This is the second Chandler Baker thriller that I read this year and I hope to read even more. Baker is a witty writer who captures the truth of working mothers and the inanity of women trying to do / have it all. Nora is a busy lawyer, up for partner in her firm, with a toddler and another baby on the way. She has a great husband, Hayden, but he really isn’t a lot of help with the house or child. ( I know, big surprise! ) When Nora decides that a new house in the affluent Dynasty Ranch neighborhood is exactly what she needs, she gets pulled into a community of strong high -achieving women who run the HOA. This neighborhood appears to offer all the networking and support system Nora dreams of, but things are not quite as perfect as they seem. Unputdownable ! For fans of Liane Moriarty.
#NetGalley
#The Husbands

This book started out really good, but after a while it was so boring I couldn't finish it. If it was cut down and changed a bit, I may consider rereading.

This sharp critique of modern motherhood will grab any mom trying to “do it all.” I found myself laughing (and cringing) at the all too familiar thoughts Nora shares about her daily grind. The thriller elements were a bit transparent, but I still enjoyed watching it unfold. And those last few lines, shew, that got me.

This was well narrated but it did take me quite some time to get through it because I did not find the story as compelling as I thought I would. I found myself yelling at Nora more and more as the book progressed. I think may book clubs would like this book though!
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The start of this book where the author asks the reader to use her imagination is hilarious and hooked me immediately. I have a husband of 33 years, so I know every one of those scenarios. Nora is every woman and I think anyone who is married with children can relate to her day-to-day life as an attorney, a wife and a mother.
This book is fun. I laughed a few times and smiled a lot. There’s a creepy mystery in there too with lots of sinister career women types to scare the reader in a fun way. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a great job with all their individual voices and personalities. I think if I’d read a text copy I might have enjoyed this book more as it got a bit repetitive and whiney in places and those sections I could have skimmed easier in print. If you like a lot of social commentary along with a decent plot, you’ll enjoy this entertaining read. The writing was clear and easy to listen to but a lot of the minutia of everyday life got tedious for this reader. We really are in Nora’s head the entire time and while I did empathize and quite like her as a character, I did tire of her perspective. Maybe because it’s too close to home?
The ending to this tale of husbands and wives is very clever and quite sinister. I really wanted to talk to someone about it and think this book would make a great book club pick. How far are we as wives willing to go to get our husbands to pull their weight?
Nora is every woman and I think anyone who is married with children can relate to her day-to-day life as an attorney. I’m not sure someone who has not been such a situation would enjoy this book as much. I enjoyed the Whisper Network and would recommend you read that one first to see how talented this author is.
Thank you for the review copy MacMillan and NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book and will be on the look out for more from this promising author.

This is a reverse Stepford wife story, where a community of women has begun training their husbands to be helpful to the point of ingratiating. This was an enjoyable read mostly because of the protagonist Nora Spangler stumbling through to the truth.

A couple of drawbacks: the faux-feminist rhetoric turned grating fairly early on, and Nora and Hayden’s relationship was a bit underdeveloped. It suffered from too much telling (Nora telling us she actually loves Hayden) and not enough showing (it really doesn’t seem like she does).

Overall, I had fun with this novel and the creepy, murderous Karen types.

3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4 for the enjoyability factor!

I am grateful to both the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Chandler Baker’s “The Whisper Network”, I was excited to see she was coming out with The Husbands. Chandler Baker’s The Husbands lived up to my expectations!

Nora is a relatable, married mom of one who feels like everything falls to her. When she falls in love with a house and it’s community in Dynasty Ranch, everything starts to change for the better…or does it? All of the husbands help around the house without complaint, but how? And how does Nora get her husband to do the same?

In this page-turning feminist mystery, readers will laugh out loud, nod in agreement, and think “wtf”. Married and unmarried, mothers and non-mothers alike can relate to this book.

Interesting thriller with some great twists. A very creepy premise brought to life nicely. Some further polishing of the writing could make it even better. The narrator does a great job of bringing the characters to life. Overall, a good read.

This story really pulled me in right away, it is very relatable for any busy parent. The main character Nora is a lawyer who is up for partner, has a toddler and is also pregnant with her second child. Her husband helps out somewhat but she doesn't think it should be called "helping" for him to take care of his own child and home. When they go house-hunting in an exclusive suburban neighbourhood, they meet a group of moms who really do seem to have it all, with husbands who are so helpful, they seem like a male version of stepford wives. Of course this got my spider senses tingling.. and things unfurl rapidly when Nora is asked to represent one of her new friends in a wrongful death case and discovers all kinds of secrets. Allyson Ryan did a great job of expressing the voices and personalities of all the different characters in the audiobook, and kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the final word.

Thank you very much to The Walking Book Club, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

This novel is like the Stepford Wives, only the husbands are the creepy cookie-cutter zombies, made to be the perfect men for their significant other.
Nora Spangler is a busy working wife and mother who would just like some help from her husband. She is expecting their second child while trying to make partner at her prestigious law firm.
She also packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. How is that fair?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women with enviably supportive husbands, because "they work so hard." When she agrees to help with a resident’s wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. Everything seems easier in Dynasty Ranch. The women there are not ready to crack.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that’s worth killing for. A must-read for the summer! And a tricky ending will not disappoint. :)
*Special thanks to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for this early e-audio version of The Husbands.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an advanced audio copy of The Husbands by Chandler Baker. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

This book started off so strong. From the opening paragraph I was hooked by the wonderful witty writing and biting social commentary. We meet Nora, an overworked under appreciated wife, mother, employee. While Nora & her husband each have a profession outside the home, somehow all the everyday tasks fall on Nora. Whether it’s paying the bills, picking up the dry cleaning, preparing meals, carpooling, buying birthday gifts or arranging date nights while her husband seems to always get a free pass. When Nora meets a group of ladies who all seem to have the “perfect” husband, she silently wishes her husband could be “programmed” to change. Well, don’t we all know the saying…be careful what you wish for.
This was a fun take on the Stepford Wives but it unfortunately fizzled midway through the book. The story became campy and absurd. Almost too exaggerated and silly. I found myself losing interest. There’s a slight mystery and some hints of a twist but when all is revealed there isn’t much of a surprise.

The audio narration was really well done and I thought the author raised some really important issues about expectations, equality, parenting and responsibility. Is it possible for a woman to have it all? This would be a perfect summer time bookclub pick and would especially appeal to women who are managing young families and careers.

I think tighter editing could have turned this from a good book to a GREAT book.

Wow, what an interesting story. It is a well crafted, creepy, ominous gripping story. Women can have it all, but not all at once. Same goes for men, except they generally leave it all to the women in their lives and are clueless when they ask for help doing things like raising their own children, feeding them and heaven forbid having to do a load of laundry. The nerve of us to expect help, because aren’t they the more important ones even though both in the relationship hold jobs outside of the home. Nora and her sweet, but oblivious husband are looking for a new gone. It drew me in immediately. Nora and her sweet, but oblivious husband are looking for a new home for their growing family. They look in a neighborhood that is filled with strong empowered women who have husbands who seem to spend their days living to make the lives of their wives better, easier and more satisfying. What are they doing differently than she is? As she becomes more involved with the women and even represents one of them in a serious legal matter she has more questions, concerns and wonders if what is happening is legal. It is more combo slow burn mystery/thriller. Interesting and will draw you in with the concept. It does get a bit wordy and at times takes too long to get to a point, but it was a good and interesting listen.

The Husbands is a fictional look at the inequality of the genders when it comes to just about everything, but it pays particular attention to couples raising a family. While the plot is indeed a mystery, it is at the same time a critical commentary of the many roles women play in order to "have it all." I think readers will especially enjoy the "creep factor" and Stepford Wives reverse modern retelling that this novel takes on. I found the narrator to be a wonderful fit for the material, and as a reader, I was thoroughly engaged. The pacing of the narrator's speech was spot on as well. This is not a passive whodunit novel, but one that will cause the reader to really ponder if the means truly does justify the end. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced listeners' copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great audiobook. The narrator did a great job (not sure how she kept it straight alternating her voice for all the ladies in the neighborhood!) and the story is quite funny. I could totally relate to Nora and her frustrations but some times I wanted to shake her for not seeing what was happening in front of her.

Perfect book for the summer!

This book was an enjoyable read similar to Baker’s previous books. Parts were slow but overall the book had some good comedy and domestic thriller vibes. I enjoyed the narrator and really getting to be in the head of the main character.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review!

This was an intriguing audiobook and was definitely different from anything else that I’ve read. I have to say that I couldn’t really relate to the parts where the wife was lamenting that her husband did not do much around the house or take care of the children. My husband does just about everything. I liked the narrator a lot and felt that this had a nice flow to it. The plot was unique although implausible.

The narration by Allyson Ryan was excellent! The Husbands itself fell flat for me. I just couldn’t find myself enjoying the story. I liked the idea and what the author was trying to get across, it just wasn’t enough to keep me involved the story. Unfortunately this wasn’t my favorite.

The Husbands by Chandler Baker explores the husband/wife dynamic in a modern world. Nora Spangler, is a lawyer with a toddler and a baby on the way. Nora juggles work and home and the never-ending to do lists and just wants her husband to help her out. Her husband, has a successful career too, and thinks that he does enough around the house to help. He even offers childcare assistance to help with their daughter but all that Nora wants, all that she needs, in a husband that will split the workload 50/50.

When an opportunity to buy a home in Dynasty Ranch comes along, Nora is excited to move her family to the suburban neighborhood that offers more space and friendship in the other wives in town. As Nora gets to know the women in Dynasty Ranch she begins to see that their husbands are incredible helpers around the house, Nora's dream. Will moving to Dynasty Ranch give her the life she always wanted?

Chandler Baker has done it again with a novel that portrays modern women in the workforce. This book sucks you in from the beginning and you are left excited to find out what is really going on in Dynasty Ranch. I really enjoyed this novel and especially loved the narration since I was offered the audiobook edition in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and McMillian Audio for this fantastic story.

This book is a must read and available on August 3, 2021.

I liked the idea of this book with the strong female lead & this perfect place Dynasty Ranch, but it laid somewhat flat for me. It didn’t hold my attention as an audiobook because it was hard to follow along with, but I will most likely try to purchase in hard copy.

Reviewing
The Husbands
Chandler Banks

If you are looking for a juicy summer read full of powerful women, deception, mystery, family drama, and the solution to achieving marital bliss, this one’s for you!

Readers will have a hard time putting The Husbands down and an even harder time trying to decide where their loyalties lie. Among a cast full of unsavory characters, Banks leaves readers pondering just where to draw the line between right and wrong.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ four stars with a PG rating