When Angela DiMarco loses her husband in a sudden car accident, her world shatters overnight. In the tight-knit Italian-American neighborhood of Boston’s North End, she had built a life filled with love, tradition, and the comfort of family. But everything she believed to be true is nothing but a lie when she learns her husband, Michael, had a secret he had been hiding. Michael was not alone when he died. With him was his Italian lover and pregnant ‘wife,’ Isabella Russo.
As Angela struggles to make sense of this betrayal, she faces an impossible choice: walk away or take in the baby who is now without a mother or father. Her decision to care for Nina takes Angela to the sunlit hills and lemon groves of Sorrento, where she meets Isabella’s grieving family. Tension and distrust fill the air, but slowly, Angela and the Russo family find common ground in their shared love for Nina.
My Husband’s Wife is a powerful novel about loss, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to start over. Tracey Wheeler Noonan has curated a story that reminds us that family can be born out of heartbreak and that hope often waits in the most unlikely places. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)
At first, after Angela finds out that her husband died in a car accident and he wasn’t alone in the car when it happened, she is disoriented and shocked, completely caught off guard by the fact that Michael had another woman in his life. But as time progresses and the chapters unravel, the reader is given insight into when Angela can pinpoint subtle division in her marriage. There are even more moments that not only help Angela in coming to terms with such a horrendous event, but it also helped me to see what had really happened, and why Michael made the choices he’d made that would have completely damaged what he and Angela had.
The fact that Angela makes the decision to care for Nina really shows what kind of character she is. I don’t know if many of us could have that kind of conviction, but the story also dives deeper into some of the reasons behind Angela’s choices, too. From her standpoint, Isabella was given opportunities that Michael didn’t want to give to Angela. It’s better understood as to why that was, but it was still hurtful. I had a tough time feeling sorry for Michael, and an even harder time feeling something for Isabella, especially after a shocking revelation that is offered towards the end of the book.
Having been through my own divorce and at times, concerns about custody, I could completely relate to how Angela feels. I felt torn between feeling like Nina belonged with her Sorrento family, given who her mother was, but Angela set aside her pain in order to do all she can for a guiltless child. Despite everything, Nina’s existence helps to heal Angela, a chance at new beginnings and a new life. When Angela and Nina travel to Sorrento, it was a pivotal moment, and I was on bated breath waiting to see how the exchange would go between two opposing worlds.
I’ve never tried limoncello before, but after reading My Husband’s Wife, it’s definitely something I want to add to my to-do list. That wasn’t something I’d expect as a takeaway from the story, but given the deeply rich descriptions and mouthwatering illustrations, it was a nice byproduct to the drama. Angela’s story of perseverance in the face of pain was a very motivating and inspiring story!
At first, after Angela finds out that her husband died in a car accident and he wasn’t alone in the car when it happened, she is disoriented and shocked, completely caught off guard by the fact that Michael had another woman in his life. But as time progresses and the chapters unravel, the reader is given insight into when Angela can pinpoint subtle division in her marriage. There are even more moments that not only help Angela in coming to terms with such a horrendous event, but it also helped me to see what had really happened, and why Michael made the choices he’d made that would have completely damaged what he and Angela had.
The fact that Angela makes the decision to care for Nina really shows what kind of character she is. I don’t know if many of us could have that kind of conviction, but the story also dives deeper into some of the reasons behind Angela’s choices, too. From her standpoint, Isabella was given opportunities that Michael didn’t want to give to Angela. It’s better understood as to why that was, but it was still hurtful. I had a tough time feeling sorry for Michael, and an even harder time feeling something for Isabella, especially after a shocking revelation that is offered towards the end of the book.
Having been through my own divorce and at times, concerns about custody, I could completely relate to how Angela feels. I felt torn between feeling like Nina belonged with her Sorrento family, given who her mother was, but Angela set aside her pain in order to do all she can for a guiltless child. Despite everything, Nina’s existence helps to heal Angela, a chance at new beginnings and a new life. When Angela and Nina travel to Sorrento, it was a pivotal moment, and I was on bated breath waiting to see how the exchange would go between two opposing worlds.
I’ve never tried limoncello before, but after reading My Husband’s Wife, it’s definitely something I want to add to my to-do list. That wasn’t something I’d expect as a takeaway from the story, but given the deeply rich descriptions and mouthwatering illustrations, it was a nice byproduct to the drama. Angela’s story of perseverance in the face of pain was a very motivating and inspiring story!
Thanks to Wicked Good Entertainment for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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