The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC of The Ex-Husband in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
I think I’m preaching to the choir when I say that 2021 did not really turn out the way many, perhaps all of us had hoped. Personally, it was a crazy, weird, and difficult year, but I wanted to remind myself of the things that still bring me much happiness in life. And things that I am still grateful for.
These things include the fact that I am still fortunate enough to receive ARCs from publishers who think my opinion is worth something.
So, without further ado I threw myself back into reading and reviewing books. Something I have enjoyed for the last 8 years.
I was excited to see Hamilton’s new book The Ex-Husband is part of the Winter Reads Blog Tour.
Hamilton’s previous book, The Last Wife, had me entertained and curious to read more by this author.
Truth be told I had some trouble getting into the story of The Ex-Husband.
I shall elaborate below.
The Details
Simply stated: I couldn’t connect with the protagonist or the story itself. As it sometimes happens, I felt that the entire story is kept at arm’s length, so the speak.
There is a lot of insight into the protagonist and her thoughts – which is great – but because everything else is brushed over it almost feels a bit stale.
The Ex-Husband has such a great premise and is almost an addictive page-turner, but I found myself too many times wanting to shout “show, don’t tell!”. The many minute descriptions of the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings, yet the journal-like quality of the scenes and barely there dialogue makes this story vague.
It’s such a shame, since Hamilton is a very good writer. That’s what has me almost pulling out my hair. Why all this scratching of the surface when the author’s talent is slumbering right underneath it?
The Verdict
Overall, I really wanted The Ex-Husband to have me sitting on the edge of my seat, completely immersed in the story, forgetting everything around me. Sadly, it was a chore getting through it.
