"A soignée book publishing executive has attempted to murder her husband—yet can’t recall why. Tracking the glamorous couple in Manhattan, the Amazon, L.A., and Paris, this brisk page runner has the makings of a summer blockbuster."
– The New Yorker Special Section of Summer Fiction , Must Reads of 2006

"An elegantly written, consistently surprising first novel . . . Collinsworth is the master of the tart put-down, near Austen-like in her keen analysis of the strange ways of the upper crust, and an ace tweaker of the conventions of the romance novel. This assured book works on so many levels—both as entertainment and as a movingly, mordantly funny morality tale—that it’s hard to believe it’s a first novel."
– Booklist (starred review)

"Collinsworth’s promising debut novel tells the story of a couple madly in love, and just plain mad: it opens with protagonist Isabel Simpson at the psychiatrist discussing her murder attempt on her husband of twelve years. Twelve years earlier, Isabel was an ambitious publisher propelled by a childhood spent with a suicidal mother and a wealthy but unsympathetic father. Having already achieved success that belies her young age, Isabel seeks out irascible writer James Willoughby after stumbling upon his impressively written article describing his childhood home. Determined to put his talent to work for her, Isabel ignores his reputation for being insufferable and catches up with him for lunch-only to find his reputation well-earned. Nevertheless, an intense love affair begins that eventually yields a marriage and a son, and their rocky path toward the relationship’s violent downfall makes up the balance of the book. (This engaging novel’s) clear, compelling prose deals honestly with the desperate human desire to believe in love’s saving power."
– Publishers Weekly

"What drove Isabel to attempt to kill her husband she adored? She doesn’t know—and you won’t either, until the delicious denouement. Spare writing and witty dialogue make Eden Collinsworth’s debut a mesmerizing read."
– Marie Claire, 10 Best Things to Do

"An Elegant debut." –Vanity Fair

"A publishing pro picks up a pen . . . (and) shows her literary expertise."
– USA Today

"An eloquent and heartrending dissection of a disintegrating marriage."
– Harper’s Bazaar, Hot List

"If Edith Wharton were alive today, she would have written this book."
– Liz Smith

"Collinsworth, in her debut novel, articulates with elegance and passion the end of love. Her portrait of a marriage devastated me."
– Dominick Dunne

"A thrilling, compelling novel about the gravitational pull of love and money. Gripping, readable and shimmering with glamorous details. . . . This is a story which takes up where The Great Gatsby left off."
– Susan Cheever, author of Home Before Dark and Note Found in a Bottle

"First novels are rarely this spry, fun, and archly enjoyable. . . . Collinsworth is a confident and gifted storyteller who can balance self-conscious cleverness with the thrills of pure entertainment. . . . A tale building force as it moves along to a particularly fine and quiet ending. "
– New York Post

"Told in bits and pieces covering the couple's lives before and during their sometimes blissful and sometimes tumultuous marriage, this inventive and literate tale of love gone wrong is simply astounding. Often reading more like a classic from the past, with the portrayals of these two dysfunctional, highly intelligent, and not necessarily agreeable characters especially reminiscent of those found in such writings, the entirety of this intelligent tale might not always pleasantly engage the reader, but it does consistently command intense interest. Highly readable and exceptionally thought provoking, don't miss Collinsworth's powerful entry into the world of fiction, and although not necessarily a mystery, it still leave's one pondering over its words and meaning long after it's over."
– Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

"A suspenseful page-turner about that greatest mystery of all: love. It is also the stunning debut of a first-time novelist, Eden Collinsworth, who tells her tales of a marriage and the betrayals leading up to its break-up in a prose as spare as it is elegant, as intimate as it is insightful. A laser-thinking emotional detective, Collinsworth investigates the relationship of a writer and editor, drawn together by swords, driven apart by lack of them."
– Nancy Collins, journalist and author of Hard to Get

"It Might Have Been What He Said is a remarkable first novel from a writer with abundant gifts: she offers us deft storytelling, edgy dialogue, and beguiling insights."
– Annie Louise Bardach, contributor to The New Yorker, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and Slate

"It Might Have Been What He Said is elegant and original, lean and clever, and suddenly, surprisingly, funny."
– Annabel Davis-Goff, author of The Fox Walk, This Cold Country and Walled Gardens

"It Might Have Been What He Said delivers one off-center zinger after another and renders two quirky people credible. I couldn’t put it down . . . it is an enormous act of will and wit on the writer’s part."
– Jesse Kornbluth, journalist, former editorial director of AOL, editor of Headbutler.com, and author of Notes from the New Underground

"It Might Have Been What He Said takes you through the unraveling of one woman’s life when love fails and passion prevails. It is a revealing and riveting debut novel, which, once I started to read, I couldn’t put down."
– Priscilla Morgan, producer with Arthur Penn of Bonnie and Clyde, The Miracle Worker, and Two for the Seesaw

"It Might Have Been What He Said is a taut psychological thriller I read in one sitting."
– Robert Hofler, senior editor of Variety and author of The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson

"It held me from start to finish. . . . I was mesmerized.
– David Brown, producer of Jaws, The Player, and Driving Miss Daisy"

"Grabs you from the very first page. . . . An edgy story that includes love, sex, attempted homicide, and therapy . . . the writer [has a] knack for elegant prose."
– Pages

"Compelling . . . This is Eden Collinsworth’s debut novel. That’s almost hard to believe. Readers are in for a treat with this book. Collinsworth writes like a master who has been writing novels like this for a long time. . . . Be sure to add this one to your reading list. Highly recommended."
– BestsellersWorld.com

"It Might Have Been What He Said is that kind of New York book. That is, upper echelon. Powerful people. Insiders. But not, as in chick lit books, doing stupid things with brand names. These are serious people. . . . This book took me by surprise. . . . The dialogue is Edith Wharton on steroids: smart, fast-paced, dangerous. And mean. . . . A special kind of thriller. The kind Dominick Dunne writes. . . . This is as good as books about New York careerists get. You’re not standing outside, pressing your nose against the glass in this one—you’re in the room."
– HeadButler.com

"There are shades of obsession, like in The English Patient, and reminiscences of excessive consumption, like in The Great Gatsby. But in the end, this is a truly original tale of ultimate undoing."
– BookReporter.com

"Collinsworth’s ‘why’d-she-do-it?’ novel . . . sounds perfect for Girlawhirl. How can she figure it out if even the main character doesn’t know why she tried to kill her husband?"
– Girlawhirl

"A fascinating read with a look into the stigma of mental illness."
– MyShelf.com

"One of those books that begs for a towel and some sunscreen . . . It pulls you in from page one and compels you. . . . This is a smart, snappily written story that belies the fact that Collinsworth is a first time novelist. . . . She understands matters of the heart, and getting where she is going with the story is more than half the fun."
– BookLoons.com

"It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The author writes with the assurance and wit of a seasoned professional. . . . Incredible talent."
– TheRomanceReadersConnection.com

"Elegantly written, consistently surprising."
– WomensWeb.ca

"A writer worth watching."
– BookPleasures.com

This inventive and literate tale of love gone wrong is simply astounding. . . . Intelligent . . . Highly readable and exceptionally thought provoking, don’t miss Collinsworth’s powerful entry into the world of fiction. . . . It still leaves one pondering over its words and meaning long after it’s over.
– NewMysteryReader.com

I was sucked in from the very beginning.
– Not Enough Books Blog

A compelling personal journey . . . Articulate and elegant.
– Rambles magazine

A moving love story with just the right amount of mystery mixed in to add a little something. It is extremely well written, making you want to keep reading to see where it is going next.
– MainlyMysteries.com

Collinsworth writes with originality; her dialogue is clever and unexpected, and while the emotions portrayed are intense, sophisticated humor lightens the mood. Recommended.
– Library Journal