el principio y sin necesitar mucha descripción conectas mucho con cada personaje. está muy buen escrito y cada personaje queda retratado de forma que, sin ser literalmente definido, conoces perfectamente la personalidad de cada uno.
me encantan cómo las historias entre las tres hermanas se intercalan, te hace imaginártelo todo como una serie.
lo que menos me ha gustado: la historia de las elecciones de David se me ha hecho en algunas ocasiones un poco pesada, el final bastante decepcionante
aún así me ha gustado mucho :)
me encantan cómo las historias entre las tres hermanas se intercalan, te hace imaginártelo todo como una serie.
lo que menos me ha gustado: la historia de las elecciones de David se me ha hecho en algunas ocasiones un poco pesada, el final bastante decepcionante
aún así me ha gustado mucho :)
April 9, 2013
This is the story of three sisters and their husbands. Victoria has a big house, two children and a husband determined to become the next Prime Minister, but David's ambitions have absolute sway over every aspect of her life. Clara is bored with her marriage to dependable, hard-working Tom, who everyone likes, except for David. When one of her mature students makes it clear he likes her, temptation to stray becomes unbearable. And the youngest, Annie, happily married and still very much in love with Hugo, even if his mother treats her like scum. But her life is about to be completly turned around as tragedy strikes.
I'm not that keen on 'chic-lit' type books, but every so often I pick one up that I really enjoy. I liked the characters and was swept along by the events that completley twist their lifes to pieces. I think Victoria's story had the funniest ending and I loved the way she gets even with David, while Annie's story ended a bit predictably and, fo me, didn't sit true with how her character was truly portrayed at the start. Overall, an entertaining, 'fluffy' type of read, with great characters, a fast-paced plot and a plenty of surprises along the way. Well worth reading
I'm not that keen on 'chic-lit' type books, but every so often I pick one up that I really enjoy. I liked the characters and was swept along by the events that completley twist their lifes to pieces. I think Victoria's story had the funniest ending and I loved the way she gets even with David, while Annie's story ended a bit predictably and, fo me, didn't sit true with how her character was truly portrayed at the start. Overall, an entertaining, 'fluffy' type of read, with great characters, a fast-paced plot and a plenty of surprises along the way. Well worth reading
August 19, 2016
Surprisingly good. A friend of mine had really liked this book but I wouldn't have spontaneously gone towards a book titled "wives and lovers" myself otherwise. I am not big on light romantic stories.
It turns out that it wasn't that. Although the lovers were a big part of the plot, they were far from being the main focus and I thoroughly enjoyed the three sister's characters. Suicide and depression is also one of the subjects of this book making it darker than I thought it would be.
Yes the ending is predictable but I found myself wanting to know how it would get to this point. The character development was interesting and the book is generally well written. I only gave it three stars because I have read very similar stories but it is a good, realistic family fiction.
It turns out that it wasn't that. Although the lovers were a big part of the plot, they were far from being the main focus and I thoroughly enjoyed the three sister's characters. Suicide and depression is also one of the subjects of this book making it darker than I thought it would be.
Yes the ending is predictable but I found myself wanting to know how it would get to this point. The character development was interesting and the book is generally well written. I only gave it three stars because I have read very similar stories but it is a good, realistic family fiction.
March 7, 2017
I never realised how easy it was to fall in love with a character in only one chapter, but Hugo was so easy to like!
I've never really been one for romance but I'm so glad I read this book. The characters are amazing and diverse and the plot twists so absorbing. I could share the glee with Victoria, the pain with Annie and with Clara, I was close to tears.
Reading the last chapter I thought it would all be tied up in a neat little bow, giving us all a happy ending, but that doesn't happen in real life, why should it in fiction?
Varley touches on some major issues in relationships and life in general, in a sensitive and engaging manner. An excellent book, I would suggest it to anyone
I've never really been one for romance but I'm so glad I read this book. The characters are amazing and diverse and the plot twists so absorbing. I could share the glee with Victoria, the pain with Annie and with Clara, I was close to tears.
Reading the last chapter I thought it would all be tied up in a neat little bow, giving us all a happy ending, but that doesn't happen in real life, why should it in fiction?
Varley touches on some major issues in relationships and life in general, in a sensitive and engaging manner. An excellent book, I would suggest it to anyone
January 13, 2011
really enjoyed this book.
Victoria is married to David, a Barrister, both are not content in their marriage but Victoria is willing to stay for the children's sake! Clara, a University Lecturer is married to Tom, a Social Worker - their relationship is a bit boring. Annie, the youngest sister is married to Hugo, whose company builds Conservetory's etc. On the evening of David's 40th birthday a tradegy occurs that starts sending everyone's lives spinning.
It was put together well.
Victoria is married to David, a Barrister, both are not content in their marriage but Victoria is willing to stay for the children's sake! Clara, a University Lecturer is married to Tom, a Social Worker - their relationship is a bit boring. Annie, the youngest sister is married to Hugo, whose company builds Conservetory's etc. On the evening of David's 40th birthday a tradegy occurs that starts sending everyone's lives spinning.
It was put together well.
September 15, 2010
Easy read but the main character was pretty annoying. I enjoyed the story but may not have stuck with it if it wasn't the last book I had left on holiday. Very light, probably not a good holiday read if you like something to get your teeth into.
December 27, 2012
Не знам зошто долго време сум чекала за да ја прочитам книгава!Навистина ми се допадна, особено Викторија и нејзиниот начин на справување ... со нејзиниот сопруг... и посебно на крајот од книгава :))!!!
December 20, 2008
enjoyable chick lit recommended by Jasmin, my awesome book worm sister in law
December 23, 2011
Family is always good for a photo, but not always for the real life. I tried to read the book, but it didn't caught my attention much enough.
December 31, 2012
A nice chick-lit book - perhaps a bit more serious in the tone than they ususally are. It was OK.
January 26, 2013
More Cathy Kelly than Marian Keyes this chic- lit is well written and generally enjoyable. It's not fast moving but really starts to gain momentum towards the end. A good holiday read.
August 4, 2009
Good Airport read
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews