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A Husband's Confession
A deserted laneway.
A hit and run accident.
Two families will never be the same . . . Max and Ali Kennedy own a renowned artisan bakery in Dublin's creative quarter. Max has given Ali everything she ever wanted - marriage, children and security. Now, her biggest fear is that her precious family will be taken away from her.
Across the city, Finn and Jo Kennedy live a life of responsibility and success - far removed from the carefree couple they were when they first met in Australia twenty years ago. But in the best of marriages, appearances can be deceiving.
When a tragic accident befalls one of the families, a long-buried secret between the Kennedy brothers comes to the surface and a house of lies comes tumbling down.
As the couples discover life-changing truths about their marriages, they must make a decision - to forgive, to forget or to move on?
A hit and run accident.
Two families will never be the same . . . Max and Ali Kennedy own a renowned artisan bakery in Dublin's creative quarter. Max has given Ali everything she ever wanted - marriage, children and security. Now, her biggest fear is that her precious family will be taken away from her.
Across the city, Finn and Jo Kennedy live a life of responsibility and success - far removed from the carefree couple they were when they first met in Australia twenty years ago. But in the best of marriages, appearances can be deceiving.
When a tragic accident befalls one of the families, a long-buried secret between the Kennedy brothers comes to the surface and a house of lies comes tumbling down.
As the couples discover life-changing truths about their marriages, they must make a decision - to forgive, to forget or to move on?
- GenresFiction
386 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
10 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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November 25, 2014
Also on http://chicklitpad.blogspot.com
MY SYNOPSIS
Imagine this: Your life could be described as perfect. You have an adorable husband who you’ve been married to for twenty-years––very happily-married. Two kids who are amazing at school and at home. And as if that’s not enough, there’s a successful bakery which you manage with your husband as chief baker. Your life has seen successful balance for over ten years and there can be no reason you can say you are not content.
Over the other side of the picture lies your brother-in-law and his amazing wife who he’s also been married to for quite as long as you have been married with one beautiful daughter to flourish their union. You could have called them happily-married once, but lately things have gone a bit rocky in their relationship with your brother-in-law losing his job and growing sulky every passing day.
You see, there’s competition between you two couples and this rivalry has existed since the wee years of your husband. There’s rivalry over which couple is more successful, which couple has a more stable financial backing, which couple has the greatest kids.
For over a year, you two couples have never met as a family to celebrate any holiday. Beneath the smiles at the dining table there’s way too much tension that could snap the face of a Botoxed Real Housewife.
Then one Saturday night, a dinner is proposed by your brother-in-law. You and your husband feel reluctant to go considering the bad blood. But you decide to just get over it over and done with.
But oblivious to you two, the events taking place during this dinner and after would completely turn your life from paradise to hell. And in just one week you would lose everything (––be prepared for it, I mean, everything!––) you’ve come to love and call your own
That’s when Ali’s story begins and possibly ends.
MY REVIEW
Did I freaking love this book and would be yelling at you to go bang on the glass windows of a bookshop near you threatening if they do not have a copy they might as well not open the shop that day? Yes, yes, I would.
(I had to tuck myself in a corner at my faculty’s lecture theatre in order to read hundred pages a day of this delight so no one bothers me!) What the hell is up with this book story-line? Perfection beyond reasoning. I ah-dored it! So Girl and Husband living happily-married, Husband’s Brother and Wife in a rut of late, there’s envy in the picture, loads of secrets away before your life gets shattered, one Saturday night––one day of hell. Who knew a family dinner could be so damaging? A huge star to this story-line.── ★
(Stocked with wheat bread and bottled water, I devoured this book in four days) The main characters, oh, fuck me, were stunning! It’s hard to read a book focusing on four mains who are well-developed and bear resemblance to real-life persons it isn’t hard relating (or not) to them–––most authors can’t achieve this! You find yourself splitting between the couples who should get more of your love or more of your rage, or sometimes, making this distinction between the individual characters. Ali was amazing, my favourite! You would completely revere her for her soft exterior yet the warrior living inside of her as she struggles to get her family, her life, her career, her emotions under control! Jo, the brother-in-law’s wife, also my favourite! Loved for her sophistication, her poise even in the threatening times that promise to wreck her life and marriage. Max, Ali’s husband, you women would stab at his name declaring this is the kind of man you would (have) want(ed) to get married to. Finn, the brother-in-law, who would gain your hatred for most part of the novel thanks to the level of asshole Zoe Miller portrayed him to be. Unbelievable main characters. A star to all four.── ★★
(At one point I was nodding, at a point I was nodding too much, at another point I just had to close this book, close my eyes for some seconds and wonder why everything was just so right) Isn’t it amazing when you read women’s fiction that talks about issues that are timeless? Infidelity, sibling-rivalry! I have never read a book that portrays infidelity the way Ms. Miller does it in this title. Do not roll your eyes, this isn’t another book where the main character’s life shatters after finding her husband in bed with a woman with boobs as ginormous as size ten feet (where the hell do I get my comparisons from??) . It goes to show there’s more to infidelity than authors can go on and on yapping about. And you have never read a book with sibling-rivalry leading to couple-rivalry that is this amazing! Star, star, star!── ★★★
The other characters in this book, were marvellous! From Debbie, the woman from Max's childhood Ali has been threatened of for ages. Jessica, Ali’s daughter keeping secrets of her own, far from the perfect daughter everyone assumes she is. Tom, Ali’s young son who’s the coolest boy you could ever have for a son. Grace, Jo and Finn’s daughter, having a background that would shock the reader.── ★★★★
(At a point in this book, I couldn’t stand it anymore, “Bread, bread! I need more bread!”) The suspense in this book was gripping. Very, very gripping I sat in different positions in the not-so-comfy chairs in the auditorium. Wondering how one writer could break all the rules of Women’s fiction and provide something totally different from the norm! If I had succumbed to the suspense brought about as a result of the writing technique (current day→flashback→current day) I would have keeled over before I even thought of writing this review. Talking of the beautiful writing, should I say this book was set in moments that took and shook the world (World Cups, 9/11) giving this book more girth and making it all so relatable and real to the reader? Marvellous.── ★★★★★
Oh, and the romance… J── ★★★★★
So it’s obvious this book gets a… frigging… six over five stars!! (6/5)
I would never put Zoe Miller as one of my favourite writers, because she’d forever be the woman who changed my perception of women’s fiction and threw away all the rules to pen this masterpiece. (I am very British––a strict fan of conventions).
A Husband’s Confession is available on amazon. If you miss it I’d have to club you.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves writers who break all the rules yet emerge very successful, anyone who wants a title about infidelity portrayed so differently it boggles the mind, anyone who wants to be reaching for the Kleenex to wipe away the sweat from their foreheads. This might be the best book I ever read this year!
My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads!
MY SYNOPSIS
Imagine this: Your life could be described as perfect. You have an adorable husband who you’ve been married to for twenty-years––very happily-married. Two kids who are amazing at school and at home. And as if that’s not enough, there’s a successful bakery which you manage with your husband as chief baker. Your life has seen successful balance for over ten years and there can be no reason you can say you are not content.
Over the other side of the picture lies your brother-in-law and his amazing wife who he’s also been married to for quite as long as you have been married with one beautiful daughter to flourish their union. You could have called them happily-married once, but lately things have gone a bit rocky in their relationship with your brother-in-law losing his job and growing sulky every passing day.
You see, there’s competition between you two couples and this rivalry has existed since the wee years of your husband. There’s rivalry over which couple is more successful, which couple has a more stable financial backing, which couple has the greatest kids.
For over a year, you two couples have never met as a family to celebrate any holiday. Beneath the smiles at the dining table there’s way too much tension that could snap the face of a Botoxed Real Housewife.
Then one Saturday night, a dinner is proposed by your brother-in-law. You and your husband feel reluctant to go considering the bad blood. But you decide to just get over it over and done with.
But oblivious to you two, the events taking place during this dinner and after would completely turn your life from paradise to hell. And in just one week you would lose everything (––be prepared for it, I mean, everything!––) you’ve come to love and call your own
That’s when Ali’s story begins and possibly ends.
MY REVIEW
Did I freaking love this book and would be yelling at you to go bang on the glass windows of a bookshop near you threatening if they do not have a copy they might as well not open the shop that day? Yes, yes, I would.
(I had to tuck myself in a corner at my faculty’s lecture theatre in order to read hundred pages a day of this delight so no one bothers me!) What the hell is up with this book story-line? Perfection beyond reasoning. I ah-dored it! So Girl and Husband living happily-married, Husband’s Brother and Wife in a rut of late, there’s envy in the picture, loads of secrets away before your life gets shattered, one Saturday night––one day of hell. Who knew a family dinner could be so damaging? A huge star to this story-line.── ★
(Stocked with wheat bread and bottled water, I devoured this book in four days) The main characters, oh, fuck me, were stunning! It’s hard to read a book focusing on four mains who are well-developed and bear resemblance to real-life persons it isn’t hard relating (or not) to them–––most authors can’t achieve this! You find yourself splitting between the couples who should get more of your love or more of your rage, or sometimes, making this distinction between the individual characters. Ali was amazing, my favourite! You would completely revere her for her soft exterior yet the warrior living inside of her as she struggles to get her family, her life, her career, her emotions under control! Jo, the brother-in-law’s wife, also my favourite! Loved for her sophistication, her poise even in the threatening times that promise to wreck her life and marriage. Max, Ali’s husband, you women would stab at his name declaring this is the kind of man you would (have) want(ed) to get married to. Finn, the brother-in-law, who would gain your hatred for most part of the novel thanks to the level of asshole Zoe Miller portrayed him to be. Unbelievable main characters. A star to all four.── ★★
(At one point I was nodding, at a point I was nodding too much, at another point I just had to close this book, close my eyes for some seconds and wonder why everything was just so right) Isn’t it amazing when you read women’s fiction that talks about issues that are timeless? Infidelity, sibling-rivalry! I have never read a book that portrays infidelity the way Ms. Miller does it in this title. Do not roll your eyes, this isn’t another book where the main character’s life shatters after finding her husband in bed with a woman with boobs as ginormous as size ten feet (where the hell do I get my comparisons from??) . It goes to show there’s more to infidelity than authors can go on and on yapping about. And you have never read a book with sibling-rivalry leading to couple-rivalry that is this amazing! Star, star, star!── ★★★
The other characters in this book, were marvellous! From Debbie, the woman from Max's childhood Ali has been threatened of for ages. Jessica, Ali’s daughter keeping secrets of her own, far from the perfect daughter everyone assumes she is. Tom, Ali’s young son who’s the coolest boy you could ever have for a son. Grace, Jo and Finn’s daughter, having a background that would shock the reader.── ★★★★
(At a point in this book, I couldn’t stand it anymore, “Bread, bread! I need more bread!”) The suspense in this book was gripping. Very, very gripping I sat in different positions in the not-so-comfy chairs in the auditorium. Wondering how one writer could break all the rules of Women’s fiction and provide something totally different from the norm! If I had succumbed to the suspense brought about as a result of the writing technique (current day→flashback→current day) I would have keeled over before I even thought of writing this review. Talking of the beautiful writing, should I say this book was set in moments that took and shook the world (World Cups, 9/11) giving this book more girth and making it all so relatable and real to the reader? Marvellous.── ★★★★★
Oh, and the romance… J── ★★★★★
So it’s obvious this book gets a… frigging… six over five stars!! (6/5)
I would never put Zoe Miller as one of my favourite writers, because she’d forever be the woman who changed my perception of women’s fiction and threw away all the rules to pen this masterpiece. (I am very British––a strict fan of conventions).
A Husband’s Confession is available on amazon. If you miss it I’d have to club you.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves writers who break all the rules yet emerge very successful, anyone who wants a title about infidelity portrayed so differently it boggles the mind, anyone who wants to be reaching for the Kleenex to wipe away the sweat from their foreheads. This might be the best book I ever read this year!
My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads!
Read
April 1, 2023Read on open library,did a lot of skimming...only enjoyed the highlights r\t the infidelity.
FYI to fellow readers\users of Internet Archive\Open Library which continues to be under legal threat.I appreciate the venue, finding quite a few titles that I can't find elsewhere. If you appreciate as well,consider a donation to keep viable.❤
FYI to fellow readers\users of Internet Archive\Open Library which continues to be under legal threat.I appreciate the venue, finding quite a few titles that I can't find elsewhere. If you appreciate as well,consider a donation to keep viable.❤
June 24, 2014
Firstly thank you to Hachette Ireland for sending me my first Zoe Miller novel! I posted a picture of my book post on twitter and a lot of people commented on the picture telling me how they’d enjoyed this book and Zoe’s other books so I was eager to make a start!
The story is set in Dublin, Ireland and is all about the Kennedy brothers Max and Finn and their two families.
The prologue sets you up for what you can kind of expect of the rest of the book storyline-wise. However it’s not quite as simple as you might think at first because the character in the prologue is unidentified so the element of mystery is imbedded into the story right from the beginning. That really sets the tone for the rest of the story as I felt like I was always guessing what was going to happen next, and then re-evaluating my first guess after new information came to light.
The story is told in two parts. The first part, takes place before the event described in the prologue and the second part is after that event. The characters take it in turns to narrate the story which kept the story telling fresh and I felt like it involved you more as a reader because you were getting to know all of the sides to the one story. Some parts of the story come from the children of the family which adds an innocence to what is quite a distressing storyline and there are some other scenes included where the narrator is unidentified keeping the air of mystery present throughout.
There are some parts of the story which give you some insight into past of the two families. These are interspersed throughout the character’s present day lives which added a depth to the story which wouldn’t have existed without the build-up these insights give you. I loved the contrasts that could be drawn by having these “past” scenes and they help you to invest yourself in the lives of the characters.
The title of the book, “A Husband’s Confession” had me anticipating the confession of one husband throughout, however it wasn’t clear who would be confessing and just exactly what they would be confessing until well into the last half of the book. At several points I felt like I had started to join up the dots but another piece of the story was revealed throwing my guess out of the window.
I really enjoyed being pulled into the storyline and surrounding myself with the characters and their stories. I’m glad to have been introduced to a new author in Zoe and I will definitely be looking out for more from her in the future!
The story is set in Dublin, Ireland and is all about the Kennedy brothers Max and Finn and their two families.
The prologue sets you up for what you can kind of expect of the rest of the book storyline-wise. However it’s not quite as simple as you might think at first because the character in the prologue is unidentified so the element of mystery is imbedded into the story right from the beginning. That really sets the tone for the rest of the story as I felt like I was always guessing what was going to happen next, and then re-evaluating my first guess after new information came to light.
The story is told in two parts. The first part, takes place before the event described in the prologue and the second part is after that event. The characters take it in turns to narrate the story which kept the story telling fresh and I felt like it involved you more as a reader because you were getting to know all of the sides to the one story. Some parts of the story come from the children of the family which adds an innocence to what is quite a distressing storyline and there are some other scenes included where the narrator is unidentified keeping the air of mystery present throughout.
There are some parts of the story which give you some insight into past of the two families. These are interspersed throughout the character’s present day lives which added a depth to the story which wouldn’t have existed without the build-up these insights give you. I loved the contrasts that could be drawn by having these “past” scenes and they help you to invest yourself in the lives of the characters.
The title of the book, “A Husband’s Confession” had me anticipating the confession of one husband throughout, however it wasn’t clear who would be confessing and just exactly what they would be confessing until well into the last half of the book. At several points I felt like I had started to join up the dots but another piece of the story was revealed throwing my guess out of the window.
I really enjoyed being pulled into the storyline and surrounding myself with the characters and their stories. I’m glad to have been introduced to a new author in Zoe and I will definitely be looking out for more from her in the future!
April 20, 2014
A Husbands confession was provided by Hachette Ireland in return for an honest review
A husbands confession is a story filled with passion romance and betrayal
The story centres around two families and their brothers. For Finn and Joe the move to Ireland will be a fresh start after their whirlwind romance and marriage. With the fresh start comes exciting new opportunities for both of them. Advertising for Joe and Finn is making a name for himself in television.
For the other couple, Ali and Max it seems like all their dreams are coming true, in the form of a successful bakery.
However things start to take a turn for the worse. Finn is shattered when he loses his role in a gritty crime drama. He becomes so unhappy that Joe begins to fear for him and the state of their marriage.]
At the same time things also go downward for Ali and Max. An accident at the bakery shocks them both to the core. The brothers have never gotten on well and the blame is laid Finns doorstep.
The writing here was really excellent.I could really feel the simmering tensions between the two families as the accusations fly back and forth. The secrets that were once buried deep are slowly brought to the surface. It really drew me in and compelled me to keep turning the pages.
As both families discover unknown truths, feeling of love and trust are really tested. Can they over come these revelations? You'll have to read to find out!
I loved the fact that A husbands confession wasn't just your average romance novel. It was full of drama and really kept me hooked. I'm finding it hard to think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book. Zoe Miller is certainly going on my "one to watch" list.
- See more at: http://www.gobookyourself.info/2014/0...
June 19, 2019
Best read in a while. Will write a full review later
October 2, 2014
Zoe Miller is a new author for me, although she has already written six novels! The hardback copy of "The Husband Confession" was published already in March but as September saw the publication of the paperback I have thought it's the highest time to give this book a go.
The book follows a story of two brothers with their families. Max and Ali run a very popular bakery in Dublin, and they have two children, home and generally life without problems. Finn and Jo met in Australia, got married there but then came back to Ireland, following Finn's dream to be an actor. They have one daughter Grace, Jo is working in PR and Finn... Well, he used to be a great actor, playing a big part in a soap - opera, but now the role was terminated, and Finn's career probably too.
But. There are a lot of secrets hidden and someone has discovered some of them, and the things go out of a hand. Someone got badly hurt and is fighting for life at the hospital, and like in a domino effect, the next secrets are being revealed and big chaos and broken families follow.
As I was not familiar with Zoe Miller's writing before, I was totally happy to sit comfortably and let her take me on a journey through the life of the two brothers around the world. It started good, really good, and I actually had felt shivers on my back. The idea of the memories, of coming back to the past to show us how it all started, where it all went wrong has also worked out brilliantly. So, where is my problem? Well, I know that something happened at the beginning and have waited for explanation of this. So I was reading, and reading, and reading, and I got everything but not this what I was waiting for. I have actually lost my hope that I get to the point where the story unwinds itself, where the facts are explained and I am finally going to know why, what, where and who. It just took too much time for my liking and I had a feeling my brain is overwhelmed with too many not so relevant information. It also seems that everything was falling apart in this book: first the awful accident, the hit and run. Then Max and Ali's bakery is targeted with a series of very nasty and unpleasant pranks, then we see that Finn and Jo's marriage looks as if it's falling apart, we also learn that the two brothers are not only like chalk and cheese but they also don't like each other too much (and "like" doesn't actually come close to the real feelings between them), and I was looking for a clue, for a sign: WHY this all? The digging in the past took really too much time for me, the story was not as smooth and fast - paced as I personally would like it to be.
The characters were really great written, you could love them or love them to hate. There were not a lot of them in the story, as it really concentrates on the two little families, plus some of the people involved in the bakery together with Ali and Max. But the book really didn't need more heroes, this handful of them has made it enough gripping, and while the female characters were, in my opinion, although really great written, just your normal wives, mothers, those were the men here who built the story. There was no way that I could warm to Finn, there was something very off - putting in him, no matter if it was the young Finn in Australia, or Finn twenty years later. He was jealous, opinionated, cold and possessive.
As the secrets are being revealed, I had a feeling that Max is being made by the author for a scapegoat - everybody was accusing him, it looked as if only he has done everything wrong, as if he was the one who made all the wrong decisions but personally, I have kept my fingers crossed for him. You know, to do some of the things he did more people than one are needed, and I found that it was easier for all involved to blame just him.
As I have already said, there were many secrets hidden, waiting to be revealed at the end, and although I have moments that I was losing my hope for this, one of the biggest climax ever waited for me at the end. I have never in million years supposed it's going to end like this, it has taken me totally by surprise and so hats off to you, Zoe! There is nothing better as a very unexpected twist in a story.
Altogether, it was interesting, unique book written in an easy, light to follow way. Zoe Miller can in a great way write about family life, about relationships and feelings, and she mentions things that we often take for granted but don't pay attention to in the books, such as touching hands with your husband, watching the stars on the sky. The plot was refreshing and the formula of the book worked out. There were moments that it felt slow and flat but the end has made up for all of this. The writing was excellent and the author could really well put into words all the tension between the family members. It was really great to read that book and I am for sure going to put Zoe Miller's on my list of the authors to watch.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
The book follows a story of two brothers with their families. Max and Ali run a very popular bakery in Dublin, and they have two children, home and generally life without problems. Finn and Jo met in Australia, got married there but then came back to Ireland, following Finn's dream to be an actor. They have one daughter Grace, Jo is working in PR and Finn... Well, he used to be a great actor, playing a big part in a soap - opera, but now the role was terminated, and Finn's career probably too.
But. There are a lot of secrets hidden and someone has discovered some of them, and the things go out of a hand. Someone got badly hurt and is fighting for life at the hospital, and like in a domino effect, the next secrets are being revealed and big chaos and broken families follow.
As I was not familiar with Zoe Miller's writing before, I was totally happy to sit comfortably and let her take me on a journey through the life of the two brothers around the world. It started good, really good, and I actually had felt shivers on my back. The idea of the memories, of coming back to the past to show us how it all started, where it all went wrong has also worked out brilliantly. So, where is my problem? Well, I know that something happened at the beginning and have waited for explanation of this. So I was reading, and reading, and reading, and I got everything but not this what I was waiting for. I have actually lost my hope that I get to the point where the story unwinds itself, where the facts are explained and I am finally going to know why, what, where and who. It just took too much time for my liking and I had a feeling my brain is overwhelmed with too many not so relevant information. It also seems that everything was falling apart in this book: first the awful accident, the hit and run. Then Max and Ali's bakery is targeted with a series of very nasty and unpleasant pranks, then we see that Finn and Jo's marriage looks as if it's falling apart, we also learn that the two brothers are not only like chalk and cheese but they also don't like each other too much (and "like" doesn't actually come close to the real feelings between them), and I was looking for a clue, for a sign: WHY this all? The digging in the past took really too much time for me, the story was not as smooth and fast - paced as I personally would like it to be.
The characters were really great written, you could love them or love them to hate. There were not a lot of them in the story, as it really concentrates on the two little families, plus some of the people involved in the bakery together with Ali and Max. But the book really didn't need more heroes, this handful of them has made it enough gripping, and while the female characters were, in my opinion, although really great written, just your normal wives, mothers, those were the men here who built the story. There was no way that I could warm to Finn, there was something very off - putting in him, no matter if it was the young Finn in Australia, or Finn twenty years later. He was jealous, opinionated, cold and possessive.
As the secrets are being revealed, I had a feeling that Max is being made by the author for a scapegoat - everybody was accusing him, it looked as if only he has done everything wrong, as if he was the one who made all the wrong decisions but personally, I have kept my fingers crossed for him. You know, to do some of the things he did more people than one are needed, and I found that it was easier for all involved to blame just him.
As I have already said, there were many secrets hidden, waiting to be revealed at the end, and although I have moments that I was losing my hope for this, one of the biggest climax ever waited for me at the end. I have never in million years supposed it's going to end like this, it has taken me totally by surprise and so hats off to you, Zoe! There is nothing better as a very unexpected twist in a story.
Altogether, it was interesting, unique book written in an easy, light to follow way. Zoe Miller can in a great way write about family life, about relationships and feelings, and she mentions things that we often take for granted but don't pay attention to in the books, such as touching hands with your husband, watching the stars on the sky. The plot was refreshing and the formula of the book worked out. There were moments that it felt slow and flat but the end has made up for all of this. The writing was excellent and the author could really well put into words all the tension between the family members. It was really great to read that book and I am for sure going to put Zoe Miller's on my list of the authors to watch.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
September 12, 2014
Also posted on This Chick Reads
*Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
'A Husband's Confession' was such a delightful surprise! I've heard of Zoe Miller thanks to my blogging friends, however I haven't had the opportunity to read her books until now. I was very surprised to see this is her sixth novel, and yet the first one I'm reading. However, after reading this book, I promise to rectify this as soon as possible and dig into her other novels.
Baring in mind this was the first book by Ms Miller I read, I really had no expectations. Which in a way is kind of liberating, no stress whether it will live up to the other books, no awkward anxiety..nada! However, I've heard she's talented, but after couple of failures about books with so much hype, I really don't trust the buzz 100%. So, there I was, with a book by a new author to me, and let me tell you, it was an amazing and enjoyable experience.
The book starts with a hit and run in which a person is hurt, however it's later that we understand its connection to the plot. The story follows the Kennedy brothers who can't be any more different. There's even a silent rivalry, so naturally they aren't so close. They seem to lead normal lives with their families, Max and Ali owning a bakery in Dublin, Finn and Jo leading a somewhat more posh life. However, things are soon about to change and many nasty secrets will be revealed. Secrets which might even destroy their lives.
Even though the opening of the book was rather powerful, intense and promised fast pace throughout, the pacing seemed to slow down and eventually when I reached the half of this book I even worried if there was gonna be any climax. But boy, was I wrong. And you know what, I really love when a book proves me wrong, when something happens totally out of the blue and things stop being predictable. That's what happened with 'A Husband's Confession'. All of a sudden things started happening, the story taking a direction I never imagined it would take. The events which followed seemed more intense and the characters gained depth. I assume it was really hard to create four main characters (the two couple) who are so different on so many levels. It's usually where authors get stuck and their characters end up being one dimensional. However Ms Miller managed to pull it off, so hats off to her!
As for the characters, I must say I found Finn very arrogant, posh and even revengeful at times, yet in a strange kind of way this perfectly worked for the book. I even though I should find this guy annoying, he seemed so so harsh at times. However, I didn't and couldn't no matter what my brain was telling me. Max and Ali seem the opposite of Finn and Jo, however they are not flawless. But this just made them much believable as characters.
Overall, this was really an interesting read, quite surprising on many levels and one I sure recommend. The writing is easy to follow and there aren't that many characters which makes this book really a fast read. I sure will be checking out Ms Miller's other books, as be on a watch out for her next.
July 25, 2015
Two brothers, two wives and two happy families based in Dublin. Could it really be that simple?
Max and Ali run a popular bakery and coffee shop in Dublin City Centre and are finally reaping the rewards for their years of hard work. Two children and a comfortable home, that contains the memories of their life together, completes the picture.
Finn and Jo, together since they met and married in Australia, twenty years previous, also seem to have it all. A wonderful daughter, two successful careers and a house that would not be out of place in the pages of a glossy weekend newspaper supplement.
But, things are not as perfect as they seem. Someone has discovered a secret, and if it comes out, things will never be the same again.......
This is Zoe Miller's sixth novel and she shows no sign of slowing down, thankfully. I connected with the characters quite quickly as their past stories made them come alive. Knowing how the couples met, and eventually ended up where they did, made for more personality in each of them. I found the children very general though and would have liked to know more about Jessica and her life outside the family home.
The book starts with a hit and run, late one night, and the reader is left to guess the connection. A series of nasty pranks, in Max and Ali's bakery, also add to the puzzle. Finn is gradually fading away from him wife and she wants to know why? So many changes,over a short period of time, makes the reader want to turn the page and see what the connections are.
Zoe Miller has a lovely, easy style of writing with some beautiful descriptions of everyday life. What sometimes passes as mundane, can be brought to life by just taking in the details. Swans on a river, stars in the sky and even the touch of a husband's hand as he passes you on the stairs. There is less emphasis on the locations and cars/clothes/bags than her previous novel, and for this I was grateful. The characters are what keep the story moving and finding out the secret that seems inevitable to come out. When it does, it makes the reader think about whether it is better to keep some things to yourself and carry the burden or to lay it all out on the table, resulting in someone else getting hurt? I would imagine there are pros and cons to either scenario and I can't say much more without this turning into a spoiler!
This is a perfect read for the summer. I perhaps would have liked it a little shorter, but that could also be my impatience to know the ending!
Max and Ali run a popular bakery and coffee shop in Dublin City Centre and are finally reaping the rewards for their years of hard work. Two children and a comfortable home, that contains the memories of their life together, completes the picture.
Finn and Jo, together since they met and married in Australia, twenty years previous, also seem to have it all. A wonderful daughter, two successful careers and a house that would not be out of place in the pages of a glossy weekend newspaper supplement.
But, things are not as perfect as they seem. Someone has discovered a secret, and if it comes out, things will never be the same again.......
This is Zoe Miller's sixth novel and she shows no sign of slowing down, thankfully. I connected with the characters quite quickly as their past stories made them come alive. Knowing how the couples met, and eventually ended up where they did, made for more personality in each of them. I found the children very general though and would have liked to know more about Jessica and her life outside the family home.
The book starts with a hit and run, late one night, and the reader is left to guess the connection. A series of nasty pranks, in Max and Ali's bakery, also add to the puzzle. Finn is gradually fading away from him wife and she wants to know why? So many changes,over a short period of time, makes the reader want to turn the page and see what the connections are.
Zoe Miller has a lovely, easy style of writing with some beautiful descriptions of everyday life. What sometimes passes as mundane, can be brought to life by just taking in the details. Swans on a river, stars in the sky and even the touch of a husband's hand as he passes you on the stairs. There is less emphasis on the locations and cars/clothes/bags than her previous novel, and for this I was grateful. The characters are what keep the story moving and finding out the secret that seems inevitable to come out. When it does, it makes the reader think about whether it is better to keep some things to yourself and carry the burden or to lay it all out on the table, resulting in someone else getting hurt? I would imagine there are pros and cons to either scenario and I can't say much more without this turning into a spoiler!
This is a perfect read for the summer. I perhaps would have liked it a little shorter, but that could also be my impatience to know the ending!
March 5, 2016
The book starts with a prologue involving a hit and run of a young woman and I thought this is starting off really good, what a great start. So it's a shame that the rest of the story didn't pan out that way for me.
In essence the book is all about appearances and things not being so rosy on the inside as everything appears on the outside because of twisted family lives and their secrets.
One of the main plotlines is set against a 9/11 backdrop and was used as some kind of justification for certain character's actions which I was unsure of as I was reading. But as I'm sitting here writing this..actually, you know, I didn't like that. Thousands of people died that day and I wasn't keen on that being used as a reason, an excuse to cheat but others may hold a different perspective on that but it irritated me.
In all honesty, I just got bored of all the perfect family talk and the perfect relationship, it was just too over the top, ok I get it, they're in love but how many times does it have to be repeated. The mystery surrounding the hit and run was far more interesting and I felt this could have been a much better story had the rest not been so overly schmaltzy but then once the truth was truth was out it just felt watered down and disappointing. I didn't like the fact that characters accepted what their partners had done just to keep face and lifestyles.
Oh well, you can't like everything you read! If you liked The Accident by C.L Taylor then this might be for you.
In essence the book is all about appearances and things not being so rosy on the inside as everything appears on the outside because of twisted family lives and their secrets.
One of the main plotlines is set against a 9/11 backdrop and was used as some kind of justification for certain character's actions which I was unsure of as I was reading. But as I'm sitting here writing this..actually, you know, I didn't like that. Thousands of people died that day and I wasn't keen on that being used as a reason, an excuse to cheat but others may hold a different perspective on that but it irritated me.
In all honesty, I just got bored of all the perfect family talk and the perfect relationship, it was just too over the top, ok I get it, they're in love but how many times does it have to be repeated. The mystery surrounding the hit and run was far more interesting and I felt this could have been a much better story had the rest not been so overly schmaltzy but then once the truth was truth was out it just felt watered down and disappointing. I didn't like the fact that characters accepted what their partners had done just to keep face and lifestyles.
Oh well, you can't like everything you read! If you liked The Accident by C.L Taylor then this might be for you.
June 6, 2014
Story was very slow going, finally got interesting about 2/3 the way through the book, after skipping chapters. Don't think I will he reading anymore if her books
January 17, 2015
I always love Zoe Miller's books, and this one was no different. Very gripping and I really enjoyed it.
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