Laura Dave's The First Husband is today's answer to all those great romantic comedies, in book form. This isn't excellent literature we're talking about (which, let's be honest -- can sometimes be a boring drag); rather, it's pure entertainment at its very best. I devoured Dave's latest novel in record time -- less than 24 hours, I think.
Annie Adams is a travel writer for a major national newspaper, living in Los Angeles with her longtime boyfriend Nick. They have what she believes is a happy existence, until the day when Nick comes home and announces that he needs a break. That break turns into a break up, one in which both Annie and Nick begin other relationships.
Laura Dave explores relationships of all kinds in her novel The First Husband -- true love, love at first sight, friendships, families. Each character in the novel is fully developed and well-rounded, and they complement one another perfectly. Annie's best friend Jordan factors into the novel just enough; Annie's new love interest Griffin and his family provide both a romantic flair and comedic value.
Never cheesy, always authentic, The First Husband is a delightful look at life in all its hilarity and seriousness. It seeks to answer the question: what is love and how do we recognize it? As Annie is forced to make life-changing decisions in both her personal life and in her career, Dave pushes readers to examine their own feelings about life and love.
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| Photo via LauraDave.com |
I loved this novel too! I've enjoyed all of Dave's novels and think you would to based on what you said. London is the Best Place in America was so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI will have to read it asap! The First Husband was a great break for me -- it seemed all the books I was reading were dark, heavy, and ghost-filled. They were excellent, but a little depressing! I needed a great "feel-good" novel like this one to make my reading life a lighter place for a bit. Thanks for suggesting her other novels!
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