The Husband’s Secret: The hit novel that launched the author of BIG LITTLE LIES

6 Reviews For This Product

1. 

   Rated 3 out of 5

   06

   by booklover August 24, 2023

   I want to preface this review by saying that I am a big fan of Liane Moriarty’s novels. I read What Alice Forgot and enjoyed it years before there was a big buzz around Big Little Lies (a fantastic novel but not a great television series). Before I started reading The Husband’s Secret, I had read a total of four of Moriarty’s novels and enjoyed all but one (I thought Nine Perfect Strangers was silly), so I approached the book with an open mind.

   While it is well-written like all of Moriarty’s other novels, I felt The Husband’s Secret was a bit disappointing. It follows three different women, who are all linked to St Angela’s school in Sydney, during Holy Week. Each woman has to deal with another person’s secret throughout the course of the novel. However, none of the secrets have a big impact on their lives despite how monumental they are. Each one finds themselves back to the status quo of the novel’s opening as though nothing has happened. The titular secret was easy to guess within the first few chapters. There were many references to the Berlin Wall throughout the story, which seemed very random.

   I was disappointed in the novel, but I will continue to read Moriarty’s back catalogue as I still think she’s an amazing author.

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   06

   by Elin September 10, 2023

   I really enjoyed the book, and have passed it on to a friend. The references to the Berlin Wall left me cold though.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   06

   by Celia Ritchie September 14, 2023

   It took a while to get my head around the various characters, who was married to whom etc, but as the story unravelled everything fell into place and became an intriguing tale of deep, dark secrets.

4. 

   Rated 3 out of 5

   06

   by Kimberley October 13, 2023

   I don’t really know how I feel about this book to be honest. I liked it but at the same time wasn’t overwhelmed with it. I’d heard of Liane Moriarty and actually own a few books by her yet this is my first book that I’ve read!

   The book takes place over a week and each chapter is about a different family/character who live in the same town and are linked. Cecelia (one of the characters) finds an envelope from her husband telling her only to read the letter in the event of his death. Well from that moment that is all she can think about, eventually opens it…and her life is changed forever. Without telling you what the letter said I can’t really go into much more detail about that.

   It became obvious to me about a quarter of the way through the book what the letter said (before she opened it obviously) and so that tension and mystery was then ruined, it was quite obvious as to what it said so it didn’t really come as a shock that it turned out to be true. However half way through I found myself thinking about the different characters and their stories and I found myself wanting to continue reading to find out what happened (which meant some very late nights staying up reading).

   The stories overall though were just too nice for me, it was like reading a book where all the characters have perfect lives, they all bake nice cakes, have perfect children who do exactly what they say etc. then these issues appear but they will all be righted at the end without too much harm to anyone.

   The issues just seemed trivial, either do something about it or don’t. I hated the pages and pages of constantly flitting between this idea/person or that one (depending on the character/story). I think if the women in the book acted like adults for just 5 minutes the problems would be easier to solve. Instead 2 of them don’t do anything at all except have inner conflict and the third runs off to the other side the country and enrols her child at a new school like it is the most normal thing in the world.

   However I still found myself coming back to this book engrossed in the stories of these women. Hence my inner turmoil writing this review, part of me loved it and part of me didn’t.

   I loved it because there was gossip, bitchiness and mystery. I was desperate to find out what happened to the characters and how all this would be sorted out…what would happen to them? There’s no way this can end well right? So I loved the book for keeping me engaged and entertained throughout the entire book.

   However at the same time I didn’t like it. Reflecting back after reading the stories just seemed to sum up so nicely. Everything sorted itself out, the world is a better place, everyone is happy etc. etc. well no, realistically big things happened in these stories, things that can’t be fixed with evasions and keeping together a marriage that nobody wants to be in for the sake of a child (looking at you Tess), it will just end badly when you realise it can’t be fixed. However the book needed to end on a happy note with everything nicely wrapped up, except that isn’t how the world works!

   So as you can probably see I have mixed reviews on this book, I would definitely encourage people to read it however I personally don’t think I will be reading it again, it was fun the first time round but I don’t think I could go through all the pointless trivial issues again.

5. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   06

   by Kindle Customer November 2, 2023

   I love the storyline. It is very clever. Easter is in Springtime
   However, why keep referring to Easter as being in the Autum. It is in the Spring.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   06

   by Cynthia Syston November 6, 2023

   I’d never read this author before but I most certainly will again. The storyline so compelling and beautifully written. The characters are so realistic and full of surprises. I would definitely recommend this book.