Cover Image: Take My Husband

Take My Husband

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Member Reviews

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Take My Husband by Ellen Meister is a dark comedy about a woman who realizes how unhappy she is in her marriage and comes up with unconventional means to get out of it.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
I love dark humor, and that's definitely what stood out the most to me about this book. The blurb made me laugh, and my initial expectations were that I would laugh my way through this book though I would hate to admit to what I was laughing at.

Actual Reading Experience:
My actual reading experience started with me doing a lot of inappropriate laughing. Still, since I was by myself, I didn't care if it was wrong, as that's what dark humor is all about. The ending was poignant and perfect, with self-discovery and lessons-learned playing equally significant roles. I enjoyed the end as it was what I could see all along.

The middle, though, went on too long for me. I like a nice tight and focused plot. Take My Husband's story tended to meander off the central premise to other symptoms of the main character's dissatisfaction. I'm not convinced that they were relevant for Laurel’s growth. There are laughs mixed in with the meandering, and I did enjoy those scenes. Even thinking back to them now, I'm sitting here chuckling away.

Characters:
I could totally sympathize with Laurel and her feelings about Doug. Honestly, I wouldn't have lasted being married to him for the long haul, and fortunately, my husband is nothing like him. But I have seen many, many marriages like theirs – mostly in my parent's generation and earlier - so I definitely could sympathize with Laurel. The only thing I couldn't reconcile was why she chose to try and speed up his demise rather than just divorce him and live in California near her son and his family. She's not materialistic, and I never got the sense that it was really about the money – except for enabling her to pay off their debts. But, if it were me, I would have left Doug and his debt and moved on to live my own life. Seeing the story through this lens, I'm sure, is a contributing factor to my thoughts about the middle dragging on.

Narration & Pacing:
The story utilizes third-person narration, and, as I'm writing this, I can't help but wonder if first-person would have added some speed to the pace and intriguing layers to the humor. My reading rate varied, and the pace slowed considerably when Laurel was at work or out with others. Still, it tended to speed up when she was contemplating, plotting, and interacting with her husband, Doug.

Setting:
I believe the setting is a town in New York, and it isn't an essential aspect of the plot except that it is a long way away from Laurel’s and Doug's son and his expecting wife. I always like the setting to be utilized in a story, as in real life, what's around us makes a difference in our choices.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are interested in a dark and humorous contemporary story that tackles many women's issues, Take My Husband is just the book you are looking for.

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Take My Husband by Ellen Meister is tauted as a dark comedy, and it does have some elements of the typical dark comedy but it is more dark comedy lite.

Laurel is tired of being a one-woman show in her marriage, and she has put up with her husband Doug for far too long. In fact, she has put up with his neediness and unwillingness to do anything for himself for so long, that she basically fantasizes about his death. Not only does Doug offer nothing and expect a caretaker, he protests anything Laurel would like to do for her own happiness. One can’t help but understand how Doug’s death would allow Laurel some happiness. That said, Laurel’s situation could easily have been fixed by a divorce or separation instead of her whining and self-pity.

Laurel’s efforts have the opposite effect, but through it all, we readers get a microscopic view of married life with too much togetherness and neediness. Take My Husband is not just a comedy, it is also an exploration of creating and maintaining relationships.

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From reading the blurb one is expecting a funny story about a wife who is just fed up with her husband. Which that is exactly what you get.

Take My Husband in some ways felt like a throwback to the 50's/60's in terms of what Laurel had to put up with. She is fed up and decides to take matters into her own hands. This sets up a chain reaction of situations that are both comical and sad. Sad in the sense that some women can relate to the frustrations of what she is going through.

My only complaint about this book is that it comes in at 400 pages and that was a tad too long, but what to exclude would be a hard decision. While this book might not appeal to everyone I enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed watching the change in Laurel, I enjoyed the writing and how engaged I was with the story. There were twists I didn't anticipate, as for the ending, yea it was perfect.

This is my first time reading a Elaine Meister book, I will be taking a look at her back list to add to my TBR.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

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Dark humour is not always easy and it doesn't always work in this book as some part are definetely more dark than humour.
It was an interesting read but not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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2.5/5

This was such an odd read for me and I usually do ok with odd but I struggled with this one. Not only was it strange, it was also dark and that’s a weird thing for me to not enjoy. I like my thrillers dark and am normally not bothered by much but this was such a weird book that it bothered me. I expected it to be mostly full of dark humor, and it was but Laurel was seriously messed up. Not only is she relieved when she assumes her husband is dead she doesn’t really stop longing for him to die. Like really fantasizing about it to the point that it becomes her entire personality. Excuse me, what? Get a divorce already. Look, I could see where she was coming from because Doug is no prize but she had some serious issues herself. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen and unfortunately it never did, the whole thing felt like one big meandering story that never went anywhere in the end. And the end itself was bizarre which is truly saying something for this book. I guess if you like really messed up dark humor and could take this as satire this may work but it was a miss for me.

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Laurel's had enough. She's been keeping house afloat by working at Trader Joes, managing her agoraphobic mom who likes dolls, and waiting on her husband Doug so can you blame her when she's called to the ER and momentarily thinks of all the positive things that might come from his death? Well, maybe a little but Doug, who lost the family toy shop and hasn't got a job, doesn't do anything to help at home (she even parcels out his meds). Charlie, an older widower colleague at TJ's, encourages her by telling her she's not a bad person but she starts to think about ways to, ahem, advance Doug's demise. These two have been married a long time, long enough that their son and daughter in law, who live across the country in LA,, are about to have their first kid and Laurel's desire to be there for the birth becomes her most important thing. Oh and she wants a dog. But she's got to keep feeding and medicating Doug, who believes she's having an affair with Charlie, who has a secret or two of his own. There are some very funny scenes here but there are also some serious ones. Know that Laurel is pretty passive aggressive but she's also a good daughter, friend, and mom. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Will Doug survive?

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I loved the unique and humorous take on one of my favorite, go-to genres. Some parts are a bit dark, and others a bit heartbreaking, but it all comes together to create an enjoyable, and somewhat unexpected, read.

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Book was a disappointment although I looked forward to reading because of what I had heard about it. Imagine being relieved - almost glad - at losing your life partner. This is a feeling with which I could resonate. But the rest of the book presented a story line that was unimaginable. I couldn't relate to it. The vacillating emotions of the main character were mercurial and hard to believe. The book's ending seemed to attempt to tie up all the various story lines into a neat package - not particularly well done. I would not recommend this book.

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Laurel is unhappy in her marriage. When she gets a call that her husband is in the hospital after a car accident, she fantasizes about life without him on the way to the hospital. When she finds out he is fine, she can’t shake her thoughts.

The premise of this book is very interesting. I don’t want to give anything away but the book has several unique twists. The characters are frustrating at times and have you rooting for them at other times. It is described as a dark comedy and I agree.

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This was a humorous story that kept me engaged in the story the main character Laural was super likable and did the craziest funniest things in the book the ending was not what I had guessed would happen but was even better than what I had guessed! I recommend this book to all readers who want a light hearted funny read!

Much thanks to #netgalley and #HarlequinTradePublishing for selecting me to read and review this advanced readers copy all thoughts and opinions are my own

I will also be posting this review to the Facebook group I created @DOMESTIC THRILLER READERS BOOK CLUB closer to the books publication date!

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Take My Husband is a dark comedy drama that takes you into the the life of Laurel and her husband of many years Doug.

Doug is nothing to write home about and would be so frustrating to live with as Laurel is the one working where Doug never seems to get off the couch.

Laurel soon begins to imagine what her life would be like if Doug died.

Any one of us can relate to her frustration and her ideal life after Doug sounds perfect.

The scheming, the secrets and the reality of life soon sets in.

I cheered for Laurel at times and I cried with her.

Take My Husband is well worth the read and I highly recommend spending some time in Laurel's world.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing, MIRA for a read I wont soon forget.

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Right... Get ready to jump aboard the unpopular opinion train again! I really didn't expect this to happen with Take My Husband to be honest... When I first read the blurb, I was hooked. I mean, having a wife suddenly realizing all her problems would go away if her husband actually died, and then her deciding to do something about it?! How could I say no to that?! And since I do love my humor on the dark and sarcastic side, I thought this dark comedy was going to be a perfect fit. Sadly, I ended up struggling considerably with this story instead. Below I'll try to explain what did and didn't work for me.

First of all I have to say that I still love the premise and idea behind this book. It gets your attention immediately and it's such a great foundation to build a story on... Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of how it was executed nor the direction the story decided to take. One of my major issues with Take My Husband is that I absolutely despised the main character Laurel. She is basically a human doormat who lets her husband walk all over her for years, and then she is surprised that she is unhappy and wants him gone? She never tries to communicate her feelings or make changes for the better, but instead tries to plot his death; while I can understand why she wants to do so, I was never able to warm up to her nor truly empathize with her. I also felt that her character lacked dept, and the same goes for the rest of the characters. The husband is horrible as well, although that is no surprise, because she wouldn't want him dead otherwise. Some of the secondary characters were more likeable, but they were one-dimensional and while quirky, quite cliche.

Another thing I couldn't get past was the fact that this is supposed to be a dark comedy, and I didn't see the humor AT ALL. I mean, not even a snort, not even tiny little giggle... It is a fact that I didn't laugh once while reading Take My Husband, it this was such a disappointment for me because I was looking forward to a good laugh. I know that humor is such a personal thing and I also know that my taste in humor is different than most people, but I couldn't even find things that could have been funny to other people... Although most people do seem to love this story, so maybe my humor radar is simply broken.

I wasn't a fan of the romance in the book either, which felt rather forced and awkward to me. On top of this, we have both love triangle and cheating vibes, and a very jealous husband... All things that made me enjoy the story even less. And there is no doubt that the scenes with Luke were the final nail in the coffin for Laurel's character for me; then again, I never like a cheating element in my stories in the first place. I also felt that the last part of the story was a bit farfetched, and the final events too convenient and rushed just so the plot could wrap up everything nicely. The plot itself was also quite repetitive and rather uneventful considering the fact that the main character is thinking about killing off her husband.

As a whole, sadly I can't say that I had a great time reading Take My Husband. Between the awful main character, lack of humor, repetitive plot and cheating vibes, this story and me most definitely weren't ment to be... I know I'm in the minority when it comes to this book though, so don't give up on my account if you think Take My Husband is your cup of tea.

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Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read - while there was nothing particularly groundbreaking about it, the mix of character drama, tension and possibility of a murder was enough to keep me happily glued to the pages from start to finish in one sitting.

The premise of realizing you would be happier if your husband of thirty years was to drop dead and then the fallout of him not only surviving, but thriving was deeply interesting to read. I love that Laurel was a complicated and conflicted character and I love that her story was never perfectly linear. The twists in this one were fun, and it was in general a pretty fun read.

A great pick for summer reading to waste a day away.

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I loved the premise of this book- but there were a couple of things that were way too obvious and the ending left me somewhat disappointed.

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Quirky, dark and different, this book was an oddly fun experience! I loved the concept, and how most people, married for a length of time, could see the why's and how's. (And then unrelate as well)

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You get a call to say your significant other has been in an accident, and you’ll need to be there. Thoughts of your possibilities pass your mind, without said person in your life. What if, they passed away? Unfortunate? Maybe not..

The story of Laurel was quite the unique & relatable telling of relationships where dependency is the entirety of it. Doug, her unmistakably passive husband, has her tend to his every need. So when she gets that call, and thinks on the “what ifs”, I completely understood. From his meals, to medication- to not even thinking about her with his inevitable decision later in the book— it was heart wrenching.

This story had some minor aggravations from me, maybe from a lack of pace—but it had enough heart of a woman having self realization, and wanting more from life to satisfy me.


Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and it’s affiliates for the arc in exchange for my review

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Women's fiction/ Dark Comedy

It is on the darker side. Laurel is the wife, who wouldn't mind if her husband Doug has an unfortunate accident. He has had a few "near misses" lately. Doug looks for sympathy from her, stating how he "could have died" and her inner thoughts are always "if only"........

Mixed feelings....

Laurel is an interesting character and I enjoyed some of her qualities, such as, her work ethic (and her job at Trader Joe's), her love for her agoraphobic mother and her over the top desire to be a grandmother. HOWEVER, her devilish side was a hard pill to swallow!

She plays the doting wife, but she does have a devious plan and it isn't pretty.

At times I felt like I was watching an episode of the 48 Hours crime show, waiting for the next shoe to drop, watching the oncoming train wreck. It also enters ludricrous land, has some tmi moments, stranger than strange romantic trysts, and an ending that defies reality.

Check out the other reviews as I seem to be an outlier here!

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This is a very dark humor read, and the author had way to much fun writing this, and I enjoyed all of it!
Laurel starts to think about how her life would be if her husband Doug dies, or maybe is already deceased, she could collect his life insurance, get a dog, go out to eat with her mother, etc.
We get to feel sorry for Laurel, and her depressing life, and then we meet Doug, ugh!
As we journey from point A to point B and all the ramifications, and wanting things to get better Laurel, but what about Doug.
You will be looking for answers here, and they do come, along with many surprises.
Actually, I would love to continue with in the lives of these characters!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher MIRA, and was not required to give a positive review.

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I’m not going to finish this one. I loved the idea and thought it would be a great read but something felt off. It felt forced. I wanted the funny parts to land better. It should work but for some reason it doesn’t. For example: she mentions the crumbs her husband leaves all over the counter in the beginning. I can’t stand crumbs on the counter at home so it should be relatable and funny for me. Instead it felt like the author read about living with someone instead of experiencing it. I feel bad saying it…but I think this one should be skipped.

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Laurel gets a phone call when she's at work, informing her that her husband has been in an accident. As she drives to the ER, she knows this is it: they are going to tell her that Doug is dead. And, instead of feeling sad, she feels... relief.

Lo and behold, when she gets to the hospital, Doug is not dead. He's actually fine & asking for snacks. It's then that she starts to realize she really wants her husband dead... and that maybe she can actually make it happen.

This is being called a dark comedy, but I really didn't find it funny. Instead, I found it kind of real. You can picture Laurel really wanting her husband dead because, man, he could be REALLY infuriating at times. It really read as a slice-of-life novel where the reader gets front-row seats to Laurel and Doug's marriage for a little while.

The characterization here was great. As I said, I understood Laurel's frustrations immediately & wholely; however, a lot of it was her own doing (which she does realize... she's quite the dynamic character). I like a character that can own up to their mistakes, and that's definitely Laurel.

This book was on the longer side - 400 pages - but it didn’t feel like a long read to me. Meister's writing is engaging, and I found myself fully immersed in this marriage.

I think, if this were marketed different, as women's fiction, say, I would be rating this very differently, as I really did not find it to be funny at all. Instead, I got a story of a sad and lonely woman who was looking for someone to just see her. In that regard, I really did enjoy it.

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