I flew though THE TRADWIFE’S SECRET in a day’s time. I loved that it was about the life of an influencer and gave me a unique introspective on what a tradwife actually is. I honestly didn’t know previously. There were a few twists I would have never guessed and I always love it when that happens. Overall, I thought the book was different than anything I’ve read lately and I would recommend it!

TW-Domestic abuse

Many thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for my gifted ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) soon.

This is a compulsive thriller that doesn’t disappoint on plot twists. Anyone who is fascinated by the #tradwife subculture is sure to find this read titillating. One minor thing that tripped me up was how conservative men (trad husbands?) were portrayed in this book. They felt more like conservative men of a previous generation rather than millennial conservatives. And I found it interesting and perplexing that a woman who was raised in Buffalo, NY would have values so aligned to the #tradwife culture that she ended up in not one, but two toxically conservative relationships. Regardless, I found this book to be utter candy to read and the characters deeply interesting to go along this journey with. I was definitely swept away by the backstage pass into a fictional #tradwife household. I look forward to what Liane Child thinks up next! P.S. the audiobook narrator did a great job - highly listenable!

DNFed at 60%. I was really rooting for this, but I found it too long to sustain my interest, even listening at 2x.

Thank you so much to HarperAudio Adult for the ALC, all opinions are my own,

When I saw tradwife influencer I was immediately on board. We follow the life of Madison, an influencer living on her husband's family ranch in Montana. She is doing all of the tradwife things, baking, raising children, and just being a modest family woman. In reality she has a social media team, a housemaid/chef, and a tutor for her home schooled children. Cally is her new tutor from Boston, a replacement for the one that Madison's husband Michael was cheating on her with.

We go between the picture perfect social media life portraying her amazing family life, Cally's point of view trying to stay away from creepy Michael, Lori, the house keeper/maid that keeps the children going, and tradwife wannabe in Wyoming.

Full of twists and turns I was surprised as the reveals kept on coming.

“The Tradwife’s Secret” isn’t just about a woman falling apart — it’s about a whole brand collapsing under the weight of its own curated lie. Madison March is a perfectly filtered tradwife influencer living on a remote Montana ranch, where every pie crust, prairie dress, and sun-drenched caption is engineered to sell the fantasy. This book doesn’t ask, “what if the perfect wife isn’t okay?” — it screams, “of course she isn’t,” and hands you the knife she used to slice her life into something postable. Beneath the soft-focus chaos is psychological warfare dressed in floral, and as the cracks widen, Madison doesn’t flinch — she just doubles down and adjusts the lighting.

Her husband Michael (aka Red Flag Barbie’s Ken) is cheating on her with anything under 25, because of course he is. He controls every cent she earns, and basic household decisions require Madison to outmaneuver him in emotional 4D chess. It’s not a marriage — it’s a high-stakes power imbalance with a matching aesthetic. She’s not thriving. She’s surviving, and barely.

But Madison’s image doesn’t sustain itself. Lori, the housekeeper, is the one quietly holding it all together for Madison — her four kids, her crumbling marriage, and a lifestyle brand clinging to its last curated breath — with somehow enough warmth leftover to proof sourdough. Cally, the freshly arrived tutor, isn’t just there to teach the geography of only red states; she’s got her own secrets and a vibe that says “accidental witness.” The brand stays glossy because everyone around Madison is working overtime to keep it that way — all of them propping up a lie they never asked to be part of.

Then there’s Briana. She just wants what Madison claims to have: a stable relationship, a peaceful home, a thriving family. And she wants it desperately. Because Madison makes it look so easy. But what looks like obsession is really quiet fury. Briana doesn’t admire Madison so much as resent her — envy coated in desperation. She doesn’t want to wear Madison’s apron — she just wants enough food to get through the week, a locked door that stays shut, and to stop flinching every time her boyfriend walks in.

The story rotates between Madison, Briana, Lori, and Cally — not to play games with the truth, but because each woman sees reality through her own cracked lens. Are they unreliable? Maybe. Or maybe they’re just telling the version of the truth they have to believe to stay upright. It’s messy, it’s claustrophobic, and it’s layered with just enough paranoia to keep the story tense.

I landed at 3 stars. Not because it’s boring — it’s not — but because it’s a cocktail of plot convenience, pacing gaps, and moments so unbelievable they made me blink twice. It’s fun. It’s a car crash in slow motion. It’s a mess I wanted to watch implode. But you’ll need to suspend a little disbelief, and maybe keep a chart of the many, many secrets stacked like Tupperware in a vintage pantry. Lauryn Allman nails Madison’s brittle, Stepford-perfect calm — but the male voices don’t really land, which honestly tracks, because every man in this book is either absent, manipulative, or emotionally engineered in a lab to be useless.

And the ending? It felt right. Not explosive, not tragic — but just clever enough to make me cackle. It had a little hope, a little wish fulfillment, and a final wink that made me think: oh, that’s exactly what she’d do.

Whodunity Award: For Maintaining a Fully Branded Breakdown While Outsourcing Every Task But the Emotional Collapse

Huge thanks to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for the early access — nothing like cringing at the idea of “perfection” while trying to deny a sourdough craving.

Madison March is the picture of perfection, generating Tradwife content online for her millions of followers. As we all know, pictures can be deceiving. Madison has a full support team including Lori, the cook and housekeeper; Cally, the tutor; Bill, the driver; Erica and Noah, her social media managers; and a small army of ranch hands. It truly does take a village to maintain the illusion of doing it all by yourself!

I find tradwife content repulsive, but this book offers a delicious peak behind the curtain to show that perfection can be a complete façade. This story features two women, Briana and Madison who both have a dream of creating tradwife content, and are both controlled by men who uphold sexist, patriarchal values. I enjoyed seeing how these stories are woven together as the story progressed. This book has many twists and turns which were a little predictable and over the top, but altogether really fun! I found the male characters’ abusive behavior and misogynistic dialogue abhorrent, and I had to occasionally take a break from listening to my audio copy to calm down. “It’s just a book, it’s just a book!” I loved the female camaraderie and friendships within the story and found the conclusion to be very gratifying.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio Adult, and Liane Child for allowing me to read an ARC before the publication date in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thank you NetGalley, Harper and the author for sending me an ALC copy of this novel.

A marriage is between two people. And their millions of followers. Madison March is the perfect wife, with the perfect family and the perfect life.

She spends her days baking sourdough and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the fields surrounding her Montana homestead.

Dinner is always on the table for her husband and they end their days sitting on the porch, watching the sun go down.

It’s a life anyone would dream of.

And it’s all a lie.
This book is a good depiction of what we see happening in the world today via social media. Since the pandemic, it appears that many are choosing to stay closer to home, live more simply, and feed their sourdough (no judgement, I bought the supplies). Lie on social media is obviously not always as it seems and Madison March certainly has some skeletons in the closet. I think given the timing, it was smart by the author to release this book. I did find it a bit slow and contained some unnecessary information that didn't add to the great twist. If there was time, I would lose Cally and just focus on Madison and Brianna. The underlying moral of the story is there along with some pretty disturbing truths and this is what kept me engaged. The timing of this release is good as we just saw the release of some influencer documentaries hit popular streaming services.

Pub Date: 5/27/25
I gave this one 3 loaves of sourdough 🍞🍞🍞

I loved this book! I loved peeling off the layer of perfection to see the soft underbelly of vulnerability underneath that all women share. It pains me to admit that I found relief in knowing that one’s perfect life has its huge cracks, even worse than mine. I suppose that is why I read to begin with: to relate with and live out other lives. I hated the husbands and my anger against was so great, I had to give this book 5 stars. Bravo on this debut! Thanks so much to HQ Digital and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I loved it!

This book was way better than I was anticipating! Huge thank you to Net Galley for this ARC! This book had me feeling all type of things and talking out loud in reaction to things in this book. Did not see the twists coming! MAY 27th is the date for release! You will not be disappointed! ❤️

I have heard SO much about this book leading up to its release so I felt like I had to read it. I was a bit skeptical at first as I’ve just started reading more thrillers.

The narration of this audio book was done well and kept me engaged as well as differentiated voices clearly enough for me to pick up on who is speaking.

I enjoyed listening to this story unfold and secrets were revealed. This was a fairly suspenseful book as well as easy to comprehend.

I was genuinely pretty surprised by the “twist” in this book which doesn’t happen often!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Madison March has the perfect life. At least that’s what her followers think.

This was like a train wreck. You don’t want to look but you can’t stop yourself from watching. But it was such an entertaining read! The drama, the secrets, the lies, and the huge dislike for Madison’s character made this a really good thriller.

The Trad Wife’s Secret is a twisty, unputdownable thriller that pulls back the curtain on the curated perfection of influencer life. Madison’s picture-perfect world is as captivating as it is chilling, and watching it unravel is pure reading pleasure. If you love domestic thrillers with a dark edge and social commentary, this one is a must-read!

Thank you Liane Child, Harper 360, Harper Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#thetradwifessecret #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

I had the wonderful opportunity to get an ARC of the book as well as the audiobook. This book delves into the world of traditional wives and influencers providing a fascinating exploration of modern societal norms and personal identity. The interplay between a seemingly perfect lifestyle and the underlying complexities creates an engaging narrative filled with tension and unexpected twists. The fast pace and unpredictable plot are key elements that keep you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning pages to uncover the next surprising development. It definitely earned a 5-star rating in my eyes! Huge thanks to NetGalley.

I was really intrigued by The Tradwife's Secret but ultimately this was just an okay read for me. The first half of the book was exciting but began to fall flat around the midpoint. It also felt the author was trying to cram every theme that came to mind into the book. I also didn't find it to be very "thrilling". Still, I think many will enjoy this book.

3 stars for the audio as well. The narrator's voice for Michael...yikes. Could have been five stars if it had been a full cast narration!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advanced audiobook. The Tradwife's Secret publishes on May 27, 2025.

While I love a good domestic suspense, The Tradwife's Secret ended up being a little predictable. But if you're interested in the dark side of influencer culture (which is very on-trend right now) and don't typically read suspenseful stories then this book can be a fun venture into the dysfunctional life of a tradwife influencer who will do anything to keep her seemingly perfect life just that.

Madison March is the definition of a perfect traditional wife—she puts her husband first, stays home with her children, always has a clean home and dinner on the table for her picture-perfect family. At least that's what all her adoring Instagram fans think. With ten million people following her every move, Madison can't afford to slip up. But Madison's life isn't as perfect as she makes it out to be on social media. Her husband is domineering. She's got a fan turned troll. And a rival who is quickly closing the distance between their follower counts. Madison is desperate to keep her life looking perfect from the outside and she'll do anything to make sure it stays that way.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a chance to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication!

Trad wife influencer has the perfect social media family, home and life…..or does she?!
This book takes you behind the scenes of a social media trad wife but things are not what they seem. Cracks in her marriage, unruly children and a not so squeaky past!
This was a great read and will be a perfect poolside companion!

OMG this book had me hooked! I was immediately drawn in with the interesting details of Madison’s homesteading life. I never saw the twists coming and loved the unique storyline. I couldn’t believe how the story ended. Definitely a must read!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC audiobook! Listening quality was excellent and story was fast-paced and packed with detail. I didn’t find it to be so much a thriller as maybe just suspense and somewhat realistic though unfortunate fiction based on trends as it cashes in on trad wife culture. The hashtags, tags, number of follows, and other stats kept it feeling current, but I can see those things fading quickly. The carefully constructed network of characters and their interrelated covers and lies played out with a mostly satisfying ending but I’m having a hard time feeling connected - I’m finished and I’m totally fine with that. It’s not a story that’ll stick with me or a cast of characters I’ll regret leaving behind.

The Tradwife’s Secret audiobook perfectly combined the lighthearted and surface level comments on a #tradwife’s Instagram while slowly shedding light on the dark truths of Madison March’s life. This was a quick and compelling read! I could not get enough! 10/10 highly recommend!

WOAH! I was not expecting this story to be this good! The ultimate instagram vs reality with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I loved the multiple POVs and tried to figure out how they were connected the entire time, but I really could not anticipate the twist! This is the ultimate psychological thriller if you are intrigued with the trad wife lifestyle. A crossover of Momtok and The Housemaid. Definitely note there are lots of themes of domestic violence that could be very triggering to some.