Loved how this story was told. A harrowing subject matter.
The bond between brother and sister felt so strong and was at times really heart-breaking.
A tragedy in their childhood but both seeing it differently in a way. One feels responsible and the other feels the loss more as an injustice done almost to them only. Age would play a part in those feelings.
I found this author Sam Vickery knew her characters so well. She developed all three in such different ways and I loved how they came out of their darkness.
So very well written

(I am on the blog tour for this one so I will come back and post up the link to my post)

I know the blurbs for this fiction/family drama novel scream “emotional” and it is certainly an emotional read. But I am not sure that it is the emotion they were going for.
The best parts of this novel are the lessons learned by the characters. In fact, as I am reviewing my notes for this book, I am seeing more and more. Here are just a few that I noticed:
Family: What is the meaning of family? What are the responsibilities of family members? What makes a family…well, a family?
Beth asks herself all of these questions over the course of the book. The position she is forced into causes some serious introspection. In her case, it is much needed.
Assumptions: Don’t make them. Foundations cannot be built on them. Nothing good comes from them.
Both Beth and Gemma are guilty of seeing the other through assumptions instead of getting to know each other properly. This causes much discord, which adds to the tragedy.
Respect: It is a vital component in any relationship. Beth does not show a lot to Drew and neither does Gemma. This is a direct cause of the event that opens the book.
Honestly, I spent a lot of this book despising Beth. She came across as spoiled, shallow, and single-focused on her kids. Not that the latter is a bad thing, but it certainly skewed her perspective.
As Gemma comes to terms with Beth’s demeanor, I did too. Beth’s interactions with her family are also informative and shine light on why Beth is the way she is.
Interestingly, Gemma and Beth are more similar than either one realizes. They both let their pasts dictate their present instead of embracing the present for what it is.
Which brings us to Drew.
I felt for him the most in this entire family drama because he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Who wouldn’t fold in that situation?
A couple of subplots did not do a lot for me. For example, the reason for Tristan’s surliness (although that was a nice little twist towards the end) seemed contrived. And the number of kids in the family appeared more for convenience of plot rather than depth (two of them didn’t have a lot to do with the story at all).
But as I said at the beginning of this review, the power of this family drama is in the messages and lessons it teaches. And frankly, the strongest one is at the very end.
One bit of kindness can open a whole new world of understanding between people.
It’s something to remember, especially in the times we are living in.

Beth is all about being a supermom/wife. She runs a tight schedule with her kids and husband. In fact, it is all over-scheduled. When she gets a call from her husband's (Drew) office that he had been taken to the hospital, she is concerned about the fact that he will not be available to look after their daughter while another goes to a swim meet. She shows no worry or concern for her husband that it could be serious. It's all about her inconvenience. And then there is Gemma, Beth's addicted sister in law who resents Beth but insists on being at the hospital with her brother.

That's how this book starts. I am fully prepared to not like Beth or Gemma. Not a promising beginning, not likeable characters. As the book evolves, so do the characters. There are huge life lessons in this story. The author does a great job with character development. Backstories are inserted to explain why their personalities are the way they are.

There are a lot of themes in this book. Drug addiction, suicide, the foster system, mental health, perceived status in society. These all go hand in hand.

Then the reader is shown how acknowledging and accepting the past, adopting a simpler life, learning to communicate can lead to happiness. It is an emotional story, there may be triggers for some.

Sam Vickery included a message at the end of the book, clarifying the background for writing the book and the issues she was trying to portray. They were all relevant to our times and I’m sure there are readers that will be able to relate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Readers Copy of this book.

A lovely yet heartbreaking story of a family that couldnt connect which i am sure is happening with many families. Very well written. Would recommend.

Oh my goodness another fantastic read from this author which I couldn't put down, all the characters are brilliant so well described and I felt I knew them all, the story line was just brilliantly addictive.

I can thoroughly recommend this book and I look forward to the next masterpiece from this author, a definite 5+ stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

This is a story of how things in people's childhood can affect them years later. How you get so busy, that you don't stop to look around and see what is really going on until it is almost too late. That day did come for Drew when he decided to try to kill himself. While he is in a coma, we learn what happens to his family. The guilt, the blaming themselves, wondering why they didn't see he was in so much pain. Picking up the pieces of their lives and figuring out what to do and where to go from here.
It is a powerful story, where they have to face what has been happening, seeing the mistakes that they each had made, and learning how to heal and move forward. The story might help someone who has been missing signs in their lives, it might make them think about what has been going on that they have been too busy to notice, or they might think about what their family and friends go through if they decide to try to take their own life, and it prevents them from doing it. This story takes you to the raw emotions, and ripping the band-aid off the wound, and you will feel it, and it is what it takes to be able to begin the process of healing.
I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley.

Wow! This was my first book by Sam Vickery and it will not be my last! I was enthralled by the characters and invested in the plot of Her Silent Husband. It's a captivating book with a powerful message at the end. I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for an emotional journey in a powerful book.

Her Silent Husband, Sam Vickery

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Women's Fiction

Bah! Women's Fiction – why?? Such an outdated, sexist category. I'm sure there are many women that will relate to Beth, but I'm sure there are many men who feel as Drew does, why are we ignoring them?
Anyway, I enjoyed this story, didn't love it but thats more the personalities than the story.

I found Beth and Gemma both difficult characters to like. They're both escaping from their pasts in very different ways, but excluding everyone else in their determination to forget it.
In Beth's case she's become a kind of manic mum, where the children and their futures rule her life. In Ceci's case there are more issues of course, and things that can't be left, but she seems to have no time left for the man she professes to love. Drew tries to talk, but he's so determined to take care of her and his sister that he steps back when they close him off. Neither intend to but that's what happens, and he's left with burdens he can't talk about.
Gemma is permanently in the role of little sister, but she isn't coping with what happened, and her way of trying to avoid it is causing distress for Drew.
Drew, I so felt for him. We do tend to follow roles set out for us, and he was put in the position of taking care of Gemma at a very young age, and transfers that to Beth too. Her reactions at the hospital shook me. I was surprised early when we see how they met, that it appears as if she's out for a rich, personable husband more than someone to love. It made me wonder if she ever really loved him for himself more than what he could provide.
By the end I felt Beth did love him, but I find it hard to get past that reaction when she first heard what happened, how she was when he was in hospital. I understood Gemma more by the end too, though I did find the ending somewhat fairy-tale after all the hard realities of what is for so many people, every day life.

Stars: Three, maybe three and a half I think might be fairer. Its a kind of mixed read for me, really well written, serious issues that so many folk are going through, but there were parts I found hard to accept.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Beth is a stay-at-home and so called ‘Tiger Mum’: loving, caring, highly organised and determined her precious children have everything that she didn’t have. She ferries them around for their after-school activities, makes sure their homework is done and that they attend school every day. They are indeed lucky children: they are surrounded by love, well cared for and live in the most beautiful of homes. Drew is Beth’s husband and the biological father of the three youngest children and doting father of his step-son Tristan. He has a very well paid and secure job and is a brilliant father and husband. They are still in love and their life is wonderful.
One afternoon when Beth is at home with her youngest daughter Ceci, who has Down’s syndrome, and is playing outside on her swing, the phone rings. This is when the life she is so proud of and loves so much comes tumbling down. The voice on the phone tells her that her husband is in hospital and in a coma. Beth cannot believe what she has been told. She is totally in shock to hear than her beloved husband has attempted to commit suicide in his place of work. It cannot be true. Drew is not depressed. He loves their life, their home, her and their children. No he wouldn’t do that. It has got to be wrong, Drew should be home soon. She must keep calm and steady for the sake of her family. She phones her Mother to ask her to come to the house so that she can go to the hospital knowing her children are safe and happy at home. But it is true. She knows straight away when she sees him in his hospital bed. The Doctor tells her it is not a definite that Drew will recover. So begins the long wait for Drew to wake up if he ever does. His sister Gemma, who has no ties, is adamant that she will stay with Drew. She refuses to move from his bedside.
Beth leaves the hospital in despair. She is baffled. Her sister comes to stay to help with childcare, working from Beth’s home when the children are at school. Beth keeps the truth from the children, but she tells Tristan. Tristan loves and respects Drew. He has always felt that Drew is his Father and a very good one too. Both the men in the household have been keeping secrets from Beth, and Drew is devastated and feels guilty. He cannot cope with what he knows and Beth feels that he is breaking away from her. Gemma is also keeping secrets and she feels guilty too. Will Drew wake up?
I really enjoyed this novel. It was beautifully and sympathetically written and the cast of characters were diverse, interesting and believable. I loved the themes chosen: male suicide, drug addiction, bullying, depression, guilt and the way men perceive their duty to their family: to provide, to be strong and to keep their worries to themselves. I also loved the historic stories that drove the novel forward so cleverly. This novel clearly has a dark and sad side, but there are plenty of positive and happy sides to the story to lighten the feel of the novel. I was impressed particularly with the thought behind the ending of the story that made it so lovely and satisfying.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. It is a deeply thought provoking and poignant novel and my review reflects this fact. It’s a 4.5* from me and a recommendation that you read this hauntingly beautiful novel.

Her Silent Husband is such a touching, real to life story, it had me utterly gripped, I can highly recommend this book.

This story really touched me deeply.
You are living the life of your dreams. You have great kids, a wonderful husband, a lovely house, enough money. Everything is picture perfect, right?
Well, you might be so lost in your busy life and being sure you do the best you can for everyone, but is that really the case?
It must be, because nobody complains.
Did you ever take the time to ask questions? Why should you because nobody speaks up.
Did you ever take the time to listen? Why should you because nobody speaks up.
Sometimes though silence says more than words.
Suddenly everything changes. You are angry, furious and you don’t know if you hate them or still love them.
Time to make some big decisions: should you stay or should you go, but how will you cope?
It’s always very hard when one person keeps his feelings hidden and keeps on playing the knight in shining armour. Letting someone in is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it often takes a lot of courage to bare your soul.
A beautiful book where taking a step back means taking a step forward to happiness, where ‘friendships’ are often built on the amount of money you have and not on who you are and you mean nothing to them when push comes to shove. 5 stars

Thank you

Visceral Look At The Underbelly Of Trying To Keep Up. This is one of those books that is largely depressing and frustrating - 75% or so of the book is all about a couple's fights, the wife/ mother's struggles with her kids, or the aunt's own demons. But even through here, while depressing, it is also very *real* - and that fact alone should be celebrated at times. Yes, many of us read to escape reality. But sometimes you need to see "reality" in fiction to get a degree of catharsis about your own situation, and this is one of those books that could actually help there. The flip in the last quarter or so is a bit abrupt, particularly given the characterizations to that point, and the almost Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King style check-in-with-every-major-character multiple epilogues was a bit hit or miss, but otherwise this was a solid story, one that discusses a lot of important concepts like male depression, a man's drive to provide for his family, a wife/ mother's drive to do the best by her kids, suicide, drug addiction (heroin specifically is particularly well done here), and a teenage boy's struggles to do the right thing even when "the right thing" isn't so crystal clear. Very much recommended.

This book will take you on a journey of a couple with 4 children, one with medical issues, and how the lack of true communication can lead to choices you can’t take back. Shocked to get a call her husband is in the hospital and in a coma not because of an accident but from an attempt to take his own life.
Was the pressure of the Cost of their dream home, private schools and many activities for the kids too much for her husband to handle? Why did he not talk to her? What will she do now?

Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy.

This book highlights the need to share your heart with your life partner and to not try to go it alone.

This was my first book by this author but won’t be my last. Loved how this story covered topics that are normally not talked about and swept under the carpet such as suicide and addiction. And depression and highlighted this amongst the male population which is something we need to see more of.

I think a lot of people will resonate with the feeling of trying to hard to keep up with everyone else and not feeling good enough.

This was such a powerful read, it is written so beautifully with relatable and endearing characters and a good srtoryline that was heartwrenching and emotive through every page. This book made me feel so much more than I expected to feel and I loved it, I read it so quickly.

At times a difficult read, due to the subject matter. Yet I still loved this, heartfelt and raw, it left me emotional and thinking of the characters long after I read the last page.

Her Silent Husband is a good wake up call for readers. Anyone who has over scheduled their children and don’t realize the harmful repercussions of not slowing down and not being so driven. I don’t like Beth for most of the book. I felt sorry for Drew and their kids. There were powerful messages in this work of fiction that resonate in the real world. The ending was good and I liked how the family had been transformed.

The characters are skillfully drawn and remain quite memorable long after the unexpected conclusion.
Brilliantly written, that kept me hooked from the first page. At times I just couldn’t read quick enough to find out what was going to happen next. Some important lessons to be learned from reading this book!

Her Silent Husband by Sam Vickery It was difficult to relate to Beth and Gemma. Beth is all about appearances and social standing. She controls her children and husband with rigid schedules and high expectations of “being the best”. Gemma lets her childhood fears and trauma rule her life and her relationship with Drew. Many issues covered in this book, attempted suicide, depression, and drug use.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

“Her Silent Husband,” by Sam Vickery, follows Beth as she navigates her busy life. She’s Mum to four children and is busy running the household and running her children to/from events (school, sport, other). Her husband, Andreas, is the sole breadwinner. One day, Beth gets a call and eventually learns that Andreas is in a coma. Beth feels like her world is collapsing around her - how is she going to juggle the kids’ schedules, keep the house, and still do all she needs to do for her family? We also meet Andreas’s sister, Gemma, who is devoted to her brother, but has some hidden issues of her own.

May I just say that I found the title of this book really fitting - perfect title as most of the book follows Beth and/or Gemma and Andreas's voice is silent. I really liked how this book addresses some difficult issues - depression and mental health are finally being discussed, but so often male depression is not addressed or even accepted. The other issue I liked being addressed was how difficult it is to “keep up with the Jones’s.” I had a chuckle at Beth realizing that she didn’t have the proper coffee machine to entertain the school Mums and needed one pronto, though I realized that sadly that scene hits a little bit too closely to home for some people. Also addressed is the foster care system. I’ve known people (both foster parents and foster kids) who had great experiences and I’ve known people who had horrible experiences. The foster care parts were handled decently (not the best experience, not the worst), which I appreciated. I did like the parts where it was obvious Beth was trying to hold things together, but obviously spinning out of control. While I believe some of her thoughts/actions were spur of the moment things (such as asking about possibly canceling an upcoming school trip), I can empathize with her thoughts being unorganized and scattered. I also found the message of “be happy with what you have and count your blessings every blessed day” a very true one. Keeping up with the Jones’s isn’t easy … and you’re never ‘caught up’ or surpassed them - be happy with what you have and enjoy life.

My one slight negative comment is that except for Andreas (and the youngest daughter), I cannot say I really felt sympathy for any of the characters. I believe that the characters were well written and well developed, but I cannot say that I wanted to have coffee with any of them (even made on that fancy machine). However, as I said before, addressing hard topics is always a plus in my book - and this author did address them. Do read the Author’s Note for information on how this story evolved.

Trigger warnings: attempted suicide, depression, drug use.