His 1-800 Wife [Mass Market Paperback]

Shirley Hailstock (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Cathy Carson is not the type of woman to sit back and let the world bully her around. So when the pressure to marry from her parents, friends, and sister starts to dominate her life, Cathy comes up with a plan: place a personal ad, find a temporary husband, and eliminate all the nagging. After six months and a divorce, she'd have all the freedom she wanted. But Cathy didn't bargain on Jarrod Greene responding to her ad.

A childhood friend, Jarrod seems to be the perfect man to fit the bill; he knows Cathy, and he's certainly been involved in much trickery with her. But sometime in the farce, Jarrod and Cathy learn that their marriage is not such a foolproof game. There might be winners--and losers.

Shirley Hailstock makes Newport, Rhode Island, the perfect setting for this romance. Cathy and Jarrod's world is full of well-dressed, well-coifed professionals attending glamorous parties. Though Cathy's self-confidence makes her acquiescence to marital pressures suspicious, it also makes her a great heroine. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kimani Press (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158314157X
• ISBN-13: 978-1583141571
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,329,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, April 2, 2001

By 

Sean D. Young (Merrillville, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: His 1-800 Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

Catherine Carson needed a husband so her mother and sister would get off of her back. She needed to come up with a plan that would make her marriage look real, but she would only have to keep up with the charade for 6 months. After that, she could go on her merry way.

Catherine sets up a 1-800 number in her home. She would scan the callers and choose the lucky man from there. Well one day she recognizes one of the voices. She couldn't put her finger on who the voice belonged to, but knew it was familiar. Catherine runs into her childhood enemy Jarrod Greene. Jarrod has been away for a while. When he speaks to her, she is reminded of the voice on her answering machine. Jarrod is indeed the caller from her 1-800 line. Catherine talks Jarrod into becoming the lucky husband.

Jarrod was in love with Catherine. It seems he has been in love with her since their early teen years. He tries to prove to Catherine that maybe being married to him forever isn't too bad.

His 1-800-Wife was not something you would normally see from the Mystery & Intrigue Queen Ms. Hailstock. This story was really wonderful. Jarrod and Catherine relationship seem valid. The secondary characters added to the story. You could even see a sequel in Elizabeth and Robert. My favorite Shirley Hailstock books are Whispers of Love, Legacy and Opposites Attract, novella in Island Magic was excellent too.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this novel, April 15, 2001

By 

rcarey22 (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: His 1-800 Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

Shirley Hailstock is a woman on a mission - - that mission was to create one of the best romance novels ever "His 1-800 Wife" is just such a novel. In the past Ms. Hailstock has generally written wonderful action-packed romance novels filled with lots of suspense/mystery but "His 1-800 Wife" is pure romance - - romance that will leave you breathless. I completed this novel within a 12 hour span and it definitely left me wanting more. This story of Catherine Carson installing an 800 number to find a husband "in name only" so that she can put a stop to her sister's and mother's matchmaking. Catherine's goal was use the 800 number as a tool in order to find a man, marry, then divorce within six months, which would result in a reprieve from her mother and sister. Unfortunately one of the callers to her 800 number is from Jarrod Greene, a man from her youth, to be exact her next door neighbor who made her life miserable as child (who at every turn plagued her young life with practical jokes and pranks which embarrassed her to no end) but Jarrod was also the brother/"boy" friend she never had, who had been living in England for the past five years and has just returned home. Little did Jarrod know when he called 1-800 Wife that Catherine would be the voice he hears on the answering machine. As fate would have it Catherine and Jarrod marry with the understanding that after six months each would go their separate ways and all parties would free to do as they pleased and their families would leave them alone. Unfortunately things do not always go according to plan, Catherine and Jarrod have had feelings for each other since they were children, the pranks and the jokes were just a cover and now with the two being married and thrown together in close quarters the love that for years had simmered below the surface has now exploded into a love which cannot be denied. The sparks are really flying now. This is truly a fantastic reading experience so don't pass on it cause you will miss one of truly great ones.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, April 17, 2001

By 

"crtnygbs" (Altadena, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: His 1-800 Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

This is my first book by Ms. Hailstock and I can say that I was not disappointed. I loved the fact that Catherine and Jarrod had been in love with each other since they were teenagers. I felt that Catherines idea of a 1-800 number was a funny and exciting thing to do. Jarrod could be my 1-800 Husband any day. The notes he left her and they way the complemented each other made one of the best romance novels I have read to date. Gooo Job!