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friedeggnes's review against another edition
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked this book up after watching both "Apples Never Fall" and "Big Little Lies" (just Season 1) over the course of a week and seeing Marjorie leave a positive review on another Moriarty novel. I'm always entertained by Moriarty's twists (although the twists in this one were relatively predictable) and I like her specific style of intertwining so many lives together. There's a very strong religious overtone to this one, beyond the obvious setting of a Catholic school and Catholic characters: there are so many coincidences, the idea of forgiveness and who is allowed to forgive, what it means to be good. I think that's also worth mentioning.
chantals's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jackiemontt's review against another edition
4.0
Review coming soon. Visit www.jackiemontt.com for reviews first
_chaoticbooknook's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
i don’t generally care for mystery books, and unfortunately this one didn’t change my mind. it’s a solid read, but not for me! i enjoyed some parts - it was entertaining and propulsive especially once you hit 40% in - but i felt like i was mostly sighing through it. parts of this book show its age (published 2013) and i was slightly turned off by it.
this book is ostensibly a mystery book, but it is also a book about the depth of a parent’s love for their children. it weaves together the stories of three women who are also mothers, and the consequences of a mother’s decision to protect (and not protect) her children.
i have to say - Liane Moriarty is a good writer. she wrote the characters SO well, and so astutely captured female internal dialogue, interactions, and dynamics. the way the mystery unwinds and the consequences of each fraught decision made all come together in a way that was both gripping and thought-provoking.
i had two main gripes about the book, one of which is a me problem:
1️⃣ the book mostly felt like it was about the petty thoughts of suburban moms that veered a little “Desperate Housewives”. it was done VERY well - but so well that i really had a hard time sympathizing with the characters. i ultimately just did not care about their small world and thoughts.
2️⃣ there was a constant obsession throughout the book about how women look, fatness, and women’s bodies. i felt a bit uncomfortable about the descriptions of fatness - that didn’t age well.
this book wasn’t for me, but if you’re looking for an easy-to-read, well-written, sorta mystery book that’s readily available from your library, i’d give this a go. i’d like to give Moriarty’s newer books a try.
thebookishlibrarian's review against another edition
Cecilia was a normal, happy wife…until she read the letter. The one she wasn’t supposed to read until after her husband had died. But she had gotten her hands on it, and now she had to read it. She wished she hadn’t, because now she knew his secret; and it was a big one. One she now had to carry with her, possibly until her own death. Follow Cecilia as she struggles to keep her husband’s secret from her friends, her family and her community. Will the secret ultimately destroy her? Or will she be able to put her husband’s past behind her?
kessler21's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second Moriarty book and I am going to put her in the same classification as F. Backman. She is wonderful at creating intriguing stories around ordinary people's ordinary life.
This book is not as good as Big Little Lies as this was a little predictable, but I really cared for the characters. I was invested in what happened to them and how they felt and I find that rare in books.
I also was was glad that The Husband's Secret isn't what you first think of, infidelity. Instead, you follow a very organized, self employed mother, a career mother with major insecurities, and a depressed old lady as their lives intersect.
This book is not as good as Big Little Lies as this was a little predictable, but I really cared for the characters. I was invested in what happened to them and how they felt and I find that rare in books.
I also was was glad that The Husband's Secret isn't what you first think of, infidelity. Instead, you follow a very organized, self employed mother, a career mother with major insecurities, and a depressed old lady as their lives intersect.
abriel's review against another edition
3.0
Not even going to lie, it took me a while to get through "The Husband's Secret". Honestly, I was expecting a more exhilarating plot rather than what Liane Moriarty offered in this novel. Overall the book had substance yet the pace of the novel was too slow for me. I was expecting the plot to thicken or move at a quick paste; for me the novel seemed dried and dragged on. The ending left me slightly confused, I wanted to know what would happen the John Paul Fitzpatrick? I'm not saying not to read this book but maybe the style wasn't for me.
cindyshirld's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy listening to audiobooks of Moriarty's novels and I think the audiobook reader for this novel and some of her other novels is just fantastic.
I really enjoyed the story and the plot of the novel. Just ordinary couples and ordinary families going through life and sometimes have to face unfortunate events and have to decide whether they love each other enough to overlook past their mistakes or whether it's better to separate. If I was Cecilia, I would be dying to open the letter too and would feel so burdened by the information. If I was Tess, I don't know if I could forgive my husband for his betrayal. There are a lot of other characters that I did not care for and I felt contributed very little to the storyline.
I really enjoyed the story and the plot of the novel. Just ordinary couples and ordinary families going through life and sometimes have to face unfortunate events and have to decide whether they love each other enough to overlook past their mistakes or whether it's better to separate. If I was Cecilia, I would be dying to open the letter too and would feel so burdened by the information. If I was Tess, I don't know if I could forgive my husband for his betrayal. There are a lot of other characters that I did not care for and I felt contributed very little to the storyline.
martinenl's review against another edition
5.0
What a book, it’s a mystery but in no way it feels like a thriller. It’s a very nice book about life, and that it happens when you expect it the least. It’s my second Liane Moriarty book, definitely my favorite so far!