This story by Cathy Lamb is one of her best! It had fewer of the typical quirky family members from her other books and focused more on the mystery of why Natalie was in a coma. Unpredictable and compelling, this book was difficult to put down.

From the hook at the beginning to the satisfactory ending, it was an easy and engaging read.

One morning, Natalie Shelton’s husband, Zack, tells her that they must run from the home they love. No explanation. He only tells her that he is not the man she thinks – even his name is a lie. Instead of leaving with Zack, Natalie runs to her car and heads to work. At a stop sign her car is hit by a man with a sinister grin. Natalie ends up in a coma.

While in a coma coffin, Natalie can hear everything. She can’t let them know that she is okay. Her body simply won’t cooperate. Her thoughts are poignant and often humorous. This is a particularly special opportunity to visit inside the mind of Natalie. She is brutally honest and allows us to explore all of her thoughts, emotions and fears.

After Natalie comes out of the coma, we struggle with her as she fights to restore her speech, balance and memory.

The characters are so rich that it is easy to believe you are in the room watching what occurs. Many times, I found myself immersed in Natalie’s thoughts to such a degree they could have been mine.

I cannot describe how much I liked this book. It is engaging, and I didn’t want it to end.

Cathy Lamb has her own unique style. Her books are heartwarming, quirky, and always have their share of laugh-out-loud moments. I could not wait to read The Man She Married.

Natalie Shelton suffers a brain injury in a terrible car accident, and she is in a coma. Though she cannot talk, she is aware of her surroundings, and suddenly puts it together that her once happy marriage is in jeopardy because her husband has a secret. She can feel it. He must. His behavior is becoming more apparent because he thinks she can’t hear him, and not only that, she can remember bits and pieces from the morning of the accident that cast further doubt in her mind.

Natalie finally wakes up, and she is on a mission to figure out what is going on. Once things start to unravel, or fall into place, depending on how you look at it, there is a turning point for Natalie and Zack because his past can no longer be denied.

Cathy Lamb gets inside Natalie’s head, and the flow of the writing very much authentically follows the scattered, fragmented thoughts on someone with a brain injury.

Natalie is such a likable and endearing character. I was rooting for her to reclaim her memory and figure out what Zack was hiding. She is a true heroine, and her story inspired me, while also bringing along some Cathy Lamb-style witty entertainment and laughter. There were some other quirky, charming friends along for the ride, and here we have another signature Cathy Lamb book!

Thank you to Kensington Books for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

Cathy Lamb has this special talent of weaving poignant stories with lovable, sometimes quirky, characters. The Man She Married has a cast of unbelievably wonderful people. She write them so real, you wish you could be friends with them, too. They all have their faults, their weaknesses, but oh, do they have heart and care for each other so fiercely. (Seriously, there is always some kickass character, or 3, that I wish I had in my life). This story, like all her others, wraps you up all warm and snug, and keeps you there til the end.

I will be honest, the beginning gave me major anxiety. Being in a coma and aware of everything? Wanting to communicate, but can’t? Oy vey. That gave me heart palpitations. But I had to remind myself- this is Cathy Lamb. This character is going to have a kick ass come back. She is going to fight and she is going to win. And fight she did. The Man She Married never lulls. The first chapter is one of the best I’ve read in a very long time. It was drama filled and pulled me in immediately.

What Natalie has to go through for the rest of the book is inspiring. You feel her fight and spirit the whole way through. You feel you are there for her, rooting, just as her family and her girlfriends are. Zack, her husband, is absolutely hiding something. There is no doubt. What it is, you don’t know, but there is this underlying feeling that no matter what is in his past, he is still a good man with a great heart.

Fans of Lamb will not be disappointed by her latest. The Man She Married has all her best elements with a twist of danger and suspense. Grab a copy, settle in with some apple pie, and enjoy.

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is only the second book I’ve read by this author, and I’m not disappointed. I’m already looking at the others available because I enjoy the writing of Cathy Lamb. Natalie was a great character to “see” the story through, and it moves quick from start to finish.

This is my first Cathy Lamb book, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The premise sounded similar to other recently published books - wife is in an accident and subsequent coma, is still conscious during the coma and can hear everything going on around her. (I mean, Grey's Anatomy killed off McDreamy with this same plot line). Hubby is acting suspicious and suspect. What is going on?

At the beginning it was working. Until... well... it stopped working.

Natalie comes out of the coma, and is suffering effects from her TBI. Of course. But then we jump into a rehab centre and the book goes on and on about her time there... and really it wasn't necessary to the story except to fill pages. It's not like anyone she met there helped her figure out the man she married.

In this book there are two instances of plot lines regarding 'bad' insurance companies. I felt it was a little over kill and did nothing to help the story along. There were too many sub-plots and details that while they may have helped develop the subsidiary characters, really had no bearing on the story (Chick's many kids, Justine's past and the child she gave up for adoption, and her infatuation with Jed, and the visions of Grandma Dixie).

This book was just not for me.

Cathy Lamb is one of my favorite authors and this book is another reason why. It contains all the things that I love about her writing...great characters, humor, sadness, love and friendship. What this book also includes is a mystery also. Natalie is struggling to find out the truth about her husband and what happened the day of her accident. As their story unfolds, you find yourself hoping that the worst about Zack can't be true.

I love all the relationships in this story; first with all the people who love and surround Natalie and also with the people she meets in the Brain Bang Unit. The author finds humor in sad situations and gives us a cast of characters to cheer for. Highly recommend!

THE MAN SHE MARRIED is a classic Cathy Lamb story. It weaves together a hunky man with a damaged woman with humor, mystery, and lust. I love that most, if not all, of Cathy’s other strong female leads are referenced in this book – it was fun journey recalling those other great books. It also reads compulsively – I finished it all in one sitting. If you are a fan of Cathy's, you will enjoy this book!

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Injured in a hit and run accident, Natalie struggles to recover from being in a coma. What happened on that fateful day? Was she hit on purpose? Could her husband, Zack's, secret from his past be related to her accident? Find out in this unique, quirky, and humorous tale from the one and only Cathy Lamb. I would highly recommend it for fans of happy endings!

The story started out strong with Natalie in a coma unable to see or speak but still able to hear conversations. The middle dragged on a bit too long for me and could have been 50-100 pages shorter. The ending, however, made it worth the read and reminded me of Just Mercy (5 stars).

If you enjoyed Cathy's sense of humor, then try my favorite from her so far, No Place I'd Rather Be (5 stars).

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Location: Portland, Oregon

Secrets and lies have been a common theme in quite a few of the books I've read recently, but Cathy Lamb's newest novel definitely earns my highest rating. She has combined quirky, but lovable characters with an intriguing storyline to make for an enjoyable and satisfying read. By the time I finished the book, I was ready to move to Oregon! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review The Man She Married.

The Man I Married is the first book by Cathy Lamb that I have read. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more books by Ms. Lamb.

The story is told from Natalie's POV. She is in a car crash and ends up in a comma in the hospital. I can't even imagine being in a comma. I hope I never end up like that.

Once Natalie is out of her coma, she spends time in rehab. I think this was my favorite part of the story. There were fun and quirky characters in rehab.

This story has a car crash, attempted murder, selfish mother, revenge, loyalty, family support, coping, life after death experience and a lot more. I would certainly recommend this book.

I love Tuesdays--they're my favorite day of the entire week! Why? Because Tuesdays mean BOOK BIRTHDAYS! It's the traditional day of the week for the release of new books!   Today, I'm especially excited because today is the release of Cathy Lamb's newest novel, THE MAN SHE MARRIED.

In full disclosure, let me first say that I was given a free advance copy of this novel for an honest review. With that said, I'm happy to say that my review is in no way "enhanced" by having been gifted with a free copy.

Now, on to my thoughts on THE MAN SHE MARRIED...

If you've followed me for very long, you probably know that Cathy is one of my all-time favorite authors. I fell in love with her books about eight years ago when I ran across her release of SUCH A PRETTY FACE. The title called out to me and, without knowing a single thing about the book, I bought it and devoured it in one sitting. Since then, I've managed to read all of Cathy's books and have fallen irrevocably in love with her characters, their wit, their heartbreak, and their human spirit.

Today I'm happy to report that Cathy's newest novel, THE MAN SHE MARRIED, is every bit as engaging as her previous novels. In some ways, maybe even more so!

So what's it about?

Natalie and Zach are the ideal couple who have found their soul mates in each other. But after a tragic accident, Natalie finds herself in a "Coma Coffin." When she regains consciousness, she struggles to heal and find the woman she once was. But something's not right. Her husband, Zach, is keeping a secret. A huge one. She knows it, but she can't quite figure it out and, when she asks him, he's evasive. But trust me when I tell you the secret is HUGE.

Still, knowing Zach has a huge secret doesn't detract from his complete likability as a character. Throughout the book, the reader only gets a hint of what the big secret is; and yet it's completely impossible to resist falling in love with him and hoping that--whatever the secret is--he and Natalie can overcome it and live happily ever after.

Fans of Cathy Lamb are accustomed to finding quirky supporting characters, and THE MAN SHE MARRIED is no different. Aside from the main characters, Natalie and Zach are surrounded by strong, loving, funny, colorful and completely engaging friends and family. It is simply impossible to resist falling in love with every one of the characters.

It is probably with no small amount of shock for those who know me--or those who've read any of Cathy Lamb's novels--that I give THE MAN SHE MARRIED a strong 5-star review! Get it today--you won't be sorry!

When I first started reading this book by Cathy Lamb, I thought that it was meant to be a mystery. Yes, there is a mystery at hand but I thought this novel was much more than a mystery. It was quirky and fun to read and I loved all of the characters. Each character was well developed and most of them were friend worthy. Even Natalie's self-absorbed mom is painted in such a way that her actions eventually break your heart in sympathy for such a lost sole The basic plot is that Natalie realizes that her husband is not the man that she thought he was (literally) and as she is fleeing from him, she gets hit by a car and ends up in a "coma coffin". During her time in the coma, she can actually hear everyone as they speak to her and about her. Natalie can't remember what exactly her husband's secret is but she knows that she loves him. As Natalie exists in her coma, we realize that her husband Zack is truly heart broken. We meet her swoon worthy father who loves his "Hummingbird" and will do anything for her. We also meet the friends Natalie refers to as the Maverick Girls. They are a rip! As the novel progresses, Natalie proceeds to make new friends at a rehabilitation facility. Her interactions with these new friends who are also recovering from brain trauma is sweet and the reader feels their struggles to adapt to a new life. In the midst of this all, an enemy from Zack's past is seeking revenge as he stalks Natalie. Is her husband a good guy or a bad guy? Will Natalie ever be able to do math again? Will her mother manage to divorce husband number five and...... will any woman ever catch her dad? Great fun!!!!

First thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

This hooked me from the beginning chapter. I had so much to do over the weekend and found myself dawdling so I could read "just one more chapter."

I really enjoyed all of the characters in the book - even the minor ones.

Check this one out.

I also know I will be add more of this author to my to-read list.

This was my first CL book and I’m sitting here in disbelief that I haven’t read her before now, especially since she has written several books. The best part of that is I don’t have to worry about waiting for her next book because if I need more CL in my life I can work my way through her back list and I feel like everyone needs a bit more of her in their lives.

Don’t you just love being surprised by a book? I’m not talking about being shocked by plot twists, I’m talking about when a book is just slightly different than what you expected, but in a really good way. I guess I thought this would be sorta sad, maybe even a bit depressing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It was so funny and humor was the last thing I expected to encounter but I so appreciated it. If her books generally have the same style of good natured fun please let me know because I adored it.

While the plot here was great, it definitely maintained my interest, the star of the show was most certainly the characters. Natalie herself was a little shining star, but every single other character was amazing as well. Her dad, her husband, her two best friends and her mom were all super fun and quirky and totally the type of people you only wish you knew in real life. They were vibrant and full of life and energy, the type you expect to leap from the pages and a few even left an imprint on my heart. Recommended for anyone who needs some laughs and loves to love characters, a super fun read.

The Man She Married in three words: Funny, Sweet and Quirky.

Natalie and Zack are living a great life - happy marriage, great jobs, etc. But Zack has always resisted talking about his past, and Natalie knows he is hiding a secret. Then Natalie is involved in a hit and run and is in a coma. Although she can't communicate, she can hear and is aware of all that is going on around her. She hears Zack on mysterious phone calls and catches him being secretive and coded. When she wakes up, she is determined to uncover the secrets and reevaluate her seemingly happy marriage.
I enjoyed this book very much! Thank you to Cathy Lamb, Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

The Man She Married is one of those books that hooks you from the very first chapter and doesn't let go until the very last page!

Natalie knows there is something that her husband, Zach, is keeping from her, she just doesn't know what it is, until one morning when Zach tells her he is not who he says is. Follow along with Natalie as things are slowly pieced together.

I loved the relationships between Natalie, Chick and Justine and Natalie and her father. Natalie's mother was a tad exasperating, but she redeemed herself when it was all said and done.

This is the first book I've read by author, Cathy Lamb, but will be definitely checking out her back list, and recommending this book to all my bookish friends!

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy; all opinions are my own.

You can't remember the truth? Natalie has a loving husband Zack and a successful business but that is all about to change. She is involved in a hit and run and she is in a coma and the doctors don't know if she will wake up. Zack knows that she can't say anything to the police as they will learn the truth about him & his past. So everyday he visits Natalie and hopes that she will wake up as this is all his fault. Natalie is awake in her coma but there is nothing she can do except listen to her friends & family talk to her. She is trying to figure out how she got here but she can't really remember. It has taken a long time for her mind to heal enough for her to wake up but nothing is the same. She can't talk properly, walk and even remember. She is put into a rehab centre where she is able to heal. But Zack's past won't leave her alone and the police are no closer to finding out who is after her. Will Zack come clean before it is too late? He knows that Natalie is going to learn the truth one day but he hopes that he has time to make things right. Natalie knows that he is lying to her but she doesn't know why and the more she tries she remembers small things. What will she do when she finds out the truth about his past can she forgive him? A good read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

The Man She Married was one of those books that I had a hard time deciding whether I even liked it or not. This one is a fictional story of a woman that finds out her husband’s lying only to then lose her memory in a severe crash that results in brain injuries.

As the story in this one began it seemed that Natalie and Zack were very much in love with one another when something happens that brings to light Zack’s deception. Just as the fight between the couple is happening Natalie leaves and has her accident. This leaves readers wondering what the whole truth was and what danger that brings building a bit of suspense.

Now, after a somewhat explosive beginning readers are tossed into a state of confusion as the story continues being told from Natalie’s POV while lying in a coma. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily but it stalls out finding out the reality and Natalie begins a lot of random musings that really don’t mean a lot to the story which also continue after she awakens. The pace really seemed to slow down from the beginning and it became hard to stay engaged at that point.

One could say the author is brilliant showing the scattered thoughts of a accident victim but on the other hand perhaps insane for dragging out the story for those less patient readers such as myself. Some of the ramblings are funny and parts entertaining though so that brought my struggle in is this likable or not leading me to rate down the middle. Perhaps a little shorter version would have been more to my taste but as is I can’t say I fell in love but only that it did have it’s moments.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publications and Cathy Lamb for a copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.

This book starts out with a huge secret that leaves Natalie in a coma. She calls it her Coma Coffin. Cathy Lamb does a good job of showing what happens to a person while in a coma. It’s quite interesting and done very well. When she goes into rehab though I was disappointed. It was good to see how things went there but it was so repetitive. It seemed to go on and on with the same thing way to much. I continued to read until the very end and loved how things progressed with Natalie, her husband, her dad, her mother(who I ended up liking) and her two best friends. There were subjects touched on that need way more attention, such as mental heath and young pregnancy, adoption, abuse to an extent. I truly wanted to love this book. I had heard so many good things. While I did like it, it was just not what I expected. It held my interest because I wanted to know what happens. Who was after Natalie and Zack. Why her mother was the way she was and what would happen between Natalie and Zack.

I would recommend this book to others but will say there are some parts that will drive you nuts because it seems to say the same thing over and over again. It has wonderful characters and beautiful landscaping scenes that you can actually picture. It had great potential to be a very good thriller but to me just fell short. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either.

I gave it 3 stars and will read more by this author.