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Four Wives

Wendy Walker
St. Martin's Press (2008)
ISBN 9780312367718
Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (6/08)

Love, Marie, Gayle and Janie, friends for life, are "Four Wives" with four different lives. Friends for life, what does that mean? And what happens when friendships are broken? Broken by infidelity, trust, and anything else that life throws at them. "Four Wives" is the story of these four friends, married to very wealthy and handsome men. We meet these women’s children, we learn about their parents. We learn what it means for a marriage to go bad. What happens when feelings go away?  Should a marriage be saved at all costs, or should the people involved move on to something new?

Love is very happily married to Bill, a doctor who is a very caring husband and a devoted father. Bill is also a very devoted Doctor, and works hard to take care of his family. Somehow, that is not quite enough, and the money is not as good as it should be. Love begins to feel a certain pain after she hears from her estranged father, and it won’t go away. He is writing a book about their life, and Love is afraid that some terrible things from her past will come out. The pain gets worse, and Love becomes sad, lonely, scared and desperate.

Janie is not so happily married to Daniel.  She goes through life unfeeling, scared and doing things that she should not. Janie is having an affair, but Daniel is not a bad husband. They have simply lost their way in bed. Janie is a beautiful woman, who has had some help from plastic surgery, but she seems to lack confidence. What will become of her marriage, if the affair is found out? Will her husband leave her? Janie hopes he never has to find out.

Gayle is the wise one, and is married to Troy, who is very domineering. They have a son named Oliver, who for some reason is very quiet and very subdued, and he seems scared a lot of the time. Troy loses control at times. Is this good for Gayle and Oliver? Paul works for Gayle and Troy. He is a loyal servant. He worries about Gayle. He paints Gayle. Is a in love with her? Or he is just loyal? Will Gayle and Paul move towards a lustful affair? Will Gayle's husband find out?

Marie is happily married to Tony, a golfer. Maybe they are not so happy.  Marie is a prominent lawyer and a mother, and strives to be successful. She hires Randy, a young law student who wants to become more than just Marie's assistant. Will the temptation be too much for Marie? Will she go through with an affair with Randy?

The novel first takes us through each of their lives so that we understand what is going on inside their relationships. The women stick together through thick and thin; they are there for each other in times of trials and tribulations. But when it all comes to a head, and the dirty secrets and lies come out, who will remain friends?  Wendy Walker takes us inside the women's hearts, minds and lives. Her novel, "Four Wives," was beautifully written. It has purpose and meaning and is so true to life that I wanted to read it over and over again. I believe the story is a great one.

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