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Publisher:
HarperTorch |
Release
Date: June 2004 |
ISBN:
0-06-095347-0 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Mass Market Paperback |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Fiction/Women’s fiction |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Shannon I. Bigham |
Reviewer
Notes: |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
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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.
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