Take My Husband

by Ellen Meister

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.In Take My Husband, Ellen Meister gave her readers a twisted, unconventional and strangely humorous tale. Despite the craziness of the situation, the story held me captive from start to finish.

Laurel Applebaum has been married for thirty years. However, it was not thirty years of wedded bliss. Therefore, when she received a call from the hospital informing her that her husband had met in an accident, she was on cloud nine. Yes! You read right. She began imagining what her life would be like without Doug in the picture. Access to the funds from his insurance policy, and all the things she could not have in the thirty-year marriage. Most importantly, she would not constantly be at his beck and call. However, upon her arrival at the hospital, she would be in for a big disappointment, as Doug was very much alive. Disappointed, she began plotting, with the aid of a coworker, a myriad of ways to get rid of her husband. She feels justified in her reasons for wanting her gone forever. 

I may not have been able to relate to Laurel, but I found her character quite interesting. For thirty years, she fell prey to Doug’s manipulations. He never seems able to do anything for himself. Making his coffee, fetching the newspaper, making his own coffee and setting his appointments were all done by Laurell. Then, to make matters worse, his jealousy over the years has grown intolerable. She’s had enough, but a divorce would mean no insurance payout, so he had to die. The question is, how will she accomplish her goal?

Honestly, Laurel’s attempts to off her husband cracked me up. Not only did I laugh at her attempts, I cheered her on. The author did a wonderful job of portraying Laurel’s unhappiness in her marriage. In doing so, she nudged the reader in the position of feeling sympathetic towards her situation. For her to be harboring these thoughts to the point of putting them into action shows how far down the rabbit hole she ventured. Laurel’s journey towards self- discovery was fascinating despite the many wrong turns she made. Fortunately, she found her way in the end.

The secondary characters added another dimension to the story. One in particular had my alarm bells ringing like crazy. The story ended on an interesting note, with both parties receiving what they richly deserved.

I enjoyed the Narration. Stacy Glemboski delivered a solid performance, bringing the characters’ personalities to life.

Overall, Take My Husband delivered an entertaining tale. If you enjoy dark humour blended with women’s fiction, then this makes a great addition to your reading list. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading