Name: Lauren R's review of The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Item: The Husband's Secret
Rating: 3
Author: Lauren R

Liane Moriarty

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret, something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all; she is an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia or each other, but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband's secret.

The Husband's Secret

'The Husband's Secret is a staggeringly brilliant novel. It is literally unputdownable' Sophie Hannah At the heart of the top ten bestselling The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty is a letter that's not meant to be read . . . Mother of three and wife of John-Paul, Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husband's hand, it says: to be opened only in the event of my death. Curious, she opens it - and time stops. John-Paul's letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of others. Cecilia - betrayed, angry and distraught - wants to do the right thing, but right for who? If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband's secret, she will hurt those she loves most . . . Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, or anyone who enjoyed One Moment, One Morning or The Midwife's Confession, The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty is about the things we know, the things we don't, and whether or not we ever get to choose. Above all, though, it's about how we must live with the consequences of our actions - whether we like it or not. Praise for The Husband's Secret:'The Husband's Secret is a staggeringly brilliant novel. It is literally unputdownable' Sophie Hannah'The writing is beautiful: sometimes funny, sometimes sad but always compelling' Good Housekeeping 'The story is cleverly plotted, full of suspense and so well-written that it pulls you in from the first page' Sunday Mirror'Dark and compelling, this is a must read' Sun'If you like Jodi Picoult, you'll love this addictive new book' Essentials'It's a tense, page-turning story which gradually draws everyone together in a devastating climax. The writing is insightful on the subjects of families and friends, parents and children, husbands and wives. But what makes this a great read are the agonising dilemmas the characters face over blame and guilt, forgiveness and retribution, love and betrayal' The Mail on Sunday, You Magazine 'This is such a clever idea. This is powerful, moving and gripping stuff' Star MagazinePraise for Liane Moriarty: 'Highly addictive' She 'Gripping, acutely observed, thought-provoking and funny' Marie Claire 'The writing is beautiful: sometimes funny, sometimes sad but always compelling' Good Housekeeping 'Captivating' Closer'Fascinating and compassionate' - Daily Telegraph on The Hypnotist's Love Story 'A bittersweet tale by a gifted writer' - Women's Weekly on What Alice Forgot 'Fresh, very funny and entertaining, but also intelligent and unsentimental' - Marian Keyes on Three Wishes Liane Moriarty is the best-selling author of six novels including Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist's Love Story, The Husband's Secret and Big Little Lies, all of which were published successfully around the world and translated into seven languages. Writing as L.M. Moriarty, she is also the author of the Space Brigade series for children. Liane lives in Sydney with her husband, son and daughter.*Liane's brand new novel Big Little Lies - an addictive story of secrets and scandal - is out now. A sample chapter of Big Little Lies is included in this latest edition of The Husband's Secret.

Connor smiled. 'Ben's already got a job. I just wanted an excuse to see you.'

'Really?' Tess felt a flare of happiness. Was there anything better than to be wanted? Was that all anyone really needed?

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Discovering a tattered letter that says she is to open it only in the event of her husband's death, Cecelia, a successful family woman, is unable to resist reading the letter and discovers a secret that shatters her life and the lives of two other women. By the author of What Alice Forgot.

Lauren R

this would be a really good show or movie.

Cecilia Fitzpatrick, devoted mother, successful Tupperware business owner and efficient P&C President, has found a letter from her husband."For my wife, Cecilia FitzpatrickTo be opened only in the event of my death"But Cecilia's husband isn't dead, he's on a business trip. And when she questions him about it on the phone, Cecilia senses something she hasn't experienced before. John-Paul is lying.What happens next changes Cecilia's formerly blissful suburban existence forever, and the consequences will be life-changing for the most unexpected people.

Melissa Palmer

Book #48 Read in 2013
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

This book tells the story of three women: Rachel, Cecilia and Tess, and how they are connected in ways that are unknown even to them. Rachel's daughter was murdered as a teenager. Cecilia is feeling unsatisfied with her normally perfect life as wife and mother. Tess's husband has fallen in love with her cousin, so she packs up her young son and goes back home to her mother's. All three women are dealing with tons of issues, to varying degrees of success. These women are interesting and complex. There is a decent mystery plot to this book to keep readers engaged. At times this book is a tad predictable but that did not take away enjoyment from reading it.

I liked Moriarty's book What Alice Forgot so I chose this one from Amazon Vine to review. I was not disappointed. I enjoy her writing style; it is easy and enjoyable to read without being fluff. Moriarty creates interesting characters that will keep readers hooked in her books. I recommend this book.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Patricia Nelson

I enjoyed this light read. It was thought provoking how the separate actions of three different families all intertwined by story's end. I also liked the connection to the daughter's fixation on the Berlin Wall. The epilogue was full of surprises!

Lamia Hajani

4.5 stars

Liane Moriarty knows how to write a good book and this is no exception. I was gripped by this book to the very end, wanting to know what was going to happen next. She does a good job of making every character multifaceted - there was no way to hate anyone, no matter how terrible the things that they did were. There's heartbreak in this book that's very palpable to the reader, which I appreciate. Moriarty does a good job of forging a connection between the reader and the characters, making this book an emotional read at times.

I think there was some room for improvement in the story and how long it took to tell a story that didn't need so many pages and so many B-stories, so half of a star knocked off for that. Still a very good 4.5 stars.

Briar's Reviews

Ohhhh boy. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty is a dramatic read and I loved every second of it.

Cecilia Fitzpatrick goes up to her attic and finds a letter written by her husband. It's a note that she's only supposed to read if he dies... and little does she know until her curiosity finally peaks... There's something in there that will change everyone's lives forever. 

Liane Moriarty is an ace at crafting stories of people that intertwine in intriguing ways. She brings drama, romance, and a bit of comedy to all of her stories. If you've read or watched Big Little Lies, you'll know exactly how this author is - and it's fantastic. Her books are some of my favourite since I can just disappear into them and enjoy soap opera like drama that feels relatable. 

The mystery slowly unveils itself, and I found I was slowly piecing it together as I was reading the book. It's not obvious by any means, but if you're smart and have watched as many soaps as I did when I was growing up, you'll get it. Throughout the whole book, the morals are questionable but I think that's part of the fun of this book. Why are these women acting the way they do? Why is all of this drama and havoc happening to them? You'll question a lot about these women (specifically, white middle class ladies), but you'll enjoy it too. It's like a tornado is coming for them and they just don't know it yet.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I know not everyone will, but for me it was an escape that felt over the top but also kind of real. I could understand the character's motivations and reactions even if they weren't always the most appropriate. There were times I even wanted them to go for the morally wrong choice because it just seemed right based on the book. This is definitely a new favourite of mine and I highly recommend it if you want soap opera level fun.

Five out of five stars!

Caitlin Moore

I really love Mortiary’s writing, and I especially love Catherine Lee’s audiobooks. The characters POVs did get confusing at first, but I got them straight about halfway in.

The storylines were super interesting, and it was fun to try to imagine how they would all end up fitting together. I did expect a bit more of a twist at the end, but overall a good read.

Rebecca Shaffer

Yes it's a bit predictable and can feel pretty contrived. And yes, things like the author explaining why a text couldn't be sent in 1984 make the reader cringe. But, somehow I was drawn to each of the 3 main women however unlikeable they may have seemed. The inner dialogue of each woman feels spot on. And despite my resistance, the book swept me up in "the feels" as the kids say. Not earth shattering, but a solidly entertaining read.

Nicole

This is the fifth book by Liane Moriarty that I’ve read. All of her books draw you in; I love the way she writes. Short chapters and interesting perspectives changes that make it hard to stop reading, and leave you trying to work out where and when and how everyone will fit together.

The main thing I’ve noticed is that Liane writes about mostly the same things—murder (mainly of a child), IVF, affairs, secrets, tennis, complicated relationships, shared blame, falling in love and out of it and back into it again, people wrongly accused of some awful thing, weird codependent relationships and endings where the reader knows a whole load more than any of the characters do—but that somehow it never gets boring. It’s all the same but it’s all so different, too. None of the characters feel reused, or half-thought, or empty.

Moriarty’s characters are endlessly human and complicated. I find it really hard to genuinely hate any of them because they’re written in a way that makes you deeply understand them. Liane writes love well, and death, and grief. Any complicated emotion, she writes it perfectly.

This definitely isn’t my favourite, I’m not sure any of the few novels I have left to read are going to top Big Little Lies, and to be honest this was probably my least favourite of all that I’ve read (what were the weird While The Berlin Wall Was Falling parts for????) but I still enjoyed it a lot. I love Tess the most, but Rachel is a close second favourite. I hope Will disappears somewhere and John-Paul goes to prison :)

This is the fifth book by Liane Moriarty that I’ve read. All of her books draw you in; I love the way she writes. Short chapters and interesting perspectives changes that make it hard to stop reading, and leave you trying to work out where and when and how everyone will fit together.

The main thing I’ve noticed is that Liane writes about mostly the same things—murder (mainly of a child), IVF, affairs, secrets, tennis, complicated relationships, shared blame, falling in love and out of it and back into it again, people wrongly accused of some awful thing, weird codependent relationships and endings where the reader knows a whole load more than any of the characters do—but that somehow it never gets boring. It’s all the same but it’s all so different, too. None of the characters feel reused, or half-thought, or empty.

Moriarty’s characters are endlessly human and complicated. I find it really hard to genuinely hate any of them because they’re written in a way that makes you deeply understand them. Liane writes love well, and death, and grief. Any complicated emotion, she writes it perfectly.

This definitely isn’t my favourite, I’m not sure any of the few novels I have left to read are going to top Big Little Lies, and to be honest this was probably my least favourite of all that I’ve read (what were the weird While The Berlin Wall Was Falling parts for????) but I still enjoyed it a lot. I love Tess the most, but Rachel is a close second favourite. I hope Will disappears somewhere and John-Paul goes to prison :)

McKenzie McWhorter

It felt slow at times and hard to get into with the shifting pov, but overall I really enjoyed this book and it definitely picked up about halfway through. 

I didn't feel like Tess' backstory was necessary to the plot so her chapters felt out of place at the end. 

I loved the last chapter and all the "what ifs" and "could have beens" in life.

Cheri McElroy

This is typical Liane Moriarty with it’s examination of hard issues encased in quirky characters that you connect with. I really enjoyed it.

Clodagh Nolan-Smith

Well... this book kept me glued to the very end, at some points it was because I was eager for something to happen but nonetheless it was a real page turner. Some good unexpected twists, I love it when you have to put down a book and say to yourself "Oh my God... hang on... what?!"

Sian Wadey

The Husband's Secret is the first book for the Weston Rhyn Book Club, organised by the lovely Joey McGuinness. We're all female with an eclectic and varied taste in books, but I firmly believe that book clubs are about reading what you normally wouldn't pick for yourself. 
This book primarily centres around three women: Cecilia, Tess and Rachel. Cecilia discovers a letter written by her husband John-Paul to be opened on the event of his death, Tess discovers her husband has fallen in love with her cousin, who's like a sister to her and Rachel is struggling to get over the murder of her daughter Janie. Reading this book made me realise why I normally pick male leads as I found all three characters quite unlikeable. Rachel was the least annoying, but Cecilia with her Tupperware parties and how everything had to be 'perfect' drove me up the wall!
It's clear that Liane Moriarty has put a lot of hard work into this book and how each character's life winds into each other. But this isn't a thriller, as it's billed, it's a story about women and the choices that we make in life. I will admit that once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down, but I felt myself cringing or rolling my eyes at several things. Maybe my age and experience with married life put me at a disadvantage but I struggled to sympathise or understand some of their thought processes or choices. I also worked out what was in the contents of the letter, which was a disappointment for me because normally I like to be surprised.
The reason this was a three star rating rather than two was because of the epilogue. The author details Janie's life of what it might have been like and highlights how important and life-changing those small decisions are, which to me is interesting.

Ley Stanton

When I first read the back of this book, I was really interested in it. But once I started the book, I found it to be very slow and boring. I will say, the first hundred pages make for a very slow start. But then I found myself really invested in the character's stories, all three of them as they intertwined. I didn't know how they were going to connect together but Moriarty weaved the stories together perfectly. By the end, I was very morally confused because I'm not sure I would have made any different decisions than the three leading ladies did. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future. I never thought I could get so into adult contemporary.

Arianna scasino

This book was great, I genuinely couldn’t wait to read it because just the title alone made me want to know more. Liane Moriarty can’t do wrong when it comes to books!

Mia DuMars

To be entirely honest I just did not find the characters all that likable. I was hoping that the story line would develop into something more than what it was but it fell flat in the end for me. I finished it and I was left not in shock but more just sadness. Ending seemed cruel for no good reason.

Dana

This book literally had me pacing around my living room while I was reading it. There's so many unexpected moments and they just suck you in to the point where it's 3am and you're still reading!

Sarah Ryan

Was looking for an easy, non taxing read and this fit the bill.

Discovering a tattered letter that says she is to open it only in the event of her husband's death, Cecelia, a successful family woman, is unable to resist reading the letter and discovers a secret that shatters her life and the lives of two other women.

Victoria Floyd 

This one took me a while to get into mainly because so many characters were introduced in the first couple of pages that I was confused for the first part of the book. There were also some parts that seemed to drag on for a while, but the epilogue had me shook. Overall a good read. 

Samantha King

Robin M Cabana

I think I need to find more Australian authors. I really enjoyed this book - along with other books I recently read: The Rosie Project and the Light Between Oceans. I really loved Liane Moriarty's characters and how she interwove their stories. I figured out early on what the "secret" could be - but was not expecting the consequences that it could have.

Shafel McDowall

This audiobook was amazing. Liane just has a way with writing realistic characters, with all their prejudices and shallow thoughts. 

This book has once again made me realize that this world isn't black and white, and life can be cruel.

Alex Mercure

The first chapter went good. Then it wall went downhill from there

Rebeca Keren Nuñez &
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

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The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty