Has Anyone Seen My Husband?

by Kathleen Whyman

She married him for better or worse. But no one mentioned the ex-wife.

When saying 'I do' to the love of her life, it didn't matter to Marie that Scott had been married before. But four years later, it's a different story.

These days, Marie feels as though Scott sees more of his first wife and their children than he does of her and their energetic toddler. All she wants is for them to be a happy, blended family, but it's not so easy when his ex-wife refuses to let the two families meet.

Well, Marie's had enough - there's only so much a woman can take! Now she's setting out to find his ex and prove that she's a decent person who can be trusted with the children.

But there's a slight catch: Scott's asked her to let him handle it, so she'll need to be discreet. Which is difficult when her mum, cousin and aunt decide to get involved and don't know the meaning of the word.

Marie's determined to make it work and pull off the impossible, preferably without getting publicly humiliated, arrested or even divorced...

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

349 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 2024

Reviews

[Dun's]

What an entertaining and engaging read this was! I am new to Kathleen Whyman and was immediately hooked by her witty and humorous writing style.

It’s a modern story about marriage and family relationships. “For better or worse”, but let’s be honest, how bad can the marital things get before you take off the rose-tinted glasses and do something?

[lottiereadsx_]

My eyes couldn't read this fast enough and I couldn't wait to find out how things were going to end for Marie.

Marie was a great character to follow and watching her navigate her life and all its dramas - juggling working life with being a mum, trying to wrangle her husband Scott and maintain a successful business and be there for her daughter was all so compelling to read.

It felt very realistic and there's elements of her life everyone can relate to at some point and it was related in a sympathetic funny way

It was super easy to keep reading and fall into the chapters till there was none left, Brilliant read and I can't wait for more.

[Nicola Michelle]

I’ve read every single one of Kathleen Whyman’s books and I will continue to do so and eagerly await every new release! When I saw there was a new one to sink my claws into, I couldn’t wait to get started. And I hungrily devoured the book within two days - whoops!

My eyes couldn’t read this fast enough and I couldn’t wait to find out how things were going to end for Marie. I was all there for the drama and I was rooting for her so hard!

She was a great character to follow and watching her navigate her life and all its dramas - juggling working life with being a mum, trying to wrangle her husband Scott and maintain a successful business and be there for her daughter was all so compelling to read.

It was super easy to keep reading and fall into the one more chapter trap, which I well and truly succumbed to! Brilliant read and I can’t wait for more.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Samantha Jane]

I absolutely loved this book ! I wouldn’t normally read this kind of fiction but I saw it advertised on a competition on Facebook and it sounded fantastic. It was so funny and relatable. Some bits were a little predictable and it ended pretty much how I wanted it to so i was pleased 😀

[Izzy]

Perfect poolside reading

[Mrs A Smith]

Some real laugh out loud bits in this book , really enjoyed it , did guess the twist and was also shouting at Marie a bit . Will watch out for other books

[Sie]

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by this author.
Not a romcom as I took from the cover.

[Mona]

Unfunny

Didn't like this book in the least. Writing was good, premise was horrid. Wasn't funny. Have known couples in this situation at the domestic violence center. Not all violence is physical.

[Miranda Lowe]

Eek… the description said “laugh out loud funny”. It was not funny, the grandma’s tried to copy Dial A for Aunties, but failed miserably. The main character was manipulated, abused, and taken advantage of, and was clear as day and predictable from very early on. This was sad, and not a good use of time. Do not recommend.

[Johanna]

Writing is cute but the twist is so painfully obvious, not sure how it has such good reviews

[Laura]

I was lucky enough to win this book in a recent giveaway with The Bookload on Facebook and have devoured it!

If you’re interested in reading it too, it is currently available for 99p on Kindle, and for free as a Prime Reading title to borrow (as at 28/08/24)

The story is of Marie, happily married to Scott, proud parents of 3 year old Anna. Scott has been married before, and has an ex-wife and two other children in his life. However, the ex-wife won’t let Marie or Anna meet her or the children. Marie dreams of a big blended family, where she’s a popular step-mother and her daughter knows her siblings.

With Scott apparently failing to make any headway on convincing his ex to meet Marie, Marie decides she’s going to find the ex herself and with the unwanted assistance of her mother, aunt and cousin, she starts the search.

It’s hard to say much more without giving away spoilers but this was a book of contradictions for me. I found Scott thoroughly annoying from the beginning, probably because I used to do family law cases as a solicitor! Marie was a great character, as were her Maman, aunt and cousin. There were a lot of laughs out loud moments, and some heart wrenching scenes too.

I very nearly gave up on this due to the frustration I felt with Scott not standing up to his ex, but I’m glad I persevered.

In her “Note from the author”, Kathleen Whitman says “I aim to provide witty, warm, uplifting stories…[but] serious stuff happens and I think it’s important not to shy away from it.” I think that’s an excel summary of this book.

I’ve not read anything else by this author but I will be seeking out her other books now.

Thank you again to The Bookload, Sarah Buckenham, and Embla Books for my copy 😊

[Natalie]

This was a good story!

Marie is married to Scott, and they have a 3 year old daughter Anna. Their relationship is not all smooth sailing because Scott has an ex-wife and 2 children and the ex-wife, Liz, is constantly on the phone and demanding he does all sorts for the children they share, meaning he spends a lot of time with his other children. Liz has said there's no way she will allow their children to meet Marie or Anna, and so Scott has to go back and forth between, which is causing a lot of problems for Marie and Scott.

Marie is a wedding dress designer, and her best friend and cousin Brigitte, shares the building they rent as a shop, while Brigitte does massages and healing across the landing. When things get tough for Marie, she is determined to track down Liz, and try to convince her to let their families blend for the sake of the children.

This means Marie and Brigitte, along with their mothers, go on a search for all the Liz Clarks who could possibly fit the bill. They only have little information from Scott on Liz, so don't have much to go on to find the real Liz Clark.

Along with their mothers, they get themselves in some sticky situations trying to track down Liz Clark. Marie finds herself attracted to her doctor, who is actually "gay", so she doesn't think anything can happen there but as she grows more distant from Scott, things take a turn she hadn't expected.

This was a funny read and I enjoyed this, it was quite fast paced and short chapters were a bonus.

[Emz]

I am absolutely in love with this book! Physically I could not put it down for more than a minute without picking it back up again to see what happened next!

Scott and Marie are the most realistic couple I’ve ever seen in a book! Their relationship isn’t all fairy dust and glitter but it’s still filled with love and affection towards one another which is what I LOVEEEE!!!

A common thing I see is that Marie has this “Facebook humor” and honestly I love it! Yes I’m a teenager who likes Facebook kinda humor I’m weird! But there’s times where i genuinely laughed at the jokes!

The fight between Scott and Marie was a highlight! It honestly was the biggest plot twist in this book and I still couldn’t believe what I read when I read it!

Bridgette is one of the best FMC’s best friend I’ve seen in a while! She’s quirky, funny not in a cringy way and puts her best friends feelings high on her list! I feel like if Marie murdered someone she would be her alibi!

This book is filled with amazing character as well as the plot being chef’s kiss! I will definitely recommend this book to anyone I could! This is my first book I’ve ever read from this author and honestly I’m impressed and will definitely try and read more of their work!

[Ritu Bhathal]

Oh my, I had sooo many thoughts and predictions as I read/listened to this, and I wasn't far wrong, but also I wasn't right either!
Marie is married to Scott, and they have a gorgeous little girl. Scott also has children from a previous marriage, but Marie has yet to meet her stepchildren, and create a blended family that she thinks would be great for her own daughter, who has no siblings. Only Scott has the ex-wife from h*ll, determined to place a wedge into their chances of happiness and constantly placing demands on his time.
Marie is hoping that they can start trying for baby #2, so her own little one has a sibling at least.
Marie is also a wedding dress designer, and has plenty of brides-to-be dramas of her own to sort out along with home life, as well as finding out the dishy GP she has taken a bit of a secret fancy to, is one of her client's brothers, and chance means they keep on meeting.
All this along with her French mother and aunt who like to cause their own mischief, as well as a cousin who is firmly on her side, but has her own opinions.
I was fully ensconced in Marie's life, rooting for her, cheering her along, and maybe, just maybe, gently encouraging her to explore 'things' with that dishy GP!
A fab book, a great listen and a brilliant story!

[Jo]

She married him for better or worse. But no one mentioned the ex-wife.

When saying 'I do' to the love of her life, it didn't matter to Marie that Scott had been married before. But four years later, it's a different story.

These days, Marie feels as though Scott sees more of his first wife and their children than he does of her and their energetic toddler. All she wants is for them to be a happy, blended family, but it's not so easy when his ex-wife refuses to let the two families meet.

Well, Marie's had enough - there's only so much a woman can take! Now she's setting out to find his ex and prove that she's a decent person who can be trusted with the children.

But there's a slight catch: Scott's asked her to let him handle it, so she'll need to be discreet. Which is difficult when her mum, cousin and aunt decide to get involved and don't know the meaning of the word.

Marie's determined to make it work and pull off the impossible, preferably without getting publicly humiliated, arrested or even divorced...

[Laura The Busy Book Corner]

Narrator ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story ⭐⭐⭐.75

I listened to the audiobook of this book. The narrator is great! She is great at doing the different voices for each character. I definitely would listen to more audios read by her.

The story itself was frustrating more than anything. But I guess lots of people find themselves in relationships that are mentally abusive with them being gaslit. But listening to it was frustrating. I wanted to shake the main character!

The story and ending was easy to guess from the start. Then I guessed more and more details throughout the story! This made it more frustrating when the main character was being gaslit. I didn't feel relaxed, but frustrated when certain characters were in a chapter. I guess the author did a good job to bring such emotions to the reader. The side characters made the story entertaining especially her cousin and the mum's. I would recommend this audiobook.

I was gifted a free copy from Embla Books

[Lucyna Cresnik]

The first few pages had me thinking I was not going to like it much : the set up of Marie being this gullible was just not plausible to me. I couldn’t relate or sympathize. It felt very obvious to me what Scott was up to.

However. The humour in this book was really well written. It’s clear from direct and indirect references that this author admires Jane Austen, and it’s clear she captured one of the most important parts of Jane Austen’s most famous romantic comedy: the comedy. The consistency in the witty and the ridiculous characters is what kept me reading. And it paid off, because despite some obvious plot points, there were some twists I didn’t see quite coming till the middle of the story. I think this book could have been a five star had the modern Mr. Darcy here been given a. growth curve, instead of being perfect the whole time.

[Rayo Reads]

I love this book, the humor! The drama! And the mystique surrounding Scott and his numerous problems. I can't believe Marie and his ex-wife married this guy. Scott is an a$$hole, and he deserves to be treated as such. Those poor innocent kids 😩.

While humor was a big part of the novel, this book shines a light on serious topics such as infidelity, gaslighting, serial lying, and paternal irresponsibility towards children, just to say the least.

I had so much fun laughing while reading this book and gained awareness of how lies and subtle gaslighting build up! What Scott did is unacceptable! And my heart goes out to all the things he did to the women he was with; what a gag🤮🤢.

And yes, there is a love interest 🥰🥰🥰.

[Beverley Douglas]

I can't say I get it when it comes to comedy. But this is a really good read. The characters Marie's Maman, Aunt Francine, and daughter Annia made the book come alive. The French dialogue had me in stitches, as did little Anna's sarcasm and inappropriate language. Brigitte is a true friend. Who wouldn't love her tenacity. I thought Scot was a jerk from the first chapter, and as the story unfolds, my gut feeling is correct. There are some amazing twists throughout the book that kept me captivated and wanting to know what was coming next. Not wishing to give anything away, I ended up rooting for Marie, and at the end, I thought. The girls done good.

[Julia Boggio]

Just finished reading ‘Has Anyone Seen My Husband?’ and I’m smiling from ear-to-ear. I rooted for Marie’s HEA from the beginning—although it was a rollercoaster ride to get there. Kathleen Whyman has done an amazing job of writing a funny, poignant look into modern relationships. I was screaming at the characters almost from the beginning and the story had me gripped right up until the end. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the author for an ARC of book.

[chloe🪐]

This was a funny, short quick read that did have me laughing the majority of the time. The dialogue was so back and forth and witty, the characters were so well thought out and unique. There was some quite heavy topics in the book but was spoken about respectfully and I didn’t feel uncomfortable at any point - just MAJORLY annoyed near the end (if you know, you know!) but genuinely would recommend this to anyone to read!

[Holly]

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was a funny and quick easy read, the plot kept me engaged and I found the characters likeable most of the time, the main character is very on the gullible side and it’s frustrating at times but I also think she has to be that way for the plot & the book to work, it was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it, I’d totally read another book from Kathleen Whyman, this was a nice introduction to her work

[Michelle Lay]

This is a brilliant book. It had me laughing from the first page. The author's delightful use of language and her talent for writing comedy are enough to make the book 5 stars. However, through the humour, the author tackles complex issues that many of us encounter in our lives, making it highly relatable. It is a love story, not only in the traditional sense, but also about love between families and the sisterhood. Can't wait to read Kathleen's other books.

[Lisa]

Fun read

This was a funny, laugh out loud page turner! Marie is a dressmaker, specializing in wedding dresses. She is married to Scott and has a three year old daughter. Marie is Scott's second wife. Marie has not met Scott's ex-wife or his other two children in the three years they have been together. Scott always seems to have reasonable excuse. It was pretty easy to figure out the jist of this book early on. If you are looking for a light, fun read, try this one!

[Ivy Ngeow]

Warm, funny, and sharply observed, this novel captures the messy realities of marriage, motherhood, and rediscovering yourself. From the POV of Sarah and her husband Will, Kathleen Whyman balances humour with emotional honesty, creating characters who feel authentic and relatable when gender roles are reversed and how society's pressure changes a relationship's dynamics. It’s both uplifting and thought-provoking—a perfect read for anyone who has ever wondered about the road not taken.

[Gail O'Connor]

Well crafted with layers to the story that struck so many emotions and thoughts about the situation as well as the characters. The story revolves about a wife who wants to bring together her husbands prior family. Her easy flowing style of writing that captivates the readers attention until the last page.

Really interesting read

[Joanne Grimshaw]

I couldn’t read this book fast enough, it was fantastic. Marie frustrated me with how gullible she could be however, it’s easy when you’re on the outside looking into a situation to see what’s happening.

The rest of the characters in the book were great, who wouldn’t want to have a mum or an aunt like that?

This is my first book by this author, I’ve got my next lined up 😁.

[Heather Hoggatt]

A page turner but somewhat predictable, no spoilers but I had work out the plot 60 pages in.

This book has confirmed my hatred of gaslighting, narcissistic men whilst at the same time showing there is the odd good one, everyone deserves a Micheal. Lighthearted while covering some difficult topics and a change of scene from my usual choice of Thrillers. Finished in less than 24 hours

[Bethany Lilley]

Naive but enjoyable

I found Marie too naive and found it all quite frustrating. The book is fairly predictable. Having said that, I still enjoyed it. But occasionally when Marie is talking about how sorry she is for her husband, it grates on me. I found out easy to read and I wanted to continue, I thought about it quite a bit inbetween reads which is also a good sign

[Yusuf Tamanna]

I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It made me laugh out loud but also touched very delicately and sensibly on serious topics that come up in emotional relationships. I’d been in a rut with reading for months and this was the first book I managed to finish all the way through and it kept my attention the whole time. A great book.