Wow!! Recipe for a Perfect Wife was a surprise hit for me and I just enjoyed it so much. This was my first book by Karma Brown and it definitely won't be my last! I loved the format of the dual timelines and I became very immersed with both of the main characters.

Brown introduces us to Alice, who has recently moved out of the city to a fixer-upper with her husband. As her roles are shifting in her own home life, Alice discovers a cookbook and magazines from the previous homeowner. This discovery introduces us to the other main character in this book, Nellie.

The storyline then goes back and forth between present-day Alice and Nellie a "housewife" in the 1950s. I loved how Brown took us back to that era and really dove into what life was like for women and the expectations there was of Nellie as a wife in that time period.

The story shifts between Nellie's narrative, and Alice's discovery of Nellie's past while also learning more about her own marriage. Each chapter started with quotes from marital advice from the (not so distant) past and it really helped set the scene for how different life was in the early and mid-1900s.

Brown keeps you super involved in both storylines and I loved that while it was a completely engaging read, it took on some powerful and timely topics. The twists at the end were satisfying, clever and bold. Recipe For A Perfect Wife will definitely stick with me and it would make a wonderful book club discussion.  

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for an advanced copy.

I loved this book! Alice and her husband move out of the city to a fixer upper. She discovers a cookbook and magazines from the 1950's in the basement and tried to figure out what the previous homeowner was like while she is trying to discover who she is. We also follow Nellie who owned the house before. This is a heartwarming book exploring two woman's lives in the same house at different times.

What role is a wife supposed to play in today’s expectations of feminism? This book highlights the drastic change in thought from 1950 to today in what a woman’s job is; but what does it mean for a 2019 woman to WANT to stay home? Interesting read.

This is a great novel to lose yourself in. Karma Brown has a writing style that transports you to a different time (1950’s) and immerses you in the story. You are experiencing what it was like to be a woman in that era and what was expected of you as a wife. The book has a second storyline which is involves a current marriage with all the trials and secrets between the husband and wife. The author keeps you involved in both stories dealing with what it means to be a woman in both. The author throws a few twists that keep you reading till the very end. A great read by a very talented writer! #RecipeforaPerfectWife #KarmaBrown #NetGalley

Get ready to cuddle up with this book on a snowy day since you will never put it down. Alice, a young wife, with lots of secrets, finds a cache of old letters that had been written by Nellie the woman who had lived in this house. The story unfolds in two parts, Alice’s present life and that of Nellie, the perfect housewife in the 1950’s.

The author has made both women totally fascinating. Brown has stirred in incredibly timely subplots that echo so much that we read about today. The chapters are headed with wonderful quotes from marital advice of the past. I loved reading them all.

The physical abuse that Nellie endured, calls to mind all the recent headlines about spousal abuse. The role of careers in women’s lives is explored as is the “Me Too” issues that so many women face in the workplace.

We also see the resourcefulness of a woman who is pushed to unthinkable actions by her abusive husband.

I thank NETGALLEY for the opportunity of being an early reader of this delicious novel. Save it for days when it can be savored. I think all my book clubs will love it and find lots of issues to ponder.