There were things I loved about this book. For example, Natalie felt realistic and relatable. But there were things I didn't love - mostly Carl. I wanted more from this one and while it mostly delivered, I wish something grander happened in the plot.

Wickedly witty, razor sharp and brilliantly acerbic, Claire Calman’s A Second-Hand Husband is an astutely observed page-turner that is so much fun!

The ink is barely dry on their marriage certificate, but for newlyweds Carl and Natalie, the honeymoon period is already over. Carl has bought their first home at auction – without even bothering to tell Natalie or even show her a picture of the place where she is going to be living! But if Natalie thought that Carl didn’t have enough surprises in store for her, she was sadly mistaken! It turns out that Carl has bought a ramshackle cottage in the little village of Little Wyford, which happens to be where his glamorous first wife Antonia lives! Coincidence? A serious error of judgement on her husband’s part? Or has Carl completely and utterly taken leave of his senses?

Antonia is the Queen of Little Wyford. From her palatial country mansion to her total dominance over the village’s social activities calendar, nothing happens in Little Wyford without Antonia’s approval. Natalie has got no hope of competing with somebody like Natalie and no matter how hard she tries, she always feels as if she comes up short. Natalie had hoped of building a future with Carl, but when Antonia begins to refer to him as “Our Husband”, it looks like all of her dreams for a happy ever after have been dashed before they even got off the ground.

Is Natalie destined to be the Second Mrs De Winter in this relationship, forever in her predecessor’s shadow? Or will Natalie find the courage to face up to Antonia and show her who’s boss?

In A Second-Hand Husband, Claire Calman lifts the lid on village life and explores with style and humour the seething jealousies and petty resentments bubbling beneath the surface of a seemingly charming rural community. A Second-Hand Husband is an acutely drawn portrait of the complexities of relationships, domineering ex-wives and oblivious spouses that will make readers turn the pages with glee desperate to find out what is going to happen next.

A superbly written character driven novel I couldn’t bear to put down, cancel all social engagements, switch off your phone and lose yourself in this compulsively readable novel by Claire Calman: A Second-Hand Husband.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Wasn't able to really appreciate this as the main protagonist read like a teenager in the throes of first love when she is supposed to be a 36-year-old woman, and why would anyone stick with a man as horrible as Carl was beyond me...which made for a not-enjoyable read, unfortunately. Way too much drama that read more high school than people closer to 40

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I was unsure going into this, it's not my usual style of book but I actually really enjoyed it!

You know those types of books that you'd happily keep on reading just to see what the characters get up to? That's this book.

The characters were so well written. They were so well defined. Indecisive "Number two" Natalie, classy Antonia & awful Carl.

This book, although not entirely plot driven, is so fun to read. The writing style is easy to follow and there's definitely some laugh out loud moments.

I actually found myself thinking about this book even after I finished it because I still wanted to keep up with these characters, just to see what happened next.

Overall, I rated this a 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars⭐

I definitely recommend it, such a light hearted read that's bound to take your mind away from reality.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Claire Calman & NetGalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really didn’t like Carl and couldn’t understand why Natalie kept letting him get away with stuff. But have given the book 4 stars as I like Claire’s entertaining writing style, and hope she continues writing contemporary novels!

This book was ok but it didn’t keep me as interested as I thought it would.

Natalie is married to Carl who has been married before, he buys an house at an auction without consulting Natalie it is in the perfect place near where his children live. How will Natalie feel about it should he not have consulted her. We see the ups and downs of what happens between them and also his ex wife who always seems to be places Natalie is.

I found bits of the book good but at other bits thought it dragged a bit.

Carl was such a little asshole! So annoying, and frustrating til no end. ugh. Natalie was interesting, Astonia was a bit...too much peppy and over the top happy for my taste. But all around okay.

My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of “A Second - Hand Husband “ for an honest review.
I’m unsure whether I’ve read any books in the past by Claire Calman, but I’ll definitely look out for more by her in the future.
I loved this book, it was written with humour and believable , interesting characters . Natalie puts up with a lot from Carl but I chose to overlook that.
A Perfect light read, with a little something extra that makes it stand out from other ‘ chic lit ‘ books

I was a little leary about this one because I am not a fan of the one step forward three steps back kinda thing. This book was really enjoyable because of the leading lady. Natalie is just so darn likable and easy to cheer for. I recommend this book. :)

A husband secures a house to close to an ex and the wife is expected to embrace the moment. Here is the premise for a genuine fun tale. As the new wife struggles to make lemonade out of this lemon of a situation. It has humor and irony.

this book was so fantastic and full of heart! i loved every single character in this and i'm so glad netgalley let me read this one early!! thanks so much, boo!!

Many years ago I read and enjoyed some of Claire Calman’s earlier books, so when A Second-Hand Husband turned up on NetGalley I thought I’d give it a try. After a whirlwind romance, Natalie and Carl have married and are looking to move out of London in order to be closer to Carl’s children from his first marriage. When Carl announces he is buying a house at auction, without even giving Natalie a chance to view it, that also turns out to be extremely close to where his first wife now lives, this sets the tone for the rest of the story.
The characters are well drawn and believable, and Claire Calman treats sensitive subjects with understanding and empathy. There is a lot of humour, but also some really cringeworthy moments. The setting in the Kent countryside is described as idyllic, and seems very peaceful when compared with London, but is also a bit claustrophobic with everyone knowing each other’s business.
At the beginning of the book, despite Natalie successfully running her own business, she is portrayed as being a bit indecisive and dithery. The story is told from Natalie’s point of view so the reader can see firsthand how her character develops as she learns to stand up for herself and have more faith in her own abilities. Carl, on the other hand, does not really change much; I’m not sure he even thinks he’s done anything wrong. His complete disregard for what Natalie might want or think seems at odds with how much he claims to love her. His high-handed and thoughtless behaviour would be enough to send most women running for the hills; Natalie is very forgiving, but even she has her limits. Will they overcome the obstacles in their path to live happily ever after? – You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

If you're looking for a funny, sweet escape of a read, this is perfect.

Natalie has just married Carl after a whirlwind romance. When he buys a cottage at auction, unseen by her, the first cracks begin to appear in their new marriage. Why would he make a decision about their home without even consulting her? And to add insult to injury, it's only half a mile away from his ex-wife and children.

Enter Antonia. Glamorous and entitled, she tests Natalie's patience to the nth degree. And makes Natalie feel less than and out of place.

With Carl working in London, Natalie is left in a shell of a house and having to make all decisions about renovations on her own. Even worse, when her and Carl are together, all they seem to do is argue. Has she made a terrible mistake in marrying in haste?

A sweet story, written well with an interesting main character in Natalie who is so likeable. Strong but vulnerable, she has layers that make her a brilliant leading lady.

I really enjoyed this book. It is light, laugh out loud funny, with many twists to the plot. The characters were well developed. The only issue I had with this book was why does Natalie put up with Carl !
I would lo9k for other books by this author as I enjoyed her writing style and would recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Claire Calman for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

In this book we meet a newlywed couple, Natalie and Carl buying their first house. Carl has 2 children of his previous marriage so they decide to move close to them, so they can spend time with them.

I thought this book was a romance, when I picked it up, but the romance was minimum. We get a HEA, but the hero is almost absent. I actually enjoyed it. It's a nice light read, perfect for the beach..

Characters:
Natalie (Wife No2): Think about your inner thoughts, when you feel less confident. That was Natalie. Down to earth, sweet, too good to survive Antonia's ways.

Carl: We don't really get to see a lot of him, and we don't get his POV, so he comes across as an asshole. Which he was most of the time, but I did believe he loved Nat, so we can stand him.

Antonia (Wife No1): She's a force of nature, one of these characters that you love to hate. She's annoying and always perfect, but in the end we see one other side of her.

Honorary mention: Celeste, Natalie's sister. We don't get to see her a lot, but she's hilarious..

I received a free ARC and these are my honest opinions.

Natalie has married Carl in a Whirlwind romance. Carl has an ex-wife and two adolescent teen children. When figuring out where to live they come to the agreement they should live closer to Carl's children as he has to travel back and forth to see them. One day when Carl has gone to see his children he phones Natalie and declares he's bought a house nearer to his children at auction. What he fails to mention is the house is a 5 minute drive away from his Ex-Wife Antonia and the house needs a lot of renovating.

This is a story of a woman who has to compete daily with her husbands ex-wife. She feels small next to her and although Antonia is pleasant there is always a passive aggressive undertone. Antonia refers to herself and Carl's 1st and constantly belittles Natalie.

I was intrigued by the story of this novel and the writing is fantastic. The author really understands how to set the scene and manages to portray the characters for the reader to understand the situation easily.

I found this story quite disappointing. Carl appears as narcissistic and controlling towards Natalie. He puts her in difficult situations and sulks if things do not go his way. The disappointing thing is the main character hardly stands up for herself and accepts it for an easy life.

I do think the book was about working through things and not giving up. However I feel it may give out the wrong message regarding toxic relationships and self-worth.

Do you ever read a book, and it leaves you with so many questions.

How ( and excuse me for my language) the H*ll, did this man gets to marry two times?
Why is Nathalie married to him?
Can I kill a fictional character? And how will that go?

When an author makes you hate a character so much, for me, it means that the story is very well written. And well it really really was, because I hate Carl with a burning burning passion. Childish, condescending, just plain awful. And we don’t like men like that, and Nathalie, honey, you should’t like his as well. He got a bit better at the end, but still…

I felt so sorry for Nathalie, I loved her character, and I even really enjoyed Antonia, but Carl…

Nathalie married Carl ( bad bad bad mistake girl), and one day Carl announces that he bought them a home. In the same small village as his ex wife Antonia. And well, she dominates everything, from the book club, and the Christmas fair to the ladies lunches. Poor Nathalie…

I did really enjoyed this one, I kind off completely try to ignore Carl and his sh*tty behavior, and found myself liking the story.

This is the second book I’ve read by Claire Calman and it didn’t disappoint. You could easily categorise it as chick lit, but it’s good quality chick lit. Interesting characters, settings and a well developed plot. One or two predictable elements, but if thrillers aren’t your thing, not a problem. I think the only issue I have is why Natalie puts up with Carl! Definitely comfort reading which kept me engaged and entertained.

A Second Hand Husband is the kind of book that you lose yourself in for a few hours.
Natalie and Carl have recently married after a whirlwind romance when Carl purchases a cottage to be close to his children from a former marriage. Natalie doesn't realise how close until she meets the glamourous, has it all ex-wife - Antonia.
Struggling to remodel the cottage, struggling to trust Carl who doesn't always keep Natalie in the big picture, and struggling to form a bond with Carl's children - will Natalie overcome these obstacles to save her marriage?

It's such a warm and lovely read and the words really flow well.