This was not my cup of tea, to be quite honest. While I do like second-chance romances, the couples in those romances should actually be worth cheering for. Maybe something happened that tore them apart, maybe they were just too young the first time around, whatever it was that made them break up the first time, their status as meant-to-be should not be in any doubt. Which just isn't the feeling I got from Rachel and David.

Rachel is 34 and right before their 15th wedding anniversary (yes, do the maths on that one) she sees her 44-year-old husband David (again, do the maths) kissing another woman. She tries to justify it away, she spends days on end furious at her husband, she wastes hours and hours thinking it's her fault, the whole shebang you'd expect someone to do after being confronted with their husband's unfaithfulness. Eventually, Rachel goes to see a divorce lawyer who tells her to take her time, to make sure divorce is really what she wants. Either way, she'll need proof of her husband's infidelity. So she follows him one night when he says he's going to the gym, and she catches him going into an apartment building instead of the gym. Rachel is heartbroken to now have a bit more proof that her husband is cheating. And then she gets a call from the divorce lawyer: her magical wedding in Bali was never certified by any government, so she's not actually married to David. So she hatches a brilliant plan: make David fall in love with her again, marry him, and then divorce him. It's the perfect revenge.

All of that sounds like it could lead to a truly funny story. Except that we also get chapters from David's perspective. And there, we find out that he's not actually currently cheating on Rachel. The kiss she saw between him and another woman? Plot twist: that was actually a random encounter with the woman he slept with a year ago. So he did cheat on his wife, and he never came clean about it. Which was truly the moment I gave up on ever liking this story. Cheating is a big no-no for me in romance books, especially when it's of the "a 22-year-old girl flirted with me and we somehow ended up in her hotel room" variety. David is 44, so again, do the maths on that one. He was 29 when he married a 19-year-old and we somehow have to root for this couple to get back together? Oh no no no.

The only good thing about this book were the cocktail recipes that were shoved in between the scenes every so often. Or at least that would be a good thing if you drank alcohol. Oh well.

‘How To Marry Your Husband’ is the debut novel by Jacqueline Rohen.

Rachel vowed that she would love David for better or worse…But when she spots him kissing another woman, she knows their marriage is over. And she’s determined to get her revenge through divorce. The trouble is, her romantic destination wedding wasn’t exactly legal – so if she wants to divorce her husband, she’ll have to marry him first. But as Rachel recreates the magic of their early days in a bid to lure David back down the aisle again, will it bring back long-lost feelings for him too?

I started this book last night ahead of my spot of the tour and I immediately became hooked on the story of Rachel and David. But to my shock this morning, I received an email that Jacqueline, the author had suddenly passed away and I felt such an sadness, for her family and friends and for the fact that this was her debut novel and she’ll never know how much it made me smile or quietly chuckle at.

The story is seen through the narrative of supposed married couple David and Rachel. Thinking David is her soulmate, Rachel is heartbroken to see him kiss another woman and finds herself questioning the relationship. David regrets after questioning his marriage and just as Rachel decides that their marriage isn’t real, David decides to woo her back and give her the day, she always dreamt off, unaware that she knows all about his infidelity.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed this story, both characters are fun and relatable as they try to solve their marriage problems. Rachel’s fun and has gotten used to the security blanket of marriage and when it all comes into question, she begins to wonder what is on the other side. As she unknowingly leaves a trail behind, this panics David as it’s now that he has realised how important she is to him. I really liked Norma, Rachel’s outspoken mother and Barry, David’s feckless friend.

The perfect romantic comedy to enjoy, ‘How To Marry Your Husband’ is delicious and fun story about mistakes and start over that Jacqueline Rohen should be incredibly proud to be her debut.

You can buy ‘How To Marry Your Husband’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Sorry I could not get into this book at all. I kept trying but could not get interested in the characters enough to keep reading,

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

'How to Marry Your Husband' is basically a long, slightly hilarious lesson on the importance of communication within a relationship.

The book mainly focuses on Rachel, who has just discovered that her husband of 15 years is cheating on her. What ensues is a lot of encouragement by her colleague/good friend Eva to get revenge on him by making him fall in love with her again, marrying him - because apparently their marriage was not legal in the first place - and then divorcing him to break his heart.

In the later part of the book, the chapters switch between the POVs of Rachel and David, to give us both sides of this romcom.

While overall the story was entertaining, it felt really dragged out and the plot progressed rather slow. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did, but I couldn't shake off that feeling of how immature it was that two grown adults who are married to each other couldn't even sit down and talk. Instead, all they did was think about bonking, bonking, bonking.

The plan that's mentioned in the book's blurb only makes its appearance somewhere around the halfway mark of the book too, so the build-up to get there seems rather dragged out. And even after the plan is concocted it's never really brought up again.

And David, as a character, felt flat and one-dimensional. His praises and declarations of love for Rachel were superficial. As the leading man in the story, he didn't really give any good reason for us to be rooting for him.

As a romcom, I think it checks all the points - but I just personally feel that the plot could have been better fleshed out and didn't all tumble together to tie up at the end.

In How to Marry Your husband we meet Rachel. She should be celebrating a special anniversary with her husband David, but instead sees something shocking that shakes the very foundations of her marriage. It really is bad enough discovering that your husband is cheating but things get worse for Rachel when she finds out that they aren’t even technically married!

I really did get a feel for Rachel’s devastation. Seeing her initial shock which quickly turns to anger and disbelief that her seemingly wonderful life is effectively tumbling down. It was very easy to be pulled into Rachel’s life feeling that anger towards David too. So I have to applaud Jacqueline Rohen for writing parts of this story from David’s perspective. It didn’t exactly endear him to me at the start but what I will say is that a change in perspective can make quite a difference. It would have been a completely different story for me without it. I have to admit that the characters in How to Marry Your Husband had their flaws especially David. I guess even Rachel had them to an extent although that could just be the way I felt as I was reading. Who knows how I would react given the same situation. Even if I didn’t necessarily agree with all of her decisions I was right there willing her to find a happy ever after.

It is safe to say that How to Marry Your Husband was a pretty addictive read. I settled down with a cuppa thinking I might just read a few chapters. Well, the next thing I knew I was nearly half way through! Which let’s be honest is a very good sign of an engaging story. I was completely caught up in Rachel and David’s story. Hearing about their life together and their past along with wondering if they still had a future. The plot moves at a steady pace and kept me entertained throughout. From the comedy filled escapades as Rachel and her friend Eva make plans to put things right and maybe make David pay along the way. To a more heartfelt look at how life isn’t straightforward and there will be bumps along the way. Showing the reader both the light and dark moments that can come with marriage, love and life in general. Even as Rachel finds herself in despair there is an uplifting side to this book as Rachel discovers things about herself and her relationship. How to Marry Your husband is a fun and uplifting story which carried me away on quite a journey!

Romantic comedy fans looking for a brand new author to add to their favourites list are going to absolutely adore Jacqueline Rohen’s sparkling and scintillating debut novel, How to Marry Your Husband. A riotous, hilarious and at times moving tale that brilliantly explores marriage, loyalty and relationships, readers who love Sophie Kinsella and Beth O’Leary are going to fall in love with this fabulous debut.

When Rachel had married David, she thought that their marriage was for life. Rachel thought that she would be growing old with her husband and that together they could navigate the storms, triumph over all the obstacles in their way and a live a life of marital bliss. Naturally, reality proved to be far different for Rachel and David. Forget roses round the door, married life was bloody hard. When the ink dries up on the marriage certificate and the wedding dress is put at the back of the wardrobe, reality bites. Rachel was quickly brought to earth with a loud and painful thud when she spotted her husband kissing another woman and she is absolutely incandescent with rage. She wants to kill David and make him pay for disregarding their wedding vows so carelessly and shamefully. A divorce seems like the only option open to her – but revenge through divorce might not actually be possible when she discovers that their romantic wedding destination wedding was not real and that her and David are not legally married.

Rachel will go to any lengths to get her divorce. However, she might need to marry her bridegroom first – and make absolutely sure that this time their marriage is legit. As Rachel begins to tempt David down the aisle again, she is shocked to her very core when she begins to see faint glimmers of the man she had fallen madly in love with. As the magic between the two of them rekindles, will it be second time lucky for Rachel and David? Or will the shadow of his infidelity and the vast chasm that has been dividing them in the last couple of months result in the two of them deciding that they might be better off apart?

Funny, uplifting and compelling, Jacqueline Rohen’s wit, style and flair make How to Marry Your Husband a total delight to read! A brilliantly written tale that brings to life with plenty of humour the joys and frustrations of married life, How to Marry Your Husband is sure to strike a chord with readers everywhere who will recognise themselves in the characters Jacqueline Rohen has created.

Warm, witty and wonderful, How to Marry Your Husband is a terrific debut novel that will make readers laugh out loud on many an occasion making Jacqueline Rohen a writer to watch out for.

I was super interested in this book after reading the synopsis - making your husband fall back in love with you to have a real wedding only to then divorce him for cheating?! Sign me up!

I love a second chance romance, but unfortunately this just didn't give me what I wanted.

We follow Rachel, who sees her husband of 15 years kissing another woman in the street. She immediately thinks he's having an affair (and why wouldn't you?!) and consults a family lawyer to discuss separation. She then discovers that their tropical wedding in Bali wasn't legally binding and is heartbroken and angry. She and her friend Eva come up with a plan to make David fall back in love with her, marry her for real, and then divorce him.

The first part of this book is told through Rachel's eyes, but we later get David's perspective too. It turns out that everything is not as it seems but it is super frustrating because Rachel and David don't communicate with each other which causes problems. I find that unrealistic - I would like to think after 15 years of marriage you would have better communication abilities.

This book was witty, which I enjoyed, but I was expecting a laugh out loud second chance romance, and that's not what I got. We get a lot of internal dialogue from Rachel and David, and I feel like it was often not adding anything to the story. This book could've been way shorter, and way more entertaining.

I may just not be the right audience for this story, as I'm not married and am still youngish.

I didn't hate this book, but it wasn't the lighthearted rom-com I was expecting it to be.

I will keep my eye out for more books by this author however, as this was her debut and like I say, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

Big thanks to Cornerstone Digital and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s start by saying that I cannot stand cheating/infidelity and I usually avoid it. I thought this book sounded more light hearted as Rachel was trying to get her husband to marry her after finding out their Bali wedding 15 years ago wasn’t legal (no shit Sherlock!).

It was well written and I can imagine lots of people would enjoy it. However, on top of the adultery, the couple who have been ‘married’ 15 years aren’t able to communicate or talk to each other and that’s another of my Book Bugbears. I dunno. There was no discussion about the stress or trauma Rachel would be going through, how they’d work on rebuilding the trust, counselling or anything. I don’t buy it 😂

I did like that there was an older relationship in this book and a f/f relationship.

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you) in exchange for an honest review. This opinion is my own.

A lovely read that I really enjoyed.
The idea behind the plot was great and had me drawn in from reading the blurb. The characters are very likeable. Jacqueline is a very funny writer. I laughed my way through this.
How to Marry Your husband is a brilliant first novel.

I thought I wouldn’t like second chance romances because I made the assumption that in most there would be cheating involved. The last two second chance romances proved me wrong and I’m glad they did because I realised that I like the trope quite a lot. However, this book reminded me of why I had been so reticent about reading these kinds of romances in the first place.

My first complaint when I was reading was that there was a lot of unnecessary information being dumped, especially on Rachel’s POV. It was boring me to death. Then Rachel saw David kiss some other woman and I hoped it was all a misunderstanding so when we got David POV I was happy to see that his were shorter and more to the point. But I wasn’t happy to know that he had actually cheated on Rachel and hadn’t told her at the time. To make matters worse, he never seemed to be home and they barely saw each other. Add to that the fact that their married in Bali was not validated by the British government therefore they were never legally married, and you have a disaster only a premise on your hands.

I hate cheating in books. I understand it happens. I understand not all people who cheat will do it again. But David didn’t deserve to be forgiven in my eyes. He barely knew anything about his wife and they had been together for over 15 years! How!? And the fact that he didn’t tell her when it happened only angered me more because had he not been caught, he wouldn’t have told her about it, ever.

The whole vow renewal thing only crossed his mind because Rachel had been acting different since she found out about the cheating and because he took a call from HER PHONE and found out she’d been consulting with divorce lawyer. The whole story is a mess and I think David should have backed off.

This is not to say that Rachel was very mature and perfect. She tempered with David’s medication, went on a date with their cats’ vet and at the end they kissed. In my eyes that’s cheating too. I wish she would have just confronted him and they separated. I love childish pranking and revenge plots that end up in happy endings - You Deserve Each Other is pretty much that - but this book did it so so badly that I really didn’t enjoy it.

In my opinion the only good thing about this book are the cocktail recipes.

So needless to say that I wouldn’t recommend this to a friend.

How to Marry Your Husband is a promising debut that’s funny and has a spirited leading lady. While the story doesn’t reach the potential the synopsis promises, it’s an entertaining read nonetheless.

The Cover of this book appealed to me - I could tell it would be the sort of book I would enjoy.

Likeable characters with a good storyline. In particular I liked that the story was told from the husband and wifes perspective - made you realise how innocent things can appear different depending what side you are on.
Will look out for the authors future books.

This is one wedding that won't be getting cancelled this summer!
__________________________________
Rachel vowed that she would love David for better or worse…

But when she spots him kissing another woman, she knows their marriage is over.

And she’s determined to get her revenge through divorce.

The trouble is, her romantic destination wedding wasn’t exactly legal – so if she wants to divorce her husband, she’ll have to marry him first…

But as Rachel recreates the magic of their early days in a bid to lure David back down the aisle again, will it bring back long-lost feelings for him too?

What a great read. This book was told from Rachel and David’s perspectives, and this made the story more relatable because you got to see how they were both feeling and dealing with a bump in there marriage. I loved Rachel and instantly felt for her and what she was going through.
A really enjoyable read.

I thought this book had a clever plot and was one that Rohen was really able to flesh out well and from both sides. I had thought it was going to be more of a comedy but instead veered towards bittersweet. At times it was a bit formulaic but the characters were well enough developed to make you stay reading.

An enjoyable story but I felt it dragged and I couldn’t quite stay absorbed, just kept moving onto something else I enjoyed more each time. It was ok,but just couldn’t seem to hold my attention and I felt it was too long at the end,

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I enjoyed this book, it had enough to keep me interested till then end but I wasn't desperate to continue with the story each time I picked it up.
If it wasn't for the non-marriage side of the story then it could have been predictable.
If I was a cocktail drinker then I would have thought the cocktail recipes were a nice touch.
I thought the Kevin and Eva storyline was a bit rushed and too easy.
I would read more by this author in future.
Thanks to Netgalley for the pre-publication read.

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

When I first read the title and synopsis of this book it caught my attention straight away,. The play on words, the concept of marrying someone who is already your husband, and it was clear this debut novel was a little different to the classic rom com chick lit you might expect.

The book tells the story of Rachel - a women who thought she was blissfully married, until on her 15th wedding anniversary she sees her husband David kissing another woman. A younger, beautiful woman at that.

Devastated, and with the help of her friend Eva, Rachel starts to try and discover the truth about her husbands infidelity, but in doing so, also learns that their marriage in Bali 15 years before was never even legal as the paperwork was never filed correctly. Worse than this - David knew! How can you plan to divorce someone if you were never married in the first place?

She plots her revenge, not only in small acts of damage mitigation, but by working to make him fall in love with her again, so that she can finally give him the divorce he deserves. But does she even want to divorce him? Can she actually imagine her life without him?

A great read told from two view points, both Rachel and David, this book very quickly reveals some of the challenges of modern day relationships. Hearing different perspectives of the same events, and highlighting how poor communication, secrets, lies and misunderstandings can take their toll, this book was full with lots of plot twists that made me take a sharp intake or breath as the lives of this couple slowly unravelled around them.

The book is full of likeable and relatable characters, It would be easy to hate David if this was told from just Rachel's perspective, as after all he did cheat on his wife, however hearing his version of events play out it very quickly becomes apparent that life isnt always as it seems and that context and perception can have a huge impact on how we see the world.

I read this book from cover to cover and whilst the ending was perhaps a little anti-climatic for my liking, I really enjoyed the book. A great debut novel and I am looking forward to seeing what Jaqueline Rohen does next!

When Rachel sees her husband of 15 years, David, kissing another woman, she begins to spiral. Deciding to leave him, she discovers that they actually aren't legally married at all... And hatches a plan to rectify that so that she can have the satisfaction of divorcing him!

I really liked Rachel right from the start, and the author was very clever with the way she presented the situation... And then turned everything around by telling David's side of the story! I did like being able to hear both sides, and it was an unexpected twist in an otherwise fairly predictable story.

I was expecting this book to be funny, but it was actually surprisingly sad. It felt like watching a marriage fall apart rather than seeing it revitalised. By the end, I wasn't convinced that Rachel and David should be together, which disappointed me a little.

I enjoyed this book, and I liked seeing the characters grow. I absolutely flew through it to see how it ended, but now that I know I probably wouldn't read it again.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

Rachel witnesses her husband kissing a beautiful younger woman on their 15th wedding anniversary and decided their marriage is over. However, her divorce lawyer realises that their wedding wasn't legal due to a failure in the paperwork. So Rachel decides that the only thing to do is to make him fall in love with her again, marry him and then divorce him and break his heart. However, her plan isn't as simple as she thinks!
This is a great read that is, unusually given the title and scenario, told from both Rachel and David's point of view. It had some great moments that made me laugh, some absolutely cringe-worthy moments and some that were quite touching. It ws the kind of easy, gripping read that makes you put off anything else until you get to the end.

After finding out her husband had been cheating on her Rachel set out for revenge.
I enjoyed the storyline but felt that it was dragged out a bit too much.
Thank you for letting me read this book.