Take My Husband by Ellen Meister

 

 

 

n this darkly comic novel about a wife whose rope is so frayed it's about to snap, Laurel gets a call that her husband has been in an accident. She imagines the worst. But as she is on the way to the ER, another emotion seizes her. Relief. Doug's death could solve all her problems. No more catering to his incessant demands. Then there's the insurance money. Laurel's dreams seem so close. There's just one problem: Doug is very much alive. Now Laurel has to decide if she is going to do something about it.

Subversive, irreverent and surprisingly poignant, Take My Husband probes the deep corners of a marriage and emerges to find the light. For anyone who's spent a little too much time with a significant other and thought, One of us has got to go.

Amazon 

BUY LINKS:

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/take-my-husband/9780778309871 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Take-My-Husband-Ellen-Meister/dp/0778309878/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

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IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780778309871 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/take-my-husband 

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/take-my-husband/id1589056452 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Take_My_Husband_A_Novel?id=s-NGEAAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US 

 

 

Excerpt:

Laurel Applebaum heard a familiar ringtone as she shuffled toward the lockers at Trader Joe’s, tired and spent after a full day on her feet. Was that her phone? Her first instinct was to rush, but she stopped herself. It was probably her husband, Doug, with one of his inane emergencies, like running out of chocolate-covered almonds. God forbid he should go ten minutes without a snack.

The phone rang again, but still Laurel didn’t pick up her pace. She could have—there was always a little reserve left in the tank—but she decided to indulge in her end-of-the-day crankiness, even though she might pay for it later, when Doug started whining about his deprivations. For now, for this one moment she had to herself, it felt like a miniature vacation.

Sometimes, Laurel told herself she should get a job where she could sit all day, like her sister-in-law, who answered phones in a doctor’s office. Then Laurel would look at her co-worker Charlie Webb, who was more than twenty years her senior and the fastest cashier they had. Always smiling, he was beloved by staff and customers, and Laurel thought of him as a cross between Kris Kringle and the philosophical deathbed guy from Tuesdays With Morrie. He made her laugh. And want to be better.

By the time Laurel opened her locker, the ringing had stopped and started up again. She pulled her purse from its hook and fished out her phone. Sure enough, DOUG was on the caller ID.

“Hi,” she said wearily, hoping she conveyed enough pathos with the single syllable to elicit some sympathy.

“Laurel Applebaum?” said a woman’s voice.

A chill swept through her. Something was wrong.

“Yes?”

“I’m so glad I finally reached you. I’m calling from Plainview Hospital. Are you Douglas Applebaum’s next of kin?”

“That’s my husband,” she said, her scalp prickling, her whole body suddenly alert. An instinctive chill had her in its grip. “Is he okay? What’s wrong?”

“He was brought in by ambulance after a motor vehicle accident. We’re still assessing his condition, but he’s unconscious. Right now the doctors—”

“I’m not far,” Laurel said. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Less.” She dropped her phone into her purse and grabbed her jacket. Dear god, was this really happening? And why did it take a near tragedy for her to remember how much she loved him?

I have to do better, she thought, a lump taking shape in her throat. I have to.

About The Author

Ellen Meister's newest novel, TAKE MY HUSBAND (HarperCollins/Aug. 2022), is a darkly comic take on a modern suburban marriage, and received starred review from Booklist. It follows her other critically acclaimed books, including THE ROOFTOP PARTY, which was called "wickedly entertaining" by BookReporter and was selected by Long Island Woman Magazine as Summer Pick of the year, as well as LOVE SOLD SEPARATELY (Mira 2020), DOROTHY PARKER DRANK HERE (Putnam 2015), FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER (Putnam 2013), THE OTHER LIFE (Putnam 2011), THE SMART ONE (HarperCollins 2008) and SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA (HarperCollins 2006). She is also the author of SPARKS: 500 Writing Prompts to Ignite Your Imagination. In addition to being a novelist, Ellen is an editor, screenwriter, book coach, creative writing instructor, and ghostwriter.

SOCIAL LINKS:

Author Website: https://ellenmeister.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmeister/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EllenMeister 

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24843.Ellen_Meister?from_search=true&from_srp=true 

 

 

 

My Review

 This is a very dark humor read, and the author had way to much fun writing this, and I enjoyed all of it!
Laurel starts to think about how her life would be if her husband Doug dies, or maybe is already deceased, she could collect his life insurance, get a dog, go out to eat with her mother, etc.
We get to feel sorry for Laurel, and her depressing life, and then we meet Doug, ugh!
As we journey from point A to point B and all the ramifications, and wanting things to get better Laurel, but what about Doug.
You will be looking for answers here, and they do come, along with many surprises.
Actually, I would love to continue with in the lives of these characters!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher MIRA, and was not required to give a positive review.