Review: Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 20, 2012
What's a woman to do when she hits the milestone age of fifty, has a cheating husband and a rebellious seventeen year-old daughter? And the husband suddenly disappears? She obsesses about her marriage, soaks in the hot tub and searches for her missing husband of course!Ellen Dunwell had just turned fifty years old when a week later her life turned upside down. Married to successful dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Dunwell for twenty-eight years, this Scottsdale, Arizona couple has had their share of ups and downs in their marriage. Two years ago Jeffrey had an affair and left Ellen for a week, only to return to their marriage hat in hand full of apologies and promises that it will never happen again. But now two years later Ellen is once again suspicious about Jeffrey's possibly cheating with his new young and perky medical assistant Keeley Wilder. Ellen begins questioning the trust she has in Jeffrey to the point where she begins obsessing about their marriage and her overactive imagination is put on overdrive!With blocked calls and hang ups; a husband who comes home late every night and doesn't return phones calls; a constant battle with their rebellious daughter; friends who give her a range of advice to either suck it up or have an affair; to a creepy twenty year old neighbor boy who is a peeping tom ... it's enough to send any woman over the edge ... that is until Jeffrey suddenly disappears from his medical office, and Ellen has to put on her sleuth cap and go in search of her missing hubby, only to get caught in a web of intrigue and danger that could put her life at stake!Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs is an entertaining story full of drama, mystery and wry humor that will keep you turning the pages. Author Elissa Ambrose weaves an intriguing tale told in the first person narrative by the quirky protagonist Ellen Dunwell, who takes the reader along for the ride as her crazy marital life story unfolds before her eyes. Ellen's story is full of humor, romance, drama, mystery and surprises ... the twists and turns that Ellen encounters in her marriage and in her search for her missing husband Jeffrey grabs the reader's attention and keeps them guessing what will happen next.The author has created a quirky cast of characters who quickly pulls the reader into their lives. I found myself at odds with Ellen's character, I wavered back and forth between wanting to shake her because of her nativity over her marriage and Jeffrey's cheating ways, only to make me turn around and embrace her when she finds her backbone during the search for Jeffrey. I know I wouldn't have been so forgiving if my husband had a wandering eye. I have to admit that I loved Ellen's gritty sense of humor, I sympathized with her insecurities and loved how she was able to laugh at her own foibles. Her sleuthing abilities kept me in stitches, their was some pretty hilarious instances that she found herself in that made the story that much more entertaining. The supporting cast of characters added their own unique personalities to the story: husband Jeffrey and bratty daughter Claire were not my favorite people; neighbor Sherryl Turners, whose "be grateful you have a husband" speech made me grit my teeth; Sherryl's creepy peeping tom son Eric, just ewwww ... enough said; co-worker and friend Patricia "Trish" Manning, was a hoot; and Jeffrey's ditzy and naive medical assistant Keeley Wilder, *rolling my eyes*, all made the story that much more interesting.With great attention to detail and description of the Arizona and Mexico settings; a humorous first person narrative; engaging character dialogue and interactions; and an intriguing mystery thrown into the mix, Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs kept me laughing and thoroughly entertained!Sex, Lies & Hot Tubs is a fast paced witty story that has enough comedy, mystery romance, and real life drama that will keep you hooked until the surprising and shocking ending!Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.