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The Husbands
Chandler Baker, the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network, is back with The Husbands, a novel that asks: to what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband?
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too... but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women--a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author--with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident's wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren't hanging on by a thread.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that's worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the "second shift" is equally shared--and what it may take to get there.
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too... but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women--a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author--with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident's wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren't hanging on by a thread.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that's worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the "second shift" is equally shared--and what it may take to get there.
346 pages, Hardcover
First published August 3, 2021
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August 1, 2021
The Husbands by Chandler Baker (Author), Allyson Ryan (Narrator)
I enjoyed The Husbands and thought it was funny while also thinking that I was glad this wasn't me as the wife. I think the narration helped me enjoy this because it made me feel like I was in the head of Nora, wife of Hayden, mom of one, pregnant with another. Her stream of consciousness made me laugh even if I felt that I shouldn't. It's not fair that a mom, working a full time job as a lawyer, also has to be a full time mother and wife while her husband gets to put his job first and "babysit" for an hour or two here and there, before handing back the kid and getting on with his life. I see all of this as a bystander, never having had kids, but it sure doesn't make me envy the frazzled lives of full time moms with full time jobs.
Everything is hitting Nora at once although really, everything is always hitting Nora at once. As much as she hopes she will be able to have a normal hour, day, week, month, this really is her normal. Being way behind all the time, struggling to keep up with a mile long to-do list that is never done and having a husband that thinks that the fact that he takes out the trash once a week and mows the lawn means he's done his manly chores. What more does she expect of him? Stop nagging woman!
When Nora finds a house for sale in an affluent suburban neighborhood and the women of the neighborhood are all high powered career women whose husbands do more than their fair share of helping out around the house and with the kids, Nora is more than intrigued. But, at the same time, something seems off with the place and the people. This place seems to be the answer to her prayers but is it too good to be true?
I actually enjoyed being in Nora's head more than in her discussions with her husband. As she slowly pushes them towards this new neighborhood, she also has her doubts and suspicions. But at the same time, who has time to think about all of this, except for the part where she has been hired to research a neighborhood death, when she has to juggle all her wifely, motherly, lawyerly, duties and she's behind in almost all of them. It'd be a relief to just get approved for the house and moved into this supportive neighborhood of women, who cherish her for the career woman that she is. And their husbands are such good examples for her husband Hayden, the way they throw themselves into childrearing, housework, cooking, all the things Nora has to do every single day. Something is weird here but maybe Nora could go for this kind of weird if only she didn't have a nagging feeling that weird might not be right.
Publication date: August 3rd 2021
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
I enjoyed The Husbands and thought it was funny while also thinking that I was glad this wasn't me as the wife. I think the narration helped me enjoy this because it made me feel like I was in the head of Nora, wife of Hayden, mom of one, pregnant with another. Her stream of consciousness made me laugh even if I felt that I shouldn't. It's not fair that a mom, working a full time job as a lawyer, also has to be a full time mother and wife while her husband gets to put his job first and "babysit" for an hour or two here and there, before handing back the kid and getting on with his life. I see all of this as a bystander, never having had kids, but it sure doesn't make me envy the frazzled lives of full time moms with full time jobs.
Everything is hitting Nora at once although really, everything is always hitting Nora at once. As much as she hopes she will be able to have a normal hour, day, week, month, this really is her normal. Being way behind all the time, struggling to keep up with a mile long to-do list that is never done and having a husband that thinks that the fact that he takes out the trash once a week and mows the lawn means he's done his manly chores. What more does she expect of him? Stop nagging woman!
When Nora finds a house for sale in an affluent suburban neighborhood and the women of the neighborhood are all high powered career women whose husbands do more than their fair share of helping out around the house and with the kids, Nora is more than intrigued. But, at the same time, something seems off with the place and the people. This place seems to be the answer to her prayers but is it too good to be true?
I actually enjoyed being in Nora's head more than in her discussions with her husband. As she slowly pushes them towards this new neighborhood, she also has her doubts and suspicions. But at the same time, who has time to think about all of this, except for the part where she has been hired to research a neighborhood death, when she has to juggle all her wifely, motherly, lawyerly, duties and she's behind in almost all of them. It'd be a relief to just get approved for the house and moved into this supportive neighborhood of women, who cherish her for the career woman that she is. And their husbands are such good examples for her husband Hayden, the way they throw themselves into childrearing, housework, cooking, all the things Nora has to do every single day. Something is weird here but maybe Nora could go for this kind of weird if only she didn't have a nagging feeling that weird might not be right.
Publication date: August 3rd 2021
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 17, 2021
I think there’s a word missing from the title.
The Stepford Husbands
There...that’s better.
Nora is an attorney. Her husband, Hayden, works too. But who has to come home and take care of their 4-year old daughter, clean up around the house, order new shoes for said daughter, make dinner preparations...while being 3 months pregnant?
You guessed it! Nora!
Nora and Hayden are looking for a bigger house now that their household is expanding. Nora finds a fantabulous ranch house in Dynasty Ranch...a subdivision where the HOA approves the buyers. Nora wants to live there, but Hayden has some hesitation.
Then, Nora gets a call from the Dynasty Ranch leasing agent...but it’s work related. She is being asked to look into an arson investigation so the insurance company can give the surviving family member their payout.
While investigating, Nora can’t help but notice how well the husbands of Dynasty Ranch behave...how much they help out...how much they give so that their wives can be successful.
Is it too good to be true?
The writing by Chandler Baker is phenomenal. I loved her book, The Whisper Network, and highly anticipated this one. She digs right into current and relevant events without even batting an eye. The character of Nora is written with aplomb. I imagine many folks will enjoy her snarky internal dialogue and appreciate how hard it is to be a respectable working woman/mother in the cutthroat legal world...and just in the general world of a working mom.
However, I found most of it to be predictable. I was intrigued through one-third, and then considered DNF’ing. Yet, I wanted to know how everything would play out. Admittedly, I skimmed the final 50 pages.
The book unapologetically tackles feminism, which is great, but I don’t think I necessarily enjoy it in fiction...where women are painted in a less than stellar light.
The author’s note at the end is brilliant and touching, and I still can’t wait to read Baker’s next novel. However, this one - while amusing - fell a bit short.
2.5 stars
Now available from Flatiron Books.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
The Stepford Husbands
There...that’s better.
Nora is an attorney. Her husband, Hayden, works too. But who has to come home and take care of their 4-year old daughter, clean up around the house, order new shoes for said daughter, make dinner preparations...while being 3 months pregnant?
You guessed it! Nora!
Nora and Hayden are looking for a bigger house now that their household is expanding. Nora finds a fantabulous ranch house in Dynasty Ranch...a subdivision where the HOA approves the buyers. Nora wants to live there, but Hayden has some hesitation.
Then, Nora gets a call from the Dynasty Ranch leasing agent...but it’s work related. She is being asked to look into an arson investigation so the insurance company can give the surviving family member their payout.
While investigating, Nora can’t help but notice how well the husbands of Dynasty Ranch behave...how much they help out...how much they give so that their wives can be successful.
Is it too good to be true?
The writing by Chandler Baker is phenomenal. I loved her book, The Whisper Network, and highly anticipated this one. She digs right into current and relevant events without even batting an eye. The character of Nora is written with aplomb. I imagine many folks will enjoy her snarky internal dialogue and appreciate how hard it is to be a respectable working woman/mother in the cutthroat legal world...and just in the general world of a working mom.
However, I found most of it to be predictable. I was intrigued through one-third, and then considered DNF’ing. Yet, I wanted to know how everything would play out. Admittedly, I skimmed the final 50 pages.
The book unapologetically tackles feminism, which is great, but I don’t think I necessarily enjoy it in fiction...where women are painted in a less than stellar light.
The author’s note at the end is brilliant and touching, and I still can’t wait to read Baker’s next novel. However, this one - while amusing - fell a bit short.
2.5 stars
Now available from Flatiron Books.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
April 12, 2021
Welcome to Dynasty Ranch!
A neighborhood where the women are in charge. They have influence, powerful jobs, and husbands that keep the household running like clockwork. Because you know, women can do anything, but they can't do everything.
Nora is an attorney and stretched pretty thin with all her family/work responsiblities. When she meets the husbands at Dynasty Ranch she wonders if "there is something in the water".
In the second half, some overly detailed scenarios and back story slowed the pace and felt a little unnecessary. Its also fairly predictable, but does have some surprises. The last sentence really caught me off guard!
A domestic mystery with a humorous vibe to it!! And some sassiness to these ladies that entertained me. If you are looking for a dark, twisty thriller, this is not it, but if you want a witty, entertaining change of pace, this may be your cup of tea!!
I found myself just going with the campy, devious and over the top plot and it was a fun and quick read!
Thanks to Flatiron for my review copy!! OUT on August 3, 2021
A neighborhood where the women are in charge. They have influence, powerful jobs, and husbands that keep the household running like clockwork. Because you know, women can do anything, but they can't do everything.
Nora is an attorney and stretched pretty thin with all her family/work responsiblities. When she meets the husbands at Dynasty Ranch she wonders if "there is something in the water".
In the second half, some overly detailed scenarios and back story slowed the pace and felt a little unnecessary. Its also fairly predictable, but does have some surprises. The last sentence really caught me off guard!
A domestic mystery with a humorous vibe to it!! And some sassiness to these ladies that entertained me. If you are looking for a dark, twisty thriller, this is not it, but if you want a witty, entertaining change of pace, this may be your cup of tea!!
I found myself just going with the campy, devious and over the top plot and it was a fun and quick read!
Thanks to Flatiron for my review copy!! OUT on August 3, 2021
March 23, 2024
This first seemed like a very interesting plot, enticing even. A neighborhood where men do all the work and let mums chase their careers? A dream scenario that made my tired mummy heart skip a beat. But after a while I found it repetitive and like someone was trying to push the point down my throat. The writing was quite good though, but it could have been so much more.
March 30, 2021
This book puts a whole new spin on the Oliver Wendell Holmes quip, "Man has a will, but woman has her way."
If I had to sum up this book in a few words it would be - great message, poor execution. I liked the message Baker was trying to portray (her author's note at the end was powerful and true), but to me it just missed the mark. I think some of it is because I was anticipating a thriller, but it is much more of a slow-burn domestic drama than a thriller. Not to mention, there is an overabundance of tedium in regard to details that bogged down the mystery plot.
Nora Spangler is a successful personal injury attorney, but she feels like her domestic partnership is a one-sided journey - she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, remembers the teacher appreciation days, fills out the school re-enrollment forms - and on top of it all, she is pregnant with her second child. Her husband works hard too, but she still feels like she works so much harder. As their family is quickly growing, the Spanglers go house hunting in an exclusive suburban neighborhood called Dynasty Ranch, where Nora meets a group of high-powered women, which include a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, and a bestselling author, and they all seem to have enviably supportive husbands. Nora immediately gets sucked into the group of women when she agrees to help with one of the resident’s wrongful death case. Once she becomes immersed in their lives, she can't believe the atmosphere. In Dynasty Ranch, the husbands' main goal seems to be making life more comfortable for their wives, and the women are relaxed and in control - much different than Nora's own life. But as Nora starts investigating, she uncovers the secret to having it all - but is it worth killing for?
The first issue I had was that it took way too long to get the heart of the plot, and I lost interest several times along the way. Secondly, I'm sorry but Nora's husband just wasn't "bad" enough! 🤷♀️😅 To feel even the least bit sympathetic to Nora, I needed him to be way more of a d'bag. Also, there was so much hype surrounding Nora's mysterious "accident" that when all was revealed, it was oddly underwhelming (and let's be honest, her husband's resentment was somewhat justified!). Those were minor annoyances though. It really came down to the fact that I kept waiting for a twist that just never really happened. There is one (I guess?), but you can see it coming a mile away, and when I read the last page, I was like, "that's it?!" It was obvious from the beginning what had been going on with the husbands, so the ending was fairly lackluster.
It's been referred to as a Stepford Wives gender-swap, so if that's your thing, you may love this one. It had much potential, but in the end, it was a slow burn read with a flame that flickered out a few too many times for me to warm up to it. 3 stars.
If I had to sum up this book in a few words it would be - great message, poor execution. I liked the message Baker was trying to portray (her author's note at the end was powerful and true), but to me it just missed the mark. I think some of it is because I was anticipating a thriller, but it is much more of a slow-burn domestic drama than a thriller. Not to mention, there is an overabundance of tedium in regard to details that bogged down the mystery plot.
Nora Spangler is a successful personal injury attorney, but she feels like her domestic partnership is a one-sided journey - she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, remembers the teacher appreciation days, fills out the school re-enrollment forms - and on top of it all, she is pregnant with her second child. Her husband works hard too, but she still feels like she works so much harder. As their family is quickly growing, the Spanglers go house hunting in an exclusive suburban neighborhood called Dynasty Ranch, where Nora meets a group of high-powered women, which include a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, and a bestselling author, and they all seem to have enviably supportive husbands. Nora immediately gets sucked into the group of women when she agrees to help with one of the resident’s wrongful death case. Once she becomes immersed in their lives, she can't believe the atmosphere. In Dynasty Ranch, the husbands' main goal seems to be making life more comfortable for their wives, and the women are relaxed and in control - much different than Nora's own life. But as Nora starts investigating, she uncovers the secret to having it all - but is it worth killing for?
The first issue I had was that it took way too long to get the heart of the plot, and I lost interest several times along the way. Secondly, I'm sorry but Nora's husband just wasn't "bad" enough! 🤷♀️😅 To feel even the least bit sympathetic to Nora, I needed him to be way more of a d'bag. Also, there was so much hype surrounding Nora's mysterious "accident" that when all was revealed, it was oddly underwhelming (and let's be honest, her husband's resentment was somewhat justified!). Those were minor annoyances though. It really came down to the fact that I kept waiting for a twist that just never really happened. There is one (I guess?), but you can see it coming a mile away, and when I read the last page, I was like, "that's it?!" It was obvious from the beginning what had been going on with the husbands, so the ending was fairly lackluster.
It's been referred to as a Stepford Wives gender-swap, so if that's your thing, you may love this one. It had much potential, but in the end, it was a slow burn read with a flame that flickered out a few too many times for me to warm up to it. 3 stars.
June 26, 2021
3.5 rounded up
Like women, men come on all shapes and sizes and degrees of helpfulness and initiative especially in terms of the home and childcare. Nora is juggling a very demanding boss and job as a personal accident lawyer, she has one daughter Liv and a second on the way and husband Hayden leaves a great deal to be desired. Nice guy but Hayden, come on, get a grip! They view a house at Dynasty Ranch where high powered women led by Cornelia seem to have their working and home life neatly sorted. Nora is impressed but notices a property that has been ravaged by fire which also took the life of owner Richard Marsh.
First of all, this is a funny, if not satirical debate on feminism, motherhood, family dynamics, gender roles and yada, yada, men are from Mars etc etc. In places it makes me laugh and some things so resonate - can you please tell me why when dinner is on the table that’s when HE goes to the bathroom/ shower!!!! The plot is domestic noir, it’s definitely over the top and a good twist in the Stepford Wives. There is some tension between Nora and Hayden whose neck I could cheerfully wring (!!!!) and growing tension between Nora and the devious controlling witches of Dynasty Ranch from which I’d run a mile and then some. The book starts slowly but the pace picks up and by 50% were zipping along nicely.
However, in the second half the pace drops again and then becomes a very slow burn and the plot gets lost in a number of ways such as incidents that don't actually lead anywhere, nor is it as funny in this part of the book. Some of the blog posts that intersperse the narrative also put the brakes on pace. The end is very abrupt and I’m not sure what to make of it as once you cotton on to what’s going on it becomes predictable and a bit bizarre. I think there’s too much Hayden and Nora and I’d have liked more of the bigger picture surrounding Dynasty Ranch.
Overall, though I did enjoy the book and it’s worth reading. My advice? Don’t even consider living in Dynasty Ranch!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Like women, men come on all shapes and sizes and degrees of helpfulness and initiative especially in terms of the home and childcare. Nora is juggling a very demanding boss and job as a personal accident lawyer, she has one daughter Liv and a second on the way and husband Hayden leaves a great deal to be desired. Nice guy but Hayden, come on, get a grip! They view a house at Dynasty Ranch where high powered women led by Cornelia seem to have their working and home life neatly sorted. Nora is impressed but notices a property that has been ravaged by fire which also took the life of owner Richard Marsh.
First of all, this is a funny, if not satirical debate on feminism, motherhood, family dynamics, gender roles and yada, yada, men are from Mars etc etc. In places it makes me laugh and some things so resonate - can you please tell me why when dinner is on the table that’s when HE goes to the bathroom/ shower!!!! The plot is domestic noir, it’s definitely over the top and a good twist in the Stepford Wives. There is some tension between Nora and Hayden whose neck I could cheerfully wring (!!!!) and growing tension between Nora and the devious controlling witches of Dynasty Ranch from which I’d run a mile and then some. The book starts slowly but the pace picks up and by 50% were zipping along nicely.
However, in the second half the pace drops again and then becomes a very slow burn and the plot gets lost in a number of ways such as incidents that don't actually lead anywhere, nor is it as funny in this part of the book. Some of the blog posts that intersperse the narrative also put the brakes on pace. The end is very abrupt and I’m not sure what to make of it as once you cotton on to what’s going on it becomes predictable and a bit bizarre. I think there’s too much Hayden and Nora and I’d have liked more of the bigger picture surrounding Dynasty Ranch.
Overall, though I did enjoy the book and it’s worth reading. My advice? Don’t even consider living in Dynasty Ranch!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 31, 2021
I was a big fan of The Whisper Network, so I was curious where Baker would go next. This book, described as a gender swap version of The Stepford Wives tackles what it takes for women to get men to be equal participants in running a household. Nora is on track for a partnership at her personal injury law firm. But she can’t get her husband to share in any of the child care or household duties. Then, while they are house hunting at a neighborhood known as Dynasty Ranch, she meets a group of women in enviable positions. They all seem to have husbands that go above and beyond in helping out.
I’ve been blessed with a husband who does more than his share, so it was easier for me to take a more distanced view of this story. But I’m sure it rang true for way too many women. I still remember being shocked at the young women under my management complaining of husbands that sat on a couch waiting for them to get home to make the dinner rather than start it themselves.
Baker definitely captures the frustration involved in trying to have it all. I would have gladly murdered Hayden, Nora’s husband, who is the master of empty promises. The problem is, it also got irritating to me. I could definitely sympathize, but as a plot device, it got old. I wanted Baker to move things along. It was like “I got it already”.
It took way too long before there was any “thriller” aspect to the story. And then, when it finally got to the thriller part of the story it was both too predictable and too unbelievable. (Maybe because I��m currently training a dog, but the big reveal or twist could be seen coming very early on.)
Once again, Baker uses mixed mediums, including social media, to convey the story and provide additional POVs. I liked this and it did help break up things in a positive way.
The book works well as an audiobook. This time, Alyson Ryan is the narrator for Baker’s book. She does a good job expressing Nora’s frustrations. But the story itself didn’t enthrall me the way The Whisper Network did.
My thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.
I’ve been blessed with a husband who does more than his share, so it was easier for me to take a more distanced view of this story. But I’m sure it rang true for way too many women. I still remember being shocked at the young women under my management complaining of husbands that sat on a couch waiting for them to get home to make the dinner rather than start it themselves.
Baker definitely captures the frustration involved in trying to have it all. I would have gladly murdered Hayden, Nora’s husband, who is the master of empty promises. The problem is, it also got irritating to me. I could definitely sympathize, but as a plot device, it got old. I wanted Baker to move things along. It was like “I got it already”.
It took way too long before there was any “thriller” aspect to the story. And then, when it finally got to the thriller part of the story it was both too predictable and too unbelievable. (Maybe because I��m currently training a dog, but the big reveal or twist could be seen coming very early on.)
Once again, Baker uses mixed mediums, including social media, to convey the story and provide additional POVs. I liked this and it did help break up things in a positive way.
The book works well as an audiobook. This time, Alyson Ryan is the narrator for Baker’s book. She does a good job expressing Nora’s frustrations. But the story itself didn’t enthrall me the way The Whisper Network did.
My thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.
June 23, 2021
It’s a Woman’s World.
At least many of the characters in this book would like it to be.
Nora is probably the most educated and accomplished hot mess narrators I’ve come across. However, she’s not categorized per the usual description. She just has too much on her plate and the juggling act is falling short. As a mom and practicing attorney, there is so much to do!
Her affable husband disappears at the most inopportune times when she REALLY needs a helping hand. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s not in tune with the demands of their family life and she’s becoming frustrated.
Enter Cornelia and crew. Nora meets her potential neighbors at an open house and is impressed. How they manage their careers and households plus have time for themselves is a revelation. What are their secrets?
Should she move into this neighborhood? You and I know the answer to that, but the fun is watching Nora work it out for herself.
Chandler Baker offers us another wonderful novel with strong female leads which I appreciate. I love reading about smart interesting women who make things happen, whatever that may be.
An enormous thank you to the author and Flatiron for the opportunity to read this. Also NetGalley for facilitating. Set to publish August 3, 2021
At least many of the characters in this book would like it to be.
Nora is probably the most educated and accomplished hot mess narrators I’ve come across. However, she’s not categorized per the usual description. She just has too much on her plate and the juggling act is falling short. As a mom and practicing attorney, there is so much to do!
Her affable husband disappears at the most inopportune times when she REALLY needs a helping hand. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s not in tune with the demands of their family life and she’s becoming frustrated.
Enter Cornelia and crew. Nora meets her potential neighbors at an open house and is impressed. How they manage their careers and households plus have time for themselves is a revelation. What are their secrets?
Should she move into this neighborhood? You and I know the answer to that, but the fun is watching Nora work it out for herself.
Chandler Baker offers us another wonderful novel with strong female leads which I appreciate. I love reading about smart interesting women who make things happen, whatever that may be.
An enormous thank you to the author and Flatiron for the opportunity to read this. Also NetGalley for facilitating. Set to publish August 3, 2021
June 29, 2021
This is an okay book that has some really astute observations about the disparity in the roles of husbands/fathers and wives/mothers. I really appreciated some of the statements made and felt like the author really gets the mental and emotional load of being a wife and mother.
Yet overall, this domestic drama is slow to start and then over the top in the end. I pretty much saw where this was going right away and found it a bit frustrating that no one else (particularly the main character Nora) even had a clue. I get it, this is supposed to be overly dramatic in order to prove its point, but personally, I think that more humor and less weirdness would have gone a long way to make it more entertaining and engaging.
It took me so very long to get through this book because I kept setting it aside to do other things. It just didn't click with me like it should have, despite the subject matter that is very relevant to me. I think that some readers might enjoy it more than I did, but it turned out to be just an average read for me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Yet overall, this domestic drama is slow to start and then over the top in the end. I pretty much saw where this was going right away and found it a bit frustrating that no one else (particularly the main character Nora) even had a clue. I get it, this is supposed to be overly dramatic in order to prove its point, but personally, I think that more humor and less weirdness would have gone a long way to make it more entertaining and engaging.
It took me so very long to get through this book because I kept setting it aside to do other things. It just didn't click with me like it should have, despite the subject matter that is very relevant to me. I think that some readers might enjoy it more than I did, but it turned out to be just an average read for me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 14, 2021
“The Husbands” by Chandler Baker is a fun feminist thriller that every mother, especially working moms, will enjoy.
It begins with Nora Spangler, pregnant with her second child, working at a law firm and trying to make partner. Her husband Hayden is your typical nice guy husband who feels he’s pulling his fair share. You know the type, the one who if he watches the children, then he’s babysitting not parenting. The guy who can’t control a crying child; if the child is crying while he’s watching, you must come back, as he can’t care for a crying child. In fact, there’s a scene in which she is at the office trying to impress her colleagues (to make partner), and her husband constantly calls her because their daughter is crying. In fact, he takes time to video the crying child to “prove” it’s bad (like Nora hasn’t ever had to deal with that). Nora does it all and Hayden just coasts.
In a conversation with one of her work friends, he explains to Nora the “lazy traveler” theory. In every group, there is one person who takes charge, no matter what the personalities are of the other group members. The other group members become lazy travelers. They just sit back and do nothing, allowing the one to take control. In this way, husbands are lazy travelers. From the start, moms take control and dads just sit back and watch. I personally liked that analogy. It fits so much in life.
Nora and Hayden begin to look for a larger home to accommodate their growing family. Nora sees a home in a development that she loves. She meets some of the couples who live there, and all the women are high powered in their jobs. But what strikes Nora most is how the husbands are discussing tactics in cleaning out stains and creating order in their pantries. In fact, all the husbands seem so helpful and happy to be helpful.
Meanwhile, Nora continues to stress through mommy rages and frustrations. To get into the development (one needs to be approved by the other members of the community), Nora agrees to represent one of the women whose husband just died in a house fire. This woman wants to file a wrongful death suit. In addition, the other women there insist that Nora use one of the women there who is a marriage counselor. Nora and Hayden use this woman, and during the therapy Nora feels that strange methods are being used.
Yes, it’s billed as a “Stepford wives” in reverse, so as a reader we are looking for how these men become almost brainwashed into being so accommodating and perfect.
There’s the suspense of the house fire and what really happened to the husband who died. There’s suspense in how these husbands become so domesticated and helpful. And there’s suspense about what Nora is going to do about everything.
What I really enjoyed about the story is how realistic this story is about working mothers. Women do continue to make the home front their domain while working just as hard as their husbands. The situations that Nora found herself in are ones that every working mother can relate to. Gender inequality isn’t just in the workforce, it’s in the home as well.
I listened to the audio narrated by Allyson Ryan. The narration was great.
It begins with Nora Spangler, pregnant with her second child, working at a law firm and trying to make partner. Her husband Hayden is your typical nice guy husband who feels he’s pulling his fair share. You know the type, the one who if he watches the children, then he’s babysitting not parenting. The guy who can’t control a crying child; if the child is crying while he’s watching, you must come back, as he can’t care for a crying child. In fact, there’s a scene in which she is at the office trying to impress her colleagues (to make partner), and her husband constantly calls her because their daughter is crying. In fact, he takes time to video the crying child to “prove” it’s bad (like Nora hasn’t ever had to deal with that). Nora does it all and Hayden just coasts.
In a conversation with one of her work friends, he explains to Nora the “lazy traveler” theory. In every group, there is one person who takes charge, no matter what the personalities are of the other group members. The other group members become lazy travelers. They just sit back and do nothing, allowing the one to take control. In this way, husbands are lazy travelers. From the start, moms take control and dads just sit back and watch. I personally liked that analogy. It fits so much in life.
Nora and Hayden begin to look for a larger home to accommodate their growing family. Nora sees a home in a development that she loves. She meets some of the couples who live there, and all the women are high powered in their jobs. But what strikes Nora most is how the husbands are discussing tactics in cleaning out stains and creating order in their pantries. In fact, all the husbands seem so helpful and happy to be helpful.
Meanwhile, Nora continues to stress through mommy rages and frustrations. To get into the development (one needs to be approved by the other members of the community), Nora agrees to represent one of the women whose husband just died in a house fire. This woman wants to file a wrongful death suit. In addition, the other women there insist that Nora use one of the women there who is a marriage counselor. Nora and Hayden use this woman, and during the therapy Nora feels that strange methods are being used.
Yes, it’s billed as a “Stepford wives” in reverse, so as a reader we are looking for how these men become almost brainwashed into being so accommodating and perfect.
There’s the suspense of the house fire and what really happened to the husband who died. There’s suspense in how these husbands become so domesticated and helpful. And there’s suspense about what Nora is going to do about everything.
What I really enjoyed about the story is how realistic this story is about working mothers. Women do continue to make the home front their domain while working just as hard as their husbands. The situations that Nora found herself in are ones that every working mother can relate to. Gender inequality isn’t just in the workforce, it’s in the home as well.
I listened to the audio narrated by Allyson Ryan. The narration was great.
August 2, 2021
Let me preface this review with the fact that have 5 children, I’ve worked full time, part time and been a SAHM so I get the demands of motherhood in so many aspects. I get the imbalance in most households. But this book drove that point home so hard it felt like one giant whiny bitch fest at some points. I wanted to scream at Nora to organize her life a little better. And if she’s an attorney and so intelligent why did she seem like such a dimwit on half of what was going on around her? It just didn’t strike home with me. I stuck with it because I was curious how it would wrap up but that left me rolling my eyes. Not for me.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for review.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for review.
May 12, 2021
The queen of the feminist thriller has delivered once again! The Husbands is a poignant exploration of what it would take for women to have it all ... and it’s as sobering as you might imagine. My head is still spinning. I can already hear the book club discussions
August 17, 2021
3.8****
This satirical humor had me doubled over. The book does have a distinct resemblance to The Stepford Wives in a gender role reversal. In an exclusive suburban neighborhood at the Dynasty Ranch, everyone seems to have the perfect marriage and home. Well-organized with shared responsibilities. Nora and her husband have decided to put an offer in for a house at this perfect slice of pie establishment where the husbands are over the top.
Everyone there is singing "Kumbaya" when Nora feels her life has never fallen into its correct existence. She takes care of her young daughter and a baby is on the way and without her husband's knowledge of his inability to collaborate with her, she takes on the laundry, cooking, cleaning, child rearing..... and work. You know the drill.... LOL She thinks her husband could use a "chore reward chart" that would entice him to help out.
After one of the neighborhood husbands dies in a house fire, she realizes some strange things are going on that may not be as perfect as she hoped.
In some areas it was a slow burn that I found myself skimming, but finished and rather enjoyed it! Please check out those awesome reviews that made me put this on my TBR list. I couldn't wait to read it and overall it did not disappoint. The author says she wrote this because "the weight of women's quiet struggles" "invisible efforts" "impossible tradeoffs" and a slight edge on "venting"..LOL..accomplished ☑️☑️☑️☑️
Thanks NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.
This satirical humor had me doubled over. The book does have a distinct resemblance to The Stepford Wives in a gender role reversal. In an exclusive suburban neighborhood at the Dynasty Ranch, everyone seems to have the perfect marriage and home. Well-organized with shared responsibilities. Nora and her husband have decided to put an offer in for a house at this perfect slice of pie establishment where the husbands are over the top.
Everyone there is singing "Kumbaya" when Nora feels her life has never fallen into its correct existence. She takes care of her young daughter and a baby is on the way and without her husband's knowledge of his inability to collaborate with her, she takes on the laundry, cooking, cleaning, child rearing..... and work. You know the drill.... LOL She thinks her husband could use a "chore reward chart" that would entice him to help out.
After one of the neighborhood husbands dies in a house fire, she realizes some strange things are going on that may not be as perfect as she hoped.
In some areas it was a slow burn that I found myself skimming, but finished and rather enjoyed it! Please check out those awesome reviews that made me put this on my TBR list. I couldn't wait to read it and overall it did not disappoint. The author says she wrote this because "the weight of women's quiet struggles" "invisible efforts" "impossible tradeoffs" and a slight edge on "venting"..LOL..accomplished ☑️☑️☑️☑️
Thanks NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.
June 8, 2021
This was a page-turner, mostly in the second half and the final quarter was amped up even higher. I enjoyed it as a bit of domestic noir. It was at times, creepy, witty, poignant and hilarious. My feelings were all over the place as I read which is unusual for me.
I loved the setting and the initial stressful setup. Parity and division of labour are very important when building a life with another and also trying to pursue professional fulfillment and success. It's a lot and I was sympathetic to Nora's plight initially. As I read on, I had an undercurrent of dread what with the murder mystery thread and Nora's willingness to even go along with the cabal's plan and held me back from investing in her fully.
What made me hold back a bit is that I just didn't buy the idea that the only way to balance the scales is to take away the agency of the man you've married. I'm very much a woman who isn't interested in changing my husband. I control myself and I don't acknowledge any responsibility of controlling him. So if there's anything I don't like or don't want to do, I don't and I say so. I demand the same thing of him that he demands of me, to be a participating adult. I realized early on that I became the social keeper of the marriage. Invitations, Thank You notes, Christmas, birthday, christening, condolence correspondences etc (and appropriate gifts and/or flowers) and all current addresses are my provinces. Somehow, we successfully co-manage the calendar. During the pandemic, I renamed my desk and work area The Office of Procurement and handled "All The Things". I didn't mind doing any of it and it was chaotic at times wrangling everything into my system of order. I also haven't washed a dish, taken out trash or recycling or dusted the entire time as my husband does all of that (even pre-pandemic).
I recognize everyone is different and has different expectations and thresholds so I felt for so many of the perspectives in the book (from "I'm tired" to "I can't just NOT do All The Things because they won't be done and then CALAMITY!!"). My advice, speak up, be honest, expect and demand more. I do think this speaks to a broad section of married and partnered women and is just perfect for beach and book club.
But back to Nora and the story. I couldn't fully root for Nora for much of this and then when she finally turned a corner, half of me didn't want her to succeed against her foes (I really wanted her to pay!). I was completely fed up with Nora's boss to the point that I didn't even commit his name to memory but laughed in satisfaction when near the end, his demise is mentioned. He was completely ridiculous and I recognized the sort. I only wished Nora had found a solution to deal with him effectively beforehand. I SO wanted to know what was in that letter and there was so much tension spooled up that the way that thread tied off just drove me up the wall. I was very invested in the story so I have to give points for that. When all was said and done, I was satisfied with the ending. Apparently, I had a lot of thoughts and feelings about this story since this review is so long. Take it as a positive for the book.
I also appreciated the author's note at the end. Very good points were made. This is the second book of Chandler Baker's that I've read and I would happily read another.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advance Reader's Copy.
I loved the setting and the initial stressful setup. Parity and division of labour are very important when building a life with another and also trying to pursue professional fulfillment and success. It's a lot and I was sympathetic to Nora's plight initially. As I read on, I had an undercurrent of dread what with the murder mystery thread and Nora's willingness to even go along with the cabal's plan and held me back from investing in her fully.
What made me hold back a bit is that I just didn't buy the idea that the only way to balance the scales is to take away the agency of the man you've married. I'm very much a woman who isn't interested in changing my husband. I control myself and I don't acknowledge any responsibility of controlling him. So if there's anything I don't like or don't want to do, I don't and I say so. I demand the same thing of him that he demands of me, to be a participating adult. I realized early on that I became the social keeper of the marriage. Invitations, Thank You notes, Christmas, birthday, christening, condolence correspondences etc (and appropriate gifts and/or flowers) and all current addresses are my provinces. Somehow, we successfully co-manage the calendar. During the pandemic, I renamed my desk and work area The Office of Procurement and handled "All The Things". I didn't mind doing any of it and it was chaotic at times wrangling everything into my system of order. I also haven't washed a dish, taken out trash or recycling or dusted the entire time as my husband does all of that (even pre-pandemic).
I recognize everyone is different and has different expectations and thresholds so I felt for so many of the perspectives in the book (from "I'm tired" to "I can't just NOT do All The Things because they won't be done and then CALAMITY!!"). My advice, speak up, be honest, expect and demand more. I do think this speaks to a broad section of married and partnered women and is just perfect for beach and book club.
But back to Nora and the story. I couldn't fully root for Nora for much of this and then when she finally turned a corner, half of me didn't want her to succeed against her foes (I really wanted her to pay!). I was completely fed up with Nora's boss to the point that I didn't even commit his name to memory but laughed in satisfaction when near the end, his demise is mentioned. He was completely ridiculous and I recognized the sort. I only wished Nora had found a solution to deal with him effectively beforehand. I SO wanted to know what was in that letter and there was so much tension spooled up that the way that thread tied off just drove me up the wall. I was very invested in the story so I have to give points for that. When all was said and done, I was satisfied with the ending. Apparently, I had a lot of thoughts and feelings about this story since this review is so long. Take it as a positive for the book.
I also appreciated the author's note at the end. Very good points were made. This is the second book of Chandler Baker's that I've read and I would happily read another.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advance Reader's Copy.
August 11, 2021
Nora is like a lot of women – overworked, overstressed and overtired. She’s trying her best to balance her office life as an attorney (where she’s trying to keep on track to make partner) with home life and she’s pregnant to boot. All she wants her husband Hayden to do is realize . . . .
It shouldn’t be Nora’s responsibility to know everything that is going on in both of their schedules as well as their daughter’s. She shouldn’t have to fly solo and do the shopping, cleaning, laundry, bath and bedtime rituals after she’s worked all day. And yet she continually finds herself arguing with Hayden about his perception of being “better than most of his friends” and her own desire to have a 50/50 split without nagging. It truly is the song that doesn’t end . . . .
Nora and Hayden also need a bigger house. A potential forever house – especially now that baby #2 is on the way. Nora is drawn to the sprawling one story located in Dynasty Ranch. The neighbors all seem welcoming too. Not to mention they’re interested in putting her on retainer for their legal work which will definitely please the firm. And the husbands???? Well those fellas are just too good to be true.
I picked this up because working from home for the last year and a half has made me see allllllllll the daggone book club announcements and this one was chosen by Good Morning America. I had not read this author previously (but after this experience am seriously considering adding The Whisper Network to my neverending library list). Per usual I didn’t bother reading the blurb on The Husbands either. I did groan about that aerial shot of all the houses being blocked by the stupid fake flame, but that’s a Kelly issue hahahaha.
Anyway, I wasn’t aware at the time that this was basically a modernization of . . . .
I have noticed this week on Flatiron’s Instagram they have decided to start owning it - as well they should. I think Ira Levin would have been proud to have his name attached to this new release and that his book had served as the inspiration behind it. I thought this was so clever and I read it cover to cover on Saturday. The only complaint I have is about the “accident” which (like in most books like these) is hinted around about for eternity before the reader ever finds out what happened.
If you are a wife/mother who has found yourself adding new words to your vocabulary over the course of quarantine – such as I did with the term chancla . . . . .
This may be just what the doctor ordered. And if anyone has Cornelia’s number they could give me I’d be indebted for life. Thanks in advance : )
4.5 Stars
It shouldn’t be Nora’s responsibility to know everything that is going on in both of their schedules as well as their daughter’s. She shouldn’t have to fly solo and do the shopping, cleaning, laundry, bath and bedtime rituals after she’s worked all day. And yet she continually finds herself arguing with Hayden about his perception of being “better than most of his friends” and her own desire to have a 50/50 split without nagging. It truly is the song that doesn’t end . . . .
Nora and Hayden also need a bigger house. A potential forever house – especially now that baby #2 is on the way. Nora is drawn to the sprawling one story located in Dynasty Ranch. The neighbors all seem welcoming too. Not to mention they’re interested in putting her on retainer for their legal work which will definitely please the firm. And the husbands???? Well those fellas are just too good to be true.
I picked this up because working from home for the last year and a half has made me see allllllllll the daggone book club announcements and this one was chosen by Good Morning America. I had not read this author previously (but after this experience am seriously considering adding The Whisper Network to my neverending library list). Per usual I didn’t bother reading the blurb on The Husbands either. I did groan about that aerial shot of all the houses being blocked by the stupid fake flame, but that’s a Kelly issue hahahaha.
Anyway, I wasn’t aware at the time that this was basically a modernization of . . . .
I have noticed this week on Flatiron’s Instagram they have decided to start owning it - as well they should. I think Ira Levin would have been proud to have his name attached to this new release and that his book had served as the inspiration behind it. I thought this was so clever and I read it cover to cover on Saturday. The only complaint I have is about the “accident” which (like in most books like these) is hinted around about for eternity before the reader ever finds out what happened.
If you are a wife/mother who has found yourself adding new words to your vocabulary over the course of quarantine – such as I did with the term chancla . . . . .
This may be just what the doctor ordered. And if anyone has Cornelia’s number they could give me I’d be indebted for life. Thanks in advance : )
4.5 Stars
January 30, 2022
Having read and enjoyed a particular modern classic a few years ago, I found Chandler Baker's new release The Husbands a fascinating re-imagination of many of the same themes in a 21st century setting.
Thirty-six year old Nora Spangler lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband Hayden and pre-school aged daughter Liv. She struggles to balance her successful legal career with managing the family's domestic needs, spending quality time with her daughter, keeping her marriage alive, maintaining friendships and (a distant consideration) looking after her own health and wellbeing. To add to her stresses, she's newly pregnant with the family's second child, in the same year she's being considered for partnership at her firm.
Having decided that their expanding family will soon need more space than their bijoux townhouse in central Austin currently provides, Nora and Hayden inspect a spacious and well-appointed home in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive estate located in the suburbs. While they're considering whether to make an offer, Nora finds herself drawn into a group of high-flying women, already resident in Dynasty Ranch, all of whom are blessed with unusually supportive and adoring husbands. All, that is, but Penny, whose husband Richard was recently tragically killed in a housefire. Penny's circle of friends in Dynasty Ranch engage Nora to act in a wrongful death lawsuit, allowing her to spend more time getting to know them and at the same time, enabling a tantalising peek beneath their perfect veneer of domestic bliss.
It's a crazy ride to the shocking conclusion, but a narrative that will have many professional women nodding their heads with familiarity at Nora's reflections on her home and work life. I imagine author Chandler Baker has drawn substantially on her own lived experience, as in addition to her successful writing career, she also works as a corporate lawyer. As a former commercial lawyer myself, I can attest to the veracity of her depictions of the systemic misogyny that exists within the profession when it comes to work flexibility and career advancement. And I'm well aware that such attitudes aren't limited to the legal services industry...
I found Baker's writing style compelling and her plot well-structured throughout. The pace waxes and wanes, mirroring real life, and she effectively creates an atmosphere of hidden malice. Like Nora, we vacillate between admiration of the enviable lifestyle apparently offered by Dynasty Ranch, and growing suspicion, as subtle obstacles interfere with her efforts to uncover the truth behind Richard's death.
The Husbands features an intriguing cast of female characters surrounding our heroine, Nora. The male characters are, perhaps necessarily, more stereotyped as either irritatingly obtuse or troublingly compliant. That said, I found Baker's depiction of Nora's marital relationship convincing and reasonably sympathetic to both sides (male readers may disagree!).
All in all, a great read with some really important underlying messages about the inequitable burdens that working wives and mothers continue to face. I'd highly recommend it to all readers who enjoy twisty domestic thrillers and contemporary women's fiction.
My thanks to the author, Chandler Baker, publisher Hachette Australia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this intriguing and entertaining title.
Thirty-six year old Nora Spangler lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband Hayden and pre-school aged daughter Liv. She struggles to balance her successful legal career with managing the family's domestic needs, spending quality time with her daughter, keeping her marriage alive, maintaining friendships and (a distant consideration) looking after her own health and wellbeing. To add to her stresses, she's newly pregnant with the family's second child, in the same year she's being considered for partnership at her firm.
Having decided that their expanding family will soon need more space than their bijoux townhouse in central Austin currently provides, Nora and Hayden inspect a spacious and well-appointed home in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive estate located in the suburbs. While they're considering whether to make an offer, Nora finds herself drawn into a group of high-flying women, already resident in Dynasty Ranch, all of whom are blessed with unusually supportive and adoring husbands. All, that is, but Penny, whose husband Richard was recently tragically killed in a housefire. Penny's circle of friends in Dynasty Ranch engage Nora to act in a wrongful death lawsuit, allowing her to spend more time getting to know them and at the same time, enabling a tantalising peek beneath their perfect veneer of domestic bliss.
It's a crazy ride to the shocking conclusion, but a narrative that will have many professional women nodding their heads with familiarity at Nora's reflections on her home and work life. I imagine author Chandler Baker has drawn substantially on her own lived experience, as in addition to her successful writing career, she also works as a corporate lawyer. As a former commercial lawyer myself, I can attest to the veracity of her depictions of the systemic misogyny that exists within the profession when it comes to work flexibility and career advancement. And I'm well aware that such attitudes aren't limited to the legal services industry...
I found Baker's writing style compelling and her plot well-structured throughout. The pace waxes and wanes, mirroring real life, and she effectively creates an atmosphere of hidden malice. Like Nora, we vacillate between admiration of the enviable lifestyle apparently offered by Dynasty Ranch, and growing suspicion, as subtle obstacles interfere with her efforts to uncover the truth behind Richard's death.
The Husbands features an intriguing cast of female characters surrounding our heroine, Nora. The male characters are, perhaps necessarily, more stereotyped as either irritatingly obtuse or troublingly compliant. That said, I found Baker's depiction of Nora's marital relationship convincing and reasonably sympathetic to both sides (male readers may disagree!).
All in all, a great read with some really important underlying messages about the inequitable burdens that working wives and mothers continue to face. I'd highly recommend it to all readers who enjoy twisty domestic thrillers and contemporary women's fiction.
My thanks to the author, Chandler Baker, publisher Hachette Australia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this intriguing and entertaining title.
June 13, 2021
After reading The Whisper Network and enjoying it so much I was keen to see what Chandler Baker had for us next. Well... The Husbands did not disappoint. Luckily I read it on a weekend as I ended up reading until the wee hours of the morning and finished it in a day. I was completely hooked in this domestic/psychological thriller and needed to know more about the women of Dynasty Heights. That last page was a shocker!! Well done Chandler Baler - you nailed it again.
As with her previous book, Baker has a strong feminist's voice in The Husbands . The role of women in todays society, what is expected of women and what they deserve. It is a book that alot of women will relate to and be nodding their heads as they turn the pages.
Welcome to Dynasty Heights, where the women are powerful and men pulll their weight without complaint. Nora is a tired, working mother who never seems to have anytime to rest. She is going for partner in her law firm, is pregnant with their second child and wishes that her husband would help more around the house without her needing to ask...not a lot to hope for right? When they become involved with the women of Dynasty Heights she sees what her life could look like and wants to be a part of it. But things are not always as they seem as she will find out when she starts working as their lawyer in a wrongful death case.
For me, this was a fun and entertaining book with a strong theme of women's rights running through it. Right up until the last page I was hooked, although I had hoped for a little more in the big reveal - but such a minor thing. I couldn't get enough of this story. Are you ready for Dynasty Heights?
Thanks so much to Hachette Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read.
As with her previous book, Baker has a strong feminist's voice in The Husbands . The role of women in todays society, what is expected of women and what they deserve. It is a book that alot of women will relate to and be nodding their heads as they turn the pages.
Welcome to Dynasty Heights, where the women are powerful and men pulll their weight without complaint. Nora is a tired, working mother who never seems to have anytime to rest. She is going for partner in her law firm, is pregnant with their second child and wishes that her husband would help more around the house without her needing to ask...not a lot to hope for right? When they become involved with the women of Dynasty Heights she sees what her life could look like and wants to be a part of it. But things are not always as they seem as she will find out when she starts working as their lawyer in a wrongful death case.
For me, this was a fun and entertaining book with a strong theme of women's rights running through it. Right up until the last page I was hooked, although I had hoped for a little more in the big reveal - but such a minor thing. I couldn't get enough of this story. Are you ready for Dynasty Heights?
Thanks so much to Hachette Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read.
August 5, 2021
I really enjoyed The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker, and I’m a huge fan of The Stepford Wives, the satirical horror novel that influences this one. Chandler Baker, as always, writes beautifully and brings forth thoughtful contemporary feminist commentary and ideas. This time, she tackles the inequity most working women face in the homes — coming home from a long day of work, just as long as your husband’s, and then having to single-handedly manage the household and all of the children. What can be done about these inequities? Baker has a satirical answer.
I loved the premise of this book and the tone of the writing. As always, Baker is an excellent, smart, entertaining writer with great ideas. However, I felt this book moved pretty slowly and lacked the excitement and suspenseful plotting of her previous work, The Whisper Network. Also, despite my feminist interests this book may have hit differently for me because I am fortunate to have a husband who does more than his fair share of the housework, and I don’t have kids. So, the world described in this book was probably a little less fun/escapist for me than it might be for others.
All in all, I think Baker has fantastic and ambitious ideas and a huge amount of talent, but this book was just slow for me. I also note that this audiobook narrator, who is also very talented, takes a very overtly sarcastic and satirical tone throughout. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, because I’m one of the most sarcastic people you’ll ever meet, but that tone got a little tiring to listen to for hours.
I’ll definitely still snap up Chandler Baker’s next book and I’m still very excited to see what she comes up with next. But this one didn’t quite thrill me as much as The Whisper Network. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and the author for the ARC.
I loved the premise of this book and the tone of the writing. As always, Baker is an excellent, smart, entertaining writer with great ideas. However, I felt this book moved pretty slowly and lacked the excitement and suspenseful plotting of her previous work, The Whisper Network. Also, despite my feminist interests this book may have hit differently for me because I am fortunate to have a husband who does more than his fair share of the housework, and I don’t have kids. So, the world described in this book was probably a little less fun/escapist for me than it might be for others.
All in all, I think Baker has fantastic and ambitious ideas and a huge amount of talent, but this book was just slow for me. I also note that this audiobook narrator, who is also very talented, takes a very overtly sarcastic and satirical tone throughout. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, because I’m one of the most sarcastic people you’ll ever meet, but that tone got a little tiring to listen to for hours.
I’ll definitely still snap up Chandler Baker’s next book and I’m still very excited to see what she comes up with next. But this one didn’t quite thrill me as much as The Whisper Network. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and the author for the ARC.
July 21, 2021
Good idea and premise, horrible execution
August 12, 2021
This one is getting a lot of hype and I guess I’m in the minority when I say I strongly disliked it. I found it to be so whiny and preachy and the characters were all highly unlikeable. There was no real mystery, drama, humor or development of the plot and it was all just so unrealistic that I almost stopped reading multiple times. I get what the author was trying to do but this one really fell short.
July 19, 2021
The Husbands started out really good... but Nora quickly got on my nerves. Quit whining, girl! You have made this your life, so either get out of it, fix it, or deal with it. Her constant inner monologue complaining about everything got old really fast.
I enjoyed the story and the mystery, but you couldn't have that without Nora, which really brought the whole book down in my opinion. It definitely got better the last 35% or so, but still a 3 star rating overall.
I enjoyed the story and the mystery, but you couldn't have that without Nora, which really brought the whole book down in my opinion. It definitely got better the last 35% or so, but still a 3 star rating overall.
August 12, 2021
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With fun influence from The Stepford Wives and enough twists to keep you hooked, in Chandler Baker's The Husbands, it's the wives who do it all, who have the hotshot careers, who need their husbands to step up. Satirical in tone throughout, The Husbands is a psychological drama told in mixed mediums from the perspective of Nora Spangler and various online articles, forums, and social media posts. Nora is a lawyer looking to make partner after having her first child. While keeping her second a secret she pushes her husband to step up his game like the men from Dynasty Ranch, her dream community to live in. The men respect their wives, they do the household chores, they're, well, perfect. Nora is brought in as both a prospective buyer and as a potential lawyer for a wrongful death suit, but little does she know the wool is really being pulled over her eyes.
The men get to work and relax, while the women get to work and work and work. We hear this every single day, it's commonplace, and it's fun that Baker takes a true-to-life scenario and adds some science fiction thrill to it. It felt relatable, while also being totally impossible. Nora as the narrator is just fantastic, with so much sass and spunk, while also being incredibly smart. As the reader it was so easy to know what was going to happen, but I liked stepping into Nora's head while it occurred. While I think Baker missed the mark on making this a true thriller read, it had all the drama I could want and plenty to keep me entertained. It does drag on a bit and somehow she wraps up all the dirt and drama in the last 10%, but I still found myself totally enjoying The Husbands. I'd recommend this one to readers of suburban dramas, it's certainly a fun, relaxing day read.
Audiobook: The narrator of The Husbands is Allyson Ryan and she really does a fantastic job. Her voice really lends itself to the wealthy, elite women in The Husbands, but it does not work great at my preferred listening speed. Her tone is just so perfect, but at 1.5x it came across as quite shrill. I was able to listen to this while working and driving, so for me, as a busy woman, I have to say this audiobook was still great and I would recommend it.
With fun influence from The Stepford Wives and enough twists to keep you hooked, in Chandler Baker's The Husbands, it's the wives who do it all, who have the hotshot careers, who need their husbands to step up. Satirical in tone throughout, The Husbands is a psychological drama told in mixed mediums from the perspective of Nora Spangler and various online articles, forums, and social media posts. Nora is a lawyer looking to make partner after having her first child. While keeping her second a secret she pushes her husband to step up his game like the men from Dynasty Ranch, her dream community to live in. The men respect their wives, they do the household chores, they're, well, perfect. Nora is brought in as both a prospective buyer and as a potential lawyer for a wrongful death suit, but little does she know the wool is really being pulled over her eyes.
The men get to work and relax, while the women get to work and work and work. We hear this every single day, it's commonplace, and it's fun that Baker takes a true-to-life scenario and adds some science fiction thrill to it. It felt relatable, while also being totally impossible. Nora as the narrator is just fantastic, with so much sass and spunk, while also being incredibly smart. As the reader it was so easy to know what was going to happen, but I liked stepping into Nora's head while it occurred. While I think Baker missed the mark on making this a true thriller read, it had all the drama I could want and plenty to keep me entertained. It does drag on a bit and somehow she wraps up all the dirt and drama in the last 10%, but I still found myself totally enjoying The Husbands. I'd recommend this one to readers of suburban dramas, it's certainly a fun, relaxing day read.
Audiobook: The narrator of The Husbands is Allyson Ryan and she really does a fantastic job. Her voice really lends itself to the wealthy, elite women in The Husbands, but it does not work great at my preferred listening speed. Her tone is just so perfect, but at 1.5x it came across as quite shrill. I was able to listen to this while working and driving, so for me, as a busy woman, I have to say this audiobook was still great and I would recommend it.
August 25, 2021
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Husbands by Chandler Baker is a timely feminist thriller, set in an idyllic suburb near Austin. All the women in this tight-knit community appear to be highly accomplished and their husbands are exceptionally domesticated or is there something sinister going on here?
Our main character, lawyer Nora Spangler is pregnant with her second child and is up for partner at her firm. She loves her husband Hayden but she is struggling juggling motherhood, a career and the household tasks. Hayden seems to be oblivious, he doesn’t seem to be pulling his weight, he disappears when there’s something to be done and only does what he’s asked, nothing more.
Nora and Hayden are house hunting and they come across the affluent neighbourhood of Dynasty Ranch which appears to be Nora’s dream come true. Nora is easily manipulated by the women she meets in this prospective new neighbourhood as they befriend her. She imagines she has the opportunity to make the kind of new friends she desperately needs here.
A husband is burned alive in a house fire at Dynasty Ranch and Nora become involved in the case for the wife, Penny. She begins to suspect there are secrets in this community.
Loved the pacing and build-up of tension. The writing is sharp, witty and creative and the story is compulsively entertaining and fun. This would make a great bookclub read as many women may find it relatable, can you imagine!
The final bombshell personally didn’t give me enough closure, it was bizarre and wrapped up a little too fast, although still an entertaining read!
I had the opportunity to read this as part of a readalong with Tandem Collective Global.
Thank. you to Hachette Australia, Tandem Collective Global & NetGalley for a copy of the book.
The Husbands by Chandler Baker is a timely feminist thriller, set in an idyllic suburb near Austin. All the women in this tight-knit community appear to be highly accomplished and their husbands are exceptionally domesticated or is there something sinister going on here?
Our main character, lawyer Nora Spangler is pregnant with her second child and is up for partner at her firm. She loves her husband Hayden but she is struggling juggling motherhood, a career and the household tasks. Hayden seems to be oblivious, he doesn’t seem to be pulling his weight, he disappears when there’s something to be done and only does what he’s asked, nothing more.
Nora and Hayden are house hunting and they come across the affluent neighbourhood of Dynasty Ranch which appears to be Nora’s dream come true. Nora is easily manipulated by the women she meets in this prospective new neighbourhood as they befriend her. She imagines she has the opportunity to make the kind of new friends she desperately needs here.
A husband is burned alive in a house fire at Dynasty Ranch and Nora become involved in the case for the wife, Penny. She begins to suspect there are secrets in this community.
Loved the pacing and build-up of tension. The writing is sharp, witty and creative and the story is compulsively entertaining and fun. This would make a great bookclub read as many women may find it relatable, can you imagine!
The final bombshell personally didn’t give me enough closure, it was bizarre and wrapped up a little too fast, although still an entertaining read!
I had the opportunity to read this as part of a readalong with Tandem Collective Global.
Thank. you to Hachette Australia, Tandem Collective Global & NetGalley for a copy of the book.
April 26, 2021
Utterly engrossing and thoroughly timely, The Husbands is both a gripping, well-crafted mystery and an insightful critique of motherhood and marriage in the modern age--working mothers everywhere will feel seen in the best possible way.
December 31, 2021
What every woman needs is a wife! This book will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered why they’re the only one in their house who can put things in the dishwasher, or knows how to start the washing machine or set a timer, or knows where the vacuum cleaner is kept etc etc. Like a gender swapped The Husbands is a good read, particularly the latter sections. Nora Spangler is a lawyer with a young daughter and another baby on the way. Her husband, Hayden is helpful but always seems to disappear just when she needs him and of course she’s the only one who can pick the kid up from school, pack lunches and brush hair. When they look at a new house in Dynasty Ranch, Nora meets a group of women with perfect husbands and brilliant careers. What is their secret? I found the first half or so a bit slow while enjoying the writing and ideas but still a fun read overall with a serious base.
August 7, 2021
While I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook, the story just didn’t interest me. In the beginning it was good but then I just felt bashed over the head with what ended up sounding like endless whining. The real “action” didn’t come until the very end and the best thing I can say about that is it gave me a good laugh. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.
December 30, 2021
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**4.5 stars**
The Husbands by Chandler Baker. (2021).
Nora has been feeling that 'having it all' - a family, a soon-to-be new house, a successful career - comes with a price, one that her husband Hayden doesn't seem to be paying as heavily. Then her house-hunting takes them to an affluent neighbourhood and her eyes are opened to a new world: one where men actually pull their weight. But as a wrongful death case involving one of the local residents draws Nora further into this perfect world, she begins to realise that the secret of 'having it all' is far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. In fact, it may be worth killing for...
I absolutely powered through this one, it made for very addictive reading! I think most working mothers will find something relatable in this book, as would a lot of parents in general. I've seen this genre described as feminist thriller and I guess that would be a pretty accurate description. As a working mum myself, I had all the feels for Nora who is struggling to balance work, mum, wife and hopefully friend duties. She finds this amazing sounding community and immediately notices that all the menfolk do the primary caregiving and housework, although it's pretty extreme - think Stepford Wives but with men instead. When Nora is asked to look into a wrongful death case in the community, she begins to learn more about the families in it and it's clear that while the community is super appealing to her, some things just aren't sitting right...
Overall: I would highly recommend this novel; it would make fabulous holiday reading and definitely binge read it if you can.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
The Husbands by Chandler Baker. (2021).
Nora has been feeling that 'having it all' - a family, a soon-to-be new house, a successful career - comes with a price, one that her husband Hayden doesn't seem to be paying as heavily. Then her house-hunting takes them to an affluent neighbourhood and her eyes are opened to a new world: one where men actually pull their weight. But as a wrongful death case involving one of the local residents draws Nora further into this perfect world, she begins to realise that the secret of 'having it all' is far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. In fact, it may be worth killing for...
I absolutely powered through this one, it made for very addictive reading! I think most working mothers will find something relatable in this book, as would a lot of parents in general. I've seen this genre described as feminist thriller and I guess that would be a pretty accurate description. As a working mum myself, I had all the feels for Nora who is struggling to balance work, mum, wife and hopefully friend duties. She finds this amazing sounding community and immediately notices that all the menfolk do the primary caregiving and housework, although it's pretty extreme - think Stepford Wives but with men instead. When Nora is asked to look into a wrongful death case in the community, she begins to learn more about the families in it and it's clear that while the community is super appealing to her, some things just aren't sitting right...
Overall: I would highly recommend this novel; it would make fabulous holiday reading and definitely binge read it if you can.
July 20, 2021
While I really did appreciate the feminist spirit behind The Husbands and some of the excellent and fair points the book makes about how working moms have to do it ALL, I could see where the plot was going (an pretty out-there place) from the very first pages and I was not all that into it. Though given some of the Get Out inspired books I've read recently, I was expecting something even wackier than
tl; dr: For social commentary, this gets an A, but to me the characters were all kind of unlikeable and the plot was predictable.
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on Bookstagram!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
tl; dr: For social commentary, this gets an A, but to me the characters were all kind of unlikeable and the plot was predictable.
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on Bookstagram!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
February 24, 2023
5/5 ⭐️
"Women can do anything, but they can't do EVERYTHING."
First five star book of the year for me! I LOVED this.
This is 100% social horror.
It asks, what if you could make your partner more supportive? What if you could fix every little annoying habit in a way that allowed you to be your best self? Would you do it?
This novel does for heterosexual marriage, what Any Man (by Amber Tamblyn) does for sexual assault against women. The commentary is EXQUISITE.
I found this so incredibly relatable. I loved the mixed media interjections with pithy little title articles about women, and the threads of discussion following. They set the tone for the rest of the story.
If you liked The Stepford Wives, read this book. If you like stories with something to say about feminism, read this book. If you like thrillers set in suburbia with rich people problems, read this book. If you like good writing...read it.
Just read it! It's really good. This is your sign.
"Women can do anything, but they can't do EVERYTHING."
First five star book of the year for me! I LOVED this.
This is 100% social horror.
It asks, what if you could make your partner more supportive? What if you could fix every little annoying habit in a way that allowed you to be your best self? Would you do it?
This novel does for heterosexual marriage, what Any Man (by Amber Tamblyn) does for sexual assault against women. The commentary is EXQUISITE.
I found this so incredibly relatable. I loved the mixed media interjections with pithy little title articles about women, and the threads of discussion following. They set the tone for the rest of the story.
If you liked The Stepford Wives, read this book. If you like stories with something to say about feminism, read this book. If you like thrillers set in suburbia with rich people problems, read this book. If you like good writing...read it.
Just read it! It's really good. This is your sign.
July 18, 2021
Nora Sprangler is a successful attorney. She's great at her job and on track to becoming partner. She's also a busy wife and mom, feeling as if the weight of the world is on her shoulders. Nora is exhausted, she loves her husband but wishes he'd do more. More without having to be repeatedly reminded.
When Nora finds a house for sale in an affluent neighborhood she sees relationships in a whole new light. The husbands are actually helpful. They do the chores, run errands, make meals and help with the kids. The ideal situation. Or is it?...
Boy am I ever thankful to have a husband who not only works full-time, but also helps me around the house without complaint, runs errands and even surprises me with little gifts - just because. Never forgets special occasions and always kisses me and tells me he loves me most before leaving the house. Ok, in fairness the first one didn't work out so well, second time's a charm ... BAHAHAHA! #sorrynotsorry
I really enjoyed The Husbands. Such a clever, twisted plot!! This would be the perfect book club pick. The discussion would be awesome!
Huge thank you to Flatiron Books and Raincoast Books for my gifted copy!
When Nora finds a house for sale in an affluent neighborhood she sees relationships in a whole new light. The husbands are actually helpful. They do the chores, run errands, make meals and help with the kids. The ideal situation. Or is it?...
Boy am I ever thankful to have a husband who not only works full-time, but also helps me around the house without complaint, runs errands and even surprises me with little gifts - just because. Never forgets special occasions and always kisses me and tells me he loves me most before leaving the house. Ok, in fairness the first one didn't work out so well, second time's a charm ... BAHAHAHA! #sorrynotsorry
I really enjoyed The Husbands. Such a clever, twisted plot!! This would be the perfect book club pick. The discussion would be awesome!
Huge thank you to Flatiron Books and Raincoast Books for my gifted copy!
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