I am sorry to say that I DNFed this book at 20%. While I did find some of the main character’s thoughts and antics to be mildly comical, she just ended up being very unlikable to me. Also, referring to her husband as “My Husband” throughout the book became very grating. I would try this author again.

Thanks NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Probably 3.5 stars for this one.

The epilogue changed my entire perspective on this book. By the end of the main story, I thought this women was absolutely nuts, which I guess is the point. The epilogue made it clear that the husband is just a gaslighting manipulative asshole 💀

Loved that the story was fully from her perspective and was her unfiltered thoughts from the beginning. Felt very real and made it clear that their relationship was extremely toxic lol

Genuinely very enjoyable. My Husband is Maud Ventura's first novel translated into English. Like Ventura, our main character "the Wife" is a French-English translator and is obsessed with her husband. We only know him as "Husband" and the children as "children." We never do learn their names.

The Wife has herself wrapped up in a web and silent (one-sided) battle with her husband. Obsessed with love itself, she is constantly looking for meaning in everything he does. If he loves her so much, then why compare her to a lowly clementine? At times, her anxieties are relatable. Especially for those who find themselves wondering "do they love me anymore?" and are looking for meaning in everything, including what music they're playing, our main character is relatable, but that relatability is always taken a step too far. Rethinking their conversations becomes recording their conversations for later analysis. Her husband doesn't even know she's not a natural blonde. She is forever keeping up the version of herself that her husband knows: put together and waiting for him.

The book is set up over the course of a week. Each new day begins with the day (ie. Monday) then proceeds to chapters within that day. Each day corresponds to a color and feeling. Friday is the day of love, of course. Events over the course of the week add up and she ends up going off of her schedule.

I truly enjoyed this book and was looking forward to its release. Thank you HarperVia and NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read!

My Husband — written by Maud Ventura and translated by Emma Ramadan

This was a WTF book in the best of ways. Some have described it as a mashup of Gone Girl + Fates and Furies and that’s not a bad description. On the one hand, it’s a domestic psychological drama that is as twisty and twisted as the best of the genre. But on the other hand, this translated novel was so full of interesting observations about human behavior and relationships that I found myself highlighting passages on every other page.

This is a book about a Parisian woman who is so madly in love with her husband that thoughts of him and their relationship dominate her life. She is also an English teacher and a translator— and while these activities feel like just a way for her to pass the time until she next sees her husband, ideas of language and translation also drift through the book.

Plot-wise, I think it’s better to go in knowing less, but if you enjoy psychological dramas and/or translated lit, don’t miss out on this new release!

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the ARC. My Husband is out now!

“Among all the rituals of shared life, the very regulated choreography of the family meal is the one that annoys me the most. This afternoon, we were two lovers sitting on a restaurant terrace; passersby could have taken us for two coworkers burning with desire for each other who have not yet dared make the first move, or two former lovers trying to say goodbye for good (impossible to know for certain from the outside). Tonight, however, the roles we perform are unambiguous: we are two parents having dinner with their children, a classic family portrayal. I play the mother and he the father. And I miss my husband.”

What a ride! If your readers enjoy an unreliable narrator type of book, they are in for a treat! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by a debut author. I can't wait for her next one!

3.75 ⭐️
My Husband puts you inside the mind of our narrator who is overwhelmingly obsessed with her husband. Her inner monologue is so unsettling to the point that I wanted to jump out of my skin for the majority of the book but makes for a nerve racking page turner. Highly recommended for fans of the unhinged women/feminine rage genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the e-ARC!

This was an interesting book with an even more interesting narrator.
My Husband follows am unnamed Parisian housewife who is madly in love with her husband . So in love she even resents her children for taking his attention away from her. She thinks he is the perfect man as she proudly worships the ground he walks on. However shes still filled with anxiety and fear that he will leave her one day and goes to extreme measures to make sure it never actually happens.

I definitely loved this book and was surprised at that ending as I was not expecting it but I am thoroughly happy with it. The most interesting aspects of this book would be the way in which the narrator thinks. Throughout the book It is revealed that she has certain punishments for her husband depending on what kind of thing she thinks he did wrong. For example: if he forgot to say goodnight to her then he won’t get any cuddles in the morning or if he didn’t hold her hand while watching a movie then she’ll misplace some of his items like his keys and wallet so that he’ll run late. This was interesting because it is an aspect that is slowly Revealed throughout the book and it is even more interesting to see how the narrator justifies this action and many others.

Throughout the book we get the feeling that her husband has no idea about this as well as about anything else going on inside of her head. Which I think makes the story even more shocking because she does the things she does just based on her own paranoia about a situation. She is just so infatuated with him that any small action from his part that she doesn’t think reciprocates the amount of devotion she has toward him will lead her to spiral and start questioning his fidelity and do things to ensure he stays with her.

I found this book to be shocking and intriguing in equal measure and the epilogue was really clever. I turned the final page with a smile and Just so shocked so this book definitely deserves all 5 stars.

The obsession was so well written. I couldn’t put this down. Felt like gone girl. Such a memorable reading experience

I unfortunately I did not like this novel. I suspect it was because it was originally written in French and translated into English so some of the innuendos didn't cross over. This is a story of a woman that is extremely obsessed with her husband. It was pretty exhausting frustrating to be in her head as she over analyzes every thing. However the story does end with a twist and make you question what you thought throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of My Husband by Maud Ventura.

This is an odd little book with an even odder narrator.

Our unnamed Parisian housewife is madly in love with her husband. She even resents the children from taking his attention away from her. She will do anything for him. She orbits him like the earth orbits the sun. She thinks he is the most charismatic and charming man. With vigor and zest she proudly worships the ground he walks on. Yet, she's filled with anxiety that he will leave her someday and that fills her with utter dread.

Any little slight from her husband results in her version of punishment. If he didn't say goodnight to her then no cuddles for him in the morning. If he didn't hold her hand while watching a movie then she'll misplace his wallet or keys somewhere causing him to run late. If she suspects he's flirting with someone then she'll sleep with some unsuspecting man in retaliation. She does all these things from a place of love.

At a recent party the guests are asked to describe their spouse as a fruit and her husband mistakenly called her a clementine. The horror!!! She is most obviously a black berry, a cherry, or a peach. Her reaction to this:

"I am both exhausted and unable to sleep. During this time my husband continues to revel in his egotistical sleep. In this moment I detest him. There is no other solution: I scream as though I'm having a nightmare. He wakes up with a jump. I stammer in a falsely sleepy voice that I'm sorry, just a bad dream, and turn back to my side of the bed. I hope my husband can't fall asleep and that his insomnia will leave him with the time necessary to reflect on his betrayal. It's important he ask himself: How could he have reduced his own wife to the rank of a vulgar clementine?"

Her take on snooping on her husband:

"Sometimes I ask myself whether I should feel guilty about going through my husband's things. But I always come to the conclusion that I should not, for one simple reason: I wish he would do the same. I would finally have the proof of his jealousy and the confirmation of his commitment. Unfortunately, I know he doesn't. Unfortunately, my husband trusts me."

On motherhood:

"I do my best, but most of the time I'm too busy being in love to be a good mother."

On her infidelities:

"That's why I never feel guilty for being unfaithful: How could I when I do it out of love for my husband? Plus, I know how to set limits: I've never cheated on my husband on any day other than Thursday."

Told you she was odd! 🤪

I found this book to be both humorous and horrifying in equal measure and the epilogue was really quite clever. I turned the final page with a smile. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for my complimentary copy.

In My Husband, the main character is a wife, a mother, a teacher and a translator. Predominately though, she is a wife who’s obsessed with her husband!

This story takes place over the course of one week and it hooked me right away. As I learned more about the wife, her questionable behavior, and incessant internal analyzation, I began to dread and at the same time, eagerly observe what she would do the following day.

I was very curious to see how things would play out at the end of the week and I was not expecting this ending! I like when a book can surprise me. My Husband is a great debut novel by French author, Maud Ventura, and was translated by Emma Ramadan.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Releasing tomorrow, My Husband by Maud Ventura tells of a French translator and teacher who is intensely obsessed with the man she married. Her deep passion for this man completely consumes her in a way that is increasingly claustrophobic and hysterical. Her children, and even she, seem to be mere afterthoughts comparatively.

Ventura forgoes the names of the main character, her husband, and their children, making the story much more alienating. They’re all conveyed as distant objects rather than people. They’re more like dolls with schedules. Our main character is only translating how they exist in relation to her husband and the codependency she has on him.

There is a consistent tone of restlessness. Every interaction feels forced. The main character is much like a caged tiger excessively grooming herself and her environment out of boredom. She ponders language, relationships, and women on television. She projects her feelings onto other women and children alike.

The story is very one-sided. Everything filters through the woman’s perception of life and social situations, highlighting her psychological oddities. Her actions convey an altogether different story than what she hopes to portray. While she is aware of her obsession being disproportionate, she seems oblivious to how strange her dysfunctional behavior and mismanaged thoughts are in other areas of her life.

The story hinges on her control issues, the constant suspicion, the anxiety over everything she does, and her confusing mindset encouraged by outdated assumptions of high society. Every contradictory thought and questionable action leaves one wondering if those around her will eventually respond irritably. Do they know her well enough to notice she’s a bit off? Will they say something? To most people, she must seem like she has a nervous condition. One keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does… it’s not just neurotic fits or morbid jokes. She becomes downright intrusive.

Other than the thin plot, the only thing I don’t particularly like in this novel is the term “synergies” used to describe an unexplainably energetic connection. Working in tech, this buzzword is a pet peeve of mine. Otherwise, the tale reminded me of a younger, less mature version of myself. I was embarrassed for the main character until she completely lost it. Then, I kept reading out of horror.

Delightfully unhinged, this book answers the eternal question of 'are the straights okay?' and the answer is indeed, bleak. The narrator is hilariously over the top in her bizarre devotion to a man that is the epitome of the 'He is not the love of your life, he's literally just a guy. hit him with your car!' meme. If you're looking for a delightfully off the rails narrator that mixes french sophistication with the stability of a character from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, this is the book for you.

Another weird little novel to add to my 2023 reads! This one was so messed up but also very hard to put down. It’s the story of a woman obsessed with her husband, after 15 years of marriage. To say more about this obsession would give it away. Felt a bit like Gone Girl and a bit like Fates & Furies.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this novel, translated from French, about a woman desperately in love with her husband. It’s a quick, propulsive read, drawing you into the mind of our unnamed narrator, who is completely consumed with thoughts of her (also unnamed) husband, for one week in their lives. At first it seems like she’s a little extra, but it becomes increasingly obvious that the narrator is less in love with her husband than she is obsessed with him. She spirals for days when he compares her to a clementine fruit. She breaks a floor lamp because it disrupts the ambience of their home’s entryway and she’s terrified that it will lead her husband to no longer want to return home to her and the children. She has a secret copy of the mailbox key made so that she can scan through the mail before her husband gets home to make sure he’s not receiving love letters from other women. And then the obsession itself takes a darker turn. Ventura writes her protagonist as a black hole of need, resenting even her own children for the attention they draw from her husband that isn’t otherwise allocated to her. If you enjoy stories that center an amoral female antihero, this is a great choice!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

My Husband is a psychological deep dive into the mind of a love obsessed forty year old woman with a, dare I say, unhealthy infatuation for her husband.

She's keeping score, taking notes, and overanalyzing her husband’s every word (spoken or unspoken), and action (taken or not taken).

Just when it seems the story has come to its conclusion, here comes an epilogue that'll leave you reeling like a sucker punch to the face.

I was surprised to read that this is the author's debut novel. It's short but stout and made for a compulsive read.

The translation from French to English feels seamless; superbly done.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperVia (HarperCollins), and the author for this digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Husband follows an unnamed narrator who is obsessed with her (also unnamed) husband. They have been together for 15 years, but no matter how much time passes her every waking thought has always been about him. She never stops thinking about how best to please him and never stops worrying that one day he’ll leave her. This book is set over the course of one week in which the narrator’s concern that her husband will leave her, and her obsessive behavior in response to that fear, increase daily.

I think this book is just fantastic. It is without a doubt a literary fiction, or maybe contemporary, novel, but the narrator’s inner thoughts feel more like the thoughts of a protagonist in a psychological thriller. As someone whose favorite genres are both lit fic and thriller this just heightened my enjoyment of my time reading this.

I loved how with every chapter the narrator introduced more details about her thoughts and behavior surrounding her husband, and I as a reader was able to slowly learn just how bizarre and intense she is as a person. Her character was meticulously developed, especially for such a short book. Her personality is so fleshed out that she jumped out of the page and felt like a fully formed person to me in spite of the fact that I’ve never met anyone this… strange. The fact that more information about her was revealed with each chapter ensured that she always held my interest. She’s one of the most compelling main characters I’ve encountered in a long time. This is definitely not a plot heavy book, but it felt as fast paced as plot focused stories tend to be. I always admire authors who manage to create books that feel both fast paced and as if the story is slowly being unfolded. In general I just came away from this book with the impression that Maud Ventura is a great writer overall.

*Before I get to this next part I’ll warn you that although there aren’t any spoilers, this isn’t a paragraph that I would want to read before reading this book. I think it might give you a little too much warning about what happens in this book, and it addressed something you might want to experience without being mentally prepared for it.*

I hated, and I mean thoroughly despised, the ending of this book. It was so predictable and basic that I wanted to scream. And I never scream. This is not a book that deserves a predictable and basic ending. I felt like I cheapened the quality and maturity of the rest of the book. This ending stopped being impressive in 2016. I would like to make something clear: I do NOT think books bad just because they have a predictable ending. That’s ridiculous, especially because that’s very common in plotless literary fiction books like this one. But the ending of My Husband really plays into the aspects of this story that felt like a psychological thriller. I know that this was an ending that was supposed to shock me and then make me think about the story I’d just experienced in a new way. But it was something I expected just by reading the summary of the book. Every review of this book I’ve ever seen mentions the ending either in a neutral way or in a complimentary way, so I thought the book would reveal both the event that was the ending AND something that’s actually interesting. But instead I got a disappointing ending that made me remove a star from my rating.

All in all I highly recommend My Husband.

My Husband is a delicious, devious, deeply psychological character study that reads like a thriller, taking us into the disturbed psyche of a sophisticated French woman over the course of one week in her life.

An English teacher and translator, our narrator is married to an ideal man, has two healthy and well-behaved children, and lives in a beautifully appointed home. But instead of being content in the trappings of her suburban life, she is paranoid and unsettled. Through her intimate and introspective first-person narration, we learn the cause: She is completely and utterly obsessed with her husband. She carefully and meticulously plans every interaction with him (although it is imperative that these interactions seem effortless) and keeps a record of his perceived injustices against her, doling out punishments as necessary. But despite all her efforts to be the perfect partner, she is never quite certain her passionate love is reciprocated.

My Husband is an engaging and fascinating read as Maud Ventura explores notions of modern love, womanhood, and motherhood through the eyes of an obsessive wife and mother. There are so many interesting ideas explored in this novel: how women feel obligated to meet societal expectations but find that they either can't, or that they can but that it's not enough to satisfy them; emotional manipulation and power imbalances within romantic partnerships; the conflicting needs for both agency and dependency. The narrative flows in a stream of consciousness style as the wife muses on all of these topics, revealing more about herself than she means to, and it's both darkly funny and incredibly insightful.

Even though there isn't much of a plot -- it's really just one week of the wife obsessively fretting about her husband's devotion or lack thereof -- I nevertheless found My Husband completely riveting and read it in only a couple of sittings. This is my favorite kind of book: the kind that makes you feel a bit unsteady and uncomfortable as it immerses you fully in the mind of someone who is becoming unhinged. And the ending is just straight-up savage: an absolute stunner that makes you rethink everything you've just read. Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.

Not what I expected at all, but I loved almost everything about it. I initially thought this would be something completely different, but it's more of a focus on a woman's codependency and obsession. I think the use of first-person helps us view the main character as she is, witness her spiral, and observe her as she does everything she needs to ensure their relationship is perfect and her husband stays entranced by her. The writing is lovely. 'My Husband' is a short read but an entertaining one.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥4/5 stars

read if you like:
♡ 'unhinged' women
♡ domestic thrillers
♡ dark comedies

➸ a darkly funny vignette of a woman’s obsessive love for her husband, my husband is as crazed as it is masterful. maud ventura picks apart our conception of love just as the protagonist picks apart every aspect of her own marriage, hellbent on finding fault with her husband and vindicating her paranoia in a desperate bid to restore symmetry to the power dynamic between the two of them as her all-consuming love constantly puts her on the back-foot. my husband set my teeth on edge and had me reeling at its self-contained and claustrophobic venn diagram on love, control and where they start to conflate.

(further review to come)

thank you netgalley for the arc !