Our Husband by Stephanie Bond

Our Husband Reviews

• 
  Dianne

  I have read some of Ms Bonds "Body Movers" books and knew I had enjoyed those, but I was a little skeptical about reading this. Yet my gut instinct, and all the reviews (both for and against the book) said I should try it. Now I know I should always listen to my gut!
  
  I see the the writer of the synopsis is comparing this book to "Waiting to Exhale" but I just don't see it one little bit.
  
  This book was funny, mysterious, kept me guessing through the whole thing. The characters are likeable and well drawn if a tad trite (rich lady wife #1 = snobbish,witch, wife #2, doctor = caring compassionate, wife #3, youngest = pregnant, stripper, 'hill-billy' type) but the the authors blending of these women and their distinct personalities; how they had to come to terms with the bigamy and then the fact that he was stealing from them all worked so well in this story.
  
  One thing that was a little confusing at first is that each chapter is written from one of the wives point of view. It may make it confusing to start, but I really warmed up to it since the reader gets to know just how each one was feeling about the situation and the others right at that moment and their story could never be colored by a different narrator/voice.
  
  I am looking forward to picking up the rest of Ms Bonds books---especially since they are all priced so very well for the Kindle.
• 
  Quenya

  I have now read 5 of Stephanie Bond’s books. I love the Mojo Louisiana stories but have not really enjoyed any of the others. Our Husband is another piece of junk about 3 women unknowingly married to the same man. The three women are so generic it crossing the line into stereotypes. The “blonde rich bitch” who is really a poor little rich girl who has no friends. Of course she doesn’t cause she is a rude snob. The “limp brown haired workaholic” who is basically a “door mat” throughout except her love interest to whom she is bitchy and unappreciative. The “red-headed hick stripper” who is really immature for a 21 year old. The girl watches cartoons and eats kid’s cereal. Her lack of knowledge borders on making her look stupid versus just uneducated. This book is not romantic or humorous and I wish they wouldn’t be sold that way. Most of the characters treat each other horribly. So with 3 of Stephanie Bond’s book about multiple women characters in mysterious situations, I have to say they are the same – the characters are stereotypes, the author uses someone disability or lack of education to try to be the source of humor, the women treat their love interests horribly but the love interests still fall head over heels, all of the characters are put through humiliating situations over and over until they just happen to trip over the solution to the mystery.
• 
  Emily

  The story is about Beatrix, Natalie, and Ruby who all get a call one evening that their husband has been in an accident and is in the hospital. When they get to the hospital they discover each other and their dead husband. They were all married to one man, Raymond, at one time and now they are being investigated for his murder. The rest of the book is about them trying to clear their name from murder charges. While they figure out how to deal with each other and the connection they now have.
  
  I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't an amazing book. The twist at the end where they reveled who did the murder and wrap up the story happened really quick and was a little too convenient. It almost felt like the author didn't know how she was going to end it so she just did something and was like done and we are out. It was just kind of anti-climatic and kind of disappointing. I did really like how all the wives developed and came together through out the book, I liked how they were supporting each other and the group they had formed at the end. Overall, good read but not one to go back to over and over.
• 
  Lisa

  I picked this up as my free book for August through the Amazon Prime Lending deal. I hadn't read a Stephanie Bond book before, but the reviews were good, and hey, free lending, right?
  
  I've gotten to be a little cranky recently -- or maybe it's just that I've read a series of mediocre books. It's been a while before I've fallen into a book and found it to be a lot of fun without nit-picking it mentally. This was a lightweight, enjoyable read that I just flew through.
  
  The characters -- considering they're pretty cardboard -- turn out to have real personalities. Bond does a good job of fleshing them out and making them feel real, with their own concerns and points of view. And the women form a friendship in the unlikeliest of circumstances. I'm pretty sure there were some discrepancies with how the law actually works, but whatever. Willing suspension of disbelief, y'all.
  
  I doubt this will be a book I'll remember for long, but it was a fun diversion.
• 
  Jill

  3.5 to 4 stars. The 3 women are well written, very different from one another, and I felt the author did a good job with the story-telling. I felt like the story was real. There is enough humor in it to make you smile and enough of a tiny budding love interest to put a goofy grin on your face. I have been forever ruined to humorous books after reading the best humor of all time in Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series. Nothing will do after Darynda. But this book wasn't bad at all and I did overall enjoy it. Entertaining is a good word. It isn't suspenseful, per se, but it is a mystery that might have you second-guessing whodunit. I figured it out early on, but I usually do, so I'm used to it. But it does make you wonder and second-guess yourself a couple times.
• 
  Claudia

  Three women each receive calls from officials letting them know their husband has been hospitalized after a car accident. The three women all end up in the same patient's room and are stunned to learn that they are married to the same man, Raymond Carmichael, a charming, handsome bigamist, compulsive gambler, debtor and shortly thereafter...dead man. Ultimately murder is determined and the three wives are implicated. This is a humorous novel with a touch of mystery and romance. The plot is a bit light, but it's a fun, silly romp with enjoyable characters: Wife #1, a 50-something socialite; Wife #2, a 30-something doctor and, Wife #3, a 21-year-old stripper. I listened to this book narrated by the brilliant C. J. Critt. Her reading gave realistic, endearing voices to the characters and I found myself laughing out loud frequently. In the end this was a novel about sisterhood. Chick lit and Janet Evanovich fans should enjoy this.
• 
  Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim)

  When small town doctor Natalie Carmichael gets a visit from the local pawn broker/loan shark concerning gambling debts her husband has run up, she's mad enough to kill her husband. Hours later she gets a phone call from the hospital saying her traveling salesman husband has been involved in an auto accident, she heads off to confront him. Once she gets to the hospital she meets Beatrix and Ruby, her husband's other two wives. Things quickly go downhill for the husband as he passes into the great beyond. Now the only question is which of the three wives did him in?
  
  It was an intriguing look at three very different women who all fell for the same man. The three ladies on a road trip was truly a hoot. A couple of plot holes and some dangling strands of 'what about ...' but still worth a read.
• 
  Behi

  I don't know what to say really, it wasn't as awful as i thought it would be, it was much worse.
  I couldn't help but keep asking myself that why the fuck did you start this at the first place?
  It was corny, it was not funny, jokes about body shaming or women problem that weren't even true or humorfull. My main problem is not with joking, it was just the fact that those jokes were pure cringe to read, I couldn't stop thinking about how stupid these girls can be or are they getting more stupid as we go on? And I couldn't stop asking, would i laugh at this if i was 14 or 67? and I answered gladly that No and i laugh at everything i swear to god.
  
  And these jokes about three women killing their husband hahaha bc they were jealous hahaha bc women get angry hahaha and then they gonna kill kill... Not funny. No. Not all. If you are a boomer it was probably funny... Haha wives killing their husband haha funny ain't it?
  
  End of the story was pretty obvious for me, i could sense it since the moment beatrix mentioned, she stole someone else's boyfriend.
  
  I always keep telling myself every book has a meaning and a thought behind it and you should read every book you can get your hand on... No... I will stop right here and I'm going to change my mind about reading every book you can get.
  These books are just waste of time.
  
  That's it. I hated it. Bye.
• 
  Emily

  Overall rating: 3.5 stars
  
  Genre: Chick Lit
  Plot: 7/10
  Ending: 7/10
  Writing: 8/10
  Natalie: 8/10
  Beatrix: 4/10
  Ruby: 6/10
  Humour: 0/10
  Feels: 4/10
  HEA: N/A
  
• 
  Carmen

  They dropped their roses on the new grey marble headstone that read simply "Our Husband."
• 
  Laurie • The Baking Bookworm

  Synopsis: After Ray Carmichael is in an accident his whole world falls apart when his three wives learn of each other. Yes, unbeknownst to his wives Ray is a bigamist. Beatrix is the bitter, rich and cantankerous first wife. Natalie, the second wife, is a doctor in a small town and fills the 'good girl' role. Finally, Ruby is the third wife who is a very young stripper with the brains and maturity of a can of tuna.
  
  As expected, Ray's three wives hate each other when they first meet at the hospital. Unfortunately within minutes of the wives learning about each other Ray dies under suspicious circumstances leaving the police pointing fingers at them. With no one else to help them the three wives band together to solve their husband's murder.
  
  
  My Thoughts: I added this little 'gem' to my Kindle cart based solely on four things. A quick read of the synopsis, the low cost, a look at the fairly high rating it received from other readers and knowing that I had enjoyed other books by this author of the 'Blackbird Sisters' series. Except that Stephanie Bond isn't the author of the Blackbird Sisters series, Nancy Martin is {my bad}. Too many books and authors floating around in my cranium and not double checking my info are my excuses.
  
  This book was touted as a 'humourous, romantic mystery' I'd have to say a resounding 'no' to all three descriptives. Not only was it not funny but it had very little romance (unless you count having a quickie in the back of a car romantic) and the sad little mystery seemed to be added in order to give this book some kind of purpose. Honestly, I feel a little deceived by the high ratings it received on various book sites.
  
  It may sound like I'm being hard on this book but I'm tired of reading silliness without substance. This had a very slow pace and didn't even have a very intriguing mystery t'boot. I almost hate to use the term mystery because it was so unsuspenseful and was overshadowed by the silliness of the main characters and their asinine banter that I hardly focused on the mystery of who killed their husband. Honestly, I couldn't even muster up enough energy to care who killed this guy.
  
  Unfortunately, added to the lack of romance and mystery are the characters who are total clichés and not developed throughout the book at all. We've got the nasty, rich, 'older' wife. Check. We have the nice wife whom I think readers are supposed to relate to but who comes off as a wussy doormat. Check. And finally, we have the ditzy airhead stripper wife in Ruby who has a penchant for reciting abstract trivia that she learns from Alex Trebeck. Check.
  
  Was the book funny? Only the barbs and jabs at Ruby's {lack of} intellect were remotely funny. That was it for humour and making fun of the ditz got old quick.
  
  Rounding out my reasons for not liking this book is the fact that the storyline was totally implausible. For these three very different women to band together shortly after hating each other isn't realistic. Women don't work that way! We all know that women have a mental catalogue in their brains which stores all the bad crap that was done to them by others. We don't forget ... ever. Nor do we become besties with the women whom we hated just last week. It would have been more realistic to have some catty fight between them than to have them quickly mend fences and work together to solve the murder of the man who kept them in the dark about each other. Or is that just me being cynical?
  
  Unfortunately I am now the not-so-proud owner of this digital copy of this fluff. If you're looking for a good mystery series with some humourous bits try Nancy Martin's "Blackbird Sisters" mystery series. I recommend giving this book a pass.
  
  My Rating: 1/5 stars
  
• 
  Kelly Thurman

  Original review at
  my blog.
  
  Please note that Our Husband is Stephanie Bond's debut novel; the version I read is a re-release. Check your bookshelves before you buy, in other words.
  
  So, on to Our Husband, a romantic mystery in which three wives learn that they're married to the same husband, who of course didn't tell them what was happening. Stephanie Bond's wicked sense of humor, combined with a well-trained ear for dialogue, bring all three women off the page (err…Kindle screen), making each one's personality unique and interesting.
  
  I liked the snarky, snappy interactions between the three women; understandably, they hate each other, at least for the first third or so of this book. Beatrix the socialite is particularly cranky, with a quick-witted jab aimed right at anybody's eye. Natalie the doctor is a bit more subdued, with some genuine concern for Wife Number Three (Ruby the stripper).
  
  However, it isn't a Snarky Spinster ebook review unless I bitch about something which, in this case, would be Bond's brush with stereotyping. She's clearly capable of creating great characters, giving them their own voices and other attributes, but doesn't quite do that to my satisfaction. The blonde socialite doesn't know how to do anything to earn money. The doctor is the mousy, quiet woman. The youngest, newest wife is an airheaded exotic dancer living in, no kidding, a mobile home.
  
  But back to the story.
  
  These three women have to stop trying to strangle each other (sometimes literally) and work together. The police think that somebody murdered Raymond Carmichael, their shared husband, and they're the prime suspects.
  
  Mostly, Our Husband is a whodunit: a quick-paced, well-written, fantastically fun tale about three women trying to figure out who's innocent and guilty. Romantic elements are rather subdued; the one sex scene is very mild, but does further the "I hate you, but I love you" conflict one of the characters experiences for ninety-something percent of this book.
  
  This is a solid debut but, again, check your bookshelves before you buy. If you don't own an e-copy, Our Husband is currently ninety-nine cents at Amazon.
• 
  Gigi Ann

  This book is a story about three women from different walks of life... Nathalie is a doctor, Beatrix is a socialite, and Ruby is a stripper. However, they have one thing in common...a husband! Raymond.
  
  When the husband is in a car accident, all three are called to the hospital, and later Raymond dies of a heart attack. At the hospital they find out they are all married to the same guy, Raymond. After the autopsy, it is decided he was murdered. Eventually, all three women are arrested for the murder, but they all insist they didn't kill him. What will they do? They stick together to try and find out who murdered Raymond.
  
  After a few twists and turns, we find out who was the guilty party. It had a very satisfying ending.
  
  This book was a light and entertaining mystery, with a bit of romance thrown in. It was interesting to the last page.
  
• 
  Bhareh

  يك فروشنده اندام مصنوعي به نام ريموند، به سه زن در شهرهاي مختلف ازدواج كرده است. "بئاتريس" با شخصيت اجتماعي بالا كه بيست و يك سال پيش با ريموند ازدواج كرده، "ناتالي" پزشكي در شهر كوچك اسمايلي كه او نيز شش سال پيش همسر ريموند شده است و دوستش دارد، ولي فاصله طولاني و بعد مسافت در ميانشان نگرانش كرده است و احساس مي‌كند مشكلي در ازدواجشان پيش آمده. اين شك زماني مبدل به يقين مي‌شود كه ناتالي پي مي‌برد كه ريموند جواهراتش را گرو گذاشته است. سومين همسر او نيز "روبي" است كه بيست سال دارد و رقصنده است .
  هر سه همسرهاي ريموند هستند و از دريافت اين موضوع وقتي كه ريموند بر اثر تصادف روي تخت بيمارستان افتاده شوكه مي‌شوند. چه اتفاقي مي‌افتد زمانيكه سه زن درمي‌يابند با يك مرد ازدواج كرده‌اند؟ و چطور با مرگ ناگهاني ريموند آنها مشكوك به قتل مي‌شوند؟
• 
  Rae

  I thought this book would be great fun because Stephanie Bond's Body Movers series is hilarious. I was wrong. It's was amusing, but not funny. It was fun, it was interesting, but it was kind of sad too. It's the story of a 3 women who get a call that their husband has been in an accident and needs to be picked up at the hospital, then all 3 find out they're married to the same man. The first, a rich socialite bitch, the second is a country doctor, the third, a sweet airheaded stripper. I enjoyed the book and of course will read more of hers. she's a great storyteller.
• 
  Agnes (BookBubbe)

  
  
  When I first started this book I thought it would be just a funny, quirky book. But as I ventured into it more I found the suspense and the surprise ending really threw me off. How one man actually managed to keep three wives and managed to get one pregnant without all the others knowing is in itself a little out there. But as I read through the book I began to find myself sympathizing with all three. It's a cute story with a bit of laughter, a bit of suspense and a dash of anger for the man who created the situation. But then again like they say "everything happens for a reason".
• 
  Lorrea - WhatChaReadin'?

  This was my first Stephanie Bond book. I loved it. Our husband is the story of three women married to the same man Raymond Carmichael. When is is injured in an automobile accident, this truth comes to light. He is married to Beatrix, the rich socialite for 20 years, Natalie the small town doctor for 6 years, and recently married to Ruby, the red-headed stripper. When they all meet each other for the first time in the hospital their lives are turned upside down. What will happen when Raymond ends up dead. Which wife will go down for the crime? Can't wait to read more Stephanie Bond.
• 
  Joy

  A fun read. I have been reading too many serious books lately and wanted something a little fluffy. This one filled the bill.
  
  There are some laugh-out-loud moments when three wives discover they are married to the same man. The middle of the book is a good mystery and the book ends with a lighter, more humorous touch.
  
  I came to love all three of Raymond's wives and would love to see them back for a sequel.
  
  
• 
  Angela

  This was a great read while I was flying back from vacation, it was hilarious. I really couldn't figure out who the killer was because these wives kept you laughing with their antics and trying to prove their innocence. Wife#1, the wealthy socialite who had means and motive. Wife #2, the doctor who had motive,means and opportunity. Wife #3, the young stripper who had means and opportunity and a secret. Who did it to the bigamist or in this case trigamist?
• 
  DAISY READS HORROR

  This was a funny/mystery! I really enjoyed the whole storyline and the characters. The 3 women: Ruby, Beatrix & Natalie were funny in their reactions to their husbands' infedelities. The story kept me interested all the way through the end. I would have rated it a 4 if the ending would have been more suspenseful & stronger. I was kind of dissapointed with who the killer ended up to be!
  
• 
  Serenity

  This book went nowhere for me. I couldn't keep reading it. I don't know why I even read this to being with. I don't like cheaters and bigamists. I have one question, how in the hell was he able to marry three women without the other states bringing up his other marriages?
• 
  Alice Anderson

  What a great book. Not too heavy on the romance, but full of warmth, friendship, and mystery.
• 
  Jane

  This was nice and had more depth than I thought it would :)
• 
  Vicky

  Great characters, a mystery with a dose of humor and romance and an unexpected twist at the end, and a fun road trip. This book was very entertaining.
• 
  Eileen

  Funny read as three women discover they are married to the same man.