Trad Wife

by Saratoga Schaefer

A ‘traditional wife’ influencer allows a demonic creature to impregnate her in this unnerving horror novel, perfect for fans of Nightbitch and Mary, from the author of Serial Killer Support Group.

Every #tradwife needs a baby. She’ll get one at any cost.

When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her tradwife lifestyle for her online followers. She takes inspiration from other tradwives on social media, aspiring to be like them, but Camille’s missing a key component: a baby. And contrary to what she posts online, things with her husband Graham have been strained. Pressured by her eager followers, Camille fears that without a baby, her relationship will suffer and her social media will never grow out of its infancy.

When Camille discovers a mysterious, decrepit well in the wheatfield behind her house, she makes a wish for a baby. Afterwards, she has unsettling experiences that she convinces herself are angelic in nature, and when she’s visited one night by a strange creature, her wish comes true. 

Camille’s pregnancy announcement gets more engagement than anything she’s ever posted—so what if Graham’s reaction is lukewarm? Camille’s life is finally falling into place. Never mind that her pregnancy is developing freakishly rapidly and she’s suddenly craving raw meat. Being a traditional wife is worth it.

Rosemary’s Baby for the digital age, this disturbing horror novel is one you’ll want to devour in just one bite.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Adult, Contemporary, Feminism

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2026

About the author

Saratoga Schaefer (they/them) is the USA Today Bestselling and Indie Press Bestselling author of vicious horrors and twisted thrillers. Their books have been featured in Variety, People Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Glamour, and their writing has appeared in Writer’s Digest, CrimeReads, and more. Originally from Brooklyn, Saratoga now lives upstate with several needy animals and a haunted clown table.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been staring into space for ten minutes without a clue as to how to review this book. It's full of irritating tradwife nonsense and unlikeable characters and it's beyond disgusting at points, and yet it's also just about unputdownable. I didn't like a single thing that happened in this novel and yet I enjoyed it tremendously.

Imagine Rosemary's Baby (if Rosemary had willingly agreed to the whole “gestating Satan's spawn” thing) but with modern — and grosser! — twists. There's a ton of social commentary to be found here, especially where the tradwife social media influencer lifestyle is concerned. I've never had any interest in the tradwife scene (because … ha, no), but I feel like the the author did a fantastic job of portraying the lifestyle and all of its … issues. Camille is completely insufferable and yet you can't help but feel a little sorry for her too.

But this book is about so much more than just the tradwife lifestyle. It's also about the sacrifices of motherhood and feminine rage and the ills of social media and oppressive gender roles. And, okay, there's also the whole bit about having a baby with a random creature that wanders out of the woods behind your house — Camille really makes some impressively bad decisions as far as that whole situation is concerned.

I do feel that the ending was a bit predictable. I mean, perhaps I've just read too many horror novels at this point, but could it have really ended any other way? It is absolutely a wild (and disgusting) ride, but I'm not sure that many readers are going to reach the end and think “Wow, I never saw that coming.” It's not necessarily a bad thing, though — knowing how it's all going to end only increases the sense of dread you feel as you make your way to those final pages. And, lemme tell you, the ending of this novel is absolutely not for the squeamish.

Overall, Trad Wife is an excellent horror story that addresses important societal issues in the most twisted way possible. It's full of gore and death and antiquated gender roles, and I both loved and hated just about every moment of it.

4.25 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is February 10, 2026.

[Brandon Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

****Edited to add bc I don’t want anyone to be traumatized, but I would say this is legit like borderline extreme horror it’s so gory 😅 think like Maggie’s Grave by David Sodergren or Off Season by Jack Ketchum. Just a heads up!

Genuinely crazy!! Knowing this was about demonic impregnation I was expecting a certain amount graphic imagery and body horror, but I was taken aback by just how *intense* and *disgusting* it came to be 😅

Everything about this story surprised me in the best way! Highly recommend if you can handle some seriously nauseating subject matter.

[Jaidee · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.6 " the incubus may be the stud but the novel is mostly a dud" stars !!!

Thank you to Netgalley, and Crooked Lane Books for an ecopy. This will be released Feb 2026. I am providing an honest review.

A difficult review to write. This has 18 ratings thus far with an average of 4.5 stars. Not at all my experience. I was hoping that this would be THE Halloween read.

First of all...I was most excited by the premise of this novel of an Instagram Trad Wife getting involved with an Incubus to conceive...wow ....this could have been a most amazing psychological horror or supernatural horror but it is neither...

Camille... our insecure, dependent and needy tradwife....is just not well etched....I don't believe in her and I don't give a shit about her...as she is not real but rather a superficial rendering by a liberal agenda....deepen her psychology, make her real, make the reader care about her experience and place in life rather than draw her as a caricature....

Most of the prose is terribly cliche and mediocre (although there are a few passages of excellence)...
the plot is only semi-sensical, the interpersonal transitions are rather poor and I am not once afraid although a bit curious....then around the half way mark we move almost fully into body horror and I am out...running away....body horror is not my jam and in fact I find it both stupid and gross....I stopped reading at 58 percent as I just can't stomach it...don't need to hear every single detail of what was discharged from her vag....

I am sure many of you will love this but I was terribly disappointed and disgusted and not at all frightened which is just too bad...so sad for me as a reader....

Amazing book cover and premise...the rest not at all...

[Brooke ☯︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description that this is "Rosemary's baby for the digital age" is very apt. Camille is a social media influencer with a picture-perfect lifestyle. She bakes, she cleans, she becomes increasingly aware of the misogyny behind her lifestyle. She really wants a baby and as it turns out, her husband is more attentive to his other interests than to her. So Camille wanders the woods behind her home and finds a spooky well and makes a wish with a copper penny. She begins having dreams and a being appears and tells her if she wants a baby then her wish will be granted. Camille tells herself this is an angel come to save their marriage, what could go wrong.

Eventually little sweetheart is conceived and Camille's pregnancy lasts an unnatural 3 months. Sweetheart has white eyes and barracuda teeth, and mommy loves her so much! Mommy sacrifices so much of herself to feed little hungry sweetheart. Just keep telling yourself she's an angel, Camille :):)

This was a fun escalation of horror. I enjoyed that the horror elements were not presented in a gruesome way, but rather, I found myself chuckling about how she talked about her missing toes and the baby's strange behaviors. She starts craving raw meat and goes to some humorous lengths to devour it as she descends into madness. It was a propelling, fun, fast read that also pokes fun at some bigger social issues. It often reminded me of the movie "First Omen" which deals with demon conception and fear of childbirth, however it was not as raw. There is tw: cannibalism, but again it was not described in a detailed or gruesome way, so the humor of it was more prevalent.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Video Review https://youtu.be/_I7RqcGnN7U
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2026 and I am thrilled to report that it did not disappoint.

I loved how the author uses the phenomenon of trad wife influencers to explore surrounding themes of feminity, equality and motherhood. While this novel clearly has a perspective on this performative social media, I appreciate that the narrative does not talk down to stay at home women who persue these more traditional paths within equal relationships.

I normally struggle to read novels surrounding pregnancy and delivery but I couldn't look away feom this trainwreck. I was surprised to find our protagonist so sympathetic in her desire for motherhood.

Finally, without giving away too much, I thought the ending was brilliant. It fit the story well, leading to a satisfying ending.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys these reading horror stories involving these themes. The story was perfectly plotted, grusome and memorable.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

ballerina farms eat your heart out

[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books where I stared into space and said to myself “What in tarnation?” … in my country voice. 🤣🤣 Talk about unhinged, yeah, I’m talking to all you unhinged horror fans.

Trad Wife is an influencer maternity mommy horror novel. Only, this one is brutal with a feature of some cannibalism. Even the baby wants a bite. Get ready.

What I particularly liked was the raw and surreal look at how influencers become obsessed with fame, likes, comments and follows. The longing for approval from complete strangers is baffling. When you find your approval is only needed from the people you love, that’s the real deal.

This story was crazy bonkers and definitely hits the WTF Did I just read mark! Also available with @aardvarkbookclub this month.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published February 10, 2026.

1 star/DNF at 10%

I chose this because I thought this might be a fun little horror story about these TradWives getting knocked off, or, magically, getting parts of their brains back and turning on the patriarchy (but both #tradwives and #bad girls know that Santa never brings you what you want.)

By about twenty pages in I was getting suspicious. So I checked. This is by the same Saratoga Schaefer who wrote the abysmal SERIAL KILLER SUPPORT GROUP. I read that whole thing so I knew this wasn’t to get any better.

First of all, why is this woman a tradwife? Early trauma? Conservative family? Wants to be an influencer? Because they aren’t presented as really good or bad, there’s no moral judgment here, and we’re ALLOWED to poke gentle fun at these ladies, who will make chicken soup for you when you are sick but who also wrung the neck of the chicken. The FMC thinks (about infertility) “And it could be him, a voice in the back of my head points out before I chase it away. It’s true, the voice mutters, almost petulantly. I read a chapter about male infertility three weeks ago. It isn’t Graham’s fault. It couldn’t be. That’s not him this is supposed to work..”. Dear Lord, she JUDT FOUND OUT men can be infertile? And then dismisses it? I weep for our nation of young women.

So, don’t do it. There’s a good horror book somewhere in here. This isn’t it.

[naima ؛༊ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this might be the ultimate weird girl book.

Maybe I don’t want to raise a traditional wife. Maybe I want to raise a feral woman.

the supernatural pregnancy, the manipulator husband, the intense trad wide pipeline, the influencer horror, the murder/cannibalism, EVERYTHING was done so well in this book. it was perfect. the perfect spiral for the quintessential wife. the creature that treated her better than her silly little husband 🥹

Which one of us is really the fallen angel?

also i know not the best example but how much being a mother can change one as a person.

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have such mixed feelings about this one—love and hate in equal measure. The book takes on a lot: women’s autonomy, the illusion of perfection on social media, the pressure to conform, and the manipulation that hides beneath “traditional” values. At its core, it’s about choice—real choice. A woman can absolutely choose to be a homemaker or a full-time professional, but when that decision is coerced, romanticized, or filtered through someone else’s expectations, it becomes suffocating.

It also hits on the performance of perfection—the curated feeds, the “ideal” family life, the way people listen to influencers instead of experts. That part felt sharp and timely. What resonated most, though, was the question of purpose. As someone deep in academia and science, I understood the exhaustion, the quiet questioning of “is this what I’m meant to do?” That part felt painfully real.

The story raises important questions about women’s roles, societal expectations, and how both men and women contribute to the pressure to be everything at once. But the execution didn’t land for me—the characters felt flat, the pacing dragged, and the ideas that could’ve been powerful often got lost in the delivery.

I appreciate what Schaefer was trying to do, but ultimately, the delivery was not for me.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intimate, conversational, almost confessional prose makes this dark and heartfelt story a delight to read. The story manages to be incredibly sympathetic to its main character while also letting her performativity, naivete, and intentional obtuseness be remarkably aggravating at times. That is to say, she feels like a real woman who is responding to the traumas she has experienced with the best tools she sees as available to her, and unfortunately a lack of resources means those aren’t the best tools. Not at first, at least. Part of me wants to believe the antagonist, her husband, is some over-the-top stereotype of a Chad, but reality quickly divests me of that delusion. He isn’t given much dimension in this story, though, and I would have liked him to be just as awful but with a little more depth, perhaps. It was just remarkably easy to root against him, and that just makes the inevitability of the narrative less emotionally fraught. He does still feel genuine though, because being blandly misogynist and patriarchal with performative religiosity as a half-hearted justification feels unfortunately too genuine.

The writing itself felt intimate and was enjoyable, with enough description to really let the reader feel invested in the environment without feeling florid. The writing does a good job at paralleling the main character’s inner journey, always letting us stay within her sphere of experience. The pacing did feel a little slow by the final act, though. This is simply because the story is written for the reader to have far fewer doubts and ambivalence about the reality of the situation than the protagonist does, and we can see the writing on the wall very early on. She tries to deny it, and this makes things feel a little more drawn out than they need be, and the final act suffers a little because of this. Not in terms of what actually happens, the course of the narrative makes sense and is satisfying, but it does have a sense of inevitability to me as a reader that made me disconnect from the character in that final act. This novel is not long but I almost wonder if it could have been a long novella, instead of a short novel, maybe just 50 pages shorter, which would have kept the tension ratcheted up to a higher level for the whole back half.

Emotional and engaging characters, a sympathetic exploration of how trauma and 21st century (online) culture can warp that trauma into something even more malignant, and a meditation on family, self-empowerment, and accountability (among other themes) make this story a fun and worthwhile read. The narrative is direct, without any complications or twists, but satisfying and meaty. The pacing could have been trimmed up a bit in the final act, but it is still a fast and enjoyable read, never feeling plodding, just inevitable and hence not as tense or untrustworthy as it might have been. It definitely scratches a few different itches, and a welcome addition to the emerging canon of feminist psychological and body horror.

(Rounded from 3.5)

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dove into this without any expectations, and I was immediately hooked. While it's not exactly the same, the whole time I was reading, I was thinking of the 2009 movie Grace. The content is kind of brutal and graphic, and the characters aren't likeable, but it combines to create something fun for horror fans and well-balanced. Great read, and I'll definitely look for more from Schaefer.

[Tabitha (Reading Tabby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this out for my Aardvark box for Feb and am glad I did - it turned out fantastic and totally gory, which I love! I also listened along to the audiobook, narrated by Rachel Jacobs, while I read and while I cooked and cleaned (haha).

I'm the furthest thing from a Trad Wife myself; I'm unmarried, I have no kids, I'm liberal and science-minded, an atheist... yet I find that content online to be somehow compelling. Not in a way that's alluring, but in a way that's almost horrifying. Schaefer's book puts into words all the reasons I both question it and can't help but watch and consume it, especially when they come awfully close to self-parody (like when the real version of Mara Shoemaker went and made homemade Lucky Charms or whatever cereal, from scratch, lmao). This book satisfied that urge I have to occasionally watch #tradwife content but with the added bonus of a wildly satisfying ending.

I think Saratoga Schaefer did a great job with this, especially with balancing the chaotic manicness of Camille slowly changing, almost losing her mind in the process, with moments of reality. This book was compared to Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch, a novel I enjoyed but had difficulty reading because of how deep into the MC's psychosis we're sent. Trad Wife is like Nightbitch-lite, with a lot more gore, which honestly makes me like it more. It was easily devoured (hah) in two days, where with Nightbitch I could only read a couple pages every couple months because it was SO MUCH. Of course part of that is the fact I find the idea of motherhood absolutely terrifying, so Nightbitch did scare me more than Trad Wife, though they're both horrifying in their own ways.

Most of Trad Wife's true horror is the slow mental and cultural imprisonment of Camille to patriarchal red pill views. Her awakening is, though also horrific, is a relief in comparison to how Graham and her father constantly belittle her. It made my skin crawl they way they would speak to her.

The ending very much gives Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery or Hungerstone - two novels I've given five stars and highly recommend if you like this or want more like it. Nightbitch was another 4 star from me, though I'd consider Trad Wife like a 4.25 star because, as I mentioned earlier, I liked this just a little bit more.

A quick and easy read, recommended if you find marriage, motherhood, the patriarchy, misogyny, etc horrifying, and want a satisfying gruesome and gory resolution hehehe

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 incredible ⭐️'s!!!
Listen, this is disturbing and grotesque, but the message behind it has so much power and meaning. "...let your hunger guide you to what you truly deserve", as so nicely stated by the author in the acknowledgment section.
If you can handle blood and gore then I highly recommend this book. You won't regret it.

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW/CW: misogamy, language, infertility, toxic family relationships, death of parent, gaslighting, sexism, toxic relationships, sex, gory scenes, blood, violence, grieving

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her tradwife lifestyle for her online followers. She takes inspiration from other tradwives on social media, aspiring to be like them, but Camille’s missing a key component: a baby. And contrary to what she posts online, things with her husband Graham have been strained. Pressured by her eager followers, Camille fears that without a baby, her relationship will suffer and her social media will never grow out of its infancy.When Camille discovers a mysterious, decrepit well in the wheatfield behind her house, she makes a wish for a baby. Afterwards, she has unsettling experiences that she convinces herself are angelic in nature, and when she’s visited one night by a strange creature, her wish comes true. Camille’s pregnancy announcement gets more engagement than anything she’s ever posted—so what if Graham’s reaction is lukewarm? Camille’s life is finally falling into place. Never mind that her pregnancy is developing freakishly rapidly and she’s suddenly craving raw meat. Being a traditional wife is worth it.
Release Date: February 10th, 2026
Genre: Horror
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I Liked:
1. Tradwife theme
2. Writing style
3. Rosemary's Baby feeling
4. Creature/demon love
5. Gory scenes

What I Didn't Like:
1. God, Graham
2. Last 30% get boring and repeative

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Well that's just disgusting hearing about how her talk Dad talked about her food. Saying he had to go get takeout every time she went to bed because her food was so gross. It's like why did he even let her cook if it was so bad and waste her time why not just tell her to not even bother. I'm sure she could be doing something else as a teenager instead of catering her dad's needs.

Graham over here telling her that she doesn't need to do any strength training for her arms like lifting. I suppose he doesn't think about osteoporosis and how it can affect women's bodies but we don't want women looking like men now do we.

So there is a bathroom downstairs that they remodeled but Camille never mentioned it before when she was describing all the rooms on the first floor.

This neighbor waited a month before giving Camille the warning to stay out of the woods. She says it's so dangerous but why wait this long to say it. Now I know why the neighbors before told Renee at the beginning of her moving in but I am unsure as to why Renee would wait this long other than her lame excuse of wanting her to have time to settle in.

Graham over here cheating on his wife to come home and see her passed out and then ask her if she's made dinner. What an a-hole seriously. Gross.

Who knew the gentleman of this story would be the demon who asked and waited for consent before sex and giving her the baby. Can the demon kill Graham so she and the demon can live happily ever after together?

Graham never letting her leave the house but always leaving. Even saying she didn't need a car and isolating her with no friends and family.

See him cheating is proof that even when you give someone everything they want it's never good enough. She's "perfect" in all the ways he said he wanted but he still wanted more. It's absolutely sickening.

Craving raw meat just reminds me of an iron deficiency.

Awe the creature keeps bringing her meat to eat so she doesn't go hungry. It's so sweet. While on the other side Camille is passing out and falling apart and Graham is upset that he doesn't have dinner and the house is a mess.

I'm so disappointed that the Instagram dms weren't more juicy and were on the boring side. I was seriously hoping for something more exciting. I guess Graham is boring in real life wouldn't get also be boring in his cheating life? I just thought it would be great if he had been a hypocrite if he was cheating on Camille with dominatrix.

Yes, she finally got that hint and left Graham - okay she ate him but still she moved on to better things.

Final Thoughts:
I get that we are supposed to hate Graham like in Rosemary's Baby with Guy, but I seriously hate them. Graham is your typical red pill dude that wants to do what he wants while having a wife that's like his mom. It's sickening that there are real men like this in the world.

It also killed me everytime I heard Camille blame herself when Graham treated her a certain way; him cheating was her not trying hard enough, unable to get pregnant that there was something not right with her body, or him pulling away it's her not being perfect enough for him. All these beliefs set in stone for her because her mother was groomed into these thoughts because of her father and they trinkle down to Camille. Toxic men encouraging other toxic men to abuse their daughters. There is a part where Camille is worried that her dad will be upset that she found Graham but he's actually happy for her to finish what her mother couldn't finish - because she DIED. Even in death Camille's mother still failed in his eyes.

It was sad that the only time that Camille found any kind of actual tenderness for herself and without having to give anything away for anyone else was with the demon. He gave her the baby she wanted and the pleasure she had always been denied. She admits that Graham was a selfish lover - never doing oral on her and rushing through sex to get what he wanted and asking her if she got anything from it as an afterthought. It's so surprising that this terrible man is even able to find someone to cheat with but not surprising as he is a master at gaslighting.

Unfortunately I felt like the book got a little stagnant once the baby was born and Camille repeated the same things over and over again and again. She would feed the baby, the baby would grow, she'd hid the baby, and then Camille would eat. This for 70 pages just made me feel bored. I did love that she ate Graham and went off to live with the demon creature.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and Rand crooked house for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

[erica ࣪ ִֶָ☾. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★
”He thinks me so sheltered and delicate. All he knows of me is what I’ve shown him.”

Talk about character development… #tradwife

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books make you laugh, some make you think. Tradwife made me laugh, think, and mutter “oh no theydidn’t” at least five separate times. Schaefer takes a scalpel to the polished, beige world of the Tradwife movement (and yes, it bleeds flour and sourdough starter).

Camille, in the beginning, had me bristling. On one hand, she’s talented enough to create a highly selective science program (only a handful of teens got in), on the other… she bailed the second someone critiques her work. Which, to be fair, same. But then she gets funneled toward this perfect-wife-perfect-mother life she was raised in and for that looks great on Instagram but is basically a 24/7 unpaid job with no PTO. And the accuracy is almost unsettling. Schaefer nails that dynamic where women end up as basically baby factories and domestic servants expected to care for everyone EXCEPT themselves.

Then there’s Mara Shoemaker (who isn't a main but appears secondhand often) is the human embodiment of Ballerina Farm vibes. Highly capable, a (former) huge career of her own, and yet somehow redirected into the Tradwife pipeline where her entire existence seems to orbit her husband’s career and childrearing schedule, like the NASA moon landing but for casserole. Watching Camille and Mara interact is equal parts fascinating and rage-inducing.

The horror kicks in when Camille, desperate for that missing baby to complete her aesthetic, wishes at some creepy old well and ends up knocked up by a demon—hello, Rosemary's Baby but with filters. It's gross and spicy in the best way, with cravings for raw meat that eventually turns into some cannibalism, and it skewers social media's role in turning domestic drudgery into a cult. Camille's arc feels a tad too on-the-nose at times, like the satire's yelling instead of whispering, but hey, in a world full of tradwife influencers, who can blame it for cranking the snark? Solid horror with bite. Pun intended.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in the January 2026 issue of Library Journal

Three Words That Describe This Book: conversational narration, influencer horror, disquieting

4.5 out of 5

Other words: sinister, visceral, gory, motherhood horror, terrifyingly realistic, psychologically unmooring, Camille is sympathetic even though readers start by hating her. Ultimately unforgettable

Draft Review: Camille is happily immersed in the Trad Wife lifestyle, keeping an immaculate home while her husband works to finance it all. Her online content is rising up the influencer ranks, but without a baby, she cannot make it to the next level. Desperate for that baby, Camille finds a creepy, abandoned well at the edge of the woods, tosses in a penny, and makes a wish, calling forth a creature who offers to make her dream come true. But at what cost? Camille’s conversational narration and unsettling commitment to the Trad Wife lifestyle, lulls readers into thinking they have read this story before. They have not. Get ready for an intense, gory, and brutally honest tale where good and evil are unclear; where readers will root for things that will surprise them; where a psychologically unmooring, but undeniably happy ending will leave all feeling a lingering unease long after turning the final page.

Verdict: A nuanced and visceral deep dive into both the trad wife and influencer horror subgenres, in the sinister vein of Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton and Youthjuice be E.K. Sathue infused with the disquieting, grotesque beauty of The Shape of Water by Daniel Kraus.

This is not your typical trad wife horror or influencer horror. I know these are a trend right now, but this one starts unsettlingly and goes on a well paced (both reading wise and terror wise) trajectory straight downward and then makes a great twist toward at the end.

Overall this was satisfying in a way most influencer horror is not. Camille is flawed in so many ways, but Schaefer builds sympathy for her well. IT isn't just that her husband and the other trad wife influencers are flawed-- that is what most of these books do. This book gives Camille a reason for the turning to the trad wife lifestyle, one that starts off stereotypically and then as we learn more, gets more complicated. I loved that because you hate her at first and while you don't come to love her completely (which is also good), you feel for her.

This is it real or is it in her head of a lot of motherhood horror is missing here is well. As a mother myself, I sometimes resent this idea that the trauma is so intense it is all in her head, especial when it is done lazily where the reader could say it is just psychological. But now, this one-- it is visceral, feral, and yet, also beautiful. There is a creature here. He did come from the creepy well at the back of her property, he did give her the baby. And once the reader and Camille understand that-- the story blossoms from there. It becomes more than the summary.

Get ready for an intense story here where the heroes and villains are unclear, where more than just the trad wife lifestyle is skewered, where you will root for someone you didn't expect to at the start, and where you will find a horrific, complicated, and disquieting happy ending. And the fact that you will find it happy, is the unease that will linger with you as you turn the final page.

While I understand the comparisons to Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder based on the description, this is better comped to Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton meets E.K. Youthjuice by Sathue with a very healthy dose of The Shape of Water by Daniel Kraus.

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Maybe I don’t want to raise a traditional wife. Maybe I want to raise a feral woman.'





Trad Wife is a 2026 horror/thriller novel by Saratoga Schaefer. Described as "Rosemary’s Baby for the Instagram era," it is a visceral, satirical deep dive into the "tradwife" social media subculture and the darker side of the influencer lifestyle.

In Saratoga Schaefer’s novel Trad Wife (scheduled for release in February 2026), the "trad wife" is defined not just as a lifestyle choice, but as a performative trap where a woman’s worth is entirely conditional upon her utility to others.

The author uses body horror to redefine the "trad wife" by the end of the book. She suggests that the traditional definition of a "good woman"—one who is small, compliant, and self-erasing—is the real horror. The "monstrous" changes Camille undergoes represent a rejection of these conditions. The "trad wife" becomes a figure who must eventually choose between staying a "hollowed-out" version of herself to be loved, or embracing a "monstrous" authenticity that refuses to comply.

This is such a wild 'Good for Her' story. It’s a total descent into madness—super visceral and unapologetically gory. Honestly, some of the dialogue was a bit cringey, and the whole creature erotica subplot felt more like a distraction I didn't really care about, but the payoff? Huge. The final act is this blood-soaked, entertaining thrill ride that makes the whole slow-burn buildup 100% worth the read.


I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jamie Josephson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for providing an ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

This was sharp, unsettling, and incredibly compelling. What started as a somewhat darkly funny satire, quickly spiraled in something far more sinister. This story peeled back the veneer of the “trad wife” fantasy and exposed the control issues, identity breakdown and horror just simmering below the surface. The eerie atmosphere set the tone throughout continuing until the very last page and the slow psychological unraveling of the FMC kept me hooked. I absolutely love a story where the main character descends into madness and this one did not disappoint.

Overall, this book made me uncomfortable in all the right ways. 10/10 highly recommend.

[Reisa Bolog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowwww! I applied for an ARC of this completely blind and have no regrets. This book took me a day to read and I could not put it down. Fantastic writing, fantastic book. Very gory, not for the easily squeamish.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books for the eARC of Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer via Netgalley!

Mid-reading I told myself if this book ended in a particular way, it’ll be an automatic five stars & that my friends, is how Trad Wife became my first 5 star read of 2026. It gave me what I wanted AND MORE.

Trad Wife is about a “trad wife influencer” who allows a demon to impregnate her because she believes having a baby will help her marriage and more importantly, raise her follower count on Instagram ✨✨✨

Trad Wife is so unhinged & grows even more unhinged with each passing page. I went into this just knowing the bare concept (pregnant trad wife influencer in a horror story) & very much enjoyed the journey it took me on. I also /really/ appreciated the writing aspect of this one.

If you enjoy feminine rage & unhinged horror stores, I’d definitely recommend picking up TRAD WIFE!

[Zizi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what I was reading at first, but it quickly became odd and grabbed my attention lmfao. Haven’t had fun with a book like this since “Ice Planet Barbarians”!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

PHEW. This one was not afraid to go places 👀 🥩 . I loved the ending. Who knew demons could be more of a gentleman than some husbands? I loved the exploration of how much we value the content and opinions of influencers on social media. Along with regaining autonomy in a one-sided marriage.

[Emmy Carrasco · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-3.75/5 ⭐️

I would pay a sizable sum amount of money to watch Nara & Ballerina Farm read this and then critically analyze it.


REVIEW/COMMENTARY:
The themes were in your face the entire time which I don’t know if I liked or disliked. I enjoyed the exploration of a battered, emotionally abused wife and being in the conscious mind of waking up to the realization. The gorey scenes and the baby, I really enjoyed. I thought Renee and Camille were extremely well thought out and even if you didn’t like them, the story flowed. The aspects of social media were insane and *chefs kiss* because I could put in women who are popular on Tik Tok now that behave the exact way.

I appreciated the reference of Biblical accuracy, Genesis, creation of Nephilim.

I think the ending, and Camille, was lazy and following this almost whimsy fairytale like closing. (As whimsy or fairytale as a horror can be). I expected more from an interaction with Graham and just more from the ending.

I do like the writing so I will be checking out Schaefer’s other work!

*** I’m not sure why my review was removed and why this was marked as if I didn’t read it so reposting.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Schaefer is a new to me author but I will definitely be reading their books going forward. Trad Wife perfectly and unapologetically balances psychological, domestic, supernatural, and body horror.

The different levels are perfectly balanced, from the sad loneliness experienced by Camille, who has lived her entire life under controlling men, to the fear that leads to freedom catalyzed by her strange and often frightening experiences with a supernatural entity.

In the acknowledgements Schaefer refers to their own book as “deranged”, and it is, in the best possible way. It takes a lot of skill to guide a character like Camille through the difficult experiences and transformation she undergoes and remain completely on her side, and Schaefer succeeds largely because they aren’t afraid to embrace the horror that is a necessary part of the process.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well shit, that was unhinged. Like, the whole trad wife influencer thing already feels like high-level horror to me, and then Saratoga Schaefer just takes that and twists it into something actually demonic. And not gonna lie, I was so here for every single gross, feral bit of it.

Now, the wildest part is I almost put the book down in the first 20%, because Camille and her obsession with being this perfect trad wife just felt so exhausting to me. The constant posting, the comparison to other influencers, the way her whole identity is wrapped up in this image, and her deep desire to get a baby at any cost while completely ignoring just how strained her marriage is... it all just made me want to tear my eyes out, and maybe that was the intention all along.

But then she finds that weird, decrepit well out in the wheatfield, makes her wish, and from there things just started slipping and I was completely hooked and unable to look away from the trainwreck unfolding in real time. I honestly don’t want to say too much, because this just is one of those books that works best if you just experience the spiral for yourself, but what I really loved is how Schaefer balances the absolutely unhinged demonic/body horror with this surprisingly emotional core that just kept digging deeper under my skin.

The themes around femininity, gender roles, influencer culture, motherhood, identity, and that deliciously simmering female rage hit so hard, and I while I think Camille's character arc was fairly predictable, I still loved ended up loving the entire wild ride. Though, I do have to admit that I was side-eyeing her the entire time, because I don't think I will ever be able to wrap my head around how far she was willing to go to protect and nurture that monster of a baby... could never be me.

Anyway, Trad Wife is one of those books that didn't hook me immediately but instead just slowly sank its teeth into me and then didn't let go, and I kinda love it for that. This was my first book by Saratoga Schaefer, and it will deifinitly not be my last. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something dark, messy, disturbing, and a little bit feral, but just be prepared for it to haunt you for a while.

[paula a · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thanks netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC!

My last thought when I read the last sentence of the acknowledgment was BOF. This was an amazing read. It truly offers what it promises: terror, body horror and social commentary. The author knows what they did, and they did an amazing job.

This is about a woman who has a social media presence but wants more. Traditional catholic, tends to her home and her useless of a husband, posting trad-wife content. Because of that, she realises she misses the most important part: a baby. And there's something calling her from the woods.

I have always said that I read anything and everything, but this? I was not expecting genuinely enjoying it so much to the point that disgust was something that kept me even more hooked.

If you do not handle body horror, pregnancy as body horror and more topics around such, this isn't for you. But a word of advice? It is very, very good and worth it, but don't eat while reading this.

[Andie Hiestand · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Maybe I don’t want to raise a traditional wife. Maybe I want to raise a feral woman.”

Omg this book was so gross and I loved it so much.
Once again, feminist horror for the win 👏🏻🙌🏻

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5

Why are there TWO fictional horror novels titled ‘Trad Wife’ being published within three months of each other? According to writers Saratoga Schaefer and Sarah Langan the whole ‘Trad Wife’ community is worth writing an entire book about. I honestly don’t get it. Granted, my entire very limited social media presence exists to serve my interests which consist of three things: books, witchy shit, and cute animals. Thought I’d read this to see what I’m missing but I still don’t get it. F*ck the whole Trad Wife community, you ARE the problem. This book pissed me off.

So yeah, it sucks your Dad’s a conservative misogynist but then you went and found yourself another conservative misogynist and married him. Girl…..you’re an adult. You made that choice. Take some personal accountability! I have no sympathy. So you finally see the error of your ‘Trad Wife’ ways when it becomes convenient for you to do so. I’ll send some “thoughts and prayers” for your regrets.

Where we’re at as a country right now, amid a bullshit backsliding rightwing regime, I don’t give a shit that you’re a reformed asshole, you’re still an asshole. And by asshole I’m referring to Camille, the main character in ‘Trad Wife’, not the author, Saratoga Schaefer. This is the first book of Schaefer’s I’ve read, so I’ve nothing to compare it to but it doesn’t incite me to read more.

To sum it up: I started off hating the characters and still hated them by the end.
Did. Not. Enjoy.