The Second Wife - Elizabeth Buchan

Minty stole her best friend’s life, she stole her husband, her job, her house and now Minty is realizing that life as “The Second Wife” isn't quite what she imagined. This is the first book from Elizabeth Buchan that I have read and never in my life have I wanted to punch every single character in the face more than I do those she has created. Buchan has perfectly crafted a group of ignorant, self-involved idiots.

Lead character Minty is selfish beyond words, half way through, after her husband drops dead in his ex-wife’s house Minty realizes that she didn’t love him, not really, not the way his first wife did. She prattles on and on about how hard her life as wife number two is, it becomes quite clear that most of the problem lies with Minty, not the people around her. She is at times, a reluctant mother to her sons. Minty’s only saving grace actually is that she attempts to be a reasonably good mate to best friend Paige. Paige is another person who needs a punch (then a slap and a kick) having forced her husband to have children he never desired she then decides she doesn't need him anymore and boots him out, citing that, she has no time for a husband on top of her children (you can practically hear the whooshing of her helicopter parenting as you turn the pages). Mintys husband Nathan is drab, boring, clearly exhausted and his death comes as quite a relief because it’s quite clear the man needed a good long rest, it’s just a shame he dropped of his own accord and that Minty didn’t get the chance to beat him to the grave with his secret ridiculous diary. His daughter Poppy barely tries to disguise her hatred of Minty, she’s a grade A bitch from start to finish, I wanted to beat her the most I think, it’s hard to decide.

Then comes Rose, the foreboding “First wife” as Minty repeats, over and over. Rose is just too perfect, too well put together, from her clothes, to her personality, even when her emotions bubble just over Rose is careful to pull them back with a sweetness that makes you want to vomit.

However, I wanted to finish this book, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know how it would end and though I hoped that would be with all the characters falling off a cliff, the actual abrupt close of the novel felt more appropriate, the growth between the characters was evident and the parallels from the beginning were fitting.

Three out of five. I had a love/hate relationship with the novel but Buchan kept me reading until the final page.