Imagine being at a party, looking across the room at your husband–the man you’ve loved since you were a girl–and seeing him holding hands with another man. Worse, the look on his face is far happier, far lighter than any look he’s given you in quite some time.

Katie Field takes this premise and puts you squarely into Mary Black’s world as she realizes that her marriage of two decades is over.

Mary handles her new situation with far more grace and kindness than I could. At one point, she talks about how she hasn’t cried in years, not since her father left her and her mother, and you’re left wishing Mary would just let it all out.

Some of the most emotionally draining scenes for me were when Mary’s kids begin preferring spending time with their father, as well as those moments when she sees just how much happier he is with his new partner. Katie Field writes these with humor and a little lightness, yet I couldn’t help but feel for Mary.

Meanwhile, there might just be a new romance on the horizon for our heroine. There were times when Mary’s blindness to this frustrated me and made me want to shout at her to OPEN HER EYES, but at the same time, she’s going through some pretty messy stuff. Can I really blame her for not seeing what is (literally) right in front of her?

My only problem with this book is a subplot involving Mary’s mother. It seems kind of rushed and forced, and I’m not sure it’s necessary.

When you read this one, hit up the comments and let me know your thoughts. I liked Mary, and I liked how Katie Field told her story.

An enjoyable read with Mary learning to come out from her husband's shadow after he leaves her for a man. Finding her confidence and testing the sexual and romantic waters very tentatively. I found it hard to see Mary as only 38. Her whole attitude and being married to a boring self centred and seemingly passionless professor just made me picture her as being in her fifties. And as for the husband... I hated him and wish she could have hated him too. What a stuffy selfish man! Throwing his new life in her face and grabbing all the academic glory. Ugh!

For many years Mary put her family first, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she sees her husband holding hands with another man. Mary struggles to protect her children and her family’s reputation while dealing with her own heartache. This book is Mary’s emotional journey towards acceptance and self-discovery. Anyone who has faced a heartache knows how hard it is to accept when things don’t turn out as planned. When a relationship ends due to infidelity or a third party the person potentially faces self-esteem and self-love issues. Mary works on rebuilding herself, reflecting on her life and the choices made along the way, and whether she can overcome the devastation of not only her marriage ending but the many years of marriage that feel like a lie. For the sake of her children she works on accepting her new family dynamic and have a relationship with her husband’s new partner. I recommend this book. You won’t be able to put it down. It’s relatable because anyone dealing with heartache or who has been married with children knows the struggles or co-parenting and putting aside one’s feeling for the sake of what’s best for the new family unit. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.

Twenty years of a solid marriage or is it?! This cleverly written story willhold you in its spell. The twists and turns will engage your curiosity.
A worthwhile read.

Rating- 3.5

I honestly enjoyed the book - I read it in one sitting so I was engaged from the start. I think the concept was good, maybe somewhat predictable at times, but it was realistic, emotive and very well written, hence why I seemed to fly through it!

For me, I struggled with some of the characters - with the exception of Audrey who seems to be the most perfect Mother in Law in the world -. Mary isn't bad but I just couldn't relate to her at all even though she's only a few years older than me. I did question if I'm an old fuddy duddy now at one point.. Nice enough but for me, I'd have liked a loved a bit more spark and gumption to her. rather than resorting to keeping the peace. Other characters were a little.. blah. Leo is utterly selfish, a liar, cheat and quite manipulative. I could not stand him at all and don;t see why Mary put up with him especially after everything he does.

I didn't like to see how Mary is treated by most of her own family - she never seeks her own happiness and is often used or humiliated for others gain. Even her own best friend! In the end we do see that she has a bit of life left in her (again - why did it feel like she was older than she was!) but I would've loved to see it happen sooner and see how her character developed. It felt like it had taken her so long to realise she was allowed to pick the thing that was best for HER.

I would recommend for anyone looking for some realistic fiction, or for a poolside read. A good, solid read and I shall look forward to reading more by the author.

I received a copy of the book from the publishers, AVON UK, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the plotline was fresh and timely and the characters were well developed. I had an idea where the story was going and I was cheering (and keeping my fingers crossed) for Mary to have the ending in this book she deserved. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC. All thoughts and options are my own.

Everyone's who's married or been married, knows that it's not the stuff of fairytales. Marriage takes understanding and hard work to sustain. Mary Black thought she'd nailed it. She'd put her husband, and then her family first, but when her marriage imploded she was helpless to stop it.

Finding her husband loved another was a devastating discovery. The secrets he kept, made her whole marriage a lie. Mary's ingrained sense of family makes her protect their teenage children, whatever the personal cost. Mary is a strong, selfless character and this story explores her emotional journey of self- discovery. Will she discover her sense of self-worth and be brave enough to take the opportunities for personal happiness that come her way?

This story has a lovely balance of humour, poignancy and romance. Every woman of a certain age will share some of the emotions Mary experiences and understand how she suffers from a lack of self-esteem. Her character is realistic and easy to empathise, and you want her to find her romantic happiness.

The genuineness of this novel makes it a heartwarming read that lets you escape for a little while.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

You suspect what’s coming and, to a certain extent, you get exactly what you think is coming...but there’s a little more subtlety to this than I expected.
Our story begins in an inconspicuous setting-a fundraiser for a school event. Due to an unfortunate lighting moment, our main character - along with every other person there - sees her husband holding hands with another man. This precipitates the revelation that her husband of decades is gay, is moving out and - fairly quickly - going to marry.
Thrown into something of a spin, our main character starts to reassess her life. Things are changing, and not all of it for the better.
Through following the events we learn about this curious set-up and how some of these unusual family situations came about. Mary tries to put a brave face on things, but those close to her can see echoes of the younger Mary in her actions. We can see the way her father disappearing when she was younger has affected her, and all the decisions made.
During the story we see Mary find something precious, something that will change everything for her. The question is, does she have the confidence to do this for herself?
So many elements of this story were signalled early on, and it was a little frustrating to wait for things to happen. However, additional details were revealed that made me see certain characters differently, and which added a poignancy to this that I wasn’t expecting.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me t9 read this prior to publication.

A Beautiful Reflection of True Love
Well, as I write this, it's Valentine's Day. It would be wrong not to mark the occasion by reviewing a love story right? Only, for me, I don't often get the chance (or choose to) read soppy deliberate love stories very often. My bookshelves are filled with Police Procedural Crimes, Thrillers and sometimes the odd contemporary novel with a hint of romance. But it is very rare that I settled down with a mug of coffee and truly indulge in the lovey-dovey romance books I used to devour as a young girl.

This Valentines Day, I decided that just like this Christmas when I settled down deliberately to read a Christmas themed book, I wanted to indulge in one of my guilty pleasures and read a book that would give me 'all the feels!'

The Man I Fell In Love With, by Kate Field, could not have been a more perfect choice.

The blurb explained that the main character, Mary Black, suffers the most painful of all heartbreaks. Her husband is leaving her... for another man. Perfect. A love story with a bit of grit. I may have wanted to feel the love, but I don't want to be given it on a silver platter. I want my characters to really work for it. Kate certainly ensures that is the case!

It's not necessarily your typical love story is it? After 20 years of marriage to the 'boy next door' - your husband wakes up just after his 40th birthday to admit that he may have also fallen for 'the boy next door'.

The beginning of the book jumped right into the centre of Mary's heartbreak. Her husband Leo is stood holding the hand of a rather gorgeous looking companion. Clarke. 25 years of friendship, love, and devotion flashing before her eyes and the worries of destroying the family home for her two teenagers, Mary does the only thing she feels she can do - she embraces her new look family and welcomes her husbands' new partner into the fold.

Mary, it seems, put her entire life on hold for Leo. Her world revolves around supporting his career, making him happy and ensuring there is nothing Leo could ever want for (except the love of another man of course) and over the last 25 years, we can see in every conversation just how many compromises and sacrifices Mary has made for him. But when her old friend, sparring buddy, and brother-in-law, Ethan, comes back into town, he is followed by a cloud of secrets that have shrouded the two families for decades.

As Mary navigates her new found single life and tries to figure out how to live in this new blended family, Ethan it seems, is determined to remind Mary of who she was and what she truly deserves, and make just shake her out of that dull grey life and give her a little adventure to stir her soul.

The Man I Fell In Love With, made me fall in love. For the first time in what feels like forever, I sat curled up on the sofa and felt my heart flutter and I watched Mary become reborn.

Heading towards 40, feeling frumpy and invisible, she develops into the most beautiful butterfly by the end of the book. Her confidence and sparkle finally emerging. I found myself wishing she was a real friend, someone I could pop round to for a 'cuppa' and a hug. The thought that there might be someone out there in the world that would act in such a graceful and refined way in the face of such public humiliation, makes my heart feel lighter.

But as much as Mary is a sublime main character, and as a reader, we are brought back to her own story time and time again, the backstories of the other characters were equally as enthralling.


Her 'marvelous' mother-in-law Audrey is the kind of mother we all wish we could have. Her love and loyalty leaps off the page, Mary's friendship with Daisy is real and raw and doesn't feel at all contrived. Her own mother is prickly and distant, but with a new love in her life too, even her sharp edges are thawing.

Unlike most saccharine sweet romance novels, Field has managed to construct a world on the page that feels real. The love story is believable and not sickly, but more than that, the secrets and lies that the family discover along the way make it feel honest. Life isn't all hugs and roses, love takes sacrifice. Love endures. Love waits.

Katie Field has made me believe in love again, not the teenage meet-cute kind of love, but the real, enduring, self-sacrificing love. The love that really, as adults, we all hope is truly real.

The final few pages of the book may have been harder for me to read, you see, I had a little something stuck in my eye. I wasn't crying. I swear... I was however totally and utterly living that moment with her. As she cartwheels her way into her new life, I found myself hoping that all is well with Mary Black and that life turned out exactly as she deserves - full of love, hope, and adventure.

Thank you Kate Field for making me believe in 'true' love again - for anyone needing to restore their faith in love and humanity - this is an absolute must.

Perfect chick lit! I loved the premise and the characters were well developed! I recommend this for anyone looking for a light and fun read!

I really enjoyed this book, it has a gentle pace but is still very engaging. This is a different kind of romance story with real heart and an interesting heroine who you’re rooting for all the way. Mary is not your usual lead character and I liked that about her, she was the ordinary person who extraordinary things happen to. This is well written and endearing - a must for your holiday reading list.

This is a delightful and unusual story of family and relationships. The characters are endearing and are sympathetically drawn. I am sure many women will empathise with the lead character Mary. The book will make a great holiday read.

Mary Black finds out in the most public way imaginable that her husband has moved on with another man. She tries to live down the embarrassment and realises she needs to welcome his new love in order not to lose him as a father for her children. She also needs to keep working with him on their shared passion for literature. So many things are happening, her mother has suddenly started seeing a mystery man and she feels as if she also has to move on which is difficult whilst trying to please everyone especially her daughter who is her biggest critic. Good story but Mary’s lack of a spine was a bit irritating, but I guess that’s her character. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mary finds out at a party that her husband, Leo is gay and is leaving her,in fact he has only been waiting until the children are old enough to do so. After twenty years of marriage I expected a more explosive reaction from Mary,but no,she is like a sheep to the slaughterhouse.
Mary takes all that Leo throws at her, and it's a lot. She accepts his partner immediately with hardly any questions asked.
This actually put me off the book at first as it made me so annoyed. I couldn't see anyone reacting or not reacting to a life changing episode like this in real life.
However after Leo's brother arrived on the scene I started to really enjoy the story. Mary's mother in law was also lovely and very supportive to her.
When you find out near the end of the book the past history of Mary,Leo and some other people I suspect it will make you as annoyed as it made me.
I loved the story but still can't forgive Mary for not standing up for herself more and trying to keep everyone happy.

After twenty years of quiet, contented marriage, Mary Black can’t help but find her eyes drawn to a particularly handsome man at a Christmas party. But her world is suddenly turned upside down when she sees her husband next to him, holding his hand.

For the sake of her children, Mary has no choice but to pick herself up and start again. She hosts family meals that includes her ex-husband and his new partner. She copes with her children wanting to spend less time with her, and more time with their “fun” dads. And she tries her very best to ignore Leo’s gorgeous brother, who has been living in New York for many years, but has just come back to town…

After living a life of sliding doors and missed opportunities, can Mary finally put herself first and take a chance that could change everything?

I really enjoyed this book. 4.5*

This is my first book by Kate Fields. I enjoyed it and thought there was a good mix of characters. Nobody is more stunned than Mary when her husband Leo tells her he's leaving her for another man. To begin with I found the book quite difficult to get into but once I got to grips with it, the pages flew by. I liked the writing style and my favourite character was Leo's brother Ethan and I wish there was more of him in the book. The scenes in which Leo and Mary spoke about their job wasn't interesting for me but wouldn't like to say what it was as that may spoil the book. I'm looking forward to what Kate brings out next.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A cleverly written book exploring marriage from an unusual angle. Brave and fascinating with interesting characters. I loved it.

There is so much going on in this story that I don't know where to start.  The characters I thought  I hated I changed my mind about (Ava,  Zoe's daughter being one of them. I thought she was an absolute brat for most of the book, but...). Zoe's mother was another...

Ms Field showed great skill in the way she handled all the various plot strands and in how she played with the reader's emotions and brought all the characters to life. 

I'm not sure I would be quite as forgiving as Zoe under the circumstances though, although it did lead to a wonderfully heartwarming and romantic conclusion to a complex and emotional story.

This is the first of Kate Field’s books that I’ve read and I’m so glad that I found her! I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be reading more. The book is well-written and had me hooked from the first few pages.

Mary Black has had twenty happy years of marriage to Leo, which produced two children, now teenagers. Her mother gave up her house for them and now lives alongside in the converted garage, and her mother-in-law (who she adores) lives next-door. At a party, Mary’s eye is caught by a good-looking man but then her eyes move downwards, and she realises that he’s holding hands with her husband. Mary’s world is shattered, but this isn’t the only surprising twist in the story, there are many other people and events to keep the reader hooked.

I read this in record time because I had difficulty putting it down, but I was sorry when it ended. I’d definitely recommend this as a warm romantic drama with several differences!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A lovely story with a different twist. Well written and well constructed, keeping you guessing as to the final outcome. Definitely recommended.