I've been a fan of Cathy Lamb for a long time--I first found her because she is a fellow Oregonian! I've read the majority of her books and what I love about them is her witty writing style--no matter the subject matter in her book, you will always read parts that make you literally laugh out loud. This book is no exception! The main character Natalie, is in a coma for much of the first part of the book--she calls it her "coma coffin" and yet Cathy Lamb still makes the book funny, relatable, and entertaining.

This book gives a great perspective on traumatic brain injuries and the time it takes to heal and recover, as well as dealing with the reality that things will be different. Before the accident, Natalie was an accomplished accountant. After the accident, she couldn't focus on numbers. This book really makes you think about how you would deal with the same situation, in addition to trying to solve the mystery about what is really going on with Zack and why her accident happened.


This book is absolutely fantastic, and I do believe it's my favorite by this author (which is hard to say because they are all amazing!). If you haven't read Cathy's books before, now is the time!! And if you already love her books--you won't be disappointed with this one!

3.5 stars! I was captivated by the synopsis which is about Natalie who is left in a coma shortly after finding out her husband has lied and he is not who she thought he was. The best part about this novel is it’s filled with lovable characters and many laugh out loud moments. Unfortunately, for me the story line was too predictable and convenient. I’ve heard wonderful comments about Cather Lamb’s novels and plan to read more from her in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an e-galley of this novel, in exchange for an honest review. The Man She Married is the first novel that I have had the pleasure to read by Cathy Lamb, and it did not disappoint. It hooked me from the start and is the first novel, in quite sometime, that I have not been able to put down. In fact, I finished it in an afternoon/evening. I loved her style, characters and story!! I hope to pick up another one of her novels very soon!! I hope it will have as good of characters as Natalie and Zack were in this one!! #TheManSheMarried #CathyLamb #NetGalley #Kensington

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This book had me guessing throughout the entire story....who is this man that Natalie married? He sure seemed suspicious as I read the book and I didn't expect how this story ended. I was captivated by the concept of this story...Natalie is married to a man who isn't who she thought he was. Then she is in a terrible hit and run accident and ends up in a "coma coffin" but can still hear and feel emotions but isn't able to express that she's "in there". She can't remember the accident or events right before that. Which then leads to the rest of the story and putting the puzzling pieces together.
The characters that Ms. Lamb has created in this book are wonderful. There are best friends, a loving and devoted father, a peculiar and eccentric mother, several co-patient characters, a lunatic mystery man, and most importantly, the husband.
This book had great passages that made me laugh, made me cry, got me worried, was afraid, felt compassion and hope. It made me think. What would I do if something like this were to happen to me? The story felt real. The life we are given is a gift not to be taken for granted. It doesn't always go as planned and people aren't always who they seem. This passage spoke to me so much:

"People are complicated. Love is complicated. But after being in a coma, I know one thing for sure: I will take this crazy life any minute, any day, and be grateful for it."

The book is a good read and I recommend it. This was the first book I've read by Cathy Lamb and I look forward to reading more by her. Thank you!

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I normally enjoy books by this author but it was just too drawn out. Parts were emotional and funny but it was a disappointment to me.

I have read and enjoyed several books by Cathy Lamb. This book was a real page turner and held my interest. I loved the relationships between the characters. It was interesting being inside the characters head while she was in a coma and could not communicate with others.

Quintessential Cathy Lamb - belly laughs, tears, crazy relatives, girlfriends, and fabulous nicknames. What a great approach to a relationship challenge.

I think one of the things I enjoy most in Lamb's books is the rapid fire. free-form wit of her characters (especially the grand matrons of the family).

There was one technique in this book that seemed new to Lamb's writing style - a visit to heaven. I loved it. (And would add that it jives quite well with what my father told me of his near death experiences.

My only problem with the book was finishing it, and knowing I had a long wait till her next offering.

Normally I really enjoy this author’s work but this book not so much. The storyline is good but I felt it dragged on in some places with repetitive phrases that could have been left out. However all in all a good, suspenseful story with a strong female lead.

Recommended.

I am a huge Cathy Lamb fan and I promise this won’t be the last book I read by her, however I have to admit that I was disappointed in this one. The plot is a good one and the intrigue of what Zack was hiding kept me reading until the end. However there were many other subplots that distracted from the main one, including SO many (too many) scenes with Natalie’s mother who was too stereotypical to be real. Also too much side information on Natalie’s best friends. I found myself skimming through a lot of that as well as a lot of the scenes in the brain rehab center and the people she met there.

There was a lot of repetition and Natalie kept going along with her husband’s lies long after what seemed normal. Also if my husband was being hunted like that, I would think he would have moved her as far away as possible. It just didn’t seem real that he kept her there and then left her alone in the house so much.

The man reason I was disappointed in this story is that I didn’t find a whole lot of depth here and I’m used to going much deeper with Cathy Lamb’s characters. This was mainly a narrative, many narratives, told quickly and skimming the surface of each character’s life instead of delving within for insight and wisdom.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this story. It was a quick read and while it wasn't unlike some other domestic thrillers I've read, this was fun and engaging.

I received a free copy of "The Man She Married" on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley! Cathy Lamb did it again! She is such a gem and her latest book did NOT disappoint! I laughed out loud, I got angry, I was sad, I was reflective, I loved the characters and I hated some of them at certain points. Any author who can make me have such feelings about characters is a good writer. I loved the story of the friendship of the three women and I loved the backstory on the family dynamics and the marriage of the two main characters. This is definitely a book I would recommend to a friend!!!

Zack tells Natalie that he killed someone years ago and that Zack isn't his real name. Natalie storms out of the house and then, on the way to work, a truck slams into her and she almost dies. She goes into a coma and when she comes out, she remembers nothing about the morning of the wreck. She knows Zack is hiding something, and it is driving her crazy trying to figure out what it is.
This book was a little different than the author's other books, in that it had a bit of mystery/suspense to it. I enjoyed the storyline and it had me rooting for Natalie and wanting to find out who the man was that hit her intentionally.

This novel combines mystery, family relationships, friendship and marriage in an interesting way. Natalie finds our her husband has been lying to her, and is hit by a car. In what she calls a “coma coffin”, Natalie can hear what everyone is saying around her. Without giving away anything, the various characters, like Justine and Chick, her best friends, as well as her five time married mother, are quirky and fun. I liked it.

Cathy Lamb does it again! In her unique and refreshing voice, Cathy lamb takes us on a journey of secrets and lies, of healing and finding your way. She has an amazing ability to make us laugh and cry seemingly at the same time. The characters are relateble and unforgettable. One of the reasons I love her books so much is her descriptive ability and her impeccable attention to detail which makes The Man She Married a masterpiece. Beautiful work!

This is my first Cathy Lamb novel and I loved it!!!!!!!!! I usually love thrillers and this was a nice slow paced change from chasing murderers and trying to figure out who killed who lol. This story has such a human touch to the writing that you feel like you really know these characters and their lives. The writing has such a real feeling to it. Like these characters are some one you really know. Natalie has the perfect life, perfect husband, perfect husband, and support system. Life is great until one day she is in a car accident and falls into a coma. While in said coma she feels that things are off with her husband like he's keeping secrets from her. When she wakes up and recovers it is up to her to figure out what in hades is going on. Why is he lying to her about so many things in their life?? Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the chance to sink into my first of Cathy Lambs books. This will definitely not be my last by her. Have to read them all now!!!!!

Wow! What a page turner! I loved being inside Natalie’s head and wanting her to communicate but she couldn’t. I love when she went into rehab, where we met all kinds of people. Meanwhile, I’m still wondering if she or I can trust Zack! This was a fabulous read and I highly recommend it!

The Man She Marriet by Cathy Lamb is another in her wonderful line of stories. Natalie lies in a coma after a car accident, he hears her husband, Zack, but cannot communitcate. What she hears lets her know he is hiding something. After she wakes and is in rehab she tries to figure out Zack's past from the bits she can retain. I love this book, it's a gentle tale, the power of love and friendship. Absolutely recommend. Thank you #netgalley #kensingtonpublishing and #cathy lamb

What if your husband told you his name wasn’t really his name? That’s pretty much how this book started out but as soon as he told her that and then told her they needed to leave, she refused and left for work and then was in an accident. From there she’s in an accident and the first part of the book is her in a come where she’s conscious but only in the coma. No one around her knows she can hear everything going on.

I
The plot was a really good plot, but I felt the story could have told better. The biggest problem for me was all the back in time parts about grandma Dixie, Justine, and Chick. It served no purpose and it slowed the book down.

You don’t find out who Zach is until the end of the book and that would usually be fine, but with a vast majority of the book being about her upbringing and then about frog lady, soldier, and architect, it just didn’t come through as well as it could.

What I did like about this book was how detailed the author is in showing what it’s like to recover from a traumatic brain injury.

I love a good drama and a psychological thriller because you get lost in them and they are page turners.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Cathy Lamb is one of my top favorite authors and I love her books. The Man She Married is yet another novel of hers that I can now add to that list! It was an easy read but so compelling and emotional. I was very intrigued to find out why Natalie and Zack were targets and I was also absorbed in reading about the lives of all of the characters and their relationships. I felt so bad for Natalie and can’t imagine what she was going through, not only while in the coma, but during the aftermath as well. The love shown to her by her adoring husband, family, and friends definitely kept her motivated and positive. I absolutely love this book!

Natalie, 35 year old accountant in Portland, learns that her husband has lied about his identity and past on the morning she gets into a horrific car crash. She loses all memory of that morning except in nightmares where the man who hit her continues to attempt to murder her. The rest of the novel follows Natalie's recovery, her relationships with friends and family, and the secrets that everyone hides.

I wanted to like this story. I thought it had great potential. Unfortunately, many things in this book just did not work for me. Natalie goes from a professional, adult woman to a traumatic head injury survivor who thinks and talks like a 12 year old. Her husband is obviously lying to her and she knows it, but she just keeps asking herself over and over "Why is he lying? What isn't he telling me?" instead of actually confronting the man, brain injury or no. The other patients who are in the brain trauma rehab center are depicted more as psychiatric patients with the mental capacity of toddlers than brain trauma patients. Zack, her husband, is so one dimensional I wanted to skip over the parts of the book he appeared in. Her father was one of the only redeeming characters. I kept thinking to myself, I just want this book to be over.

I have read many other Cathy Lamb books. I actually normally enjoy her work very much. Everyone can have a miss now and again, and this, unfortunately, was a huge miss for me.
**Thank you netgalley for providing me and ARC of this book***