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Wife Goes On

Leslie Lehr
Kinsington (2008)
ISBN 9780758222411
Reviewed by Tina Avon for RebeccasReads (5/09)

Wife Goes On (which I think is such a clever, clever title) is chick lit with a definite and clear message: life DOES go on after divorce and heartbreak, and author Leslie Lehr has done a wonderful job of conveying a message of hope and a "can do" attitude in her new novel.

As we open the first chapter, we find Diane, one of our main characters, in her "soon to be ex house" with her "ex husband" as they both settle some last minute details, which includes having sex with each other for the last time, or as Diane refers to it "he was an ass... but it was nice to see him on his knees...”  I loved it!!!  

Along with Diane, we will come to meet three other ladies, Lana, Bonnie and Annette, who find themselves in the various stages of divorce or contemplation of it, along with the various stages of grief that come with the breaking up of a relationship. Along the way, these four ladies meet and end up close friends who will depend on each other to get through these difficult times and to, perhaps, find some optimism for the future and maybe find love, or at the very least some good sex sometime in the near future.

I liked it that the author created 4 entirely different characters, with their own personalities and particular methods of reacting or not to the situations that are thrown at them. This made for a very interesting read, and gave me a much better understanding of where each woman came from.    Lehr has a great way of creating and developing very distinct personalities, while at the same time, connecting them to each other, which is touching and, at times, downright silly and funny.   There is also a lot of humor and tons and tons of sex in this book (some of which was a little edgy, but longggggg overdue in novels, in my opinion).

One of the problems I had with this book is the fact that I am not a big fan of the "alternate voices" medium of writing.  I prefer to have the book narrated by one main character, but in this one, we get to read/hear each characters own point of view in alternating chapters.  It did remove some of the fun for me, as it felt as though I had to keep re-adjusting to a new voice every time (this was particularly difficult in the beginning as we "meet" each woman).

I also thought some of the scenarios where a little too out there at times. I know that chick lit is known for this, but I could have used a little less of this in the novel.  Still, I have to say that despite these issues, I really loved the message of empowerment this book sends out: "you don't need a man to be happy, but its nice to have!”   A fun read and a definite "yeah" for all the women who have, today, made the decision to walk away from an unhappy marriage.

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