3.5 🌟 Thank you NetGalley for an ARC. This book turned out to have more heft than I was expecting and the main character had more substance than the book title implies. I liked the main heroine a lot but wished she was a little quicker to realize what an ick her husband was and what a jem she was.

I really enjoyed this book. It did end the way I thought it would, but leading up to the ending was not what I expected. I read this book in 3 sittings and found myself wanting to read more when I was busy doing other things. Anges the main character is like an onion, at first you think she only has one layer, but as she discovers more about herself you realize that there are many layers to her. She is kind of shallow at first, but then blossoms unto a strong independent woman who can't help but root for.

Agnes is a girl after my own heart. The only thing she wanted was a family--to find her place in the world and to feel secure in her sense of belonging. Agnes marries Jack because she thinks he can give her the family and security she desperately wants. What Agnes discovers, however, is that people are not always as they seem and you can't put all of your happiness eggs in someone else's basket. As her world begins to turn upside down, Agnes has to face her worst fears of being alone. It takes a while for her to adjust to her change in circumstances but eventually she begins to embrace her new life. Adversity reveals character and we see that Agnes is resilient and stronger than she ever thought. She stumbles along the way but in the end she learns that money does not equal security or fulfillment.

I loved the strong message of personal responsibility. We all have choices and choices have consequences. It's our responsibility to own our mistakes and learn from them. Agnes chooses to follow her own conscience and accept whatever consequences that choice may bring.

This book was a very interesting read! It was quite suspenseful at times, had an engaging story and I found myself relating very well to the main character. I definitely recommend this book.

Trophy wife with her ups and downs. Full of insight of women with their financial, familial and personal problems.
Well written and very original. Looking forward to more books from Lea Geller.

This book was just so much better than I expected! I love that it did not follow the typical women's literary fiction formula by having a standout romantic storyline. Instead, it showed great character growth and allowed the main character of Agnes to become independent in her own right and on her own terms. I like that there were some minor pitfalls in this maturation process for her and that it wasn't a seamless transition. The fact that there wasn't always a crutch for her either, whether in the form of a female best friend or male counterpart, only emphasized the realism behind this novel. The main character certainly makes mistakes but she owns up to them and allows them to change her path. Overall, this was just a pleasure to read and experience and I love that it wasn't what I was expecting. My only critique is that, at the beginning of the book when Agnes is forced to uproot her life, some quirks come out as so out of character, such as not understanding nutritional value or even how to feed her child when she herself was a preschool teacher previously. It seemed as though it was in there for dramatic effect only but, that being said, this book was a breath of fresh air.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I give Trophy Life a 4.5 star rating. Agnes Parsons’s life seems perfect to her because she has a husband who takes care of everything. Agnes has people to run the household and take care of her baby so that she has the time to feel secure and look pretty. Unfortunately, the life she loved is pulled out from under her, and she is left with nothing until her husband can figure out how to fix his business mistakes. Without her fancy house, clothes, and help, Agnes becomes a middle school teacher across the country at a boarding school. She has to navigate her new life while helping her husband by spying on the people at the school.

Being a teacher of middle school-aged kids, this novel really hit home for me. The boys, who felt like they will never do well and constantly are pulling pranks to get attention, needed someone to stick up for them and show they cared. I loved the storyline of Agnes finding her passion at the same time giving her boys a needed voice.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The plot was promising, but the execution left much to be desired. The dialogue was sophomoric and the "heroine" seemed more like a teenager than a 30+ year old women. The rest of the characters were stereotypical and not very interesting..

Aggie thinks she has it all - a rich, older husband providing her the security she never found with her foster home past. Jack disappears, and Aggie is told she is now broke, must move from her mansion in California to board in a middle school in Riverdale, the Bronx. Previously a nursery school teacher prior to marriage, Aggie has no idea how to teach middle school students, but she becomes attached to a troubled group of boys. Aggie does get annoying as she doesn't question her husband's intentions, and continues to do his bidding until she has her own reawakening. The chapters of how she stands by her students is heartwarming, and is the best part of the book. Just okay for me.

TROPHY LIFE is the story of trophy wife Agnes Parsons, who, when her husband disappears after a financial crisis, is forced to move to New York to teach at an all-boys middle school. Along the way, she must confront not only the obstacles of teaching those the world has given up on, the toils of single motherhood, and the fears of beginning again. Most of all, though, she is forced to confront her new life—and herself—and find out who she really wants to be.

This book reminded me a lot of Fredrik Backman's BRITT-MARIE. They were both uplifting tales about a housewife starting afresh in a strange place. They were both about coaching, teaching children in a backwater town. They were both tales of friendship, family, and self-discovery—about discovering who you are and what you really want in life under the oddest of circumstances.

I liked the other book. I was bound to like this one.

While the premise of TROPHY WIFE was relatively cliche, it was uplifting and quick and fun to read. It was relatable, too; all of Agnes' struggles, her ups and downs, and her fluctuating emotions regarding her situation—all of it was down-to-earth and heartily written, completely understandable. In fact, a number of aspects—her conflicting relationships with Jack and Beeks and Stacey Figg, for instance—were a lot more in-depth than I expected.

This is the kind of touching, gritty feel-good story that you would expect to see as a movie. It was refreshing and light-hearted and fun to read and a little cliche, and sometimes that's enough for a book.

Even though I would have liked to read a little more about Agnes actual teaching and growing interactions with the boys rather than the somewhat vaguely disjointed episodes of incidents, this book really added a spark to a crappy week, and is definitely worth a read.

I got an advanced copy through NetGallery. I found this a perfect beach read. It was a quick, fun read.

Agnes came from nothing - married a wealthy older man only to lose it all. The story is about Agnes struggling to survive for herself and her daughter while her husband is trying to “fix” their money problems. Agnes moves from California to the Bronx with essentially nothing but her daughter. She starts teaching at a private middle school. At the end of the book she’s forced to make a choice - go back to the posh life she knew or stay with the new life she created.

Definitely worth a read.

Very enjoyable read! Trophy wife loses everything, and finds even more! Sounds silly, but it so well written, it is a fun journey. Full of tears and laughter, thoughtful and provocative. Without giving away too much , it's definitely worth your time and money.

Trophy Wife is a fun, entertaining read with some depth. Agnes meets and marries rich, handsome and slightly older Jack and together they lead a privileged and charmed life in California. She lives a life of leisure - yoga classes, nannies, and baby groups and doesn't seem to have a care in the world. They travel, eat and fancy restaurants, have a weekly massage date and completely in love with each other. Together with their baby, Grace, Agnes finally feels like she's part of a family again. Agnes eventually learns the truth about Jack's finances and her world is turned upside down.

Once I learned the truth about Jack I couldn't help rooting for Agnes. Wondering what was really going on with Jack kept me interesting and in suspense all the way until the end. I admired the way that Agnes handled all the changes that came her way. Agnes was funny and relatable as a mother. I don't know if I would have been as patient with Jack as she was, but she was in love with him and couldn't help waiting for him in the hopes they could get their life back. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't help but wonder how I'd react in the same situation.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book, however I did not like the character of Jack. I found him to be too controlling and that Aggie was too willing to let him be that way. *Spoiler alert* I wish there was more of an epilogue where we see how Aggie and Grace are fairing a few years later without Jack.

Over and over reviews say “refreshing.” I couldn’t agree more!! As someone who is single, 24, and couldn’t really relate to this, I enjoyed every moment! From the beginning you wonder what could go wrong, by the end you feel inspired and heartened. This is a must read for everyone who has had to go it alone at one point. The description of the book does. Or give Trophy Life justice.

Amazing story! Such a sweet read. really enjoyed it! Great read for anyone looking to find a great one to curl up with!

This book had me rooting for the protoganist while at the same time empathisizng with her situation and feeling frustrated at her lack of options and information. The boarding school set in the Northeast was a great backdrop for Aggie’s transformation from clueless, rich and taken care of to strong, capable and barely making ends meet.

Trophy Life tells the story of Agnes, who came from nothing, and is married to a rich older man, Jack. She knows something is wrong early on when she goes for their regular massage and Jack doesn't show up, and the masseuse tells her they haven't been paid for a while. Jack disappears without telling her what's going on. Agnes eventually hears from his friend, Don, that Jack has no money, they will lose everything. Don tells her she is go to a former investor of Jack, Ruth Moore, and work as an elementary teacher. Agnes and Ruth drive across the country and start a new life without Jack.
Rarely do you read a book where the woman comes out so much stronger on the other side with no other man in site. Agnes has a really tough year teaching middle school boys that no one else wants or believes in. She becomes the only person in the school who sees the good in them and gives them a chance. She also starts to give herself a chance after realize Jack is not immediately coming to her rescue. This book also shows how even the best of friendships can be complicated when you have a friend who loves you enough to tell you the real truth. Beeks and Agnes don't always see eye to eye, but Beeks is the one that keeps Agnes from making the ultimate mistake for a man. Agnes might not know where her life will lead, but she knows she did the best thing for the boys, for her daughter Grace, and for herself.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I can't help but compare some of the story to other books I've read. Now, i'm not accusing of copying anyone else it just feels and reads like this has been done.

A debut novel by Lea Geller.. It was a very enjoyable story about what you learn about yourself when life doesn't turn out like you expected. Agnes loses her life as a "Trophy Wife" and becomes instead a single mother and teacher of middle school boys. .It is a fun, fast read, but also containing an important lesson. What would you do if you had to start over? Would you be proud of the person you were before? Who are you going to be?
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of this book.