Category: Adult Fiction 18+
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Literary, Humor
Publisher: Wren Park Publishing, 264 pages
Release date: July 2021
Content Rating: PG for the subject matter of adult relationships/marriage/divorce, but there is no bad language or explicit sex scenes.
Espouse:
(v.) to take in marriage; to make a marriage permanent by court decree;
the court-approved process by which couples may stay together beyond
the legal 15-year term.
In the contemporary world, fifteen years is considered the legal life cycle of a marriage. If a couple wants to stay together (married), they must hire a lawyer and petition the court to become Espoused.
After 14 years of marriage, Sara and Thomas Healy are still in love. Their decision to go to court to be espoused permanently is a source of great embarrassment for their children. Avery is ready for the benefits of uncoupling, and Sam really doesn’t need the social stigma of parents who decide to stay together, on top of everything else. Lame! Their espouse attorney, Gwen Stevens, has other problems. The judge for the Healy case is her nemesis, Carly Abraham, also known as “the Wicked Witch of the Bench.” Judge Abraham was previously married to Gwen’s husband Dennis, from whom she uncoupled after the allotted 15 years. She hates espouse lawyers on principle, and seems to have an extra dose of dislike for Gwen personally.
While the Healys struggle through the espouse experience—trial separation, uncouple counseling, and ongoing financial burdens—Gwen has to deal with the judge and her own struggles at home. In this fight for love, who has the answers?
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Espoused is a very different story line than anything I have read before. There are lots of characters to keep up with, which was difficult at first and it slows the pace of the story, but this got easier as you learn more about all of the different people. Imagine if you could be uncoupled after 15 years of marriage. And if you want to stay together, be Espoused, this is when you have to go to court to stay together. This is what you will find in this debut fiction from Jean Marie Davis.
This is a fun read but it all seems so bazaar at times. Especially everything a couple has to do to be Espoused. The judge seems to add enough to their lives to make them want to uncouple. I really like the Healys, and it was difficult to see them following all of the rules that was thrown at them, and I didn't really care for the way they turned out in the end. There were, however some surprises during the Healys final court day. One thing interesting was that over 50% of the couples that were married were wanting to be espoused. This book is Four Stars for me. Espoused is different and an entertaining read. I encourage you to check it out.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Now join me in reading this Guest Post from author Jean Marie Davis about her debut book.
Where did the idea come from?
I’ve just written my first book – Espoused. The book is a comedic satirical novel where marriages are legally dissolved after fifteen years, and those who wish to stay together must go to court to do so.
I’ve never written a book and the idea came about from a conversation on a beach with my sister, Beth Ann, almost 10 years ago. My sister had just been through a long, drawn out acrimonious divorce which took both a mental and physical toll on her. After 2 long years the divorce was finalized!
My sister lives on the beautiful island of Nantucket, Massachusetts so my mother and I went to visit her and her children the first summer after the divorce. One day we packed a late lunch and took ourselves, my niece, and nephew to the beach. It was a beautiful day – sun shining, breeze blowing off the ocean, kids playing in the sand, and the rest of us were all seated on our beach chairs enjoying our summer books.
My sister looks at her watch, tells me her ex-husband is coming to pick up the kids, it’s his turn for visitation. My heart fell to my stomach. The two of them couldn’t be in a room together without arguments. What if he started a fight? What about the kids? I was nervous.
I see him approaching us from the parking lot. I look around for something to defend my sister with in case of a problem. Yes, the wiffle bat, that will do it! He arrives at our beach towel and then……everything is unbelievably cordial! He says “hello” to us, talks to my sister about the kids, does my sister want him to drop off some fresh scallops, what time would be good for her to drop them off on Sunday, blah, blah, blah. Then he collects the kids, says a very nice good-bye and leaves – no drama!
My sister calmly goes back to reading her book. I’m staring at her incredulously and when she looks up and sees my face says, “I know, can you believe it?”. No, I can’t. What just happened? It seems that ever since the divorce they have been getting along wonderfully. There is no fighting, they can make decisions about the kids together, they even back each other up when one needs more support.
Then my sister had an interesting observation. She said, “I think it was the break-up that was the problem. We both felt like failures and blamed one another. We are both happier not being together. We weren’t meant to be together forever. I think the way a marriage should work is couples should only be expected to be together for 10-15 years, and if they want to stay together, they should go to court. It would be so much more civil!”
So, when people ask me, “Where did the idea come from?”. I always say, “On a Nantucket beach.”
Jean Marie Davis was born and raised in Huntington, New York. After graduating from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, she moved back to Long Island where she worked in the Marketing Research industry for over 30 years. She currently lives in Centerport, New York close to her daughter and son.
Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads
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