The First Husband: A Novel [Paperback]

Laura Dave (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 24, 2012

"A fresh, funny take on the search for a soulmate." —People

Laura Dave has already won adoring fans everywhere from Hollywood to the heartland. Now, with a slew of rave reviews and astute insights about modern love, The First Husband is certain to deliver her breakout success.

Los Angeles–based travel writer Annie Adams thinks she has it all. Nick, her longtime film director boyfriend, has finally hit the big time, her column is syndicated, and they've got a great dog. Then Nick moves out. Three months later, Annie is married to Griffin, a down-to-earth chef with a restaurant in the Berkshires. When Nick asks for a second chance, Annie is torn between her husband and the man she might have been meant to marry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fresh funny take on the search for a soulmate." —People Magazine

"A wry, intelligent novel that is playful, unpredictable and emotionally resonant." —USA Today

"What distinguishes Dave are her keen observations about the difficulty of creating lasting love in a freedom obsessed society. A decadent novel with an ending as satisfying as cream cheese frosting." —Marie Claire

"Compulsively readable. The story has it all: a heroine I couldn't help but root for, a budding romance I wanted to succeed, and an ending that left me smiling." —Woman's World

"Positively shines with wisdom and intelligence. What truly sets Dave apart from her peers is her ability to convey the contradictions and imperfections, the inherent impossibility of true love, and yet somehow still make you believe in it." —Jonathan Tropper, author of This Is Where I Leave You

"In an honest and heartfelt tale, Laura Dave masterfully explores the big questions: Should you have said yes? Waited? Answered that call you ignored? Filled with sparkling wit and pithy observation, The First Husband is everything I love about contemporary women's fiction." —Jen Lancaster, author of If You Were Here

"For anyone who wonders if she has found 'the one,' The First Husband is a wonderfully witty novel about love and loss, and about how to find a happy home. I loved every moment, every page, and you will too." —Allison Winn Scotch, author of The One That I Want

"You want meet-cute? Young women and wrong men? Burgeoning careers and best friends? Dave's your gal." —Washington Post 

"Fizzy, amusing." —Entertainment Weekly

"An inspring account of a woman who ceases her external travels to become her own compass. I have more insight into my own life after reading this book, and I thank Laura Dave for that gift." —Publishers Weekly

"The First Husband is a witty and insightful look at love and the human dilemma of making the right choice about marriage." —Psychology Today

"[A] page-turning story about modern love and what makes one feel safe and at home. It is sure to attract readers who enjoy Emily Giffin." —Library Journal

"Clever, funny, relatable, and not predictable. I was completely wooed." —Yahoo Shine

About the Author

Laura Dave is the author of the acclaimed novel London is the Best City in America. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Glamour, Self, Redbook, ESPN the Magazine, and The New York Observer. Cosmopolitan magazine recently named her one of the “Fun and Fearless Phenoms” of the year. Dave currently lives in California, where she is at work on a new novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (April 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143121022
• ISBN-13: 978-0143121022
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.7 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #322,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laura Dave is the author of London is the Best City in America, The Divorce Party, and The First Husband. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Glamour, Self, NPR's All Things Considered, The Huffington Post, and Redbook. She lives in Los Angeles.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes You Question How Much You Will Compromise For True Love..And What That Even Is! May 27, 2011

By Colleen T.

Format:Hardcover

I first reviewed this for Luxury Reading blog.

When The First Husband opens we find Annie Adams completely content in her life: she gets to tour the world writing her rather successful travel column; her long term boyfriend, Nick, is beginning to taste success as a film director; her much-loved dog, Mila, is keeping her feet warm. What could go wrong? In the next breath her world begins to unravel: Nick announces he is leaving her for the possibility of a better life with a better woman, taking her beloved Mila with him; she learns her job is potentially in danger since the paper has been taken over by a new owner; the once comforting home she shared with Nick becomes filled with the memories of what they had and what will no longer be.

With the push of her best friend, Jordan (Nick's sister), Annie decides to thrust herself back into life to see if it will stick. She finds herself in a beachside restaurant after hours, where she meets Griffin who is highlighting as Executive chef until the permanent chef returns and he goes home to small town Massachusetts to open his own restaurant. Annie instantly feels connected to Griffin and decides that he might be the new lease on life she was looking for, her way to be someone new and improved. As they get to know each other the time dwindles until Griffin must go back to the life he had only temporarily put on hold...with one new addition: Annie.

Annie takes a leap and accepts Griffin's impromptu wedding proposal, traveling to Massachusetts, by way of Las Vegas and a little wedding chapel, ready to begin anew. What she doesn't expect when they arrive is Griffin's brother, Jesse, waiting at their home with his two rambunctious and sticky twin boys, declaring he and his wife are separated. She doesn't expect the ex girlfriend who spent thirteen years with Griffin and doesn't seem able to fully let go, or the icy mother in law that dotes on Griffin's ex as the daughter in law she wished she had. She doesn't expect to feel trapped by the small town life or the total immersion into a past she doesn't share with Griffin. Most of all, she doesn't expect the feelings that keep creeping into her thoughts: did I make a mistake rushing into this?

When Nick shows up at the opening of Griffin's new restaurant and declares he is ready to give Annie everything she wanted from him she has to make a decision: does she go back and begin again the life she thought she always wanted, or does she live this new life she never knew was missing?

I loved this book! It isn't often you find a book that can literally make you laugh out loud and then turn around and make you want to call your husband and tell him how much you love him, with tears in your voice. What makes the book perfect for me is that each of the characters are flawed in their own way and that much more realistic because of it. The First Husband will have you questioning the choices you have made in your own life and, hopefully, will reaffirm for you that real love is not worth compromising.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend The First Husband May 12, 2011

By Juliet S. Farmer

Format:Hardcover

Author Laura Dave first captured my attention with London Is the Best City in America, continued to enchant me with The Divorce Party, and has once again exceeded my high expectations with her latest novel, The First Husband.

The story of Annie Adams, just shy of 32 and fresh off a breakup from her live-in boyfriend, could easily slip into cookie cutter territory, but Dave steers away from the predictable and embraces all the nitty-gritty, rough edges of relationships, exploring love and loss with reality-colored glasses on.

Put simply, have you ever read a book and thought to yourself, "In the movie version of this, who can I see playing the protagonist/main character?" You proceed to check through a list of celebrities, then come as close as you can to casting perfection.

Well, with The First Husband (as well as Dave's other amazing books), I can see myself as the main character--not in a narcissistic way, but in a relatable, real way. It's like Dave crawled inside my head and plucked out various thoughts and feelings I've had over the years regarding love, life, career and family. In short, Dave writes for her readers, not at them.

In The First Husband, I adore Dave's ability to seamlessly reference Saved By The Bell while explaining a friendship's back story, her observation of the perils of the Internet ("Nowadays you've got to try not to get emotionally involved with someone else; you have to try not to reach out to an old fling and start shrieking about maybe we're meant to be."), how she ponders the advice: "be the opposite of you", her use of a Wilco concert as a major plot point, and the way she notes the use of Facebook "status" (as a way of proclaiming you're "over" someone else).

Among the highlights of The First Husband: the intriguing "worst/best thing" question, which would have made my life much easier had I had it as my litmus test for men back when I was dating; an observation on breakups: "That's the brutality of a breakup, right? The people leaving think they did everything possible, the people left behind think what is possible hasn't even been tested yet"; an observation about the path we choose: "When you saw where the truth was, you wanted to get to it as quickly as you could, before you lost sight of it again"; and a gem about life in general, or whatever problem you're faced with: "When you're willing to do the work, it's amazing what can be saved."

I can't imagine how Dave will top The First Husband, but I can't wait to find out!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not predictable and I laughed out loud! November 15, 2011

By Romancing the Book

Format:Hardcover

Review by Valerie: If you're looking for a great chick lit book, this one's a definite read! What is chick lit, you might be wondering...One of the blogs I follow, chicklitbooks.com, says that the chick lit genre is "writing told in a more confiding, personal tone. It's like having a best friend tell you about her life. Or watching various characters go through things that you have gone through yourself, or witnessed others going through. Humor is a strong point in chick lit, too." This book has it all, I was hooked from page one!

Annie has what others might consider the perfect job, really. She has a magazine column where she writes about places others might want to travel to giving them the good, the hidden, and the unexpected for each location. The job requires a lot of traveling, which in hindsight, means that she can sort of be there for her permanent boyfriend of five years - the man she will eventually marry - or is she really? While the thoughts circle around in her head, he makes an unexpected announcement. Well, was it totally unexpected? She had been watching her comfort movie, Roman Holiday, the classic. Each and every time she treated herself to the movie, during her entire life, something bad happened afterwards.

In some ways, I thought the story might be predictable and I am so glad I was wrong. I enjoyed Annie's attempt to be "the opposite" of what she felt she was and the outcome, a quickie marriage. I laughed aloud as she moves to a town so small that other people can't even get the name right and then deals with her new husband's family. But, as good chick lit does, I also felt incredibly sad when things come to a head and she has to make a decision regarding her need for freedom and her need to settle down. No spoilers here but it's a trip you'll enjoy making with her!

Quote: "Quite the digs they've handed you here," Thomas said, as we stood by the living room windows, filling out the paperwork he needed completed. "It's like a ready-made life," he said. Page 193