Divorced and Deadly

by Josephine Cox

Footloose, fancy free and ready to get back in the game, newly divorced Ben is back home with mum which is just where she wants him. But best mate Dickie has other ideas, and soon they are sharing a flat, up to all sorts and plotting Ben's future romantic adventures. But being single isn't all it's cracked up to be. Ben staggers from one disaster to another -- all under the beady gaze of his ex, who may not want him but doesn't want anyone else to have him either! And then there's Ben's co-worker Poppy, who seems very interested in his escapades too -- could she have plans of her own?

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Chick Lit

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Josephine Cox was born in Blackburn, one of ten children. At the age of sixteen, Josephine met and married her husband Ken, and had two sons. When the boys started school, she decided to go to college and eventually gained a place at university but was unable to take this up as it would have meant living away from home. Instead, she went into teaching – and started to write her first full-length novel. She won the ‘Superwoman of Great Britain’ Award, for which her family had secretly entered her, at the same time as her novel was accepted for publication. She is now a No.1 bestselling author with over 40 books to her name.

She wrote dark psychological thrillers under the name Jane Brindle.

Reviews

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 1 out of 5]

This missed the mark for me - I was expecting something a lot wittier but Ben is just a jerk, the humour mostly falls flat.
The book description doesn't quite fit either.

[Rosemary Munson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Usually like her books but thought this was rubbish - didn't make it to the end.

[Tasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful! If I could rate this 0 stars I would. The stories aren't that funny and the main character comes across as a complete idiot.

[Karen Jarvis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Main characters were ridiculous and no real plot. Didn’t even end properly.

[Cleffairy Cleffairy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at: Over A Cuppa Tea

Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=3659


As far as I’m concern, Josephine Cox is well known for her romance novels, but I guess she’s trying to look at things in different light through Divorced and Deadly. I’m glad she did. :D This book brought so much laughter and joy… well, at least to me. This story… uh… tells us how obnoxious and clueless men can be, and how shrew and vengeful women can be. *faint*

This book is told in diary form of Ben, newly divorced with Laura. The man can’t seems to get it why Laura is so pissed when he was caught having sex with some unknown women on their bed when she’s not around. He can’t seems to understand that, not when earlier on in their marriage, Laura forgave him for sleeping with her best friend. (Laura punched her best friend and gave her best friend a black eye for sleeping around with her husband). He really don’t understand it. Why his ex wife can forgive him for sleeping around with her best friend and yet divorced him because he had some uh…fun with some common whore he picked up at the pub.

Thinking that he could survived without her (which he can’t) he ended jobless, and moved in with his parents, and all rotten antics ensues…. cuz his ex-wife, being a female ruled by her hormones, will simply not let him off the hook. Even though she’s done with him, she just want him to have a miserable life for all the things that he did to wrong her. She doesn’t want him anymore, and yet, she doesn’t want anyone to have him either. (GO LAURA, YOU ROCK I SUPPORT YOU!)

Truthfully, this is a really funny read, despite of the horrendous title. There’s a moral in this story, though: Some men… will take things for granted. Forgive them for the first time, and they’ll wrong you again. And therefore, keep it in mind that some men cannot be forgiven, cuz they’ll keep do the same thing over, and over again! And men… cannot be trusted 100%. And if a man wants a moral from the story… well, let’s just say, don’t ever offend your wife. You’ll never know what she’ll do to you. (Hey, I’m a woman, ruled by my hormone, of course I think like this!)

[Lavinia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was actually quite embarrassed for reading this one. When I picked up this book, I was hoping for a humor-filled story, which was indeed delievered. However, I also wanted meaning and well, a main point. This book has none. The reason I gave it a 2 instead of 1, is that because Josephine Cox had put quite a pile of idioms into usage and that was nice. Other than that, the main character was an oaf who was lackadaisical about anything which doesn't involve girls, money or himself. That was unfortunately disturbing, not funny.

[Sue]

Sorry to say this, I rarely do but awful, not quite the worst book I've read but the worst Josephine Cox. Not her style at all. I'm not sure what she was trying to do but Josephine what ever it was, just don't, please stick to your normal style because that is brilliant, I love that. This book just annoyed me, like a new T.V series that promised to be brilliant so your all ready with T.V snacks, and it turns out to be rubbish, in the same way I am left feeling deflated and disappointed with this book. So onward and upward I shall take another Ms Cox and move on!

[Di · Rating 1 out of 5]

That was the biggest load of crap of I have read. I can't believe I paid good money for that GARBAGE. Not the best from Josephine Cox. I hope the next one of hers I read will be a hell of a lot better, otherwise, I can see myself not going back to any of her novels. And I do like them.

[Marie Grassick · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has now become the worst book I have ever read. It borders on ridiculous.

[MISS ROCHELLE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an easy read but the ending was predictable.

[Matthew Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In theory, this book is awful, full of unlikeable characters (including a chauvinist as the lead role), absurd plot points and overall making little sense. But it's so over the top and ridiculous that it ends up being funny and works well as a parody of how misogynistic straight men think. Not her finest work by any stretch of the imagination but an enjoyable light-hearted read provided you turn your brain off for a bit.

[Mia’s library ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book isn't terrible, it's just not a book that I like. I think there are a few good parts and the rest is boring and don't forget the quote that I may have misread or misunderstood but "in my book, women have  a role to play  in the house or bed." " 

[Vanessa Mozayani · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I've read. I borrowed this from the library because it was just over 200 pages in the Chick Lit section. I thought it would be a good break from studying. It was just wrong!

[Vera Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good laugh for a Saturday evening

[Sarah Hajbok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldnt put it down. It was so funny!

[heidi canton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is typical British slapstick humour. It’s good for a bit of a giggle but I’m not rushing out to find other works by the same author 🤷‍♀️

[Clara Greensmith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful

[katie lovatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny in places, it was a nice quick easy read of a males account in life!

[Karin Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok read. Finished it just to finish it …….

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Josephine cox but this one was not great for me

[Joan Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious

I don't usually read a comical book but as I was feeling down in the dumps I read this one and it cheered me up. Thank you Josephine👌

[Rose Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny could not stop laughing

[Monty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ben is recently divorced, homeless, and stripped of all his worldly assets by his former wife. Life should be much better, but his former wife is stalking him, his job at an animal shelter lacks any interest, and he is also forced to return home and the clutches of his possessive mother.

Eager to restart, Ben and his "best" buddy Dickie Manse "brains in his pants" escape to a batchelor flat. What follows is a steady chronicle of misadventures as the literary version of "dumber and dumber" stumble from one silly debacle to another accompanied by the putridly flatulent canine companion Battersby.

[Abbe · Rating 1 out of 5]

after readin the journey and journeys end, i wanted to read more from this author. i saw this in the libabry it looked quite short but thought i would see what it was like. the writing was great and was completely different, it didnt feel like the same author had written it but i was very disappointed. there just seemed no point to the story and the end wasnt too great either.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off as amusing...then it became irritating. By the time it story staggered into Blackpool, my enthusiasm for this novel had all but dried up. Full or caricatures instead of characters, and humour so broad it sailed off into the distance without a rudder. I was hoping for a laugh, but I ended up sighing through most of it. I never did get my laugh.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a very poor book and I couldn't wait to finish it. The story from start to finish was silly. I was very disappointed as the first book I ever read by this author, Blood Brothers kept me gripped from start to finish so I expected more. Sadly, it wasn't to be.

[Angel Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

¿Qué hacer si tu mujer te ha pillado con otra con las manos en la masa, te ha echado de casa y te ha dejado pelado? Ir a casa de tus padres puede ser una solución temporal, pero compartir piso y hacer vida de soltero con un buen amigo es lo ideal, ¿no? Muy divertido.

[Janine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this book. All the main characters were drop kicks and unrealistic. The story was muddled, indeed thinking about it there was no plot line. The "humour" with slapstick and not very funny. Am intrigued how this book got published in the first place.

[Priscilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

ive never been able to put a book from josephine cox down really hooked on them, but have to say that this book i hve not enjoyed i found it bit boring and expected much more from the ending!

[Kathy Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at : Small Kucing

A trully hilarious book. Great to read when you are in a bad mood