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An Ideal Wife (2010)

by Gemma Townley(Favorite Author)

3.16 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0345499840 (ISBN13: 9780345499844)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Ballantine Books

series

Jessica Wild

review 1: I am so happy I didn't listen to some of the other reviews on here about this book! Honestly, if you liked the other two books in the series, I can't understand why you wouldn't enjoy this one also - it's just more of the same. Sure, it's a little bit far fetched, silly and farcical, but no more so than the other two books, which were equally as improbable and light hearted! That's what I like about this series, anyway; I like reading series because I feel like meeting the characters again is a bit like catching up with old friends. Jess, Max, Ivana, Helen, Caroline, Esther, Giles....they're all back again, we catch up with them and they are just as entertaining as ever. The basic plotline is that Jessica still feels guilty about not being totally honest with Max abou... moret kissing Hugh and telling him the company secret before they got married. In order to live up to Max's idea of her as perfect, Jessica decides to take a cookery class, help out at a resource centre (soup kitchen), and be an attentive, supportive wife in every way to Max and not burden him with her own problems. Unfortunately for poor Jess, nothing quite goes to plan, and Max ends up in hospital with a broken leg. Jessica vows to run the advertising business in his absence, and oversee the ethical audit they've had to agree to in order to retain their key client whose business basically keeps the agency afloat. Things go from bad to worse with Max's overly attentive nurse, a mysterious trunk from Ivana, and problems between Jess's mother and partner. You really feel for Jess, and yes, it is a bit over the top and slapstick, especially the last third, but that's what these kind of books are - quick, funny, easy reads.I agree with another reviewer that this book had a bit more heart than the other two, and Jessica really worries that Max won't love her any more when he realises that she's less than perfect. I also think that it wasn't at all predictable; there's one or two quite big surprises that I definitely wasn't expecting, and quite a few things going on all at once. But of course, it all ties up happily in the end and it was all quite sweet and funny when everyone went round admitting their flaws - even the debt collector guys! The only bit I didn't like was the end pairing of Helen and Anthony - surely Helen deserves better than him? Apart from that, it's a very happy ending, with Jessica expecting her first child with Max, and him appreciating Jess more than ever.I actually feel a little bit sad to hear that this is the end of the series; I would have loved to have read a book about them once the baby has arrived. I doubt there will be, though, because of the epilogue. I will definitely have to check out Gemma Townley's backlist instead.
review 2: It's a cute, fun, escapist novel. Jessica is a very well written protagonist, but the plot felt a bit like whipped cream--delicious but with a lack of real substance. I'm not expecting the book to be anything but a light read, it's just that the plot seemed somewhat contrived and a leaned a little too heavily on the previous two books in the series (which were both quite engaging and fun to read). If you are a fan of Jessica Wild, it's a good read; if you're a newbie, try one of the previous Jessica Wild books instead. less

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