Would You Ask My Husband That?

Reminiscent of MOTHERLAND with a touch of THE AFFAIR, WOULD YOU ASK MY HUSBAND THAT? follows Sarah as she takes over her husband Will’s executive job (a job she has longed for) after he is suddenly fired. Told from alternating perspectives, navigating their new roles in the marriage, the novel subverts our expectations and challenges our prejudices in a refreshing, light-hearted yet provocative way. It was snapped up by Embla Books in a two-book deal, and will publish in August 2023, with the second book to publish in summer 2024. You can read The Bookseller announcement here.

It’s her dream job … The only problem is, it belongs to her husband.

Will and Sarah are a (mostly) happily married couple, raising two young children, while both working full-time – for the same company.

After Will makes a thoughtless mistake, he’s fired and his executive job is offered to Sarah. It’s the role she’s always wanted, and would probably have got if she hadn’t gone part-time for a few years after the kids were born. And they could certainly use the money now that Will’s out of work. It’s a no brainer, surely…

… That is, if Will can swallow his resentment that his wife’s doing his old job (alongside Henry Cavill-lookalike-colleague Tom – who isn’t actually Superman, despite what Sarah thinks); and provided he fulfils the ‘stay at home dad’ brief to Sarah’s standards (rather than his own), so she can actually concentrate on her new role … Everything will work out just fine. Right?

Kathleen Whyman is an author, freelance journalist and columnist for Writer’s Forum magazine. Kathleen always aspired to be a novelist, but got slightly sidetracked over the years by her career in journalism, children and Mad Men box sets. It was her eight-year-old daughter’s words, “Stop talking about writing a book and just write one”, that gave her the push she needed. Kathleen lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two daughters.

Kathleen is represented by Emily Glenister at DHH Literary Agency.