Dreamwives

by Claire Novak

A funny, moving and wise mumcom about reinvention with a vengeance and the power of friendship, for fans of Maggie Alderson, Marian Keyes and Jilly Cooper.


When two enterprising women hit the financial skids, they cook up a business to make money from the wife-work they've been doing for decades. But will their labour of love be too hot to handle?

Middle-aged housewife Katrina Webb, dumped by her husband and suddenly broke, meets her old friend Michelle Redlin-Wu, who looks after her elderly father and has just been laid off. Over a stolen bottle of champagne, they decide that people should pay for the domestic and emotional work women have largely shouldered for centuries, and their business is born.

Dreamwives aren't cleaners or nannies or housekeepers - they create warm and inviting homes by cooking dinner, leaving the bathroom clean (and just a little bit used), and listening to their clients unload. This is extreme customer service - no sex included.

It seems to be a winning formula, until Michelle starts falling for a client, and Katrina finds herself at the centre of a very public scandal. Can they really get paid for the work that so many women do for free, or are they flushing their lives away? This fast-paced romp will make you laugh, shout and cry ... And make you forget about your To-Do list for a while.

PRAISE

'Besties Katrina and Michelle will have you cheering them on and snort-laughing through their riotous misadventures. Dreamwives is fresh, frank and full of heart' TESS WOODS

'If you're not laughing and despairing with Dreamwives, then you are the Craig in your relationship. This funny, insightful story is for anyone who needs a laugh and a good dose of empowerment' KIMBERLEY ALLSOPP

'Money-spinning the mental load of wifery into dollars? Genius! Savvy Kat and Michelle cook up a hilarious scheme and are smart, funny, instantly loveable and totally relatable. Success really is the best revenge' MEREDITH JAFFE

'Clever and dry with an undercurrent of heartache, Dreamwives had me smiling and fuming, laughing and cheering. It also left me contemplating the many unpaid domestic tasks so often called women's work. For at the heart of this deceptively light read is an astute study of how a house becomes a home and just how we value those who make it happen' SUZANNE LEAL

'An entertaining "mum-com" that shines a light on women's invisible labour ... Honest and heartfelt. Perfect for readers of Marian Keyes, Tricia Stringer and Meg Bignell' BOOKS+PUBLISHING

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2026

Reviews

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review.
Claire Novak is a pseudonym for a dynamic duo of writers.
Dreamwives is the first collaboration from them and it’s a fun, witty and entertaining book.
Two women devise a plan to make money after men let them down.
Katrina Webb is a housewife with two boys and just been discarded by her husband.
Michelle Redlin-Wu has just lost her job and is living with and looking after her elderly father.
They reacquaint at a reunion gathering and they hatch a scheme.
A money making domestic service for desperate people.
Housework, cooked dinner, conversation and inviting atmosphere with no sex included.
It works until it doesn’t and scandal, drama and gossip cause havoc…..
This was so enjoyable and with many humorous moments, it made a delightful reading experience.
I laughed out loud, I smiled, I grimaced and I was totally enthralled.
A unique premise and two great lead characters with plenty of interesting scenarios.
Female friendships, empowerment, resilience and strength are all highlighted in this awesome read.

[Anabela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle-aged housewife and mother Katrina is blindsided when her husband leaves her, cutting her off financially and forcing her to confront just how precarious her “secure” life really was. Michelle, juggling caring for her elderly father, is then laid off from her job for the crime of being too old. In their shared frustration and commiseration, the two women stumble upon a brilliantly audacious idea:what if they marketed the domestic and emotional labour they’ve been providing for free their entire lives?

What follows is a witty, sharply observed satire about marriage, housewives, money, and the invisible, unquantifiable work women are expected to shoulder without recognition or pay. The premise is clever and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, but beneath the humour is a cutting commentary on how quickly this labour is dismissed—until you slap a price tag on it.

As the business grows, so do the consequences. Katrina finds herself embroiled in a scandal, while Michelle begins falling for one of their clients, forcing both women to confront uncomfortable questions about value, identity, boundaries, and what true friendship really looks like.

Smart, funny, with well developed, relatable characters, Dreamwives manages to entertain while also making a powerful point. A sharp, satisfying read that lingers well after the last page.

Thank you to the wonderful team at @harpercollins for the #gifted copy.

[EJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so Dreamwives was… a ride. Not a rollercoaster but like one of those slow, creepy ferris wheels where you’re pretty sure the bolts are loose but you’re committed now. The concept? SO good. That whole “perfect wives in a perfect little world but actually everything is deeply weird” vibe had me instantly hooked. Claire Novak knows how to write tension. There were moments where I genuinely felt uneasy in the best way but I’ll be honest, the pacing threw me a bit. Some chapters had me glued to the page and then others felt like they were taking the scenic route for no reason. I kept wanting just a little more emotional depth from the characters so the twists would hit harder. Still, it’s clever, unsettling and the ending had me sitting there like… “Oh okay we’re doing that.” It didn’t blow my mind but I’m also definitely not mad I read it. If you like domestic suspense with a creepy Stepfordy edge, this one’s worth picking up.

[Pousali Ghosh (thispandareads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read with a very unique premise. I immediately compared it to Lessons in Chemistry because the premise is somewhat comparable, the utter ridicule that this society has made of women and women’s rights and accomplishments. Where Bonnie Garmus dealt with women in STEM, Claire Novak deals with something simple as a housewife. A housewife, seen as someone who doesn’t have a job, attends to the husbands and kids needs and doesn’t have a say of their own. But what the world doesn’t realise is, without these housewives, not only that particular home, but this society will be chaos. Because those kids won’t have a parent to come home to, those husbands won’t have a clean home and hot food to come home to and most of all, there will be no one to bear the grunt of their attitudes and egos. A housewife’s work is not just important, it’s literally the hardest unpaid job that exists in this world. And that’s what this book brings to light in a satirical humorous way.

Katherine’s husband left her without notice because she’s too much of a suburban wife. Michelle is kicked out of her job whom she’s served her entire life because she’s too old. Now with no skills in Katherine’s pocket except for her housewife duties she’s almost bankrupt. And no husband support. Whereas Michelle is scared to not have money because she supports her dad. When they both bump into each other in a school reunion, in an emotional drunk stage, an idea develops. Of making the “housewife” dream come to life. It becomes a soaring success overnight but when people get to know about it, they do what they always do with successful women, they turn their business into an escort service. How will Katherine and Michelle come out of this hole that this world dug for them?

This contemporary fiction will be the talk of the town in 2026! I finished it in one setting literally. Thank you so much HarperCollins Australia for this fantastic ARC.

[Narelle Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting story that, while taking a somewhat light approach at times to the housewife dilemma, definitely has some strong points to make about the unpaid heroes of a family. Katrina has been a devoted mother and wife as well as a conscientious friend and member of the community, but she is about to find out that all that is irrelevant when her husband blows up the marriage. Michelle is a caring daughter and hard-working business woman who finds herself without a job due to her age and dealing with an elderly father who is not very cooperative. When Katrina and Michelle reconnect at a school fundraiser, a new business is born - Dreamwives - where you can hire a wife who will make your home feel like a home without any of the shenanigans of the bedroom. It seems off to a good start but very quickly everything derails and it appears that the public believe they are sex workers of some form or another - can they reclaim their good names and keep their business afloat?
It was a really entertaining book that had me grinding my teeth at times when Katrina went along with some of the bad behaviour of people in her life and other times I was cheering the two women on hoping that all would end well. I did find that the business seemed to become up and running quite quickly and I wasn't quite sure that the money was really coming in to support them that fast but if you suspend judgement of that aspect, the rest of the story is an absolute gem. I'm very glad that backbones were found and certain characters were taught a lesson or two towards the end. Definitely a beach read for summer - thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and share my honest opinion.

[Melissa Kirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreamwives by Claire Novak is a great and sometimes comedic story about two women putting their lives back together in the most quirky way, while under the watchful and judgmental eyes of their private school community. When Katrina's husband up and leaves her for a younger woman she is in absolute shock and desperately needs a job, but all she knows how to do is to be a dream wife!! Michelle is let go from her corporate job and is left searching for work while looking after her often frustrating elderly father. After a reconnecting at a school event they put a plan in place for a new business.

The story follows the ups and down of the business along with the communities reactions and I loved it. The story was different (a little first wives club-like) but also showed what true friendship is. I loved the interactions between all the characters and how their true natures came to light throughout the book. It felt like you were coming to realisations at the same time as the characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

[Lizzie Hammang · Rating 4 out of 5]

🩷💛Dreamwives by Claire Novak💛🩷

Okay, but what if you were broke, emotionally exhausted, freshly humiliated by life, and instead of crying quietly in the corner you started a business with your best friend after stealing some champagne? 🍾🙈😈
That is Dreamwives, and I Ate. It. Up.

Katrina and Michelle are tired, fed up, and absolutely done doing unpaid emotional labour (anyone with me? 🙋🏼‍♀️lol)🫠😂 Watching them turn that rage into a slightly feral business idea is genuinely iconic. The humour is sharp, the situations spiral FAST, and every client interaction had me whispering “oh noooo” while laughing hysterically 😂

I absolutely devoured this and immediately wanted to rant about it to someone who gets it 💅🔥(IYKYK) Perfect if you love funny women, big feelings, and stories that feel like a shared meltdown, but make it an empowering one 💃🍾✨

Thank you so much to @harpercollinsaustralia and @clairenovak.author for gifting me an uncorrected proof copy to review 🙏🏻 this baby is out now!

First read and review for 2026, and I had such a fun time with this one. What is your first read of 2026? 😊

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreamwives is a fun contemporary fiction novel about starting over. I loved both the main characters Katrina and Michelle - they were both so relatable. Katrina is struggling with mental load of having to do it all and then her husband leaves her. Michelle has just been let go from her job and struggling to find a new one due to her age and caring for her aging father. The two reconnect at a school fundraiser and drunkenly come up with the idea to start a business based on their skills of being wives. Dreamwives is born. I was in stitches at times with the predicaments they found themselves in at times and the interactions between the all the characters. It explored the downsides of the business too. I also enjoyed the connections to the school community and their family members. A funny and reliable story perfect for fans of Sally Hepworth and Maggie Alderson and Rachael Johns.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what this one was about and didn’t read the blurb but found it so entertaining, fun and witty.

When Katrina’s husband leaves her, she feels like all she is good at is being a house wife, cooking, organising everyone, being there for everyone and making sure life runs smoothly.

Katrina reunites with an old friend Michelle, who has just lost her job and looking after her elderly father. The two friends come up with a business venture Dreamwives! Creating the perfect feeling of home, cooking wonderful dinners, the perfect conversations, everything a wife usually does for free!

This premise was the best! Dreamwives was such a great idea. The customers and experiences they had was a lot of fun to read about. The scandal and revelation was perfectly executed!

This story was a great laugh, but it was also very clever and about starting over.

Thank you so much @harpercollinsaustralia for the early copy as part of the bookstagram bookclub!

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is laugh-out-loud funny and fresh, yet also wise and relatable.

I was drawn to the premise of this story - 'Domestic bliss at your fingertips!' and 'Because shouldn't everyone pay for all that housework and emotional labour.' This story follows Katrina Webb and Michelle Redlin-Wu as their lives implode and they decide to reinvent the work they already do, via Dreamwives - extreme customer service. It sounds like the perfect plan, to get paid for the work they already do for free, until a very public scandal and things start to fray.

If you handle the mental and emotional load in your household, whether it is as a spouse, carer or parent, then this will likely make you laugh and cry. Or at least put the housekeeping and meal preparation aside while you enjoy this story and contemplate the many 'invisible' aspects of making your house a home.

This would make a fantastic book club read!

I love the duo that make up Claire Novak - Catherine 'Claire' Jinks and Alexa 'Novak' Moses. I am keen to read what they produce next.

4.5 stars

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its fabulous premise and witty dialogue, this moving mumcom is all about new beginnings and highlights the mental load and unpaid tasks many wives undertake daily.

✨Katrina’s husband has just walked out on her for a younger woman and Michelle has been laid off because she is ‘too old.’ When the two women reconnect at their school reunion, they decide that people should pay for the domestic and emotional work women shoulder, and their business is born.

Dreamwives create warm and inviting homes, and listening to their clients unload. This is extreme customer service - no sex included. It seems to be a winning formula, until Michelle starts falling for a client, and Katrina finds herself at the centre of a very public scandal.

🧹This was such a fun read. I really liked both Kat and Michelle’s characters, I found them both and the ‘invisible’ work they do so relatable. It’s the type of book that will have you laughing out loud, nodding your head in agreement and despairing right alongside them both.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Katrina and Michelle's foray into being Dreamwives.
They were likeable characters and dealing with their respective family members, not so well meaning friends and the local school community whilst keeping their new business dealings a secret, bought out their abilities to juggle a million things at once - making them professionals in their field!
Overall its a lighthearted read with a feel good ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for the arc copy for review.

[Meghan]

DNF @ 46%. The premise of this book really had me hooked but I got halfway through and just couldn’t finish. The two main characters are just kinda… boring? Katrina is self absorbed, materialistic and vain, while Michelle is so two-dimensional. On top of all this, getting to halfway through a book and the stakes are so low I can’t bring myself to care enough about what happens. Disappointing, but this late in the year I can’t push through something that isn’t grabbing me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

[Mel Kettle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, despite it being described as “mumcom”. Can we just not??

As someone who hates housework with a passion, and isn’t great at creating “home-iness”, I found myself wondering where I could find a Dreamwife! I enjoyed the backstory and learning about Michelle and Katrina, and found myself wanting more when the book ended.

I'll be looking forward to more books by Claire Novak – the duo comprising Catherine 'Claire' Jinks and Alexa 'Novak' Moses.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for this eARC.

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Katrina finds herself newly 'single' and in danger of losing everything she has worked so hard to achieve, it takes an old friend from high school to encourage her to cash in on her life experiences in order to gain her independence.

We all know that men want to be listened to, indulged, comforted, encouraged and 'wifed'. Why not make money from it?

And things are going better than anyone could have expected, until.....

Fun, easy read with just a side note of female empowerment.

[Brittnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katrina and Michelle’s journey into the world of Dreamwives was a fun and engaging read. Both characters were easy to root for as they navigated family pressures, tricky friendships, and the watchful eyes of the school community, all while trying to keep their business a secret. Their ability to juggle everything at once made their partnership believable and entertaining. Overall, it’s a warm, lighthearted story that wraps up with a feel-good ending.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

📕 ASH’S RATING: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vibes: Reinvention Era, Retro Sparkle, Female Hustle

- - -
A very sweet book package landed on my doorstep and the retro special ARC cover had me instantly obsessed before I’d even turned the first page.

This was a true ‘right book, right time’ kind of read. Fresh, funny and an all round good time from start to finish that I needed in my life right at that moment.

I’m always here for stories about women picking themselves up after life throws a few curveballs (lost jobs, questionable husbands.. the usual) and when you add in some savvy entrepreneurship it’s immediate green flags for me.

The opening chapters had me fully locked in and the two main characters were relatable, likeable and a joy to spend time with. Watching their friendship grow right when they both desperately needed strong female support was one of the highlights.

Without spoiling anything, the business idea at the heart of the story is clever, original and genuinely fascinating. Throw in some light drama, plenty of laugh out loud moments and a deeply satisfying ending and you’ve got a winner.

The vibes were giving me a little Pleasantville, a little Lessons in Chemistry and a whole lot of fun.

Huge thanks to HarperCollins for the sneak peek and an extra shout out to ‘Claire Novak’ aka two brilliant writers teaming up. What an absolute dream combo.

[Sue Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 ⭐️'s - Review to follow