NEW RELEASE
The Replacement Wife - Eileen Goudge (2012)
Camille is in her early 40s, married to her doctor husband, Edward, and has a matchmaking business. When her cancer comes back, she decides to match up Edward with his second wife, believing that in doing so, she secures care for her children and husband. She believes she must do this, because her own mother passed away when Camille was 14, leaving her to take care of her younger sister in the face of an absent father who worked as an airline pilot. Camille does not want the loneliness, fear and uncertainty that she experienced to happen to her 14-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son, so she convinces Edward to let her find him a wife. Edward is not amused. He balks and resists, but ultimately agrees in an attempt to make Camille's waning months pleasant for her. She first tries to fix him up with Kat, a sexy, successful news anchor who has been very unlucky in love. That doesn't work, so Camille introduces Elise, a divorced teacher whose first husband cheated on her. Then there is Angie, the owner of a small catering company, who provides food for Camille's meet-and-greet socials, but whom Camille is convinced has no interest in love and marriage. Angie vies for Edward's affections on her own, albeit unintentionally at first. Which one will Edward choose? Or will he choose at all? And what will happen to Camille? How will she manage this shift in their marriage, even if it is her idea? This book is amazing, and you will sink into it. Eileen Goudge writes a fascinating, gripping story that will have you smiling one minute and weeping the next. You will find yourself taking sides. Do you choose the dying Camille? Or do you side with Edward and hope his kindness is rewarded? This would make an excellent book club choice, because there is so much you can discuss. I just loved it! (AP)
In The Replacement Wife, by Eileen Goudge, a professional matchmaker is told she only has six months to live, so she aims to find her husband's next wife. The summary says: "Camille Hart, one of Manhattan's most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her 40s, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back - and this time it's terminal - she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she's gone. But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of "be careful what you wish for"? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming." The Replacement Wife is out in March.