Books about troubled, indecisive relationships can usually take one of two paths, it seems. Either they're gritty and realistic -- portraying a candid glance into an easily-relatable scenario that lets the reader feel oddly comforted that she is not alone in her own screwed-up relationships of life. Or, they decide instead to be cutesy and optimistic -- presenting fables of pink wisdom, spurring the reader to decide that she too may triumph on the other side of this yellow-brick path. 
 Now, if I tell you which way THE FIRST HUSBAND turns at the fork of the road, that would spoil the fun -- wouldn't it? 
 But, to give a taste of the storyline, we should at least get started with the basic gist of things here. THE FIRST HUSBAND is the story of Annie, a travel columnist who has recently been dumped by her long-term Romeo -- the man who she suspected should have been the one to fulfill her personal happily-ever-after. So, when things went south, she did what any level-headed woman in that situation would do, right? 
 She married another man. 
 As things progress in life, work, and love, Annie finds herself torn between current desires and past regrets. And, when her ex-boyfriend decides he made a mistake in moving on without her, Annie is forced to examine herself and her relationships before making decisions that will certainly alter the path of her life forever. 
 And, okay, I guess I can't deny it here -- THE FIRST HUSBAND just didn't stand out for me at all. I mean, I feel like this has been done before -- so there was nothing new to embrace with any of the characters. Nothing made Annie or either of her potential love interests remarkable or relateable, and I felt no investment in Annie's motivations or actions towards either man. 
 So yes, I admit it -- I'm more a fan of something that feels real and raw to me, rather than something that hints at a rainbow at the end of the tunnel. At times, I found Annie to be more immature and selfish than self-examining and confused. And her grand lesson learned at the end? I'm not buying it. At all. 
 This is not to say that THEN FIRST HUSBAND is not a worthy read. It is. It's cute and warm and it may give you the touchy-feelies with a dash of Aesop in the end. 
 If that's your cup of tea, I highly recommend this book to you. 
 If, however, you're an overly-critical underly-emotional rationalizer like myself -- I'd hold out for something else. 
 I'll let you know when I find it. 
 **I was provided with an e-book copy of this novel for review. As always, my opinions are my own, completely unbiased by the (lack of) price-tag**