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Tradwife
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…
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…
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2026
About the author
Michelle Brandon
2 books106 followersMichelle 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
July 13, 2026
Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Tradwife was my very first completed audiobook, and it could not have been a better introduction to the format.
This story is told from three different points of view, and from the very beginning, I knew I was going to love the narrators. The full cast did an incredible job bringing these characters to life. Hearing the emotions, personalities, and dialogue made it feel as though I was sitting in the room with them.
Tradwife is women’s fiction filled with drama, secrets, and unexpected twists. There were even moments that made me laugh out loud because the characters felt so real and their interactions were so entertaining.
I was completely engaged from start to finish and would absolutely recommend this audiobook to readers who enjoy multiple POVs, drama, dark secrets, and stories that keep you entertained every step of the way.
Tradwife was my very first completed audiobook, and it could not have been a better introduction to the format.
This story is told from three different points of view, and from the very beginning, I knew I was going to love the narrators. The full cast did an incredible job bringing these characters to life. Hearing the emotions, personalities, and dialogue made it feel as though I was sitting in the room with them.
Tradwife is women’s fiction filled with drama, secrets, and unexpected twists. There were even moments that made me laugh out loud because the characters felt so real and their interactions were so entertaining.
I was completely engaged from start to finish and would absolutely recommend this audiobook to readers who enjoy multiple POVs, drama, dark secrets, and stories that keep you entertained every step of the way.
August 4, 2026
In Crystal Harbor, the men are the breadwinners and the women are the homemakers, and every woman knows better than to step foot outside without her hair done and her bloodred lipstick in place like armor. (The men—they by and large do what they want to do.) But of course things are not always as they seem.
Tradwife follows a handful of women from this community: Miranda is the mayor's wife, determined to run this town...one way or another. Ariel used to be an actress, and maybe she still is, but now her acting skills all go straight into her influencing career. And Jennifer used to have it all, but since her divorce, she's been pushed out by her former friends and is struggling to stay financially afloat. And then there's Tara...
I'm intrigued by the recent rise of the tradwife thriller, so when I saw this I knew it was a must. This is the fourth I've read so far, and somehow of those four it's the first one that doesn't involve a podcaster or journalist trying to find the truth under the tradwife façade. (Ariel is an influencer, and Jennifer starts going public on social media early on in the book, but this isn't the same as someone coming in from the outside; everything that happens in the book stays within the Crystal Harbor community.)
Winning at Crystal Harbor wasn't about playing fair. It was about playing flawlessly. (loc. 1133*)
For all that this is a tradwife book, and the town is deathly determined to be dry and saccharine sweet, the characters here are...well, they know that what is on the outside is not what is on the inside, and if 95% of the women in town do not have something hidden under the sink or in the closet, I'd be very surprised. Miranda in particular is determined to use her position as the holier-than-thou head honcho (or head honcho's wife, but...she knows better) to stir shit up...it's only the shape that that will take that is uncertain. Few of these characters are easy to root for (though some are less pleasant than others), and the ulterior motives are strong.
There's a lot of twisting near the end of the book, some of which I found more predictable than others. I would have liked a bit more of the in-between story; there's a then and a now, but not much, even at the end, to tell us how we got there. And: The tradwife lifestyle is thin, here. I'm genuinely curious to read books about the whole #tradwife thing (horrified, but also curious), but I don't actually think this shows much of it; mostly we see the characters figuring out how best to be awful to each other in a very Southern, smile-while-you're-insulting-someone way. Intriguing, but a low three stars for me.
And now on to the next tradwife thriller...
*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
Tradwife follows a handful of women from this community: Miranda is the mayor's wife, determined to run this town...one way or another. Ariel used to be an actress, and maybe she still is, but now her acting skills all go straight into her influencing career. And Jennifer used to have it all, but since her divorce, she's been pushed out by her former friends and is struggling to stay financially afloat. And then there's Tara...
I'm intrigued by the recent rise of the tradwife thriller, so when I saw this I knew it was a must. This is the fourth I've read so far, and somehow of those four it's the first one that doesn't involve a podcaster or journalist trying to find the truth under the tradwife façade. (Ariel is an influencer, and Jennifer starts going public on social media early on in the book, but this isn't the same as someone coming in from the outside; everything that happens in the book stays within the Crystal Harbor community.)
Winning at Crystal Harbor wasn't about playing fair. It was about playing flawlessly. (loc. 1133*)
For all that this is a tradwife book, and the town is deathly determined to be dry and saccharine sweet, the characters here are...well, they know that what is on the outside is not what is on the inside, and if 95% of the women in town do not have something hidden under the sink or in the closet, I'd be very surprised. Miranda in particular is determined to use her position as the holier-than-thou head honcho (or head honcho's wife, but...she knows better) to stir shit up...it's only the shape that that will take that is uncertain. Few of these characters are easy to root for (though some are less pleasant than others), and the ulterior motives are strong.
There's a lot of twisting near the end of the book, some of which I found more predictable than others. I would have liked a bit more of the in-between story; there's a then and a now, but not much, even at the end, to tell us how we got there. And: The tradwife lifestyle is thin, here. I'm genuinely curious to read books about the whole #tradwife thing (horrified, but also curious), but I don't actually think this shows much of it; mostly we see the characters figuring out how best to be awful to each other in a very Southern, smile-while-you're-insulting-someone way. Intriguing, but a low three stars for me.
And now on to the next tradwife thriller...
*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
Read
July 9, 2026I will read any horror/thriller about tradwives, the whole phenomenon fascinates me. The premise here hooked me right away: a town full of tradwives, where the ultra-regressive lifestyle is the default? Whoa!
Premise - the coastal town of Crystal Harbor is perfect in the way of the Stepford Wives’ suburb, without the sci-fi spin. Then a man disappears, drawing attention to the town’s secrets and nighttime deviances.
The story is told in three POVs, all women close to the scandal. This vantage point into the story stretched a pretty tight timeline (one party, really, plus some investigation) into a novel-length work, but we didn't get to know any of the characters deeply and so I wonder if this might have worked better as a single or dual POV, with a deeper dive into that one chosen character.
Overall, I'd say this felt more like a standard popcorn thriller with tradwife set dressing than like a trad wife story following a thriller structure. If trad wife had been stricken from the text, this could have just been a 'rich white women in a conservative coastal town' story and nothing would have changed.
There were some areas where the tradwife label worked against the story -- for example, this is a dry town, but the is a sex party, and getting the people to attend wasn't a psychologically intricate manipulation rife with politics and counter assurances, etc etc. Yes, tradwives (and frontier fellas?) can have weird kinks, too, but if the whole town is so judgy you can't order a cocktail without repercussions, I don't buy that they'd willingly sign up for a swingers night *in their town.* They might swing and peg and do all sorts of things, but they would LEAVE town and go do it somewhere anonymous, like NYC (or whatever their nearest big town is).
Overall, I really wanted to feel the tradwife of it all more in the story. Tradwives are part of regular life, but if there's a whole town full of them, you now require significant world building! How does this affect education, the availability of certain public services, the typical schedule of a day, the clothing and how men and women relate to and address one another, etc.?
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, and Hillary Huber. They did a solid job with the text and their voices were quite distinct, which made it easier to tell who was speaking, even when my attention started to drift.
Thanks, NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Premise - the coastal town of Crystal Harbor is perfect in the way of the Stepford Wives’ suburb, without the sci-fi spin. Then a man disappears, drawing attention to the town’s secrets and nighttime deviances.
The story is told in three POVs, all women close to the scandal. This vantage point into the story stretched a pretty tight timeline (one party, really, plus some investigation) into a novel-length work, but we didn't get to know any of the characters deeply and so I wonder if this might have worked better as a single or dual POV, with a deeper dive into that one chosen character.
Overall, I'd say this felt more like a standard popcorn thriller with tradwife set dressing than like a trad wife story following a thriller structure. If trad wife had been stricken from the text, this could have just been a 'rich white women in a conservative coastal town' story and nothing would have changed.
There were some areas where the tradwife label worked against the story -- for example, this is a dry town, but the is a sex party, and getting the people to attend wasn't a psychologically intricate manipulation rife with politics and counter assurances, etc etc. Yes, tradwives (and frontier fellas?) can have weird kinks, too, but if the whole town is so judgy you can't order a cocktail without repercussions, I don't buy that they'd willingly sign up for a swingers night *in their town.* They might swing and peg and do all sorts of things, but they would LEAVE town and go do it somewhere anonymous, like NYC (or whatever their nearest big town is).
Overall, I really wanted to feel the tradwife of it all more in the story. Tradwives are part of regular life, but if there's a whole town full of them, you now require significant world building! How does this affect education, the availability of certain public services, the typical schedule of a day, the clothing and how men and women relate to and address one another, etc.?
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, and Hillary Huber. They did a solid job with the text and their voices were quite distinct, which made it easier to tell who was speaking, even when my attention started to drift.
Thanks, NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2026
🏡🔍 Tradwife 🔪🏡
This is definitely one of those books where everyone sucks and everyone is unlikeable. My favorite. 🤣
It was pretty predictable, but also satisfying! I had a feeling about where the story was going and ended up being pretty much spot on. But honestly, that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. I was very invested in watching everything unfold. 👀
It was also a fairly quick read. I listened to the entire audiobook in just a few hours🎧
What to Expect
🏡 Domestic Suspense
👀 Multiple POVs
🤫 Small Town Secrets
🔍 Missing Person
❌ Betrayal
_ _ _ _
⭐ Audio Score: 4.5 Stars
🎙️ Narration: Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling & Hillary Huber
📅 Pub Date: August 4, 2026
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
This is definitely one of those books where everyone sucks and everyone is unlikeable. My favorite. 🤣
It was pretty predictable, but also satisfying! I had a feeling about where the story was going and ended up being pretty much spot on. But honestly, that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. I was very invested in watching everything unfold. 👀
It was also a fairly quick read. I listened to the entire audiobook in just a few hours🎧
What to Expect
🏡 Domestic Suspense
👀 Multiple POVs
🤫 Small Town Secrets
🔍 Missing Person
❌ Betrayal
_ _ _ _
⭐ Audio Score: 4.5 Stars
🎙️ Narration: Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling & Hillary Huber
📅 Pub Date: August 4, 2026
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
August 4, 2026
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult & NetGalley for the ALC.
1.5 ⭐️
Oof. I made it to 50% and had to throw in the towel and DNF. I am BUMMED because every fiction/thriller book I’ve read about Trad Wives this year has been AT LEAST 4 stars for me, but this was such a disappointment. I didn’t really connect the story to the “trad wife” elements and it read more like a domestic thriller. Which I could have overlooked, but I just couldn’t get into it.
🎧: I appreciate the multiple POV’s and multicast narration format, but I was NOT a fan of the narrator for Jennifer’s character and found her to be too flat and robotic. I know it’s not an AI narrator, but it sure felt like it 🤖🫣.
The overall pacing was sluggish and it became really difficult to focus on the story and I just never connected with the characters. It’s too bad too because the premise was really promising. There might be an audience for this, but it just wasn’t for me ☹️.
1.5 ⭐️
Oof. I made it to 50% and had to throw in the towel and DNF. I am BUMMED because every fiction/thriller book I’ve read about Trad Wives this year has been AT LEAST 4 stars for me, but this was such a disappointment. I didn’t really connect the story to the “trad wife” elements and it read more like a domestic thriller. Which I could have overlooked, but I just couldn’t get into it.
🎧: I appreciate the multiple POV’s and multicast narration format, but I was NOT a fan of the narrator for Jennifer’s character and found her to be too flat and robotic. I know it’s not an AI narrator, but it sure felt like it 🤖🫣.
The overall pacing was sluggish and it became really difficult to focus on the story and I just never connected with the characters. It’s too bad too because the premise was really promising. There might be an audience for this, but it just wasn’t for me ☹️.
2026
June 30, 2026📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon a
August 12, 2026
Thank you Michelle Brandon and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook of this novel.
3.5 Stars
I have read a few books with this trope lately, it's very popular right now so it's easy to compare.
That being said, the writing is decent but the plot wasn't anything that would scream out memorable to me in the long term. The characters are the kind you love to hate picking on the tradwife lifestyle.
The narration performance was great. No issues there.
Okay read.
3.5 Stars
I have read a few books with this trope lately, it's very popular right now so it's easy to compare.
That being said, the writing is decent but the plot wasn't anything that would scream out memorable to me in the long term. The characters are the kind you love to hate picking on the tradwife lifestyle.
The narration performance was great. No issues there.
Okay read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many thanks to HarperAudio for the advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review
★ 2.69 stars ★
me everytime the word "Tradwife" was said:
The Tradwife movement/trend is a very interesting one and I was incredibly excited to see it explored in a tongue-in-cheek way while also being deadly serious (literally).
Unfortunately, that is not what I got. It seems that Michelle Brandon actually has no idea what a tradwife is or does nor the sociopolitical roots associated with the movement. Because of this, her portrayal falls completely flat. I can't be sure since I wasn't there but I have to wonder if she even did any research or just went based off of TikToks since the blurb literally states "Inspired by the #tradwifetok phenomenon."
This also seems to be a mistake she has made before. TikTok hashtags do not a novel make. And I feel this should've been clear after the first one did so poorly.
The biggest bummer is that this could've been something amazing but the plot had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.
But honestly, I just keep coming back to the tradwife thing because can forgive a a plot full of holes... I love a plot full of holes... as long as it's enjoyable.
but the tradwife thing was just so inaccurate and unenjoyable... I grew up in a community of tradwives. My mom used to be a tradwife (before I discovered my gayness and woke-i-fied us into the 21st century). I know what tradwives are. And this wasn't it. At least, not in my experience.
I think this book would've been much better set up for success if it had been marketed as a Desperate Housewives-esque type novel. The behavior of the characters fit that type of environment much more.
All this being said, the reason I didn't round this book down to 2 stars is because it's not a net negative. It's fairly enjoyable, well narrated and easily read as a quick beach read or car trip novel. If you're looking for a psycho neighborhood wives novel, this might scratch that itch. Just go into it with the right expectations. This isn't a tradwife novel.
------
this book made me realize that there is a tradwife culture and Michelle Brandon has absolutely zero idea what it is...
full review to come
★ 2.69 stars ★
me everytime the word "Tradwife" was said:
The Tradwife movement/trend is a very interesting one and I was incredibly excited to see it explored in a tongue-in-cheek way while also being deadly serious (literally).
Unfortunately, that is not what I got. It seems that Michelle Brandon actually has no idea what a tradwife is or does nor the sociopolitical roots associated with the movement. Because of this, her portrayal falls completely flat. I can't be sure since I wasn't there but I have to wonder if she even did any research or just went based off of TikToks since the blurb literally states "Inspired by the #tradwifetok phenomenon."
This also seems to be a mistake she has made before. TikTok hashtags do not a novel make. And I feel this should've been clear after the first one did so poorly.
The biggest bummer is that this could've been something amazing but the plot had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.
But honestly, I just keep coming back to the tradwife thing because can forgive a a plot full of holes... I love a plot full of holes... as long as it's enjoyable.
but the tradwife thing was just so inaccurate and unenjoyable... I grew up in a community of tradwives. My mom used to be a tradwife (before I discovered my gayness and woke-i-fied us into the 21st century). I know what tradwives are. And this wasn't it. At least, not in my experience.
I think this book would've been much better set up for success if it had been marketed as a Desperate Housewives-esque type novel. The behavior of the characters fit that type of environment much more.
All this being said, the reason I didn't round this book down to 2 stars is because it's not a net negative. It's fairly enjoyable, well narrated and easily read as a quick beach read or car trip novel. If you're looking for a psycho neighborhood wives novel, this might scratch that itch. Just go into it with the right expectations. This isn't a tradwife novel.
------
this book made me realize that there is a tradwife culture and Michelle Brandon has absolutely zero idea what it is...
full review to come
August 2, 2026
I wanted to love this one because the premise immediately hooked me. The recent wave of tradwife inspired thrillers is absolutely my kind of reading, and I was hoping this would fully embrace the social media phenomenon and all the unsettling dynamics that come with it. Instead, it felt like the tradwife angle was mostly surface level. Remove that label, and this could have been about any wealthy, privileged neighborhood hiding dark secrets.
The audiobook ended up being the highlight of the experience. With narration by Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, and Hillary Huber, it’s an absolute dream team. Their performances made the story far more engaging and helped distinguish the multiple perspectives, which was especially helpful since some of the characters felt fairly similar on the page.
The story itself moves quickly and is easy to get through, but the mystery never really landed for me. One of the viewpoints is intended to keep readers guessing, yet I found the reveal so obvious from the beginning that I didn’t even realize it was supposed to be a secret. Looking back after finishing, I realized just how predictable many of the twists actually were. Add in several convenient coincidences and plot holes that require a generous suspension of disbelief, and the overall execution never lived up to the potential of the premise.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Wealthy neighborhoods hiding ugly secrets
* Multiple POV domestic suspense
* Fast paced audiobook thrillers
* Gossip, scandal, and dysfunctional relationships
Did Not Finish
August 3, 2026I got about halfway and couldn’t keep going. It has one of my lest favorite plot devices, where one of the main characters repeatedly alludes to the reader that they have a secret they’re hiding from everyone. Personally, I just get annoyed with every chapter ends referencing there’s a secret. We get it.
Also, it’s about a group of trad wife influencers who live in a small, religious, dry town. One woman starts a tiktok account bashing the tradwives, and refers to it as an anonymous account. It made no sense because everyone would know who it is from her first post. She’s posts her face in the second post and still continued to refer to it as an anonymous account while pondering that maybe she shouldn’t have shown her face. It just made no sense.
Overall, I’m sure it’s a fine book, but it’s not for me.
Also, it’s about a group of trad wife influencers who live in a small, religious, dry town. One woman starts a tiktok account bashing the tradwives, and refers to it as an anonymous account. It made no sense because everyone would know who it is from her first post. She’s posts her face in the second post and still continued to refer to it as an anonymous account while pondering that maybe she shouldn’t have shown her face. It just made no sense.
Overall, I’m sure it’s a fine book, but it’s not for me.
August 12, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook. I did enjoy this book. The narrator was pleasant. It was definitely a lot of back and forth with the characters and got confusing some times but at the end it all made a lot of sense.
July 11, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
A poorly written domestic revenge thriller.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
My fourth? trad wife horror of this year! She is TRENDY.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Imagine you see this as your neighbor lmao. Like it’s too early for this lady.
Yeef, fuck stick is aggressive. Also-just to nitpick, not generally used for ladies on account of the STICK part.
I love a dirty soda, but I love a beverage in general.
All the girlies including me are feral for Alanis. They're so good.
Fuck Timmy. Hate that boy.
The chicken cutlet commentary is-
Ayy a me!
Ballerina Farms really has a chokehold on this genre.
Also, aren’t you gonna need to shower again now that you’ve been barefoot in a barn? Be so for real.
The alliteration in this needs to chill. It’s just coming off as cringe, not clever.
It’s reminding me a lot of that stupid AI Connecticut thriller, Next to Heaven.
This is very bad lol. It's like one step above Wattpad.
The dog better be OK, but I have a bad feeling. (Dogs are fine!)
So who had a lesbian affair back in high school? Because you know that’s coming.
Do you post pictures on TikTok?
Is this fucking play about us? My brain’s a hellscape.
Detritus sin
Are we like not supposed to know Benjamin is Jamie? Like is that gonna be a twist later? Surely not. Surely she doesn’t think the audience is that stupid. (Unclear, but it does kinda seem like that was meant to be a late game reveal.)
I’m so checked out from this book.
So how would he just not recognize his own sister?
Post-reading:
I hate when a thriller is too unbelievable to function. You know, I'm willing to suspend some disbelief, especially if the story leans into the inherent campiness of that. This is borderline unreadable. Somehow all these high school friends stay in the same town, marry each other, and have ridiculous amounts of money. Law enforcement doesn’t need a body to close a missing teenager’s case. Somehow no one recognizes her, not even her twin brother. Somehow she’s been functioning with forged documents that hold up to prenup and murder investigation inquiries this entire time even though she was underage and penniless when she would’ve needed to acquire them. It’s just a garbage plot.
The characters are annoying and one note. All their voices read identically so the POV switches aren’t effective. For a book called Trad Wife that features a character speaking out against that identity, it has no interest in engaging with or interrogating that community’s beliefs. The author’s knowledge of tradwife behavior amounts to sourdough starter and dirty sodas. It’d be laughable if the author weren’t so earnestly urging women to save themselves from the lifestyle.
It’s hamfisted. It’s slow. It’s painfully predictable. There’s really nothing redeemable about this. It’s coherent enough to get through, but why bother? You’d be better off picking up one of the many other new releases jumping on this trend. I wouldn’t read this author again.
The audiobook is multicast but the three female voices aren’t different enough from each other to make an impact, and none of the performances were notable, but to be fair, they also didn’t have great material to work with.
Who should read this:
Popcorn thriller fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Next to Heaven by James Frey-revenge thriller, ensemble cast
* Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer-domestic thriller, prank rank, social commentary
* Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke-domestic thriller, unreliable narrator, family drama, social commentary
* She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge-crime procedural, revenge thriller
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A poorly written domestic revenge thriller.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
My fourth? trad wife horror of this year! She is TRENDY.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Imagine you see this as your neighbor lmao. Like it’s too early for this lady.
Yeef, fuck stick is aggressive. Also-just to nitpick, not generally used for ladies on account of the STICK part.
I love a dirty soda, but I love a beverage in general.
All the girlies including me are feral for Alanis. They're so good.
Fuck Timmy. Hate that boy.
The chicken cutlet commentary is-
Ayy a me!
Ballerina Farms really has a chokehold on this genre.
Also, aren’t you gonna need to shower again now that you’ve been barefoot in a barn? Be so for real.
The alliteration in this needs to chill. It’s just coming off as cringe, not clever.
It’s reminding me a lot of that stupid AI Connecticut thriller, Next to Heaven.
This is very bad lol. It's like one step above Wattpad.
The dog better be OK, but I have a bad feeling. (Dogs are fine!)
So who had a lesbian affair back in high school? Because you know that’s coming.
Do you post pictures on TikTok?
Is this fucking play about us? My brain’s a hellscape.
Detritus sin
Are we like not supposed to know Benjamin is Jamie? Like is that gonna be a twist later? Surely not. Surely she doesn’t think the audience is that stupid. (Unclear, but it does kinda seem like that was meant to be a late game reveal.)
I’m so checked out from this book.
So how would he just not recognize his own sister?
Post-reading:
I hate when a thriller is too unbelievable to function. You know, I'm willing to suspend some disbelief, especially if the story leans into the inherent campiness of that. This is borderline unreadable. Somehow all these high school friends stay in the same town, marry each other, and have ridiculous amounts of money. Law enforcement doesn’t need a body to close a missing teenager’s case. Somehow no one recognizes her, not even her twin brother. Somehow she’s been functioning with forged documents that hold up to prenup and murder investigation inquiries this entire time even though she was underage and penniless when she would’ve needed to acquire them. It’s just a garbage plot.
The characters are annoying and one note. All their voices read identically so the POV switches aren’t effective. For a book called Trad Wife that features a character speaking out against that identity, it has no interest in engaging with or interrogating that community’s beliefs. The author’s knowledge of tradwife behavior amounts to sourdough starter and dirty sodas. It’d be laughable if the author weren’t so earnestly urging women to save themselves from the lifestyle.
It’s hamfisted. It’s slow. It’s painfully predictable. There’s really nothing redeemable about this. It’s coherent enough to get through, but why bother? You’d be better off picking up one of the many other new releases jumping on this trend. I wouldn’t read this author again.
The audiobook is multicast but the three female voices aren’t different enough from each other to make an impact, and none of the performances were notable, but to be fair, they also didn’t have great material to work with.
Who should read this:
Popcorn thriller fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Next to Heaven by James Frey-revenge thriller, ensemble cast
* Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer-domestic thriller, prank rank, social commentary
* Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke-domestic thriller, unreliable narrator, family drama, social commentary
* She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge-crime procedural, revenge thriller
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2026
Tradwife was one of those audiobooks that hooked me from the very first chapter and never let go. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, another secret surfaced that completely changed what I thought was happening. The pacing was excellent, and I found myself constantly wanting to listen to “just one more chapter.”
I really enjoyed the multiple points of view because they gave a fuller picture of what was happening behind the seemingly perfect lives in Crystal Harbor. The contrast between the town’s polished, traditional image and the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface made for a fascinating and suspenseful read.
The characters were complex, and I loved slowly uncovering how their lives intertwined. There was plenty of drama, mystery, and tension throughout, but what truly made this book stand out was the ending. I genuinely did not see that twist coming! It completely caught me by surprise and was the perfect way to wrap up such an addictive story.
If you’re a fan of domestic thrillers packed with secrets, deception, and shocking reveals, I highly recommend picking this one up. It kept me captivated from beginning to end, and that final twist is one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the publisher, and the audiobook team for providing me with an advance listening copy. Tradwife releases on August 4, 2026, and it’s definitely one to add to your TBR.
I really enjoyed the multiple points of view because they gave a fuller picture of what was happening behind the seemingly perfect lives in Crystal Harbor. The contrast between the town’s polished, traditional image and the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface made for a fascinating and suspenseful read.
The characters were complex, and I loved slowly uncovering how their lives intertwined. There was plenty of drama, mystery, and tension throughout, but what truly made this book stand out was the ending. I genuinely did not see that twist coming! It completely caught me by surprise and was the perfect way to wrap up such an addictive story.
If you’re a fan of domestic thrillers packed with secrets, deception, and shocking reveals, I highly recommend picking this one up. It kept me captivated from beginning to end, and that final twist is one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the publisher, and the audiobook team for providing me with an advance listening copy. Tradwife releases on August 4, 2026, and it’s definitely one to add to your TBR.
August 4, 2026
I ventured into something a bit different from what I'm used to read but I liked the cover and the blurb.
To be honest, I'm not sure I cared a lot about the 3 female characters, they were not really likeable but the author succeeded to make them feel real. Real beyond the careful image of the traditional wife, that is to say.
I didn't care that much either about the crime solving and the mysteries. I did guess one of the twists very early in my reading and I was very happy each time I catched a little thing corroborating my theory.
What I really loved was the atmosphere, the town, the ugly reality behind closed doors. That is what made me read the book in two days.
To be honest, I'm not sure I cared a lot about the 3 female characters, they were not really likeable but the author succeeded to make them feel real. Real beyond the careful image of the traditional wife, that is to say.
I didn't care that much either about the crime solving and the mysteries. I did guess one of the twists very early in my reading and I was very happy each time I catched a little thing corroborating my theory.
What I really loved was the atmosphere, the town, the ugly reality behind closed doors. That is what made me read the book in two days.
August 12, 2026
Thank you to net galley, Michelle Brandon and the publisher for letting me read and review
This book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. You will never see the twists and turns coming. I love hiw much drama is in this book and I love mean girls and there are alot in this book. This book is so full of juicy drama, backstabbing, snobby women, its absolutely perfect and a top read of the year. I highly recommend
This book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. You will never see the twists and turns coming. I love hiw much drama is in this book and I love mean girls and there are alot in this book. This book is so full of juicy drama, backstabbing, snobby women, its absolutely perfect and a top read of the year. I highly recommend
July 21, 2026
I enjoyed the read, but I do have a few major issues with the plot.
Firstly, the characters were very difficult to keep straight. Not only as individuals, but as couples. I constantly forgot who was married to who.
Secondly, it feels like it’s supposed to be some big mystery/eventual reveal who the divorcees POV we read from ex husband is. This is super obvious the whole book and not at all a reveal.
Thirdly, the final twist. Really? I’m supposed to believe…. I digress.
BUT I was invested in the story and overall would recommend the book. Take that as you will.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC
Firstly, the characters were very difficult to keep straight. Not only as individuals, but as couples. I constantly forgot who was married to who.
Secondly, it feels like it’s supposed to be some big mystery/eventual reveal who the divorcees POV we read from ex husband is. This is super obvious the whole book and not at all a reveal.
Thirdly, the final twist. Really? I’m supposed to believe…. I digress.
BUT I was invested in the story and overall would recommend the book. Take that as you will.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC
July 7, 2026
I’m fascinated by the whole tradwife movement, and this is the third or fourth book I’ve read that explores the theme. Some have been thrillers, others mysteries or literary fiction, so I was excited to see what this one would do with the concept.
The story centers around a community where many families embrace traditional wife values, creating an interesting divide between the women who wholeheartedly choose that lifestyle and those who don’t. It was a premise that immediately drew me in, and I thought it had the potential to be a really compelling mystery.
Major Spoilers Ahead
Unfortunately, the story lost me as more of the mystery unfolded. The reveal that nearly everyone had gone to high school together and was connected by a long-buried secret felt like too much of a coincidence. I also found myself questioning how all of these people ended up living the same lifestyle years later. There seemed to be a disconnect between the characters’ pasts and the lives they were leading in the present, and I never felt that transition was fully explained.
The biggest hurdle for me, though, was the ending twist involving the sister. The idea that she had supposedly died but returned, and that no one—including her own twin brother—recognized her, stretched my suspension of disbelief too far. Once that reveal happened, I struggled to stay invested because it no longer felt believable within the world the story had established.
It’s unfortunate because I really enjoyed the premise, and I think there was the foundation for a strong mystery. In the end, though, there were simply too many plot holes and unanswered questions for the story to fully come together for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to preread and review this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Well, I had high hopes, but this book left me feeling shockingly little. Like, I almost don't feel strong enough to only give this one star. We'll call it 1.5 I guess?
The pros: I liked the main characters. They were all unlikable to some extent or another, but they were entertaining to read, and I liked seeing the differences in their lives (even between our two Active Tradwives, Miranda and Ariel). I also liked our secondary characters around town - Brad, Samantha, Colleen, etc - for the same reason. Pretty much everybody sucks except some of the kids, but unlikable characters often make for interesting stories, and I did find the drama intriguing. My favorite part was definitely the pseudo-murder mystery aspect with Tara. I don't consider her case to be spoilers as it's brought up very early on, but I'll refrain from saying more at the moment. All told, the relationships between characters were very strong and interesting, and the book is overall a very easy read, which made it go by fast. I also liked the little detail about enjoying some "tradwife" things genuinely, like fresh-baked bread and homemade jam and even taking care of animals. It was a nice humanizing bit to show that the actions, or even being a housewife, are not the actual issue behind the tradwife movement - the complete submission and dependency is.
The cons: Hey so all that stuff in the synopsis about a man going missing and this town making national news and so on. Yeah that's the last 20% of the book. We get teasers of it at the start of each part (side note that this being split into three parts truly does nothing for the story, not even their titles), but when all that becomes the main focus it is at the very very end. And honestly, it's not even really the focus. That's a big problem with this book as a whole; it only wants to look at things out of the corner of its eye. Maybe that's meant to be symbolic, but it just comes across as vague and irritating. We have three POVs, but we're hardly ever actually present for events. Most of the chapters are full of just fluff, paragraphs upon paragraphs of prose that's meant to sound wise and thoughtful but is really just saying the same damn thing over and over again. The pacing is also completely out the window - we have no frame of reference from event to event except for the occasional mention of an event in a previous chapter happening "last week" or "earlier today" or whatever. And then for the final section we get hourly timestamps, which felt a bit like whiplash. Also - I have apparently been tricked into reading another thriller. Rip. I'll try not to judge it by my disliking the genre conventions, but I must say, this is probably the most predictable thriller I've ever read. I guessed one twist at about 30% that was revealed past the 90% mark. I guessed another one around halfway that was also revealed at the very very end. And these weren't even fun reveals, I wasn't proud of myself for guessing it, they were extremely obvious, and yet the book continued as if it was still some grand secret. I also didn't like the inconsistency in Miranda's character. She alludes to plans and revenge and so on, but never tells us what those plans are or revenge for what. Fine, but she also flip flops between being like "heh, I have a plan for every possible outcome" and "oh shit oh shit oh shit" and just. It was annoying. And while I liked the ending in broad strokes, I didn't like some of the details. It's unfortunately hard to talk about without spoiling. I wasn't super keen on the mastermind, but mostly because this whole thing is convoluted and annoying and I didn't feel there was enough justification for it. Same with Jennifer's ending specifically - I like the idea of it, but it just really didn't feel earned. And now that I think about it, really all the characters except for Miranda are just extremely passive, which is probably what cancelled out their unlikability into this whole book feeling just.... meh.
I think there are better tradwife books out there, sad to say.
Well, I had high hopes, but this book left me feeling shockingly little. Like, I almost don't feel strong enough to only give this one star. We'll call it 1.5 I guess?
The pros: I liked the main characters. They were all unlikable to some extent or another, but they were entertaining to read, and I liked seeing the differences in their lives (even between our two Active Tradwives, Miranda and Ariel). I also liked our secondary characters around town - Brad, Samantha, Colleen, etc - for the same reason. Pretty much everybody sucks except some of the kids, but unlikable characters often make for interesting stories, and I did find the drama intriguing. My favorite part was definitely the pseudo-murder mystery aspect with Tara. I don't consider her case to be spoilers as it's brought up very early on, but I'll refrain from saying more at the moment. All told, the relationships between characters were very strong and interesting, and the book is overall a very easy read, which made it go by fast. I also liked the little detail about enjoying some "tradwife" things genuinely, like fresh-baked bread and homemade jam and even taking care of animals. It was a nice humanizing bit to show that the actions, or even being a housewife, are not the actual issue behind the tradwife movement - the complete submission and dependency is.
The cons: Hey so all that stuff in the synopsis about a man going missing and this town making national news and so on. Yeah that's the last 20% of the book. We get teasers of it at the start of each part (side note that this being split into three parts truly does nothing for the story, not even their titles), but when all that becomes the main focus it is at the very very end. And honestly, it's not even really the focus. That's a big problem with this book as a whole; it only wants to look at things out of the corner of its eye. Maybe that's meant to be symbolic, but it just comes across as vague and irritating. We have three POVs, but we're hardly ever actually present for events. Most of the chapters are full of just fluff, paragraphs upon paragraphs of prose that's meant to sound wise and thoughtful but is really just saying the same damn thing over and over again. The pacing is also completely out the window - we have no frame of reference from event to event except for the occasional mention of an event in a previous chapter happening "last week" or "earlier today" or whatever. And then for the final section we get hourly timestamps, which felt a bit like whiplash. Also - I have apparently been tricked into reading another thriller. Rip. I'll try not to judge it by my disliking the genre conventions, but I must say, this is probably the most predictable thriller I've ever read. I guessed one twist at about 30% that was revealed past the 90% mark. I guessed another one around halfway that was also revealed at the very very end. And these weren't even fun reveals, I wasn't proud of myself for guessing it, they were extremely obvious, and yet the book continued as if it was still some grand secret. I also didn't like the inconsistency in Miranda's character. She alludes to plans and revenge and so on, but never tells us what those plans are or revenge for what. Fine, but she also flip flops between being like "heh, I have a plan for every possible outcome" and "oh shit oh shit oh shit" and just. It was annoying. And while I liked the ending in broad strokes, I didn't like some of the details. It's unfortunately hard to talk about without spoiling. I wasn't super keen on the mastermind, but mostly because this whole thing is convoluted and annoying and I didn't feel there was enough justification for it. Same with Jennifer's ending specifically - I like the idea of it, but it just really didn't feel earned. And now that I think about it, really all the characters except for Miranda are just extremely passive, which is probably what cancelled out their unlikability into this whole book feeling just.... meh.
I think there are better tradwife books out there, sad to say.
August 14, 2026
Let's start with the synopsis: "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."
So, the book starts off fairly promising, with a body on the beach. Of course, we know we won't find out whose body it is until the end.
The book follows three different women over a couple of days in their confusing town. Is it small or big? I never get a sense of it. What we do get beat over the head with is that these women are tradwives and bake a lot of bread. They fully submit to their husbands in everything. Except the one pov of Jennifer, because she is now an ex=tradwife. She has been replaced by a new tradwife, who has a party going past. The book has a confusing stance on alcohol and drugs, because all of the women seem to outwardly shun it (as a good tradwife does?) but partake anyway.
The book hinges around a girl dying around 10 years ago - and current day. Many people are keeping secrets about what really happened that night, and more secrets about their current lives. (Like they actually all hate being tradwives?) So really nothing happens in this book until a party at the end where Miranda spikes the punch with some sort of pills and everyone loses their minds -- it was just so unrealistic. Unfortunately, I had figured out two of the three twists halfway through the book, and the end was tidied up way too cleanly.
A quick read with good audio, but the market seems to be getting flooded with tradwive thrillers right now -- so if you're into that, go for it, and if not, maybe skip this one. I appreciate the ARC.
So, the book starts off fairly promising, with a body on the beach. Of course, we know we won't find out whose body it is until the end.
The book follows three different women over a couple of days in their confusing town. Is it small or big? I never get a sense of it. What we do get beat over the head with is that these women are tradwives and bake a lot of bread. They fully submit to their husbands in everything. Except the one pov of Jennifer, because she is now an ex=tradwife. She has been replaced by a new tradwife, who has a party going past. The book has a confusing stance on alcohol and drugs, because all of the women seem to outwardly shun it (as a good tradwife does?) but partake anyway.
The book hinges around a girl dying around 10 years ago - and current day. Many people are keeping secrets about what really happened that night, and more secrets about their current lives. (Like they actually all hate being tradwives?) So really nothing happens in this book until a party at the end where Miranda spikes the punch with some sort of pills and everyone loses their minds -- it was just so unrealistic. Unfortunately, I had figured out two of the three twists halfway through the book, and the end was tidied up way too cleanly.
A quick read with good audio, but the market seems to be getting flooded with tradwive thrillers right now -- so if you're into that, go for it, and if not, maybe skip this one. I appreciate the ARC.
August 4, 2026
I was immediately sold on the premise of this one. The recent wave of “trad wife” inspired thrillers has been right up my alley, so I was expecting a suspenseful story that really leaned into the culture, social media influence, and the darker side of that lifestyle.
Unfortunately, the trad wife angle ended up being more of a marketing hook than the heart of the story. It’s there, but only in small pieces. Strip that label away, and this is really a story about wealthy families, gossip, infidelity, old secrets, and the scandals simmering beneath the surface of an affluent neighborhood.
The mystery kept me turning the pages, but I found myself wanting more depth from both the characters and the premise. There are multiple POVs, plenty of drama, and enough twists to keep things moving, but many of the reveals felt either predictable or relied a little too heavily on coincidence. By the end, I was left with more questions than satisfaction, and some of the plot developments stretched my suspension of disbelief.
That said, it’s a quick, entertaining read if you enjoy domestic thrillers filled with privileged people making terrible decisions and trying to keep their secrets buried. I just wish it had fully committed to the trad wife concept because that’s what made me pick it up in the first place. With a stronger focus on that aspect, I think this could have been a much more memorable thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, the trad wife angle ended up being more of a marketing hook than the heart of the story. It’s there, but only in small pieces. Strip that label away, and this is really a story about wealthy families, gossip, infidelity, old secrets, and the scandals simmering beneath the surface of an affluent neighborhood.
The mystery kept me turning the pages, but I found myself wanting more depth from both the characters and the premise. There are multiple POVs, plenty of drama, and enough twists to keep things moving, but many of the reveals felt either predictable or relied a little too heavily on coincidence. By the end, I was left with more questions than satisfaction, and some of the plot developments stretched my suspension of disbelief.
That said, it’s a quick, entertaining read if you enjoy domestic thrillers filled with privileged people making terrible decisions and trying to keep their secrets buried. I just wish it had fully committed to the trad wife concept because that’s what made me pick it up in the first place. With a stronger focus on that aspect, I think this could have been a much more memorable thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 5, 2026
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. But beneath the layers of perfectly coiffed, manicured, and attired wives, 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.
I am usually not a big fan of these types of stories. I really dislike “traditional roles”. I know…don’t roll your eyes. And when this began, I questioned whether it was going to work for me. This story has quite a few characters and narrators. It took me a bit to get into it. But there is more happening behind the scenes than you realize. There are a lot of secrets, revenge and backstabbing.
Could this have been a bit more dramatic and intense…yes! But I enjoyed this slow build of drama. And don’t worry, this ending definitely hits the mark.
The full cast of audiobook narrators just added so much to this production. Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, and Hillary Huber made each character distinctive.
Need a slow burn…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
I am usually not a big fan of these types of stories. I really dislike “traditional roles”. I know…don’t roll your eyes. And when this began, I questioned whether it was going to work for me. This story has quite a few characters and narrators. It took me a bit to get into it. But there is more happening behind the scenes than you realize. There are a lot of secrets, revenge and backstabbing.
Could this have been a bit more dramatic and intense…yes! But I enjoyed this slow build of drama. And don’t worry, this ending definitely hits the mark.
The full cast of audiobook narrators just added so much to this production. Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, and Hillary Huber made each character distinctive.
Need a slow burn…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
August 13, 2026
4.0
*Thank you to Uplit Reads for including me on this tour!
Facade, Pearl clutcher, manipulator…
The female residents of small coastal town Crystal Harbor, FL have MANY secrets!
Perspectives are told from 3 women. Ex-Broadway star Ariel is all about presentation! Life is now “just another performance, another audience.”
Miranda is the mayor’s wife. She has reinvented yourself. She is bored but definitely has objectives. What could they be? Not what you would expect from a trad wife, that’s for sure!
Jennifer is divorced. She is struggling and jealous and definitely not a trad wife anymore. But she feels like she’s still under her ex’s thumb.
Page one opens with a body found on the beach. Who is it?
“The tranquility of this town is surface only.” “There are 3 sides to every story - yours, mine, and the truth.”
THOUGHTS:
*Plenty of ulterior motives!
*A tale of small town secrets, revenge, betrayal, and scandal. All hidden under a facade of trad gender roles.
*Great ending! & finally the big reveal!
*Trad wife books seem to be the latest phenomenon!
*I didn’t realize at first that Michelle Brandon = Eliza Knight! I recently liked Lost in the Summer of 69 written as Eliza Knight. I also want to read Confessions of a Grammar Queen, also written as Eliza Knight.
*Thank you to Uplit Reads for including me on this tour!
Facade, Pearl clutcher, manipulator…
The female residents of small coastal town Crystal Harbor, FL have MANY secrets!
Perspectives are told from 3 women. Ex-Broadway star Ariel is all about presentation! Life is now “just another performance, another audience.”
Miranda is the mayor’s wife. She has reinvented yourself. She is bored but definitely has objectives. What could they be? Not what you would expect from a trad wife, that’s for sure!
Jennifer is divorced. She is struggling and jealous and definitely not a trad wife anymore. But she feels like she’s still under her ex’s thumb.
Page one opens with a body found on the beach. Who is it?
“The tranquility of this town is surface only.” “There are 3 sides to every story - yours, mine, and the truth.”
THOUGHTS:
*Plenty of ulterior motives!
*A tale of small town secrets, revenge, betrayal, and scandal. All hidden under a facade of trad gender roles.
*Great ending! & finally the big reveal!
*Trad wife books seem to be the latest phenomenon!
*I didn’t realize at first that Michelle Brandon = Eliza Knight! I recently liked Lost in the Summer of 69 written as Eliza Knight. I also want to read Confessions of a Grammar Queen, also written as Eliza Knight.
July 15, 2026
Thank you NetGalley & HarperAudio for the ALC!
I’ve been in my Trad Wife book era lately so when I saw this, I knew I needed it. I enjoyed the drama, messy friendships & marriages. I was a bit lost in the beginning with all the characters and the back and forth but finally got the hang of it. Once I did I was more intrigued.
If you’re looking for a darker version of The Real Housewives, this is for you. I would say this would be a great intro to psychological thrillers for beginners. The premise of the book was good but a bit predictable for me as an avid psychological thriller reader. I would recommend this to someone who’s in a book slump and needs something engaging to get them out.
Overall, it was a good book.
I’ve been in my Trad Wife book era lately so when I saw this, I knew I needed it. I enjoyed the drama, messy friendships & marriages. I was a bit lost in the beginning with all the characters and the back and forth but finally got the hang of it. Once I did I was more intrigued.
If you’re looking for a darker version of The Real Housewives, this is for you. I would say this would be a great intro to psychological thrillers for beginners. The premise of the book was good but a bit predictable for me as an avid psychological thriller reader. I would recommend this to someone who’s in a book slump and needs something engaging to get them out.
Overall, it was a good book.
August 4, 2026
Perfect for fans of Yesteryear, this new tradwife thriller explores various women living or escaping the tradlife influencer culture. Told from alternating perspectives ranging from women who are still on top to ones who have been discarded by their husbands in favor of replacement wives. All are fierce mothers fighting for what's best for their children while trying to survive the toxic influencer life. Full of female rage and revenge, this was twisty, good on audio with a full cast of narrators and had a propulsive, satisfying ending. Recommended for fans of Trad wife books by authors like Sarah Langan, Carrie Hughes, Jo Piazza and Saratoga Schaefer. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 27, 2026
This book was good for me, the characters were sneaky and a bit b*tchy and I lived for them. I do find this book worth it to read especially because of the ending, it shocked me to my core. I just got a little bored in the middle which is why I can’t give a higher rating. The characters were amazing and I did like the setting and I love a trad wife theme to a book. It was a fun read and I do recommend it! The narrators Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, and Hillary Huber also were really perfect for the characters!!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the audiobook!! I hope to read more Michelle Brandon in the future!!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the audiobook!! I hope to read more Michelle Brandon in the future!!
July 29, 2026
I had so much fun reading Tradwife! Thank you to Avon for the ARC via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.
I read this in 2 days. Not only did this book keep me on my toes, but the multiple POVs made it even more fun! The way it all shook out in the end truly surprised me, and I loved the twists!
I hesitate to say much for fear of spoiling the plot, but let me just say how developed the characters were! Not just the main characters, but the supporting ones as well.
When it came to each POV I genuinely felt like I knew each one of them by the end and could picture them in my mind. So good!
Be ready to be SHOCKED and entertained!
I read this in 2 days. Not only did this book keep me on my toes, but the multiple POVs made it even more fun! The way it all shook out in the end truly surprised me, and I loved the twists!
I hesitate to say much for fear of spoiling the plot, but let me just say how developed the characters were! Not just the main characters, but the supporting ones as well.
When it came to each POV I genuinely felt like I knew each one of them by the end and could picture them in my mind. So good!
Be ready to be SHOCKED and entertained!
August 13, 2026
I usually live a trad wife book but I couldn’t really get into this book as there were many POVs, none of which were compelling to me, and a little hard to keep track of. Nothing happened plot wise until I think 70% which I think this book really needed to carry the lackluster characters. I listened to this an audio which had a full cast but I couldn’t really tell them apart and some had that robotic/AI reading style that made it hard to stay engaged.
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult and Netgalley for the ALC.
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult and Netgalley for the ALC.
Did Not Finish
July 10, 2026I had high expectations for this title but it didn’t deliver. I did not enjoy it. The audiobook narrator was good but the plot line was confusing and fell flat. It’s very unbelievable and unrealistic I quickly lost interest and just wanted to finish it.
Did Not Finish
July 3, 2026I think the premise has been a hot topic for the past year, but unfortunately the plot and characters fell flat. I found the narrative to be repetitive, I wasn't particularly compelled by any of the main characters, and even the draw of the mystery set up at the beginning of the book was not enough to keep my interest.
August 16, 2026
This book was something else. Yes yes give a try I was hooked to this one. 👀
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