Review: The Replacement Wife

The Replacement Wife

by Eileen Goudge

Why did you choose this book? Look at the cover!

When did you read this book? May 2012

Who should read this book? anyone looking for a quick, entertaining read with a ‘not happily-ever-after’ ending

Source: library

Here is a synopsis of ‘The Replacement Wife' from Goodreads, where it rates 3.52 stars.

Camille Hart, one of Manhattan’s most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her forties, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back—and this time it’s terminal—she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she’s gone.

But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of “be careful what you wish for”? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming.

At once deeply felt and witty, The Replacement Wife is an unforgettable story of love and family, and a refreshing look at the unexpected paths that lead us to our own happy endings.

My Review 

I picked up this book because the dress on the cover caught my eye, and the title is intriguing. The premise hooked me once I read the synopsis. 

Camille is a cancer survivor with a successful career as a matchmaker and 20 years of marriage under her belt. She lost her mother when she was a young girl and always felt her life would have been better had her father remarried. So when her cancer recurs, and this time it is terminal, and she realizes her husband didn’t do so well as a ‘single parent’ the first time around, she decides to put her matchmaking skills to work and find her husband his second wife and her children the ideal stepmother! This sounds like a really good idea....until you think about it. Your instinct is to feel sorry for Camille because she is dying. Because her husband, Edward, feels the same way, he reluctantly agrees to go along with her scheme. It turns out, Camille is a bit of a control freak. She wants her husband to bond to the woman SHE picks out, but ONLY the woman she picks out, and not to get TOO intimate....she’s not dead yet! It is not a terrible story; it was actually interesting. But as I read it, I kept thinking, this is a situation where there can be no happily ever after for everyone....someone has to be the loser! Although the story is somewhat predictable, you are never quite sure which way it is going to go until the end. This would be a great ‘summer read’ even though it is not at the top of my list of books I recommend.

My Rating:  ★★★   3 Stars

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Here is a clip of the author talking about the novel.