Early Review | Can I Give My Husband Back by Kristen Bailey

Can I Give My Husband Back by Kristen Bailey
Standalone
Contemporary Fiction
Bookouture | June 19th 2020

About the Book:

My sisters call my ex-husband Satan. That tells you everything you need to know about him.

I thought I was sorted on the life front. I was a heart surgeon with a loving partner and two gorgeous little girls. Except my husband’s version of ‘loving’ is lying, cheating and sleeping his way around London. Which means I definitely deserve a refund.

Unfortunately, moving on isn’t that simple. Just because I know how to operate on a heart doesn’t mean I know how to fix my broken one. Plus, I lost the receipt for him years ago so I’m definitely getting short changed.

But now I’m single, am I ready to mingle? There are a few minor issues:

1) The last time I went on a date double denim was in fashion and my eyebrows were horrendously overplucked.
2) Men wear stupidly skinny jeans now.
3) I don’t know how to use dating apps but at least I don’t have to get changed out of my pyjamas.
4) Sometimes the most promising thing you have in common with a guy is a shared love of prawns.
5) I don’t know whether to open a date with ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ or ‘hey’ and once I ended up saying ‘howdy’.

Everything happens for a reason, they say. There’s plenty more fish in the sea. But what happens when everything falls apart and you haven’t got a clue how to go fishing?

I would recommend this book to anyone, but particularly to anyone going through or has gone through a divorce. And especially anyone who has been married to a narcissist. I don’t mean “oh, they’re so fucking selfish” kind of narcissist. I mean the “anytime, anything, anywhere happens that could possibly be their fault it’s a vast conspiracy because nothing is ever their fault” sort of narcissist.

(Side note: FUCK am I happy to no longer be married to that douchecanoe.)

I very much related to Emma. And this book was a bit of fantasy therapy for me. Emma was able to triumph in a way only fiction can give. She finally faced that she’d been pretending her marriage was fine and normal, that she wasn’t being disregarded and discarded in private, while expected to hold up the public image of a perfect family. Kristen Bailey created a world of wonderful characters, but Emma stands out. The story takes you on Emma’s journey from scared, confused and newly divorced to strong, determined to live an authentic life and standing up for herself and her daughter’s needs.

And this story is *fucking hilarious*. From the chapter titles to the baby throwing up on Emma at a wedding, every heartfelt or emotional moment is matched by the real life humor of the characters, or the insane situations they find themselves in.

Oh, and it’s a sex book. Not necessarily a *sexy* book (though there is some of that, too.) Emma’s sisters and friend are determined that she get laid after her divorce (sounds familiar… *cough*Birdie*cough*). I won’t spoil anything (because you really should read this) but there’s a scene where Batman and Barbie are getting it on in the laundry room.

Five stars, absolutely.