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The Wife App
Because every wife deserves a happy ending.
Three best friends decide they’re finally done with their ex-husbands taking their work as wives and moms for granted. They’re ready to monetize the mental load, stick it to their exes, and have a wild ride in the process in this novel that is “fresh, funny, empowering, and totally satisfying” (Judy Blume).
Lauren, mother of twins, wakes up one morning to her Wife Alarm Bells sounding. She sleuths on her husband’s phone and stumbles on a dirty secret that explodes her marriage. Madeline has it all—a penthouse apartment, a perfect daughter, and no-strings-attached romps with handsome men. But when she learns she might lose her child to her ex in England, it stirs up a decades-old personal tragedy. Sophie, with too much FOMO and never enough money, obsesses over her ex-husband’s Family 2.0—all while keeping her true desires hidden, even from herself.
It starts as a joke during a tipsy night out, as Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie rail against everything wives do for free. Let’s build an app that monetizes the mental load. And maybe revenge on our exes in the process. Soon, the Wife App is born, and before long, it’s the fastest growing start-up in New York City. But then life intervenes. Love intervenes. Ex-husbands intervene. And the consequences are bigger than anything Lauren, Madeline, or Sophie could have expected. Carolyn Mackler marks her debut into adult fiction with a rollercoaster ride of revenge and redemption that is at once a send-up of modern marriage and a celebration of female friendship and love in all forms.
Three best friends decide they’re finally done with their ex-husbands taking their work as wives and moms for granted. They’re ready to monetize the mental load, stick it to their exes, and have a wild ride in the process in this novel that is “fresh, funny, empowering, and totally satisfying” (Judy Blume).
Lauren, mother of twins, wakes up one morning to her Wife Alarm Bells sounding. She sleuths on her husband’s phone and stumbles on a dirty secret that explodes her marriage. Madeline has it all—a penthouse apartment, a perfect daughter, and no-strings-attached romps with handsome men. But when she learns she might lose her child to her ex in England, it stirs up a decades-old personal tragedy. Sophie, with too much FOMO and never enough money, obsesses over her ex-husband’s Family 2.0—all while keeping her true desires hidden, even from herself.
It starts as a joke during a tipsy night out, as Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie rail against everything wives do for free. Let’s build an app that monetizes the mental load. And maybe revenge on our exes in the process. Soon, the Wife App is born, and before long, it’s the fastest growing start-up in New York City. But then life intervenes. Love intervenes. Ex-husbands intervene. And the consequences are bigger than anything Lauren, Madeline, or Sophie could have expected. Carolyn Mackler marks her debut into adult fiction with a rollercoaster ride of revenge and redemption that is at once a send-up of modern marriage and a celebration of female friendship and love in all forms.
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2023
127 people are currently reading
27060 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Mackler
24 books981 followersCarolyn Mackler is the author of the popular teen novels, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (A Michael L. Printz Honor Book), Infinite in Between, Tangled, Guyaholic, Vegan Virgin Valentine, and Love and Other Four-Letter Words. Carolyn's novel, The Future of Us, co-written with bestselling author Jay Asher, received starred reviews and appeared on several bestseller lists. Carolyn has also written Best Friend Next Door, a novel for younger readers. Carolyn's novels have been published in more than twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, and Indonesia.
Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. Her new novel for teens, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I, will be published in May 2018. This is the long-awaited sequel to the Printz-honor winning novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. Her new novel for teens, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I, will be published in May 2018. This is the long-awaited sequel to the Printz-honor winning novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 852 reviews
July 1, 2023
Can you imagine about a new app that can serve the wives monetize each free labor they’ve been doing for years because patriarchal traditions force them turn into undervalued slaves! When there are apps for babysitters, dog walkers, private teachers, drivers, it’s reasonable to develop an application to honor the hardworking wives and their dedicated efforts!
Well, this is absolutely immersive, innovative, smart, fast pacing women’s fiction I devoured in one sitting!
Tech genius- a teacher- trust fund baby: three best friends and divorced wives to collaborate for avenging their husbands by creating a new app.
Lauren, freshly divorced after finding about her husband’s extra expenses for honoring sex workers, finding out another ugly truth about his misdemeanors. Madeleine is happily divorced, best friends with her music prodigy daughter, finding out her ex trying to convince their daughter to move to England with him. And poor Sophie barely finds enough money for paying her children’s therapy sessions as her ex spends extra money to his dreamy life with his new wife and daughter.
Three of them are adamant to make their exes pay and offer their services for extra money. Laureen already spent everything she’s earned after divorce: risking her funds, efforts, everything she’s worked! Will she succeed by releasing this new app as she’s expected?
Overall: I loved the character development, riveting plot and smart, surprising conclusions of storylines. ( especially Sophie’s HEA was well played that I never saw it coming)
It’s a nice and promising start! I am looking forward to read the future books of the author!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon& Schuster for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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Well, this is absolutely immersive, innovative, smart, fast pacing women’s fiction I devoured in one sitting!
Tech genius- a teacher- trust fund baby: three best friends and divorced wives to collaborate for avenging their husbands by creating a new app.
Lauren, freshly divorced after finding about her husband’s extra expenses for honoring sex workers, finding out another ugly truth about his misdemeanors. Madeleine is happily divorced, best friends with her music prodigy daughter, finding out her ex trying to convince their daughter to move to England with him. And poor Sophie barely finds enough money for paying her children’s therapy sessions as her ex spends extra money to his dreamy life with his new wife and daughter.
Three of them are adamant to make their exes pay and offer their services for extra money. Laureen already spent everything she’s earned after divorce: risking her funds, efforts, everything she’s worked! Will she succeed by releasing this new app as she’s expected?
Overall: I loved the character development, riveting plot and smart, surprising conclusions of storylines. ( especially Sophie’s HEA was well played that I never saw it coming)
It’s a nice and promising start! I am looking forward to read the future books of the author!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon& Schuster for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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July 3, 2024
**Many thanks to @SimonBooks and @CarolynMacklerBooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Now available as of 6.27!**
According to recent research, it is estimated that stay-at-home moms provide around 98 HOURS of unpaid, unseen, invisible labor a week; some estimates are even higher than this.
...But what if there were a way for moms/wives to FINALLY get paid?
Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie are three best friends with a lot in common...and now they can add one more shared attribute to the list: they are all divorced. After a sneaking suspicion that something was just off, mom of twins Lauren finds something very disturbing on his phone: her hubby is paying for sexual satisfaction elsewhere. Feeling numb, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back in her marriage, and Lauren is ready for a divorce.
At Lauren's divorce celebration with her two besties, the women lament the pains of the mental load and how much they do for their spouses that not only goes unappreciated, but entirely unseen: everything from keeping track of doctor's appointments to party planning to making sure their kids have the clean clothes they need before school on Monday morning. After a few round of cocktails, the group jokingly decides that they need to find a way to make this free labor a little less free and propose the Wife App, an app where women (and men, and any interested gender!) can sign up to be a Wife and command top dollar for these undesirable tasks.
It sounds like nothing more than a passing fancy at first, Lauren gets some legs (and some finances) behind the project and before they know it, the app is up and running...and has a growing customer base! Madeline starts to resent being a wife for pay, however, as it cuts into her free-wheeling Samantha Jones-like escapades...AND her once tight-knit relationship with her daughter is threatened when her ex-husband across the pond wants to bring her to London for an entire YEAR. Sophie tries not to feel FOMO when she looks at her husband's beautiful new SO, Beatrice and family...but are her feelings MORE than just feelings of jealousy?
As the three women navigate their individual struggles and fight to keep up with the app's demand, can they HANDLE the extra burden of being wives for hire...and is the bountiful cash incentive enough to keep them going? Can these friendships stand the test of time and added pressure...or are they the next relationships destined to fall apart?
I'll be honest, I was worried at first that the concept of The Wife App might read as a bit silly, much like many books centered around social media, influencers, or the like. But what became quickly apparent after the first couple of chapters in this book is that these are three dynamic, interesting women who, despite their life circumstances as NYC dwellers, were WHOLLY relatable..and wholly lovable! The POV cycles neatly between the narratives of Sophie, Madeline, and Lauren, and the characters never felt too similar to one another and were equally enticing and fun to read. Although I personally struggled the most with Madeline, I even grew to care about her struggles by story's end, despite the occasional disconnect.
But characters aside, the best aspect of this book is its premise, and despite the mild suspension of disbelief required, Mackler did SUCH an expert job covering the depth, breadth, and impact of all of this invisible labor...and how it not only affects women mentally, but physically and emotionally as well. The characters didn't bemoan their plight, but rather, just gave it a voice, and sadly, the people who probably need to read this most will never pick it up. However, despite the topic, this book is full of laughter and fun to balance out all of the heavier discussions about divorce and the emotions that follow such a dramatic shift. You genuinely root for the women to succeed AND the app to succeed, while realizing the two are not mutually exclusive.
Despite the room for it, Mackler never resorts to man bashing or making jokes at anyone's expense: she also takes the care to include some representation from the LGBT community, and to make it clear that this is not an app designed to include romantic 'favors' or entanglements. I appreciated the balanced approach, and it gave further credence to an idea that is a bit fantastic in some respects. This was a bit SATC, but mom style,and any book that gets me this invested is one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!
There have been books popping up aplenty in the 'females take their revenge' subgenre lately (many thrillers, some not) but it was a joy to find one that was simply 'females use their VOICES' to send a message loud and clear: we all deserve to get paid for the work that we do...and if we're going to bear the brunt of the invisible labor, we STILL deserve to be seen. 👓
4 stars
#TheWifeApp #SimonBooksBuddy
Now in paperback!
According to recent research, it is estimated that stay-at-home moms provide around 98 HOURS of unpaid, unseen, invisible labor a week; some estimates are even higher than this.
...But what if there were a way for moms/wives to FINALLY get paid?
Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie are three best friends with a lot in common...and now they can add one more shared attribute to the list: they are all divorced. After a sneaking suspicion that something was just off, mom of twins Lauren finds something very disturbing on his phone: her hubby is paying for sexual satisfaction elsewhere. Feeling numb, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back in her marriage, and Lauren is ready for a divorce.
At Lauren's divorce celebration with her two besties, the women lament the pains of the mental load and how much they do for their spouses that not only goes unappreciated, but entirely unseen: everything from keeping track of doctor's appointments to party planning to making sure their kids have the clean clothes they need before school on Monday morning. After a few round of cocktails, the group jokingly decides that they need to find a way to make this free labor a little less free and propose the Wife App, an app where women (and men, and any interested gender!) can sign up to be a Wife and command top dollar for these undesirable tasks.
It sounds like nothing more than a passing fancy at first, Lauren gets some legs (and some finances) behind the project and before they know it, the app is up and running...and has a growing customer base! Madeline starts to resent being a wife for pay, however, as it cuts into her free-wheeling Samantha Jones-like escapades...AND her once tight-knit relationship with her daughter is threatened when her ex-husband across the pond wants to bring her to London for an entire YEAR. Sophie tries not to feel FOMO when she looks at her husband's beautiful new SO, Beatrice and family...but are her feelings MORE than just feelings of jealousy?
As the three women navigate their individual struggles and fight to keep up with the app's demand, can they HANDLE the extra burden of being wives for hire...and is the bountiful cash incentive enough to keep them going? Can these friendships stand the test of time and added pressure...or are they the next relationships destined to fall apart?
I'll be honest, I was worried at first that the concept of The Wife App might read as a bit silly, much like many books centered around social media, influencers, or the like. But what became quickly apparent after the first couple of chapters in this book is that these are three dynamic, interesting women who, despite their life circumstances as NYC dwellers, were WHOLLY relatable..and wholly lovable! The POV cycles neatly between the narratives of Sophie, Madeline, and Lauren, and the characters never felt too similar to one another and were equally enticing and fun to read. Although I personally struggled the most with Madeline, I even grew to care about her struggles by story's end, despite the occasional disconnect.
But characters aside, the best aspect of this book is its premise, and despite the mild suspension of disbelief required, Mackler did SUCH an expert job covering the depth, breadth, and impact of all of this invisible labor...and how it not only affects women mentally, but physically and emotionally as well. The characters didn't bemoan their plight, but rather, just gave it a voice, and sadly, the people who probably need to read this most will never pick it up. However, despite the topic, this book is full of laughter and fun to balance out all of the heavier discussions about divorce and the emotions that follow such a dramatic shift. You genuinely root for the women to succeed AND the app to succeed, while realizing the two are not mutually exclusive.
Despite the room for it, Mackler never resorts to man bashing or making jokes at anyone's expense: she also takes the care to include some representation from the LGBT community, and to make it clear that this is not an app designed to include romantic 'favors' or entanglements. I appreciated the balanced approach, and it gave further credence to an idea that is a bit fantastic in some respects. This was a bit SATC, but mom style,and any book that gets me this invested is one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!
There have been books popping up aplenty in the 'females take their revenge' subgenre lately (many thrillers, some not) but it was a joy to find one that was simply 'females use their VOICES' to send a message loud and clear: we all deserve to get paid for the work that we do...and if we're going to bear the brunt of the invisible labor, we STILL deserve to be seen. 👓
4 stars
#TheWifeApp #SimonBooksBuddy
Now in paperback!
June 8, 2023
I really liked the concept of this book a lot. I was instantly intrigued by the idea of an app where you can sign up and then fairly pay someone to do the never ending tasks that seem to traditionally fall on the wife in our society. I loved that a piece of what they were doing was to help highlight the value of that work and hopefully change the way marriage works in our society. The three main characters all take turns telling their story and while the story was well written, there was something that made it hard to truly connect with the three women. I did love the queer representation, and I don’t just mean with a relationship but in the positive support for a child questioning gender identity and having women/men/non-binary folks be Wives on the app. This was my first one by Carolyn Mackler, but it was a light, fun, and entertaining read so I will definitely find more of her books.
May 27, 2023
3.5 rounded to a 4 star
I liked the premise just execution wasn't solid enough for me. I did enjoy reading this as it had some quirky bits that made me giggle. The ending was okay, but overall it was just average. I so wanted to love this more than I did. Maybe it's just me?
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I liked the premise just execution wasn't solid enough for me. I did enjoy reading this as it had some quirky bits that made me giggle. The ending was okay, but overall it was just average. I so wanted to love this more than I did. Maybe it's just me?
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
June 23, 2023
I wanted to like this more than I did.
September 23, 2023
The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler is another case of Bookstagram Made Me Do It, and in this case, I couldn't be happier! I got this from the library since I wasn't sure what I would think, and now I definitely want to add a copy to my shelf. I loved the focus on friendship between Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie and that the book switched between each one, so we really got to know them as characters. They all felt very alive like they could be my neighbors, and I found myself wishing they were real so I could be friends with them too! Each one has their own things going on in their personal life, and the one thing that they ALL have in common is divorce and dealing with ex-husbands. The startup idea in this book is absolutely brilliant, and I loved following along with these women as they do jobs and get the app off the ground while also dealing with their own sh*t.
The audiobook was a delight to listen to, and I loved that there was a full cast of narrators. Jennifer Jill Araya, Joy Osmanski & Allyson Ryan complimented each other wonderfully, and I was very happy with them as the voices of their characters. I would definitely recommend the audio, but I don't think you can go wrong with the book either. There is a little bit of steam that I wasn't expecting from not reading the synopsis, but it wasn't anything too wild, and it definitely fit into Madeline's character. I found all of the women completely loveable and loved the way the app piece of the story blended together with each of their storylines. I laughed, I had tears in my eyes, and The Wife App ended up giving me more warm fuzzies than I initially expected. This is the author's adult debut, and I really hope she has more in the pipeline because I will for sure buy them from now on!
The audiobook was a delight to listen to, and I loved that there was a full cast of narrators. Jennifer Jill Araya, Joy Osmanski & Allyson Ryan complimented each other wonderfully, and I was very happy with them as the voices of their characters. I would definitely recommend the audio, but I don't think you can go wrong with the book either. There is a little bit of steam that I wasn't expecting from not reading the synopsis, but it wasn't anything too wild, and it definitely fit into Madeline's character. I found all of the women completely loveable and loved the way the app piece of the story blended together with each of their storylines. I laughed, I had tears in my eyes, and The Wife App ended up giving me more warm fuzzies than I initially expected. This is the author's adult debut, and I really hope she has more in the pipeline because I will for sure buy them from now on!
April 5, 2023
Review coming soon.
May 13, 2023
Close friends and all three divorced, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie realize that as wives they carried the entire “mental load” in their marriages. They were the ones responsible for the house, the children, their social lives, medical care….everything. Over a dinner out, they jokingly suggest that all these chores should be monetized and maybe there should be a “Wife App” to do just that. What seemed like a crazed idea became reality as techie Lauren worked with the two of them and other tech professionals to create such an app. An app where a “spouse” could hire a “wife”(who could be female or male) to carry out all those tasks that often fall on the woman to complete. As they traverse the pitfalls of their daily lives coping with ex husbands, children, and their needs, the app takes off, becoming hugely successful.
I loved this book (and I am recommending it to my husband!). It is fresh and contemporary, with snappy writing, humorous, painfully on target observations. I have already praised this to all my friends.
Thanks to #netgalley and #Simon&Schuster for the ARC.
I loved this book (and I am recommending it to my husband!). It is fresh and contemporary, with snappy writing, humorous, painfully on target observations. I have already praised this to all my friends.
Thanks to #netgalley and #Simon&Schuster for the ARC.
July 10, 2023
three women start an app to make money…
2.5/ 5.0 I am having a hard time processing this one. The concept of the plot, the app, is interesting but it feels like just another gig labor app that starts off with good intentions and then descends into greedy capitalism. It’s very sparse for all the words that are here. There is no real detail to anything.
All three women experience small drama during the course of the story and all three don’t really resolve, it all just sort of irons out and is forgotten. The philandering ex with the babysitter turned lover and a nonbinary child? He loses his relationship and then the investment deal and then nothing… The musician with a second family who is also a dead beat dad? His wives end up together and he’s sent off into the world to continue on, but why not show the scene when they tell him and he loses his shit… Finally, the f*ck buddy baby daddy who probably was never at fault anyways? Well, he was the most innocent of the three and that drama was more with the mother and daughter, but still, he comes to the US and it’s all just smooth waters…
Overall, it was slow to get going and stale too. Then it was lots of details about shit no one cares about unless it’s going to resolve into something compelling and dramatic. Finally, it just ends… everyone is happily ever after and these wives got a crap ton of money for their app because there is nothing like it currently, not because it is a revolutionary approach to mental loads, mental health, menial and default tasks combined with an innovative and progressive gig labor model that values and engages with its employees like real people that have real things like healthcare and retirement worries. No, can’t have that, just three affluent white women milking the system and finding a place in capitalist society to make money off work routinely done for free.
That’s where it really stuck me. That this book isn’t as good as it could have been.
Until Next Time,
MC
2.5/ 5.0 I am having a hard time processing this one. The concept of the plot, the app, is interesting but it feels like just another gig labor app that starts off with good intentions and then descends into greedy capitalism. It’s very sparse for all the words that are here. There is no real detail to anything.
All three women experience small drama during the course of the story and all three don’t really resolve, it all just sort of irons out and is forgotten. The philandering ex with the babysitter turned lover and a nonbinary child? He loses his relationship and then the investment deal and then nothing… The musician with a second family who is also a dead beat dad? His wives end up together and he’s sent off into the world to continue on, but why not show the scene when they tell him and he loses his shit… Finally, the f*ck buddy baby daddy who probably was never at fault anyways? Well, he was the most innocent of the three and that drama was more with the mother and daughter, but still, he comes to the US and it’s all just smooth waters…
Overall, it was slow to get going and stale too. Then it was lots of details about shit no one cares about unless it’s going to resolve into something compelling and dramatic. Finally, it just ends… everyone is happily ever after and these wives got a crap ton of money for their app because there is nothing like it currently, not because it is a revolutionary approach to mental loads, mental health, menial and default tasks combined with an innovative and progressive gig labor model that values and engages with its employees like real people that have real things like healthcare and retirement worries. No, can’t have that, just three affluent white women milking the system and finding a place in capitalist society to make money off work routinely done for free.
That’s where it really stuck me. That this book isn’t as good as it could have been.
Until Next Time,
MC
Want to read
December 9, 2022Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the arc! This sounds like a The First Wives Club movie retelling! I LOVED that movie with Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, & Diane Keaton! (Also just found out it was a book-to-movie!!!! First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith! )
The divorcées seek retribution against their husbands for cheating on them, or leaving them in general. It was a blast as a movie & I plan to read the original book first bc why not?!
CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS!!!!!!
You don’t own me, I’m not just one of your many toys;
You don’t own me, don’t say I can’t go with other boys…
And don’t tell me what to do, and don’t tell me what to say, and please when I go out with you, don’t put me on display… You don’t own me…
The divorcées seek retribution against their husbands for cheating on them, or leaving them in general. It was a blast as a movie & I plan to read the original book first bc why not?!
CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS!!!!!!
You don’t own me, I’m not just one of your many toys;
You don’t own me, don’t say I can’t go with other boys…
And don’t tell me what to do, and don’t tell me what to say, and please when I go out with you, don’t put me on display… You don’t own me…
July 22, 2023
Delete the app (skip this book)
July 4, 2023
This was such a fun easy read! I can definitely picture this as a Netflix series, along the lines of The Working Moms. Three tipsy best friends decide to come up with “The Wife App” - monetizing tasks that wives tend to take on for free - as a way to get revenge on their ex-husbands. I laughed and commiserated while reading this, so much of it was painfully true, but with an edge of flavorful fiction added to make it even more fun and compelling.
Because every wife deserves a happy ending.
Because every wife deserves a happy ending.
August 25, 2023
Light, fun and a fresh concept.
All the stars go to the underlying message in this read. There is definitely a ‘mental load’ attached to running a family. I’ve always said we’ve (women) shot ourselves in the foot by trying to juggle everything in our quest to have equality and equity vs men. All we’ve done is taken on two jobs - one unpaid and one paid!
I struggled to connect with all the characters - from the minor ones to the main ones. Told from three POVs the story passed quickly but I wasn’t a fan of the ‘Cinderella’ aspect.
All the stars go to the underlying message in this read. There is definitely a ‘mental load’ attached to running a family. I’ve always said we’ve (women) shot ourselves in the foot by trying to juggle everything in our quest to have equality and equity vs men. All we’ve done is taken on two jobs - one unpaid and one paid!
I struggled to connect with all the characters - from the minor ones to the main ones. Told from three POVs the story passed quickly but I wasn’t a fan of the ‘Cinderella’ aspect.
March 9, 2023
Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie are best friends who invent an app that monetizes the invisible drudgery of everyday life that is mostly taken care of by wives and mothers.
I read the synopsis of this and stabbed the read now button immediately because I LOVE the idea of monetizing the mental load. Unfortunately, the story fell apart for me fairly quickly, especially when it came to the characters. Since becoming a parent, I have worked outside of the home full time, then became a stay-at-home parent, and now I work part-time -- and none of these women or their situations felt particularly real or relatable to me. There were also some cringey sex scenes that I didn't love.
I will say, however, that Mackler made some really excellent points about invisible labor and did address the issue of privilege. This was a quick read that I think could be enjoyed by and will be relatable to many women, it just didn't quite work for me.
* thanks to Simon & Schuster for the NetGalley review copy. The Wife App publishes June 27, 2023.
I read the synopsis of this and stabbed the read now button immediately because I LOVE the idea of monetizing the mental load. Unfortunately, the story fell apart for me fairly quickly, especially when it came to the characters. Since becoming a parent, I have worked outside of the home full time, then became a stay-at-home parent, and now I work part-time -- and none of these women or their situations felt particularly real or relatable to me. There were also some cringey sex scenes that I didn't love.
I will say, however, that Mackler made some really excellent points about invisible labor and did address the issue of privilege. This was a quick read that I think could be enjoyed by and will be relatable to many women, it just didn't quite work for me.
* thanks to Simon & Schuster for the NetGalley review copy. The Wife App publishes June 27, 2023.
June 30, 2023
Fresh, spirited, and fun!
The Wife App is a lighthearted, engaging tale that sweeps you away to NYC and into the lives of three divorced friends, Madeline, Lauren, and Sophie who, after spending a night grumbling over all the selfless tasks mothers and wives are bombarded with on a daily basis, decide to join together to create an app which would monetize and give value to all those unappreciated, time-consuming, dreaded domestic chores nobody likes to do.
The writing style is witty and sharp. The characters are independent, layered, and supportive. And the plot is a humorous tale about life, love, family, friendship, child-rearing, introspection, marital inequality, interfering exes, tender moments, taking chances, and new beginnings.
Overall, The Wife App is an easy, uplifting, entertaining tale by Mackler that is bursting with female friendships, self-discovery, romance, and the ups and downs of single parenthood.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Wife App is a lighthearted, engaging tale that sweeps you away to NYC and into the lives of three divorced friends, Madeline, Lauren, and Sophie who, after spending a night grumbling over all the selfless tasks mothers and wives are bombarded with on a daily basis, decide to join together to create an app which would monetize and give value to all those unappreciated, time-consuming, dreaded domestic chores nobody likes to do.
The writing style is witty and sharp. The characters are independent, layered, and supportive. And the plot is a humorous tale about life, love, family, friendship, child-rearing, introspection, marital inequality, interfering exes, tender moments, taking chances, and new beginnings.
Overall, The Wife App is an easy, uplifting, entertaining tale by Mackler that is bursting with female friendships, self-discovery, romance, and the ups and downs of single parenthood.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2024
This was such a surprise delight!! Three frustrated recently divorced NYC wives work together to design a new app that monetizes the unpaid work women do as wives all the time. It takes off and turns into a huge success. Told from alternate POVs between Sophie, Madeline and Lauren, we get to know each women's families and see how they move on from their exes and find new self-confidence on their own. Great on audio and HIGHLY recommended especially for fans of authors like Laura Hankin.
February 17, 2023
What if there was an app that paid people to do all the things wives do for free?
Moved the concept behind this wonderful book and it didn't disappoint The plot revolves around three divorced mothers and their journey's along with the app Each of them had their own narration and a beautiful character are their development with their kids was satisfying to watch
This is definitely something I haven't read before and although I love the innovation. I found it too patronizing and feminist Don't get me wrong I enjoy female centric books, but I didn't like how being a wife was shown as a boring tedious job in all cases Nearly all the marriages in the book end up with a divorce and I'd like representation of long happy marriages too.
Even if you are not into romance, this book has so many lovely characters and the side characters have their parts, fleshed out in much detail. If you like reading children, Mackler's writing is sure to be a delight as these women's lives revolve around their precious babies.
Can't wait to get my hands on another Carolyn Mackler (this was my first). I highly recommend this piece of brilliance <3
Tropes and TW: LGBT, Family, Romance, Mental Health, Anxiety, Second Chance, Women's Fiction.
I received a complimentary ARC of the book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.
Moved the concept behind this wonderful book and it didn't disappoint The plot revolves around three divorced mothers and their journey's along with the app Each of them had their own narration and a beautiful character are their development with their kids was satisfying to watch
This is definitely something I haven't read before and although I love the innovation. I found it too patronizing and feminist Don't get me wrong I enjoy female centric books, but I didn't like how being a wife was shown as a boring tedious job in all cases Nearly all the marriages in the book end up with a divorce and I'd like representation of long happy marriages too.
Even if you are not into romance, this book has so many lovely characters and the side characters have their parts, fleshed out in much detail. If you like reading children, Mackler's writing is sure to be a delight as these women's lives revolve around their precious babies.
Can't wait to get my hands on another Carolyn Mackler (this was my first). I highly recommend this piece of brilliance <3
Tropes and TW: LGBT, Family, Romance, Mental Health, Anxiety, Second Chance, Women's Fiction.
I received a complimentary ARC of the book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.
January 28, 2023
Five plus stars for The Wife App. I don’t know if I’ve related so much to characters in a book as I did to the women and mom’s in The Wife App. Even as a very happily married mother, author Carolyn Mackler is spot-on with her details about the mental load that women carry on a daily basis. Three friends, Lauren, Sophie and Madeline are all independently successful women. They are all three divorced and have children at various stages of life. When the Wife App is first discussed, it’s over drinks one night as a pie-in-the-sky idea. But, as women often do, these three incredible women put their heads together to bring a dream to reality. I loved watching them grow and change as people and discover who they are outside of being wives and mothers. The various scenarios are incredibly accurate and often made me cringe or literally laugh out loud. I immediately went to find the author online to sing her praises and absolutely cannot wait for this book to be out in June so that we can discuss at our ladies only book club!
A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2023
This was okay. I read some of Carolyn Mackler's YA novels in middle school so it was funny to revisit her now as an adult. This was easy reading, and Mackler reinforces that working mothers in modern society are expected to do it all — work and run the household — and that mental load is exhausting. The titular Wife App tries to solve for the mental load of modern motherhood by allowing parents to offload household tasks to hired help. It's clever, but the story itself was predictable and tied up with a neat little bow. Mackler isn't trodding any new territory with the concept, characters, and plot lines.
September 2, 2023
The Wife App
By Carolyn Mackler
I loved the premise of this story and the fun way three divorced women have created an app to monetize the work women do in marriages. In all Mackler writes an uplifting and light hearted story that is unique and refreshing.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook - the full cast of characters was incredible and I found it fascinating to listen to.
A really fun listen that I recommend
By Carolyn Mackler
I loved the premise of this story and the fun way three divorced women have created an app to monetize the work women do in marriages. In all Mackler writes an uplifting and light hearted story that is unique and refreshing.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook - the full cast of characters was incredible and I found it fascinating to listen to.
A really fun listen that I recommend
July 12, 2023
The Wife App is a wonderfully funny, creative thought-out story about three divorced women who are best friends trying to manage all the crap that goes along with being a single parent, while trying to deal with their significant exes, work and manage everybody’s life. As a mother knows, when one of your kids, husbands, exes have a problem, it becomes YOUR problem. While meeting for drinks and complaining about life, they come up with an extraordinary idea which will change their lives forever.
In the process of the creation of The Wife App, they all become stronger, wiser in their relationships with their children as well as their exes. They begin to see their former husbands in very different lights, some for the better and some for the worse.
Lauren is the mother of twins who always thought her marriage was on solid ground. Until she looked at her husband’s phone one day and discovered it absolutely was not! Hence, she joined her best friends in the I am a single parent club. So, when her friend Madeline throws out the idea of an app that allows women to give someone else all the crap jobs they always feel boggled down doing, Lauren who worked in IT when she had no children jumps at the chance to create something.
Madeline is a rich divorcee whose husband lives in England, and she has custody of their daughter who is an upcoming cello player. She is happy. She and her daughter connect on so many levels unlike she and her own mother. The distance between her and her ex works perfectly. Madeline is just into The Wife App for the ride! Until she discovers her daughter has been keeping a secret from her and she begins to see the world in a different light.
Sophie, the third bestie has a different family dynamic. Her husband has remarried and has a very young daughter. Although she likes Beatrice, the new wife, she feels overwhelmed by all the extra tasks she must take on because it seems her husband is too busy with his new family. So as Sophie delves deeper into work for The Wife App, she discovers a new sense of strength and realizes for once what she truly wants rather than what is expected of her, and that truth sets her free.
To their surprise the app takes off. They realize it’s not just for wives, but for single parents, overworked partners and older people who just want help. Overwhelmed they suddenly find themselves in an incredible position of power. Hopefully nothing will go wrong!
The Wife App is brilliant! It opens the door to what we all know. Exhaustion. No matter who you are or what your lifestyle, guarantee you are juggling everything, feeling guilty and of course there is never enough time in the day. The story will be relatable, humorous and touching to those who reads it and I look forward to the purchase of the app, because I imagine some strong woman will absolutely make this happen for real!
Thank you #NetGalley #Simon&Schuster #TheWifeApp #CarolynMackler for the advanced copy.
In the process of the creation of The Wife App, they all become stronger, wiser in their relationships with their children as well as their exes. They begin to see their former husbands in very different lights, some for the better and some for the worse.
Lauren is the mother of twins who always thought her marriage was on solid ground. Until she looked at her husband’s phone one day and discovered it absolutely was not! Hence, she joined her best friends in the I am a single parent club. So, when her friend Madeline throws out the idea of an app that allows women to give someone else all the crap jobs they always feel boggled down doing, Lauren who worked in IT when she had no children jumps at the chance to create something.
Madeline is a rich divorcee whose husband lives in England, and she has custody of their daughter who is an upcoming cello player. She is happy. She and her daughter connect on so many levels unlike she and her own mother. The distance between her and her ex works perfectly. Madeline is just into The Wife App for the ride! Until she discovers her daughter has been keeping a secret from her and she begins to see the world in a different light.
Sophie, the third bestie has a different family dynamic. Her husband has remarried and has a very young daughter. Although she likes Beatrice, the new wife, she feels overwhelmed by all the extra tasks she must take on because it seems her husband is too busy with his new family. So as Sophie delves deeper into work for The Wife App, she discovers a new sense of strength and realizes for once what she truly wants rather than what is expected of her, and that truth sets her free.
To their surprise the app takes off. They realize it’s not just for wives, but for single parents, overworked partners and older people who just want help. Overwhelmed they suddenly find themselves in an incredible position of power. Hopefully nothing will go wrong!
The Wife App is brilliant! It opens the door to what we all know. Exhaustion. No matter who you are or what your lifestyle, guarantee you are juggling everything, feeling guilty and of course there is never enough time in the day. The story will be relatable, humorous and touching to those who reads it and I look forward to the purchase of the app, because I imagine some strong woman will absolutely make this happen for real!
Thank you #NetGalley #Simon&Schuster #TheWifeApp #CarolynMackler for the advanced copy.
August 7, 2023
I am SO glad I read The Wife App because it is now one of my 2023 top picks! I loved the creativity and the witty banter. All three women were relatable, even though I am not divorced. They presented well as sympathetic characters and I cared about each of them. There was one situation Sophie had to deal with that reminded me so much of something I had to deal with over the past few years.
It had a vibe similar to the TV series And Just Like That. There were even some parts on the show that reminded me of the book, and vice versa. I also loved the New York feel throughout. There is a lot going on in the story and the abundance of supporting characters keeps the story flowing nicely and had me turning the pages without wanting to put it down. (Even though real life did tend to get in the way...)
My only concern is that the synopsis says that there are big consequences for the women, but I didn't really feel that such a thing actually happened. That didn't take away from my enjoyment but I was all nervous for them and I didn't really have to be.
Mental load is a real thing and I would love an app that would take some of that off my shoulders. (I am currently dreading having to call the dry cleaner about a shirt they didn't clean.) However, I'm in a wonderful group on Facebook called Balanced Working Moms Community. We address the mental loads in our lives and also find ways to make things easier and stress-free for ourselves. Stay-at-home moms could also join this group as they have just as much to balance as the working moms do.
Funny moment: There was a mention of Alan Ginsberg's poem "Howl". I read that part in the book right after I saw an episode of Riverdale that talked about it a few times. What are the odds?!?
Overall, The Wife App was an enjoyable read and I highly recommended this one! (Someone I recently recommended it to loved it as much as I did.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Lauren: Mila Kunis
Sophie: Jaime King
Madeline: Elyse Levesque
Beatrice: Kathleen Munroe
Joshua: Kyle Schmid
Colin: Theo James
Eric: Sean Faris
It had a vibe similar to the TV series And Just Like That. There were even some parts on the show that reminded me of the book, and vice versa. I also loved the New York feel throughout. There is a lot going on in the story and the abundance of supporting characters keeps the story flowing nicely and had me turning the pages without wanting to put it down. (Even though real life did tend to get in the way...)
My only concern is that the synopsis says that there are big consequences for the women, but I didn't really feel that such a thing actually happened. That didn't take away from my enjoyment but I was all nervous for them and I didn't really have to be.
Mental load is a real thing and I would love an app that would take some of that off my shoulders. (I am currently dreading having to call the dry cleaner about a shirt they didn't clean.) However, I'm in a wonderful group on Facebook called Balanced Working Moms Community. We address the mental loads in our lives and also find ways to make things easier and stress-free for ourselves. Stay-at-home moms could also join this group as they have just as much to balance as the working moms do.
Funny moment: There was a mention of Alan Ginsberg's poem "Howl". I read that part in the book right after I saw an episode of Riverdale that talked about it a few times. What are the odds?!?
Overall, The Wife App was an enjoyable read and I highly recommended this one! (Someone I recently recommended it to loved it as much as I did.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Lauren: Mila Kunis
Sophie: Jaime King
Madeline: Elyse Levesque
Beatrice: Kathleen Munroe
Joshua: Kyle Schmid
Colin: Theo James
Eric: Sean Faris
June 6, 2023
The Wife App follows three best friends, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie, who, while divorced, continue to do all the work when it comes to parenting. After a night out, they decide to create an app to monetize on all the things wives typically do for free. Little did they know how successful it would become, not only for wives but also for husbands.
This book was unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. It was well-written, entertaining and gave off feel-good vibes. Even though the premise is not totally realistic, as I think there would be a lot of legal issues with an app like this, it is still easy to relate to the characters and themes in the story. I enjoyed how big of a role the main characters’ kids played, which balanced nicely with their evolving romances. Also, if you are an audiobook fan, I loved listening to the story, and each POV had their own narrator!
Read if you like:
-Feminist and privilege themes
-Alternative POVs
-Family drama
-NYC setting
Thank you Simon Books for the ARC! Pub date 6/27
This book was unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. It was well-written, entertaining and gave off feel-good vibes. Even though the premise is not totally realistic, as I think there would be a lot of legal issues with an app like this, it is still easy to relate to the characters and themes in the story. I enjoyed how big of a role the main characters’ kids played, which balanced nicely with their evolving romances. Also, if you are an audiobook fan, I loved listening to the story, and each POV had their own narrator!
Read if you like:
-Feminist and privilege themes
-Alternative POVs
-Family drama
-NYC setting
Thank you Simon Books for the ARC! Pub date 6/27
June 27, 2023
What an interesting concept! Wives getting paid for the things that automatically become their duties in a marriage, like making doctors appointments and baking cookies for the PTA.
This was a super cute and fun read. The story is told through the eyes of three best friends who are navigating life after divorce. None of them are perfect, but they are doing the best they can with their given situations.
I flew through this story! It was a good read.
This was a super cute and fun read. The story is told through the eyes of three best friends who are navigating life after divorce. None of them are perfect, but they are doing the best they can with their given situations.
I flew through this story! It was a good read.
April 25, 2023
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. This was a quick, light read and I was intrigued by the concept. However, I found the characters generally unlikeable and felt like the book was a bit scattered - it tried to tackle so many issues and characters that each one felt very surface level and did not fully develop.
January 11, 2023
This was just not a tale that held my attention, I’m afraid; a bit too all-over-the-place with characters that weren’t relatable.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC opportunity.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC opportunity.
2023
October 22, 2025Valentine's Day TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster
February 5, 2024
I needed a little break from romance, and this did the trick! Three divorced mothers devise an app—The Wife app—to capitalize on their previously undervalued roles as wives. The paperwork you need done? The appointments you need booked? Hire a "wife" from The Wife app to get it done!
But it's much deeper than that, I assure you! All coming from a different situation, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie each brought a unique voice through their individual POVs. Some characters I connected with more, as I expected, but I was wholeheartedly invested in all their happy endings.
This book focuses a lot on the mental load and overwhelming pressure of motherhood. It captured the unique experience in a way that was very relatable. I loved the emphasis that no one has it all together, despite what social media may show you—something I think we all know but easily forget.
Funny, heartwarming, and thought provoking! I enjoyed this one a lot.
(heat level: a few very brief open-door scenes, heavy language — primarily Madeline's POV)
But it's much deeper than that, I assure you! All coming from a different situation, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie each brought a unique voice through their individual POVs. Some characters I connected with more, as I expected, but I was wholeheartedly invested in all their happy endings.
This book focuses a lot on the mental load and overwhelming pressure of motherhood. It captured the unique experience in a way that was very relatable. I loved the emphasis that no one has it all together, despite what social media may show you—something I think we all know but easily forget.
Funny, heartwarming, and thought provoking! I enjoyed this one a lot.
(heat level: a few very brief open-door scenes, heavy language — primarily Madeline's POV)
July 3, 2023
This book was such a joy. I was completely enthralled and loved every page. I binged it over the course of three nights and didn't want it to end!
It's not often enough that we talk about the mental load - the unseen work that goes on behind the scenes. Filling out forms, staying up to date on doctors' appointments, remembering birthdays and buying gifts, meal planning, cycling out the outgrown clothes and swapping in the new items, researching the camps and after school activities, and the list goes on and on. Maybe because I'm in the thick of it right now, but so much of this book resonated with me. Often overwhelmed by the mental load, it was amazing to feel so seen and validated and VALUED!
The Wife App didn't feel preachy to me which is key. I also really connected with the characters, loved their stories, and appreciated how different each of the women were. Each friend really brought something to the table and I loved seeing them shine and come into their own as they each took on different parts of the app and brought it to life.
This was a really clever novel and totally unique. While some parts were a little far fetched and everything seemed to move pretty quickly and easily for them, it was overall a tremendous story and one I really enjoyed.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the copy. I highly recommend!
It's not often enough that we talk about the mental load - the unseen work that goes on behind the scenes. Filling out forms, staying up to date on doctors' appointments, remembering birthdays and buying gifts, meal planning, cycling out the outgrown clothes and swapping in the new items, researching the camps and after school activities, and the list goes on and on. Maybe because I'm in the thick of it right now, but so much of this book resonated with me. Often overwhelmed by the mental load, it was amazing to feel so seen and validated and VALUED!
The Wife App didn't feel preachy to me which is key. I also really connected with the characters, loved their stories, and appreciated how different each of the women were. Each friend really brought something to the table and I loved seeing them shine and come into their own as they each took on different parts of the app and brought it to life.
This was a really clever novel and totally unique. While some parts were a little far fetched and everything seemed to move pretty quickly and easily for them, it was overall a tremendous story and one I really enjoyed.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the copy. I highly recommend!
Read
April 5, 2023The synopsis promised revenge on sleaze bag ex-husbands. I'm always up for a story of the powerless turning the tables on the powerful. Though that is really not the main drive here.
The substrate is more about gaining agency, as three ex-wives who are tight friends come up with an app that offloads all the cumbersome, and unpaid, jobs usually done by wives, onto paid wives. While they are doing that, they are coping with their own lives, and their relationships with their children, exes, parents, and other people.
I liked the diversity here, and even though our three heroines' road to success is total wish fulfillment, within the story verse they're worked hard to get that success. (Even if the app sounds like TaskRabbit for the rich. Which doesn't actually solve the problem for most of the rest of the world, in spite of some spirited stabs in that direction.)
The substrate is more about gaining agency, as three ex-wives who are tight friends come up with an app that offloads all the cumbersome, and unpaid, jobs usually done by wives, onto paid wives. While they are doing that, they are coping with their own lives, and their relationships with their children, exes, parents, and other people.
I liked the diversity here, and even though our three heroines' road to success is total wish fulfillment, within the story verse they're worked hard to get that success. (Even if the app sounds like TaskRabbit for the rich. Which doesn't actually solve the problem for most of the rest of the world, in spite of some spirited stabs in that direction.)
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