A Beautiful, Terrible Thing: A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal by Jen Waite was provided to me for an honest review through netgalley. Thank you to all parties for letting me take part in this heartbreaking journey of love, lose, and rebuild. What would you do if the man you married turned out to be nothing like you thought he was. Every girl wants her dream guy and what Jen Waite got was a total nightmare with a side of sunshine in the form of a beautiful little girl. First off I love the setup of this book. The before and after headings made it extremely easy to fallow. You get to see how the romance started how the love bloomed and in the end how the whole thing falls to pieces. This story is one of love and lose where Jen did everything right thought she was living the perfect life only to have to start over. Although I have a background in psychology and have a very good understanding of the husbands disorder I find it really hard to find one redeeming quality in him. Although I understand sickness I don’t feel that anything positive will be done seeing as the husband does not wish to receive help. Over all I feel that this is an honest read that everyone can relate to in some cases even live through nicely done 5 stars all the way. ( )

This was an easy to read memoir of a woman who found out her husband was a cheater and liar. She feels he is a psychopath and decides this from her reading a lot of 'information' on the internet and talking with friends. Ms. Waite was traumatized to find out her perfect husband was a fraud. I hope she has a better future ahead, although I wonder, as she, to me, tends to be very self centered / ( )

Wow! a shocking true story. Well written and well paced, around a constantly alternating Before and After approach that actually works rather than drags. I feel bad saying that, as this is personal! it's not just about the way the memoir is written, this is someone's life! Scary stuff. I read this in almost one sitting.

Reader, Hikate, below, makes a good point that this particular sociopath treated Jen callously, badly, but it was psychological torture not physically threatening behaviour or even stalking. In a way I suppose that was partly why she kept wishing and hoping that he was otherwise, would "come home", thus dragging out the misery.

I think these memoirs serve an important purpose. ( )

I received this book free from the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I have already recommended this novel to two women in my life who have also experienced abuse. I personally have come into contact with a sociopath and have been through this cycle and watched two friends go through it while dating this man. It gives great insight into the realities of the grieving process as well as self-acceptance and is a must-read in my books. ( )

Jen met the love of her life -- or so she thought -- when they were both trainees at a restaurant. She, as a waitress and he, as a bartender. Marco was exotic, handsome, sexy, charismatic, and charming. She was intoxicated, swept off her feet. He charmed everyone. Everyone loved him. That's how psychopaths are. Until they are found out. Or they are no longer getting what they need. Then they move on to their next target with no regrets or remorse, leaving destruction in their wake.

This book, narrated by Jen, is a memoir of her relationship with Marco. It is divided into chapters alternating between "Before" and "After." Before and after the dreaded email that exposed Marco and destroyed Jen.

It was a just ok read -- wordy, slow, and not nearly as compelling as anticipated. No doubt, Marco was far from an ideal husband and father, but labelling him as a psychopath was not justified. And the author uses "sociopath" and "psychopath" without distinction, claiming she read that they can be used interchangeably. Although similar in that they are both anti-social personality disorders, they are not identical. ( )