I couldn’t get into this one, it failed to hold my attention and my mind kept wandering. I have been struggling with a reading slump so it’s probably one of those me problems and not the actual book. Thanks so much for the opportunity, I appreciate it!

I can see why Entertainment Weekly compared "Mrs". by Caitlin Macey to "Big Little Lies" and named it one of the most anticipated novels of 2018. "Mrs." is an addictive read about an elite group of wealthy New Yorkers before their secrets are revealed after the 2018 financial crisis. A tale of love and deceit. Fabulous book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this novel for an honest review.

The fundamental flaw in Caitlin Macy's novel, Mrs., is that she assumes readers are going to care about the über-wealthy New York socialites with their nannies, multi-million dollar apartments complete with doormen, and places for their children among the toniest private preschools in the city. I do not see this happening. In fact, given the fervor over the recent tax changes and the growing divide between the haves and the have-nots, I see the exact opposite occurring. It is difficult to feel sorry for or find empathy for the social elite and their scandals when so many others in the world are struggling to put food on the table.

This is not to mention that pretty much every character within the novel is fairly despicable. In the scenes that take place in front of the school and among the various other interactions of the parents, the story does call to mind Big Little Lies, except the women and men in Ms. Macy's care even less about their children and more about how the world perceives them. They are pretentious, self-obsessed, and completely oblivious to the real world. We are supposed to fall under the spell of Phillipa's mysterious confidence and take pity on her past. We are supposed to empathize with Minnie as she attempts to break into this new social circle. We are supposed to see ourselves in Gwen as the most "normal" mother of the bunch. Except we don't because there is nothing to connect these characters with the readers.

Philippa remains aloof and untouchable even once we know her most sacred and shameful secret. Minnie remains a social climber, anxious to make it into the top milieu and stay there. As for Gwen, while other readers might find her wholesomeness and the sacrifices made for the sake of her family admirable, I could not do so. I got a kick out of the fact that she was the only mother to actually cook real meals for her family, but there is a forcefulness behind her domesticity that is bothersome.. It is as if Ms. Macy needed someone to whom readers would relate and created Gwen to fit that mold, except she missed out on one crucial detail. The reasons for Gwen becoming and remaining a stay-at-home mother never ring true. Neither does she provide an adequate explanation given how much time Gwen spends reminiscing about and longing for her former career. Ms. Macy spends little time explaining why Gwen gives up her beloved job and practically no time explaining why she continues to remain home. All of the reasons mothers stay home do not apply to Gwen's situation, so it makes no sense and is yet another black spot within the story.

Another element that disconnects the readers from the story is the criminal investigation over which Gwen's husband obsesses. The story occurs just after one of the numerous investing scandals of the early 2000s. The husbands and fathers of the novel are mostly men involved in the investing business. Considering the recession that occurred after these scandals hit the front pages, it is difficult to find sympathy with anyone who earns their money in that field. To make things worse, Ms. Macy constructs her novel in such a manner that assumes readers understand the ins and outs of the world of trading, so there is little explanation to help readers understand what is illegal about certain transactions or why. The obscene amounts of money made by these traders and the lifestyle they afford sets them apart from everyday readers and is a tiny bit disgusting given how many people lost their homes and livelihoods as a result of the investing scandals.

Mrs. may be social critique but it is social critique of the one-percenters. Frankly, it is difficult to get upset about these so-called social elite tearing themselves apart over a scandal or three. Moreover, the subject of class and privilege is too divisive right now for her story to be in step with the times. This is not escapist literature, as one cannot escape to such a back-stabbing, false world of gossip, innuendo, and mimicry. It is a heavy novel, with topics that are anything but light. Neither is it amusing because the fact remains there is a social strata that lives this way. Mrs. is the type of novel that would be more successful were the country in the midst of an economic boom and political harmony. As it stands, it is the wrong story for the wrong time, and each page is a reminder of the great divide that separates us more every day.

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to rave about it and think it was phenomenal. In the end, though, I struggled to get to the 40% mark, and when I did, I realized I just didn't want to read any more of it. For that reason, I am not leaving a review.

3 or 4? I both loved and hated this book. I loved the story of Philippa Lye and her preschool based social circle. I loved how her history and the overall story broke down in layers as the book progressed and we got to know Philippa more and more. I hated how the book jumped around from person to person to tell the story. I understand why Ms. Macy chose to present the story that way and agree that it added depth to the overall story line, but it made it extremely confusing to follow along. Too many character points of view were brought in! I would have much preferred if they were limited to 3 or 4. At one point I was halfway through a chapter before I figured out who it was focused on. And then later I got two minor characters confused. I'm not sure why one even got his own chapter! Despite the presentation style, the story was good and I found myself wondering where it was going.

Funny, smart well-written look at mothers in NYC. Macy does a great job of creating realistic characters and making seemingly mundane conflicts funny and interesting.

I saw write-ups of thos in several magazines, and I couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I very rarely give up on a book, but after about 50%, I realized I was not connecting to the either the storyline or the characters, and I had to stop reading there . I'm sure many people will appreciate this book, but sadly it just wasn't a good fit for me.

Fabulous book. Thoroughly loved. Highly recommend!

I was eager to read Mrs. as it was listed as a highly anticipated book for 2018. I enjoy books about wealthy New Yorkers, women in particular, because books such as those show me insight that I will never live. I wanted to like Mrs. much more than I did. Parts of the story were very compelling to me - the wealthy apartments, the lives of the wives of the high-dollar money making men, the storyline involving the investigation of one of the main male characters. But, there were parts of the story that dragged and there were introductions of characters that didn't seem necessary to the plot. Caitlyn Macy's has a very good writing style and I do look forward to reading something else by her, possibly that is a bit more cohesive.

I'm so over all these books focusing on upper-class women and their petty problems. I've seen this read before and done way better! I tried to read this but after a few chapters, i knew this wasn't going anywhere different. Sorry, I wanted something better and different but just didn't get either here.

I loved HOUSE OF MIRTH so I was especially interested to take a look at MRS by Caitlin Macy. The set-up is intriguing, but the execution means that not everyone will love this novel, primarily because it's a slow build. At times I was tempted to give up. I had a hard time caring about the characters or what might happen next. However, I'm really glad I stuck with it. The character development is most certainly present; it just takes a bit of time to get going. If you're patient, you'll be rewarded in the end. I found the conclusion of the story to be most satisfying. I'll be sure to look for Macy's next book. Her writing is lovely and smart with a surprising wisdom woven throughout.

This is one of the "buzz books of 2018" according to several lists I have seen online. I think it was very well written, and the writer definitely has skill. I will be looking to see what she does next, but for this read it was very slow and the characters and plot left a lot to be desired.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC of this book. This book is true to its title description. The reader won't be disappointed when reading this book.

This was one of those books which I couldn't not finish but at the same time I wasn't sure if I cared enough about the characters to actually finish the book.

I did read it all and I'm glad that I did but found it quite slow moving in places and a little confusing.

Mrs. by Caitlin Macy is a good book. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as I thought I would when I read the premise, but it's still good despite this. Perhaps the slow build-up is what swayed my views? I'm not quite sure but I think this has something to do with it.

If you're a fan of Liane Moriarty, I believe this one is very close in terms of writing style so you would probably enjoy this one.

I could not get through this book. If you are an Upper East Side social climber, then perhaps this is the book for you, but I was puzzled by whether or not these characters were venal or simply dull.

I was unable to connect with the characters and storyline, and was unable to finish this book.

I read half of this and then set it aside. Too many characters, too many subplots, too confusing.