On one cold winter in Wisconsin, 1907, Ralph Truitt awaits his mail-order bride at the train station. All he has are a photo, of a plain innocent-looking woman, and letters from her. The woman who steps off the train is too beautiful, instantly causing Ralph to be suspicious, but he’s been unloved for far too long, and in any case has a mission for his new wife. He wants Catherine Land to persuade his son, Antonio, to return to him, for a final chance at forgiveness. But he has no idea how complex the ties are truly between him and his new wife, nor the conspiracies which soon crop up amongst these three very different people.
This book, while bleak, is surprisingly addictive. Goolrick’s tone throughout is contemplative, which perfectly fits the winter atmosphere and the secret, devious plots that the characters harbor and then keep from each other. It’s well-paced, with everything revealed at just the right moment, enough to keep me stuck to the page while I waited for the next revelation, the next step in the plan. I couldn’t say I liked any of the characters, but I did appreciate the story itself very much.
One important warning; if you’re a bit squeamish about sex, this is not the book for you. The characters are very explicit in their thoughts and actions and much of their relationships are actually based on sex. I’d argue that it’s got more in there than many romance novels I’ve read, and certainly more than the ones I prefer. The whole book is charged through with it. It’s a dark gothic romance without any little details actually left out, and in my opinion it’s best approached that way. But the beauty of the story is truly that both characters learn that sex and desire aren’t love, that marriage isn’t easy, and without so much emphasis on the physical side of things, I’m not sure it would have the same impact.
To make it all that much better, Catherine, despite being a prostitute and very uneducated, adores books and knowledge, and her time spent in the library is some of the happiest of her life. Though I never really cared all that much about the characters, this one little thing did help quite a bit towards making me like her. It’s just one of those little signs that she hasn’t let the circumstances of her life destroy her spirit, and as a result I kept hoping for a good chance for her and a bit of redemption by the end.
A Reliable Wife was an intoxicating read; suspenseful plot, moving emotions, and fantastic setting. It may be a little bit too racy for some, and I never quite fell in love with the characters, so I can’t recommend it whole-heartedly, but it was nevertheless for me an excellent book.
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Hmm..the plot of this book just brings to mind that (very bad) movie of Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas
Thanks for the reminder! I need to get to this one of these days.
Lenore´s last post …Return of Cat Tuesday 14
I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while!
A coworker recommended this to me, early on in her reading of this, and then felt compelled to call me (somewhat embarrassed, I could tell) and explain that this isn’t exactly the type of content she usually reads, that she didn’t want me to get any ideas (I am still fairly new to this organization). We talk books often, so we had a good laugh over it. It’s still in my TBR pile from the library ….
Melissa´s last post …Inauguration Day
I loved this book, even though ordinarily I don’t like all that sleaze, so to speak! I loved the twists, and the inner turmoil of the characters. I even loved the title (my husband now regularly claims he’s going to advertise for a “reliable” wife!)
This book was one of my very very few DNF’s. I just could not get to grips with it.
Mystica´s last post …Review – The Leopard Unleashed by Elizabeth Chadwick
I bought this book for my birthday last year, and haven’t had the time to read it yet. I have read a lot of reviews on it though, and it seems to be a very polarizing read. Glad to hear that you liked it!
zibilee´s last post …We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver — 400 pgs
I’ve heard very good things about this book about this book from several people, but the cover synopsis made me shy away from trying it. Maybe I’ll give it another go.
I bought this for my Kindle almost a year ago and still have yet to read it. I must make time for it soon. Thanks for reminding me why I want to read it!
nomadreader (Carrie)´s last post …book review- One Day by David Nicholls
This is one I really want to read. It may not make people’s best of the year lists but the reviews have been consistently positive (at least the ones I’ve read).
Beth F´s last post …Review & Giveaway- Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa
I didn’t fall in love with the characters either, but that didn’t matter as much for me (which is strange because usually it does!) Glad you enjoyed it, though.
S. Krishna´s last post …Book Review- The Janus Stone – Elly Griffiths
Oh I loved this book so much!
Pam´s last post …Review- Bloody Valentine by Melissa de la Cruz
I have this book on my TBR pile. I really must get to it at some point!
Kailana´s last post …Nightschool- The Weirn Books – Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova
Nice review! I agree this book was hard to put down and the plot twists worked well. I thought the author captured life in the rural midwest well.
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