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The Tradwife’s Secret
A marriage is between two people.
And their millions of followers.
Madison March is the perfect wife, with the perfect family and the perfect life.
She spends her days baking sourdough and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the fields surrounding her Montana homestead.
Dinner is always on the table for her husband and they end their days sitting on the porch, watching the sun go down.
It’s a life anyone would dream of.
And it’s all a lie.
8 hours and 32 minutes
And their millions of followers.
Madison March is the perfect wife, with the perfect family and the perfect life.
She spends her days baking sourdough and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the fields surrounding her Montana homestead.
Dinner is always on the table for her husband and they end their days sitting on the porch, watching the sun go down.
It’s a life anyone would dream of.
And it’s all a lie.
8 hours and 32 minutes
9 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 22, 2025
452 people are currently reading
2656 people want to read
About the author
Liane Child
4 books40 followersLiane Child is a writer whose gripping thriller THE TRADWIFE’S SECRET was inspired by influencers who believe in traditional gender roles in marriage. When she isn’t scrolling Instagram or TikTok, you can find her reading, walking her dog, or attempting to bake banana bread after not perfecting it in lockdown. She has travelled extensively and now lives in London.
source: Amazon
source: Amazon
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May 26, 2025
—— 𝟑.𝟕𝟓 ☆ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬. 🥧
❝𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝙻𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚠𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜. 𝙸 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚠𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚜.❞
📖┆𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝
🏷️┆𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: ℙ𝕤𝕪𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣, 𝔻𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣, 𝕎𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟’𝕤 𝔽𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟
📆┆𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟝/𝟙𝟝/𝟚𝟝 - 𝟝/𝟙𝟟/𝟚𝟝
📋┆𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”A marriage between two people. And their millions of followers.”」
❝𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚟𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚖 𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚌 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍. 𝙾𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑.❞
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ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★.𝟕𝟓
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟹.𝟽𝟾 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ʜᴏᴍᴇᴍᴀᴅᴇ ꜱᴏᴜʀᴅᴏᴜɢʜ ʙʀᴇᴀᴅ 🥖
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: 📻 ᴀʟʟ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ʙɪᴛᴄʜ ♪ ᴏʟɪᴠɪᴀ ʀᴏᴅʀɪɢᴏ
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: ʏᴇꜱ!
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🥧 ɪɴꜰʟᴜᴇɴᴄᴇʀꜱ
🥧 ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴡɪꜱᴛꜱ
🥧 ꜱᴏᴄɪᴀʟ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴀ
🥧 ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴘᴏᴠꜱ
🥧 ᴅᴏᴍᴇꜱᴛɪᴄ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀꜱ
⚠️ TW: domestic abuse, sexual assault
❝”𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚎. 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚑𝚞𝚜𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍.”
𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎 - 𝚊𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚒𝚡 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚢𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎 - 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔.
“𝙾𝚑, 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢,” 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚢𝚜, 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚙𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝.
“𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗, 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚖. “❞
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💬┆𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• When I reach for a thriller, I want something different, something that hasn’t been done yet, something where I can’t guess the twists. And let me tell you, The Tradwife’s Secret delivered. 🤌🏼
• I’ve been hearing the term tradwife quite often lately from some influencers, so I Googled it.
⤷ 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞:
short for "traditional wife”
a woman who embraces and practices traditional gender roles and expectations within a marriage
involves a focus on homemaking, domesticity, and nurturing
often leaving a career to prioritize family needs
• Now let me introduce you to our main character, Madison March, the tradwife of all tradwives, the Queen Bee, the OG. 💅🏻👑 Her millions of followers love the wholesome content she posts on the daily; from sourdough starters to baking homemade cherry pies with her litter of children, she is adored, imitated, & envied by all. But is Madison’s life as Instagram worthy as it seems? Or is she curating a lie?
• I loved the premise of this book, the execution, & the writing as well. I loved that this was a different type of thriller than anything I have yet to read. It was a breath of fresh air to not only have a new thriller concept, but also not be able to guess any of the twists!
• Where it fell short for me: Cally. 😒 I think her whole existence was pointless. Sorry, girl, but your character did nothing for the plot & her whole story overall just annoyed me. She was there to homeschool the March children & get paid a pretty penny that she would use for a debt in honor of her brother taking the hit for her from a guy who wasn’t good news. She kept acting like taking this job with the March family was the only option for her to come up with money, meanwhile throughout the book, Cally constantly mentions how her brother makes a good living, could take out loans. I mean, the guy has options! And I’m sure if she told him how toxic the March household is, he would understand. But it seemed like she wanted to be the hero (or maybe the martyr & pay back her brother, even though she said herself she is not the hero type. I just think I would’ve enjoyed the story a lot more if Cally wasn’t in it & instead of her chapters, we focused on more of Michael, for example, & why he was the way he was. What why his upbringing was like? What made him become a doomsday prepper?!
• Despite my issue with Cally, I think The Tradwife’s Secret is going to be a hit for all the thriller fans out there. I like how the author makes you simultaneously like & dislike Madison. Sometimes you want to root for her, then other times you can’t wait to see her downfall. 🫢
❝”𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜?”
“𝙸𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚡𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚘𝚗?”
“𝚆𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚐𝚢.”❞
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♡ Thank you NetGalley & Harper 360 for providing this
eARC in exchange for an honest review. Be on the lookout for
The Tradwife’s Secret, hitting shelves on May 22, 2025!
❝𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜. 𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚜. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗📱
𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 _𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚢𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗_.❞
July 6, 2025
Honestly…. I hated everyone in this book.
May 19, 2025
I listened to the audiobook of this one and I liked the narration quite a bit. I’ll admit I am not a fan of the trad wife trend (and by that I believe in everything it opposes), but I enjoyed seeing this a possible seedy underside of it. This book is told in several perspectives but primarily from three young women: Callie a Boston girl tutoring for this homesteader’s children, Madison the perfect instagrammer tradwife, and Brianna a young girl in Montana trying to make the homesteader life work with her high school boyfriend. There are a couple of others thrown in to help flesh out the story and I really loved how they all came together. I did see most of the twists coming, but I still enjoyed the wild ride.
May 22, 2025
I received a free copy of, The Tradwife's Secret. by Liane Child, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Looks can be deceiving, is Madison March the perfect tradwife? I did not care for any of these characters especially Michael.
May 13, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Madison March has the perfect life. At least that’s what her followers think.
This was like a train wreck. You don’t want to look but you can’t stop yourself from watching. But it was such an entertaining read! The drama, the secrets, the lies, and the huge dislike for Madison’s character made this a really good thriller.
Madison March has the perfect life. At least that’s what her followers think.
This was like a train wreck. You don’t want to look but you can’t stop yourself from watching. But it was such an entertaining read! The drama, the secrets, the lies, and the huge dislike for Madison’s character made this a really good thriller.
December 3, 2025
I absolutely devoured this twisted story. There are many sensitive topics covered, as well as some interesting social commentary.
‘We all commit to total confidentiality. Michael uses his cowboy charm and physical presence to control us, and Madison does the same with her honey smile and covert ruthlessness.’
This reminds me (in some ways) of The Mummy Bloggers by Australian author Holly Wainwright.
‘We all commit to total confidentiality. Michael uses his cowboy charm and physical presence to control us, and Madison does the same with her honey smile and covert ruthlessness.’
This reminds me (in some ways) of The Mummy Bloggers by Australian author Holly Wainwright.
February 2, 2025
ARC for review. To be published May 22, 2025.
2.5 stars, rounded to 3, and I feel good about the 3 stars.
OK, I chose this based solely on the title because I’m lowkey obsessed with the idea of tradwives even though I’ve never watched any of their videos or anything (I’m not really on social media except Goodreads.). Understand that when I say “obsessed” that I really abhor them and everything they stand for (I adore a good hate watch. This was me from the very beginning of “19 Kids and Counting” and who was right about that, I ask you?)
Well, it was comforting and also enjoyable to know that the writer of this book feels the same way about these loathsome fakers, so let’s hope some real #tradwife fans pick it up and are enlightened.
Madison March is the queen of the #tradwives with over a million followers. She, her husband, Michael, a rich Montana rancher who definitely wears the pants in the family and their four, homeschooled children (all with names that begin with “M,” just like Michael….ring any bells?) are living the life….oh, along with their cook/housekeeper (and, well, everything,) Lori, their tutor, Cally, their driver, Bill, Madison’s social media gurus Erica and Noah and loads of ranch hands. It takes a village to pretend like you do it all yourself, people!
So it really is all a lie. And a lie even larger than you think.
Some highlights: Madison: “I say in my honey, breathy voice.” Much has been made of these babyish voices, often used by women who are evangelical Christians. As you may recall Katie Britt became quite well known for hers when she gave the Republican response to one of Biden’s State of the Nation addresses and sounded like Marilyn Monroe saying Happy Birthday to President Kennedy.
Madison also mentions her closet full of “knee-length, floral smock dresses” and Lori voices the motto she and Madison share, “never question men, however questionable their decisions.”
As you can imagine there’s quite a bit of abuse portrayed here, but, sadly, it serves the story.
2.5 stars, rounded to 3, and I feel good about the 3 stars.
OK, I chose this based solely on the title because I’m lowkey obsessed with the idea of tradwives even though I’ve never watched any of their videos or anything (I’m not really on social media except Goodreads.). Understand that when I say “obsessed” that I really abhor them and everything they stand for (I adore a good hate watch. This was me from the very beginning of “19 Kids and Counting” and who was right about that, I ask you?)
Well, it was comforting and also enjoyable to know that the writer of this book feels the same way about these loathsome fakers, so let’s hope some real #tradwife fans pick it up and are enlightened.
Madison March is the queen of the #tradwives with over a million followers. She, her husband, Michael, a rich Montana rancher who definitely wears the pants in the family and their four, homeschooled children (all with names that begin with “M,” just like Michael….ring any bells?) are living the life….oh, along with their cook/housekeeper (and, well, everything,) Lori, their tutor, Cally, their driver, Bill, Madison’s social media gurus Erica and Noah and loads of ranch hands. It takes a village to pretend like you do it all yourself, people!
So it really is all a lie. And a lie even larger than you think.
Some highlights: Madison: “I say in my honey, breathy voice.” Much has been made of these babyish voices, often used by women who are evangelical Christians. As you may recall Katie Britt became quite well known for hers when she gave the Republican response to one of Biden’s State of the Nation addresses and sounded like Marilyn Monroe saying Happy Birthday to President Kennedy.
Madison also mentions her closet full of “knee-length, floral smock dresses” and Lori voices the motto she and Madison share, “never question men, however questionable their decisions.”
As you can imagine there’s quite a bit of abuse portrayed here, but, sadly, it serves the story.
September 13, 2025
Surprisingly entertaining beach read, though somewhat predictable at times. The topic of tradwives has been so prominent lately, I'm not surprised they are becoming the subject of books, both fiction and nonfiction. This book was really more of a fluffy mystery than an examination of what the word "tradwife" means and how the image it projects impacts women in society. That said, it was a fun and quick vacation read.
June 28, 2025
mrs. southern beauty slowly
goes nuts while trying to juggle
her instafake influencer life, four
kids, her horrid tradhusband
and a very dark past. ♡
goes nuts while trying to juggle
her instafake influencer life, four
kids, her horrid tradhusband
and a very dark past. ♡
June 11, 2025
This is a dual pov book that was definitely entertaining! I've been a to with books that I enjoyed that weren't phenomenal but not bad. This was one of those that was fun and enjoyable but I'm not going to sit and think about it after I've read it.
This was a multi pov book with Madison our MFC and Brianna who ran away with her high-school bf to homestead and is struggling with the day to day home life that Tradwifes make look so easy. We also get the children's tutor pov.
Right from the jump, we readers find out that something is amiss. Madison projects the perfect Tradwife life to her millions of followers. She bakes bread from scratch, the house is always clean, and dinner is always on the table for her husband when he gets home. Everything is picture perfect for the camera when in reality Madison's life is falling apart especially because her husband sleeps around and what he says goes in the household...or else.
What happens when the children's new young tutor arrives? There are plenty of secrets going on this this book.
I really had fun with this one. A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Harper360 for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
This was a multi pov book with Madison our MFC and Brianna who ran away with her high-school bf to homestead and is struggling with the day to day home life that Tradwifes make look so easy. We also get the children's tutor pov.
Right from the jump, we readers find out that something is amiss. Madison projects the perfect Tradwife life to her millions of followers. She bakes bread from scratch, the house is always clean, and dinner is always on the table for her husband when he gets home. Everything is picture perfect for the camera when in reality Madison's life is falling apart especially because her husband sleeps around and what he says goes in the household...or else.
What happens when the children's new young tutor arrives? There are plenty of secrets going on this this book.
I really had fun with this one. A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Harper360 for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
May 27, 2025
The #tradwife movement - is it a choice or a tradition perpetuated by stay-at-home influencers?
I needed to know. I’d honestly never heard of this term or movement before. I know, head in the sand and all that.
Well, this book will be the catalyst for great conversations fueled by the sociologists and feminists among us! As a lover of psychological thrillers, this one ticked all the boxes for me and I’m thankful to Edelweiss for sending me the digital ARC.
Liane Child takes her readers behind the camera to explore why we’ve become so fascinated with the picture-perfect life of tradwives and the world of influencers. She’s written an intense, juicy, and compulsive story that I couldn’t put it down.
Why? Because Child understands the power of secrets in her characters’ lives and adeptly uses them as a powerful tool in her writing! I was in awe at her ability to show readers, not tell, why the secret was being kept, revealing it at the perfect time after concealing it for chapters, and then shocking us with the consequences of its revelation. All of her carefully crafted characters have secrets…what’s in the water in Montana?! LOL! Don’t get me started on her mad skills in twist writing!
The return to June Cleaver’s world is not for me, nor is a survivalist lifestyle! But, picking up another book by Child is definitely for me. I appreciate her writing skills surrounding protecting, denying, defending, and excusing secrets as much as I enjoy her twisty, taut plotting!
I don’t often re-read books, but this one might have changed my policy! Why re-read when I know the ending? Well, I know there must have been clues, I missed them. I need the adrenaline rush of knowing what’s coming ….
I was gifted this copy by Edelweiss and was under no obligation to provide a review.
*domestic violence
I needed to know. I’d honestly never heard of this term or movement before. I know, head in the sand and all that.
Well, this book will be the catalyst for great conversations fueled by the sociologists and feminists among us! As a lover of psychological thrillers, this one ticked all the boxes for me and I’m thankful to Edelweiss for sending me the digital ARC.
Liane Child takes her readers behind the camera to explore why we’ve become so fascinated with the picture-perfect life of tradwives and the world of influencers. She’s written an intense, juicy, and compulsive story that I couldn’t put it down.
Why? Because Child understands the power of secrets in her characters’ lives and adeptly uses them as a powerful tool in her writing! I was in awe at her ability to show readers, not tell, why the secret was being kept, revealing it at the perfect time after concealing it for chapters, and then shocking us with the consequences of its revelation. All of her carefully crafted characters have secrets…what’s in the water in Montana?! LOL! Don’t get me started on her mad skills in twist writing!
The return to June Cleaver’s world is not for me, nor is a survivalist lifestyle! But, picking up another book by Child is definitely for me. I appreciate her writing skills surrounding protecting, denying, defending, and excusing secrets as much as I enjoy her twisty, taut plotting!
I don’t often re-read books, but this one might have changed my policy! Why re-read when I know the ending? Well, I know there must have been clues, I missed them. I need the adrenaline rush of knowing what’s coming ….
I was gifted this copy by Edelweiss and was under no obligation to provide a review.
*domestic violence
May 29, 2025
The Tradwife's Secret started off really strong.
I am vey captivated by the tradwife trend in that I am repulsed by it, the women buying into it and the influencers who preach it, so I felt like this was going to be much sharper than it was. Instead, it gets lost in trying to do too many twists and turns and big reveals and is weighed down by constantly telling instead of showing. And the telling caused the narrative to suffer because the telling would take place in extremely disjointed and unnatural dialogue. For example—and to avoid spoilers, this is made up—say if a character stole something and proved that they didn't. At the end of the novel, there would be some kind of dialogue that's like "Remember how I said I didn't steal that thing? Well I did, and I got away with it because I am really good at stealing and everyone was dumb enough to believe that I didn't." Like…okay? Cartoon Network-esque villain. It made the characters feel like caricatures who tapped their fingertips together while they thought they were outsmarting us.
This could have been so much MORE. The storylines within would have been sad if they'd made more sense. There are also a lot of plot holes. We literally never learn the reason Madison ultimately wanted to be a wife and a mother from the very beginning because it never seemed like she genuinely believed in the tradwife content and simply wanted to be an influencer. She seemed very disconnected from both being a wife and a mother from the start. There is also a lack of clarity surrounding her husband's first wife and ultimately what happened to her. I don't understand the intention behind hiring the tutor. At first I thought that it was so the kids could actually be exposed to ideals the March family disagrees with, but it ultimately became unclear.
However, this was a lot of fun. If you suspend belief and try not to play too close attention to the fact that things go a little off the rails and stay there, you'll have fun. The narration was enjoyable, but I really struggled with the performance of the "male voices."
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult, HQ Digital, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC!
3 ⭐️s
I am vey captivated by the tradwife trend in that I am repulsed by it, the women buying into it and the influencers who preach it, so I felt like this was going to be much sharper than it was. Instead, it gets lost in trying to do too many twists and turns and big reveals and is weighed down by constantly telling instead of showing. And the telling caused the narrative to suffer because the telling would take place in extremely disjointed and unnatural dialogue. For example—and to avoid spoilers, this is made up—say if a character stole something and proved that they didn't. At the end of the novel, there would be some kind of dialogue that's like "Remember how I said I didn't steal that thing? Well I did, and I got away with it because I am really good at stealing and everyone was dumb enough to believe that I didn't." Like…okay? Cartoon Network-esque villain. It made the characters feel like caricatures who tapped their fingertips together while they thought they were outsmarting us.
This could have been so much MORE. The storylines within would have been sad if they'd made more sense. There are also a lot of plot holes. We literally never learn the reason Madison ultimately wanted to be a wife and a mother from the very beginning because it never seemed like she genuinely believed in the tradwife content and simply wanted to be an influencer. She seemed very disconnected from both being a wife and a mother from the start. There is also a lack of clarity surrounding her husband's first wife and ultimately what happened to her. I don't understand the intention behind hiring the tutor. At first I thought that it was so the kids could actually be exposed to ideals the March family disagrees with, but it ultimately became unclear.
However, this was a lot of fun. If you suspend belief and try not to play too close attention to the fact that things go a little off the rails and stay there, you'll have fun. The narration was enjoyable, but I really struggled with the performance of the "male voices."
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult, HQ Digital, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC!
3 ⭐️s
August 23, 2025
I was so happy when this book arrived as part of the HQ Thrillerfluencer book club. I had seen it everywhere and sounds so good! And it was. I wasn’t really sure what a Trad Wife was, and now my eyes have been well and truly opened. I know that this is fiction, but it was hard to read about people that in this day and age that hold these beliefs and live this way.
This is one wild and utterly crazy book, so addictive. It was full of awful things and yet it was hard to stop reading it. Madison March has the perfect life. She has a gorgeous husband, 4 beautiful kids, an amazing home and wants for nothing. Well.. that is what her millions of followers see on her social media. Behind the scenes is a very different story, filled with lies, abuse and toxic relationships. Who is the real Madison March and what does she truly believe in?
A fast paced thriller that surprised me in more ways than one. Thank you Harlequin Book’s Australia for the chance to read this. It is out now.
This is one wild and utterly crazy book, so addictive. It was full of awful things and yet it was hard to stop reading it. Madison March has the perfect life. She has a gorgeous husband, 4 beautiful kids, an amazing home and wants for nothing. Well.. that is what her millions of followers see on her social media. Behind the scenes is a very different story, filled with lies, abuse and toxic relationships. Who is the real Madison March and what does she truly believe in?
A fast paced thriller that surprised me in more ways than one. Thank you Harlequin Book’s Australia for the chance to read this. It is out now.
November 15, 2025
Madison March is de perfecte vrouw, met het perfecte gezin en het perfecte leven. Ze brengt haar dagen door met het bakken van zuurdesembrood en het plukken van groenten uit haar moestuin, terwijl haar kinderen in de velden rondom hun boerderij in Montana spelen.
Het avondeten staat altijd op tafel wanneer haar man thuiskomt en ze eindigen hun dagen samen op de veranda, kijkend naar de zonsondergang. Het is het leven waar iedereen van zou dromen. Alleen is het één grote leugen…
Dit verhaal begint met een inleiding waarin al meteen duidelijk wordt dat social media een grote rol speelt. Er is blijkbaar iets heftigs gebeurd, maar je weet nog niet wat er aan de hand is.
Vervolgens maak je kennis met Madison en haar gezin. Ze doet alles voor haar partner en kinderen en ze is dan ook een enorm onderdanig persoon. Zelfs zo erg dat ik steeds vol verbazing zat te lezen. Hoe kun je je als vrouw namelijk zo laten behandelen? Helaas is dit een realistisch onderwerp...
Ook lees je veel over de opvoeding van hun kinderen, iets wat ik ook ongelofelijk vond, maar tegelijkertijd weet ik dat er serieus mensen op deze manier hun kinderen opvoeden.
Er komen meerdere personages voorbij en elk heeft zo zijn eigen drama en geheimen. Er komen behoorlijk heftige onderwerpen ter sprake en ik vond het dan ook een boeiend en meeslepend verhaal. Uiteindelijk komen deze personen allemaal met elkaar in contact en ik vond het plot dan ook prima in elkaar steken.
Elk hoofdstuk begint trouwens met een comment (en de nodige hashtags) van willekeurige volgers van Madison. Dit vond ik een leuke toevoeging en ook erg realistisch, want zulke antwoorden en vragen zou je ook in het echt op Instagram of X kunnen tegenkomen.
Het verhaal heeft spannende stukken, dus het is zeker een thriller. Maar ik zou het ook als een drama kunnen omschrijven, want er zitten een aantal schrijnende stukken in. Uiteindelijk kom je dan bij het einde en begrijp je ook waar de proloog op slaat.
Ik vond dit een erg leuke kennismaking met de auteur en ik wil zeker meer van haar lezen!
Het avondeten staat altijd op tafel wanneer haar man thuiskomt en ze eindigen hun dagen samen op de veranda, kijkend naar de zonsondergang. Het is het leven waar iedereen van zou dromen. Alleen is het één grote leugen…
Dit verhaal begint met een inleiding waarin al meteen duidelijk wordt dat social media een grote rol speelt. Er is blijkbaar iets heftigs gebeurd, maar je weet nog niet wat er aan de hand is.
Vervolgens maak je kennis met Madison en haar gezin. Ze doet alles voor haar partner en kinderen en ze is dan ook een enorm onderdanig persoon. Zelfs zo erg dat ik steeds vol verbazing zat te lezen. Hoe kun je je als vrouw namelijk zo laten behandelen? Helaas is dit een realistisch onderwerp...
Ook lees je veel over de opvoeding van hun kinderen, iets wat ik ook ongelofelijk vond, maar tegelijkertijd weet ik dat er serieus mensen op deze manier hun kinderen opvoeden.
Er komen meerdere personages voorbij en elk heeft zo zijn eigen drama en geheimen. Er komen behoorlijk heftige onderwerpen ter sprake en ik vond het dan ook een boeiend en meeslepend verhaal. Uiteindelijk komen deze personen allemaal met elkaar in contact en ik vond het plot dan ook prima in elkaar steken.
Elk hoofdstuk begint trouwens met een comment (en de nodige hashtags) van willekeurige volgers van Madison. Dit vond ik een leuke toevoeging en ook erg realistisch, want zulke antwoorden en vragen zou je ook in het echt op Instagram of X kunnen tegenkomen.
Het verhaal heeft spannende stukken, dus het is zeker een thriller. Maar ik zou het ook als een drama kunnen omschrijven, want er zitten een aantal schrijnende stukken in. Uiteindelijk kom je dan bij het einde en begrijp je ook waar de proloog op slaat.
Ik vond dit een erg leuke kennismaking met de auteur en ik wil zeker meer van haar lezen!
May 19, 2025
Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence
Wow—this audiobook really delivers! If you're into stories with drama, twists, and a peek behind the picture-perfect lives we see online, this one's for you. It touches on so many themes: Instagram, influencers, curated social media lives, traditional vs. modern lifestyles, jealousy, family dynamics, friendship, motherhood, city vs. country life, and yes, even some serious topics like domestic violence (please take care while listening).
What stood out the most to me was the incredible narration by Lauryn Allman. Normally, I get a little distracted when one narrator voices every character—especially when they try to change their voice for different genders—but Lauryn absolutely nails it here. Her range of accents and character voices kept me fully engaged and never confused about who was speaking. She deserves all the praise!
The plot itself is packed with juicy drama—the kind you imagine happening behind all those “perfect” posts on social media. The twist? So good. I had a tiny inkling something was off, but even then, I didn’t see it coming. That’s the kind of storytelling I love.
If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a too-perfect post or wondered what might be going on behind the scenes, this audiobook will absolutely hook you. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves drama, suspense, and social media commentary wrapped into one.
Side note: Lauryn Allman has also narrated The Housemaid and The Death Row by Freida McFadden—so if you enjoy her performance here, you’ll want to check those out too!
Wow—this audiobook really delivers! If you're into stories with drama, twists, and a peek behind the picture-perfect lives we see online, this one's for you. It touches on so many themes: Instagram, influencers, curated social media lives, traditional vs. modern lifestyles, jealousy, family dynamics, friendship, motherhood, city vs. country life, and yes, even some serious topics like domestic violence (please take care while listening).
What stood out the most to me was the incredible narration by Lauryn Allman. Normally, I get a little distracted when one narrator voices every character—especially when they try to change their voice for different genders—but Lauryn absolutely nails it here. Her range of accents and character voices kept me fully engaged and never confused about who was speaking. She deserves all the praise!
The plot itself is packed with juicy drama—the kind you imagine happening behind all those “perfect” posts on social media. The twist? So good. I had a tiny inkling something was off, but even then, I didn’t see it coming. That’s the kind of storytelling I love.
If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a too-perfect post or wondered what might be going on behind the scenes, this audiobook will absolutely hook you. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves drama, suspense, and social media commentary wrapped into one.
Side note: Lauryn Allman has also narrated The Housemaid and The Death Row by Freida McFadden—so if you enjoy her performance here, you’ll want to check those out too!
May 31, 2025
I flew through THE TRADWIFE’S SECRET in a day’s time. I loved that it was about the life of an influencer and gave me a unique introspective on what a tradwife actually is. I honestly didn’t know previously. There were a few twists I would have never guessed and I always love it when that happens. Overall, I thought the book was different than anything I’ve read lately and I would recommend it!
TW-Domestic abuse
Many thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for my gifted ALC.
This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) soon.
TW-Domestic abuse
Many thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for my gifted ALC.
This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) soon.
July 20, 2025
3.75 stars
I love books about influencers so I couldn’t wait for this one to release! Madison March is the ultimate "tradwife" influencer-baking sourdough, tending her garden, and showcasing a flawless Montana homestead to millions online.
When Cally, a devoted follower-turned-tutor, moves in to help with the children, subtle tensions erupt into a cascade of buried secrets. What begins as friendly mentorship spirals into a high-stakes game of manipulation and control, leading to a finale no one sees coming.
If you're intrigued by the dark side of social media, love multilayered suspense, or simply can't resist a shocking twist, The TradWife's Secret delivers in spades.
I love books about influencers so I couldn’t wait for this one to release! Madison March is the ultimate "tradwife" influencer-baking sourdough, tending her garden, and showcasing a flawless Montana homestead to millions online.
When Cally, a devoted follower-turned-tutor, moves in to help with the children, subtle tensions erupt into a cascade of buried secrets. What begins as friendly mentorship spirals into a high-stakes game of manipulation and control, leading to a finale no one sees coming.
If you're intrigued by the dark side of social media, love multilayered suspense, or simply can't resist a shocking twist, The TradWife's Secret delivers in spades.
February 3, 2025
Should have been an Instagram Reel.
May 22, 2025
Wow ... a stunning read!
Madison March has the perfect life; she lives on a Montana homestead where she raises her children, bakes and cooks good wholesome food with the produce she grows. Dinner is always ready on time for her husband after a hard day's work on the ranch, and they end their days on the porch swing watching the sun go down. Madison is so proud of her perfect life that she shares it on her Insta - who wouldn't?
Oh, this is some read. Madison struck me as a bit of a Stepford Wife to begin with but oh, how wrong I was. This is a tempestuous read which slowly reveals it's secrets - and what a ride it is! Twisted, shocking - and all the rest - I was hooked from the very beginning right through to the very last. Not one I'll forget in a hurry and certainly one I thoroughly recommend. Five sparkling stars from me.
Madison March has the perfect life; she lives on a Montana homestead where she raises her children, bakes and cooks good wholesome food with the produce she grows. Dinner is always ready on time for her husband after a hard day's work on the ranch, and they end their days on the porch swing watching the sun go down. Madison is so proud of her perfect life that she shares it on her Insta - who wouldn't?
Oh, this is some read. Madison struck me as a bit of a Stepford Wife to begin with but oh, how wrong I was. This is a tempestuous read which slowly reveals it's secrets - and what a ride it is! Twisted, shocking - and all the rest - I was hooked from the very beginning right through to the very last. Not one I'll forget in a hurry and certainly one I thoroughly recommend. Five sparkling stars from me.
April 4, 2025
Just not for me. Way too far fetched and unrealistic. I just found myself saying, ‘As if!’ on so many occasions. Subservient, shallow women, misogynistic men. Too much.
May 23, 2025
It’s been sooo long since a thriller had me in such a chokehold. This was perfect I ate up every page from start to finish 🤌🏻
May 16, 2025
“But we made a promise to each other, didn't we? Us against the world? Don't let a few dead chickens destroy our dream,” (p. 58).
It’s aways wild to me that when reading, something random in the story will trigger memories of your own. Oof! It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it does!
Okay this is so embarrassing but I thought this book was about a family of Mormons with a bunch of wives. 😂🫣 I had no clue what a tradwife was. Tri / Trad figured it was about the same thing. But nope it’s not about that.
The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child is a page-turning and gripping book that I found impossible to put down. Most will find this book irritating - but I promise it’ll be worth it.
I could never be a trad wife that is for sure. Having some man asking me why there isn’t food on the table will prob get him punched. Not to mention the gender roles and misogyny. Fk no!
Madison is a tradwife influencer with 4, soon to be five, children - she makes trad life seem sparkly and wonderful. But not everything you see online should be believed. The camera never shows the full picture.
Brianna has taken the trad live illusion and gobbled it all up. Only 18, her boyfriend and her left everything and everyone they knew and moved to trad-country - Montana. She wants the type of life she sees the influencers having.
Then there’s Cally. She needs money and she needs it fast. So she takes a tutoring job for Madison’s children. She had to sign an NDA and is just trying to make it to July when she will finally have the money she needs to free her brother, and she can leave this house.
I fully enjoyed this one. Oof that ending! One insane story with all the twists and turns. I stayed up all night to finish this book. Loved it.
It’s aways wild to me that when reading, something random in the story will trigger memories of your own. Oof! It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it does!
Okay this is so embarrassing but I thought this book was about a family of Mormons with a bunch of wives. 😂🫣 I had no clue what a tradwife was. Tri / Trad figured it was about the same thing. But nope it’s not about that.
The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child is a page-turning and gripping book that I found impossible to put down. Most will find this book irritating - but I promise it’ll be worth it.
I could never be a trad wife that is for sure. Having some man asking me why there isn’t food on the table will prob get him punched. Not to mention the gender roles and misogyny. Fk no!
Madison is a tradwife influencer with 4, soon to be five, children - she makes trad life seem sparkly and wonderful. But not everything you see online should be believed. The camera never shows the full picture.
Brianna has taken the trad live illusion and gobbled it all up. Only 18, her boyfriend and her left everything and everyone they knew and moved to trad-country - Montana. She wants the type of life she sees the influencers having.
Then there’s Cally. She needs money and she needs it fast. So she takes a tutoring job for Madison’s children. She had to sign an NDA and is just trying to make it to July when she will finally have the money she needs to free her brother, and she can leave this house.
I fully enjoyed this one. Oof that ending! One insane story with all the twists and turns. I stayed up all night to finish this book. Loved it.
July 5, 2025
Madison March has a perfect family and a perfect life. Known to her millions of devoted followers as a trad wife, Madison spends her days baking sourdough bread and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the fields surrounding her Montana homestead. And she's also devoted to her husband Michael. Dinner is always on the table for him and they end their days sitting on the porch, watching the sun go down. At least that's what everyone thinks. Behind the scenes life in the March household is something else entirely. Will the facade crumble when a new tutor for the children arrives?
The Trad Wife's Secret is a domestic suspense novel. The reader knows automatically that something is wrong and the author lets the secret out slowly. We get chapters from Madison and Cally, the tutor. There are also chapters narrated by someone named Brianna. Besides wondering what lies beneath the surface of the March household we also wonder how Brianna is connected. Or maybe she isn't.
Madison has influenced millions of people. She has put a lot of work into growing her brand. Privacy is of the utmost importance. But it's not just because she's so well known. There are secrets and odd behavior. That's where the fun comes in. As more information is revealed the reader begins to root for certain characters more than others.
There are a couple of twists that I didn't find too surprising. I found myself really focused on the characters' personalities and behaviors and the ending is pretty satisfying.
The Trad Wife's Secret is a quick, enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read!
The Trad Wife's Secret is a domestic suspense novel. The reader knows automatically that something is wrong and the author lets the secret out slowly. We get chapters from Madison and Cally, the tutor. There are also chapters narrated by someone named Brianna. Besides wondering what lies beneath the surface of the March household we also wonder how Brianna is connected. Or maybe she isn't.
Madison has influenced millions of people. She has put a lot of work into growing her brand. Privacy is of the utmost importance. But it's not just because she's so well known. There are secrets and odd behavior. That's where the fun comes in. As more information is revealed the reader begins to root for certain characters more than others.
There are a couple of twists that I didn't find too surprising. I found myself really focused on the characters' personalities and behaviors and the ending is pretty satisfying.
The Trad Wife's Secret is a quick, enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read!
June 3, 2025
2.75 ⭐️- I hate to say it, but I just don’t think this thriller was for me. It’s definitely for someone. I just wasn’t that person. It took me an entire week to read it, which for context, I’m usually a 4 to 5 days per book kind of girl, so this one slowed me down big time. I just never found myself reaching for this or dying to pick it up. For the first almost 200 pages I didn’t really get the point of it. There were a bunch of little things happening and there didn’t feel to be an actual plot until the very end. The last 50 pages were good, but not good enough to make up for the rest of this book. I simply wasn’t a fan.
May 28, 2025
The Tradwife’s Secret isn’t just about a woman falling apart — it’s about a whole brand collapsing under the weight of its own curated lie. Madison March is a perfectly filtered tradwife influencer living on a remote Montana ranch, where every pie crust, prairie dress, and sun-drenched caption is engineered to sell the fantasy. This book doesn’t ask, “what if the perfect wife isn’t okay?” — it screams, “of course she isn’t,” and hands you the knife she used to slice her life into something postable. Beneath the soft-focus chaos is psychological warfare dressed in floral, and as the cracks widen, Madison doesn’t flinch — she just doubles down and adjusts the lighting.
Her husband Michael (aka Red Flag Barbie’s Ken) is cheating on her with anything under 25, because of course he is. He controls every cent she earns, and basic household decisions require Madison to outmaneuver him in emotional 4D chess. It’s not a marriage — it’s a high-stakes power imbalance with a matching aesthetic. She’s not thriving. She’s surviving, and barely.
But Madison’s image doesn’t sustain itself. Lori, the housekeeper, is the one quietly holding it all together for Madison — her four kids, her crumbling marriage, and a lifestyle brand clinging to its last curated breath — with somehow enough warmth leftover to proof sourdough. Cally, the freshly arrived tutor, isn’t just there to teach the geography of only red states; she’s got her own secrets and a vibe that says “accidental witness.” The brand stays glossy because everyone around Madison is working overtime to keep it that way — all of them propping up a lie they never asked to be part of.
Then there’s Briana. She just wants what Madison claims to have: a stable relationship, a peaceful home, a thriving family. And she wants it desperately. Because Madison makes it look so easy. But what looks like obsession is really quiet fury. Briana doesn’t admire Madison so much as resent her — envy coated in desperation. She doesn’t want to wear Madison’s apron — she just wants enough food to get through the week, a locked door that stays shut, and to stop flinching every time her boyfriend walks in.
The story rotates between Madison, Briana, Lori, and Cally — not to play games with the truth, but because each woman sees reality through her own cracked lens. Are they unreliable? Maybe. Or maybe they’re just telling the version of the truth they have to believe to stay upright. It’s messy, it’s claustrophobic, and it’s layered with just enough paranoia to keep the story tense.
I landed at 3 stars. Not because it’s boring — it’s not — but because it’s a cocktail of plot convenience, pacing gaps, and moments so unbelievable they made me blink twice. It’s fun. It’s a car crash in slow motion. It’s a mess I wanted to watch implode. But you’ll need to suspend a little disbelief, and maybe keep a chart of the many, many secrets stacked like Tupperware in a vintage pantry. Lauryn Allman nails Madison’s brittle, Stepford-perfect calm — but the male voices don’t really land, which honestly tracks, because every man in this book is either absent, manipulative, or emotionally engineered in a lab to be useless.
And the ending? It felt right. Not explosive, not tragic — but just clever enough to make me cackle. It had a little hope, a little wish fulfillment, and a final wink that made me think: oh, that’s exactly what she’d do.
Whodunity Award: For Maintaining a Fully Branded Breakdown While Outsourcing Every Task But the Emotional Collapse
Huge thanks to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for the early access — nothing like cringing at the idea of “perfection” while trying to deny a sourdough craving.
Her husband Michael (aka Red Flag Barbie’s Ken) is cheating on her with anything under 25, because of course he is. He controls every cent she earns, and basic household decisions require Madison to outmaneuver him in emotional 4D chess. It’s not a marriage — it’s a high-stakes power imbalance with a matching aesthetic. She’s not thriving. She’s surviving, and barely.
But Madison’s image doesn’t sustain itself. Lori, the housekeeper, is the one quietly holding it all together for Madison — her four kids, her crumbling marriage, and a lifestyle brand clinging to its last curated breath — with somehow enough warmth leftover to proof sourdough. Cally, the freshly arrived tutor, isn’t just there to teach the geography of only red states; she’s got her own secrets and a vibe that says “accidental witness.” The brand stays glossy because everyone around Madison is working overtime to keep it that way — all of them propping up a lie they never asked to be part of.
Then there’s Briana. She just wants what Madison claims to have: a stable relationship, a peaceful home, a thriving family. And she wants it desperately. Because Madison makes it look so easy. But what looks like obsession is really quiet fury. Briana doesn’t admire Madison so much as resent her — envy coated in desperation. She doesn’t want to wear Madison’s apron — she just wants enough food to get through the week, a locked door that stays shut, and to stop flinching every time her boyfriend walks in.
The story rotates between Madison, Briana, Lori, and Cally — not to play games with the truth, but because each woman sees reality through her own cracked lens. Are they unreliable? Maybe. Or maybe they’re just telling the version of the truth they have to believe to stay upright. It’s messy, it’s claustrophobic, and it’s layered with just enough paranoia to keep the story tense.
I landed at 3 stars. Not because it’s boring — it’s not — but because it’s a cocktail of plot convenience, pacing gaps, and moments so unbelievable they made me blink twice. It’s fun. It’s a car crash in slow motion. It’s a mess I wanted to watch implode. But you’ll need to suspend a little disbelief, and maybe keep a chart of the many, many secrets stacked like Tupperware in a vintage pantry. Lauryn Allman nails Madison’s brittle, Stepford-perfect calm — but the male voices don’t really land, which honestly tracks, because every man in this book is either absent, manipulative, or emotionally engineered in a lab to be useless.
And the ending? It felt right. Not explosive, not tragic — but just clever enough to make me cackle. It had a little hope, a little wish fulfillment, and a final wink that made me think: oh, that’s exactly what she’d do.
Whodunity Award: For Maintaining a Fully Branded Breakdown While Outsourcing Every Task But the Emotional Collapse
Huge thanks to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for the early access — nothing like cringing at the idea of “perfection” while trying to deny a sourdough craving.
July 7, 2025
This book of fiction follows one of the many mommy influencers who claim to be traditional wives and fill their accounts with pictures of the perfect life. I think we all know by now that the perfect pies and cakes and perfect children don't really exist and all of these accounts are shams. This story though was very dark and I hope the majority of these trad wives are not so horrible. Madison lives on a large ranch in Wyoming with her handsome husband Michael and is expecting her fourth child. The story starts when she decides to hire a tutor for her children and ends up with Cally who is a liberal young woman from Boston who needs money.
Madison doesn't participate in any part of her actual life. Her best friend/housekeeper Lori does all the cleaning, cooking, baking and child care and even more which we find out later. Some parts of the story were unbelievable to me including Lori allowing herself to be treated so poorly, Cally signing a year long contract which gives her not one day or hour off in 365 days and husband Michael who somehow doesn't know his wife makes hundreds of thousands of dollars when the money goes into his bank account.
There are some interesting twists and turns and the author did a good job at plotting out this story, but it was so dark I had trouble finishing it. There is abusive of two separate pregnant women, gaslighting, imprisonment and intense child discipline. I never really understood Madison or her motives or the extreme guilt felt by Lori. I did enjoy the twist and the ending while implausible was satisfying. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.
Madison doesn't participate in any part of her actual life. Her best friend/housekeeper Lori does all the cleaning, cooking, baking and child care and even more which we find out later. Some parts of the story were unbelievable to me including Lori allowing herself to be treated so poorly, Cally signing a year long contract which gives her not one day or hour off in 365 days and husband Michael who somehow doesn't know his wife makes hundreds of thousands of dollars when the money goes into his bank account.
There are some interesting twists and turns and the author did a good job at plotting out this story, but it was so dark I had trouble finishing it. There is abusive of two separate pregnant women, gaslighting, imprisonment and intense child discipline. I never really understood Madison or her motives or the extreme guilt felt by Lori. I did enjoy the twist and the ending while implausible was satisfying. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.
November 24, 2025
The book does a pretty decent job of showing why depending completely on a man is a really, really bad idea. On top it, the characters and intrigue are quite good, with two plotlines where it isn't clear whether they are separated in time or not.
Maddie is the tradwife with the millions of followers, desperate to hold on to her fame and her sponsorship. Her husband is philanderer, with wandering eyes and hands. Thus Maddie has engaged Callie, a liberal girl with a piercing, as the children's tutor. Callie is about to get the surprise of her life, as she discovers the lies behind the instagram facade.
Maddie is the tradwife with the millions of followers, desperate to hold on to her fame and her sponsorship. Her husband is philanderer, with wandering eyes and hands. Thus Maddie has engaged Callie, a liberal girl with a piercing, as the children's tutor. Callie is about to get the surprise of her life, as she discovers the lies behind the instagram facade.
July 24, 2025
What a craaaaazy story! I was absolutely so intrigued by this story because to be honest I’m fascinated by the trad wife movement and not necessarily in a bad way. This story follows Madison march a huge trad wife influencer who pretends to have it all together and we learn about her husband and family and all the dark secrets they keep. To be honest I hated all the characters in this story also I found it kind of hard to follow at times. But on the flip side I did find it had good twists and shocking moments. Overall it was a okay thriller!
May 7, 2025
What a fun run with a look behind an influencers life. This definitely feels like it could be a true story in a way heheheheh. Really fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing til the end. Loved the multi pov story in this and my goodness they sure give you some people to hate in this. A read for sure if you like domestic thrillers that pack a punch. Thanks NetGalley for an early read! Was not disappointed!!!!
May 28, 2025
I saw the tag line for this book is ‘readers are obsessed with this book’ so was keen to see If I was
I wouldn’t say I was obsessed however it was good and was very enjoyable, but if you have read or watched anything re an influencer thats ‘life is not as it seems’ you will know how the book starts and develops, I love these kind of books and so it was as I had expected, the onus of course being on the Trad Wife lifestyle on an all American apple pie homestead and what this influencer was showing on her Insta
And of course then the disparage ( think thats the right word ) between the on line persona and the very different real life reality came to the fore
The selling diffetent point for this story is what happens next and the big twist, soz but there is one and the ‘too late now’ realisation of….well if I say that the plot is ruined so you will need to read it but it is a worthy, more than worthy ‘shock ending’
Cliches over but it is a very good read, perfect if you like the influencer gone wrong genre and lets admit it we all do to some extent 😎 great writing
I wouldn’t say I was obsessed however it was good and was very enjoyable, but if you have read or watched anything re an influencer thats ‘life is not as it seems’ you will know how the book starts and develops, I love these kind of books and so it was as I had expected, the onus of course being on the Trad Wife lifestyle on an all American apple pie homestead and what this influencer was showing on her Insta
And of course then the disparage ( think thats the right word ) between the on line persona and the very different real life reality came to the fore
The selling diffetent point for this story is what happens next and the big twist, soz but there is one and the ‘too late now’ realisation of….well if I say that the plot is ruined so you will need to read it but it is a worthy, more than worthy ‘shock ending’
Cliches over but it is a very good read, perfect if you like the influencer gone wrong genre and lets admit it we all do to some extent 😎 great writing
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