What Holly’s Husband Did by Debbie Viggiano

Title: What Holly’s Husband Did

Author: Debbie Viggiano

Publisher: Bookouture

ASIN: B07B4DYKSX

Date of Publication: 29^th May 2018

Synopsis

Holly Hart has been married for fifteen blissful years to hubby Alex. Well… if you don’t count last Christmas, when she accidentally found a load of flirty texts on Alex’s phone. But every marriage has its ups and downs and Alex had a perfectly reasonable explanation… so why can’t Holly forget what she saw?

With the help of best friends Jeanie and Caro, as well as their handsome neighbour Jack, Holly resolves to settle her mind once and for all with a bit of sneaky detective work. So what if her husband isn’t exactly Brad Pitt? He’s hers, and if someone else is trying to steal him she wants to know who… But the truth is way more shocking than Holly ever anticipated. Can Holly, let alone her marriage, ever recover from what she discovers?

My Review

OMG this book had me rolling around on the floor before I’d even finished the first page! It’s been a while since I’ve read any chick-lit, and this book really made me realise what I’ve been missing.

This first-person narrative has a linear structure with colloquial language that draws the reader in, making them feel they’re having a coffee with friends. And cake: there’s lots of yummy cake!

But underneath this laugh-out-loud novel is a heart-breaking story that makes the reader empathise all the more with Holly, the likeable protagonist. As Holly and her two besties share intimate details of their marriages, Holly conjures up a fantastical sex-life to cover up her husband’s sex-drive; or lack of it. It’s not so much that it’s dwindled; it just wasn’t there in the first place. But has it really dwindled? Is Alex topping up his bi-monthly love-life with his wife from somewhere else; or more precisely, somebody else? Holly seems to think so. But just who is this mystery lover? Do they really exist, or is it all in Holly’s imagination? The clever clues are there, but I certainly didn’t see this twist coming!

But despite all of Holly’s trauma; true to its genre, there’s a heart-warming end to the story. And I turned the last page with a satisfying sigh of contentment.

This novel has all the elements of a good chick-lit: the writing style reminded me of Sophie Kinsella and April Hardy. The humour reminded me of Marian Keyes. I would recommend this hilarious book for anybody who’s had a stressful week and needs a good belly-laugh to share with this trio of besties.

This book fits Literature Love’s below rating criteria and has been awarded 5 stars.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I recommend you stop what you’re doing and go and buy this book now! As well as having all the elements of a four-star review, this book transcends its genre. The language is original and compelling; characters jumped off the page; and twists in the plot left me gasping. This rare and exceptional book will be put forward for Literature Love’s top 10 books of the year. 5 stars.jpeg