Tradwife

by Michelle Brandon

Inspired by the #tradwifetok phenomenon, a novel in which trad wives with dark personal secrets in a small beach town find themselves embroiled in scandal when one of their husbands goes missing, and their traditional—and not so traditional—lifestyles become a national sensation, from the author of Rush Week.

In an idyllic coastal town, life appears picture-perfect—until it’s not. Families are drawn to Crystal Harbor for its more traditional values and gender roles, a step back in time to an era of female submission and patriarchal leadership. But beneath the layers of perfectly coiffed, manicured, and attired wives; freshly baked sourdough; faithful Sunday churchgoers; bake sales; and backyard barbeques, lies a secret lifestyle that’s only revealed when the sun goes down—and a man goes missing. Worse, the disappearance dredges up a dark truth several of them thought they buried years ago, threatening to shatter the community’s carefully maintained façade.

Told from the alternating perspectives of three women at the center of it all, Tradwife is a juicy, drama-packed novel that dives into the controversial, trending social media lifestyle and gender role stereotypes of tradwives, the taboo behind-closed-doors participation in wife-swapping, and what happens when the lies they’ve told themselves inside a gilded cage turn inside out, with the potential to not only destroy their existence, but end them…

Genres: Thriller

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Michelle Brandon is a pseudonym for Eliza Knight, an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author. A travel junkie and fan of wine, when she's not writing, she can be found lounging on the beach with a delicious book or taking a long restorative walk. Surrounded by palm trees and wild animals, she lives in the sunshine state with her husband, daughters, two slobbery doggies and a turtle named Fish.

Reviews

[Mai H.]

I very unironically loved RUSH WEEK so lfg ✌🏼

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon a

[TBRBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything in Crystal Harbor seems perfect... until it isn't. What starts as a polished, picture-perfect lives quickly unravel with secrets, lies, and revenge, and I was hooked.

Tradwife by Michelle Brandon is a true page-turner. I genuinely could not put it down. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Brandon pulled the rug out from under me and proved how wrong I was (in the best way). This book kept me guessing right up until the end.

If you love drama filled thrillers then add this one to your TBR list immediately!!

Thank you so much @Avonbooks and @Netgalley for the opportunity to arc read this one!

[Anita I · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a fun book especially in these times of everyone trying to actually be a tradwife. I’ll do my best not to add spoilers but this book does show us that all that glitters isn’t gold and the perfection portrayed isn’t always so. If you like a who dun it book then this will be a fun read with some twists you don’t see coming.

[Emily Casilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was the other book Trad Wife and then realized the one I intended to read was by Saratoga Schaffer. Tradwife was much more of a thriller and it has scandals.

[Karm Barter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. That was entertaining. Even though I figured out the twist early on I still got something out of it. I will read this author more.