ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Other People’s Husbands by Elizabeth Noble

Other People’s Husbands by Elizabeth Noble was published by Michael Joseph on 21st July. My thanks to edpr and the publishers for the review copy of the book.

I shared an extract for the blog tour and the synopsis and author information can be found on that post.

I always enjoy Elizabeth Noble’s books. They’re so intuitive and full of emotion. This book looks at 6 couples who have been friends for 20 years. They’ve shared so much: holidays, their children growing up together, illnesses, but now they’re facing something that threatens to blow the friendships apart as an affair within the group causes shockwaves for everyone.

Noble’s books are often big ones. This was almost 500 pages. What I liked about Other People’s Husbands is that it was so immersive and it really pulled me into the lives of the friends and their families. The author writes in depth and I felt like I got to know all the characters and understood their lives and what mattered to them. I also considered how it must have felt to find out about the affair, both from the point of view of the wronged spouses but also the friends who have been there for each other for so long. It didn’t just affect the two couples but their friends and wider families too.

It’s also a tear-jerker in places, beautifully written on the subject of grief and betrayal, yet ultimately also uplifting and thought-provoking. I came away feeling hopeful for the characters’ future and it showed that things are never quite as clear-cut as you might think when it comes to the complexities of relationships and close friendships.

I thought this was a really lovely read that I enjoyed picking up very much indeed. I closed the book feeling deeply satisfied by this engrossing and relatable story.