The Husband Diet* is a witty and relatable romantic comedy that offers a humorous yet heartfelt exploration of self-worth, body image, and the complexities of relationships. Through the story of a woman’s journey toward empowerment while being entertaining.

The story follows Erica Cantelli, a housewife struggling with an unsupportive, self-absorbed husband and the pressures of juggling family life while trying to lose weight. As Erica navigates the challenges of dieting and dealing with a husband who seems more interested in other women than his own wife, she slowly begins to realize that the changes she needs to make aren’t just physical but emotional and mental as well. With the help of a handsome Italian restaurateur, Erica embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning to love herself and make choices that truly serve her happiness.

Barone has created a main character in Erica who is both likable and relatable. The book’s focus on body image and self-esteem is handled with care, presenting Erica’s struggles in a way that feels real and emotionally grounded. As the story progresses, Erica’s transformation is not just about her weight but about reclaiming her sense of self-worth and standing up for herself.

The romance subplot with Julian, the charming restaurateur, is a sweet and enjoyable addition to the narrative.
The novel does tread familiar ground when it comes to the trope of "losing weight to find happiness," though Barone shifts the focus toward inner transformation and personal agency as the real source of fulfillment.

...This contains some spoilers...

I would like to thank Nancy Barone and Bookouture for giving me a chance to review this ARC.

I stopped reading at 63% of this book. Witnessing someone being treated like a mess really maddens me. No one deserve to experience such things from anyone, even from someone who you love the most. However, no matter how much I try understand Erica's action of engaging anything beyond friendship with Julian, I can't seem to convince myself that it is okay. It really is not for me. I expected more from her character given that she is a smart and a strong woman. I like her dedication and love for her children but her giving in into temptation disappointed me. I expected her to be wiser with her actions and behavior.

Nonetheless, I like the writing style. It is really entertaining and engaging. Paul, my new book bestfriend is the best part of this book for me. I admire his love for Erica, hoping that every person found their own "Paul", their safety net, and comfort zone.

I might want to try another book of Nancy Barone. Who knows, the next one might be my next 5 stars.

Funny and easy to read book that takes you on a ride. It was easy to enjoy and just fall into the story. Great cast of characters that work well together.

Oh this was so bad. So so bad. This poor woman. The sub-title says laugh out loud but I didn't laugh once. Her husband of 13 years is an absolute monster. The misogynistic comments and the jokes about her and her weight are just gross and heartbreaking. And she's stayed with this man for 13 YEARS! Where is the funny? I couldn't connect with the book because her vile husband made me literally physically ill and the story was not at all enjoyable. This may work for some but as someone who's left an abusive relationship her husband reminds me of some of what I've been through and it was rough. I wish there was a content warning. At the very least remove the laugh out loud because there's nothing funny here.

⭐️/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Head or Zeus, and Nancy Barone.

I was so happy to read this book as I read a really good book by Nancy Barone in the past. So i thought that I would love this one too. Unfortunately I struggled with this one. I was not really interested by the story line, I didn't care much for the main characters. I struggled getting into the book and turn the pages. I thought I was going to like it but even though they are so parts I found very good, all in all I didn't really enjoy that read. I am still giving this book 3 starts out of 5 as I really enjoy the way Nancy Barone writes and like I said, there are some parts of that book that I found good and fun.

This book was.....something. I was hoping for a light and fun romcom, and instead got a mental workout trying to figure out what in the actual heck was going on with the plot line.

I felt like there was multiple stories happening in one, and it made it extremely hard to follow. I also didnt love that there was so much emphasis placed on her weight.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Is this supposed to be funny? Unfortunately, it's not. Yes, the husband is an absolute jerk but she stayed with him for 13 years?? At first I thought maybe this was set in the past because there's a lot of out dated notions from everyone but, nope, it's current day. I just couldn't get into it. I DNF'd after 25%.

Fun premise almost executed well, however our main character was difficult to connect with as a plus sized reader it felt as though it just hit the mark. Cute love story that was enjoyable aside from the disconnect with the main character.

Disappointing.

I love chick-lit, I find some cozy but when the MC is terrible it doesn't make for a fun read. There are a lot of misogynist moments, but none that felt significant to the novel or the character's growth.

This is not something I'd recommend to anyone struggling with their weight, as losing weight is a huge topic. I'd love to read a fat MC where her weight isn't a topic- at least in a negative light.

I think this is good if you just want something to pass the time with but not something I'd recommend to a reader.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was pretty good.

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t. It started off very promising but quickly got to the point where I could not finish. There was entirely too much fatphobic and self-deprecating for my liking.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I thought it was well-written. There were many comical moments and Erica's emotional struggle was relatable. The plot was good, and the ending left the way open for more, i.e. the rest of the series.
The only thing I didn't like was the way Erica treated other staff - a good manager does not rule by fear, and sending a message that an off-duty employee must get into work in 10 minutes or lose their job is clearly bullying. This has made me reduce my rating by one star.

This book was a miss for me, I struggled to get through it. I had trouble connecting with the main character.

I didn’t connect with the leading lady in this one, and unfortunately I decided to not finish this book.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Actually couldn’t even finish this one. Main character was very whiny and not easy to like. Couldn’t get invested, and nothing that happened in the first 1/4 of the book that made me want to keep reading. Definitely do not recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the e-ARC. I am not gonna even lie this book started with a 1 star and then I kept reading it cuz I had read the reviews and was like no it has to get better and it did it redeemed itself. I did not like the beginning where all she talked about was her being fat. But I got thru those chapters and Im so glad I did cuz there was a good story after all that.

I really wanted to like this book. I did finish it but it was not very good. The plot and outcome was a little off for me. I wanted more.

I really wanted to like this one but the main characters constant complaining was just too much of a turn off for me. I had to DNF it :(

I really wanted to like this book. The premise, while familiar, was enticing, but the actual story and writing failed to wow me. The writing felt basic and the passage of time in the book was poorly done. It was difficult to tell when time passed. The story seemed to suddenly progress without notice.

Given that, I probably could have gotten past that and chalked it up to the breezy, fun read I was expecting the book to be. However, so many things the main character did or said put me off. I understand her toxic relationship with her body at the beginning of the book, given the way her husband and other family members treated her. I was hoping and expecting that she would lose some of that toxicity and learn to embrace herself, but she never really did. She remained fatphobic and self deprecating.

Then there was the way she spoke of Paul, her best friend who felt very flat. At one point she says something along the lines of "Even Paul, a gay man, was more of a real man than Ira would ever be." [Not a direct quote, but you get the gist}. Such a misogynistic and borderline homophobic statement was off putting to say the least. Later, when she learns that Julian was adopted, she thinks to herself, "I could never abandon my babies" and later Julian calls his birth mother (whom he's never met), his "real mother".

I could go on about issues similar to these, but suffice to say, I will not be reading anymore in this series or likely from this author.