Behind Every Good Man By Sara Goodman Confino

Summarized Blurb

Beverly Diamond catches her cheating husband in the act when she's delivering cookies to his office. She does not take his bullcrap. Beverly makes sure Larry knows his excuses are moot, she’s kicking him out, and they’re getting divorced. Despite being the perfect housewife, this is how he repays her?

She quickly finds a way to support herself and her two kids while getting back at him. She will be the campaign manager for Michael Landau, the Senatorial opponent to Larry’s candidate. But you know, they work pretty well as a team, maybe even better than they thought. As a plus in her revenge against Larry, her role in the campaign gives her a newfound sense of purpose and self-confidence.

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Review

I had a lot of fun with this book. Bev’s quick wit makes me wish I had her sharp humor but sadly I don’t have clever comebacks ready like her. There’s never a dull moment with Bev. It’s like every conversation is a game of ping-pong. Bev skillfully hits the ball back and forth until she wins or faces an equally skilled opponent like her mother. Loved everyone else too. Bev may be the main character but her friends and family are just as amusing.

The story reads so smoothly that I didn’t realize how much I’d gone through until I needed a break. Every conversation played out naturally in my head but the build-up between Bev and Michael was perfect. I mean based on the blurb you can predict where it’s going, but it’s not like there was instant love or immediate attraction, it happened organically.

It was interesting to see what a woman’s support system might look like if she were getting divorced in 1962. Beverly was lucky enough to have friends, family, and legal connections through Michael to assist her. However, we get a glimpse at what it would look like if Bev didn’t have such support through Fran, such as becoming a social pariah.

I guess I would’ve liked the side plot with Bev’s parents to play out a bit differently. I wanted to see what her dad’s big gesture would’ve been if her mom wasn’t arrested, because how does a man apologize to his wife for not properly showing appreciation? That’s a question I would’ve liked to see Bev’s dad answer.

But overall this was a great read. 4 stars from me! :)