I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author. And I soooooo wish there was a system in place like the one described in the book. I would sooooo do that!!

Kathleen Whyman’s debut novel, Wife Support System, is the story of a group of women, friends for many years, who move into Polly’s large but definitely in-need-of-repair house to share childcare and offer each other support.

At first it seems like a good idea. Erica, stylist for the Sing to Win TV program, needs childcare for her daughter, and Polly is only too happy to step in. Until Erica begins to fear her daughter is growing closer to Polly than to her.

Louise is organized to a fault, with endless lists for who’ll do the grocery shopping, whose turn it is to take out the garbage, et cetera, until her moodiness and controlling nature lead to increasing friction. Worse still, her marriage is in danger of imploding.

Polly, the linchpin of the group, has her own secret - a trauma from her past that threatens her future. She’s tired of living in fear and longs to find happiness. Can she overcome her past and find the courage to forge a relationship with Alex?

As they collectively navigate their relationships, nothing turns out as they imagined and conflict is inevitable.

The ensemble cast engaged me and kept me turning the pages right up to the end. I look forward to more from Ms. Whyman.

The concept of this book seemed a lot cuter than the actual execution. I think I may be the wrong target audience for this novel, and therefore ended up not finishing it. I could see this being a good novel for an older audience, and those who have been in a relationship for a long time and who have children that they need to be taking care of, but for a single 20 something-year-old, I just couldn’t relate to the story. Maybe in the future I would come back to this one and be able to laugh along but at this point in time I decided to put this book aside and no longer continue it.

I was really interested in this story line which seemed unique and fun, but the characters fell flat. I feel like there was a missed opportunity for a lot of drama that could have happened when mixing these three lives together but overall it was a bit of a bore and dragged on. Some characters were better than others but I found most of them to be whiny and shallow so I wasn't able to connect to any of them or really feel invested in their story.

Wife Support System by Kathleen Whyman

When Erica’s nanny leaves suddenly without warning and she’s desperate and thinks the only solution is for her friends to move with their children to her massive rambling if a tad rundown, b & b they do so with doubts.

The story though a slow mover follows the journey the friends take and the situations as they unfold . Tells of varying situations friendship love the different family issues of the three woman. Sharing Love, bullying, grief and ultimately their friendship all of this featuring humour.

Avery well written though a slow mover there were many different unexpected twists to keep you turning the pages .

'Wife Support System' was a fun book. The concept of this book is a lot of fun and was the main reason why I wanted to pick this book up.

I found the characters likeable and found the friendship between these three women to be really believable.

My main problem with this book was how long it was. I don't think this book should have been as long as it was and it probably could have been a hundred pages shorter than it actually was.

I doubt this will be a book that will stick with me but I am glad to have read it as it was a lot of fun.

Thank you to Hera Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much to enjoy about this book.

First, the premise is unique and interesting. Three women who feel overwhelmed with career, motherhood, and their relationship decide to move into together so that they can be there to support one another - mentally, emotionally, logistically.

Second, the friendships in this book are just so lovely and genuine. This does not mean that the characters do not keep secrets from one another or always behave well, but I think they are written in such a way as to accurately reflect female friendships.

Third, the book is just hilarious. I mean, every adorable cliched situation you could imagine from "three friends move in together in order to support one another and help with housework and child-rearing" happens and it will make you laugh out loud.

Fourth, this book is a great commentary on the idea that "women can have it all' which in reality means "women can do it all." The book uses a light hearted approach to highlight the real predicaments that women find themselves in on a daily basis.

Ironically, that is my one criticism of the book. I think it could have been harder hitting on the issue of women are expected to be the perfect mother and the perfect wife and the perfect employee, all at the same time. I appreciated the humor, but there could have been more hard-hitting discussions. And don't get me started on the ridiculous men in the book - I mean, the premise of the novel is hilarious but wow, we've gotten to where women have to leave their lives and move in together in order to get the support they need? This could have been called out more directly.

All that to say - a lovely book that I wish had gone a bit further, but still a great read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hera books for my copy of Wife Support System by Kathleen Whyman in exchange for an honest review. It published July 29, 2020.
I found the premise of this book so fascinating, what if women lived together with their children, and shared the burdens of motherhood, housekeeping, and making meals? And boy this book deliver on the hilarity and the drama! I would definitely not want to give this experiment a try, but I'm sure glad that a book was written where I could imagine it!
I have to admire the character growth in each of the main characters, I truly didn't even like two of the characters, and I didn't really "know" the other until later on. Whyman did a great job of making the characters grow, have setbacks, and grow again! I was rooting for all of them in their given situations, and I think the way it ended was really sweet.
Trigger warning: Self-harm, domestic abuse, sexual content, strong language.

Three wives, five kids, and a house. Kathleen Whyman has written an entertaining story with plenty of food for thought. Louise, Erica, and Polly are on vacation complaining about their partners (or lack there of) when Erica has a great idea. What if we all live together during the week share childcare, household chores, and cooking. Then on the weekends we go stay with our partners? At first both Louise and Polly are hesitant, but eventually they come around to Erica‘s way of thinking. When the women first move into Polly’s big house it is wonderful. They are enjoying the camaraderie, the companionship, and the shared responsibilities. BUT it doesn’t take long before things go slightly sideways. Erica is a workaholic, Louise is constantly checking out, and Polly is left doing the bulk of the child care. When things start getting personal over a argument about who’s turn it is to purchase toilet paper, it is time to reevaluate this experiment.

A beautiful, heart warming story about a group of women, all of whom support one another whilst navigating the unsteady waters of their own relationships.
Highlighting the importance of friendship, communication and focusing on what is really important, this book was a wonderful read.

This was a wholesome story about women supporting each other while figuring out their own relationships. It was a lesson in communication, and putting your focus where it is most important.

I thought it was a fun read and there were a lot of "lessons" throughout that I could relate to. As a busy mom, I always wonder what a situation like this would be like!

Enjoyed this book which was engaging and entertaining. Though the characters grated on my nerves sometimes, they all felt whole and well-rounded, and the author makes you want to keep on reading. It's a bit like those trainwreck soap opera plots which you know are just going to implode, but gosh, where's the popcorn so you can settle down to watch this inevitable crash! And the revelations towards the end, wow! Nice twist which I completely hadn't been expecting. That was very well done and gives this book an added layer of complexity

This is such a cute and adorable book. I loved getting to read this one early and thank you so much netgalley for this! It was such a beautiful little treat!

This was a fun one to read.

Wife Support System follows three women as they move in together to have each other there for child-care and life support!

Soon the squabbles start with parenting differences, and each character's flaws becomming more pronounced.

A warm, witty read that was easily absorbed in, my only very small criticism is it may be a bit long.

Thanks to Hera books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review.

Another book that wasn’t for me.
I do appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you!
I am also not saying don’t read it. Go and read it. You may absolutely love it.

Wife Support System has potentially, but I feel it was so much in one book especially the characters that were introduced. I wish I was able to get to know each woman sepreatly in their own book. The main event happened way to fast and I felt it could have used some build up. Overall not a book I will read again.

Just finished this book about 3 very different women and their children. Erica is the fancy one, Louise is the frumpy one and Polly is afraid of her own shadow. I did enjoy the book but boy was it long. It also made me glad I don't have small children now. Living in a house with 3 women is my idea of a nightmare but at times it really worked for the 3 of them. When one was falling the others were mostly there to pick up the slack. Again not my thing but I'll bet there are a lot of women out there that could use the backup from these girls.

I wrote my review in bullet points as they came up in the book. It helped me work out my thoughts.

I would have liked a little bit of build up in the normal lives of the women thrusting three women plus husbands names and a million kids names was confusing at the start. I almost gave up in the third chapter because I couldn’t figure out who was a kid or who was the mom.

Maybe I wasn’t the target audience being a 22 year old without kids but honestly I sympathized with the kids more than I did with the moms.

Reading about ericas inner thighs contracting almost every chapter made my roll my eyes, we get it you have the hots for this guy, not everything he does like a text should turn you on.

The high light of the book for me was the kids talking about sex because it was the only relatable part.

Now Polly has a “tingle in her thighs” which is cringe and it’s an example on how similar the characters are. Some of the chapters I forgot to look up and see who I was reading and I would be confused for a minute because it could be any of them.


THE BIG REVEAL ONLY TOOK THREE CHAPTERS! I am so mad, I had so many thoughts in my head and I was ready for anything but the reveal was a bit PG for my reading tastes

I guess this book wasn’t my cup of tea but anyone that like lifetime movies or tv dramas would like this.

Raise your hands if you feel you need help with childcare! I think most mums would agree that they need some time off for selfcare. This is the premises of this book and I picked it up for exactly this reason!
Three mums, Erica, Polly and Louise, decide to give communal living a try for a month to help each other with their child care responsibilities. They move in with their kids in Polly’s large home, leaving their husbands behind. What happens once they start living turns their lives upside down.
They weren’t exactly best friends before but living together and sharing responsibilities and following a rota, brings out the worst in them at times. Their relationship with their husbands starts to dwindle and they are left worrying if they would ever be able to leave this arrangement at all.
I have to be honest to say that I didn’t love any of the three mums. They were all selfish, thinking about themselves, not even caring much about their children. I don’t think it is a true depiction of a career woman, who is always feeling guilty about her demanding work, yet not doing anything to make up for it. I believe there is so much more to women that could have been portrayed, instead of showing them as weak characters who are unable to control their desires or get past their issues and problems.
I am a firm believer that women (and men too) can do anything that they set their minds to, and this book didn’t show any strong characters doing that (until they were not left with any other choice).
It is a 2.5 stars for me.
Thank you #netgalley and @hera_books for an advanced readers copy.