The School for Husbands by Wendy Holden

Author: Wendy Holden
ISBN # 0755325087
Publisher: Headline Review
First Published: 2006
314 pages
Rating: 7/10

The Blurb:
Sophie's marriage was perfect, but now it's all gone wrong. Mark works late; she's left with the baby, domestic drudgery, her own career to keep on the go and the growing feeling that Mark is having an affair. When he fails to come home one night it's the last straw. Sophie wants a divorce. But Mark doesn't. He hasn't been unfaithful, just thoughtless. Desperate not to lose his family, he signs up to the 'School for Husbands'; which transforms hopeless spouses into perfect marriage partners. But will its intensive and unusual tuition be enough to get him back with Sophie? Especially now an eligible millionaire is after her!

The Review:
I don’t usually go for books in the chick-lit genre, but sometimes it’s nice to find something that’s easy to read as well as entertaining, and if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for, than you could do a lot worse than The School for Husbands. A lot of it is silly frippery, but it’s balanced by the author taking a look at the little things that can scupper a marriage, such as leaving the top of the toothpaste; leaving the loo seat up; forgetting birthdays and anniversaries; leaving dirty socks and ancient boxer shorts on the bathroom floor; the list is endless (I know we women do a million things that bug our hubbies too, but this book is looking at things from the point of view of the so-called fairer sex), and all too often, it’s a case of “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.

There are several moments which really are laugh-out-loud funny and there are plenty of chuckles in between to keep you going, as well as engaging, if exaggeratedly stereotypical, characters and a fun plot. If you’re looking to fill a few pleasant hours, you might like to pick this one up – if nothing else, it might help you appreciate your own “better half” and make you pick up on the little things that matter in reverse. Maybe we could all end up with better relationships to boot!