Manželky mého muže

by Faith Hogan, Johana Horálková (Translator)

Nový román od irské autorky bestselleru Dámský klub půlnočního plavání nás zavede do Dublinu. Tragická událost odkryje netušená tajemství muže, kterého milovalo více žen, než si zasloužil.

Budou schopné začít znovu bez něj?

Paul Starr je nejzáhadnější muž, jakého kdy Grace potkala. Nadmíru úspěšný lékař má snad úplně všechno, a to včetně manželky, která mu rozumí: moudrá Evie miluje Paula natolik, že je ochotná se o něj s bohémskou Grace podělit. Krásnou Annalise pak zachrání Paul před zlomeným srdcem a ponížením. Cizinka Kasia považuje Paula za svého jediného opravdového přítele. Jeho náhlá smrt není jedinou špatnou zprávou, se kterou se všechny čtyři protagonistky musejí vypořádat.

Nebylo sice žádným tajemstvím, že Paul žil více životů, neboť před lidmi, které miloval, nic neskrýval, najednou se ale zdá, že všechno bylo trochu jinak. Když se životní cesty čtyř žen protnou, vypadá to, že se začnou ubírat jedním směrem a že nové přítelkyně najdou společně recept na to, jak překonávat rány osudu i hranice své vlastní mysli.

Román Manželky mého muže, odehrávající se v irském Dublinu, s empatií a humorem ukazuje, že nikdy není příliš pozdě na to, abychom se ve svém životě pokusili něco změnit.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Relationships, Ireland, Womens Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2016

About the author

Faith Hogan is a bestselling author of nine novels. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads and Summer Must Reads. She writes grown up women's fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel good and inspiring.

She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway.

Her latest novel is The Guest House By The Sea - set in the west of Ireland - it has been described as a book to fall in love with.

She also writes crime fiction as Geraldine Hogan. Her Corbally series is out now.


You can find out more about Faith on her website www.faithhogan.com
www.Facebook/FaithHogan.com
@gerhogan

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ A Mesmerising story! Unputdownable!

Wow oh wow what a mesmerising story, My Husband's Wives had me enthralled right from the start.

My Husband's Wives is a story full of secrets, little twists, intrigue, sadness, friendship and bonds, it's a story that will get under your skin as you learn about each of the Wives story.

There is no doubt that Paul is a womanizer!
He's charming, smooth talking, attentive, knows how to make a women feel wanted, but what he isn't.... is entirely honest!

Now I don't want to go into detail as this story is such a compelling read I don't want to risk spoiling it.

What I will say is, after Paul's death,
Evie ( Paul's first wife) , Gracie (his second wife) and Annalise ( his third wife) and the mysterious Kasia who none of them knew about, soon become friends after they bond over their love for Paul and their children.
None of the women or their children have ever met before.

What I loved most about this story, was how flawlessly Faith weaved together each of the Wives stories.
We got to see how they came to be with Paul, how he was with each of them, how he changed each of them, how they fitted into each other's life's.
Each of the women are very different, but one thing stands out is how lonely each of them are. It was so Heartwarming to see their friendships blossom.

My Husband's Wives is a beautifully compelling read, full of intrigue, juicy twists and turns and an engrossing storyline that kept me turning the pages.
The Characters are endearing, strong, likeable and wonderfully written.
Faith Hogan is one of my favourite Authors and once again she has weaved her magic, she writes the most mesmerising and
amazing stories.

If you are looking for a totally absorbing read that's beautifully written, then you won't want to miss out on reading My Husband's Wives!

Thank you to Aria Fiction for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.


My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my dear charming Paul, you certainly like to have your cake and eat it too! As a well respected heart surgeon in Ireland Paul can have his pick of any woman of his choosing it seems. With his charismatic personality and good looks, he seems to sweep women off their feet. After showering them with attention and monetary comforts it ends in marriage, again and again. Until Paul moves on to his next love of his life.

Wow this book grasped me right from the very first chapter. After Paul's sudden death I found myself gasping in disbelief as his secret life was revealed. As soon as I was convinced this must be it for surprises, yet another bombshell would drop. Dear Paul you charming devil, what on earth were you thinking?

Don't be mislead in thinking this is a typical woman scorned book. This book delves so much deeper than that. We experience how each person in Paul's life is forced to struggle with not only the grief of the loss of Paul but also their feelings as they learn who Paul really is.

I must admit I was completely intrigued with the absolute scandal of it all. It boggled my mind that Paul was actually able to pull this off and for such a long period of time. Even more so how this group of women bound together to help each other cope with the wild range of emotions their beloved Paul has left them with.

This group of amazing women took an unthinkable situation and turned it into something that was quite frankly beautiful. I loved taking this journey with them of love, loss, betrayal and watching them grow.

[Margaret Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Paul Starr is killed in a car accident in Dublin, he leaves behind three grieving widows. But they are not all aware of each others existence. The successful and charismatic doctor had charmed his way into the lives of these three vastly different women and he has left more than a tangled web of lies behind him. There are also children involved. Through the individual stories of Grace, Evie and Annalise, the present becomes intermingled with the past as the women say goodbye to the man they all loved...

This is Faith Hogan's debut novel and it grabs the reader with its clever storyline. Paul managed to charm the pants off three beautiful women, of varying ages and backgrounds, by placing them under his magnetic spell. Each woman is then shocked to discover the existence of another young female, Kasia, who was in the car at the time of the accident. The funeral arrangements see the beginning of their future connection and their individual personalities struggle to contain themselves. How can these women move on without even knowing who Paul truly loved?

This is a very enjoyable read, written with care and delicate precision. The descriptions of Evie's Howth home are wonderful and Annalise is a shallow character we can love to hate. Grace is harder to identify with. She set out to steal someone's husband and then changed her mind when things were not going her way. Her daughter Delilah struggles to forgive her mother for Paul's desertion, and I can almost agree with her. Kasia is an odd addition to the tale but she blends in nicely with Evie. While I felt nothing for Paul, and could not for the life of me see why these women would give their lives over to him, I did enjoy the story. These women find out that it is not a man that they need. It is friendship and confidence. Faith Hogan is a new voice in Irish fiction and is ideal for fans of Colette Caddle and Cathy Kelly.

[Zoé-Lee O'Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was just beautiful and mesmerising! My Husband’s Wives has broken me. We start with three women who are linked all by Paul Starr. We never meet him, only through discussions between the women and through flashbacks, but are these links enough to move past the past?

We spend the first half of the book discovering the secrets Paul kept, and the wives, Evie, Grace and Annalise. Then Kaisa pops up and you are left trying to figure out who she fits in this puzzle, I mean she was in the car when he died (not a spoiler) but who is she?

The second half of the book is how the women all try to move on and deal with their grief and slowly how they learn to interact with each other. The one thing Paul did right, was to die (harsh I know) but because of it, he enriched these four women’s lives so much more by doing so. (Excuse me, something in my eye here).

The bond these women have by the end is something that is unbreakable and beautiful in an otherwise ugly situation. That is not to say there were not some shocks in this book and I found at the beginning of the book in one of Grace’s chapter a really difficult scene to read, it made me feel quite ill and nervous. Because it showed how intoxicating love could truly be and how depression could sink you so low, I think the scenes resonated with me a bit too much and definitely hit home.

Whilst these women are growing and rediscovering themselves and finding a way back to themselves and into a unit, Ms Hogan decides she was a bit bored of that and threw a lot of spice in a pan and set it alight. I began to fear for all the women and how it could impact them, safe to say that is when the tears started to fall, scrap that, they fell A LOT!!

I have never read anything by Ms Hogan, and I was drawn to My Husband’s Wives initially by the cover, as it had the Big little Lies feel to it. Read the blurb and I knew I had to read this book. I started listening to this on audiobook first and the narrator was absolutely fantastic. She voiced each of the four women perfectly, she breathed them to life. I loved each woman individually and collectively. I would love to have this group in my life because they all brought something to the table. I was totally immersed in this book, I just did not want it to end. When it did, through the tears I had a huge smile on my face and a warmth in my heart.

I am definitely recommending this to anyone who will listen to me! It is such a beautiful story of friendships, second chances, love and rediscovering your identity. I will also be picking up anything that Ms Hogan has put her name to!

[Tracy Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how many times Ms Hogan has fallen in love, but in this debut novel she encapsulates Grace and Pauls connection beautifully.

Meeting each other at Grace's art exhibition, they embark in an affair that results in marriage and a baby. When Paul dies however, we find out just what kind of man he really is.

In his life, Paul has many women. He is a charismatic and likable man. But he is also a bigamist.

With wives and lovers coming together, My Husbands Wives is a compelling read. It is as much heart-breaking as it is soul-searching. The friendships that these women forge, is I think a testament to Pauls charm. They really do form an amazing sisterhood with each other.

This is a good tale, genuinely realistic and enormously enjoyable.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see I’m in the minority on this one but this book did nothing for me. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters so i abandoned the book at 25%. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book for an honest review.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faith Hogan's début novel My Husband's Wives was published last year solely on Kindle but now it is getting a full paperback release. I had read Faith's second book Secrets We Keep a few months ago and really enjoyed it so I was delighted to get the chance to read something new (well to me anyway) so soon whilst waiting for book three to arrive.

My Husband's Wives opens with a corker of a line that makes the reader instantly sit up and pay close attention 'Mum, there's a funny old lady at the door who says she's married to Dad?' Despite this being the first line of the book I had numerous questions running through my head and I wanted the answers straight away. Instead we are drip fed these answers throughout the first half of the book whereas the second half provided for lots and lots of character development, interaction between the main players, the resolving of problems and coming to some form of acceptance.

Judging this book on its first line would be wrong though I felt I did for quite some time, I expected a fast paced story full of twists and turns, revelations, revenge and anguish. I didn't get that at all and when I realised this book was written with more of a slower pace and more of a focus on the women left behind by man whom they adored, I found myself relaxing more into their story. Even though parts of it niggled at me as I thought some of the women were so gullible in what they believed. The fact that Paul Starr had 'multiple wives' wasn't the main crux of the story it was more how these three very different women dealt with the absence of the man they loved and learned to 'live' with one another and form some sort of bond/friendship.

Grace Kennedy, a successful artist caught Paul Starr's, one of the most successful surgeons in Ireland, eye across a gallery room and that was it. A deep connection was formed and they became inseparable, it was love at first sight and Grace believed it would always last. Paul claimed he was in a loveless marriage with Evie and that soon he would be free to marry Grace. Grace had Deliah and when we meet the characters Deliah is now 15. Grace's relationship with her daughter has improved since the early days after her birth where Grace sank to a low place but throughout it all Paul was there for her. Grace and Paul appeared to have it all until young starlet Annalise caught Paul's eye and soon Paul had departed Grace's house for pastures new leaving Grace devastated but surely now knowing how Evie must have felt. What begins to bind these three women together is the news that Paul has been killed in a car crash. If that's not bad enough there was a young woman believed to be Annalise with him at the time of the accident. It turns out to be Kasia, a young girl from Romania which begs the question has Paul's wandering eye began to rove once more?

I know I was meant to feel some sympathy towards the women that Paul had died but to be honest I think all three/four were better off without him. Even if it does transpire fairly early on that Kasia wasn't Paul's new bit on the side. Paul just seemed such a coward that he could treat women the way he did and keep so many secrets from them. Each woman believed something to be true only to discover no that wasn't the case and here they are in a group forced to confront issues and feelings they would rather not when the real person they wish to direct their anger towards is gone and won't be coming back. Paul although he may have been an expert in his field didn't treat women the way they ought to be treated, he seemed to think he could have his cake and eat it too. His lies could have spared much heartache but then on the other side if he hadn't been the way he was, the women would never have met and the bond and unique friendship could never have been formed. That said although we never actually heard from Paul's viewpoint I didn't like him at all and could barely comprehend the respect and adulation Grace, Evie and Annalise had for him.

I liked Kasia as a character the most and her storyline seemed the best to me. It showed another side to men but also to how women can rally together and help each other out in the times when needed the most. The twist to her storyline I did not see coming but I thought it fitted in well with everything else going on and in a slight way was redemptive of somebody else. Annalise the third wife wasn't happy with the revelations that ensued following Paul's death and to be honest she came across as a complete bimbo whose 'celeb' career was in the doldrums and someone who couldn't do anything for herself. She seemed to complain an awful not and just get on with things and try and work things out the way Evie and Grace were. Annalsie needed to grow a backbone and gather herself together for her children and maybe although tragic to loose one's partner this is the time when with the help of the most unexpected of allies she can finally start to be the woman she was meant to be.

Evie the 'first wife' seemed so gentle and it took me ages to realise she was old compared to the other two women which must have made Paul older too. The way she was written I felt she was much much younger than she was. Evie wasn't happy in her life and although Paul had not being living with her for so many years I felt she was still mourning the loss of the relationship she had with Paul even though he had clearly more than moved on. Evie was in a delicate state of mind and clearly needed help and support. She was aimlessly lost and couldn't be the one perhaps Grace, Annalise and even Kaisa would have looked too.

My Husband's Wives was an enjoyable enough read but perhaps a little too slow for my liking. Normally I would fly through a book but I found myself dipping in and out of this one as it never fully grabbed my attention even though the premise sounded brilliant. I do like a book with emotion and getting beyond that outer layer of a character but this was just too slow and I think perhaps there was one too many characters as I did become confused at some stages. Essentially this is a good read but having already read The Secrets We Keep I found it to be much better but others may differ in their view. There's no doubt though that Faith Hogan is a bright new Irish talent and I will certainly read more of her books in the future. I'm still waiting to find that one Irish person who could fill the huge gaping hole left by our beloved Maeve Binchy and with time Faith Hogan could be a strong contender.

[Lynda Kelly]

I found I trudged through this and at times wasn't keen on opening it up again, hence it taking me 6 days to wade through ! I was fed up to the back teeth at having to keep looking things up that are clear if you're Irish, no doubt, but mean nothing to me whatsoever. You lose the whole thread having to keep messing about like that. She also used American spelling, another bugbear of mine.
The story was interesting and I'm so pleased the letters were included as well. I wouldn't say it's anything extra-original but I liked the characters a great deal and it was a "nice" tale.
However......mistakes........and lots of them which I wasn't happy about since I paid for it. Even in the synopsis I spotted 2 errors which had me rolling my eyes before I even started-Irelands lost its apostrophe and she used incensed where I believe she meant ignited.....not an auspicious beginning.
She tells us Dublin was Walt Disney's birthplace and I hadn't been aware of this so Googled it only to find he was born in Chicago !! So that was peculiar and brought nothing to the story itself.
There were more apostrophe errors, I didn't understand the sentence "It's easier to mind the little one now" said by a midwife to a pregnant woman nor "....she had a grey rib," I don't know what a natural jelly is and I Googled a tiger hotel only to learn it should've been capitalised as it's a name...She mentions Annalise may have been too upset to have breakfast apropos of nothing, used eight and not eighth, there were words missed from sentences like an/a/her (twice).......put was used instead of putt.....I thought this sentence was nonsensical-"...she'd show up no matter how uncomfortable if she had agreed she would", we get want and not wanted and this doozie.......edition instead of addition !!! All sloppy and careless, I found, and no doubt this review is as tiresome to wade through as I found happening across this lot was.
Now, I'm unsure if there's an issue with this book in particular or what it was as I read it using 3 different devices and on each the pages would suddenly stop turning properly and you couldn't highlight sections and I needed to keep rebooting it. It's never happened before and I didn't see anyone else remark upon it in the reviews I read before buying it....
I have to say that based upon the tiresome mistakes I'd probably not buy another by this author. Perhaps if I happen across one that's free I might give it a go but in no way would I pay for another unless I was sure she had herself a proper editor or proofreader-I'm neither and if I spotted this lot then they should've done, too.

[Seren · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my first Hogan book. I hardly doubt that this also will be the last. There are three reasons for this preconception. Firstly, her edgy, clear-cut characters were quite disturbing throughout the book. Grace was very independent, career-oriented and talented, Annalise was beautiful and all shallow, Kasia was all "goodie-goodie" etc. I wanted to shout every time I was given a hint about these commodities -btw, it happens so many times!!- that people are not all black and white, there is also grey in life and that characters are not always easily revealed. Overall, her handling of characters was far from satisfying. Secondly, I was disappointed in the amount of repetition throughout the story. For some reason, Hogan had to emphasise over and over again, how old Evie was, how glamorous and fiercely independent Grace was and how devastated they were upon Paul's death. Thirdly, connected to the first two points, I cannot help stating that the characters' reactions to certain events were highly unrealistic. All wives were sad after Paul's death, but not angry or betrayed. I believe that a woman with considerable self-esteem and self-respect would not praise Paul. After all, he had told many lies to these women. If I were one of his wives, I would be disappointed, feel weak and furious, not all sad and confused. The wives, especially Evie, felt lonely after his death, but how come they were not used to being alone. There were only limited number of nights of the week, weekends and holidays and Paul had to allocate this limited free time among at least three people, not counting the mysterious relationship and the daughter Kasia. Realistically, these women would have so much time for themselves and they would certainly not feel vulnerable and lonely to commit suicide. I mean, come on, mathematically you are alone at least 4.6666667 days of the week, 18.666668 days of the month and more than 224 days of the year. Besides, legally speaking, these weddings had to be had recognised by courts in Ireland, so that the wives and their children could bear "excellent" Paul's surname and that they can

[~Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard book for me to review. This is a story about grief and the role it takes in different lives. Four women, all unique, grieving for one man. I loved this book and thought it was beautifully written.

Renowned surgeon, Paul Starr, is killed in a car accident. His passenger a young pregnant woman survives. Each wife arrives at the hospital without any real knowledge of the other wives, and none of them know the young woman in the car with him at the time of the accident.

The story unfolds as we learn how Paul met each of these incredible women. The book moves between the present time and back in time to tell the story of each of the women in his life over a 25 year timeline.

Circumstances continue to put these women in each other's lives and as this happens, they begin to lean on each other and heal and learn that they can move on with their lives without Paul. They become friends.

There were so many layers to this story with each layer producing another emotion. Although this book was about grief, it is also a book about hope.

One of my favorite parts was when one of the characters said the best part of Paul was what he left behind. The people he left behind become a family ... Paul Starr had created a beautiful family to love and care for each other.

[Jitka Č. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Myslím, že mám na knížky nakladatelství Prostor mám trochu vyšší nároky než na jiný knížky. Úplně si nejsem jistá proč, ale jakmile s nějakou začínám, očekávání jsou nestandardně vysoko.

Tady to byla trochu chyba.

Knížka vypráví o... no, řekněme poněkud komplikované rodinné situaci jednoho lékaře, který postupně střídá partnerky a se všemi uspořádá svatbu, aniž by se předtím rozvedl. Takže svatby jsou neplatné, což ale ženy jeho života neví. Zjistí to teprve až když ho stihne smrtelná nehoda a ony se sejdou v nemocnici.

Ono to už z popisu zní jako taková trochu oddychová brakovka, ale nějak jsem na základě toho, že knížka vyšla v Prostoru, čekala větší přesah. Ten ale moc nepřišel. Příběh přibližně do tří čtvrtin docela zábavný a odpočinkový, takže stránky odsýpaly rychle, bylo ale jasný, že trvalejší stopu ve mně nejspíš nezanechá (a nezanechal). Ve třech čtvrtinách jsem navíc začala mít pocit, že se to nějak táhne, a tak jsem se ke konci knížky dostala spíš rychločtením než nějakým poctivým louskáním stránky za stránkou.

Abych to shrnula: průměr. Na léto k vodě super, ale upřímně, je to jedna z těch knížek, co jsem si klidně mohla půjčit v knihovně.

[Jill Steeples · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous read! I thoroughly enjoyed this story of four women brought together by their love for one man, Paul Starr. I must admit I warmed more to the female characters than I did to Paul, but it’s an engrossing read of love, friendship and forgiveness with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Beautifully written and highly recommended.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books that I have read. I would give more than five stars if I could.
Highly recommended.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Husband’s Wives tells a really compelling story of four women connected in the most difficult of circumstances. Intricately weaved together, the lives of Grace, Evie, Annalise and Kasia change forever when Paul Starr is killed in a car crash. Paul was once married to Evie, but then later married Grace who gave birth to his daughter, Delilah, but their relationship soured and he had two children with Annalise. As for Kasia, nobody knows quite what her ties with Paul involved but she has only the best words to say about him. In what starts as a complicated mass of lies, secrets and mistrust between the four women, unlikely friendships are soon formed in this emotional and moving novel and as we get to connect with each of them, grow to like and feel for them, My Husband’s Wives becomes quite the page-turner.

Faith Hogan has written a really touching story of grief and how it affects everyone differently. We see each woman attempt to come to terms with their loss in different ways whilst at the same time, they try to rebuild their own lives and look after themselves. It was both sad and heart-warming to see the influence Paul had had on each of them as we discover that now he’s no longer alive, they’re all a little bit lost and to some extents, living without a real purpose.

Kasia was my favourite of the four women. I found her to be a lovely, warm character who on surface always had good words to say about people but you could tell that deep-down she wasn’t naïve and she knew who was and was not to be trusted. She was sweet and protective of these other women from the start, despite never meeting them or knowing a lot about them, which in turn made them want to protect and look after her. I found it endearing how she really didn’t know her own strength and yet admired all these women without realising they all respected her for this courage she didn’t even know she possessed.

Annalise was the character I struggled with the most early on. I think she kept her emotions quite hidden and it was difficult to really understand her and relate to her, though that changed later on in the novel.

Grace and Evie were the most intricately linked as Evie was the woman Paul left for Grace and Grace had built up her own opinion on Evie throughout the years whilst feeling a little guilty at the deceit of being Paul’s ‘mistress’ when he was married to Evie. I found the development of both of these characters to be interesting and at times, surprising, especially with Evie who I wasn’t quite sure how to take at the beginning but really enjoyed getting to know as the book went on.

By the end of My Husband’s Wives, I had become fond of all the main characters. As the narrative switched to focus on each character, that insight into their lives and emotions was beautifully crafted and even when dipping in and out of this book, their voices remained and it was easy to tell which character we were back with.

My Husband’s Wives was a truly heartfelt novel, written in an engaging style with emotional twists and turns and drama throughout. It showed a realistic outlook on grief in its many forms without being a grim book – instead it was far more uplifting and motivating to see the growing friendship between Grace, Evie, Kasia and Annalise, and how the sadness of one person’s death could be the thing that actually spurred each woman on to a happier, more fulfilling future. One of the characters in the book summed it up best by saying the best part of Paul was what he left behind. I really enjoyed reading this book and loved getting to know all the people that formed the pieces of Paul’s life – completely invested in how things would work out for them all come the end. The ending itself was perfectly done, and I’m going to miss these characters now it’s over!

(review copy)

[Kaisha (The Writing Garnet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

How the wife do I even begin this review?! You'll probably know by now that blurbs and I aren't always on speaking terms; they usually go on the naughty step unread as I like to find everything out for myself! Faith Hogan's book was no exception. The only hint of information I took was from the title. I pretty much assumed that a woman's husband was wanting wives for a rainy day. That said, he could have been competing with Ross Gellar for the most amount of divorces!

The first chapter of the book was a bit like a stepping stone to the storyline, as you get to learn A LOT of information about the main man, Paul, and his love life. I did find it a little tricky to keep up at first, and sometimes I felt as though I was trudging through mud slowly, trying to digest every piece of information. However, the more of the book I read, the quicker the information was filed into its relevant places and things started to make a little more sense.

My first impression of Paul wasn't exactly a positive one. The way he acted upon things from the moment he appeared in the storyline, got my back up. He came across as a rather possessive natured man, and very self-assured (in a negative way). Don't get me wrong, it is good to have confidence in your own abilities, but when it turns pompous and up their own bootyshakalakalah that's when it can become a flaw. I must be one of the few to think that as he wasn't exactly short on lady friends!

Each one of the ladies involved, have completely different personalities to each other. There was the 'level headed' one, the 'straight to the point, emotional' one, the 'glamorous, rich daddy's girl' one and lastly, the 'new 'kid' on the block'. I'm not being judgemental, but without giving too much of the storyline away, I'm having to describe the characters differently. I also found that my opinions of the ladies (as above), helped me keep track of the storyline and each of the events.

My Husband's Wives is certainly full of 'what the....' moments, as well as 'omg! what a dic...tionary' moments. The storyline is out to shock you, squeeze you for emotions, as well as making you wonder what else is going to crop up!

After my initial mud workout during the first chapter, I managed to go with the flow and found myself rather immersed in their Pandora boxes of life. My advice to you whilst reading Faith's book though; ensure that you're completely focused on what're you're reading otherwise you won't pick up on little pieces of information that just may help hit the nail on the head.

A surprising, jam-packed, rollercoaster of a read, 'My Husband's Wives' is a book that will keep you on your toes, as well as realising that people you thought you knew aren't always as they seem.

Thank you Faith Hogan!

[B.R. Maycock · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is the story of the aftermath of the death of Paul Starr, the perfect-on paper, dream doctor who seems almost too good to be true. And it turns out he is. It’s been some time where I’ve read a book where there were so many lives intertwined and I’d forgotten how great it was when you were invested in each and every character, as I was here. The characters were unusual in their range in terms of age and roles in the book, you had stoic, mothering, bright and energetic and finally the innocent, tell it like it is shoulder to lean on. The differences between each of their lives gave us so many issues and experiences, with a few different genres thrown in there too and it made it all the more enjoyable. Each and every female character had me, and the more I read the more I felt for them. Of course in the blurb there is the mention of ‘unlikely friendships,’ and this was most definitely the highlight- the friendship between the four was excellent, heart-warming and beautiful and timely, which is so important to me-it’s a bit of a bug-bear where a friendship or relationship doesn’t evolve, you’re just suddenly hit with it. That didn’t happen here and I was thrilled. I did say ‘female characters’-the only character I didn’t warm to was Paul, or the memories of him anyway, I found him selfish and sly to be honest and I couldn’t understand that for the most part they continued to speak of him in such a fond manner, where I was livid on their behalf, but then Ms. Hogan had a surprise in store in terms of his character …

As you can tell I really liked this book. There were some issues, I don’t know if it was me, but there were times where I felt like parts had been cut out, maybe to make the story more snappy, but I did get confused from time to time. I found myself to be editing in my head a little as I read where it seemed like some sentences that I would have expected to be in a certain place to explain things were later in the page. Saying that, there weren’t many of these issues, and as this was a review copy it’s more likely they’re fixed since (or else, as I said, it’s just me!)

My Husband’s Wives had ups and downs and mini mysteries, peppered with clichéd (and sometimes cheesy!) occurrences that were predictable in a good way and yet not always fully predictable, ensuring it was always vivid and easy to picture in your mind’s eye. It was a book I’d have read in a day (although it says on Amazon this is 260 pages it felt like more, because it’s such a saga, and yet it flew!) had I had the chance (the kids know when I’m enjoying a book and decide to jump in and do their thing) and yet, conversely, one that, had I known I’d enjoyed it so much, I’d have waited until I could ingest it over a few nights, possibly in front of a big fire.

Rating: 4/5

[Margitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: A Heartwarming Journey of Love and Connection!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"My Husband's Wives" by Faith Hogan is a gem. From the first sentence, the author captured the imagination with her exploration of love, loss, and the enduring power of connections. In between the lines, it was also an exploration of modern polygamy: chain marriages from a different angle. "What if" the people involved could actually truly love and like each other; what if they could become an emotional sisterhood? What a beautiful, truly uplifting story!

The main characters:
Evie Considene Starr;
Grace Kennedy and her daughter Delilah;
Annalise Connolly with her two boys Dylan and Jerome
Kasia Petrescu with her new baby Eve.

My opinion can be found in this spoiler.
Dr. Paul Starr had his way with women, in particular these four different personalities from different backgrounds and age groups. He took care of them all on different levels by being attentive, loving, and devoted. In a way, he was also selfish. But it could also be said of the women who, through their choices alienated themselves from their lover and husband. Grace, for instance, did not want to become pregnant and even felt like they stole two days from her in that room. Two days, where they slept, washed and ate. She lay in a state of begrudging exhaustion as Paul expertly handled her daughter, and smiled and sang to the child as though they already had formed some kind of secret bond. NOTE: Delilah was HER daughter, as though Paul, her father, had no right to be called her parent.

She made the decision to not have more children, without consulting Paul. He was not invited to be part of the decision that completely affected his dreams and aspirations as well. (Remember? Men are sperm donors and piggy banks only?) He walked out the door, maybe that was the worst part.

He let her pursue her passions, talent, and dreams as she wanted. He chose to become involved with another women who loved him enough to have two children with him and bask in his wealth and dedication to her and the two boys. But when Annalise chose to pursue a career that would celebrate her beauty in the limelight, dearly beloved Paul moved on again.

He never stopped anyone from becoming what they aspired to be. He just moved on in realizing his own dreams of having more than one child in the best way possible within his realm.

Then pregnant Kasia arrived on the scene who was of the opinion that Paul valued kindness more than beauty, and loved the women in his life enough to stay connected to them and take care of his children which he doted on. Instead of living in conflict with the mothers of his children, he chose to remain in their lives, which ensured a different outcome to their stories and choices. But that's the angle of this plot that kept me enchanted and dedicated to the story! :-)

I could just imagine how upset, or disturbed some of the readers would be with this plot. Paul was supposed to be a villain and punished for his ' betrayal', although all indications were there that the women made the choices that would change everyone's lives.

I really appreciated the way the author dealt with all the emotions in this saga and approached the situation from everyone's point of view. The characters were all flawed as measured against our own mores and values. However, they were smart and likable people, if we could push our prejudices aside and become part of a much bigger tale of love in all its different manifestations or forms.

The characters are crafted with such depth and authenticity that they felt like old friends by the end of the journey. The protagonist, Paul Starr, is a character who resonates with the struggles of real life, making his experiences and choices relatable to readers.

What sets this novel apart is its ability to seamlessly blend heartwarming moments with a touch of humor and a sprinkle of wisdom. The writing style is engaging and has a unique charm that makes you want to savor every word. The narrative unfolds with a perfect balance of tension and resolution. I wanted to stay connected. I wanted to be part of this emerging new family. They all tugged at my heartstrings, warts and all.

The exploration of relationships in "My Husband's Wives" is both tender and realistic. Faith Hogan delicately navigates the complexities of love and family dynamics, showing that imperfections and challenges are part of the beautiful tapestry of life. The novel celebrates the strength of human connections and the resilience of the human spirit, reminding us that love can heal even the deepest wounds. What I appreciate the most is that all roleplayers are painted in their complex imperfections. Nobody in this saga is a cut above the rest. They are all guilty of being normal human beings!

Faith Hogan's ability to create a vivid and enchanting world is truly commendable. The settings are described with such detail that I felt transported to the charming Irish countryside, completely immersed in the story's atmosphere.

In conclusion, "My Husband's Wives" is a heartwarming and endearing, feel-good, cozy experience. This masterpiece speaks to the universal themes of love, forgiveness, and the enduring power of human connections. I can honestly recommend it as a must-read for anyone who appreciates a beautifully written story that lingers in the soul long after the last page is turned.

[diane m. leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

A heartwarming interesting book. How they all come , together is so . Nice. Don't think I word be that open
Minded.

[Deborah K Barrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird

Thought the subject matter was weird and the story too predictable. Very slow read and hard to get through
Would not recommend

[Silvia Belmares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly very good!

I was a little surprised I liked the book so much. The woman were different and interesting. Outcome is great!

[Aeren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Los otros muy bien, este es una fumada absoluta.

[Bookread2day · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading about cheating husbands. Paul Starr is a man with so many secrets he had three wives. Too add to the man who loves cheating on women, four woman actually come together who are equally in love with Paul. When Paul dies in a car accident his young pregnant lady is in hospital and has a visit from the other three women that were in Paul's life. How can this be possible four women in Paul Starr's life time, with the question now being how well did all four women know Paul?

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Paul dies in a car crash he leaves three grieving widows behind. None of his wives were in the car with him, instead he was with a young pregnant girl, Kasia. Kasia survives the accident. When Evie, Paul's first wife, is being asked to identify her deceased husband she contacts Grace, Paul's second wife, who had no idea Paul was still married to Evie. Paul never left either woman, but later also married Annalise. After his death the women in Paul's life have a lot of questions about their husband. Why was Paul married to all of them, who is Kasia and whose baby is she carrying?

While in life there was distance and dislike, after Paul's death the love they felt for their husband binds Evie, Grace and Annalise. They want to get to know each other and they're curious about Kasia, who was clearly important to Paul as well. They never interacted with one another, but now that Paul is no longer there they form tight friendships. Grace's daughter finally gets to meet her siblings, which is a huge delight. Evie has help to fight the loneliness she's had to deal with for years, Grace is no longer bound to a man who's always around, but never there and might be able to open her heart again, Annalise finally has a chance to build the self-confidence she so desperately needs and Kasia finds loving company and protection. Will the women get their answers to the questions they have about their late husband and will his death bring them more than grief and mysteries?

My Husband's Wives is a fantastic story about four incredible women. I absolutely loved Evie, Grace, Annalise and Kasia. They're all amazing strong women. They each had a different relationship with Paul and what he's done to them might be unfair, but he's also brought them something precious, each other. That's what I loved the most about this story, nothing is black or white, it has such an original subject and it really works. The bonds between the women are slowly forming and they are wonderful to read about. Paul's wives are very different. Evie used to be daring, but by waiting for Paul she's given up quite a lot of herself. There was quite an age gap and she never managed to give him a family. Grace is talented, famous and dignified. She had one child, but also couldn't give Paul exactly what he wanted, but he always remained in her life. He married Annalise, a beauty queen with a disastrous career, to get what he was missing with his other wives. Annalise needs a purpose. She's a good mother, but her career doesn't satisfy her and Paul rescued her from a terrible future. However, Paul was restless, what was going on inside him? Kasia is the last woman Paul was seen with and I was curious to find out more about their connection. She's sweet, caring and brave, but her life has always been difficult and I kept hoping she'd have a happier future ahead of her. I loved the beautiful connection between the women and admired the gorgeous sympathetic way Faith Hogan carefully builds her bridges. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to find out what would happen to the women in Paul's life.

Faith Hogan is a skillful storyteller. She always manages to surprise me with the creativity of her writing. I love how she slowly reveals the secrets her main characters are keeping. I was incredibly eager to find out more about the ones in My Husband's Wives and this kept me glued to the pages. Faith Hogan knows how to make her readers curious and effortlessly keeps them interested, which is one of her biggest strengths. She combines this with an intriguing story filled with unexpected twists and turns. I really enjoyed reading My Husband's Wives, it's a brilliant story and I highly recommend it.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Husband's Wives is the story of the secrets which top Irish cardiologist, Paul Starr, has kept from the women in his life. Paul is killed in a car crash with a young pregnant woman in the car beside him. Evie, Grace and Annaliese's lives are changed forever. Paul has been married to each of these women but there are major secrets he has been keeping from them. The book explores the effects that Paul's death has on each woman as his secrets are revealed.

I found this a compelling read and was quite fascinated by the reaction of the women to the death of this significant man in their lives. Paul was married first to Evie who was quite a bit older than him. He left her for Grace, a successful artist, and had a child with her. Later he leaves Grace for Annaliese, a former beauty queen trying to revive her career, and they have two children together. But who is the mysterious Kasia who was in the car with him and is he the father of her child?

Despite the circumstances, the women form unlikely bonds as they begin to realise just what Paul has meant to each of them. It was interesting that the one person you don't hear from - can't hear from - is Paul himself. Although to the reader it seems he has been a rather selfish and self-indulgent man, through the wives you can feel some sympathy for him and an understanding of why he behaved as he did. It is hard to imagine how you would react in the same situation but I'm not sure I would be as gracious as Evie for example! And yet, Faith Hogan has written her characters in a way that seems quite natural and plausible.

Faith Hogan's writing was compelling and each woman had a strong individual voice. I enjoyed getting to know all four of the women and learning about their relationships with Paul. I also liked how they were drawn together by Paul's deceit becoming a strong supportive group of friends. Although you might think they had cause to hate each other, in fact Paul's death was the catalyst which enabled them all to move on with their lives and become like a family to each other, in many ways the family they had all longed for but never had. A moving story of how people react very differently to grief, it is also a story of how the strongest friendships can grow from the most unlikely of circumstances.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace had no idea that the exhibition of her paintings would mean much more than sales of her paintings and making a name for herself in the art world. She met Paul, a cardiologist and they fell hard for each other that night. Paul was very open about his marriage and when they discovered that Grace was pregnant, he explained that his wife would understand that he had to leave her and marry Grace. Grace always distrusted his first wife, Evie, even though Paul did leave her and marry Grace. Years later, things started to unravel between Grace and Paul and before she knew it, Paul was leaving her for Anneliese, who had also become pregnant. Although he maintained frequent contact, Grace now had someone else to distrust in Anneliese.

When Evie shows up at Grace's door and tells her that they need to go identify Paul's body, she is in shock. Paul has been in an accident and has passed away but as a surprise to his three wives, he has another pregnant, young girl by his side. Hurt and anger bubble to the surface in all the women as they go to the hospital but it is curiosity that causes them to go see this new woman who has survived the accident and is in the hospital where they have come to identify him.

Sometimes in death we come to truly know a person. We thought we loved completely and knew a person thoroughly only to find we didn't know that person at all. But out of the despair can come positive things if you are open to others and that happens to Paul's wives.

This is my first Faith Hogan novel. The book is set in Dublin which is what intrigued me to read the book at first and the plot certainly seemed interesting! I would indeed look twice at another book if it had her name on it.

[Jeanniehay64 · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Paul Starr is killed in a car accident his unconventional life and loves are exposed as the four woman who loved him have to face up to each other’s existence.

Evie his first wife has always loved him but was willing to let him go as long as he stayed in her life. Grace a famous artist his second wife gave him a daughter Delilah who they both loved dearly . Annalise is his third wife a beautiful ex beauty queen has two young boys with Paul but feels things are not working out for them.

The shocking news of his death rocks all three woman’s lives. The fact he was in the car with another woman Kasia adds another twist to Paul’s already complicated life. Who is she?? And what part does she play in Paul’s life?

Circumstances throw all the woman together and make them question who did Paul truly love?

They all put their jealousy and uncertainty aside because of their mutual grief and find unexpected friendships developing.

This book is full of emotional dilemmas. Is it possible to share your love? Or is it being selfish? I loved how the woman pulled together and were able to move on and find happiness as each gained confidence and closure as they realised they were stronger than they imagined.

Fantastic writing by Faith Hogan who made each character very real to me. A powerful thought provoking read .

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this extremely compelling book.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the most gorgeous novel .. and the one which began my love affair with Faith Hogan’s writing!

When Ireland’s leading cardiologist dies at the scene of a car crash, several women are left behind, grieving and bereft. As they find out about each other, hostile feelings raise their ugly heads but, as the saying goes, time is a great healer and their shared love of Paul Starr has the amazing effect of soothing ruffled feathers and the tentative feelers of friendship begin to show.

This is a stunning, emotionally-charged read and what a superb debut! It’s such a well-conceived idea and shows that woman don’t always need to be at each other’s throats (especially over a man!). I adore the re-vamped cover! Each character is well-developed, and the readers’ empathy is drawn out for each one of them. The beautiful writing pulled me in, and it’s so well-crafted it is an absolute pleasure to read. I so loved this and, as a result of reading it, am a firm fan of everything this author produces. In fact, I eagerly watch out for any new novels and haven’t missed any of them. This is a top read from a first class author and I would award it double star rating if I could. As it it, my five stars are so excited that they are dancing!

My thanks to Victoria Joss of Aria for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

[shirley boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Husband's Wives

This is my first Faith Hogan experience. I will be reading more. Her whole story, from first page to last, kept me on the edge of my seat. It hit all emotions, laughing to crying and everything in between. If you want to experience something, and someone, new please select Faith Hogan. She's so good and this book is one to grab for a good read.

[Jeanniehay64 · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Paul Starr is killed in a car accident his unconventional life and loves are exposed as the three woman who loved him have to face up to each other’s existence.

Evie his first wife has always loved him but was willing to let him go as long as he stayed in her life. Grace a famous artist his second wife gave him a daughter Delilah who they both loved dearly . Annalise is his third wife a beautiful ex beauty queen has two young boys with Paul but feels things are not working out for them.

The shocking news of his death rocks all three woman’s lives. The fact he was in the car with another woman Kasia adds another twist to Paul’s already complicated life. Who is she?? And what part does she play in Paul’s life?

Circumstances throw all the woman together and make them question who did Paul truly love?

They all put their jealousy and uncertainty aside because of their mutual grief and find unexpected friendships developing.

This book is full of emotional dilemmas. Is it possible to share your love? Or is it being selfish? I loved how the woman pulled together and were able to move on and find happiness as each gained confidence and closure as they realised they were stronger than they imagined.

Fantastic writing by Faith Hogan who made each character very real to me. A powerful thought provoking read .

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this extremely compelling book.

[HattieB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one, although I did take a long time to read it.