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Wives Like Us
Take a grand English country house, one (heartbroken) American divorcee, three rich wives, two tycoons, a pair of miniature sausage dogs and one (bereaved) butler; put them all into the blender and out comes the impossibly funny Wives Like Us, the new novel from the best-selling author of Bergdorf Blondes and Party Girls Die In Pearls, Plum Sykes.
If you think the English countryside is all green wellies, muddy Land Rovers, and grey-haired ladies in tweed, then you’ve never visited The Bottoms.
Welcome to the rose-strewn county of Oxfordshire, and the tony Cotswold villages of Little Bottom, Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, and Monkton Bottom, recently annexed by a glittering new breed of female: the Country Princess.
Following a ghastly row about a missing suite of diamonds, Tata Hawkins has flounced out of Monkton Bottom Manor with her daughter, Minty, and Executive Butler Ian Palmer in tow, decamping to The Old Coach House to teach her husband, Bryan, a lesson.
But things don’t go to plan. Bryan disappears to Venice with a bikini designer; Selby Fairfax, the glamorous American divorcée who has inherited the beautiful estate next door—Great Bottom Park—is refusing Tata’s overtures at friendship; Tata’s two best friends, Sophie Thompson and Fernanda Ovington-Williams, are distracted by their own problems; worst of all, Ian has nowhere to store his collection of vintage Gucci loafers.
Will Tata ever return to the comforts of the Manor? Will Sophie’s husband start appreciating her? Will Fernanda ever find a replacement Manny for her friendless son, Luca? Will Selby believe in love again? With the help of a pig farmer-ess moonlighting as a Personal Assistant, a male model moonlighting as a stable hand, a London barrister moonlighting as a gentleman farmer, and a hypochondriac American tech mogul lying in a hospital bed, is there any hope that Ian can restore harmony to The Bottoms?
If you think the English countryside is all green wellies, muddy Land Rovers, and grey-haired ladies in tweed, then you’ve never visited The Bottoms.
Welcome to the rose-strewn county of Oxfordshire, and the tony Cotswold villages of Little Bottom, Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, and Monkton Bottom, recently annexed by a glittering new breed of female: the Country Princess.
Following a ghastly row about a missing suite of diamonds, Tata Hawkins has flounced out of Monkton Bottom Manor with her daughter, Minty, and Executive Butler Ian Palmer in tow, decamping to The Old Coach House to teach her husband, Bryan, a lesson.
But things don’t go to plan. Bryan disappears to Venice with a bikini designer; Selby Fairfax, the glamorous American divorcée who has inherited the beautiful estate next door—Great Bottom Park—is refusing Tata’s overtures at friendship; Tata’s two best friends, Sophie Thompson and Fernanda Ovington-Williams, are distracted by their own problems; worst of all, Ian has nowhere to store his collection of vintage Gucci loafers.
Will Tata ever return to the comforts of the Manor? Will Sophie’s husband start appreciating her? Will Fernanda ever find a replacement Manny for her friendless son, Luca? Will Selby believe in love again? With the help of a pig farmer-ess moonlighting as a Personal Assistant, a male model moonlighting as a stable hand, a London barrister moonlighting as a gentleman farmer, and a hypochondriac American tech mogul lying in a hospital bed, is there any hope that Ian can restore harmony to The Bottoms?
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2024
2526 people are currently reading
15264 people want to read
About the author
Plum Sykes
11 books633 followersVictoria Rowland, known professionally as Plum Sykes, is an English-born fashion journalist, novelist, and socialite. Born in London in 1969 and raised in Sevenoaks, Kent, she was nicknamed “Plum” after the Victoria plum. She attended Oxford University’s Worcester College, graduating in modern history. Sykes began her career at British Vogue in 1993 as a fashion assistant, later becoming a contributing editor for American Vogue under Anna Wintour. She quickly became a prominent figure on New York’s social scene, often described as an “It girl.”
Sykes is best known for her bestselling chick lit novels Bergdorf Blondes (2004) and The Debutante Divorcée (2006), which portray the glamorous world of New York fashion and society. These works reflect her insider perspective on the “chic lit” genre and have been compared to Sex and the City.
In 2005, she married British entrepreneur Toby Rowland at her family’s ancestral home, wearing a dress by Alexander McQueen, with whom she had a close creative relationship.
Sykes has also been open about her personal struggles, including a three-year battle with anxiety disorder and agoraphobia following the birth of her children. She detailed her recovery in a 2012 Vogue article, crediting an anxiety treatment program for helping her return to a full social and professional life.
Sykes is best known for her bestselling chick lit novels Bergdorf Blondes (2004) and The Debutante Divorcée (2006), which portray the glamorous world of New York fashion and society. These works reflect her insider perspective on the “chic lit” genre and have been compared to Sex and the City.
In 2005, she married British entrepreneur Toby Rowland at her family’s ancestral home, wearing a dress by Alexander McQueen, with whom she had a close creative relationship.
Sykes has also been open about her personal struggles, including a three-year battle with anxiety disorder and agoraphobia following the birth of her children. She detailed her recovery in a 2012 Vogue article, crediting an anxiety treatment program for helping her return to a full social and professional life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 633 reviews
August 16, 2024
When ultra-wealthy American it girl Selby Fairfax moves to the British countryside, her arrival sends ripples through the posh local social scene. The area’s glamorous housewives plot and scheme to become her new best friend while dealing with issues of their own.
I wanted to love this book! I’m a big fan of Bergdorf Blondes and The Debutante Divorcee. I’m not sure if the author has lost some of her biting wit or if my taste in books has just changed and matured in the last decade, but I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. While there were some fun atmospheric details and entertaining characters, this book felt at least 100 pages longer than it needed to be. I didn’t dislike this book, but I was not invested in the characters and their motivations.
That said, I weirdly think this book will appeal to people who love regency-era reads. Yes, it’s set in modern day, but it’s very much a comedy of errors full of misunderstandings, searches for suitable husbands and social scheming. I would definitely recommend that that audience give this a try if they want to check out something contemporary.
I wanted to love this book! I’m a big fan of Bergdorf Blondes and The Debutante Divorcee. I’m not sure if the author has lost some of her biting wit or if my taste in books has just changed and matured in the last decade, but I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. While there were some fun atmospheric details and entertaining characters, this book felt at least 100 pages longer than it needed to be. I didn’t dislike this book, but I was not invested in the characters and their motivations.
That said, I weirdly think this book will appeal to people who love regency-era reads. Yes, it’s set in modern day, but it’s very much a comedy of errors full of misunderstandings, searches for suitable husbands and social scheming. I would definitely recommend that that audience give this a try if they want to check out something contemporary.
August 10, 2024
Don't judge a book by its cover. Because more often than not a gorgeous cover hides a tragic waste of paper.
I picked up this book in Hatchards, thinking 'this sounds like Real Housewives' meets Gosford Park. A sort of, silly romp in the Cotswolds. Light reading. All that. Now as someone who loves ridiculous reality TV, I thought this would be a great summer read.
Boy was I wrong.
Let's start with the premise. 4 rich country housewives, a gay butler, some bratty kids and perfunctory husbands all try and do.. nothing, apparently. The blurb is incredibly misleading. There's talk of missing diamonds (they are in fact, not missing at all), 'Tata Hawkins' (yes, that IS her name) is upset because her new neighbour, a rich American called Selby Fairfax 'refuses Tata's neighbourly overtures' (She does not. They actually become friends quite quickly), and helping all these situations are a pig farmeress (surely she's a pig farmer??) 'moonlighting as a personal assistant' (she's being duped into doing a job she doesn't want), and a 'London barrister moonlighting as a gentleman farmer' (we don't know this until he reveals his job at the end of the book when it's useful to have lawyer in the mix).
The names given to places and characters in the book are clearly meant to satirize and mock the very real and very ridiculous British country village names and posh-people's insane nomenclature. But the problem, which pervades the entire book, is that Plum Sykes is not good enough a writer, nor is she self aware or detached enough from her own rich and privileged environment to really make any form of poking fun at this set stick. Giving everything the name 'Bottom' ('Little Bottom', Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, Monkton Bottom, to name but a few) is maybe funny once, but it quickly becomes eye-rollingly infantile. Equally calling one of the main characters 'Tata' (for those unaware, this is slang for boobs) has the same effect. If the 'peepee-poo-poo'-level of humor was not subtle enough, Sykes invents a Daily Mail society article with the title 'Tata's Top of the Bottoms' which is so inanely lazy it could actually be a real Mail article.
On top of all of this, Sykes background as a fashion and interiors journalist offer the only hint at the fact that this is probably written by an actual human being. She introduces every new character like you would a person in an article for a glossy magazine ('Mrs Hawkins (thirty-nine, but 'officially' aged thirty-eight) and her overexcited eight-year-old daughter Minty at the annual village fete, which was taking place in the grounds of their home.'). The prose is so flat, each character has the emotional depth of cling-film.
Beyond the hideously uninteresting writing, we also have strange character choices. Ian, Tata's Butler, whois supposed to be a Jeeves for the 21st century, is so devoid of humanity and likeability, I couldn't care less about why or how he is apparently so desired by all these country women. His entire personality is that of a gay man as written by a person who has only ever engaged on a surface level with a queer person. Apart from his predeliction for loafers, all he cares about is his employer (I cannot believe we are still indulging the grateful/loyal servant schtick), and dogs. Equally for a long time Sykes allows the reader to believe that Ian has lost a partner called Boris, who is then revealed to be not a human but a beloved dog. Ian then also rejects a weird (but by the standards of this book sweet) proposal of a relationship by a wealthy American in the most ungracious and demeaning way. He is so devoid of sex, it's clear that Sykes did not want to even imagine her ideal gay to have desire and physical needs.
Then there's Charlene, a woman who is a pig farmer by trade and loves that job, but is forced to act as a PA to the Hawkins family. Ian lies to her that the Hawkinses will reward her with funds for her own pig farm because 'he needs her to do the job'. He shows a smudge of remorse but of course that's not relevant.
If this weren't enough awfulness, there's the character of Tallulah. Tallulah, the self-centered bimbo bikini designer who is thrown in as some sort of romantic red herring. She's played for laughs but is in no way different to the rest of the women in this book, except that she is more up front in her naiveté. She also happens to have a dog called Pikachu, which is so out of character for the stereotype that it feels as if Sykes just googled 'young people pet names' and chose one at random.
Finally for me there's a question of politics too. Sykes readily shows her center-right views by creating a Tory MP who is very clearly modelled on the last government's ministers, who gets caught taking bribes by his oh so poor and hard done-by wife. All the while, there's a strange point made about how there's a drunk called 'Jacko Whisky' who shouts anti-Tory slogans at them (Tory scum' being a rather good one) which is clearly supposed to demarcate him as some lefty-nutter but actually just makes him the most sympathetic character of the book thus far. Jacko Whisky then turns out to be an investigative journalist called Jack O'Malley (anti-Irish Sentiment included for good measure) who writes about the MPs bribery scandal.
Many reviews have levied that this book feels so badly written it could be AI - and quite frankly, if the AI was based solely off society columns, Sykes' journalistic output and a battered copy of Emily Post's Etiquette thrown in for good measure, this is the kind of drivel you'd get.
All in all it's a badly paced, poorly written, self-congratulatory book lacking any kind of self-awareness or artfulness. Neither funny nor interesting, what was clearly trying to be a Jeeves-meets-Nancy Mitford affair is more akin to the masturbatory fantasies of Daily Mail Readers. A sort of literary Page 3 girl for those who think Kier Starmer is left wing.
You're better off reading the pamphlet from the local pizza-place that was dropped in your mail box.
I picked up this book in Hatchards, thinking 'this sounds like Real Housewives' meets Gosford Park. A sort of, silly romp in the Cotswolds. Light reading. All that. Now as someone who loves ridiculous reality TV, I thought this would be a great summer read.
Boy was I wrong.
Let's start with the premise. 4 rich country housewives, a gay butler, some bratty kids and perfunctory husbands all try and do.. nothing, apparently. The blurb is incredibly misleading. There's talk of missing diamonds (they are in fact, not missing at all), 'Tata Hawkins' (yes, that IS her name) is upset because her new neighbour, a rich American called Selby Fairfax 'refuses Tata's neighbourly overtures' (She does not. They actually become friends quite quickly), and helping all these situations are a pig farmeress (surely she's a pig farmer??) 'moonlighting as a personal assistant' (she's being duped into doing a job she doesn't want), and a 'London barrister moonlighting as a gentleman farmer' (we don't know this until he reveals his job at the end of the book when it's useful to have lawyer in the mix).
The names given to places and characters in the book are clearly meant to satirize and mock the very real and very ridiculous British country village names and posh-people's insane nomenclature. But the problem, which pervades the entire book, is that Plum Sykes is not good enough a writer, nor is she self aware or detached enough from her own rich and privileged environment to really make any form of poking fun at this set stick. Giving everything the name 'Bottom' ('Little Bottom', Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, Monkton Bottom, to name but a few) is maybe funny once, but it quickly becomes eye-rollingly infantile. Equally calling one of the main characters 'Tata' (for those unaware, this is slang for boobs) has the same effect. If the 'peepee-poo-poo'-level of humor was not subtle enough, Sykes invents a Daily Mail society article with the title 'Tata's Top of the Bottoms' which is so inanely lazy it could actually be a real Mail article.
On top of all of this, Sykes background as a fashion and interiors journalist offer the only hint at the fact that this is probably written by an actual human being. She introduces every new character like you would a person in an article for a glossy magazine ('Mrs Hawkins (thirty-nine, but 'officially' aged thirty-eight) and her overexcited eight-year-old daughter Minty at the annual village fete, which was taking place in the grounds of their home.'). The prose is so flat, each character has the emotional depth of cling-film.
Beyond the hideously uninteresting writing, we also have strange character choices. Ian, Tata's Butler, whois supposed to be a Jeeves for the 21st century, is so devoid of humanity and likeability, I couldn't care less about why or how he is apparently so desired by all these country women. His entire personality is that of a gay man as written by a person who has only ever engaged on a surface level with a queer person. Apart from his predeliction for loafers, all he cares about is his employer (I cannot believe we are still indulging the grateful/loyal servant schtick), and dogs. Equally for a long time Sykes allows the reader to believe that Ian has lost a partner called Boris, who is then revealed to be not a human but a beloved dog. Ian then also rejects a weird (but by the standards of this book sweet) proposal of a relationship by a wealthy American in the most ungracious and demeaning way. He is so devoid of sex, it's clear that Sykes did not want to even imagine her ideal gay to have desire and physical needs.
Then there's Charlene, a woman who is a pig farmer by trade and loves that job, but is forced to act as a PA to the Hawkins family. Ian lies to her that the Hawkinses will reward her with funds for her own pig farm because 'he needs her to do the job'. He shows a smudge of remorse but of course that's not relevant.
If this weren't enough awfulness, there's the character of Tallulah. Tallulah, the self-centered bimbo bikini designer who is thrown in as some sort of romantic red herring. She's played for laughs but is in no way different to the rest of the women in this book, except that she is more up front in her naiveté. She also happens to have a dog called Pikachu, which is so out of character for the stereotype that it feels as if Sykes just googled 'young people pet names' and chose one at random.
Finally for me there's a question of politics too. Sykes readily shows her center-right views by creating a Tory MP who is very clearly modelled on the last government's ministers, who gets caught taking bribes by his oh so poor and hard done-by wife. All the while, there's a strange point made about how there's a drunk called 'Jacko Whisky' who shouts anti-Tory slogans at them (Tory scum' being a rather good one) which is clearly supposed to demarcate him as some lefty-nutter but actually just makes him the most sympathetic character of the book thus far. Jacko Whisky then turns out to be an investigative journalist called Jack O'Malley (anti-Irish Sentiment included for good measure) who writes about the MPs bribery scandal.
Many reviews have levied that this book feels so badly written it could be AI - and quite frankly, if the AI was based solely off society columns, Sykes' journalistic output and a battered copy of Emily Post's Etiquette thrown in for good measure, this is the kind of drivel you'd get.
All in all it's a badly paced, poorly written, self-congratulatory book lacking any kind of self-awareness or artfulness. Neither funny nor interesting, what was clearly trying to be a Jeeves-meets-Nancy Mitford affair is more akin to the masturbatory fantasies of Daily Mail Readers. A sort of literary Page 3 girl for those who think Kier Starmer is left wing.
You're better off reading the pamphlet from the local pizza-place that was dropped in your mail box.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2024
Another gem for my Smarter Than Your Average Beach Read collection.
Plum Sykes is always a delight to read, and I really loved this updated comedy of manners that spoofs English country house culture. Equal parts funny and sweet, this is perfect poolside reading if you like your fluff books to have just a touch more substance and a whole lot more humor and sharp writing.
I love a story centered on a butler as central character, and Ian is terrific and an excellent focal point for the story that allows the other characters to exist (somewhat hilariously, since he’s technically their servant) as extensions of his orbit.
Just terrific stuff all around. Highly recommend.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Plum Sykes is always a delight to read, and I really loved this updated comedy of manners that spoofs English country house culture. Equal parts funny and sweet, this is perfect poolside reading if you like your fluff books to have just a touch more substance and a whole lot more humor and sharp writing.
I love a story centered on a butler as central character, and Ian is terrific and an excellent focal point for the story that allows the other characters to exist (somewhat hilariously, since he’s technically their servant) as extensions of his orbit.
Just terrific stuff all around. Highly recommend.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
May 14, 2024
I think I must have been reading a different book to all the other reviewers on here who left 5* reviews. When I chose this book I assumed from the cover notes it would be along the lines of a Jackie Collins, never having heard of Plum Sykes. That was my first mistake. I persevered almost halfway through the book but just couldn't read any more of the almost list like, nauseating, one upmanship. It was actually giving me a headache! I realise the book was written as satire, it couldn't really be written as anything else but there was no story to be found in the book at least not as far as the 46% I read. So I'm sorry it's a no from me.
June 5, 2025
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
This book was a ton of fun!
Many years ago (like when I was 12 or 13) I read one of the author’s other books, Bergdorf Blondes, and remember enjoying it. It’s no surprise that I loved this one!
This book is like Crazy Rich Asians but with rich Brits in the English countryside. I am a sucker for books about rich people. I have always loved reading about the lives of the insanely wealthy and this book does it so well.
The book features an eclectic cast of characters ranging from the glamorous housewives themselves to a bikini designer obsessed with trying to meet Jeff Bezos to a pig farmer turned assistant. There were also numerous dogs and horses wrecking havoc. Needless to say, there was never a dull moment.
The writing style is fabulous. It’s sharp and witty and perfectly encapsulated the ridiculousness of the super rich. There were a lot of characters, but the author did an excellent job introducing all of them. Also, the author used to work for Vogue so all the fashion references were spot on.
Overall, this was an entertaining and hilarious book. If you’re looking for something light to read this summer, definitely consider checking this one out!
This book was a ton of fun!
Many years ago (like when I was 12 or 13) I read one of the author’s other books, Bergdorf Blondes, and remember enjoying it. It’s no surprise that I loved this one!
This book is like Crazy Rich Asians but with rich Brits in the English countryside. I am a sucker for books about rich people. I have always loved reading about the lives of the insanely wealthy and this book does it so well.
The book features an eclectic cast of characters ranging from the glamorous housewives themselves to a bikini designer obsessed with trying to meet Jeff Bezos to a pig farmer turned assistant. There were also numerous dogs and horses wrecking havoc. Needless to say, there was never a dull moment.
The writing style is fabulous. It’s sharp and witty and perfectly encapsulated the ridiculousness of the super rich. There were a lot of characters, but the author did an excellent job introducing all of them. Also, the author used to work for Vogue so all the fashion references were spot on.
Overall, this was an entertaining and hilarious book. If you’re looking for something light to read this summer, definitely consider checking this one out!
June 19, 2024
I can’t imagine a waspy English lady saying amazeballs- kinda blew it for me.
June 25, 2024
2.5 - 3 stars might be fairer
There were things I enjoyed about this book. The characters were fun and well drawn. The setting was beautiful and familiar (I live in the Cotswolds), whilst giving me a glimpse behind the doors and social scenes I’m not generally privy to (I don’t live in *that* part of the Cotswolds).
The tongue-in-cheek commentary on the social mores and intrigues of the upper middle / upper classes gave a real Austin vibe. And there’s a matchmaking-gone-awry plot line that’s really resonant of ‘Emma’. I don’t know if that was explicitly mentioned as an intent of the author, but it seemed so obvious a comparison I can’t help but feel it was deliberate. It worked reasonably well.
It’s a book with lovely summery vibes, that makes for an enjoyable summery read.
But… there is a but.
It took me a month to finish it. Which suggests something wasn’t quite working for me. It just didn’t draw me in enough to make me need to devour it in a single sitting. Which is an absolute MUST for really good summer beach-read.
I had this on pre-order, and had been really looking forward to it. So was a bit surprised that I wasn’t reaching for it more.
There were’t any major flaws. Though I do have a couple of criticisms:
Firstly, the central character of Ian the Butler, who is positioned as the linchpin around which the book is built, felt like the least thought-through of the characters. Despite getting a lot of page time, I didn’t really connect or care about him. Everyone in the book depends on him, yet I didn’t get a particularly strong sense of what he was about, or what he cared about either. Apart from loafers.
Maybe that was intentional? He is the butler, after all. Maybe we are supposed to believe he really does live to serve and has no personal emotion or interest not directly linked to his master’s satisfaction. But it was a bit slavish for me.
Secondly, there’s a lot of set-up in the book. The conclusions felt fairly obvious and inevitable from early on (ie, who would make-up, break-up and hook-up), but it seemed to take a long time to get there. Then a LOT happens right at the end in a way that felt rushed and glanced over. Particularly given the build up.
But overall, I think it’s just a matter of taste.
It’s possible that my enjoyment suffered from reading this hot on the heels of Fiona Walker’s ‘The Country Set’, which had a similar Cotswold location and characters. I really enjoyed Fiona Walker and wanted more of what that book was serving. But what I got from Plum Sykes was a lot more bling, designer clothing and table-scapes. Which ultimately just felt a little shallower and less absorbing.
But hey - that’s me. Another reader might find Plum Sykes gave them the exact hit of glamorous country living they were after. Turns out I’m less Town and more Country - give me Fiona Walker, with all the muddy wellies, wet dogs and horsey smells please!
There were things I enjoyed about this book. The characters were fun and well drawn. The setting was beautiful and familiar (I live in the Cotswolds), whilst giving me a glimpse behind the doors and social scenes I’m not generally privy to (I don’t live in *that* part of the Cotswolds).
The tongue-in-cheek commentary on the social mores and intrigues of the upper middle / upper classes gave a real Austin vibe. And there’s a matchmaking-gone-awry plot line that’s really resonant of ‘Emma’. I don’t know if that was explicitly mentioned as an intent of the author, but it seemed so obvious a comparison I can’t help but feel it was deliberate. It worked reasonably well.
It’s a book with lovely summery vibes, that makes for an enjoyable summery read.
But… there is a but.
It took me a month to finish it. Which suggests something wasn’t quite working for me. It just didn’t draw me in enough to make me need to devour it in a single sitting. Which is an absolute MUST for really good summer beach-read.
I had this on pre-order, and had been really looking forward to it. So was a bit surprised that I wasn’t reaching for it more.
There were’t any major flaws. Though I do have a couple of criticisms:
Firstly, the central character of Ian the Butler, who is positioned as the linchpin around which the book is built, felt like the least thought-through of the characters. Despite getting a lot of page time, I didn’t really connect or care about him. Everyone in the book depends on him, yet I didn’t get a particularly strong sense of what he was about, or what he cared about either. Apart from loafers.
Maybe that was intentional? He is the butler, after all. Maybe we are supposed to believe he really does live to serve and has no personal emotion or interest not directly linked to his master’s satisfaction. But it was a bit slavish for me.
Secondly, there’s a lot of set-up in the book. The conclusions felt fairly obvious and inevitable from early on (ie, who would make-up, break-up and hook-up), but it seemed to take a long time to get there. Then a LOT happens right at the end in a way that felt rushed and glanced over. Particularly given the build up.
But overall, I think it’s just a matter of taste.
It’s possible that my enjoyment suffered from reading this hot on the heels of Fiona Walker’s ‘The Country Set’, which had a similar Cotswold location and characters. I really enjoyed Fiona Walker and wanted more of what that book was serving. But what I got from Plum Sykes was a lot more bling, designer clothing and table-scapes. Which ultimately just felt a little shallower and less absorbing.
But hey - that’s me. Another reader might find Plum Sykes gave them the exact hit of glamorous country living they were after. Turns out I’m less Town and more Country - give me Fiona Walker, with all the muddy wellies, wet dogs and horsey smells please!
March 19, 2024
ARC for review. To be published May 14, 2024.
In the county of Oxfordshire in the fancy villages known collectively as “the Bottoms” there’s a grand country house inhabited by socialite Tata Hawkins, husband Bryan, daughter Minty and best butler on Earth, Ian Palmer (seriously. I would trade my husband for an Ian. Not my dogs, but my husband? Definitely.) Tata gets into a big fight with Bryan so she decamps for their coach house, but instead of begging for forgiveness Bryan takes off with a young bikini designer….a bikini designer!
Beautiful divorcee Shelby Fairfax, from America, has moved into the largest house around and Tata is frantic to be the first to make her acquaintance. Tata’s two best friends, Sophie Thompson and Fernanda Ovington-Williams have their own problems. Oh, the trials of the moneyed class.
This book was like a breath of fresh air for me - I read lots about dead people and it was nice to have something totally frivolous and fun for a change, and this was both. I did not love this author’s BERGDORF BLONDES as I recall, but quite enjoyed the heck out of this. Fun for the beach, the pool or when you don’t want to think too hard. Recommended if you like this sort of thing. You’ll know if it’s for you, and if it is, you’ll like this one. Oh, and Ian? Everyone’s dream!
In the county of Oxfordshire in the fancy villages known collectively as “the Bottoms” there’s a grand country house inhabited by socialite Tata Hawkins, husband Bryan, daughter Minty and best butler on Earth, Ian Palmer (seriously. I would trade my husband for an Ian. Not my dogs, but my husband? Definitely.) Tata gets into a big fight with Bryan so she decamps for their coach house, but instead of begging for forgiveness Bryan takes off with a young bikini designer….a bikini designer!
Beautiful divorcee Shelby Fairfax, from America, has moved into the largest house around and Tata is frantic to be the first to make her acquaintance. Tata’s two best friends, Sophie Thompson and Fernanda Ovington-Williams have their own problems. Oh, the trials of the moneyed class.
This book was like a breath of fresh air for me - I read lots about dead people and it was nice to have something totally frivolous and fun for a change, and this was both. I did not love this author’s BERGDORF BLONDES as I recall, but quite enjoyed the heck out of this. Fun for the beach, the pool or when you don’t want to think too hard. Recommended if you like this sort of thing. You’ll know if it’s for you, and if it is, you’ll like this one. Oh, and Ian? Everyone’s dream!
July 25, 2024
If Bridgerton and the Housewives franchise had a kid, it would be something close to this. It was comical at times.
The story felt a bit flat and a tad confusing in the middle, but it was overall a delight.
3⭐️
The story felt a bit flat and a tad confusing in the middle, but it was overall a delight.
3⭐️
May 24, 2024
3.5 rounding down. This was a fun satire on the wealthy country folks in the UK but it was just too long winded. After the hundredth description of all the foods set out to eat, I found myself skimming large chunks of it. I also found it hard to keep track of which kids belonged to which families so kept having to flip back and forth to remember. At some point I just gave up and ignored them because it didn’t really matter in the end
Four families living in the Cotswold Villages come together when a new American divorcee moves in. As they each struggle to get her attention their own lives seem to fall apart. With the help of the super butler Ian, will they be able to pull it all together?
There is a deeply unequal time spent with the families as well as strangely different magnitudes of seriousness in their problems. One is just a miscommunication with her husband while the other is a full on affair and bribery scheme that results in jail time. There were moments of levity that I really enjoyed (Josh the dog was hilarious) but miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes and this was too full of it for me to really enjoy.
Four families living in the Cotswold Villages come together when a new American divorcee moves in. As they each struggle to get her attention their own lives seem to fall apart. With the help of the super butler Ian, will they be able to pull it all together?
There is a deeply unequal time spent with the families as well as strangely different magnitudes of seriousness in their problems. One is just a miscommunication with her husband while the other is a full on affair and bribery scheme that results in jail time. There were moments of levity that I really enjoyed (Josh the dog was hilarious) but miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes and this was too full of it for me to really enjoy.
August 9, 2024
I picked this one up because I heard Kevin Kwan mention in an interview after his new book released that this has been his personal favourite book this year.
Sure enough, it was a lot of mindless fun, especially so because of the way Annabel Mullion read it aloud - she enacted every character in the most perfect way, everyone’s voice was distinct and apt and so well done. I Iaughed every car drive and every lunch break. I was sad when it ended. Hoping for a sequel.
Sure enough, it was a lot of mindless fun, especially so because of the way Annabel Mullion read it aloud - she enacted every character in the most perfect way, everyone’s voice was distinct and apt and so well done. I Iaughed every car drive and every lunch break. I was sad when it ended. Hoping for a sequel.
May 30, 2024
This is a wickedly funny novel about an extravagant English country estate, a heartbroken American woman going through a divorce, three wealthy wives, two tycoons, a pair of miniature sausage dogs, and a grieving butler. It's a social satire that exposes the vulnerabilities and insecurities of affluent women and their seemingly perfect lives. The story is a comedy of manners, and we meet through the eyes of the head butler, Ian. One day, Mrs. Hawkins, his employer, calls him with great excitement because the new American neighbor who has just arrived at the neighboring estate is coming for dinner, which she hopes will elevate her social status.
The book is a comedy centered around Tata's attempt to regain her social standing and Ian Herbutler's desire to do the same. Tata is charming but deeply flawed in thinking that improving her social status will make her husband like her more. However, the book is not just a comedy; it addresses fundamental issues such as infidelity, betrayal, longing, and suspicion. It serves as a reminder that wealthy individuals do not always have perfect lives.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
The book is a comedy centered around Tata's attempt to regain her social standing and Ian Herbutler's desire to do the same. Tata is charming but deeply flawed in thinking that improving her social status will make her husband like her more. However, the book is not just a comedy; it addresses fundamental issues such as infidelity, betrayal, longing, and suspicion. It serves as a reminder that wealthy individuals do not always have perfect lives.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
June 6, 2024
Crazy Rich Asians- but in the English countryside with a charming Executive Butler as the main focus. Did pause quite a bit to look up the interior & fashion references, which were a lot as the author is a contributing editor to World of Interiors and Vogue.
August 12, 2024
Awful. Uninteresting. Pointless, shallow characters that are never developed and a storyline that goes nowhere. The best part about this book is the last two pages where she wraps up everything for every character succinctly.
Don’t waste your time reading this one.
Don’t waste your time reading this one.
December 5, 2024
Not my usual genre, but I just love Plum Sykes. Think a modern Jane Austen novel of manners, sharp wit, and slaying social commentary on the British upper classes. Loved!
May 8, 2025
No one knows better than Executive Butler Ian Palmer, that social position is everything in the rose-strewn Cotswolds.
So when his boss, Tata Hawkins, flounces out of her (new-build) manor house after a row with husband Bryan, Ian is alarmed: for one thing, if Tata is on the social slide downwards, that means he is too; for another, he's lost his home and has nowhere to store his prized collection of vintage Gucci loafers; even worse, a vacuum among the Country Princess set has opened up for a new Queen Bee.
With the old-money Pennybacker-Hoare sisters plotting to rid 'their' county of Tata and her ilk, a bikini influencer on the prowl for a husband just like Mr. Hawkins, a glamorous American divorcee threatening to steal Tata's crown, and the heiress-next-door threatening to steal Ian, the Cotswolds are in chaos.
Can Ian restore Tata's country crown and reinstate her to the comforts of the Manor...?
This was my first Plum Sykes novel but I absolutely loved it! It's hugely funny, presenting a delightful blend of social satire and pure escapism, as it portrays the lifestyle of the wealthy, entitled inhabitants of chic Cotswold villages, and pokes gentle fun at them.
Social standing and the must have, instagrammable lifestyle is everything to the Country Princesses like Tata and her chums, though this comes at a price - the precarious, snakes-and-ladders-like potential for dramatic rise and fall in their social league table seems more stressful and anxiety-inducing for them than it is for the manager of a Premiership football manager desperately trying to climb out of the relegation zone!
Conspicuous wealth, being on trend, having the best staff, designer jewellery and clothes, the right car, the objets du jour, and children in the best schools, is everything. Being wealthy is clearly serious hard work!
And then there is the "us and them" demarcation line between the old money - the landed or titled class, often completely broke - who, despite their impecunity, look down on the fabulously wealthy city emigres who have colonised the Cotswolds as vulgar and trashy, even though they have sold them their vast and historic crumbling properties because they can't afford the upkeep themselves.
The seam is rich for social satire, and Plum Sykes mines it beautifully, with scenes and characters that are sharply observed. The humour is delicious, there are luxury brand names dropped left, right and centre, and the characters are hilariously over the top.
This modern comedy of manners is fabulously funny, enormously entertaining, light-hearted and frothy. If you're in search of an ideal deck chair read, or need a lighter read after something heavy, look no further, this is the one...meanwhile, I shall dream of having an Executive Butler like Ian in my life. He's a Mr Fixer par excellence, and every home should have one!
Thank you to Bloomsbury for my AD-GIFTED Netgalley of this upcoming paperback edition, and this is my impartial and honest review.
4.5 stars.
So when his boss, Tata Hawkins, flounces out of her (new-build) manor house after a row with husband Bryan, Ian is alarmed: for one thing, if Tata is on the social slide downwards, that means he is too; for another, he's lost his home and has nowhere to store his prized collection of vintage Gucci loafers; even worse, a vacuum among the Country Princess set has opened up for a new Queen Bee.
With the old-money Pennybacker-Hoare sisters plotting to rid 'their' county of Tata and her ilk, a bikini influencer on the prowl for a husband just like Mr. Hawkins, a glamorous American divorcee threatening to steal Tata's crown, and the heiress-next-door threatening to steal Ian, the Cotswolds are in chaos.
Can Ian restore Tata's country crown and reinstate her to the comforts of the Manor...?
This was my first Plum Sykes novel but I absolutely loved it! It's hugely funny, presenting a delightful blend of social satire and pure escapism, as it portrays the lifestyle of the wealthy, entitled inhabitants of chic Cotswold villages, and pokes gentle fun at them.
Social standing and the must have, instagrammable lifestyle is everything to the Country Princesses like Tata and her chums, though this comes at a price - the precarious, snakes-and-ladders-like potential for dramatic rise and fall in their social league table seems more stressful and anxiety-inducing for them than it is for the manager of a Premiership football manager desperately trying to climb out of the relegation zone!
Conspicuous wealth, being on trend, having the best staff, designer jewellery and clothes, the right car, the objets du jour, and children in the best schools, is everything. Being wealthy is clearly serious hard work!
And then there is the "us and them" demarcation line between the old money - the landed or titled class, often completely broke - who, despite their impecunity, look down on the fabulously wealthy city emigres who have colonised the Cotswolds as vulgar and trashy, even though they have sold them their vast and historic crumbling properties because they can't afford the upkeep themselves.
The seam is rich for social satire, and Plum Sykes mines it beautifully, with scenes and characters that are sharply observed. The humour is delicious, there are luxury brand names dropped left, right and centre, and the characters are hilariously over the top.
This modern comedy of manners is fabulously funny, enormously entertaining, light-hearted and frothy. If you're in search of an ideal deck chair read, or need a lighter read after something heavy, look no further, this is the one...meanwhile, I shall dream of having an Executive Butler like Ian in my life. He's a Mr Fixer par excellence, and every home should have one!
Thank you to Bloomsbury for my AD-GIFTED Netgalley of this upcoming paperback edition, and this is my impartial and honest review.
4.5 stars.
June 19, 2024
This was a light silly summer read, but I enjoyed listening to it.
February 5, 2025
light and fun
August 15, 2025
Idk why I keep reading books like this because I’m looking for easy and fun but I never like them
March 15, 2025
A British real housewives meets Hallmark movie.
September 9, 2024
Frivolous fun. I would like to be a rich british country wife
November 3, 2025
In all honesty disappointed with this having loved Bergdorf Blondes.
This is definitely a tongue in cheek look at the yummy mummy brigade who have lost touch with reality and whose only troubles are outdoing each other, but it just wasn’t anything, it wasn’t really funny, it wasn’t really a romance, it just fell a bit flat. Only 2⭐️
This is definitely a tongue in cheek look at the yummy mummy brigade who have lost touch with reality and whose only troubles are outdoing each other, but it just wasn’t anything, it wasn’t really funny, it wasn’t really a romance, it just fell a bit flat. Only 2⭐️
August 2, 2024
Loved this! Fun summer read with fun lovely characters. Reads like a modern Oscar Wilde play. Really great for escape.
July 30, 2024
Kept my interest due to the setting in the Cotswolds. Only character worth noting was Ian, who was great.
ETA- apparently it’s satire from the comments? Never would’ve guessed as I didn’t find it funny 🤷♀️
ETA- apparently it’s satire from the comments? Never would’ve guessed as I didn’t find it funny 🤷♀️
May 23, 2024
Guilty pleasure!
May 28, 2024
Perfect brain candy! This book was silly and comedic. Perfectly unbelievable. I loved it. It was just what the doctor ordered .
June 3, 2024
Despite some initial misgivings that it was a bit too silly for me, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit!
June 18, 2024
I was laughing out loud all over the place. Hilarious!
September 9, 2024
Never could relate to these characters. The mix of drinking and drugs not my idea of a way to spend my time.
August 5, 2024
The wives in Wives Like Us are a group of extremely rich women living in huge mansions in the Cotswolds spending their time trying to outdo each other with their designer clothes and jewels while attending private school events, horseback riding, and enjoying picnic lunches set with crystal and silver in their glorious English gardens.
First, great cover. Second, I fully understand that this book was meant to be silly, light, and amusing and it was. Third, even if a book is a bit of fluff, it has to have engaging characters that make you care about their outcomes and this is where the book fails. Only the handsome and loyal butler, Ian, inspires anything like engagement. The various endings are more or less what you'd expect, but are delivered so rapidly and off-handedly that I got the distinct impression that even Sykes was bored with these people by the end.
First, great cover. Second, I fully understand that this book was meant to be silly, light, and amusing and it was. Third, even if a book is a bit of fluff, it has to have engaging characters that make you care about their outcomes and this is where the book fails. Only the handsome and loyal butler, Ian, inspires anything like engagement. The various endings are more or less what you'd expect, but are delivered so rapidly and off-handedly that I got the distinct impression that even Sykes was bored with these people by the end.
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