Review: The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge

Title: The Replacement Wife
Author: Eileen Goudge
Publisher: Open Road Media
Publish Date: March 27, 2012 (Today!)
Source: Netgalley

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a fiction fan.
• You like chick lit.
• You really like reading about different characters.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Camille Hart, one of Manhattan’s most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her forties, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back—and this time it’s terminal—she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she’s gone.

But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of “be careful what you wish for”? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming.

At once deeply felt and witty, The Replacement Wife is an unforgettable story of love and family, and a refreshing look at the unexpected paths that lead us to our own happy endings."

My Two Cents:

I was intrigued by the premise of the book.  As a married person, I could not imagine ever facing death and facing what will happen to my family if I passed away as Camille does in the book. I think its interesting (albeit very scary) to think about. Camille is a matchmaker so she knows what people want in a relationship. That being said while I understand that Camille wants to make sure that her children are taken care of, it almost seemed like she was meddling in her husband's future life and in the woman who she sets him up with. Was it really fair to either of them? I know that couples have to have that conversation of what happens after but is this the way to do it? It almost seemed really controlling on Camille's part.


While I had a hard time understanding the decisions that the characters made, this book really did make me think. And I love a book that makes me ponder things in my own life. I also really enjoyed the twists in the books. They definitely kept me on my toes.


I would be interested to read some of the other things that Eileen Goudge has written. The writing is great. I do wish that the number of extraneous minor characters had been cut down a little bit. It really confused me and I kept waiting to see how these minor characters were going to factor into the story and they never really did, which took away from the story of the main characters.


Bottom line: Overall, an interesting premise with questionable motives.