reviewsbyerin

Meri is devastated to inherit The List—an advice column from the 1950s with ideas for how to catch a husband. As if being the last single girl in her social circle wasn't enough, there's the pressure of these ridiculous suggestions to live up to. In order to prove the advice isn't worth the old flimsy paper it's printed on, she begins a YouTube channel showing how silly it is to follow this antiquated advice. But will filming the show and following the tips actually bring her what she's looking for?

I have a lot of thoughts about this novel! You don't have to hang around my blog very long to know one of my very favorite books is Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston, and Husband Auditions reminded me of Flabbergasted in many ways. They're both laugh-out-loud funny, and both seem to have come into my life at moments when I could relate strongly to the characters.

You see, next month I plan to attend the wedding of a dear friend, and then I will be the last single girl in one more social circle. I do know other single women, but in this particular group, I'm the last one standing. It's not my choice to be single, and it's hard enough already without being the last one.

Husband Auditions is very funny. I was thoroughly entertained and laughed frequently. Like Flabbergasted, it uses its colorful premise and characters to sneakily weave in truth in a way that makes you go, "Ouch." Husband Auditions also made me cry. The growth arc. The longing. The sweetness. The wondering if Meri and I will both ever see our hopes fulfilled.

The story left me looking for more, though. I feel the growth arc was incomplete—and it's totally written to be incomplete, as doesn't try to tie up everything in a nice little bow. I understand the point is that we keep growing. However, I can't help wishing it covered a little more territory to show us Meri and the other characters further along their journeys. The ending is just right for the book as it is written, but for me, the story came up a little short.

So take my thoughts with a grain of "last single woman" salt. I really did enjoy this book, and it's a front runner to make my Best Of 2021 list. But it just left me a little unsatisfied, not unlike the feeling of still sleeping alone in a twin-sized bed.

I received my copy of the book from Read With Audra. All thoughts in this review are my own.

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