Can I Give My Husband Back? (Callaghan Sisters #2) by Kristen Bailey

ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s normal to prefer getting a filling at the dentist’s to spending time with your husband, right?

I thought I was sorted on the life front. I was a heart surgeon with a loving partner and two gorgeous little girls. Except my husband’s version of ‘loving’ is lying, cheating and sleeping his way around London. Which means I definitely deserve a refund.

Unfortunately, moving on isn’t that simple. Just because I know how to operate on a heart doesn’t mean I know how to fix my broken one. Plus, I lost the receipt for him years ago so I’m definitely getting short-changed.

But now I’m single, am I ready to mingle? There are a few minor issues:

1) The last time I went on a date double denim was in fashion and my eyebrows were horrendously overplucked.
2) Men wear stupidly skinny jeans now.
3) I don’t know how to use dating apps but at least I don’t have to get changed out of my pajamas.
4) Sometimes the most promising thing you have in common with a guy is a shared love of prawns.
5) I don’t know whether to open a date with ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ or ‘hey’ and once I ended up saying ‘howdy’.

Everything happens for a reason, they say. There’s plenty more fish in the sea. But what happens when everything falls apart and you haven’t got a clue how to go fishing?

MY REVIEW

I literally could not put this book down…though I admit it did slip out of my hands several times while I was bent over laughing. A memorable laugh-out-loud story about the misery of divorce and starting over.

Dr. Emma Callaghan is a mother of two, a pediatric heart surgeon, the second of five sisters, and divorced from the worst serial cheater ever aptly nicknamed See You Next Tuesday. Dealing with elite school functions, young patients, and her determined sisters is more than a full-time job. So how do her sisters think she has time to date. She’s out of practice and her heart is still broken.

I love Emma’s calm and caring nature with a wonderful sense of humor. She is a fantastic mother, a supportive sister, an amazing doctor, and a freakin’ saint when it comes to her ex, Simon. I respect her for not bad-mouthing her ex in front of her children, but seriously, that man needs to be drawn and quartered. He’s a total douchebag and I cursed at him many times in the book. I laughed even more throughout the book; especially the hysterical body hair scene and the uproarious Frozen contest. Speaking of which, Emma’s youngest sister Lucy is a hoot. Her snarky jibes at Simon are spot on and her dating advice is priceless. I want to bottle her up and keep her forever!

I can’t recommend this book enough! It is a wonderful multi-faceted story filled with colorful characters, incredibly funny monologue, and deeply moving moments of clarity and acceptance. Apparently, this is book 2 of a series and I plan to pick up the first one soon. No doubt, this book is going on my list of favorites for 2020.

Thank you to Ms. Bailey for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Callaghan Sisters Series

1. Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life? (2020) – My review
   2. Can I Give My Husband Back? (2020)
   3. Did My Love Life Shrink in the Wash? (2021) – My review
   4. How Much Wine Will Fix My Broken Heart? (2021) – My review
   5. Am I Allergic to Men? (2022) – My review

BUY THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide. Her first two novels, Souper Mum and Second Helpings were published in 2016. In 2019, she was long-listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. She writes women’s fiction and she hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love, and family.