The Husband's Secret

Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Women's Fiction, Modern Fiction
Type: Hardcover
Source: Local Public Library
Pages: 394
Publisher:  Putnam Adult
First Published: July 2013
First Line: "It was all because of the Berlin Wall."

Book Description from GoodReads:  At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read.

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died...

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves


My Review:  After reading the book jacket, and hearing such praise about it from other readers, I was excited to pick it up.  I really enjoyed her recent Big Little Lies so I was fairly certain that I'd feel just as entertained by this earlier book.

Unfortunately my reaction to Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret are like night and day.  The description on the book jacket made it seem like there would be a huge secret revealed (and there was) but it wasn't nearly as interesting as I was hoping.  I kept on reading in the hopes that there would be some huge twist but sadly after the 'big reveal' there were no more twists to be had.

I also really struggled with the main characters.  First of all, there were a lot of women to keep track of and I didn't feel much of a connection to any of them.  While the big the secret was decent, how it was handled afterward was quite lackluster and its build-up took much too long to happen.  Add in the silly epilogue and this book was a let down.

If you're in the mood for a soap opera-esque read with cookie cutter characters then I'd suggest you pick up this book.  Unfortunately, I don't think it showcases the author's talent of writing with the charm, humour and wit of her latest work. 

My Rating: 2.5/5 stars