The First Husband

About the Book:

Annie Adams is days away from her thirty-second birthday and thinks she has finally found some happiness. She visits the world's most interesting places for her syndicated travel column and she's happily cohabiting with her movie director boyfriend Nick in Los Angeles. But when Nick comes home from a meeting with his therapist (aka "futures counselor") and announces that he's taking a break from their relationship so he can pursue a woman from his past, the place Annie had come to call home is shattered. Reeling, Annie stumbles into her neighborhood bar and finds Griffin-a grounded, charming chef who seems to be everything Annie didn't know she was looking for. Within three months, Griffin is Annie's husband and Annie finds herself trying to restart her life in rural Massachusetts. 

My Comments:

Recently on online friend had a blog post about retirement in which we got into a discussion of the purpose and place of work in life today.    I thought of that discussion when I read this book, though it deals with young adults rather than those of retirement age.  Once upon a time, we worked close to home, and if a job move was required, there was no question that she would follow him--and no reason to think she'd consider a  job that would make her move away from him.  Today many couples have to negotiate where they will live and whether they will will move, and if so for whose job.  Money is part of the reason, but identity also plays a part.  While the relationship between Annie and the men in her life is the framework on which The First Husband is built, it is really a book about who Annie is and what part in her life should other people play.

There are no descriptions of intimacy, but there is plenty of bed hopping.  I guess I'm just too old-fashioned--I shook my head when Annie and Griffin ended up in bed together the night they met.  There is lots of living together than ends badly, infidelity in marriage and an attempt to break up a marriage.  In the end, there is love, there is hope.  

All in all, I enjoyed the book.  I liked Annie and rooted for her to figure things out.  Her best friend got on my nerves.  Nick struck me as a jerk, and I don't know why she ever looked back at him.  My feelings about Griffin are mixed, but in general he seems too good to be true.  Grade:  B.

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy.  The First Husband: A Novel is by the same author as The Divorce Party: A Novel , which I reviewed here.