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The Reference: My husband cost me my dream job. Losing me costs him everything.
My husband cost me my dream job. Losing me costs him everything.
My husband didn't just cheat on me. He sabotaged my future. I spent fifteen years building my reputation one batch at a time, turning Ridgeline Brewing into one of Asheville's most respected craft breweries. Then I discover my husband has been sleeping with a woman from his gym.
That betrayal hurts.
What he did behind my back is worse.
When I finally learn why the dream job I'd worked toward suddenly disappeared, I uncover a lie I never saw coming. My husband secretly convinced an executive at another brewery that I wasn't capable of handling the promotion.
He stole my opportunity because he didn't want me to outgrow him.
Now the woman he cheated with realizes he lied to her too. My coworkers are starting to ask questions. The brewery community is talking, and the company that once turned me down suddenly wants another meeting.
My husband thinks he can destroy my confidence and keep me exactly where he wants me.
He thinks wrong. I've spent my entire career creating something exceptional from grain, water, and yeast. Rebuilding my life should be easy by comparison.
For fans
✔️ Husband sabotages wife's dream job
✔️ Public consequences and quiet revenge
✔️ Fresh start in a new city
✔️ A heroine who chooses herself
✔️ Slow-burn upgrade romance vibes with no love scenes
My husband didn't just cheat on me. He sabotaged my future. I spent fifteen years building my reputation one batch at a time, turning Ridgeline Brewing into one of Asheville's most respected craft breweries. Then I discover my husband has been sleeping with a woman from his gym.
That betrayal hurts.
What he did behind my back is worse.
When I finally learn why the dream job I'd worked toward suddenly disappeared, I uncover a lie I never saw coming. My husband secretly convinced an executive at another brewery that I wasn't capable of handling the promotion.
He stole my opportunity because he didn't want me to outgrow him.
Now the woman he cheated with realizes he lied to her too. My coworkers are starting to ask questions. The brewery community is talking, and the company that once turned me down suddenly wants another meeting.
My husband thinks he can destroy my confidence and keep me exactly where he wants me.
He thinks wrong. I've spent my entire career creating something exceptional from grain, water, and yeast. Rebuilding my life should be easy by comparison.
For fans
✔️ Husband sabotages wife's dream job
✔️ Public consequences and quiet revenge
✔️ Fresh start in a new city
✔️ A heroine who chooses herself
✔️ Slow-burn upgrade romance vibes with no love scenes
64 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 29, 2026
The Reference, part of A Wronged Wife's Revenge series, was about 38-year-old Julia Warren, a brewmaster at Ridgeline Brewing for twelve years. (I got her age from the fact she had worked at the brewery for 12 years, and added it to her age of 26, which she had been when she had been at the time of hiring.)
Julia and Todd, who worked in brewery distribution, had been married for twelve years (but she had been building her career for fifteen years) when she learned that her husband had sabotaged her dream job as a Brewing Director with Highwater Brewing. Her husband told the other brewery she wasn't capable of handling the promotion. Three weeks after she had flown across the country for the interview, they called and told her they were going with someone else. A few days later, she called to find out what she needed to improve for future interviews, only to be told there had been nothing wrong with her interview, but that they had received an unsolicited call from someone who voiced their concerns about her readiness for "operational demands of a director-level role" to an executive at another brewery named David Renner, who was the Regional sales manager over Portland. Julia investigated and learned that it had been her husband who placed the call to undermine her. Then, a few days later, she learned he was cheating on her with a woman at the gym by the name of Samantha, and realised the other woman was part of the reason he had ruined her promotion for a job that would move them two thousand miles away from his affair partner. But even more than that, he didn't like the idea of her being more successful than he was. The following morning, she contacted a divorce attorney and began planning her exit. A few weeks after her discoveries, the Portland brewery called back wanting her to give them a second look.
The author threw in several dates: fifteen years, twelve years, and nine years. Fifteen was how long Julia had been building her career. Twelve years was how long she had worked at the current brewery. But the nine years weren't ever shaped that way. It was about her marriage. But here's the thing. She had known her husband for at least 15 years. There were times that she mentioned how things had been for 15 years, 12 years, 9 years of marriage. But then she would say they had been together for 15 years; no, it was 12 years; wait, no, it had been 9 years. Then she said she had slept next to him for...11 years. Make up your mind!!! But it was finally concluded...the marriage had been 12 years, because it was now recorded on the divorce papers.
The story had a lot of untapped potential, but it also needed a lot more meat and bones. The angst was better in this story, the drama was a tad wishy-washy, and the emotional rollercoaster acted like it didn't know which way it was going. The contention was off by a long shot. While I understand that the authors of these AI-generated short stories want the reader to believe their books meet all the criteria that well-thought-out books contain, they keep missing the mark. You can't write a book, no matter how long or short it is, leave out the most necessary parts, and expect the readers to accept it at face value and give the authors top ratings while denying them the very thing that makes them want to read the books to begin with.
As per usual, there wasn't any character building, no growth, and this time, the FMC didn't bother to let the other woman know about the married man she had been getting attached to. She just asked if she was certain the man was separated/divorced and left it at that. Even the cheating wasn't made 100% clear. Oh, he was seeing the other woman, because the other lady confirmed it. But had it gone further than just talking? It was never clarified or clearly stated.
There was too much wrong with this book for it to get even a one-star rating...But I hate not giving it props for being written...even if it's not worth the ink and paper it's printed on.
Julia and Todd, who worked in brewery distribution, had been married for twelve years (but she had been building her career for fifteen years) when she learned that her husband had sabotaged her dream job as a Brewing Director with Highwater Brewing. Her husband told the other brewery she wasn't capable of handling the promotion. Three weeks after she had flown across the country for the interview, they called and told her they were going with someone else. A few days later, she called to find out what she needed to improve for future interviews, only to be told there had been nothing wrong with her interview, but that they had received an unsolicited call from someone who voiced their concerns about her readiness for "operational demands of a director-level role" to an executive at another brewery named David Renner, who was the Regional sales manager over Portland. Julia investigated and learned that it had been her husband who placed the call to undermine her. Then, a few days later, she learned he was cheating on her with a woman at the gym by the name of Samantha, and realised the other woman was part of the reason he had ruined her promotion for a job that would move them two thousand miles away from his affair partner. But even more than that, he didn't like the idea of her being more successful than he was. The following morning, she contacted a divorce attorney and began planning her exit. A few weeks after her discoveries, the Portland brewery called back wanting her to give them a second look.
The author threw in several dates: fifteen years, twelve years, and nine years. Fifteen was how long Julia had been building her career. Twelve years was how long she had worked at the current brewery. But the nine years weren't ever shaped that way. It was about her marriage. But here's the thing. She had known her husband for at least 15 years. There were times that she mentioned how things had been for 15 years, 12 years, 9 years of marriage. But then she would say they had been together for 15 years; no, it was 12 years; wait, no, it had been 9 years. Then she said she had slept next to him for...11 years. Make up your mind!!! But it was finally concluded...the marriage had been 12 years, because it was now recorded on the divorce papers.
The story had a lot of untapped potential, but it also needed a lot more meat and bones. The angst was better in this story, the drama was a tad wishy-washy, and the emotional rollercoaster acted like it didn't know which way it was going. The contention was off by a long shot. While I understand that the authors of these AI-generated short stories want the reader to believe their books meet all the criteria that well-thought-out books contain, they keep missing the mark. You can't write a book, no matter how long or short it is, leave out the most necessary parts, and expect the readers to accept it at face value and give the authors top ratings while denying them the very thing that makes them want to read the books to begin with.
As per usual, there wasn't any character building, no growth, and this time, the FMC didn't bother to let the other woman know about the married man she had been getting attached to. She just asked if she was certain the man was separated/divorced and left it at that. Even the cheating wasn't made 100% clear. Oh, he was seeing the other woman, because the other lady confirmed it. But had it gone further than just talking? It was never clarified or clearly stated.
There was too much wrong with this book for it to get even a one-star rating...But I hate not giving it props for being written...even if it's not worth the ink and paper it's printed on.
August 20, 2026
I like this
I don't like beer. I like this story. It is complete, without complicated lawyers or stressful confrontation. Husbands and wives who sabotage the other partner while conducting an affair need to be put in their places outside the door.
I don't like beer. I like this story. It is complete, without complicated lawyers or stressful confrontation. Husbands and wives who sabotage the other partner while conducting an affair need to be put in their places outside the door.
June 28, 2026
Good but disappointing
Started out well enough but kinda fizzled. It related emotional things without emotion and ended leaving too much unfinished to satisfy.
Started out well enough but kinda fizzled. It related emotional things without emotion and ended leaving too much unfinished to satisfy.
July 17, 2026
AI vibes.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews