Tech Wives

by Kirstin Chen

A stylish, smartly observed story about friendship, marriage, and modern life, this timely novel follows two women married to tech billionaires whose values and relationships are put to the test when public scandal threatens to destroy everything—from the New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit.

It began in a college dorm room, a promise between two ambitious, young women, Sam and Cecily, to build meaningful lives. Despite their different backgrounds: Sam from an affluent family, Cecily with her working-class roots, the two quickly became inseparable. Decades later, they seem to have it all. Cecily is the polished, influential wife of a tech titan. Sam is a dedicated doctor who has just married the charismatic, idealistic founder of a social media empire.

But from the moment Sam steps onto her new husband’s private jet for their honeymoon, she is plunged into a world of unimaginable wealth that clashes with her deeply held values. Meanwhile, Cecily’s seemingly perfect marriage is a fortress built on unspoken truths and devastating compromises. As their husbands’ ambitions escalate and public scrutiny intensifies, the pair is pushed to a breaking point as they attempt to hold on to all they’ve built together: their friendship, their marriages. But what happens if you can only save one?

Set in the glittering, treacherous world of Silicon Valley, against a dizzying backdrop of wealth, power, and reputation-destroying scandal, Tech Wives is a page-turning exploration of intimacy caught in the crosshairs of our increasingly connected lives. Told from alternating perspectives, it’s a deeply resonant portrait of love and female friendship—and the staggering cost of getting everything you thought you wanted.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Friendship

Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 13, 2027

About the author

Kirstin Chen is the New York Times best-selling author of four novels. Her latest, Tech Wives, is forthcoming in April '27. Her third novel, Counterfeit, is a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, a Roxane Gay book club pick, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Counterfeit has been translated into eight languages and is being adapted for the screen. Her previous novels are Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners.

Reviews

[Vanessa Chan]

This book asks the age-old question - what if the wives of rich men had rich inner lives, problems, and values, even as they live in beautiful, gilded cages? And are those cages really cages, or are they self-made protective armor? Sam and Cecily are the wives of tech billionaires that may seem familiar to us, whom we've wondered about but perhaps not as deeply as we should have. This beautiful novel asks us to consider them as people - with the pleasures and rages and wonders and foibles of regular women, just ones with husbands with lots and lots of money. I loved this book - it made me get mad, it made me cringe, it made me chuckle. Kirstin Chen has a way of gently but forcibly skewering the rich, while simultaneously, and perhaps miraculously, making me feel *something* for them akin to empathy?? Weird?? Anyway, loved it. You should read it.

[BHK]

Tech Wives by Kirstin Chen kept me turning the pages from beginning to end! I really enjoyed the mix of friendship, family, marriage, and the high pressure world of Silicon Valley. I liked the alternating points of view, and the writing was smooth and easy to read. This book gave me a lot to think about, especially about ambition, loyalty, and what people are willing to sacrifice for the lives they build. It was emotional in a believable way, and I found myself thinking about the characters after I finished. If you enjoy character driven stories with strong female friendships and plenty of tension, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

[Hannah Giorgio]

Thank you so much, William Morrow and NetGalley, for this ARC!

I was initially compelled by Chen's writing and the characters in this book! I was excited to see what would happen, and this feeling did persist throughout the entirety. However, I feel like it was very anticlimactic- which, granted, maybe it's supposed to be because maybe it's supposed to resemble real life? It also didn't help that I wanted to shake some sense into every single character in this book (except you, Athena!)

It's clear that Chen is a great writer, but I don't think the plot was there for me this go around.

[Beachie]

I grew up in a world similar to that of Sam's, and can confidentially say that this is a pretty apt description of that life. Wealthy people who pretend to be poor while wearing diamond necklaces and how money may not be able to solve all problems, but sure can solve a lot of them.

This book looks at how far principals and morals will stretch when confronted with an uncomfortable truth. I will admit that I found the story dragging at times, but also found it to be a poignant reflection on the world I grew up in.

[Michelle Androstic]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

The premise of this sounded great, but honestly I just couldn’t get in to the story. The characters never stood out to me- enough that I had to constantly remind myself who was who and who was married to which husband and which company that husband worked for. I don’t often have trouble remembering such details, but I think it was because I honestly didn’t care about any of these characters. I feel like details were often glossed over or just not given, which left me with questions. Truly, I was disappointed with this one.

[Allyn Oliver]

Tech Wives offers a thought provoking look at friendship, marriage, ambition, and complicity within Silicon Valley. While the story held my attention, I struggled to keep the two main characters and their husbands straight in my head. One character’s sudden disillusionment with her very new marriage also felt a little frustrating. I liked the premise of the book and thought it was an interesting read and peek into this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Release date: April 2027

[Katie Devine]

There aren't enough superlatives to truly capture just how incredible Tech Wives is! I could not put this novel down, devouring it from the first to the last page in mere hours because I could not imagine walking away from this completely immersive story. I can't wait until this book publishes next year--I'm sure it will be on the top of everyone's lists!!! 100/10

[Qian Julie]

could not put this book down. i was pulled entirely into this world from page one. the writing is excellent, the characters well-rounded, and the plot propulsive. i marveled several times while reading that it’s so rare to have a plot this well devised with such expert writing - this novel is one of its kind, and it’s destined to be the it book of the season.

[Brittany Criswell]

Was this the best book I've ever read no, but not the worst either. Could I relate to the characters?? No, not at all , rich people having rich people problems. However, there was just enough female friendship and the writing was excellent, so it did entertain me and I actually liked the female characters. So, it does get 3 stars because Kristen Chen is no doubt a great writer!

[Jen Petro-Roy]

Compulsively readable.

[Stefania]

ARC provided by publisher