I found this book to be very slow with to much internal dialogue. Nora had her head in the sand for most of the story. I wish the plot was stronger because the author brought up many good points for male/female gender role disparity in the home.

The Stepford Wives meets Get Out the feminist version.

“Just one more page” A witty and humorous domestic mystery. Even though this slow burn mystery is a bit predictable, it didn’t take way from the story and was well executed.

Chandler Baker has written a very relatable book for all working moms. Baker acknowledges the struggles of working mother’s in today’s world with humor. She also touches on family life, relationships and girlfriend friendships.

I can totally see this book being a buddy read or a book club book, there is so much to discuss.

The narrator was great! Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for the honest review.

Stepford Husbands.
In this switcheroo, it’s the wives who figure out how to get the perfect spouse. They cook, they clean, they take care of the kids, and they do it all with a smile. It’s filled with cliches (which, let’s face it, are cliches for a reason) and is pretty predictable, but it’s still fun in a “wishful thinking” kind of way.
Thanks to #netgalley and #macmillan for this ARC of #thehusbands in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Spangler is an attorney: pregnant with her second child, working all the time, juggling domestic responsibilities and exhausted. Her husband, Hayden, helps a bit but never really seems to take any initiative.

With a second baby on the way, the Spanglers need a bigger home. House hunting takes them to Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighbourhood, just outside Austin, Texas, where Nora meets a group of very successful women whose husbands seem incredibly supportive. So, what is different about Dynasty Ranch?

Wanting to be accepted, as there is an approval process for intending residents, Nora agrees to help one of the women with a wrongful death case. The more time Nora spends with the women of Dynasty Ranch the more impressed she is. Hayden may help her a bit, but the husbands at Dynasty Ranch amazing. They seem to have picked up all the domestic responsibilities without complaint. How did this happen?

There are a few twists, but the grass isn't always greener.

Alright so the premise absolutely had me here. A feminist Stepford wives twist! Sold 👩‍⚖️ to the career woman in the front row.

In actuality this mostly missed the mark for me, but I’m still glad I picked it up. The pacing was so horrific I almost put down the book a few times then the action at the end had me rapt and the resolution was … concerning? I was all over the place!

There’s a point in the book where a feminist psychologist talks about how the books on her shelf aren’t doing any good because the men will never read them. So I know the author gets this, but you know who doesn’t need to hear 80% of the chapters in this book talking about all of the invisible work a career mom has to do to keep a family afloat. I’ll tell you! It’s all the feminists that will pick up this book. 😂 Also let’s ask a single mom working two jobs to listen to the MC complain more than once about how her husband keeps telling her they can afford to hire more help.

Okay so rant over, and I did actually enjoy several parts of this book. I’m super excited it will be a show because I feel like there’s a lot to be done with the creative storyline itself. I mean the story itself is actually fire.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC in exchange for the honest review! I really am glad I got to read it!

The Husbands by Chandler Baker ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ok I have to admit, I was really disappointed in this book. The book description gave me all the feels of The Stepford Wives, so I was super excited to jump right in. It. Fell. Flat. The main character was in a lot of ways super relatable, and there were times I laughed out loud while reading. However, the book felt very disjointed and honestly gave no real feelings of intensity until the last 10% of the book, and even then it fell short. The overall idea was really good, it was just executed really poorly. I kept waiting to get sucked in, to have that feeling of wanting to see what was going to happen next. I wanted mystery and the thrill factor that it promised. Unfortunately, it never happened. I did listen to this book in audio form, and the reader did do an excellent job - 5 stars to her.

#macmillanpublishers #macmillanpublishing #macmillanaudio #netgalley

Thanks to Macmillian Audio for an advanced audio copy of The Husbands by Chandler Baker.!

Where do you start with a book like this? I enjoyed listening to this and while it was a new narrator for me, she had me hooked to the book and I didn't want to stop listening. I really think she helped make this book!

While I easily figured out what was happening, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment!

As I sat in my car for my hour and a half commute, gripping the steering wheel in traffic, desperate to get home on time before my toddler went to bed, I found myself listening to this audiobook thinking, "lobotomized, chore-accomplishing husbands really might not be the worst idea..." Overall, this was a fun concept and interesting semi-mystery, although I think any reader/listener would catch on to the motives of the Dynasty Ranch Welcoming Committee a little faster than our stressed-out narrator. I did wish there was more background on the periphery households and how they ended up in the community. In addition, I think a more sci-fi approach rather than a community drama would have served this book well, especially in the end where the pacing started to get bogged down by personal narration. As for the audiobook narration, maybe it's the native New Yorker in me, but I found the reader extremely slow; I usually bump up my listening speed to 1.5 but found myself closer to a 2x speed for this one. However, this is an interesting concept and, although I would recommend it to all of the overworked women of the world, I think men should be reading this one to really get an idea of just how much invisible work women accomplish every day!

I downloaded this audiobook but it kept skipping chapters. I retried several times and I am not able to listen to it. I have played your audiobooks and others form audible with no problems, so there is some problem with this copy and it's not working for me.

I will obviously not rate or review this title.

Thank you for the opportunity and I'm sorry I was not able to listen to it.

As a Texas attorney and mother, I initially bonded with the main character, Nora. I remember when my kids were young and trying to do it all and falling short. Women can be the toughest on each other when everyone just needs support. As the story progresses Dynasty Ranch starts to look like a Stepford husband sort of situation. I would have liked the book more if it had dragged on in the second half, but it was still quite entertaining!

I feel like Chandler Baker hates men and is extremely critical of women. This is VERY difficult to read and I had to DNF it. Thank you for my ALC.

I really enjoyed this one. It may have been a little slower than I expected, but the narrator was great and helped it along. I didn’t love that it made all men seem useless in normal life, but overall a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nora is struggling to balance life as a working mother. She struggles with the balance of a work-life, and home life. As a lawyer, the hours are long, and she hopes to be considered for partner in her firm.

While house hunting with her husband, Nora's interest peaks when she finds a home in Dynasty Ranch where all the wives are successful in their professions, mothers, and willing to stop at nothing to get ahead-but how far will the women of Dynasty Ranch go to make sure their husbands are dutiful and taking care of their suburban lives?

This book was overall entertaining and well-executed.

This is an excellent book club pick that I'm sure will be one of the most buzzed-about books of the summer.

WHAT I LIKED
- The writing was snappy and reflective. I loved it!
- The themes were highly relatable. The mental load of motherhood is unbearable at times, and I've never read a work of fiction that so pi accurately depicted the invisible work that women are often responsible for.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME
- Unfortunately, the pacing of the story was off. The first 75% of the story felt repetitive, with variations of the same marital/societal conflicts described in each chapter. The ending was incredible (!), but I almost didn't make it that far because of the predictability and lack of plot development throughout most of the book.

🎧 The audiobook voice actor was extremely talented! Her narration was clear and emotive. I listened at 1.5x speed.

First, a disclaimer: I received this audiobook in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own opinions. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

I am not sure how to review this book. Since there are strong feminist themes, I feel like I have to be extra critical of anything that I disliked about the book. So, I will start with what I liked. I enjoyed the mystery-thriller storyline. That “weirdness” was just awesome. I also could often relate to the struggles that Nora had at work and with balancing work and home life. The pacing was terrific. I love a slow-burn thriller and I loved being inside of Nora’s head. Now what I disliked… I felt like this was a pretty narrow view of feminism. Really, only married women with children that have a certain income will relate to this particular story. Single mothers and lower income families often have a different set of circumstances to navigate. And what about women who choose not to have kids? Or trans and non-binary women and their struggles at home and at workl? I also felt that it often came off as whiny rather than as descriptive of a very real and difficult situation for a lot of women. It kinda gave off “Karen” vibes at points. And lastly, there are things that have me a little concerned about how women are portrayed that I won’t go into so as not to spoil the story for anyone. I read The Whisper Network last year and I think I liked that book more than this one, but this was not a BAD book by any means. I was engaged in the story throughout. I actually couldn’t put the book down. I listed to it on audio and the audio was terrific. I just wish it had been a little more inclusive of how a work-life balance works for all women. The concerns that were brought up ARE valid… but I think the issue goes a bit deeper.

CAWPILE Score: 40
Star Rating: 3
Pages: 352
Read on Audiobook

5 STARS!!!!!!

I feel like there are a lot of women that can relate to the protagonist, Nora. She is married with a toddler, pregnant with a second child, and is constantly juggling her domestic responsibilities with her work responsibilities. Sadly, she can't help but feel as though she is doing this all alone despite being married. Nora loves her husband....she just wants him to help her. While shopping for a house, Nora and her husband find a community filled with seemingly happily married couples. The women of all of the couples have very successful careers and the men are supportive (almost TOO supportive) of their wives. As Nora and her husband begin the rigorous process to apply to live in the community, they begin to realize that something is just not right and that this wonderful little community has a secret past.

5 Stepford husband stars!

Special thanks the MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for gifting me with this free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Title: The Husbands
Author: Chandler Baker
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🔊Song Pairing: Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor

💭What I thought would happen:

I had nooo idea. I thought maybe it would be maybe about a group of husbands that abuse their wives? I had a feeling it was going to be dark

📖What actually happens:

Nora, an ambulance chaser, and her husband Hayden are looking to relocate within Austin, Texas from the costly living to downtown to the quiet and relaxing suburbs. Along comes Dynasty Ranch, a cozy neighbourhood with all the amenities and within budget (yes please!)

Nora soon finds out that all the women living in the Dynasty Ranch are successful in their professions and mothers, women who have it all if you will. The husbands you ask? Think Mr.Rogers with fresh pressed carrot juice.

Nora starts to wonder why her marriage can’t be as ideal as what all these wonderful women have. How can she possibly make partner, survive her second pregnancy and take care of her toddler while Hayden gets to work 9-5 uninterrupted and freaks out if the kiddo is having a tantrum. Nora doesn’t want to be a nag but what will it take for Hayden to get a damn clue…🙆🏼‍♀️

🗯Thoughts:

First chapter and there were definitely major Stepford vibes but with a role reversal. I have no idea how to classify this book. What did I just read? Was it a thriller…like the my little pony of thrillers..noo was it contemporary fiction? Maybe? Could even toss in a bit of sci-fi. It’s up for debate! If you’ve read it, I want to know your thoughts.

I loved the narrators voice for the audiobook, it’s deep and soothing. An excellent listen!

I didn’t love Nora, the central character but I did love that she was a hard working mom and that all the women featured were strong and successful, who runs the world: girls!

It almost feels like a but F.U. to men. As I am not a mother, I fully expect that I will be the one doing everything while my SO does the bare minimum and gets more praise than what is deserved…the societal pressures on mothers is heartbreaking but this book just went on and on about how men are basically useless.

As someone who has just recently moved out to the suburbs from the fast paced downtown life…I have to say it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be, less trendy restaurants and WILDLY lacking in diversity but the quiet life is pretty a-ok. It took a lot of coaxing to get me here…

Nora is a working mom, she juggles at lot of things and seemingly has it (mostly) all together while her husband seems a little clueless about how much she actually does. When they go house hunting in an exclusive neighborhood, Nora is immediately smitten, but quickly notices that something is a little off. The husbands are all helpful and involved in a way that she has never personally experienced.

This is a tale of two books, one I loved and one that was okay. I listened to the audiobook (because that’s how I multitask). The narrator may be the reason for the love. She perfectly voiced the feeling of being a working woman and an exhausted mother trying to do it all. I really felt empathy with and for Nora. I love reading about smart, interesting women and that aspect of the novel resonated with me.
The Husbands is also part science fiction. It was a gender swap from the Stepford Wives and while that part wasn’t my jam, it was fun watching Nora work out what was up in this elite community.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-ish

I really love Chandler Baker’s brand of writing! I read Whisper Network a couple of weeks ago and The Husbands was suggested to me shortly thereafter. I am a HUGE fan- a solid 5-star book for me!

I can’t remember how many times I laughed out loud at the story and just how true everything rings… for me, at least. The burden of being told to remind my husband of something, the number of dinners I’ve had to cook and have ready for my husband when he comes home. The fact that not only am I the one who cooked, I am also the one left to clean up and put everything away once we are done eating. I’m the one that hangs up the laundry once he washes everything, I’m the one who has to nag him to pull his weight because we are in fact a team and I am not his mother. Just… everything Nora is going through (except motherly duties, those I don’t have at the moment) I can 100% relate to. And it’s not just me! Of course it’s not! Baker has this huge audience of women who can relate to Nora! How wrong is that?! There has to be a solution, right?

I don’t want to be the odd one out here, I really don’t. I loved the book, I was entertained and thought the writing was very well executed as it always is. I just wish the ending didn’t go the way it did. With the disproportionate responsibility between husbands and wives being such a prominent problem in society, I felt that there should have been a call to action or something on Baker’s part. I was a little let down and it almost felt like she was joking about the problem many women are facing. After reading Whisper Network and Chandler herself popped in at the end of the audiobook recording and told her story, I thought this would have been a similar scenario. Not exactly a “How to Fix Your Husband in 10 Days”, but some sort of clever way to nod to how she “fixed” her husband. Aside from that one glaring problem I had with the book, I loved the storytelling and the way Baker makes her readers feel like a fly on the wall of all of her well-crafted characters!

I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review! The book is set to be released on August 3rd, 2021.

Imagine that your male partner puts away his shoes! Know the kids' schedule! Makes dinner without being asked! Organizes the closets! And caters to your every whim!

That's just a bit about the new hit by Chandler Baker called "The Husbands."

The main character, Nora, an attorney, and her husband want to buy a house in a desired neighborhood, Dynasty Ranch. It's a community that's chock-full of high-powered women who are in charge. Then there's also a wrongful death suit claim when one of the husbands dies in a house fire. And of course, Nora is recruited to help the newly widowed wife.

But just how far will the wives of Dynasty Ranch go to ensure that their husbands are dutiful and taking care of their suburban lives?

(Interestingly, Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig is set to star in MGM's adaptation of the novel).

I was grateful to receive an advance listener copy of the audiobook, produced by Macmillan Audio (via NetGalley). The book's cover is spectacular as is the narration by Allyson Ryan. She did a wonderful job, bringing to life the wives and husbands of Dynasty Ranch.