No one writes about rich people behaving badly quite like Emma Rosenblum. I love how she so beautifully incorporates satire into her novels. I mean... we all know these rich NYC bishes be cray cray, but I sure do love how Rosenblum writes about them.

Atherton Academy is the most elite school in Manhattan filled with beautiful rich queen bee moms who love hosting parties, events, fundraisers, etc. It's all about status and power and these women will stop at nothing to be on top. Although there are not many likable characters, this novel is full of funny conversations and interactions between these dramatic, egotistical characters. All with some twists thrown in for fun.

And the fact that the narration is so fabulously done by the talented January LaVoy was the cherry on top.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC!

Fun audio that kept me awake at work on my first two days back when all I wanted to do was fall asleep at my computer. I love rich people behaving badly— so if you do too, pick this up!

This was a fun read with lots of insane rich people drama. I found the first half to be really fun, and I was super intrigued to figure out what was going on. I was a little disappointed with the way things were revealed...like I wish we could find out with a character instead of just being told who did what. I also wish there was more of Sofia, because she was kind of the only likable character and it would have been fun for me to get to know ger better. Overall though, I had fun and would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listening copy in return for my honest opinion.

Mean Moms will be released to retailers on July 29, 2025.

Mean Moms is exactly what I envision gossip girl or mean girls characters as middle aged moms. The moms all send their kids to Athernon Seminary- the most prestigious private school in NYC. The moms’s social lives revolve around the social events for the school. The moms are in everyone’s business and all have little cliques. The main characters are Morgan, Belle, and Frost, with lots of supporting mom characters and husbands who aren’t the most loyal (emotional/physical). The drama starts when a new mom, Sophia, joins the group. A mystery from Miami, where things start happening to the core group of 3, they wonder if it’s tied to Sophia.

As more and more things happen, fingers start pointing. It’s slightly predictable who the villain turns out to be, but as the attacks get more outlandish the book gets better. This was the first book I’ve read from Emma Rosenbaum and it won’t be the last!

A huge thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the opportunity to review. I liked this more than I did similar books like The Dead Housewives of New Jersey, and more than I liked Bad Company for sure! This was an entertaining mystery/satire, and I listened to it in a single day! The very descriptive spicy scenes were cringe-y though, and just way too specific and detailed for my taste. If you liked books similar to One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose, then you will love this one! Rosenblum’s style is absolutely moving into a more humorous direction, and I am loving the fact she doesn’t take herself too seriously.

Thank you MacMillan for the review copy of Mean Moms!

if you loved Pink Glass Houses, Big Little Lies, or anything involving chaotic rich mom drama, Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum is your next beach read obsession. This sharp, satirical, and suspenseful novel follows Morgan, Belle, and Frost—elite Manhattan moms whose perfectly curated lives at Atherton Academy are upended by the arrival of Sofia, a glam new mom from Miami with secrets of her own. It's part mystery, part social comedy, with backstabbing, botox, and betrayals layered into every glittering page. I listened to the audiobook (thank you Macmillan Audio!) and it was chef’s kiss—with immersive production, standout voice work, and pitch-perfect pacing. Like a Real Housewives marathon with sharper dialogue and actual stakes, this one is pure fun.

📚 Read this if you like:

Real Housewives energy meets private school politics

Rich people behaving badly

Big Little Lies and Gossip Girl

Glitzy settings with a sinister twist

Audiobooks with full-cast style flair and immersive extras

Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum is a deliciously fun and sharply observed romp through the glitzy, competitive, and sometimes downright ruthless world of Manhattan’s elite moms. From the first page, I was hooked—part satire, part mystery, all wrapped in a glossy package of high society intrigue. Meet Frost, Morgan, and Belle—the queen bees of Atherton Academy—and brace yourself for a year full of glittering parties, secret schemes, and a new arrival that threatens to upend everything. Sofia, the mysterious new mom from Miami, quickly ingratiates herself into their coven, but things take a dark turn that made me wonder: Are the women in this clique really so different from their children’s drama? The novel is equal parts sharp humor and suspense, making you laugh out loud at the caricatures of NYC motherhood while simultaneously questioning how far some women are willing to go for status and power. As the secrets spill and bad things start happening, the stakes rise—and you’ll find yourself second-guessing just how many “mean moms” are lurking behind those designer sunglasses. Rosenblum’s witty writing and keen eye for social satire make Mean Moms a wildly entertaining ride through a world where jealousy, friendship, and ambition collide in explosive ways. It’s a fabulous mix of glamour and grit—perfect for anyone who loves a juicy exposé of New York’s upper crust with a twist of mystery.

After having recently read Unfollow Me and watching Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, I thought this would be a fun read, and it was! It's very much a story about very fucked up and deeply unrelatable people. I had a great time!

If you are a mom you know there is always a group of "Mean Moms" and Emma Rosenblum gets it! I loved this book and it is a perfect summer read. The characters are so "Manhattan" it is spot on. I can definitely see a sequel to this one and hope one is coming for next summer!

This was a most delightful story of obscenely wealthy people behaving badly. This book had so much drama, twists I didn’t see coming, and the writing style was just so good. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a fun, satirical mystery.

I listened to the audiobook and was absolutely hooked, listening to it whenever I had even five minutes to spare. The narrator, January LaVoy, was extremely talented. Her reading style drew me in and made me want to know what happened next.

No no no this book was terrible and so self absorbed like her own agenda was attacking the word don’t read it sorry but grow up

This was just fun, fun, fun! I was so entertained. What's not to love about rich people drama? Netflix needs to be called and this needs to be made into a series! It was the best combination of Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies. It made me laugh, threw in some unexpected twists and was just an all-around good time.

If I'm being honest, I chose this one strictly based on the image in the cover (and I do love Emma Rosenblum), and the story totally lived up to my expectations of awesome. January LaVoy narrated the heck out of it too making this a solid listen that definitely needs to be added to your TBR list. This would make a fabulous beach read. I loved everything about it and you will too!

I have to start by saying I listened to this on audio and the production was so good! The various voices and little "pings" for messages, etc completely elevated the experience. This is the story of something can be so catchy and immersive when done well - a fancy private school for kids, with a story focusing on the moms and their interpersonal tensions. I was hooked! I loved Big Little Lies and the whole world that went with it, and this was giving me major flashbacks to that. I wish the reading experience could have gone on forever!

This is the story of Morgan, Belle, and Frost - who are a tight-knit circle of moms (with certain secrets of their own), who are joined by a glamorous new mom named Sophia. Everything kind of spirals from there, and we find ourselves not quite knowing who to trust, and doubting who the protagonists should be trusting, to boot. I would love to see this get adapted for a Netflix series - the richly described world would really come alive! Many thanks to MacMillan Audio for this excellent audiobook experience.

Emma Rosenblum solidifies her reputation as a writer of witty, satirical and all too real slice of life novels populated with characters you love to hate. Mean Moms is a rollicking good time from start to finish!

Mean Moms was exactly what you’d expect it to be about! Mean Moms who are wealthy & “powerful” in the sense that they all send their kids to the best school in New York. There is someone messing with them and bad things continue to happen to this group of moms. It was an easy listen and the narrator of Mean Moms did a great job. The story line was very back and forth, covering half a dozen characters which made you have to pay attention.

Thanks @netgalley & @Macmillan.Audio for sending me this ALC!

Emma Rosenblum writes fun satiric novels about (usually rich) people doing bad things, and I love it. I enjoyed Bad Summer People and I found Very Bad Company so much fun, and liked that even more.

Her newest, Mean Moms, hooked me with the title and I couldn’t wait to dive in. Reading about absurdly rich moms in NYC is fascinating, because there is of course some truth behind it all. I really felt like I got a peek into this world.

There is so much going on and so many storylines but it never gets confusing. The more secrets are revealed the more fun the story gets — and there are SO many secrets.

I really loved all the little asides from the non-main characters and found they really added to the world of this book by giving it even more color.

The narrator is great, and she does different voices for the characters. The tone she uses when describing what’s happening definitely added to my enjoyment of the book and I recommend the audio version.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have a confession: I love books about rich people behaving badly—especially rich women. And Emma Rosenblum is the queen of this type of juicy story.

Belle, Frost, and Morgan are the it group at the exclusive Atherton school in NYC. Fresh off the summer at the Hamptons and overseas, these women are back and ready to go once again. Then Sophia, a divorcee from Miami, shows up and works her way into their "pod." Is she the cause of the sudden streak of bad things happening? Or is it more sinister than that?

January Levoy narrated this, and it was such juicy fun. I loved listening to this and couldn't get through it quickly enough.

This was a fun audio book! The narration was great. The book gave me Big Little Lies vibes. If you like reading books about rich moms and their spoiled kids, you will love this one.

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

This was such a juicy read! All the “stereotypical” mom characters, the lies, the antics and the shenanigans, just kept me completely engaged with this storyline the whole time. And so many cheers for the end of it, so good how it all came together—or more like fell apart. Go read it!!

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟🌟
What did I just read? These rich NYC moms were wild, mean, and rich. I like how these moms were very relatable to me, and so I entered a different world. And honestly, I would never want to be rich if I had to deal with so-called friends like these women. They were all crazy in their own special way. Now, did I enjoy this book? Yes, I did; I finished this book in one day because I enjoyed it.

The audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy, and she did a good job bringing this story to life. She was easy to understand and listen to. Listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.