This novel is about three divorced moms in NYC, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie, each with their own foibles and issues. As they discuss the mental load that wives and mothers tend to take on more than their husbands do, one of them jokes that they should create a “wife app” to outsource some of those tasks - and then they decide to do exactly that. The book then charts their professional and personal journeys over the next year or so as they also figure out things about themselves and their families and what makes them happy.

This was a cute one, written with a very light and fun chick lit for grown ups kind of tone although romance is just a teeny tiny part of their stories. But while light, it also definitely has some very thought provoking points about all the unpaid work at home that both stay at home and working mothers tend to take on - the doctors appointments and the kids activities and the endless forms, etc etc - that should be relatable to almost any mom.

One quibble with this book for me - there were a few sex scenes for Madeline that while brief were kind of startlingly explicit compared to the rest of the book, and I especially just cannot deal with the use of the “c” word by a woman in this context, not just once but twice! I’m not saying I will only read closed door books, but it just seemed unnecessary and jarring in this one.

Still, overall a very cute book.

3.75 stars

I would consider this a good laid back day read. A group of friends who are experiencing relationship stress and life changes. Decided to create an app to help women help each other! Sign me up for this app!! The women finding themselves and new peace and quality of life is everything. The book and audiobook are phenomenal.

Synopsis: Three divorced women come together to build a Wife App that aims to ease the burden of the concept of Mental Load, which refers to those tasks that are usually left for the wife in a marriage to tackle, or else they just don't get done. Tasks such as scheduling doctors appointments, school pick up and drop offs, packing for various trips or summer camp, etc.

Thoughts: This book had themes of strong female friendships, women in the tech world, and gender identity. The multiple POVs shifting between Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie, in my opinion, made the pages turn fairly quickly. I found the overall premise of the novel to be interesting and new to me. I loved seeing the friendships depicted between these three women and I was definitely rooting for the female presence in a tech world storyline. With all this being said, I found the ending to be a bit rushed and would have liked the act of tying up the multiple POV storylines to have been paced out a little better.

I can see why the concept of having a Wife App to hire someone that handles the mundane tasks, such as scheduling appointments, appeals to individuals in the story, which is also why I feel that this book would be a perfect recommendation for a wife/mom (or any parent) juggling daily life and childcare responsibilities.

3.5 stars overall!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To say that I enjoyed this would be a huge understatement. I loved the concept, the character development, the very real discussions about the burden of the mental load that we take on as wives, mothers, and women. There were little talking points scattered throughout the book that really hit home for me too — particularly those centered around self-discovery, learning ones worth, and reminders that no one’s life is quite as put together or perfect as it seems. Loved loved loved this. Highly recommend it.

Thank you to Carolyn Mackler, Simon&Schuster, and NetGalley for this eARC.

During a night out, three best friends joke about how they’re going to make a Wife App to source people to take on the mental load of being a wife and mother. Well that drunk idea turned into reality and before they know it, The Wife App was successfully launched!

I was so excited to read this book because as a mother & wife, I can honestly say the mental load is REAL and horrible! I loved the how the story unfolded and you got 3 perspectives of from 3 different yet similar moms.

However at certain times through the books, the character POVS were hard to differentiate between. Especially if you stepped away from the book for a day or two and came back. Around the middle of the book it gets heavy in app development and it felts a little too in the weeds as a reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance reader copy of The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler.

Overall a super cute book.

There were moments I felt it was super slow but the twists I definitely appreciated.
I recommend this as a beach or pool read.

I wish an app like this really existed because the world needs an app that helps moms and wives.

Overall I would recommend this as a palate cleanser or if you need a cute book to get you through the week.

As a wife, this book was funny, but also really had me commiserating with Lauren and her friends. It is so true that wives are just automatically expected to remember dates, buy gifts, write thank yous, make appointments, fill out school forms, etc. I have no idea how it happens, but it's just this assumption ingrained in our society and there is rarely any acknowledgment or appreciation of the fact that we do all of these things. I have definitely proudly worn the "wife" badge, remembering everything for everyone, but recognize the inequity of it and have started letting a lot of it go as life gets overwhelming.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮:
👰‍♀️like a story with a solid friend group
👰‍♀️want to level the proverbial playing field when it comes to gender roles and marriage
👰‍♀️enjoy women seeking revenge on exes

3.75* The Wife App is a fun feminist read. The author really showcases the mental load of running a household and do so in a fun, truthful, and hilarious way. This was a joy to read and very much felt like an escape.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for a copy of this book. It is available for purchase now!

They’ve had all they can stand and they can’t stand no more! Lauren, Madeline and Sophie are three very different women and yet always, I mean always have each others backs. One evening after a few too many cocktails and a seriously good kvetch session they hatch an amazing plan. Monetize all that they’ve always done for their thankless husbands in the form of an app and maybe even get revenge on them as well. As their success grows, so does interference from outsiders, including their exes who even covertly try to take over and derail them. This is a well written story that touches on some tough subjects with humor and wit and the ever important bonds of friendship. There is no power greater than women supporting each other. An easy enjoyable enjoyable read. I very much look forward to what comes next from this author.

This one is a hard one for me to rate. The Wife App follows the intertwining personal, professional, and romantic lives of three close friends who decide to create an app to help people meet Wives. The Wife App isn’t a dating app, but instead allows people to be matched with Wives who will take on the many tasks that often fall to women in relationships. More than the cooking and cleaning, Wives take on the mental load and show that the value of the free labor women do everyday. It’s a cool idea, and while not entirely the focus of the book, is interesting to see highlighted.

However, if you’re a young woman trying really hard not to be jaded by the way men are socialized and how difficult it can be to find a partner who is willing to actually partner with you instead of having you act as their second mom, this book will not help in those efforts. I often felt EXTREMELY frustrated for the characters and reading the things that they had to navigate with their exes. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing, but I do think it mad me not necessarily enjoy the book.

In this book, we get to read the point of view of each friend. At first it was hard to keep track because the women didn’t really seem to have distinct personalities, but over the course of the novel, we got to see them grow and change. While the impetus for them creating the app made me roll my eyes and say “Y’all need therapy”, I think this was a story where we got to see each character grow and develop. I was proud of them and happy for them in the end.

All in all, I think I can finally come to terms with the fact that I’m not a fan of “women’s fiction”, but still be able to appreciate a book for the ride it takes me on.

Maybe I should read Fairplay as a palette cleanser.

3.5 rounded to 4

I thought the premise was cute and empowering, however, I felt it dragged and I lost interest along the way. Lots of complaining by the characters which took away from the plot and not enough focus on the positive of living. I felt the author had to throw everything they could in and used too many stereotypes especially about men. Some content too smutty and too much information that did not add to the story. While I agree that many women are taken for granted and undervalued in what they do as a wife and mother, it just was not the book for me, a bit of a downer. No humor, no joy, no feel-good vibe. Some may enjoy this book, but I felt it was average.
Many thanks for #netgalley #thewifeapp #carolynmackler #simonandschuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an eARC of this novel! I thought it was a really interesting concept that was somewhat unexciting in its execution. I wish the romance introduced had actually been fleshed out and not rushed into the last chapter. Also, things happened (Beatrice and Sophie getting together is the most prominent example) that I honestly did not see coming. I like when a book surprises me, and the little clues are somewhat there in hindsight, but I do think it could have been set up better. I also don't think I am the target audience for this book, so I am keeping that in mind when I say that while I wouldn't necessarily say it is a must-read, there are definitely people who will really enjoy its themes and the issues it tackles.

Three friends are contemplating where they are in their lives. They each know that there’s something missing but are seeking a new path. One thing they can agree on is the things a wife is expected to do with no appreciation or compensation. They decide to start an app where they can do some of the things they are very good at and get paid for it. It starts out small and locally. Soon it blows up and they each search for the strengths within themselves. They characters are very well developed and their individual journeys are quite thought provoking.

Also reviewed on B&N (1IrishEyes430) and Kobo (IrishEyes430)

THE WIFE APP was an interesting premise that certainly resonated with me. As a mom of three young boys I am constantly wishing I had another "me" to get things done. Where this one fell short for me was the use of graphic language, particularly relating to intimate scenes. Personally I could have done without the graphic language which was distracting from me. Overall, this story was just OK for me but I would give the author another try in the future.

This was a very interesting story line as soon as I saw it in my inbox I downloaded it immediately.
I really enjoyed the three POV's and how an app is formed/created. After finding out what you do for free it all adds up pretty quickly.

My thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an jonest review.

The Wife App is a great concept for a story, I just felt like it fell short when wrapping everything up. I wanted more. Cute, easy read!
3 stars

First of all - WOW! This was an incredible & engaging read. I struggled to put it down. It kept my attention from cover to cover. Without giving away the storyline - it honed in on something very real; I’m a wife myself, & the mental loads spouses in general take on for free can be quite taxing. The new spin Lauren, Madeline, & Sophie put on being a “wife” was great, & made for an overall fun story. 10/10 recommend; 5 stars. Bravo, author Carolyn Mackler - a new auto-read author for me!

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book: what if there was an app that could help tackle all the invisible labor that often gets left to one person in a partnership? The story is told through three friends POV, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie. All of whom are trying to raise kids and do it all without losing their minds and dealing with horrible exes.

Overall, I found this book entertaining and a very easy read. I became engrossed in the story from the get go, and I wanted to see how the author tackled this topic. Sophie was easily my favorite character, and I loved her character growth and where her story went by the end.

One thing that I was hesitant going in was it was mostly going to be a rich people problems type book. At times it definitely was. I also wish one of the characters had still been married/in a committed relationship instead of only having these scum of the earth exes. The load is often unbalanced even in good relationships, and it would have been interesting to see that POV explored more in this story.

This is one of those stories where the great idea didn’t translate into a great book. I enjoyed the first third of the book, then it feel meandering, directionless, and trying to cover too much ground (tackle lots of different topics).

There was also a lot more logistical detail about the creation of an app than I thought was needed for a chick-lit novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

- THE WIFE APP is part social commentary, part juicy beach read.
- I loved that the three main characters all came to the Wife App from different vantage points. Even though on the surface their lives were quite similar, they all had different reasons for participating. I very much enjoyed the gossipy, juicy social and relationship dramas they all went through during the launch of the app (PS - the cover doesn't say it, but this book is queer!)
- The book only touches briefly on the class aspect of an app like this - how this is simply transferring the mental loads of wealthy women onto gig workers - but doesn't really do anything about it. It seemed like the author was checking a box here so as not to get dinged for it.