An attention grabbing premise, but just not my cup of tea. I felt that Hugo was trying a little too hard to make her characters quirky and likable, but I just couldn't connect with anyone or get into the story.

An ok book. Not quite what I thought it would be about. I’ll probably check out more from this author.

I liked this book. The story has some funny parts, some really sad parts and a satisfying ending. I was a little confused at times by the way the story is laid out in chapters told by different characters but overall it was a good book. Thanks to netgalley for an arc e-book copy of the book, the opinions are my own

The Testament of Harold's Wife by lynne Hugo is a compelling read which kept my interest and drew me into the mind of Harold's wife. As the novel unfolded, I felt as if I were walking with her and plotting with her to bring her "Plan" to fruition. Just as nothing would seemingly stand in her way of success, there was nothing that would keep me from reading well into the night to see what path (literally at times) she would follow next. Beyond the intriguing plot, the author's skillful use of language makes the various settings feel vivid and realistic. Each character is presented with a well defined and unambiguous personality that seems plausible and realistic throughout the novel. The dialogue among the characters almost seems audible as the words unfold on the page. Readers will be well satisfied, thoroughly entertained and appreciative of the experience with this quality work of fiction.

Louisa and Harold lost their grandson, Cody, to a drunk driver. When the drunk driver beats the charges by claiming a deer caused the accident, Harold was determined to seek revenge and make sure that justice is served. Harold's efforts were constantly being impeded by Gus, the local sheriff. Not soon after Cody's death, Harold also loses his life and Louisa is left a broken women with only her chickens and her cat to keep her company. She decides that she must continue Harold's work and comes up with a plan to finally seek revenge on the man that took everything from her. And let's face it, there is nothing to stop a broken woman.

It took me a while to become completely invested in this novel but it definitely earns points for originality and it became more intriguing the further I read. We travel with Louisa in her journey to take revenge on the man who tore her life apart. Sometimes she seems as crazy as a loon, but can we blame her? The novel is told through alternating perspectives so we also get a glimpse into the viewpoints of the other characters. This is a definite plus and adds depth to the story.

I went back and forth between a 3 and a 4 for this one but decided on a solid 4 star rating. It was entertaining to say the least and definitely worth reading. And, as an added note, I love the title.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Kensington Publishing Corporation, and to Lynne Hugo for this opportunity.

Strong start then a bit of a fizzle in the middle, but good conclusion to the story. Louisa is everyone's crazy aunt, but knows how to get things done.

A few years ago, I reviewed a book called Remember My Beauties. It was good, and I was happily surprised when the author, Lynne Hugo, stopped by to comment on the review and also replied to the commenters! Lynne e-mailed me recently, alerting me to her latest, The Testament of Harold’s Wife. She hoped I’d review it, and thanks to how much I’d enjoyed “Beauties,” I was happy to (thanks, NetGalley, for the preview e-copy).

The Testament of Harold’s Wife is told in chapters, each from a different character’s point of view. That’s fitting, I think, because one of my favorite things about Lynne’s books is the way she builds her characters. They always seem very real to me. The main character in this book, not surprisingly, is Harold’s wife — Louisa.

Harold has died (warning that there are a few spoilers here) — a drunk driver killed his and Louisa’s teenage grandson. A few months later, unable to get over his grief, Harold commits suicide. This leaves Louisa alone and struggling with all the aftermath. She also has an adult son, who is dealing with his grief over the death of his son by turning to religion and becoming the pastor of a strip mall-type church.

Louisa is “elderly,” although that term doesn’t really seem to fit this woman. She’s an independent spitfire who knows how to get things done. She makes her chickens into pets of a sort, inviting them into the house for part of the day and talking with them (charmingly, she has named them Amy, Jo, Meg, and Beth). She hatches a plan to get revenge on the drunk driver who started her family’s tragedies, and the book largely deals with her machinations.

But — for me at least, this book is more about the characters and the ways they change — and don’t — than about the story itself. How do different people deal with grief in different ways? Can someone move on after grief, and what are some ways that people do this? How do people change over the course of a life? Those are some questions these characters explore.

Quotes from Louisa

* “All of us are old, I suppose. My mind rebels at the word. Old is something that I once thought I’d never have to worry about because time took forever to pass.”
* “I’m not myself. I don’t know who I am, though. Once I was a teacher, even if I did have trouble sticking to the curriculum, which wasn’t challenging enough, and was considered mouthy by the administration. And once I was a mother and a grandmother and a farm wife. Now I’m none of those. I’ve been aimlessly looking for the point of my remaining life somewhere between the canned soup and the boxed macaroni and cheese in my cupboard. Once upon a time I cooked meals, you see, but I have no interest in that anymore.”
* “He (Louisa’s son Gary) had on a red shirt I didn’t recognize. There was a time I knew all his clothes. There was a time he sat on my lap and I’d read him stories until my legs went numb. There was a time I thought I could never stand to be apart from him.”
* “If you’re ever old and alone and you’ve lost everything, you’ll talk to animals or birds, too, at least one. If you’re smart, that is. Don’t be fooled about me; I know exactly what I’m doing.”
* “The boy wasn’t Cody (Louisa’s deceased grandson), but he was a boy and I could love him and other boys, bless their wild hearts, bless the yet-unlit Independence Day fireworks of their lives, and I could be grateful that there are still boys in the world with wild hearts and dangerous, glorious futures. Maybe I can be of use. Maybe I can watch out for some of them.”

See? Louisa is a character I really enjoyed spending time with. You might as well!

I was given an advanced copy through Netgalley for my review. I would highly recommend this book to family and friends and will buy a copy for myself.

A really fun read. It is on our short list of books to be reviewed currently doing the rounds of our reviewers (BookBrowse's editorial team shortlists the books but the reviewers make the final decision about which they want to review.) It is not assigned yet but will remain on the short list for a few more weeks so hopefully will get picked.

After reading so many positive reviews, I had high expectations for this book. The humor in the beginning, as we first get to know Louisa, who has tea with her chickens in the house, was the best part of the story. A feisty widow who lost her grandson to a drunk driver, Louisa begins work on The Plan for revenge. The story stalled for me, but I liked the way it tied up loose ends. Just okay for me.

"There is nothing crazier than a truly sane old lady who can't lose more than she already has."
An interesting story of an elderly lady named Louisa . She has lost the two people she adored most in this world and this is her story of how she dealt with these losses as well as her life on her farm.
There is humor, anger, hate, laughter and love as she attempts to right the wrongs that she has been dealt.
Louisa shares all her secrets and ideas with her chickens and her cat as they sit and drink bourbon and tea. She talks to the deer and knows they are listening.
Her son thinks his mother is plain old nuts and would like her to move out of her farm to a nice senior citizen home.
I enjoyed Louisa and her spunk!! I know many people that could be Louisa!

Quickly I realized this book was not for me. I found this book difficult to follow and I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. The main character had chickens living in her livingroom? Really? I didn't get past 25%. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A little disjointed and hard to follow. I wasn’t drawn in by the chickens either. Unfortunately it was a dnf for me. Maybe I’ll give it another go closer to pub date.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Louisa is deemed crazy by her only son after the devastating losses of her only grandchild followed by her husband, She rebounds in order to exact revenge, but is able to heal along her journey.

Sad novel with a hopeful ending.

5* Crazy Louisa Stars

I requested a copy of this book to review because I fell in love with the cover and was intrigued to find out what was written in this novel and I was not disappointed.

This story centres on Louisa who is a very sassy widow and grandmother and her revenge against the man who killed her grandchild and also lead to the death of her beloved husband Harold. She entertained me from the beginning of the book until the last page was read. She was very entertaining and I laughed so much with her as she interacted with her beloved chickens, the “girls” and her retired barn cat Marvelle . Louisa did not hesitate to add many splashes of bourbon to her tea as well as Marvelle’s milk whilst discussing her “Plan”.

The secondary characters in the book, with the exception of Larry, were also very likeable and humorous in their own way. I had some laugh out moments with Gary, Louisa’s son who had recently become a Reverend and his God Squad members calling Louisa every day and when he gifted her his hand painted “Glitter Jesus” painting.

This book was very well written and had the right balance of humour, love and loss. I enjoyed the way the book ended too.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for an Advanced copy of the book to read and review for an honest opinion.

I found this book fascinating. Louisa, alone on her farm, mourns the untimely death of her grandson Cody, killed in a car accident, no accident really as the driver was drunk. Soon after , her husband Harold dies, having been unsuccessful in bringing the driver through a prosecution.
I have to say that I do not understand why he was let off, but there are parts of the story that are rather left to the imagination.
Wit the added problem of her son Gary who has become a self ordained preacher with his eyes on her land, she has plenty to worry about. Her Plan is to wreak revenge on the killer of Cody and she goes to many lengths to trap him. The book involves us in her pain and suffering, but also in her humour.
Without revealing the end I would say that justice was done, if in an unexpected way.
I liked the book very much. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

A fair story of loss and revenge. When Louisa loses her grandson to a drunk driver (Larry), and then her husband six months later, she struggles to come to grips with it all. When Larry only gets 3 days as punishment, and her son Gary becomes a preacher of a non-church, it all falls on her shoulders. Between Gary pushing her, and seeing things through Larry's eyes, the story clips along. A lot of bouncing around for my taste, but it does give a broader view. Would recommend.

There are some super funny parts in this book about a woman bent on revenge. Playing out against a developing Plan to get even with the man who killed her grandson in a car accident and who, she feels, is then responsible for her husband’s death, is also the lives of the people involved in the Plan. She is devoted to her Plan and the steps she takes to bring it to fruition.
It is a well thought out book with a tone of humorous diversion.

This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #2, out July 2.

Louisa is grief-stricken after being widowed, alongside the untimely loss of her only grandson. Left alone, with only her pets who seem to get her, she teeters on the edge of madness. Curiously gripping, this book wades through the stages of grief and the very human need to create meaning out of tragedy. Great for those who like a good revenge plot, those who like to despair for lost love, and also for those who understand the value of compassion and connectedness as therapy, when everything has fallen apart. – Leza Bredenkamp

3 1/2 stars.