The Good Enough Husband. Sylvie Fox. [ARC provided courtesy of LibraryThing Member Giveaway.]
Sometimes you just have get away. Pack some things, get in your car, and drive. That’s exactly what Hannah Keesling does when she finds herself contemplating whether to walk away from her marriage to her husband Michael. She’s trapped in what she considers a passionless marriage with someone who doesn’t understand her. Her getaway is supposed to give her a chance to really think about what she wants, not just with her marriage, but also with her life, with solitude. However, a carsick dog puts her squarely in the path of veterinarian Ben Cooper in a small town in Oregon – just a pit stop on her path. For her dog’s benefit, she’s forced to spend her down time in the coastal town and has an unlikely opportunity to get closer to the doctor.
This isn’t a clean, safe romance. It’s incredibly messy, drama-filled, and downright embarrassing at times. It’s wrought with conflict and confusion between Hannah, her love interests, and their families. Hannah is conflicted when considering her marriage and the passion she finds with Ben. As luck would have it, Michael is pretty bent on maintaining his marriage, so he certainly doesn’t make it easier for her. I actually found this aspect of the story refreshing. The conflict is nuanced and authentic; the characters’ reactions are what I would expect in the real world.
To some degree, the story is frustrating. Hannah’s actions come across as poorly thought out at best and completely selfish at worst. She often fails to see the big picture and how her actions drag so many others into her drama. It becomes difficult to see her spiral in some ways, but then defiantly try to maintain control over such a complicated situation.
With The Good Enough Husband, Fox has presented a solid book. She tells a realistic situation in a way that allows you to get into the heads of most characters. Their interactions are believable and interesting. More than that, she keeps a good pace throughout the book, such that you’re still wondering what the outcome will be until the very last minute. This will not disappoint.
No Comments