THE PRETEND WIFE

Author: Bridget Asher ISBN: 9780385341912 6/2009 FICTION Publisher: BANTAM

For Gwen Merchant, love has always been doled out in little packets—from her father, a marine biologist who buried himself in work after her mother’s death; and from her husband, Peter, who’s always been respectable and safe. But when an old college boyfriend, the irrepressible Elliot Hull, invites himself back into Gwen’s life, she starts to remember a time when love was an ocean. What does Elliot want? In fact, he has a rather surprising proposition: he wants Gwen to become his wife. His pretend wife. Just for a few days. To accompany him to his family’s lake house for the weekend so that he can fulfill his dying mother’s last wish. Reluctantly Gwen agrees to play along—with her husband Peter’s full support. It’s just one weekend—what harm could come of it? But as Gwen is drawn into Elliot’s quirky, wonderful family—his astonishingly wise and open mother, his warm and welcoming sister, and his adorable, precocious niece—she starts questioning everything she’s ever expected from love. And as she begins to uncover a few secrets about her own family, it suddenly looks like a pretend relationship just might turn out to be the most real thing she’s ever known.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Bridget Asher's THE PRETEND WIFE is a pleasure to read. While it is both witty and tender, it is, at its essence, a story of one woman's journey to finding her true heart.

Gwen lives a life many would aspire to live but she is, in her heart, conscious that things are just a wee bit "off"—especially where her "perfect" husband is concerned. A chance meeting at an ice cream parlor sends her into an adventure that is unexpected, but definitely fated. She meets an old boyfriend, one she slapped on the face (or did she...?) when she last saw him. Elliot manages to finagle an invite to a party where one thing leads to another. Before she knows it, Gwen and her husband have drunkenly agreed to a scheme designed to placate Elliot's dying mother.

Of course, Vivian, Elliot's mother, is exactly what Gwen needs most. Her whole weekend charade forces Gwen to confront her past and come to grips with the details of her own mother's death. There are moments in Gwen's tale that are heartbreaking, others that are joyful...but all are engaging, which is what really counts to the reader, isn't it?

I enjoyed Gwen's story immensely, and I believe others will, as well. Everyone gets what they most deserve in THE PRETEND WIFE. The conclusion is fabulously satisfying, and there's even a surprise that will leave a smile on almost any reader's face! Bravo!

Kay James