I enjoyed my first Tracey Enerson Wood book. I liked the character development in this storyline.

Socialite Edith Bolling has been in no hurry to find a new husband since she was widowed, preferring to fill her days with good friends and travel. But the enchanting courting of President Woodrow Wilson wins Edith over and she becomes the First Lady of the United States. The position is uncomfortable for the fiercely independent Edith, but she's determined to rise to the challenges of her new marriage—from the bloodthirsty press to the shadows of the first World War.

Warming to her new role, Edith is soon indispensable to her husband's presidency. She replaces the staff that Woodrow finds distracting, and discusses policy with him daily. Throughout the war, she encrypts top- secret messages and despite lacking formal education becomes an important adviser. When peace talks begin in Europe, she attends at Woodrow's side. But just as the critical fight to ratify the treaty to end the war and create a League of Nations in order to prevent another, Woodrow's always-delicate health takes a dramatic turn for the worse. In her determination to preserve both his progress and his reputation, Edith all but assumes the presidency herself.

Now, Edith must contend with the demands of a tumultuous country, the secrets of Woodrow's true condition, and the potentially devastating consequences of her failure. At once sweeping and intimate, The President's Wife is an astonishing portrait of a courageous First Lady and the sacrifices she made to protect her husband and her country at all costs.

𝗣𝗨𝗕 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

Thank you #partner @recordedbooks for the #gifted ALC

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁'𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗳𝗲
𝗕𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟴/𝟭𝟱/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

⭐⭐⭐💫

📖 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: The President's Wife is the story of Edith Wilson - Woodrow Wilson's wife - and the reasons she's known as "the first woman president."

💭 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: Despite me owning all of Enerson's historical fiction novels, this was my first by her! I'm glad to have finally read one.☺️

The President's Wife is a very informative read, rich in the politics of the times. It was enlightening to learn what a role Edith played in Wilson's presidency, and how she continued running the show after his condition left him unable to do so (which is what she's so known for). The highlight for me is definitely how much I learned about Woodrow and Edith Wilson - a couple I knew very little about.

One of the things I love most about historical fiction is the way a moving fictional narrative is meshed with true pieces of history. As someone who loves both fiction and history, it's the best of both worlds and why historical fiction is my favorite genre. Unfortunately this one felt just a bit lopsided. While the history lesson was compelling, the fictional story left something to be desired. This was largely due to the saccharin quality to it, which didn't feel realistic to me. I guess I needed a little more pizzazz.

Though despite my criticisms, I did still enjoy it overall, especially for how informative it is. I feel like I could hold my own in a conversation about the Wilson presidency, and that's a positive in my book!

I would still definitely recommend for history buffs - especially thise who enjoy non-fiction history books.

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: The audiobook was very well done! It's narrated by a single narrator: Libby McKnight. Her performance is well-paced and she's a pleasure to listen to. ☺️

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for this ARC of the audiobook version of this book. This is my honest review.

The audiobook narrator was good , but at times I found her voice too calming and especially at night she would lull me to sleep and I would have to rewind the audiobook and re-listen to what I had missed.

As a Non-American , I really found this interesting behind the scenes look at the relationship of someone in power. It was historically interesting to learn about the events and the main characters influence over her husband. Though there was not much character development , there was relationship development . I enjoyed the writing style and I from to time to time would be googling events talked about in the novel. Good novel overall — and historically enlightening to learn some of the behind closed doors interactions.

I really enjoyed this audio book. The reader’s voice was clear and easy to understand. The audio part was a 5 star for me. It did at times seem to be more non-fiction but it did not detract from the story. Edith Wilson’s story is well worth the read.

What a fascinating story! I hadn't really read much about the Wilsons, and was truly fascinated by this book. It was well written, moved at a nice pace and had great character development. I'm so thankful to have read this and learned more about Edith and Woodrow Wilson!

This was a great mix of story and history, I'd love to read more by this author! The narrator for the audiobook was engaging as well!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy to review.

I enjoyed Wood’s previous books The Engineer’s Wife and The War Nurse, so I was thrilled to get an advanced audio from RB Media. Of course I ordered the physical book which arrives on Pub Day August 15th. The narrator Libby McKnight did a fantastic job with this wonderful book.

This is the story of President Woodrow Wilson meeting a new woman Edith Bolling after hew was widowed. Sparks fly immediately and a proposal is made by Woodrow. He appreciates not only her beauty but her mind.

She becomes crucial during his presidency and he confides in her on a daily basis. After the Great War during peace talks and other meetings she realizes Woodrow is not well. With his health failing Edith shares the details only with his most trusted advisors. She works tirelessly behind the scenes “running the show”.

I sat in one sitting on Sunday to listen to this amazing novel. Wood nailed the characters and her research was evident throughout the novel.

Thank you RB Media for this advanced copy. I also bought the physical book which arrives on Pub Day August 15th.

This is the untold story of Edith Bolling, wife of Woodrow Wilson, a woman who stood at her husband’s side during World War I and then actually took the reins, arguably running the country when her husband became unfit to do so. She did all this from the shadows, acting as so many First Ladies have, saving our nation at a crucial point in history. A remarkable book that should be required reading for every American

Widowed socialite Edith has no plans to remarry—until she's charmed by President Woodrow Wilson. The position of First Lady is onerous, but her husband finds her fresh perspective indispensable. When the president suffers a stroke, she becomes a go-between, keeping all but his doctor and closest advisor from meeting directly with her husband. In her efforts to protect his health, is she overstepping her role?

This is an engrossing book that did a good job of bringing this era to life. I can't comment on how historically accurate it is. It doesn't include Wilson's bout of Spanish flu during the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles, which may have led him to back down from some of his demands. Historical events, more than character growth, drive the story. Edith and Woodrow are both fairly flat characters, which isn't a bad thing. The conflict is more external than internal. The narration added to the enjoyment of the book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.