Really great book with some interesting commentary on trad wives and influencers. Very twisty and unpredictable with a nice fast pace and tons of tension build up! 5 stars for sure!

This was an interesting read. It reminded me of a lot of People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd and a little bit of You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Sutanto. TW for domestic violence and abuse. I had to skim some sections because while it was not terribly graphic, it was still uncomfortable to read. But the writing was crisp and fast-paced, the characters were layered and believable, and I did not see some of the twists coming. It was a a gripping thriller and very timely. I would recommend to anyone who likes thrillers about influencers, and the less than savory behind the scenes.

Madison is a huge social media presence and has built a brand around being a "tradwife". She submits to her husband, lives the homesteading lifestyle and raises her children to follow in her footsteps. At least, that what it looks like to her Instagram followers. What Instagram doesn't see is the people keeping the facade running. Lori pretty much runs the show but nobody will ever know that. Madison's husband Michael is of the "rule with an iron fist" kind of mindset and is very strict with his wife and children.

The Tradwife's Secret is one of those books that I really didn't want to put down until I finished it. With social media being as prevalent as it is now, it was an interesting to kind of go behind the scenes (and yes, I know it was fiction but still!). It really drives home the point that what you see on social media is often times far from the truth. Everyone puts on their best face for the world but what goes on behind closed doors is a whole different story. This book did have several twists that I never saw coming and I loved it! I can't wait to see what Liane Child comes up with next!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I haven't read any books by this author before, but I will certainly look for more of her work. The storyline was captivating, and I was eager to discover what would happen next. I anticipated one of the plot twists, but the other one completely surprised me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Madison March is an influencer, she projects the perfect life. but it is all a lie. Lots of twists and turns. it was hard to put down.

This was a pretty good thriller- I was completely surprised by the twist and the plot line. I enjoyed the writing and the inside scoop into the life of an influencer. The one issue that I did have was with the characters- I feel like Madison kind of went haywire in the end of the book, and I think some of the other characters could've been "edited" a little more. Overall, I really enjoyed this quick read!

Madison is an influencer with millions of followers who films herself making her husband wonderful breakfasts while she's fully made up, looking like the glamorous woman she'd like to be. But Alice is "stealing" her followers and she's mad! These families are "Preppers" who believe the world will end so they need to be prepared. But then we have a new tutor, hidden weapons, and suspicious people lurking about. It's a crazy tale of what it means to be a "traditional" wife as compared to a modern one where equality is key.
Thanks to NetGalley for this 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.

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.

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.

very first page, I was HOOKED, I literally couldn't put it down!
Thankfully, I grabbed the audiobook too and let me tell you... Lauryn Allman was phenomenal! 🎧 I had it playing while doing chores and carpooling the kids and I didn’t want to press pause.
This thriller was unlike any I’ve read before. The twists came out of nowhere 😲 and the story kept me guessing until the final page. I was honestly sad when it ended! 👏
Highly recommend if you're looking for a sharp, chilling, and fresh thriller!

Review will be added below closer to pub date.

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.

5 enthusiastic stars! I absolutely loved this book. I have a weird fascination with fundies and how they like to make their lives out to be the only good way to live. I have a feeling more of the women are just as fake and fed up as Madison was.

I had only recently discovered what Tradwife meant and was intrigued. This book wonderfully wrote how social media affects our lives and how most everything that is seen online is planned and purposeful and, most importantly, not always true.

Warning for those with trauma that there are moments of physical abuse.

This book kept me guessing on what would happen next and there were several twists that had me shocked! Intriguing, gripping and would recommend.

This book releases May 27th. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in return for my honest review.

The twist! Madison March is the tradwife, but not who you assume her to be when the cameras are off. The story is a fast one with twists and turns and a satisfying conclusion. This book is extremely timely in today’s online cultural atmosphere. I definitely recommend picking this one up! Thank you to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc!

Welcome to the world of the traditional wife social media influencer, the "tradwife" in the book's title. The couple -- and their four kids -- are at the center of this novel, which takes place on a remote Wyoming homestead, and across social media feeds as they navigate their days. Oh, and they have plenty of off-camera help with a housekeeper, a children's tutor -- because of course they are home schoolers -- a driver and a few other assorted others to set up the perfect meals, exercise programs, and stuff that just brings in the clicks. But then things get ugly as the tradwife rebels under some very dark circumstances. We start out with the family rejecting the big city hustle and "sticking it to the man, and living their best life" becomes a test of wills. Keep those clicks up becomes a chore to find something controversial and more "clickbaity." And then there is the essence at the tradwife core because the woman should submit to her man, and that he knows best. How these issues get resolved -- and how their social followers react -- will drive forward the plot. Highly recommended.

A perfect life sold to women every day on social media is really anything but. Madison is a social media influencer homesteading in Montana. She paints an idyllic picture of family life that unfolds in a suspenseful and enjoyable story.

I absolutely loved this book! I never wanted to put it down. I’ve always been interested by the fad of tradwives (definitely not one myself) but the entire concept of this book was why I wanted to read it. The plot and the twists at the end were so good!

This was an interesting thriller - I kept wanting to read it addicted to the trad wife lifestyle (is it all real or not will we ever know??) and then the storyline of Brianna got me pulled in too because I felt like that was so much more realistic than the IG stuff. I think it’s a good commentary about the irony that tradwives have made their life into a way to make money thereby defeating being a “true” trad wife. I would have liked more suspense and violence for the thriller aspect tho. Overall a decent read!

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.

What I Liked:
This thriller was fantastically crafted. I read a lot of thrillers and did not see the last twist coming! If I’m surprised, I am pretty impressed with a book. Readers will enjoy the multiple narratives and the twists. I feel that many people love to hate the tradwife movement and you’re given plenty of reasons to roll your eyes, feel superior, and question the women in this role.

What I Didn’t Like:
There were a few passages that cited distance using meters and it threw me off when the book is set in Montana in the United States.

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

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!

*The Tradwife’s Secret* is an addictive, drama-filled page-turner that hooked me from the very first chapter. Liane Child paints a picture of a seemingly perfect homesteading influencer mom—four kids, a charming rural life, and an online following that eats up every curated moment. But behind the filtered photos and wholesome videos, there's so much more going on.
Beyond the drama, it's also a sharp look at influencer culture, especially how some “tradwives” and family vloggers use their kids and personal lives as content. In today’s age of curated perfection on social media, this story felt both entertaining and relevant.
If you love domestic suspense with a modern, influencer-era twist, this is definitely a must-read. I couldn’t put it down!

4 stars

I have been absolutely fascinated with tradwife culture since it started popping up..
This book was great, I loved seeing the dark side come out. The he twists, and the characters…*chefs kiss*