Customer Reviews

The Other Wife (Harlequin Next)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a fantastic story! I laughed myself sick over the antics of that adorable little Harvey, the JR terrier, and his reluctant new owner, Penny. Penny's quest to uncover the truth about her bigamist husband (she drags the other wife along for the ride!) leads her across the country and forces her to learn more about life, love, and her own talents and abilities. Sometimes poignant, sometimes sweet, and always chock-full of the tongue-in-cheek humor Shirley Jump is famous for, this book will have you laughing and crying along with Penny as she discovers that the truth can lead you to the greatest love of all.

How do you make discovered polygamy funny? Somehow, Shirley Jump manages it - without making light of a very hurtful subject. Shirley's characters are easy to love and always carry a strong pull that makes you want to follow along, cheering, rooting and hoping they find the answers you know they deserve to find. As with all her other books, I laughed, I cried, I cheered. Great story!

I've read other Shirley Jump novels, but this one is my favorite. I couldn't put it down. It's heart-breaking one moment, and laugh-out-loud funny the next. I love a book that can grab my emotions like that, and this one does. I highly recommend this book!

Okay, I'm not a Romance fan. I'm not a fan of Lifetime TV, either. When I first read the synopsis of this book, I didn't expect to like it. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Shirley Jump's style is, well, easy to read. She makes the reader care about her characters. What I liked about this book was that she didn't make the main character seem like she was in a Lifetime Movie. No gnashing and wailing. The heroine was written as a real person and not poor, hapless victim. No bodice-ripping-take-me-I'm-yours moments non-romance readers have come to expect. Simply put, I liked this book. Heck, I enjoyed this book. I went on to read others from Shirley Jump. If you like cooking, read the Romance with Recipes series.

Neither Penny nor Susan had the slightest inkling that they were married at the same time to the same man. That is neither knew until Dave Reynolds died. Both are shocked to learn about the other and Penny is further stunned to learn that Dave and Susan also had a dog, no less a Harvey the pianist terrier; as she and Dave lived as a dinka (double income, no kids/animals) lifestyle. They meet for the first time at Dave's funeral with neither blaming THE OTHER WOMAN.

Unable to resist both women agree to see each other to discuss Dave. They agree they need to know why he did this to the two women as each wonders what they lacked in terms of Dave. Penny and Susan begin an odyssey learn the truth.

THE OTHER WIFE is a fascinating character study as the two wives of Dave become friends while seeking the reasons he was a bigamist. Penny and Susan are interesting protagonists who grow emotionally as they make a "Dave" tour that is filled with humor, poignancy, and detours. Readers like this reviewer will jump to find other works (see RESCUED BY MR. RIGHT) by this fine author.

Harriet Klausner

Shirley Jump handles bigamy with sensitivity and humor. THE OTHER WIFE, with a cast of zany secondary characters that includes Harvey, The Wonder Dog, is a fun-filled, emotional read. Not to be missed.

This is the first Shirley Jump book I've read, and it definitely will be the last.

Plot? Barely.
Pace? Yawn.

What Ms. Jump writes is "cute" and little else--at least in this book. Although the first page or two promised a humorous quick read I soon discovered that there was little substance to be found and that the "cute" got old very quickly.