I seem to be in the minority on this book because I didn't particularly like Lady Isabella. The book portrays their marriage as failing because Mac was selfish and immature and Isabella, his saintly perfect wife, couldn't take it anymore. But it strikes me that she wasn't all that immature either. At one point in the book she says "He never thought to ask me what would make me happy, or what I needed from him. Mac did everything based on what he felt, never noticing what I felt." Yes, that is the selfish and made him a bad husband, but, at the same time, why is she waiting for him to ask. Why doesn't she TELL HIM what she wants? Why doesn't she TELL HIM what she feels? Most of the time she seems to communicate with him by passing notes through Ian. This makes her a pretty bad wife too. They were just too young when they married and neither one knew what they were doing. Mac's brother as constantly asking him if he 'fixed it yet' and telling him 'don't mess it up again' but he can't fix it by himself, Isabella needs to see how she played a part in their separation too.

And another thing, she doesn't seem very mature when he's trying to reconcile either. For a strong woman who has learned to get along without him she is very wishy-washy. One minute she's telling him to leave, then she's having sex with him, then she's telling him to leave again, then she crawling into his bed, then she screaming at him. The telenovella level drama was irritating after a while.

The subplot with the faux Mac was interesting but it kept getting overpowered by the relationship drama. It felt kind of like I was trying to watch an interesting show on tv with people arguing in front of the screen. I kind of wanted to tell them to go argue in the other room so I could watch the show. I guess that's why is book is in the romance genre and not the mystery genre.

Oh well, at least there's Mrs Holloway.