Day 7: Her Husband’s Mistake – Sheila O’Flanagan

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 7: Her Husband’s Mistake – Sheila O’Flanagan

I just came back from the bookstore where I bought ‘Her Husband’s Mistake’ by Sheila O’Flanagan.

At the till the cashier handed me the receipt which I refused. “You might need it in case you want to return the book,” she said. I shook my head with a smile, “That’s not gonna happen. This is Sheila O’Flanagan and her books are a sure thing.”

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning.

A few months ago, I learned that Sheila O’Flanagan had a new book in the making. Being a devoted fan of Sheila O’Flanagan I was both excited and disappointed. A new book … great, months of waiting … not so great.

Eventually, though the new book was revealed and … my breath caught in my throat as I read the title … ‘Her Husband’s Mistake’. Without even reading the synopsis I knew what this book would be about … a cheating husband.

Suddenly I wasn’t so excited about this new book anymore. What would the wronged wife do, give her husband a kick in his cheating butt or forgive and forget? I hoped it wasn’t the latter because if there’s one thing I can’t stand it is wives who for one reason or another forgive their cheating husbands. Once a cheater, always a cheater and I stand firm on that.

I read some reviews on Amazon, but they were of no help. Some people loved the book, others found fault with it. Not that I put much stock in what other people think, I’ve learned long ago that what’s good for the goose isn’t necessarily good for the gander.

None of the reviews told me what I wanted to know though, so I went straight to the source and asked Sheila O’Flanagan if Roxy would forgive Dave? Her answer satisfied me.

Starting a new book, I always find exciting. It’s like going on a journey … new places to see, new people to meet, sharing in their adventures, wondering how it will end.

Other than exciting, to me, a new book is also rather dangerous. I’ve been known to miss subway stops, seeing the back of a bus, extending lunchtimes and having difficulties getting up in the morning as I read too deep into the night.  

Not all writers can get me into such trouble though. The book I abandoned to start ‘Her Husband’s Mistake’ put me to sleep rather than keep me awake. The characters were dull and boring, and the plot … I was 127 pages into the story and I still didn’t know what this was all about.

That is not the case with ‘Her Husband’s Mistake’. The reader knows from page one what to expect … a man cheats on his wife and she has to make a decision. Not that Sheila O’Flanagan turns it into a drama, quite the opposite.

At the beginning of the story, I found myself grinning.

“Something funny?” the lady next to me on the train asked.

“It’s the way the writer describes a sex scene,” I told her.

She leaned a little closer. “Can I see.”

After she had put on her glasses, I angled the book so she could read. “That is funny,” she said. “What’s the title of the book?”

Instead of telling her the title I turned the book over and she took a picture of the cover with her phone. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ve been looking for a book to take on the plane with me when I go on vacation next week.”

In case you need something to read, I can highly recommend ‘Her Husband’s Mistake’. I’m only a few chapters into the book but I can already tell … this is another good one.