I liked the idea of this and was curious when reading about where the plot was going to go. It’s an easy enough read (I read it in two sittings) and I did find that I wanted to know what was going to happen. I also liked the main protagonist and that it covered the ‘self-discovery’ journey she went on after struggling with her own identity and knowing who she was outside of being a mother and a wife.

However, the story itself was not very believable - some particular elements such as her children not being angry at their father for having an affair and also at times seeming to want their mother to go to jail for murdering their father I just found bizarre. The characters were also quite unlikeable and I wasn’t particularly rooting for anybody. I also found that the ending was just quite disappointing and flat and wasn’t really what I expected, in my opinion it wasn’t shocking or thrilling as expected and just let the book down a bit. Overall, a good read - just not what I expected!

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me a copy!

Beth is a newly widowed mother of two, Tyler, 12, and Alana, 15. They live in a nice neighborhood and Beth is part of a weekly coffee group. Beth’s husband, Howard, was having an affair with their neighbor, Gina, who teaches yoga. He was at Gina’s when he died.

Gina is considerably younger than Howard was. When Beth found out about their affair, she threw him and his belongings out of the house and he moved in with Gina. They loved one another very much and were looking forward to getting married after he divorced Beth.

Beth has been a stay at home mom but her housekeeping skills are not the best. She loves art and has a pottery studio attached to the house. She has always wanted to work in an art gallery and sell her work which Howard thought was silly.

Today, the police are questioning Beth about Howard’s death saying he had been poisoned and had a large amount of Thallium in his body.

This story follows Beth, Gina, their coffee group friends, and Beth’s children as they join together to find out who would have wanted to poison Howard.

This is, believe it or not, a delightful story of unfaithfulness, friendship, love, and sincere caring for others. I liked the characters, especially Gina, and I hope readers will enjoy this journey as much as I did. This is the first book by Jennifer Snow that I have read, and I certainly look forward to reading more.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have to say that I enjoyed this book a lot! It has several very strong women who come to together to support each other. The story has heartbreak, betrayal, mystery laughter and romance. Definitely worth the read ! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Dark comedy with a hint of mystery' describes this one perfectly!

Beth Cartwright has so much going on; bad enough that her husband dropped dead but she also has to suffer the ignominy of him not only leaving her two weeks previously but also moving in with the woman next door. That same woman keeps turning up - either among Beth's friends or trying to weasel her way into her children's lives. Then, to cap it all, the police turn up to inform her that her husband didn't die of a heart attack after all - it was murder! Fate decrees that it's always the spouse so she find herself in the frame. Her friends are determined to prove her innocence - but do they really believe it?

So much fun! Beth is a character it's so easy to identify with. She's not the glossy, 'real housewife' type you see on tv; she dreams of ways to get out of the gossipy coffee mornings, but when the chips are down she needs her friends. I felt that I understood Beth and certainly sympathised with her but I also giggled my way through this one. A perfect mix of fun and mystery, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Jennifer Snow is a new author to me and I would recommend this book to every reader who enjoys a touch of humour in their reading. I'm happy to give this one four stars.

My thanks to the author for my copy via NetGalley' this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Review - 1.5/5

This was an enjoyable and fast read - it took me all of 2 days to finish this book.

Housewife Chronicles explores female relationships, particularly when women are pitted up against one another.

This was a thoroughly readable book with a constantly moving and engaging plot. It dove straight into the story from chapter one. However, there were a large number of typos unfortunately.

I felt the book started off reasonably well but from midway to the end I found it clumsy, cringy and rushed. I felt like the shock factor at the end was underwhelming and felt like a rushed attempt to tie all the plot’s loose ends.

Unfortunately though I found none of the characters at all likeable nor did I particularly care what happened to them in the end. They all seemed to fit the stereotypical housewife tropes. The kids were assholes and the men were unrealistic. I found the male love interests completely superfluous and I didn’t really see what value they added to the overall narrative.

I found Beth’s and Gina’s perspectives not that easy to differentiate. Their voices sounded basically identical. Maybe this was to convey a sense of shared female experience but I felt that it just meant sometimes I would get confused about whose story I was reading from.

I also struggled to find the story believable in parts. I highly doubt if you’re the suspect of a homicide that you’d be allowed to casually talk at the station then leave and do whatever you want. I felt like the police presence was unrealistically absent. I think the whole ‘informal investigation’ was unrealistic too as it would’ve amounted to interfering with the case.. I also think Beth’s and Ken’s relationship at the end of the novel unrealistic and cringe-worthy. No professional police officer would get romantically involved with one of their cases’ suspects. Also, their supposed attraction just seemed to be so random and undeveloped.

Overall, I enjoyed how easy this book was to read but I felt that a lot of aspects could’ve been developed more to make it more believable and less cringe.

The word that keeps coming to mind to describe this novel is JUICY. It's a gripping story about a group of housewives who band together when one of them is faced with a crisis.

Two weeks after learning her husband has been having an affair with the neighbor, Beth becomes a widow. Then she becomes a murder suspect. Her friends rally around her, including her husband's mistress, in a way that was heartwarming yet almost unbelievable. I loved the women in this story, each is strong in their own way.

This story is part mystery, part family drama, part romance. A few things that came up that seemed too far fetched, but I was able to go with it and suspend my disbelief to fully get lost in the story.

The writing is full of emotion and dark humor. It made for a quick, easy, enjoyable read. I highly recommend this one for readers of women's fiction and mysteries.

I’ve not read any other books by this author but when it popped up on Netgalley the cover appealed and piqued my curiosity. Once I read the synopsis I was certainly intrigued so I decided to give it a try and I’m very glad I did as it was a quick and enjoyable read.
Beth is a thirty something housewife, mother of two teenagers whose husband has left her for her younger next door neighbour, Gina. Unfortunately, Howard, the cheating husband is then found dead! Although widowed and angry with her dead ex, Beth is trying to get her life back together when the police inform her that Howard has been poisoned and she is obviously the prime suspect!
Her local “housewife” friends, including Gina, the mistress, rally around and try to help her prove her innocence which leads to a lot of entertainment and black humour as they investigate alternate suspects.
The plot raced along with alternate chapters narrated by Beth and Gina which meant that the reader sympathises with both characters despite the fact that Gina has stolen Beth’s husband.
As well as being a murder mystery this is also a book about someone trying to turn their life around after a major tragedy. Beth’s teenage kids appear to be difficult but obviously they are missing their father and Beth tries to help them although at times they seem very bratty.
There is also a bit of romance thrown in when Gina’s attractive twin brother moves in with her and subsequently meets Beth over the garden fence.
All in all an amusing and light hearted book which entertained me from the very first page. Darkly humorous in places, even though it was dealing with a serious subject, Housewife Chronicles is a fun read.
I will definitely lookout for more books by this author in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Snow’s first thriller is a solid storyline. I found the back and forth first person POV of the wife and the mistress a little distracting, but the female friendships shine through and kept me reading. I look forward to seeing more thrillers from this author.
3.5 stars

This was a fun romance, murder mystery. Very desperate housewives but intensified. I enjoyed it a lot but it is not my usual type of read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was very excited to see that I had been approved to read this ahead of release and boy was it a fun read! I read this book cover to cover all in one day as it's really that good! I am anxious to read more books by this author as she really knows how to tell a mind blowing story! Thanks for helping me pass a cold, snowy day with a good book!

So Beth finds out her husband is cheating on her with her much younger neighbor and 2 weeks later he dies. She becomes the main suspect once it’s discovered it wasn’t a heart attack like everyone thought. So her group of fellow housewife “friends” rally around her to try to figure out who-dunit.

This book sucked me in with the promise of unlikely female friendships and dark humor. What I got was a story involving catty woman who were not likable and I can count on one hand the amount of chapters I laughed in. (The first. Just the first one)

The mystery itself was intriguing enough to keep me reading to find out what happened. That’s one of the few positives I can say. I also did like Beth’s character. Hers was the only one though.

The biggest thing I didn’t like was reading in Gina’s perspective. The “hot young yoga teacher” whom Beth’s husband was having an affair with. She was incredibly annoying. I feel like the author knows she’s a home wrecker and wanted us to like her so she wrote her as the overly innocent and naive woman. It came across as cringey and especially annoying when she express sadness over the fact that no one gives her condolences for losing Howard. It really just felt like we were supposed to think she was evolved because she was willing to put her differences aside and be friends with Beth when Beth wasn’t wanting to do the same, which can you blame her? I might have been able to like this character if she felt more real and natural. However it just felt forced and the “nice, innocent, naive” act didn’t feel believable. I genuinely couldn’t stand being in her head the more the story went on.

Speaking of characters that weren’t likable, the housewife “friends” definitely were not. They came across as those mean girls everyone knows from high school that pretend to be nice to your face but talk shit behind your back. And the kids! Don’t get me started on the kids. They were huge manipulative little assholes. I mean I know teenagers are assholes in real life but when everyone else in the book already isn’t likable it’s just like...cmon do the kids have to suck too?

My next complaint had to do with the romantic interests for Beth. First of all she didn’t need 2 and secondly they both just felt forced and shoehorned. I feel like if the moments with the two guys were taken out and replaced with more scenes with her supposed “friends” maybe I would have walked away feeling like I got the feel good female friendship I was promised.

My final issue is the weird cringey moments. Moments in the book that literally made me scrunch my nose and say what the fuck.

The first moment this happened was when Gina describes her brothers penis and body in admiration. As a woman with a brother I literally almost DNFed the book right there. I get they are twins and close and Gina specifically says it’s not sexual, that was so fucking WEIRD. So weird.

The next was when Gina has an orgasm just by staring. STARING. That was more unbelievable and just made me roll my eyes more than anything else, but it was just like...unnecessary to the plot.

However going over those two instances, the first one was just honestly the weirdest and grossest and I’m honestly surprised I kept reading after that.

I know all of this sounds like a bad review and that I hated it, but I didn’t. I didn’t like it but I didn’t hate it. The mystery was intriguing enough to keep me reading and there’s a nice moment at the end that involves a gift Beth makes for one of the girls that actually felt a little heartwarming. This book had some good moments but in the end it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this ARC.

This was such a fun read and it only took me a couple sittings to finish this book about a jilted wife that finds out her husband is having an affair with the next door neighbor only 2 weeks before his untimely death. The neighborhood coffee crew helps her investigate any possible suspects in order to set her free. This book is actually quite humorous and very heartwarming at the same time.

The story is told from alternating perspectives of Gina (yoga teacher/next door neighbor) and Beth (widow/jilted wife).

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and how she made all the women in the neighborhood relatable. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys the Rom-Com genre.

Plus its only 256 pages - so super easy to get through in a quiet afternoon.

A very enjoyable murder mystery told with lots of humor and of course a bit of romance. I guess I'd call it a cozy mystery. Chock full of a "Housewives" cast of characters and 2 annoying teens. And the whole story is told from 2 POV's. The wife and the mistress. The story starts in present day and then swings back to a year ago to give more perspective. It's effective.

I'd definitely read another book by this author! She is right up my genre alley. Mixed! And a nice light book.

Housewife Chronicles by Jennifer Snow was the perfect read for me to start 2021. It is funny, intriguing, and just the jump start I need to get back into reading!

Beth Cartwright is a typical housewife with a distracted husband, a mischievous son, and a moody teenaged daughter. She has given up on her own dreams to meet their needs, even though she does have a small ceramics business where she creates what her customers dictate. Enter Gina Thompson, next door neighbor, young lithe yoga instructor and ...her husbands mistress?!

Beth can hardly believe it either but when her husband's affair is discovered by her group of friends he moves in next door with Gina and Beth's life is in chaos. But after only 2 weeks her husband dies and the police suspect murder. And Beth is the #1 suspect!

This book reminded me so much of the TV show Desperate Housewives, it totally could have been one of their storylines. I actually liked that about it as I enjoyed that show. I do wish the author would have developed the other friends' characters a bit more, but perhaps keeping the focus on Beth and Gina helped the story clip along. Each of the friends could possibly be the main character in other Housewife Chronicles books. I would look forward to that!

Neighborhood affairs, literally. Murder mystery. Romance. Teenager issues. Yoga. There is even a mouse. A little something for everyone. Some parts are quite realistic and others will have you shaking your head, but go with the flow and enjoy. I would have been happier without the occasional foul language.

An amazing read, well written, and highly addicted. One of those books that you will find difficult to put down.

A long and happy marriage comes to a crashing end when Beth finds out about her husband, Howard's affair with their next-door neighbor, Gina.

The characters were so relatable and real. The housewives personalities, dilemmas, and struggles

authentic. I loved Snow's writing style, where she covers both Beth's and Gina's point of view, making this novel a true winner.

I did not read any of the other books along with this and did not feel like I was missing a thing thank you net galley for this wonderful book

Cute but a little TOO women's fiction/chick-lit for me. With a plot that's a little more than ridiculous, this is a fun little romp into mystery and domestic fiction. It's like the Real Housewives..... on crack.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

This book got more interesting the farther along into the story I got - such a fun read! There is a little bit of everything in this one - complex female friendships, romance, thriller/mystery - and I enjoyed the way the author mixed them all up to create an entertaining read. The author created some complex female characters that I enjoyed getting to know - I always appreciate when you can root for the character that you're supposed to see as the "villain", and this was a great example of that. Both Beth and Gina had their highs and lows and I loved both! Overall a great read!

A clever, but ultimately light-hearted look at marriage, friendship and community. I would recommend this book for fun reading rather than classroom use.

A great read for lovers of ‘Desperate Housewives’ this story revolves around a ‘mummy group’ of friends, the neighbouring yoga teacher and Howard who left his wife for the neighbour (yoga teacher) and who ended up dead. How and why did he die? There are suspicions circumstances and romance as the plot unfolds. Each character has an idea of what happened, and the women set up their own investigation to try to solve the crime.
An easy and enjoyable read, told mostly through the viewpoints of spurned wife Beth, and Gina the neighbour.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review