Good Husbands: A Novel by Cate Ray
My rating: 3 of 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.
About the Author
Cate Ray is an author of four previous novels of suspense published in the UK under the name Cath Weeks. She was named an Author to Watch by Elle magazine. She lives in Bath with her family.
