“My Husband Betty” by Helen Boyd – A Book Review

When I first came across the book My Husband Betty, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. It’s written by a woman married to a crossdresser, which already hit close to home. But the more I read, the more I felt like she was telling our story—mine and my wife’s. The quiet shame. The fear of being too much. The hope that maybe, somehow, it’s still okay to be who I am and still be loved.

If you’ve ever tried to balance gender identity with marriage, kids, responsibilities, and the awkward tangle of “how much do I share?”—baby, you need this book.

Why This Book Hit So Hard for Me

I’ve been married over a decade. I crossdress. And most days, I’m dancing between what I feel inside and what I’m allowed to show. Reading My Husband Betty felt like looking in a mirror—except the person talking back was the partner.

Helen Boyd’s honesty gutted me in the best way. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Not her fear. Not her confusion. Not the ache of loving someone who doesn’t always fit the mold. Somehow, that made me feel more human. Less broken.

This book reminded me I’m not the only one asking the hard questions. How do I stay true to myself without losing the people I love? How much can I reveal without unraveling everything?

What My Husband Betty Gets Right

Let’s talk about what worked—because wow.

Boyd is so real it hurts. She lays her emotions bare, and I needed that. Watching her move from “what the hell is this?” to “I still love you” was powerful and deeply relatable.

She truly gets the shame. The way she describes her partner’s secrecy, guilt, and slow acceptance? Spot on. That struggle? Been there.

It’s not just about sex. This isn’t some fetish deep-dive. It’s about identity. It’s about what it means to be seen, and what it costs to hide.

More than anything, this book gave me validation. It told me it’s okay to evolve. That intimacy and authenticity aren’t mutually exclusive. That wanting both doesn’t make me selfish—it makes me real.

What Didn’t Work For Me

To be fair, some of it didn’t land for me.

The academic parts felt heavy. Boyd goes into gender theory at times, and I’ll be honest—I tuned out. I didn’t come here to write a thesis. I came to feel less alone.

If you’re the kind of reader who enjoys that layer of analysis, you might love it. But if you’re like me—more heart than head—you’ll probably skim those parts and come back for the emotional grit.

Who Should Read My Husband Betty

This book is for:

• Crossdressers who are married or partnered
• Spouses trying to understand what the hell is going on
• Anyone exploring gender identity while still living a “normal” life on the outside

Basically, if you’ve ever thought “I can’t talk about this because it might ruin everything,” this one’s for you.

Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Would I recommend My Husband Betty? Absolutely.

Would I read it again? Yep—probably with a highlighter this time.

This isn’t just a book about crossdressing. It’s about love, survival, and the messy beauty of figuring out who you are when your truth doesn’t fit the life you built.

If you’re on this journey too, this book might crack something open in you. It did for me.

👉 Grab it on Amazon