Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: HarperTorch
Release Date: June 2004
ISBN: 0-06-095347-0
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Mass Market Paperback
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Genre:   Fiction/Women’s fiction
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Shannon I. Bigham
Reviewer Notes:  
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Secret Lives of Second Wives
By Catherine Todd

    After looking at the cover of Secret Lives of Second Wives, which showcases the lower half of a slender woman in a cocktail dress with heels and red-polished toenails, and reading the blurb on the back about “The Anne Boleyn Society,” an informal support group for second wives, I was expecting a no-brainer, fluffy read - something akin to a combination of a Jackie Collins novel and “mature” chick lit. As I delved into the book, I quickly learned that this book was not what I expected - which was not a bad thing. Secret Lives of Second Wives is an excellent read that has a little bit of everything - humor, romance, mystery and depth. This book will appeal to a wide female audience of readers.

     Lynn Bartlett is the second wife of Jack Hughes. They are both attorneys, although Jack runs his own business instead of practicing law, and he is the father of two grown, but seemingly immature children, Meredith and Patrick. Lynn is an immigration attorney and is a partner at a small firm that specializes in immigration law. The couple resides in the San Francisco Bay area, which is a great location to practice immigration law.

     Life for Lynn and Jack stops running smoothly when the stepson, Patrick, decides to move in because he is unemployed. This creates marital strife between Lynn and Jack, and it is bad timing. Lynn is already under stress because her law partner is having serious problems that are affecting their law firm. Lynn’s friend, Kate, who is the second wife of a surgeon, invites Lynn to join The Anne Boleyn Society. Feeling disillusioned and confused, Lynn agrees to join the weekly support group meetings. She needs all the help and support that she can get - especially after she begins representing a client who is more attractive than she wants to admit.

    Secret Lives of Second Wives is a quick, interesting read with surprising depth. It delves into the intricacies of what it is like to be a second wife, and how she has to deal with the first wife, the stepchildren, the finances, and the general tendency to feel like an outsider in her own marriage at times. There are interesting references to life in the San Francisco Bay area and references to various novels (Lynn is a reader). This book is highly recommended as a quality work of women’s fiction, and this reviewer is looking forward to the author’s next release.