I can't believe that this is a trend. The tradwife label has gone too far, and nothing proves that more than Madison March. Although this is a fictionalized story, it is a trending thing. I found the writing style of this book to be excellent and believable. The content was disturbing and sad. I read it in 2 days because I had to know how it ended.

I flew through this one, but it wasn't revolutionary when it comes to thrillers. I enjoyed the twists and thought the author did a good job with the pacing.

"The Tradwife's Secret" by Liane Child presents an intriguing premise that promises suspense and psychological depth. The story revolves around [briefly summarize the premise]. As a fan of thrillers, I was drawn to the unique concept and the potential for intricate character dynamics.

However, while the novel managed to keep me engaged with its unfolding mystery, it fell short of delivering that extra layer of intensity and surprise that I typically seek in thrillers. The pacing was steady, and the plot unfolded logically, but it lacked the gripping twists and turns that make this genre truly thrilling.

The characters were adequately developed, but I found myself wanting more depth and complexity, especially in their motivations and interactions. The author touches on intriguing themes, [mention any themes or elements you found interesting], but these aspects could have been further explored to enhance the overall suspense and emotional impact of the story.

In conclusion, "The Tradwife's Secret" is a decent read for fans of psychological thrillers looking for a story that explores contemporary issues [mention any relevant themes]. While it didn't fully satisfy my expectations for a gripping thriller, it held my interest enough to see how the narrative would unfold. It's a novel that explores relevant themes with potential, though it may leave some readers wishing for a bit more intensity and depth.

The Tradwife's Secret was pretty good. The story was twisty enough to keep me interested, even though the characters often made decisions that made no sense. My biggest complaint is that, even though it takes place in Montana and all the characters are American, there were a lot of Britishisms in the writing (jumper instead of sweater, antenatal instead of prenatal, things like that). Not a huge deal, but it did pull me out of the story because I kept thinking maybe the twist would be that one of more of the characters was lying about being American. It seems like something an editor should have caught. Otherwise, it was a fun read.

Book review 📖

📜The Tradwife’s Secret
✍️Liane Child
📠Harper 360
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: May 27, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @harpercollins360 for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Madison March has it all—a perfect life, a perfect family, a perfect social media following of millions. And it’s all a lie.

✨When a new tutor for Madison’s four children starts in her Montana home, she begins to learn that the woman she’s idolized is not what she portrays online. There are cracks beneath the perfect veneer, and there’s the tip of a storm brewing.

✨I love a prologue that starts off strong with “stupid bitch deserved everything she got”, because I know I’m in for one hell of an unhinged ride.
This book highlights the demand of social media and call for perfection when faced against competition in the online world.
In the likes of Jesse Q. Sutano’s You Will Never Be Me crossed with Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, this is a dark and domestic thriller, and how stereotypical life on the prairie isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

#netgalley #thetradwifessecret #lianechild #harper360 #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #springreleases #thrillerfiction

This book was so good! The behind the scenes look into the influencer life was very interesting and the story was gripping! So much going on and so many people to not like.

I received an ARC of this book from Harper 360 via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. First, this book definitely needs some editing before actual publication. Every time the POV switched, the beginning of the chapter was formatted very strangely (at least on the Kindle). Also, any time a character was speaking and there were direct quotation marks, the whole paragraph would run together, making it hard to tell who was speaking. And I am pretty sure Madison's last name was mixed up a few times (March vs Marsh).

Besides that, this was a page-turner. The whole concept of tradwife is mind-boggling to me, and I hope there are not too many people with a relationship like Madison & Michael's, or Brianna & Jonah's. It's kind of like train wreck reading, or a reality show - you keep reading/watching but horrified the whole time.

The twist was jaw-dropping, which is always a plus for me.

I think there were a few questions remaining and a few loose ends. And the epilogue didn't seem to accomplish anything.

I have no doubt this book will be a bestseller among millenials and older Gen Z women. It is a subtle thriller with the setting of a rural Montana farm complete with animals, cute kids, and an influencer wife in flowy dresses making cookies.

However, behind the scenes there is so much more going on, of course. There are a few characters who shake up the narration, with a second main character slowly coming more and more into focus.

Read if you like watching tradwife reels or if you find them repulsive. Either way, you will find something to relate to in this otherwise completely unrelatable book. I found some of it to be totally unlikely/unbelievable, but that is what makes it a thriller, I guess. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I couldn't put this down because it was like a horrific car wreck. Just had to know exactly what was going to happen next. (Especially since a few influencers came to mind immediately!)

A few things that I wasn't a huge fan of - but overall, this is exactly what I think most 'mommy influencers' are behind the scenes. The forced posing of their kids, the marital relationship that's most likely suffering, and just a huge amount of BS piling up, all to make money.

I don't even have as much of an issue when it's other kinds of influencers because then I feel like they're not exploiting their kids for content!!? The 'tradwife' stuff has always given me the ick though!!! Child's book really felt like it's something that would've exploded across the news lately.

CWs: loss of a child, abusive relationships etc.

**Thank you to Harper 360 for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

If you are looking for a good popcorn thriller that has all the thrills and chills then grab a copy of this one and sit back and enjoy your reading!

This was a fun read! I enjoy anything about the underside of influencers and their "perfect" lives. I also learned what a "tradwife" is. Yep, I had no clue. Madison is a tradwife, a.k.a. traditional wife. Madison is also a popular influencer who posts her perfect life and family. Not surprisingly all is not perfect in Insta-World and things start to fall apart. Told from three POV's, this was an extremely, if a wee bit predictable, twisty and suspenseful story. It is also a good commentary about the lengths that influencers feel they have to go through for perfection. Really sad. I look forward to more from Liane Child.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Liane Child and Harper 360 for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of May 27, 2025.

What a mess. Reads like it was written by a buggy LLM in beta testing, after being trained on several dozen terrible Wattpad stories written by middle school students. Set in the Mountain West of the US, but packed full of Britishisms. Poorly created characters. A storyline that plods along slowly and painfully. Hopefully the worst book I'll read all year, because if I read anything worse than this I may as well go lay down in traffic.

Because of all the secrets in this novel, it definitely had me hooked. In fact, I read it in just a short period of time as the author would reveal just a little more of what the characters where hiding. The author obviously drew on what is happening in today’s politics as the background for this novel Although , it is not a political novel, it is a mystery but not of the thriller genre. The use of #’s also were a good way to keep the reader involved in the plot.

Even though it kept me wanting to know more, there were some parts that stretched "the reasonable suspension of dis belief". Also, some of the characters were too stereotypical. I definitely would recommend this novel if the reader just wants to sit back and be entertained while trying to figure out what and why of the two main characters’ situation. For me the ending was too pat, but not every reader will agree.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I enjoyed this one.I liked the different p.ov.s and the twist. Was it a little predictable? Yes. but it was fun to read.

# The Tradwife's Secret: A Captivating Mystery

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

Madison March is a well-known social media tradwife, sharing her seemingly “perfect” life with her followers. Yet, what if everything she presents is a façade?

*The Tradwife’s Secret** unfolds as a mystery told from multiple perspectives. While it offers an entertaining experience, it can be somewhat challenging to follow at times. The pacing in the middle felt a bit slow and drawn out, but the intriguing twists and mysteries made it worthwhile! However, I wasn't particularly fond of how the narrator depicted the male characters, and I wished the voices were clearer to distinguish while listening. Overall, **The Tradwife’s Secret** was an enjoyable read, enriched with compelling twists!

The Tradwife's Secret is a fast-paced read that easily captures interest. However, there were some inconsistencies and the story was much too unrealistic. It was filled with overused stereotypes. Additionally, the British spelling/terminology is off-putting. It does take away from the read considering it takes place in Montana (for instance, the use of 'metres' and the use of 'hospital' versus 'a hospital'). Definitely not an insightful read, but still entertaining.

This was a slightly predictable thriller but I enjoyed the elements of influencer lifestyle and the relevance to today's culture. Quick, easy read!

This is obviously a super timely book as there seems to be a boom in “trad wife” content across social media, especially in the US. The book did a great job interrogating a lot of the trademarks of the trad wife social movement that are unnerving — the patriarchal roots, the outdated ideas of gender performance, the authenticity or lack there of, the hypocrisy, the falseness of what we see online versus what is the truth behind the scenes. I think the multiple POVs really helped to look at this from all angles. And all of that was woven really well into a central mystery with a great sense of growing tension.

Such a super fast and fun read! If you like Freida’s books you’re gonna love this one! The book was twisty and very hard to put down!

“A marriage is between two people. And their millions of followers.” That single line captures the sharp edge of The Tradwife’s Secret, a domestic thriller that tears apart the curated world of influencer culture and the toxic underpinnings of the so-called “tradwife” movement.

Madison March is an Instagram phenomenon. With her four picture-perfect children, a rugged husband, and a self-sustaining homestead in rural Montana, she has built a brand—and a lifestyle—that promises simplicity, obedience, and wholesomeness in an era of overexposure. Her followers believe she is the gold standard of femininity and motherhood. In reality, Madison’s “life” is a high-gloss fabrication: every moment is staged, every smile practiced, and her household held together by NDAs, secrets, and fear.

Joining the household is Cally, the new live-in tutor for the March children. A long-time follower of Madison’s account, Cally believes she’s stepping into a dream job—until the cracks begin to show. She’s stripped of her phone, warned not to speak to anyone about what she sees, and soon finds herself questioning everything she once admired. At the same time, across the country, Brianna—young, unmarried, and determined to build her own tradwife life with her boyfriend—realizes the version of this lifestyle she’s chasing might be a trap. She reaches out to the #TradWife Instagram community for guidance. No one answers.

Through these three perspectives—Madison, Cally, and Brianna—Liane Child explores not just the psychological weight of performance, but the darker consequences of traditional gender roles when taken to the extreme. The story is packed with secrets, betrayals, and eventually violence, culminating in a viral scandal that shatters Madison’s perfect image and forces all three women to reckon with their realities.

The novel excels at exposing the mechanics of influence: how curated content is manipulated, monetized, and weaponized. Child doesn’t preach, but she does peel back the layers with precision. Madison is a particularly complex character. She is both victim and perpetrator, navigating abuse and control while also exploiting her audience and her staff. She’s hard to like but impossible to ignore. Cally, meanwhile, adds a grounded outsider perspective that keeps the narrative from being completely swallowed by Madison’s unreality. Brianna’s arc—less flashy but emotionally resonant—offers a counterpoint, illustrating how aspirational lies can shape the lives of everyday women trying to escape modern burnout through a retro fantasy.

As a thriller, The Tradwife’s Secret is messy in the way that real life often is. There are some implausible twists, and a few characters (like Michael March, Madison’s domineering husband) occasionally verge on caricature. But in a genre that often centers male violence and female helplessness, Child gives us women who are complicated, flawed, and—most importantly—capable of disrupting the systems that trap them.

A few drawbacks: the language occasionally slips, with Britishisms like “torch” instead of “flashlight” pulling some readers out of the U.S.-based setting. The pacing lags in the middle, and one or two character arcs could have been more fully fleshed out—particularly Cally’s background, which feels underexplored. Still, these are small quibbles in what is otherwise a bold, smart, and highly readable book.

Final Thoughts:

If you’re intrigued by the dark side of influencer culture, fascinated by how online personas bleed into real-world dysfunction, or just want a thriller with teeth, The Tradwife’s Secret is well worth your time. It doesn’t just offer twists and reveals—it asks bigger questions about power, performance, and what women are willing to endure to be seen as “ideal.”

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended for fans of domestic suspense with a modern, timely edge.