I loved this novel and couldn't put it down. The author has done an awful lot of research into brain injuries and recovery, to make the story very believable. Molly and Alex are married. Three years ago Alex fell down some stairs and now has permanent brain damage. His personality has changed 100 per cent. He is now uncaring, selfish, rude, lazy and untidy, to name a few Molly has been caring for Alex single handed. She is at the end of her tether and feels lonely and very unhappy at her new life. So how can she change this? Read on for a brilliant story

Molly and Alex were pretty much in love straight away. They're THAT couple whose loved up life both makes you want to be sick but also sigh just a little. And just as they settle in Alex's home town to start a family Alex has a terrible accident that leaves him comatose. And when he comes out of the coma his personality has completely changed. The easy going affectionate manner Molly fell in love with has gone and in its place is a quick tempered and cold personality. Can Molly learn to live with this new Alex, and can she accept the man she fell for may be gone forever.

This isn't a happy read. Molly's life has been ripped apart and in each of her segments of the story you can really feel the frustration, the "why us" sensation. Alex's are altogether easier to read as we read his story, as it takes us from their first meeting up to his accident. And it's one of those stories that gets you thinking. What would you do if the person you loved literally became someone else? They're right there is front of you but actually for all intents and purposes their actually gone. No one could know.
The writing is well structured and there's enough change in the tone between Molly and Alex to stop this from been too flat. All in all well worth a read.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book is a leaf out of the life of Alex and his wife Molly, and how their life is altered for good after an accident. The book swings between the past and the present and throws light on how Alex is , and how he used to be. Molly is stuck in a job she hates as the bills pile up and her husband isn't capable of holding down a job. Alex's twin brother Graeme is the bad boy amongst the two and is the last person Alex spends his time with before the accident. He steps in to help Molly periodically as her husband no longer is the man she was in love with. When he starts flirting with his ex, she is torn between staying and leaving.
The book touches upon the agony of how their life changes and how one's choice impacts their lives. The book is also laced with very predictable secrets and it tries very hard to garner your sympathy... but it is so very ordinary in it's approach that I felt bored to death by it's almost sobbish approach. Have you ever met someone who is going through some bad stuff , but they go on about it so much, you excuse yourself at a sight if them ? this book gives you those vibes... and the end , let's just not go there! For it's as ordinary as they come...
Overall , yet another unimpressive book that I wouldn't really recommend.

An interesting story and well worth reading. I found it compelling and could not put the book down.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, I have been unable to do other. At the risk of oversharing, since requesting this book I have separated from my husband and the plot now feels a little too close to home. My deepest apologies.

For Molly and Alex it was love at first sight. Within a year they were engaged and looking forward to a life together, renovating Alex's childhood home, maybe raising a family.

Their happiness is shattered when Alex has a near fatal accident whilst visiting Graeme,his twin. After he recovers from his coma he undergoes a complete personality change. But no matter how angry and irritating he is Molly clings to the thought that the man she loves is still there and struggles to present a happy face to the world. She truly believes the,"in sickness & in health" line of her marriage vows

I found this quite a hard book to read at times.It makes you confront thoughts at the back of your mind- would you have the strength to stick by your husband when he has become someone else entirely? You hope so, but you wonder....

Rebecca Done really makes you care about her characters. This is a book that ill prey on my mind for a long while. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this very thought provoking book.

Whilst out one night Molly meets Graeme who she chats to for a while before he leaves her briefly to take a phone call, on her way back from the ladies she bumps into his twin brother Alex and they hit it off immediately and decide to make a run for it, and so begins the start of a beautiful relationship, months later they are married and life couldn't be better, they have so many plans for their future.

Fast forward three years and Alex is no longer the man Molly met and fell in love with, after a tragic accident that left Alex with neuropsychological issues, will Molly ever get back the man she loves or is he lost to her forever?

This is a very thought provoking and moving read which makes you realise you should never take what you have for granted, but should cherish every moment you have with loved ones as they can be taken from you in a heartbeat, even when physically they have never left you.

I would like to thank Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author for approving me and will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon UK and US.

Molly and Alex are a happy young couple until a terrible accident changes everything. Alex is left brain damaged and his character irrevocably changed. He is now childlike and spends his days lying on the sofa unable to work or properly participate in life and not a very pleasant character

Molly is determined to stand by her husband although it means giving up her high flying job and lifestyle in London and moving to Norfolk taking a boring 9 - 5 job that she hates so that she can be there for Alex. Not surprisingly things do not go well - she becomes irritable and it is a terrible strain on her looking after someone who has changed so much - we see glimpses of the old Alex in flashbacks to the life they had before which further emphasises the differences to the current life

A good story although at times difficult to read - very thought provoking in making one wonder how they would react if they were put in the same position

3.5 stars.

My Husband the Stranger was just ok for me. It was an interesting account of how a woman is coping after her husband suffers a traumatic brain injury in a late-night accident, but it was a little too...something...for me. The account of their past love was just too flowery for me, and the reactions of the people involved in all of the action just seemed a little off.

All in all, it was a decent book that kept me reading until the end, and I would definitely recommend it to people who like love stories, but it's not one that I would read again. Maybe I'm just a bit jaded on the whole "true love" theme.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC :)

For better or worse in sickness and in health.... how many of us would be able to cope with a partner who had significantly changed as a result of an accident or illness? That is the bottom line and certainly makes you think,it is not an easy subject and probably not one that people dwell on but it can be reality for many especially as they get older.This was well written and thought provoking, I must say as a former social worker I saw many times how the dynamics in relationships were affected by illness or injury and I think the author has nailed it in this book.I think they have got under the skin of the people and it is very well done.Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I couldn't put this book down. Such a clever concept, and so well told. The story is of Molly who meets a man in a bar. Whilst he pops out to speak to his ex girlfriend she starts chatting to his twin brother, and then starts a relationship with the twin brother and they fall madly in love and end up getting married. Unfortunately he has an accident and bangs his head so badly he almost dies, and the mad who comes back to her looks and sound like her husband but with a totally different personality. Can love conquer all? When one of the parties can't really remember the meaning of love, it tests a relationship to the limit. An excellent book.

Well, I sped through this book - with many tears! My Husband The Stranger is a contemporary novel that isn't a romance as such, it isn't a completely feel-good read but it also has elements of happiness and positivism, too. It's a mixture of many emotions and feelings, and I really enjoyed it!

The writing is great, with the author managing to completely suck me in. The novel is set in two main time periods - one, in the present day, told from Rebecca's point of view and detailing life after Alex's accident which has left him literally a changed man, and one told from Alex's point of view chronicling the time leading up to the accident. Both are equally interesting to read about, and are great at giving the reader a bit of insight into what both Molly and Alex's lives were like before the accident as well as after it.

Alex himself was a tricky character - sometimes I hated him for how he treats Molly, but then I had to remember that he'd suffered horrendous injuries and just wasn't the same man Molly fell in love with, through no fault of his own. Molly was really likeable and not too perfect - she was great to read about. I really felt for her as she tried to deal with everything and remain loyal and loving to her husband.

I can't even imagine how I'd deal with the same situation - it doesn't bear thinking about. But that's exactly what this novel makes you do: think about it. About their situation, their life, their friends and family, their failed hopes and dreams - and how you'd feel in this situation. Would I be as patient and amazing as Molly was, despite having her moments of frustration or anger (which, when reading My Husband the Stranger, you can forgive her for). That's what made me sad at times during this book; I was left feeling moved and generally rather impressed.

The story doesn't move at a mile a minute - sometimes there isn't that much that seems to be happening, but if feels like it reflects their actual lives and it's full of Molly's anguish and hopes. Some parts were quite hard to read, and one part (which I can't say without spoiling the story) to do with Alex's brother felt a little unbelievable, but I felt really satisfied at the end that I'd read an entertaining and interesting novel.

I also really enjoyed This Secret We're Keeping [read my review here] and would definitely recommend that book as well as My Husband The Stranger - both very different, but great, reads!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet enjoyable read about a woman's love and devotion towards her husband, who life has completely changed after a very serious accident. Molly endures turmoil, heartache and true friendship whilst dealing with her past, present and future and knows that she will have to battle all the odds to survive what life has to throw at her!

​I thought this story was going to be a thriller genre but it turned out to be more of a heart felt romance. The story had a consistent flow and I liked the fact that the chapters were quite short, giving me time to absorb the story quickly without losing interest.

​A decent read for 2017!

3.5 Stars


It was the fascinating concept that drew me to My Husband the Stranger, and it was due to my interest in the idea of the book, that kept me reading to the end. However having finished the book, I just can't help but feeling flat. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from the story, but I feel as though it could have been more.

There were certain storyline elements that I could see coming a mile off, and although I was interested in the story, and it definitely was written in an engaging way, and I enjoyed the writing style, there was just something missing for me.

Graeme saw Molly first. Later that same evening Alex, his twin brother, leaves the bar with Molly, and its the start of their relationship. Fastforward to now, and three years after a dreadful accident, Molly is still hoping that Alex will turn back into the man she fell in love with.

For three years ago there was a dreadful accident that caused Alex brain damage, and it has drastically changed his personality. He is now like a child in an adults body, with some of a childish mindset, but at other times incredibly angry, and other times can just about show the old Alex is still deep inside him.

And it is for that reason that Molly is determined to stand by her man, no matter what cost to herself and her own dreams potentially.

We get the story from two different perspective, Molly in the hear and now, stuck in a job she hates, caring for her husband, and trying to make the best of the situation, and then, we have chapters from Alex's point of view, which are the memories of how he and Molly got together and key moments in their relationship history.

The story at all times kept me wondering what would happen next, and ultimately what Molly would decide. Graeme wants to offer them as much support as he can, and it must be so weird for Molly to spend time with the twins, when one of them has changed to dramatically.

My Husband the Stranger certainly makes you think, how would you cope in Molly's situation. I'm not sure I'd be compassionate enough (to my non existent) husband to cope with a major change in personality although I'd like to think that love would overpower everything.

Thought provoking and throws up intriguing questions, in a book that I enjoyed reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for this copy of the book which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Alex met Molly when he was out clubbing with his twin brother Graeme. In fact it was Graeme who first actually met Molly, but due to a lengthy phone call that Graeme had to take from his ex-girlfriend, it was Alex who she ended up with that night. It was the start of a tender whirlwind romance that ended in their blissfully happy marriage. Molly could not wait to become Mrs Frazer. They took lovely holidays together and enjoyed socialising. They were both well settled into their careers and were fulfilled in every way and their marriage was full of love, so much so that they were trying to bring a baby into their lives to make them a beautiful family. This back story is a story of true love which is destined to continue ‘till death us do part’, and this was my favourite part of the novel.
Then one night Graeme and Alex meet for a catch up at Graeme’s flat in London. During the night Alex has a catastrophic accident that alters his life forever. The fall he took down the stairs left him with a permanent brain injury and when he returned home to Molly, he had changed beyond belief. He was no longer the kind and loving husband that he used to be. His brain injury left him with an altered personality, often angry and feeling totally useless. He was no longer the man Molly married. All of their plans for renovating their cottage in Suffolk had to be put on hold and Molly had to give up the dream job that she loved so much so that she could care for Alex. Even though he made good progress with his therapy, he could not live entirely independently so Molly took a job nearer to home, even though it meant that they would struggle for money and she hated the work. It seemed as though everything had turned up-side-down. Alex tired quickly, he became awkward and argumentative and their relationship began to flounder under the many pressures they were under. She still loved ‘the old Alex’ but she could not cope with ‘the new Alex’ and Molly just didn’t know what to do.
'My Husband the Stranger' is the story of how Alex, Graeme and Molly coped with these catastrophic changes. It is the story of friendship, love, betrayal and jealousy. It is a sad, thought provoking story about the ‘what ifs’ in life. It examines family love, support and loyalty. There are many unexpected revelations and twists and turns in the story and I really liked the surprising yet satisfactory ending. The middle part of the story I found laboured, but I was still compelled to read on and I am glad I did. The characters in the story reflect life itself; eclectic and diverse. Whether ‘goody’ or ‘baddy’ they were well crafted and carefully developed so that they were integral to the story. My favourites were Molly and her lovely parents. Alex was indeed a lucky man to have a wife who could think outside the box and was filled with compassion and empathy. I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Penguin for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. It’s a 3.5* review from me.

I loved this book! I was engrossed from the first page, the prose flowed well and I was hooked strosghtcaway. Can't wait to read more from this author!

A book about relationships and how they can alter. Molly and Alex are married but ALEX has a nasty accident that affects him as a person. Molly is coping with his altered, difficult personality. He is not the loving carefree person he was and their relationship becomes strained.
The author weaves the story between current time and before the accident relaying the stories behind the major characters. A technique used in a lot of modern literature. It is a difficult topic dealt with compassionately exposing the emotions of the characters.
I enjoyed the book. I am sure anyone in a caring role will resonate with the feelings Molly has

My Husband the stranger was fab I was hooked from the first few pages. The story keeps flicking between past and present and between the past for Alex and both past and present for Molly. Alex had an accident and as a result suffered significant brain damage so things will never be the same again. Molly is left to struggle holding down a job she hates and remembering the husband she loves but hasn't quite got now, will he ever be the same again?
A great book and with a few twists throughout that I hadn't guessed.
Have a read you won't be disappointed.

This was a really interesting book to read and it really got you thinking. It was emotional from start to finish and I really felt for the characters.. The characters were likeable and the book was enjoyable, I would definitely recommend this book to others and look forward to reading more work by Rebecca Done.

Alex's accident changes his personality and his relationship with his wife Molly. . Quite heart-breaking in places but a couple of unexpected twists make it an excellent read. Well worth five stars , at least !!