After reading the book, I have to agree with other people who read it who mention they would’ve loved to see more of the wife’s role as acting president once she took over during the time when her husband was sick. Other than that it was a slow ish book with good redeeming qualities. I really enjoy historical fiction and I think this one had a lot of nice imagery from the times, just was missing a little oomph if you know what I mean. I give it a 3.5/5 but would recommend for historical nerds like myself :)

"The President's Wife" by Tracey Enerson Wood is a captivating historical novel that skillfully combines rich historical detail while also allowing readers to experience a compelling presidential romance. Set in a tumultuous period of American history, Wood's storytelling transports readers to the White House, offering a glimpse into the life of the First Lady who clandestinely assumed the presidency.

What truly sets this novel apart is the meticulous attention to historical accuracy. Wood's research shines through, immersing readers in the intricacies of the time as well as the couple. The vivid descriptions of the era, from the political climate to the societal norms, create an authentic backdrop for the story.

In summary, "The President's Wife" is a well-crafted historical novel that offers readers a unique blend of history and romance. Tracey Enerson Wood's storytelling prowess and meticulous research make it a compelling and enjoyable read for anyone interested in a glimpse into the past and the complexities of a presidential love story.

I found this an interesting read as I knew little about President Woodrow Wilson and nothing of his second wife Edith. When we look back 100 years, it is easy to find fault with things done then, but it is important to look at both the good and the bad and to understand that they did the best they could at the time. And it was a very difficult time, coming to the end of WWI, trying to recover from that and put provisions in place to maintain the peace was a daunting challenge, especially with the president’s failing health.

This was an interesting historical story told from a unique perspective.

Reading about Woodrow Wilson’s presidency along with his personal life from his second wife’s perspective was so enlightening! While they were portrayed as discussing and agreeing on many of his presidential policies, the points they did not agree on were even more interesting. With that said, when she was doing the most to assist in his presidency, the author made it sound like she really did try to continue making decisions in what President Wilson had told her were in the best interests of the country.

Edith Bolling Gait Wilson was also an engaging character on her own. Her reactions to the necessary appearances and wealth of experiences as the First Lady were amusing, especially while she stressed that this public life was never what she was after—she truly loved her second husband, who happened to be the President.

Overall, this was a great historical fiction with likable characters and stories that taught a lot. It earned 3 out of 5 stars, and this reader learned a great deal about this time and these important people from history.

An interesting premise about a time in history and in particular a First Lady I knew very little about.
I'm a fan of history so really enjoyed learning about this time in history. I did find it a bit slow and felt it dragged at times, however if you're a fan of history/historical fiction I would recommend.

A novel that’s both a glimpse into WWI history and a portrait of a trusting and co-dependent couple, The President’s Wife was a solid middle-of-the-road read for me. It’s clearly researched and covers a fascinating point in history, but did feel a little one-dimensional for me.

I do feel like lovers of historical fiction (and of political history in general) will enjoy - it’s a faithful accounting of the path to US involvement in WWI, the tentative peace under the Treaty of Versailles, and a host of other issues occurring simultaneously, from women’s suffrage to railroad strikes to prohibition.

I enjoyed the historical context, but just didn’t connect particularly strongly with the characters or the narrative, and struggled through some of the pacing. I enjoyed it fine, but didn’t find myself engrossed.

Good but not great. This is partially a product of the time, but I found the romance to be incredibly dry and both the main characters to be more than a little insufferable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I enjoyed this book centered around Woodrow and Edith Wilson. It covered a part of history I wasn’t very familiar with; I was unaware of Edith’s role in the final months of the presidency.

An interesting book, which is based on the true story of Edith Wilson, America’s First Lady during the time of and after WW1. As always with fictionalised books based on real people, you wonder what is true and what isn’t. The author has an interesting note at the back of the book explaining that any public information known is what is used in the book, as are the people’s names.
At it’s essence is the story of a president that gets ill and is unable to operate as normal, so his wife takes over in terms of screening who did and didn’t have access to the President and what papers he did and didn’t see. Shocking amount of power for an unelected individual.
The author was encouraged to write it given the age profile of recent American presidents.
I enjoyed all the drama of Edith’s relationship with the president - they married when he was president, and all the protocols and descriptions of living in the White House. I think there are so many tv series, books etc on the operations of the White House that I feel like we know it already.
Kindly gifted by @bookmarked via @netgalley and available now.

3.5 stars.

Although I majored in history (in addition to psychology), I studied WWII much more than I did WWI. So I was particularly excited to read a WWI novel focused on one of the lesser-discussed presidents, Woodrow Wilson, and his second wife, First Lady Edith Wilson.

To start with the positive, the novel taught me a lot about the personal beliefs of the Wilsons, the perspectives of the President and the First Lady throughout the Great War, and highlighted some important concurrent issues and events of that era (e.g., suffrage movement, Spanish influenza pandemic). Unfortunately, I found it difficult to like or relate to Edith, as she was against women's rights and the suffrage movement, though the author did an adequate job of explaining the First Lady's reasoning and perspective.

Where the book fell short for me, however, was its slower pace in the beginning, centered upon the courtship between Woodrow and Edith. I would have preferred that the plot focus on their marriage and the presidency. The most interesting aspect of the novel was Woodrow's declining health and his eventual incapacitation due to a series of major health setbacks, including strokes. Unbeknownst to the public, Edith essentially stepped in as Commander in Chief!

The book highlights how this decision set forth a chain reaction that affected the next few decades and ultimately contributed to the start of WWII, which led Edith to forever question whether she acted in the best interest of her husband and the American people. Lamentably, this was all limited to the last couple of chapters, even though it was by far the most important and interesting section of the novel. As such, I found that the story ended abruptly and left me wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I must admit, I only got 37% of the way into this book. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to read this eARC from the publisher and NetGalley.
I really wanted to learn about Edith Galt Wilson’s time as First Lady and especially during such an important time in US history. However, I just couldn’t get into the story. I found Wilson to be an unstable “love bomber” (as another reviewer said) and I just kept thinking how is no one getting this man help? I know the times were different, but people must have known he was unstable. Going to bed in a depressed funk because he hadn’t heard from her, or wasn’t sure she would marry him soon enough- and less than a year after his wife died. Ugh no. You have a nation to run.
I also couldn’t bear the letters back and forth. The frothy way he writes to her, needing her love and attention- it wasn’t something I could keep reading. Given the age difference between the two, the pet nickname of “little girl” (from a song) also was too much for me.
I have no doubt the author did a massive amount of historical research, and I am sure the letters were directly from Woodrow and Edith Wilson’s correspondence.
The novel just wasn’t for me. Probably because I couldn’t get past their romantic relationship and the President’s clinging need for Edith. So honestly, not a huge fault of the author when I can’t stand the historical facts of the man.

I was excited to get this ARC to review (thank you net galley) however, the story line seemed to plod along and lack the substance for me to truly identify with Edith Wilson. With a stiff dialog, the romance between Woodrow and Edith seemed more or a business arrangement or them reading a script than that of those truly in love. It was boring and tedious. Perhaps though, this was reflective of the time but it didn't work for me. Easy to put down, I found it was lackluster in content and hard for me to be engaged. However, it was interesting to see how a president could court someone in full view of the country and the going ons with the White House. So thus saying, I will rate it as just okay, 2.5 rounded up to a 3.

If you like American history, if you have been to any of the Presidential libraries, if you enjoy learning about the personal lives of the first families, then this book is for you! The main character is Edith, President Wilson's second wife whom he married while president after the death of his first wife. Well researched by the author enables the reader to better understand the time period of World War I and to show the reader the influence family members have over the president as well as the conflicts between the president and staff members.

I thank NetGalley for a copy of The President's Wife in exchange for an honest review.

I loved reading a fictional story of Woodrow and Edith Wilson. Edith has always intrigued me because of what happened when Woodrow got sick and how she handled things. I won’t spoil this for you, but since I was a young girl, I found how she behaved during his illness as fascinating and I am so glad that this is in print for all to see.

I never really though much about the personality of Woodrow (even though I named my house and a pet after him), so it was nice to actually imagine him as being in love and so much so that it prevented him from living.

This is a sweet book with a love story, but also a story of a strong woman who would do things she never imagined.

DNF @38%
I must admit that maybe this wasn't a good pick for me to even attempt. I'm not American and don't necessarily care that much about white house history. I was hoping for more politics and more WWI context. What I got was a fairly dry love story, and walks in the park, and campaign worries, and many people blaming Edith for her boyfriend-at-the-time's shortcomings and neediness. I was waiting for things to get interesting but by 38% I was still forcing myself to pick up the book and decided that was enough time to dedicate to something I wasn't particularly enjoying.

Fascinating novel about a real life person whom most people know very little about, the wife of president Wilson. I got a bit bogged down during the opening when their relationship was just beginning and she was already starting to question whether she could be the wife of a president and how she would be judged by others but it picked up after that and I was fine. I absolutely love Wood's novel The Engineer's Wife and it sent me on a journey of discovery about the Brooklyn Bridge that I'll never forget!

Thabk you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw the title and read the description, I was excited. I love historical fictions, especially the ones related to WWs. Even though I liked various topics discussed in the book, it has also left me with mixed feelings. If it's actually based on the President's life, then I don't think that his wife did the right thing in keeping him away from the affairs of the country for so long.

🎁 🎧 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓐𝓾𝓭𝓲𝓸 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🎧🎁
3/5 🌟

When I first heard the title, so many different presidents crossed my mind whose wives would be fascinating to read about - Kennedy, Reagan, Nixon, Obama, both Roosevelts, Washington, Lincoln - but Woodrow Wilson? That was a surprise. However, he was president during an incredibly tumultuous and challenging time in American history, the years just preceding and following WWI.

Both Woodrow Wilson and Edith Galt were widowed and their courtship, including numerous heartfelt love letters, was charmingly described. Their partnership was impressive as Woodrow was exceedingly trusting of Edith’s input into the issues of the day. Her quiet power and influence as she takes over after Woodrow’s incapacitating illnesses was formidable. Their story brings to mind the saying “behind every great man is a great woman” as Edith was isWoodrow’s most trusted advisor.

I’m a huge lover of all things American history, but this one missed the mark for me, mainly, I think, due to the lackluster performance of the narrator. I was, quite honestly, somewhat bored and had a difficult time making it through this one. I do think I’d have enjoyed it more had I read it as the writing is descriptive and the author’s extensive research is evident.

A lot of important and fascinating things to learn from this novel, but it was a bit of a chore however.

Many thanks to @netgalley and @bookmarked for the advanced copy of the audio book in exchange for my honest review!

#bibliophile #stephsalwaysreading #netgalley #netgalleyarc #historicalfiction#whatshouldireadnext #tbrlist #thepresidentswife

“The President’s Wife” is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Woodrow Wilson and Edith Bolling Galt’s courtship, marriage and her place in U.S. history. Although there were some slow spots, I thought the novel was both enjoyable and educational. I read both the ebook and listened to the audiobook. The narrator was very good and she really brought the story to life. *3.5 stars*

This read shed light to an incredibly unknown story about a fascinating woman behind the Presidency of Woodrow Wilson. It was clear the author had done extension research yet brought Edith to life in her prose. I enjoyed learning more about their romance, Wilson's failing heath, and both the internal and external threats Edith had to navigate behind the scenes with Wilson's ideals at the front of her efforts. Lovers of Presidential history, WWI history, and historical fiction will thoroughly enjoy this release. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook publishing for my complimentary ARC in exchange for my review.