The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge

Summary from GoodReads:

Camille Hart, one of Manhattan’s most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her forties, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back—and this time it’s terminal—she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she’s gone.

But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of “be careful what you wish for”? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming.

My Review:

When I read the summary for The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge, I got a little bit of a thrill inside. It’d been a while since I had read a straight-up chick lit book and I was craving some emotional, doesn’t-require-a-lot-of-thought, reading and thought this would fit the bill perfectly.

What I was unprepared for was the completely unseen twist that the book would take halfway through and send me spiraling into rage instead of pleasure.

But I cannot blame that on Eileen Goudge, or the story, because when all was said and done, the book delivered what it was supposed to deliver. There was romance, heartbreak, contemporary themes about marriage, struggles and triumphs – I just didn’t like who experienced some of these things.

Y’all, I’ve never been so disappointed in a character in my life. Just bad, bad choices and all I could think is – why? Why did you do this to these poor, innocent people in the book, Ms. Goudge?!

I think if you are looking for a summer read that has the potential to get you worked up in a rage sort of way, The Replacement Wife is a good choice. I didn’t cry while reading this book (I sob like a baby when I read Cecelia Aherns and was hoping for a similar reaction here), but it did inspire a reaction from me. I’m just glad I wasn’t on the beach when I started yelling at the pages.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

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