Thank you NetGalley for this ARL!
I was this book trending on booktok and I have to say I enjoyed it! Such a fun and twisted book!

What a craaaaazy story! I was absolutely so intrigued by this story because to be honest I'm fascinated by the trad wife movement and not necessarily in a bad way. This story follows Madison march a huge trad wife influencer who pretends to have it all together and we learn about her husband and family and all the dark secrets they keep. To be honest I hated all the characters in this story also I found it kind of hard to follow at times. But on the flip side I did find it had good twists and shocking moments. Overall it was a okay thriller!

Thank you, Liane Child & HarperAudio, for this ALC of The Tradwife's Secret.

Review:

I thought this book was amazing and highly entertaining. The plot and the secrets were perfect. This is one of those books that will keep you up because you'll have to know what happens next!

The narrator, Lauryn Allman, did a wonderful job. I'm always amazed by narrators who voice so many different characters in a single book.

The Tradwife's Secret is available now on Kindle Unlimited, Audible, and in paperback!

If you enjoy domestic thrillers, this one is so good. 🔥

To be honest, it was the cover that first pulled me in. The whole “Trad Wife” thing is super popular right now, and seeing blood on her dress made me do a double take. I'm not really into that world, but I’ve seen a few videos here and there, so I was curious.

The book was a good mix of mystery, multiple POVs, and a look at how fake social media can be. I had a feeling the characters’ stories would come together, so the ending wasn’t super surprising. I did feel like the last third of the book moved a little too fast compared to how well the beginning was set up.

The audiobook narrator was amazing—she really brought all the different characters to life and made it easy to follow who was who.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to @TLCBookTours @lianechildauthor and @hqstories for having me on this tour!

I did not know what a tradwife was prior to reading this book, and I can promise I will never be one lol. This was a wild ride, full of secrets and lies and women in roles I hope we never go back to. A ‘traditional’ wife, or tradwife, is one that does everything for her husband, makes him happy, cooks for him, has his children, truly puts him at the head of the household. And Madison March has figured out how to capitalize on that with her social media empire, and her millions of followers. She has the perfect life, is a perfect wife, all is just perfect in her world. Or is it?

I was wondering what I had just read (in the best way) when I was done, I flew through this I enjoyed it so much and thought the audio was great as well.

The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child is a twisty, intense domestic thriller with sharp commentary on influencer culture and the trad wife trend. Thanks to HQ Digital for the ARC!

The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child is the first mystery in a long time that’s truly shocked me. I didn’t guess a single twist, which is rare. For reviewers saying the twists are unrealistic, I don’t see it. There are some political elements, but as a liberal-progressive who homeschools her children, I could see both sides and found it all entertaining.

Cally brought nothing to the story, which is why I deducted a star. I’m also not a fan of using dialogue to recap events, which happens quite a bit toward the end.

Lauryn Allman does a great job narrating everyone.

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult for providing me with an ALC.

Twenty-something Callie goes to work for a famous homestead influencer and finds out it’s not all sourdough and fresh fruit. Like… not even close.

First impressions 🌀
With a title like The Tradwife’s Secret, I truly could not tell if this was satire, a thriller, or a TikTok cautionary tale. A few chapters in? Still unclear. There’s something special about diving into a book where you genuinely can’t tell if you’re supposed to be laughing or concerned.

What worked for me ✨
The tropes were great—almost satirical but I found the whole storyline really enjoyable despite needing to suspend disbelief. Like, yes, this is absolutely ridiculous, but also I’m completely invested in watching this unfold.

Mixed feelings ⚖️
Ending climax scene felt unrealistic but still was great. Callie’s issue that kept her working for the Marches also felt unrealistic, but answered the question “why wouldn’t she just leave?” well enough. Sometimes you just have to roll with the plot conveniences.

Final thoughts 🎯
Loved it—a super easy listen with great narration. The voice work was fantastic and the differentiation between characters felt really clear, which made it so much easier to get lost in the story. Perfect for when you want something that’ll keep you glued but won’t completely wreck your emotional state (aside from that one chapter).

Read it if… 🔎
→ You love a “dark side of influencer life” arc
→ You’ve ever taken a job and immediately thought, “I’ve made a terrible mistake”

3-word vibe check: unhinged, bingeable, satirical
Pair it with: chicory root coffee

As soon as I reviewed the description of this book I was excited to read it. The story and its willingness to pull back the curtain on influencers and reveal the mindset of so many people was scary in its real life honesty. How gullible are we with social media and following all those planned "perfect" moments that we not only turn a blind eye and applaud the false, unrealistic expectations shown but strive to mimic these worlds.

The book drew me in immediately and the narration by Lauryn Allman was fantastic, really adding to the story.

This thriller was so unique in the story and its revealing. So many twists and turns kept you guessing and rushing for more. It was a story that I was sad to see end and wished to follow more to see what was coming next.

I highly recommend!

Entertaining Read with a Surprising Twist, but a One-Sided Message

The Tradwife’s Secret was an entertaining and fast-paced read. I was genuinely surprised by the twist. I didn’t see it coming, and that kept me engaged through most of the story. The writing was compelling, and the premise had a lot of potential.

However, the ending felt rushed, almost like it skipped over what could’ve been a more meaningful resolution. The bigger issue for me was the portrayal of traditional gender roles in marriage. The book seems to present the idea that anyone living a traditional lifestyle is either secretly miserable, being dishonest with themselves and others, or being abused by a controlling husband. While that may reflect real stories for some, it felt unfairly one-sided.

There are many people who genuinely thrive in and choose traditional roles because it suits their values, relationships, and personalities. I would’ve appreciated a more balanced take or at least one character who chose that path freely and found joy in it.

Overall, The Tradwife’s Secret is a captivating read with some strong moments, but its message may feel limiting or alienating to readers who see value in traditional dynamics done with love and mutual respect.

Holy WOW! I don’t know where to begin. I started reading this book and could not put it down!

Admittedly, when I began, I was not too familiar with the trad wife culture. The closest image I had was a ‘Stepford Wife” and as the book progressed, my eyes were opened to something so much more. I am much more familiar with the social media influencer side and while I haven’t come across any as intense as Madison, I can absolutely envision two different lives. One when the cameras are rolling and another when the cameras are off.

As a reader and a person, I found the trad wife culture a bit disturbing. It is not necessarily the “traditional” roles, but the extent of those roles and the mentality and expectations that go along with them. There is tradition and then there are extremes. To each their own I suppose. But I thought that the author did a wonderful job of taking this subject and molding it into a story, complete with all the twists and thrills I enjoy as a reader. While I did find myself frustrated at times because of the characters and their choices, I consider this to be bonus points for the author for getting me emotionally invested enough in the story and the characters she created to feel these things. She had to walk a fine line portraying a lifestyle and telling a story without casting judgement and at the same time making it exciting for the reader. In my opinion, she did a smashing job!! Liane Child serves up a story like a fresh out of the oven cherry pie and lets the reader slice it and formulate their own opinions along the way.

For those readers that need trigger warnings, do note that this book deals with domestic violence and the loss of a child.

I loved this book for so many different reasons. It was easy to read and follow and when the action begins to unfold, strap in. You are about to go on a wild ride! This is a must read, and I will absolutely read it again down the road as well as look for additional books by this author.

Thank you to HQ for the ARC copy of this book to read and review as well as HarperAudio for the ALC of the audio version of this book. Narrator Lauryn Allman and the entire production team did a tremendous job bringing this story to life. This is one book that will certainly make the list of books to be recommended to or gifted to the reader friends in my life!

Great narration.The story telling keeps me engaged and wanting more . I did not see the twist coming . Callie a young women with much to loose did not know what she was getting into. The way the story came together at the end was not rushed no plot holes .

The author made a wise choice to have this told in multiple POV's, because if I had been stuck with one of the characters for the full novel it would have colored my thoughts on the story. The TWIST I did not see coming, and it was glorious.

This book dives deep into the glossy facade of tradwife culture and what really happens when you peel back the perfect filter. Madison March is a picture-perfect tradwife on Instagram, sharing her idyllic life of homemaking, motherhood, and submission. But behind the scenes? It’s a very different story. She has an entire team helping her keep up the illusion from childcare to cooking to cleaning and as the story unfolds, so does Madison’s carefully curated life.

I appreciated how this book gave two perspectives on the tradwife trend. It echoed some of the toxicity I’ve seen in other books on the subject, but this one also explored loyalty and friendship in a way that added depth. It made the unraveling of Madison’s world all the more compelling.
The plot kept me guessing, which I loved; it definitely wasn’t predictable. That said, the ending didn’t totally sit right with me. I wish it had taken a different direction.

If you’re interested in books that explore internet personas, influencer culture, or the darker side of “perfect” lives this one’s worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Madison and Michael are the perfect trad couple on social media. He works the ranch and she shows her viewers how to cook, pick herbs, and homeschools her four children. Not everything this trad wife is posting is real. Told through the viewpoint of Madison and Cally, the woman she hires to teach her children.

Being a trad wife is not for those who have problems being micromanaged. I kept getting irritated because of the way Michael “lead” his family. The book contains murder, child loss, and misogyny. I enjoyed listening and the story was easy to follow. The ending wasn’t overly surprising but I didn’t see all of it coming.

Narrator was good, listened at 2.5 speed.

Madison has built an empire on social media as. ‘Tradwife,’ a traditional wife whose husband rules all and she loves cooking, cleaning, and homeschooling her children. Or does she? When a new governess is hired, she’s expected to sign an ironclad nondisclosure agreement. That’s the first clue for Bostonian Calli when she arrives to work with the children on the Montana ranch.

She really begins to wonder about Madison’s down-to-earth online portrayal of their lives when she moves in and discovers crews of people who film, edit, and help stage and micromanage each post on the popular social influencer’s account. Michael, Madison’s husband, rules all and is in charge of punishing the children when the need arises. Madison herself seems somewhat high strung.. unbeknownst to Calli, Madison is getting messages from a mysterious teenager called Brianne which upset her.

As Calli learns more about the family, she becomes more and more eager to leave. Unsettling things are happening upsetting all the inhabitants of the ranch. And things all come to a head on a violent, frigid night when Madison accidentally broadcasts live, bringing the end of her influencer life.

While I liked the narrators and appreciated the plot twists, I couldn’t really empathize with any of the characters or like any of them.

Madison has millions of followers. She is the perfect wife, mother, cook, and housekeeper, and does it all by her little old self. Or at least that's what she wants all of her followers to believe. She has a village behind the scenes to help her pull it off. Her story begins to show the cracks little by little. The story is told in two povs. I think the biggest problem that I had with this story is that I didn't like any of the characters. The narration was perfect.

The Tradwife’s Secret is a great example of a well done thriller - taking a trending topic that many people are aware of due to our social media obsession in society and weaving a tale of traditional values, controlling men, and women who will do anything for the perfect feed. This book was unexpected with its twists, the multiple POVs give a great layer to the plot, and it held my attention to the end. I really enjoyed the twists!

The narrator did a good job with the accents and different voices in the story as well - I just couldn’t get past how the husband sounded, but I’m from New England so it could just be I’m not used to the accent. I was able to listen to this at 2.0 speed without losing the narrators accents, tone, and inflection - so if you enjoy quick audios this is for you!

Thank you for ALC of The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child. It is a chilling, slow-burn domestic thriller that hooks you from the first page and doesn’t let go. At first glance, Madison March’s life looks picture-perfect, she’s living the influencer dream as a Montana “tradwife,” baking sourdough, homeschooling her kids, and posting flawless content to millions of followers. Basically like your fictional version of Nara Smith.

I LOVED how this book plays with the duality of online personas versus real-life struggles. The multiple POVs, especially Madison, Cally (the tutor), and Brianna, kept me guessing until the very end. There were moments I was shouting at the pages, completely thrown by the twists.

But unfortunately it did miss the mark for me in certain areas. For example, the cringy dialogue and inner thoughts Madison had. I found it very hard to like her as well.

This was a solid listen. I really appreciated the way it tackled influencer culture and the curated perfection of the “trad wife” aesthetic, it had something to say without being too heavy-handed. The shifting POVs worked well and came together nicely by the end, which gave the story a bit more depth than I expected going in.

The narration was clean and well done… nothing standout, but nothing distracting either. Just steady and clear, which worked for the tone of the book.

Overall, an engaging listen with some timely commentary. If you’re into stories that poke at the shiny surface of social media life, this one’s worth checking out.