Published July 10th, 2025 by Aria
Humorous Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Today I’m sharing my review of this hilarious and raunchy story. Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
One dead husband. Three grieving widows.
When she hears a man has been killed by a Great White shark, Gwen races to the beach only to find that all that remains of her husband is his swimming cap and a piece of torn, blood-stained wetsuit. Her grief is soon interrupted by Tish, screaming for information about the accident. When Gwen reassures her that it’s her husband, Jason Riley, who’s perished, Tish’s response is earth-shattering for them both: Jason was her husband too.
The women’s mutual animosity is not assuaged when they learn that Jason recently sent all his – make that their – money to a mysterious ‘business partner’ in Egypt called Skye. But when they fly to Cairo to confront her, they find another grieving widow whose life-savings have gone missing…
As this double-crossed threesome cross continents in their search for truth and retribution, they start to realise they’re embarking on a journey of self-discovery, renewal and friendship too.
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MY REVIEW:
Hilarious, barmy and utterly brilliant, this raunchy caper made me laugh from start to finish. It begins with a suitably crazy premise: Gwen rushes to the beach after hearing that a man has been killed by a Great White Shark to discover that all that is left of her husband, Jason, is his swimming cap and a piece of torn, blood-stained wetsuit. But Gwen’s grief soon turns to anger and disbelief when Tish turns up asking after her husband and the women discover they were married to the same man. Things get worse when they learn that Jason recently transferred all of their money to a mysterious business partner in Cairo. So, they put aside their animosity to go and confront her. But instead they find another swindled wife and the trio embark on an around-the-world journey of vengeance, self-discovery and sisterhood.
This book was the definition of insane. And I absolutely loved it. From the storyline to the characters, everything was ridiculous, but it also felt relatable and real, with moments of real emotion and surprising twists thrown in amongst the craziness. Gwen, Tish and Skye are fantastic characters. Each woman is completely different to the others and they often wonder how they could all be married to the same man. But as they bond over their anger and grief at Jason’s betrayals, they find the similarities that exist in them and work together to try and get answers. I loved their banter and the xx situations they got themselves into. It kept me turning the pages, eager to see if they would finally get their vengeance. But what I loved most is how they went from women who had been humiliated and felt they couldn’t go on without Jason to discovering themselves and their inner strength. These ladies are a great example of girl power and a reminder that it is never too late to find out new things about yourself or to find a new best friend.
This was my first time reading a book by Kathy Lette but it won’t be my last. Witty, entertaining and addictive, this is a must for your summer TBR.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathy Lette is a celebrated and outspoken comic writer who has an imitable take on serious current issues. She is one of the pioneering voices of contemporary feminism, paving the way for Caitlin Moran and Lena Dunham.
She first achieved succès de scandale as a teenager with the novel Puberty Blues, which was made into a major film and a TV mini-series.
After several years as a singer with the Salami Sisters, a newspaper columnist in Sydney and New York, and as a television sitcom writer for Columbia Pictures in Los Angeles, Kathy wrote numerous international bestsellers including Mad Cows (which was made into a film starring Joanna Lumley and Anna Friel), How to Kill Your Husband and Other Handy Household Hints (recently staged by the Victorian Opera, Australia), To Love, Honour and Betray and The Boy Who Fell To Earth.
Her twenty novels have been published in nineteen languages around the world, and she is also an ambassador for The National Autistic Society, Their World and Ambitious about Autism.
In 2004 she was the London Savoy Hotel’s Writer in Residence, where a cocktail named after her can still be ordered.
Kathy is an autodidact (a word she obviously taught herself), but has three honorary doctorates.
Kathy recently completed a tour of her one-woman show, “Girls Night Out“, and is pleased to report that she didn’t fall out with the cast. She cites her career highlights as once teaching Stephen Fry a word, Salman Rushdie the limbo, and scripting Julian Assange’s cameo in the Simpsons 500th episode.
Kathy has two children and divides her time between Sydney and London.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
Emma's Biblio Treasures 