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    Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives
    Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives
    Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives
    Audiobook10 hours

    Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives

    Written by Josie Brown

    Narrated by Renee Raudman

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Lyssa Harper should have warned divorced DILF du jour Harry Wilder before she invited him to meet the mommies of the Paradise Heights Women’s League Board. At least he brought cupcakes. Since taking the former Master-of-the-Universe turned stay-at-home-single-dad under her wing, Lyssa has been his domestic Sherpa, teaching him the ins and outs of life inside their gated community. She never dreamed her friends would bombard him with casseroles, leopard-print bikini briefs, and offers to rearrange his kitchen cabinets.

    But Harry’s presence soon stirs up trouble in paradise: if Harry and his wife, the neighborhood’s "perfect couple", can call it quits, what does that mean for other so-called happy couples, like Lyssa and her husband, Ted?

    When Harry sets boundaries with his new fan club, he is exiled from the ladies’ clique. But Lyssa refuses to snub him. What she never expects is the explosive impact her ongoing friendship with Harry will have on her close-knit pals - and on her marriage.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateOct 9, 2012
    ISBN9781469249841
    Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives
    Author

    Josie Brown

    Josie Brown is a feature writer of relationship articles and celebrity interviews. She is also the editor of the internationally syndicated "John Gray's Mars Venus Advice" newspaper column, and the co-editor of the "Relationship NewsWire". She has written two previous books: Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans, a humor dictionary that interprets the fashionista's worst nightmares -- specifically those pertaining to designer duds and bad dates. She is also the co-author, along with her husband, Martin, of Marriage Confidential: 102 Honest Answers to the Questions Every Husband Wants to Ask, and Every Wife Needs to Know. Impossibly Tongue Tied, her next novel, will be released by Avon in 2006. Josie lives in Marin County, California with Martin and their two children.

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    Reviews for Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives

    4/5

    29 ratings7 reviews

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    • 3/5
      From My Blog...I was not planning to write a review for the book Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives by Josie Brown but decided I should at the very least mention why I rated this popular book as I did. The story moves along blessedly quickly but I really was not interested in the characters' lives, the cattiness, jealousy and rivalry amongst adults. At times the novel is quite witty and does indeed have some valuable lessons to be gleamed, but all in all it was not my style of writing, hence my rating. However, for those who are Desperate House Wife fans, enjoy melodramas, and the behind-the-scenes lives of husbands and wives living in suburbia, then I highly suggest giving Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives by Josie Brown a chance. Please check out other reviews before making a decision as I have read almost all glowing reviews of this book. Just because it was not my style does not mean others will not find this a delightful summer read.
    • 4/5
      This is basically a fairy tale about marital dissatisfaction, friendships, and the inner workings of an elite community. All the "good" people end up with good things happening to them; all the "bad" people get some of what's coming to them. It does have a lot of realism in what happens (or can happen) between marital relationships over the years. This is a combination of romance novel and chick-lit. Good, fun story with an ending that you wish could happen in real life. ; )
    • 5/5
      Made me feel like I was a MILF in suburbia. Definitely an engrossing novel that has you hooked from start! New favorite author!
    • 5/5
      This was an absolutely delicious book! It was witty and snarky and a total delight to dive into! There's a bit of language, so for some it might not be the right fit. But those instances are few and far between and personally, for me, the humor and fun of this read far outweighed those instances. I honestly couldn't put this one down and read it straight through...grown up summer fun!
    • 4/5
      The title really holds true with this one! There were quite a few secrets that I never expected. The one at the end was a real treat :-)The main characters in this one were pretty well written. There were a few scenes that seemed to be a bit out of character, but as the title suggests there were quite a few secrets, so maybe these were just more of them. I tend to think the best of people, and while I knew from the word go that DeeDee was trouble I never expected some of the other people to take the actions they did. I liked Lyssa, she reminded me a lot of myself in her personality. Harry was also a great character. He was so sweet, except for the scene with Ted on Thanksgiving... That was a different story!The way this story unfolded it was impossible to tell what was really getting ready to happen. Even the end was a bit surprising to me (and I really like to try and figure out the ending). This definitely makes me think twice about my quiet little neighborhood.This was really a page turner as I wanted to see what secret was going to be exposed next, and who it was going to implicate. Believe me there were soooo many... Well worth the read.
    • 4/5
      Lyssa Harper lives in a beautiful community in suburbia. She's a stay at home mom who runs her kids around to their day to day activities and is on the neighborhood board. Her friends on the board are just like her in so many ways. They are the ladies who lunch. They do yoga every day. They have a coffeeshop where they meet daily. And they keep abreast of the gossip in the neighborhood. Oh boy do they keep abreast of the gossip! So when perfect Harry Wilder and his aloof, ice princess wife Denise split, these women know it almost before Harry does. Then Lyssa meets Harry at the park where their daughters are playing and Harry breaks down. Because Lyssa is a nice person, she decides to introduce Harry into her group, never guessing what a shallow, predatory group of women they are. Initially all goes well but as Harry faces a nasty, bitter divorce with custody of his kids at stake, the last thing he needs is to worry about the machinations of the neighborhood's ruling cabal. And he manages to offend and alientate all of them except Lyssa, who continues to lend a hand and an ear despite being ostracized herself.As the tension between Harry and the women grows, Harry's oldest son starts to act out, his daughter regresses and his soon to be ex-wife throws low blow after low blow at him. Meanwhile, Lyssa is examining her own marriage and is troubled by what she sees. Her friendship with Harry growing and taking on an increased importance in her life, her friendship with the other wives waning, she takes stock of what in her childhood made her the way that she is, how that allowed to her marry Ted, what Ted really wants, and how she can find contentment in her life.The reader guesses the ending of the book long before it comes and while the outcome is perfectly suited for a movie, it is perhaps a twist too far in terms of believability. On the other hand, it offers poetic justice and is a satisfying outcome for this fun and frothy beach read. Brown has drawn a convincing and accurate picture of the malaise that infects certain bits of suburbia from the former exec who runs the neighborhood board with an iron fist to the outrage that erupts when children are hurt (even just in the normal course of growing up). She has balanced the seeming frivolity of the stay at home mom's day with the frenzied activities and the masterful planning that is involved in running a family. Her main characters are sympathetic and likable. The plot clips along. And the subtle (and not so subtle) look at stagnant marriage offers a bit of food for thought throughout as Lyssa and Harry negotiate the minefield that is modern suburbia. I gulped this down in less than a day in between driving my kids hither, thither and yon and enjoyed the experience greatly. It is escapist and light and as satisfying as a cold drink by the pool. And from the way Harry is described, he can be my pool boy whenever he wants!
    • 4/5
      Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives introduces the reader to the wealthy stay-at-home mothers. Or as I referred to them as the "mean mommies". Meet Lyssa, our protagonist. Immediately I liked her. Yes, at times she came across as a bit naive, however I didn't find it to be irritating or a distraction from the story. Next are Lyssa's friends: Brooke, Tammy, Margot and Colleen. Each woman appears to have the perfect life at first glance, but when the reader gets to know them, it's easy to see the flaws each works hard to keep hidden.Lyssa and Harry first meet by accident at the neighborhood park. After several minutes of small talk, Harry breaks down and confides in Lyssa about the breakup of his marriage. From that moment on, Harry and Lyssa become friends. Thinking it's in Harry's best interest, Lyssa decides to introduce him to her friends. Little does she know, this introduction is the catalyst that will bring her to where she is supposed to be.Reading Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives was like watching a television drama. Lots of gossip, back-stabbing, extramarital affairs and pettiness. As much as I liked Lyssa, I did not care for her so-called "friends". With friends like these, who needs enemies? At times, I found myself shaking my head and wondering why these women are taking things so seriously and going to the extreme to getting what they thought they deserved. Watching Lyssa's relationship with Harry continue to grow, despite the "mean mommies", made up for their cattiness.Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives, was humorous at times and certainly entertaining. It's a good escape from your everyday hassles as you find yourself engrossed in other people's lives. When the book is over, and you say goodbye to your new friends, you'll realize your life isn't as bad as you think.