Thanks to Compulsive Readers and the publisher for my copy of the ebook to write my honest review.
Eliza’s playwright husband Richard Sheridan has accepted the career opportunity of a lifetime: running a prestigious theatre in Dublin. Eliza plays the role of the supportive wife – uprooting their daughter Mara, relocating from England to Dublin, running the household and managing Richard’s paperwork – but inside, she’s burning with resentment.
Eliza was once a globe-trotting classical pianist; now, her time is consumed by the dramas of the judgmental ‘momfluencers’ at the café across from Mara’s school, where she spends hours anxiously watching her lonely daughter during playtimes.
When she’s sent a suggestive photo of Richard with another woman, it’s the last straw. She turns to mysterious marriage therapist Ellen Early for help. But Eliza has no idea just how far Ms. Early is willing to go to get results …
The Marriage Vendetta offers the quirky relatable tone of How to Kill Your Family crossed with wry wit of Sorrow and Bliss. There’s a touch of BBC’s Motherland in the portrayal of parental schoolyard politics – and the dark comedy of Bad Sisters.
My Review
For me, this is a brilliantly funny and unique read. I couldn’t believe it was Caroline Maddens’ debut novel. Right from the first page, I was invested. It’s a story that is so ‘readable’.
We meet Eliza, former concert pianist, world renowned mother, and wife. She has given up her musical career to raise her daughter, Mara, and be a supportive wife to her husband, Richard. Eliza finds a picture of Richard with another woman, and it sends her world into a spin.
The plot is so well done. The dark humour, the twists, all add to the edge this book has. The characters, well, the descriptions of some and how Eliza sees them, had me chuckling. The fact she turns to Ellen Early, a marriage counsellor who has some unorthodox ideas. Her treatment plan and advice had me raising my eyebrows at times. She is a very interesting character, for sure!
I am so glad I got to read The Marriage Vendetta! Altogether, a debut that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 