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Aug 05, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

The title really holds true with this one! There were quite a few secrets that I never expected. The one at the end was a real treat :-)

The main characters in this one were pretty well written. There were a few scenes that seemed to be a bit out of character, but as the title suggests there were quite a few secrets, so maybe these were just more of them. I tend to think the best of people, and while I knew from the word go that DeeDee was trouble I never expected some of the other peop More...

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Jan 13, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives is a look at the dark underbelly of the moneyed suburbs where extramarital affairs run rampant. The pitiful "Desperate Housewives" style attempts at attracting newly single Harry make are both hilariously funny and deeply disturbing. The book is surprisingly deep at times and gloriously scandalous throughout.

Each chapter starts off with a famous quote about marriage. These aren't romantic, gushy quotes, but rather funny and realistic ones More...

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Jan 26, 2012

Zari rated it:

This was good. I liked Brown's writing style and her humor. It was like reading a season of Desperate Housewives - similar story line, but including all of the wonderful additions you get when reading as opposed to watching.

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Jul 04, 2010

Jill rated it:

I'm nearly done with this page turning gem from Josie Brown. I may be a single woman living in Los Angeles, but the naughty mommies of Paradise Heights have me sucked in and addicted to this page-turner from the start! It's a great read which I love to dive into while lying out in the sun near the deep-end of my pool. The neighborhood DILF is anything but predictable and I'm both routing for and against the heroine Lyssa's relationship with her own husband (in favor of then against the increasin More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jun 25, 2010

Mallory rated it:

I wholeheartedly LOVED this book. It had all the right ingredients for a fun summer read, and then some: great characters, empathetic heroine, hero with a heart and soul, and a plot with a lot of twists and turns. That says a lot when you're writing about real people, as opposed to vampires, werewolves or superheroes who have to save the world. Instead, this is a book about a woman (Lyssa, the heroine) who, in the process of helping out a new friend, rediscovers things about herself that, in the More...

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Jun 22, 2010

Bridget rated it:

Harry and his wife have separated and living next door to the DILF (Dad I'd Like to F---) is Lyssa Harper. Harry is struggling with the new lifestyle change and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. He's juggling his job, raising his kids and dealing with the fact that his marriage is over. Lyssa decides that the proper thing to do is introduce Harry to the Paradise Heights Women's League Board so that it's members can help Harry with this difficult transition. Soon, he is More...

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Jun 21, 2010

Cinnamon rated it:

SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES is like Desperate Housewives come to book form, but with a bit more humor. In this story, Josie Brown has managed to create a robust mix of drama and humor to keep the reader entertained from page one straight through to the end. Looking for a hint of drama? Move on. Looking for drama oozing from every crack and crinkle of a book? This is the book for you.

Honestly, my favorite part of SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES were the quotes prefacing More...

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Apr 10, 2010

Josie rated it:

(Simon & Schuster/Downtown Press)
ISBN#: 978-143917317/ In Bookstores June 1, 2010

In my novel, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives, I explore the perceptions and deceptions affecting two marriages. The Harpers, Lyssa and Ted, are firmly entrenched in the tony Silicon Valley town of Paradise Heights, California, whereas the community's "golden couple," DeeDee and Harry Wilder, are politely aloof to their neighbors...

Then word gets out that DeeDee has walked More...

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Dec 29, 2011

April rated it:

As the marriage of the "perfect couple" on the block implodes, the women of the Paradise Heights Women's League Board are all aflutter with gossip, concern, and attempts to capture the heart of the newly single Harry Wilder. With the Wilder's marriage now broken and their unhappiness out in the open for all to see, the facade of many of the women and the state of their own marriages starts to crack. For many, appearances are far more important than reality: they put on a happy face, pr More...

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Dec 11, 2010

Elvia rated it:

Josie Brown takes us into a world of Lyssa, a well to do mommy living in the privileged world of Paradise Heights, a Californian suburb. As a delicious "desperate housewife" she toes the line living between the Desirables and Undesirables as married and single non-working women re-create their own adult version of high school. When the divorce of an elusive but attractive couple come to be, the scorned husband decides to take on the League of Women and incorporate himself in this new More...

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Jun 21, 2010

Shonda rated it:

3.5 Stars

Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives introduces the reader to the wealthy stay-at-home mothers. Or as I referred to them as the "mean mommies". Meet Lyssa, our protagonist. Immediately I liked her. Yes, at times she came across as a bit naive, however I didn't find it to be irritating or a distraction from the story. Next are Lyssa's friends: Brooke, Tammy, Margot and Colleen. Each woman appears to have the perfect life at first glance, but when the reader gets to kn More...

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Aug 09, 2010

Pret a Porter NY rated it:

I've been a fan of this author for a while. Loved her snarky Hollywood stuff. I was hoping her voice would translate well in the world of manic moms, and I was happy to see that it does.

What the author does so well is make us sympathetic to a woman who could be any of us: Lyssa loves her family, is in a marriage that could be better, and tries hard to make it so. The neighborhood she lives in could be the one outside my door: frenemies with too much time on their hands. They'd rathe More...

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Jul 07, 2010

Julie rated it:

This review was first posted on my blog: http://jewelknits.blogspot.com/2010/07/s...

First things first - this is my FAVORITE "fun" read so far this year! This book is cool and fun and sexy without being TOO, if you know what I mean!

Lyssa Harper is a likable, everyday mom like us, with a husband that doesn't QUITE meet her expectations, and lately, he hasn't been paying any attention to her in the bedroom either. She is a member of the Paradise Heights Women's More...

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Jun 29, 2010

SueAnn rated it:

Just finished this, and loved it. Picked it up on a whim, from my local Target. (Never thought of buying my books there, but, was browsing...)

It was certainly deeper than I thought it would be, and I loved that about it. You can easily relate to the heroine, Lyssa, who is in a marriage that is certainly less than perfect, but for her kids' sake (and some issues that she has regarding her past) she doesn't want to rock the boat. However, the pending divorce of a neighbor, Harry, is h More...

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Aug 22, 2010

Laurel-Rain rated it:

Life in Paradise Heights, a prestigious gated community near the Silicon Valley, promises the happily-ever-after that many young couples want. But the fine print doesn't tell anyone to be careful, because "if something is too good to be true, it just might be."

For the women of Paradise Heights, the first crack in the veneer of their perfect kingdom is the break-up of a seemingly flawless marriage. The gossip mill is alive and well in the Heights, and soon everyone is specul More...

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Jan 15, 2012

Libby rated it:

OMG! Loved it! It grabbed me from the first page. I could not put it down. I felt that I knew all these women, that I was Lyssa. Really fun and full of great twists. Do pick up!

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Dec 19, 2011

Heather rated it:

The description of the book sounded mildly entertaining... I should have just put it back when I went to pick up the reserve and saw a quote from Jackie Collins on the cover. But I plunged in. Really, if you enjoy Desperate Housewives, this will be right up your alley.

I'm a city girl, so I don't know if this is anything like REAL life in the suburbs, but I hate to think it might be. I kept expecting more of the book, but I admit it was my own fault. I wouldn't do the TV Guide cros More...

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Jun 17, 2010

Andrea rated it:

3.5 out of 5 rating

This book was gossipy and light and fun, while at the same time making me a little depressed. If that makes any sense at all. The story takes place in well-to-do suburbia. So of course there is gossip and cattiness and lots of characters you love to hate. Which is fun. But there was also a lot of cheating and it made me wonder if there are any good marriages out there (I mean, I know there are, but you wouldn't guess it from the book).

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Aug 21, 2010

Victoria rated it:

Bought this book while on vacation. It was ideal for what I was looking to read this week because it has a plot that keep you turning the pages.

Loved the lead character, Lyssa, who is ambivalent about her marriage (like, who hasn't been there/done that?). What I would say I like the most is the way the author interjects humor into what could have been a sad sack plot. We all have a few crazy neighbors who take certain things too seriously, like these women do with the hero's divorc More...

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Jul 23, 2010

Peg rated it:

I found this book and the wives of Paradise Heights shallow and boring. The women are basically a group of "mean girls" who have married "well" and become mothers themselves. High school cliches in the grown up world do not fascinate or intrigue me. Perhaps if the author had explored any of these women in depth, I might have been interested as to how their collective emotional growth stunt had occured.

The first half of the book is exceptionally tedious and it wa More...

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Jun 24, 2010

Mary (BookHounds) rated it:

This is the perfect summer read. I completely lost myself in this one and I really think a lot of this story is based on fact. Take one gated community and mix it with too much money, quite a few unsuspecting spouses, some infidelity and there you have it: perfect summer read. Even the community's name of Paradise Heights has to signal that all is not right here. Lyssa is a likely heroine in that she always tries to do the right thing and doesn't even realize her own husband is taking advan More...

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Nov 01, 2011

Sarah rated it:

When the neighborhood's perfect couple disintegrates, Harry Wilder discovers that he's missed most of his children's childhood and decides to become a stay-at-home dad. When Lyssa Harper decides to help him learn the ropes of being a mom in the posh suburb of Paradise Heights, the neighborhood gossips really get going. While everyone tries to figure out what went wrong with the Wilder's marriage, themes of love, trust, friendship, and family are examined by everyone involved in this engaging sto More...

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Aug 10, 2010

Chocolate & Croissants rated it:

Who needs enemies when you have frenemies. Friends that pretend to be friends but are really enemies. The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives chronicles the lives of a group of suburban moms and the one housedaddy Harry. Harry's wife has left him-overnight he goes from a neighborhood husband to the most sought after mother, with the suburban moms tripping over themselves to ingratiate their way into his bedroom. While quite unrealistic, the book provides some great laughs and is perfect for a More...

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Jun 09, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! It blends elements of both chick lit and women's fiction into a delightful story of suburbia - and it is not always a pretty picture! This book actually reminded me a bit of Desperate Housewives - lots of infidelity, backstabbing, secrets, and sex! Just my kind of book!

Lyssa Harper befriends her neighbor, DILF du jour (Dad I'd Like to...well you know!) Harry Wilder after he is separated from his wife. He is floundering through life, trying to be a More...

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Aug 05, 2010

Jacquelyn rated it:

Great book! Josie Brown does a great job of painting the truly surreal landscape of upper-class suburbia in the Bay Area. I enjoyed the characters and the story line and found myself very much sucked into their lives. The plot was fairly predictable--I wasn't surprised by any of the turns of events and saw them all coming from the first hints that were dropped. But the engaging writing and fun story still made this a great read that was hard to put down. Highly recommended chick lit!

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Apr 25, 2010

Jan rated it:

This summer grab a copy of Josie Brown's novel "Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives." It is a near perfect beach read. Women who live in suburbia with their families will especially be able to relate. Fans of TV's Desperate Housewives will love these very desperate housewives and husbands. The plot is complex and the characters are many. You'll fall in love with househusband Harry as easily as Lyssa does. You'll marvel at the Coven and how disruptive they are. A very fun read.

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Jan 10, 2012

Jennifer rated it:

From My Blog...[return][return]I was not planning to write a review for the book Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives by Josie Brown but decided I should at the very least mention why I rated this popular book as I did. The story moves along blessedly quickly but I really was not interested in the characters' lives, the cattiness, jealousy and rivalry amongst adults. At times the novel is quite witty and does indeed have some valuable lessons to be gleamed, but all in all it was not my style of wr More...

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Jul 25, 2010

SW rated it:

Lyssa is my hero! I finally got this book when I went to NYC for the first and at The Strand Book Store!

Lyssa befriends the new neighborhood kind of divorcee, Harry, who is quite the lady's man, but everyone in Paradise Heights has an issue with their friendship including her husband and friends who are group of rambunctious sexually charge bitches.

Lyssa faces challenges of her feelings for Harry, her husband, and friends. Its a good read and if you want something good and a More...

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Jul 08, 2010

Marta rated it:

This was an absolutely delicious book! It was witty and snarky and a total delight to dive into! There's a bit of language, so for some it might not be the right fit. But those instances are few and far between and personally, for me, the humor and fun of this read far outweighed those instances. I honestly couldn't put this one down and read it straight through...grown up summer fun!

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Jul 08, 2010

Andree rated it:

Juicy, interesting read!!! My favorite summer book! Perfect to take to the beach and get lost in! Josie Brown's writing flows effortlessly. She creates a beautiful blend of elegance and raunchiness in the risque on goings of the "desperate housewives" featured in her novel. I couldn't put it down!

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