Book Review: The One Day You Were My Husband
The One Day You Were My Husband
by Rosie Walsh, Author of Ghosted and The Love of My Life
A love story with a mystery at its heart, set in England and Thailand, asks what you would do if the man you married was also the one who got away…
In 2010, Carrie and Johan got married. Carrie is hyperfocused on her career as a surgeon. She doesn’t think she will have time to fall in love. Yet when she meets Johan, a kind and handsome Swedish man, by chance at the hospital, their connection is instant and their chemistry is irresistible. They fall in love quickly and on their first vacation together to Thailand, they elope. On the day of their wedding, the joy and dancing is quickly interrupted. Johan is taken away and arrested. What did Johan do? Can Carrie trust him?
The book begins with Carrie and Johan’s wedding day, but quickly heads forward in time to 2022. Carrie is living in the cozy, picturesque English countryside and she is happily married to Robin, a stable husband, and stay-at-home mother of two children. The twins were born early and Carrie took a break from her career as a surgeon to raise them.
As the twins get older, Carrie realizes she misses her career as a surgeon; she wants to regain her skills and help people. To do so, she has to retrain, and that will bring her to Sweden, where her mentor, an accomplished surgeon lives. However, returning to Sweden will bring memories of Johan. Even crazier, he has been pardoned and is living in Stockholm. Carrie is shocked, because she hasn’t heard a word or an apology from him.
Past and Present Collide
When Carrie travels to Sweden for work, she is tempted to see Johan again. The book then cuts back and forth between the past and the present, which keeps the pace of the novel moving along quickly. As Carrie meets Johan again, she may find that her perfect life isn’t quite what it seems and unraveling the mystery surrounding Johan’s arrest and time in prison is closer to her family than she anticipated.
My Thoughts
As usual, author Rosie Walsh brings the setting to life in vivid detail. I could envision the moors in England, the chaotic hospitals, and the lively, tropical setting of a Thai beach. Johan and Carrie’s love story felt so real to me; even though they had a whirlwind romance, I could feel how in love they were. Having a stable life in England yet wondering, what if? and feeling that strong connection with Johan puts Carrie in a difficult situation. I also loved how Carrie’s character was ambitious with her career, yet she also loved being a mom, and that is a dilemma many women will relate to.
I have enjoyed all of Rosie Walsh’s books, including Ghosted and The Love of My Life, so far, which all involve a love story and mystery at their hearts.
I will read her next book FOR SURE. The One Day You Were My Husband reads like a romance and thriller collided. You won’t regret picking up this book!
Thank you to Viking Penguin, Pamela Dorman Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
