Book Review | My Lovely Wife – Samantha Downing

May 27, 2020

Told from the perspective of the husband, My Lovely Wife digs into the deepest and darkest places of a marriage. It begs the question: what happens when you and your spouse become bored – do you seek council, take a trip, or get away with murder?

Dark, disturbing, and very clever; My Lovely Wife is not for the faint of heart. I was not planning on spending an entire day listening to one audiobook…but it happened. Make sure to clear your calendar, pack some snacks and put everything else aside.

Let’s dive in. Our narrator is the husband, which is not typical for a book about marriage. He was seemingly normal in the beginning of Chapter One, but then we quickly learn the dysfunctional nature of this man. As the story develops, the reader becomes more aware of the macabre elements in this man’s marriage to his wife, Millicent. Their relationship in this book dips deeply into obsession and other outrageously unhealthy mindsets and actions.

There are a few gray areas in the plot and a couple of unresolved character moments, however where it really excels is the twists and turns throughout. I applaud Downing for her originality in this debut novel. My Lovely Wife is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it book. If you are not engrossed with the character development by Chapter 2, this is not the book for you.

“I wanted to surprise you,” she says. “For our anniversary.” I stare at her. My lovely wife. “It’s demented,” I say. She raises an eyebrow at me. Before she can speak, I put my finger against her lips. “And it’s brilliant,” I say.
My Lovely Wife | Samantha Downing