Read, Run, Ramble

Title: The Third Wife
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 09, 2015
Format: egalley provided by Netgalley

Synopsis

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

My Review (originally posted at Read, Run, Ramble):

Thank you, Atria Books via Netgalley, for providing me with a copy of this book!

Maya is Adrian’s third wife. She’s much younger than him and his other two wives, and their relationship began as an affair while he was still married to wife #2. Adrian is addicted to love - the excitement and fun that comes with a new relationship. One that isn’t bogged down by commitment, routine, responsibility, and other such bothersome traits.

This addiction is how he managed to create his little family. A family that still vacations together, has regular dinners together and generally goes about life together. Yep, all three wives and each of the children from his previous two marriages interact on a daily basis. However, can a family steeped in so much drama really be functional and without its problems? The answer to that is, NO; just as one would expect!

The story begins with a flair – Maya stumbles off (or maybe purposely steps off) the curb in front of a bus and is killed. What unravels after should have left me unable to put the book down, but it didn’t. After hitting us hard with a pretty huge event in the beginning, the author then takes a very slow stroll through both the days following the accident and the days prior to it, often going into details that feel wholly unnecessary. In the end and with hindsight, readers will be able to fit all of those details in and understand, but it doesn’t make wading through them any more enjoyable at the time. The first couple of chapters and the last couple were the few chapters I enjoyed.

With such a personal story, connection to the characters would be normal, but I never felt one…with any of them. Actually, I quite disliked most of the characters, especially the protagonist, Adrian. If I’m being honest, I didn’t even like Maya, the “victim”.

I didn’t love this one and I didn’t hate it. I am infinitely glad I finished it (I considered, on more than one occasion, giving up), but also glad to be done (I know, that sounds horrible). I have read one other book by Jewell and I definitely will read others; this one just didn’t happen to be for me.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by the publisher or author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am not compensated for any of my reviews.