Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Manny—a vibrant novel of love, life lessons, and learning to trust yourself.

Allie Crawford has the life she always dreamed of—she’s number two at a high-profile P.R. firm; she has two kids she adores; and her husband is a blend of handsome and heroic. Wade is everything she thought a man was supposed to be—he’s running a successful newsmagazine and, best of all, he provides the stable yet exciting New York City life Allie believes she needs in order to feel secure and happy.

But when Allie finds Wade locked in their laundry room with a stunning blonde in snakeskin sandals, a scandal ensues that flips her life on its head. And when the woman wants to befriend Allie, an old flame calls, and a new guy gets a little too close for comfort, she starts to think her marriage is more of a facade than something real. Maybe she’s fallen in love not with Wade—but with the idea of him.

Captivating and seductive, told in the whip-smart voice of a woman who is working hard to keep her parenting and career on track, The Idea of Him is a novel of conspiracy, intrigue, and intense passion—and discovering your greatest strength through your deepest fears. (Amazon)

Review:

What can I say about this book…. Entrancing, yes….that is the word I would like to use.  I was hooked from practically the beginning.  The hard part about writing this review will be to NOT include too many spoilers, as I feel this is what added to the mystic and depth of this book.  I promise to try, but no guarantees.

On the surface this book begins as a story about a woman who lost her father at a young age and the angst that goes with this.  However, there are many layers to this story and that is what made the story entrancing.  One quote I find quite poignant and really the crux of the whole story is:

“My plan since then has been to run for my life. Run away from a boyfriend who kept travelling too far, run into a marriage that I thought would work. Rush to have kids to cement the union. Rush home to them today. This plan means I’ve tried to solve everything quickly before all hell descended on me again. Trauma is like that. It smashes into your life out of the blue and just lingers, dripping like a broken egg.” 

Allie is trying to live her life the best she can after the single most traumatic thing that can happen to a young girl….the death of her father in a plane crash, in which she survives.

Allie is married to Wade and we soon discover that all is not as it should be in paradise.  She is a typical working mother in that she feels overwhelmed with her responsibilities while her husband is off “enjoying” himself all in the name of his career.  There is the predictable red herring in Allie’s classmate Tommy.  Of course he is good looking, charming and a great listener.  How to throw a confused woman a distraction in the midst of her angst and confusion!  However, I did appreciate Tommy’s value in driving Allie to complete her writing assignment for class.

I must admit, while I really enjoyed this book I was a bit disappointed in the story line with her best friend, James.  Why is it that smart women always attempt to go back to the ex-beau when their current man is failing them?  How predictable.

I was hooked by the intrigue with Jackie and how she played in this story and the many twists and turns.  This kept me guessing, which added depth to the story.

And don’t get me started on Allie’s egotistical boss Marcus.  I could just visualize a whiny, demanding, self-centered man pushing Allie with his constant requests with little time to accomplish the tasks though Allie continually pulled off miracles and did the seemingly impossible.

When you read how Marcus, Wade, Jackie and various other sundry characters in this book are interrelated, you too shall be hooked.  Enjoy the read.