Homemaker by new to me authors Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare, published by Thomas & Mercer, is book one in the new Prairie Nightingale Series.
Prairie Nightingale is a middle aged mother of two and she choose homemaking as her profession. So when one of the women from her circle disappears, she's determined to find out more.
A cozy mystery, PI mystery that had me highly entertained, I greatly enjoyed reading this gem and can't wait for the next book, coming 2/26.

Despite my best efforts I dnf'd at 50%. I don't know if it was the writing style or my expectations, but the story seemed to move very slowly and ended up having no interest in the storyline. I found I couldnt emerse myself in the story. Other reviews have been quite positive so I think this just wasn't a book for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc copy of this book to review.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows Prairie Nightingale (what a name!), a divorced mother of two daughters, while she investigates the disappearance of another mom from her community. Prairie makes some shocking discoveries and works with an attractive detective, a network of women victimized by a MLM and her ex-husband to get to the bottom of this mystery.

I found the story to be entertaining and witty, though it felt a little slow at times. This is cozy and quick, perfect for a beach read.

Thank you to the authors for allowing me to review your work!

I kept checking to see if this story was #2 in a series because I felt like I had missed something (the detailed but spread-out backstory of what happened with the doctor, her divorce, her “business”…it was pretty confusing at times). I enjoyed the story itself. I liked the characters. I like how the ending sets up for future Prairie (and crew) investigations. Overall a fun read!

Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is a fabulously fun read! I loved it. I can't really tell you it is a cozy, but maybe cozy adjacent. It is the first book in the Prairie Nightingale series. Prairie Hawk Nightingale is a Green Bay homemaker. It says so on her business card. Following her divorce, where she received a trust to run the home, she started a business, where she hired people to do most of the tasks a housewife does, a cook, gardener, handyman, manager. I admittedly was a bit confused at first, not really sure who she really was nor where the book was going, but I was intrigued. She had an unconventional upbringing and brought much of that to her life as a mother and what I at first saw as being a busybody. When the mystery, one of the school moms going missing, got going, the story pace picked up. Relationships started clarifying and building. I do have to say, I was pretty sure what happened to the missing woman, but watching Prairie unravel it was fun. The last 10% of the book was mostly the setup for the rest of the series, but it had some fun moments as well!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the chance to read it.

This was a good palate cleanser for this escapist. I enjoyed this cozy book as it had some depth, humor, and mystery. I do wish the mystery was less obvious, but sometimes that works versus ending up with a non-sensical twist that leaves you scratching your head. A friend and I enjoy Dateline and Homemaker made me think of us if we were Prairie...detail-oriented, nosy...;)

Pacing was a little slow at times, but it did pick up, Yes, I agree with others that there was a lot going that could be construed as unbelievable at times in this book. However, put yourselves in someone else's shoes and look through a different lens because for me, it was more believable than not. I appreciated how many groups of people were represented in this book and it was a fitting read for the beginning of Pride month!. I also got Finlay Donovan vibes for those familiar with that series.

I'm looking forward to reading book 2 when it releases next year to see what Prairie encounters. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun read! I enjoyed the characters and the stories. As a SAHM myself I can relate to a lot of this story. Prairie was a fun chaotic character that reminds me of a few women I know in town. I definitely enjoyed this book.

This was great! Prairie is funny & smart. I love her relationship with her ex-husband, daughters, and ex-mother in law. She has a knack for seeing things about people that ultimately help solve the mystery. I’m looking forward to the next book!

#Homemaker #NetGalley is the first in a new series featuring Prairie Nightingale and I loved every minute of it.
Prairie has a unique home life, she's divorced and co-parenting two daughters with the assistance of her ex husband.
She's turned her homemaker status into a business, and she seems to do it with ease.
Prairie has a knack for being nosy, and it's gotten her into some unfortunate circumstances, to the point of losing friends, and being gossiped about.
When another mother disappears under strange circumstances, her nosiness kicks in, and soon she's unraveling a devious plot with unbelievable secrets.
This is an intense cozy mystery, but it's written so well that I did not want to put it down.
I'm hoping to see more of this series, I'm sure Prairie will find many more secrets to investigate.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Smart and witty, just perfect for a new mystery series. A little bit cozy mystery, women’s lit and romcom this book will stick with me a long time. Prairie runs her life like most of us wish, a mom farming out daily jobs of housekeeping, gardening and husband nonsense. Recently divorced she and her husband get along wonderfully with only a few bumps. Her daughters have genuinely wonderful and realistic personalities. A former friend has gone missing and she’s taken it upon herself to investigate. But, she’s not interfering with the police just finding different paths to take or questions to ask. The FBI guy causes a little spark and it’s just maybe a little more than a friendship. The flow and writing style is easy to read and get lost in the words. Having read these authors before I knew I’d like it. I was given an early copy and have written my review honestly and voluntarily.

For all that I say below, I did like this and will definitely be reading the sequel. It's more 3.5 than 3.
The fact that the MC was named Prairie Nightingale encapsulates my issues with Homemaker.
I’m a SAHM and cannot figure out what keeps her “very busy” since she seems to have outsourced all of her former tasks. Which, good for her, but her main function seems to mostly be adding a layer of bureaucracy to the 724 Project.
As to the mystery, it’s exactly who you think. I do appreciate that Prairie's insights from living the mom life provide extra perspective to an investigation being run by men, but missing wealthy white women aren’t exactly an ignored population. I like that Emma calls her out on that.
Finally, it took a little bit to get into the book because it felt like I stepped into book 2 rather than book one of a series. The fact that the women in her circle cut her out for exposing a serial sexual abuser seems odd. Yes, the abuser’s wife had been part of that circle, but it doesn’t make sense that everyone would take her side since she’d been helping her coverup her husband’s crimes.
Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a new cozy series this is a perfect choice. The mystery highlights how women are often overlooked in their spaces, but also how women can help find the answers. I love the relationships and look forward to more interactions with this fun group of people.

I’m a big fan of Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare, who write separately and together (sometimes using their names, as with this book, and other times writing under the name Mae Marvel). I admit freely that I’m not a romance fan, but Ruthie and Annie drew me in with their smart, witty writing, interesting characters and story arcs that avoid stereotypes. The same holds true for Homemaker, which I’m excited to see is one of an upcoming series.

The authors put forward our protagonist’s character right away, establishing her as a nosy parent who wants to be a part of the gossip and is able to get to the crux of most neighborhood intrigue thanks to her wit, smarts, and skill at using what she calls the “story lie.” Today, however, the gossip among parents letting their children off at school has a more serious tone: one of the neighborhood moms is missing. Her empty van has been found but there is no other trace of her.

Of course, Prairie springs into action, using story lies and her network of mom connections to dig deeper into the story. In the process, she finds ways to dig deeper into herself, her marriage, and even women’s entrepreneurship. I also need to mention that the book is set in Ruthie and Annie’s hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and offers several fun Easter eggs for those of us who live here (no Packer references, though, I promise).

I’m very much looking forward to more installments in the Prairie Nightingale story! Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review,