Review: 'How to Find Your (First) Husband' by Rosie Blake (2016)

It's a beautiful day in 1994 and the turn-out in the school playground is fantastic. Isobel is eight years old and marrying Andrew Parker, the boy of her dreams. Life is perfect. Then the ceremony is over, and a week later so is the marriage. Twenty years on and Isobel is dressed as a prawn handing out promotional fliers outside an L.A. fish market. Her career is going nowhere and her love life leaves a lot to be desired. Nothing Isobel hoped for has gone to plan. Then, she catches sight of Andrew, her first husband, in the background of a TV news item and wonders: if she can track down Andrew, will she recapture the happiness that she felt all those years ago? Isobel travels the globe to find her first husband, via Cornwall, Devon and a remote Malaysian island, but is he really what she is looking for?
I love romantic comedy novels that really make me laugh out loud, and if I have to name a few authors who definitely do that with their novels Rosie Blake is one of them. I've had the pleasure of reading Rosie's other books 'How to Get a (Love) Life' and 'How to Stuff Up Christmas' (click here to read my review), which I both really enjoyed, so I was excited when I recently found a review copy of her 2016 summer release 'How to Find Your (First) Husband' on my doorstep! The book has a lovely cover and promises another great Rosie Blake story, so I couldn't wait to get started and dive in! 
Isobel Graves gave up her life in the UK to go to LA to live her dream of becoming a TV presenter. Unfortunately, her career doesn't really follow the plan Isobel originally had as she mainly finds herself dressing up in various costumes to promote food, just to be able to pay the rent. When Isobel unexpectedly spots her childhood best friend, and also first husband (sealed in the form of a playground marriage when she was 8), Andrew Parker on TV, she decides to go on a chase to find him, to see what they had was real; you don't just choose anyone to be your very first husband after all! Isobel's adventure eventually brings her to the other side of the world, where she is forced to really think about what it is she wants from life and what will make her happy.
When I look for the perfect holiday/summer read, there are a few things a book needs to have: a captivating storyline, a light-hearted topic that isn't too serious, a bit of romance, and a good dose of humour. Rosie Blake's latest release 'How to Find Your (First) Husband' ticks all of those boxes and is a great read which I can highly recommend to any rom com/chick lit fan. I personally really enjoy Rosie’s funny and distinctive writing style and I instantly enjoyed Isobel’s story. I was curious to see whether she would eventually find Andrew and whether he would match the idea she had of him in her head. The extra layer added to the book by having Isobel travel all over the world to find Andrew was an entertaining one, and there wasn’t a moment in which I felt like putting the book down because I just wanted to keep on reading and discover what was going to happen.
I particularly loved the friendship between main character Isobel and her best friend Mel, who is quite simply hilarious, and the two of them just form a fantastic duo. There are other great secondary characters, such as Isobel’s mother, and enough going on to keep the reader’s attention at all times. This really is a wonderful summer read by Rosie Blake, and I am once again really excited about Rosie’s work and can’t wait for her next book! Overall, ‘How to Find Your (First) Husband’ is a light-hearted, funny and entertaining romantic comedy, perfect for fans of authors such as Lisa Dickenson and Tracie Bloom, but also worthwhile to pick up if you’re looking for a fun and not too serious summer read!

Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.