🤵 BOOK / REVIEW 🤵

Well, #goodhusbands by @cateraywriter was one hell of a rollercoaster that will have you truly questioning - "what would I do in this situation?!"

I have to admit, I waffled back and forth with my decusion until the very end and highly enjoyed this fast paced #psychologicalthriller! I was able to snag the #audiobook version from @hoopladigital and loved all 3 narrator's. They made this salacious read extra spicy. I am not sure which wife I liked or would have sided with more (maybe Pri), but each added a nice layer of drama to the story. A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - but need to mention rape as a trigger warning ⚠️

Good Husbands has a thought-provoking premise, and it's certainly prevalent these days. So, it's an intriguing story but not quite what the labels would have you believe. I think the blurb calls this one a psychological drama, and I suppose I would loosely agree with that, but I think it falls more into women's fiction than the mystery/thriller genre. There is a tension about the story as these women try to sort through what their husbands did or did not do and how to find justice for the victim so many years after the assault. It is a little too long in my opinion, and I think the plotline would be more effective if it were trimmed down a bit. There is a twist at the end, and I'm not sure if it got the intended reaction from me, but I am still pondering it a couple of days later. Despite a couple of stutters along the way, I was invested in the lives of these three women, and I wanted to see how things would play out. I think this book will do well with readers of domestic drama and women's fiction.

It is scary to think that what happens to these women could happen to anyone. I felt that this story was very tragic. It made you think about what you might do if this happened to you. I liked the characters and how they handled the horrible situation. It was hard not to like most of the men as well as the women. I received a copy of this book from harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

What will Stephanie, Jess and Priyanka do when each of them get the exact same letter? What are the contents of this letter? Each of their husbands are being accused of gang raping someone three decades previously. In fact, apparently one of them got the woman pregnant at the time. How horrific, especially when the truth of the matter must be made clear, even if it means upsetting three happy marriages.

Readers get multiple points in this book. Many questions come up, like the validity of the accusation. Also, what must be considered is what will the wives do. Values come into play. Time isn't really a factor because if indeed the husbands committed this horrific crime then just must be found.

Quite naturally, trigger warnings for sexual assault and even violence are appropriate. Also, each of the wives have different stories so a feeling of connection to each of them was easy to be had. Considering their feelings, their choices, and most importantly, the woman who was assaulted, makes it easy to fit oneself into this book. Feelings of anger come up. Feelings of sadness come up. Thirty years can seem like one day when it comes to a woman who suffered such a terrible experience.

Good Husbands was a compelling read from the beginning to the shocking ending. This is most definitely a book that makes one think.

Many thanks to Park Row Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/YUDjTJYXoYM

Good Husbands has one really good setup and an excellent execution. What would you do if you received a letter from a stranger accusing your husband of sexually assaulting their mother two decades ago? Three women receive this same letter and don't know who each other are. The victim is dead, so how do you find out the truth? Can you trust the man you married and live your life with? Did he do it and you actually married a stranger? There are so many layers to this, but ultimately, the truth must be heard! It's fascinating to read the story from all three wives' perspectives. The story is a thought-provoking slow-burn of a story. Highly recommended!

What would you do if you received a letter from a stranger saying that your husband was one of three men who sexually asssaulted her mother one night years ago and she is the result of that attack? And so begins Cate Ray's taut psychological drama Good Husbands.

The letter is delivered to three women who each have no idea who the other women are who also received the letter. Priyanka and her husband Charles have a young son whom Charles dotes on, and a happy marriage. Jess is married to Max, an energetic businessman who still excites her even after sixteen years of marriage and two children. Stephanie is married to Dan, a man quick to temper and put down Stephanie. He is a stepfather to Stephanie's two older daughters, and they have a teenage daughter together.

The women are obviously rocked by the letter and each deal with it in a different manner. Jess approaches Priyanka and Stephanie to find out what they know. Priyanka comes around before Stephanie, but eventually they decide they must find out the truth behind the letter.

Could their husbands have done such a terrible thing? Is it possible they don't know their husbands as well as they think they do? The men each have a different view of what happened that night, so it becomes a case of he said/she said.

The women work together to discover the truth, no matter where it leads. About three quarters of the way through the novel, Ray throws a twist in, and something happens that literally had me gasping in shock. I did not see that coming.

Cate Ray does a fantastic job putting yourself in these women's shoes. What would you do if you if you discovered something awful about the past actions of someone you loved? Could you ignore it or would you need to know the truth? Good Husbands will have you pondering that long after you finish this thought-provoking book.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Summer 2022 Mystery & Thriller Blog Tour.

the setup…
Jessica Jackson works for a company representing members of the art community. Priyanka Lawley is a teacher. Stephanie Brooke is a receptionist for a high-end dental practice. They don’t know each other but soon will after they each receive a letter that states their husbands raped a college student over two decades ago. The sender is the daughter of that woman and each of these wives consider their husbands to be good men. Is it really possible that they could be this wrong about the men they’ve been with for years and fathered their children? These three strangers have to come together to seek the truth about their husbands and what really happened almost thirty years ago.

the heart of the story…
At first I approached this story as if it was a mystery but soon realized it is very much contemporary fiction, a case study about female and male attitudes regarding consent. Views about consensual sex, especially on college campuses and in associated fraternal clubs (the site in this story), differed significantly from what we know as truths today. But what was most fascinating were the three wives who, despite having been part of that era, embrace the modern perspectives…somewhat. They are distinctly different and synthesize the issues quite differently but also share a lot of common ground. Equally interesting is how they adopt a new lens in which to evaluate their spouses who are unaware of the letter and its assertions. One of the women has to go even further, needing to assess if her idea of a good marriage is flawed.

the narration
I liked that three narrators were used for the story, though they often sounded too similar. But, they were distinctive enough and all were good storytellers. The pacing was great.

the bottom line…
What makes this story work is the excellent characterizations of the three women, making the men more secondary elements, which I found unique and a strength. There’s not a bit of predictability here and the issues they struggled over rang authentic and relevant to the topic. The setting is Bath in the UK but could have easily fit in the US. Though the women were forced into a relationship because of this shared circumstance, it didn’t necessarily bond them neatly, another important aspect. I got a lot more than I’d expected and am glad it wasn’t the mystery I’d prepared for. This would make an ideal book club selection, as there is much to weigh.

Ohhh I love a good, intriguing prologue! I love to finish a book feeling satisfied and then go back and read the prologue again and everything falls into place! Every single one of the women in this book have a fascinating character arc and I’m obsessed with how they play out. I’m totally here for the way they perceive their husbands to be like and how that morphs throughout the book. I have so much more to say but I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that this book held my attention from the beginning right up until the last page!

I decided to DNF at 47%. I did not feel like this was a mystery/thriller at all. It was slow paced and I did not care for the characters.

This is a book with an original plot and a slow burn. Jessica, Stephanie and Priyanka all receive the same letter, accusing their husbands of sexual assault about two decades ago. The victim is dead and no one is talking, so the three women set out to discover the truth. Stephanie is the most reluctant participant in the investigation, but all three women have a lot to lose if the truth is what they suspect it is. There are some definite triggers in this book and some real surprises as more is revealed. The plot was slow and methodical, laying out the case against each male as the women continue to find more clues. I did not particularly like or identify with any of the women since they are all more upper crust than I am. Also, they seemed somewhat stiff and unrealistic in their reaction to their husbands’ purported crimes. All of them reveal a very human and selfish side while also trying to protect their ways of life. That seemed somewhat realistic but stilted and not a totally natural reaction. The plot was original and engaging for the most part. I even managed to like two out of the three husbands; one was too self-centered to be likable or relatable. All in all, the book was good domestic drama with some secrets revealed slowly and some surprises along the way.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three wives, all seem to be having a good life, until they received a letter claiming their husband is responsible for a crime many years ago. Can people change? Did you marry the guy you thought you knew?

It was an alright story, written from the three wives' perspectives. I found myself enjoying Priyanka's POV the most , I felt like she was the most complete character, and exists beyond just receiving the letter, and being Andy's wife. I really enjoyed the part of her school life, and glad we got closure with Saffron. Stephanie also seemed like a real character, her work at the clinic, her daughters, etc. Jess, even though we knew she's an artist, I can't remember anything else about her.

Overall, not a bad story.

I will be a little hard with the review here, simply because about 3/4 into this novel, it sort of stalled. The premise of three women getting a letter about their husbands was good. The content of the letter was not an affair, a business deal, some political corruption or murder. What was it? I won't say. It was totally different and jaw dropping at the start. The three husbands were Good. Family men who adored their wives and kids, thus creating a fork in the road- do you think they did it? I mean they are good, right?? Read on friends

Three women thrust into a drama that nobody saw coming. I did question a small issue with the plot, being the kids and families of each of the three main characters. It was a little hard to keep them straight.

My initial love waned about 3/4 in. It stalled for a little and then...it concluded. A little shocking too. I did not expect the wrap up to be what it was SO that made the book great. A fast must read drama loaded novel

Good Husbands by Cate Ray is very suspenseful and you never know who to trust. What really stood out was the different viewpoints of the women. All three views of rape are represented and I thought it was done with sensitivity and the gravity it deserves. I really connected with Jess and respected her. If you are reading an ecopy of this book, the formatting is off! Feel free to write me and I can tell you where it should be so you don’t get confused.

This was not the book I was expecting to read at all. It’s important to note that this isn’t a thriller and the novel goes much deeper than a thriller based on the content. I think it’s important that the reader knows what they are going to be reading so they won’t be caught off guard or disappointed.

I was really intrigued by the blurb and was curious to read about what the women would do. I enjoyed that the author had each woman go through their own experience even though they were very different. I also liked that even though they had different opinions of the letter and what to do about it, they still respected one another and waited until they were all of agreement.

As I mentioned earlier, this is not a thriller. There was a lot of back and forth between the women and lots of narration about their days while navigating through a major shake up. At times, I did get bored and was hoping that the plot would move along quicker.

3 calculators out of a potential 5. A interesting read that has you questioning what you would do if you were put into this scenario. I was hoping for a bit more as this was marketed as a thriller.

Thank you to Netgallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting plot.
Plenty of surprises.
Startling Revelations.
It made for an intriguing couple of hours of reading.

The first thing I want to say is that I didn't consider this book a thriller. I have seen some people posting negative impressions for that reason. You could call it a mystery or maybe a bit of domestic suspense, but honestly, to me, it is more of a character-driven story about a horrific secret and does one's responsibility for the role you played in it ever end.
Stephanie, Jessica, and Priyanka live in Bath but have never met. They also never knew that there was a time when their husbands were friends. Each woman receives a letter, detailing what the three men did to the writer's now-deceased mother. The writer, Molly Waite is dead too, but she turns these women's lives upside down in a spectacular way. She states that each man sexually assaulted her mother and she cannot die without reaching out to them for justice.
Well, holy what a bombshell. I already don't open emails from people I don't know, and never risk taking a spam phone call, but now, maybe I should rethink opening the very little mail I receive. What would you do? Should these women believe what the letter says or should they trust the men they know and love.
I am not going to say much about the journey these women take. I will say the story made me question their decisions and also what I would do if I was in the same position. In the beginning, I was yelling at my Kindle, 'don't you think you should ask your partner before being rattled by a letter'. But, as the story progressed, I could somewhat understand how the wrong answer would change everything they each believed for many years. Very intense subject matter and a story that still has me thinking about how I would react. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Good Husbands in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
I began reading Good Husbands not knowing anything about it and was hooked by the time I had finished reading the dedication.

Seems a little quick and impulsive, I know, but the start was very promising. If it had only stayed that way.

Let me explain.

Just a little trigger warning. The story deals with sexual assault, specifically rape, overdosing, alcoholism and dementia.

The Details
Three women. One letter. A copy of it sent to each, accusing their husbands of sexual assault.

We read the story alternatively from each woman’s point of view, which is very interesting, since it shows how different personalities would act under such circumstances.

The reader gets a glimpse into the thought process and emotional development that occurs while the three women work through the possibility of having married a potential rapist.

The story begins highly intriguing and really captured my attention, but it began to fall a little flat towards the halfway point.

At that point I was hoping the story is setting up for a great twist or enlightening explanation that could make the ending really pop. Sadly, the ending was so abrupt and far fetched that I still kind of feel cheated.

I also had some trouble with the formatting, which inevitably influenced my reading experience. There are abrupt paragraph breaks and at times it is very difficult to figure out who is talking during the dialogue sections.

The ending should have also been better formatted, if not elaborated on a great deal more.

The plot itself was good. It just gets quite a bit lost towards the end.

The Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the rest. It’s unfortunate that it kind of lost its way at the end.

At the moment I’m torn, if I would suggest it.

Okay, TBH I went into this thinking that it was a thriller and it definitely was not, so I felt a bit disappointed with this one for that reason. This was more of family and domestic drama/contemporary fiction with lots of secrets that unfolded, but do not go into this one expecting any suspense or thrills because there are none. However, there is a lot of descriptive writing on sexual assault, rape, and violence-so keep that in mind.

This book is centered on the lives of three women who all receive the same letter that accuses their husbands of raping and impregnating a woman years earlier. This single letter turns their worlds upside down. This book focuses a lot on many deep rooted issues surrounding sexual assault and marriage and has many different layers to it.

Overall, it was an okay read, it was just not what I was expecting at all and therefore I was left feeling rather disappointed.

Good Husbands is a much slower paced book than I enjoy reading. There's just something in the writing that I'm not clicking with and can't seem to get into the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

I immediately loved this book because of the stunning resemblance of the cover to Taylor Swift lol. Aside from the very intriguing synopsis of course!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, the author Cate Ray for the opportunity to read and review in advance.

Pub day: 6/7/22

Three women, strangers to each other, each receive a letter accusing their husbands of sexual assault that happened many years ago. This brings them all together for a hunt for truth and justice, while questioning the lives they’ve built together with their husbands and who to trust.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I thoroughly enjoyed this page turning debut. The difficult situation that these women were on was definitely quite a plot, and features their multiple POVs. It was thought provoking to an extent that will have you questioning what you would do in that situation. It tackled heavy trigger warnings on sexual assault and rape that was executed well, just make sure to be aware of this if you decide to pick this up. The ending did leave me a bit confused on what exactly happened which i need discussing with someone with!!