I’m struggling to review this one because I did like many, many things about it but ultimately couldn’t figure out what the author was trying to achieve with this story. I enjoyed the dual timelines between the 1950s housewife caught in an abusive marriage and the modern-day marriage transitioning from a city life to a suburban one. I liked the writing. I loved the incorporation of real recipes from the 1950s. But as the story went on, Alice, the modern day character, became increasingly difficult to root for or even understand. There was a paranormal aspect to the story that was never really explored and ended up confusing me. And I’m not even sure what the ending is supposed to mean. So, if you like dual timeline women’s fiction exploring gender roles and expectations written in what appears to be a darkly satirical tone (I think?) then definitely check this out. I did like the writing and it kept me turning pages all the way to the end, so for that it gets four stars. But if anyone could let me know how I am supposed to interpret the ending, I would appreciate it!


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital advance copy and share my honest review.

Alice Hale leaves her high powered job in NYC and moves to the suburbs with her husband .she finds a vintage cook book and becomes fascinated with the cookbooks owner from the 1950s .told in dual timelines we learn of Nellies life in the 1950s as Alice begins to navigate her new life . Full of plot twists and recipes you will be riveted by the story of these two women . Just when you think you know how everything will turn out you don’t .. Fabulous read

Recipe for a Perfect Wife is a solid purchase for most adult fiction collections, particularly where women's fiction is popular. The dual POVs are engaging and the story is timely.

I gave this one a shot, but I could not get through it to finish in its entirety. The story has potential but the way it was written started slow for me and never picked up steam.
I am sure many will enjoy this dual perspective read about women living in the same house in different eras but it just wasn't for me.

I loved this book and finished reading it quickly, unable to put it down. Karma Brown is able to weave flawlessly between the two time eras, making every part of this story interesting. I was dying to know what secrets Nellie was holding and how Alice would figure them out. It was part ghost story, part mystery, and all parts wonderful.

This book was a little slow to start for me, but I am glad that I kept going! I really enjoyed the dual timelines and stories, but I almost preferred the past to the present. There was something about the present-day protagonist that rubbed me the wrong way at the beginning of the book, but by the end, I was invested. I can see some great discussion in a book club with this title.

What a quirky little book. I loved the retro recipes that took me back to another time. The change in values between the generations was reminiscent of another time. I really enjoyed this book and all of the surprises along the way. It wasn't what I expected.

This was almost a DNF for me to be honest because I didn't feel really connected with Alice, the main character. However, I can understand the changes in a housewife from the past until now and why changes to a woman's status to a worker is so important. Alice wanted to be more than just a housewife.

This was an okay read for me but I thought it was going to be more of rom-com with laughs than a book hailing feminist ideals and girl power. Not what I expected but ok.

Thanks to NetGalley, Karma Brown and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest read.

Dear 1950s Housewives: How more of you didn't end up in prison for helping your husbands meet an untimely end, I'll never know.

Karma Brown has quite masterfully depicted characters who, though decades apart, are both fighting for control over their lives. Despite assumptions and otherwise foregone conclusions about who they must be, how they must bend, to meet the expectations of their husbands and others around them, their fight for voice and choice leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

There always comes a time, when reading any novel, that I root for the protagonist to be strong, make a difficult choice, stand up for themselves, run out the back door instead of running up the stairs, so to speak, like so many others do. Quite often, I'm disappointed in their failure to act, demonstrate their own sense of power. Not so in RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE! I so appreciated the strength that the protagonists demonstrated through Brown's expertly-crafted narrative. The powerful conclusion to Nellie's arc was particularly satisfying.

As a matter of structure, the quotes from books, magazines, cookbooks, etc., regarding the ways in which a wife should behave, expectations that they should meet, and so on, were especially shocking, but helped this reader grasp the sort of oppressive atmosphere with which women would have to contend. In some ways, we still do.

I was immediately pulled into this story about a young married couple that bought a house in the suburbs outside of NYC. After moving in, Alice finds a 1950's cookbook, and items belonging to the previous owner. She becomes almost obsessed, and immerses herself in the house, the 1950's recipes, and the previous owner. Alice is also hiding a lot - she was fired from her job, has an IUD implanted even though her husband would like a child, and sometimes it is hard to know if Alice is losing her grip or if her suspicions about her husband are correct. I enjoyed the neighbors that Alice develops a relationship with, and the actual 1950's storyline - but I did really "like" Alice as a character. The ending left me hanging a bit. The story is written in two time periods - Nellie in the 1950's, who is a young married housewife (married to an abusive husband) and Alice in the present.

This wonderful new book by Karma Brown looks at women's role in the 1950s and today. The two main characters live in the same house 60 years apart. They never met each other but their stories are intertwined in many different ways.

1950s - Nellie lives with a husband who abuses her. She hides her scars from her neighbors and becomes the perfect housewife well known for her kindness, her garden and her baking. As we learn more about Nellie, we find out that there is much more to her than the perfect housewife that she lets the world see.

Present Day - Alice and her husband Nate decide to leave NYC and buy a fixer upper in the suburbs. Alice is a modern day woman who has always worked and isn't sure what to do with her life. When she finds an old 1950s cookbook in the basement along with some magazines, she starts to spend time reading them and trying out the recipes.

Despite the differences, there are many parallels between the 2 women - both have husbands who are anxious to start a family while neither of the women is ready. Both women are hiding secrets from their husbands but don't have a problem with it. When all is said and done - is there really much difference between the expectations of a wife in 1950 and in 2020?

The characters in this book and well written and representative of the times they live in. I didn't always like Alice and her secrets but I understood her reasons. I enjoyed the way that the book was written with advice to 1950s wives or old recipes at the beginning of each chapter.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

It took me a while to warm up to this book - the book is about 2 women’s lives - Nellie from the 1950s and Alice from modern day - and their lives and the inner workings of their marriages. Although both women have different marriages, they’re both troubled in their own way. I loved Nellie and wanted to hug her and take care of and although I liked Alice, her actions frustrated me. I enjoyed how the book ended and thought it tied up very nicely. I have to admit that I’m incredibly happy that my husband is unlike either the husbands in the book!! The book has great snippets on what a wife was expected to be like pre-1960 and a few tasty sounding recipes I’m very keen to try. Although I didn’t love this book, the author did a great job in portraying the characters and the way things were in 1950s.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The title of the book immediately intrigued me, and as soon as I read the description I knew this was a book I had to read! The recipes gave the book a cozy feel and it was interesting to see some of the different foods that were popular during the time. Also, the old-fashioned marriage advice snippets at the beginning of the chapters were hilarious!
The alternating storylines made it a quick read, most chapters ended at a point where I had to find out what happened next. Overall, I liked Nellie's storyline more, her character seemed more developed than Alice. Alice's storyline started out interesting, but I wasn't crazy about her character by the conclusion. Lastly, the ending was a little disappointing
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45990557-recipe-for-a-perfect-wife

A wonderful concept! An original story line that caught my attention quickly and kept it through to the end. When a modern homemaker finds a cookbook with notes from the original owner and compares their lives. I'm amazed at how easily this story grew as I read. Karma Brown is now on my list of authors to track.

Karma Brown "Recipe for a Perfect Wife"

I enjoyed this story told from two points of view of two women living in the same house 60 years apart. Nellie and Alice are amazing characters whose stories intertwined in a very clever way. Alice discovers more about Nellie's life, using her cookbook and finding more about Nellie's life. As you read the story, you will find that you will get attached to the characters as their life parallels in some way.

Karma Brown wrote a fun story yet deep, poignant and thought provoking. I guarantee you that you will be talking about this book days after you have read it. I loved how women's roles were compared from the 1950's and to the present. This is such a captivating read that I highly recommend.

I enjoyed this book because it showed how far women have come since 1950, but also how they are still in the same place. The two heroines, although in completely different circumstances, have many of the same issues, which makes the story more poignant. The recipes in the book are interesting because they are some of the food that I grew up with that now seems too time-consuming to prepare...much like the difference in the two women's lives. I bought it for my library and have since seen it checked out already.

I started this book a couple months ago and got side tracked by something else to read. So glad I picked it up again. I am a big fan
of novels that have a house as plot/character. I loved the short time I spent in Alice and Millie’s lives and wanted more. perfect combination of funny and serious a lovely shout out to strong women and an appetizer for the brain.

This book is told from the POV of two different wives, Nellie and Alice. Nellie's marriage takes place in the 1950s when Tupperware parties were a regular social event and the meals contained the oddest combinations of ingredients. While Nellie's marital issues are different than Alice, they both struggle to come to terms with the decision to go along with their husband's choices.

Alice's marriage takes place in 2018 and she struggles to find herself after her life did a 180. Now jobless and expected to maintain a household, she has no idea where to start. As Alice gets to know Nellie through letters, a cookbook, and a next door neighbor, she starts to discover things about herself and her marriage. As both women try to find a way to be themselves and solve their marital issues, things end up getting a bit dark.

Three things I loved about this book:

1. The book tackles difficult issues surrounding the expectations of a wife, the pressure to have children, always have an organized house, and dinner on the table every night.

2. This book deals with lies, infidelity, and lack of communication in a marriage. Communication and honesty are the keys to a successful marriage and this makes that evident.

3. I loved the recipes listed at the beginning of Nellie's chapters and the quotes at the beginning of Alice's chapters.

Overall this book was a quick read, but I struggled to connect with Alice's character and that caused this story to feel a bit flat for me. That combined with the abrupt ending caused this to be a 3⭐ book for me.

This book is set in the present and the 1950’s. Present day Alice Hale is about her moving into the suburbs after living in Manhattan. She was fired from her job. Her husband Nate thinks a good idea that they move (he has no idea why she was fired, he thinks she quit.) so she can write a book and start a family, Nellie Murdoch is the past woman who had lived and died in the house that Alice and her husband bought. She tends to her flower garden and cooks for her husband Richard. He wants also to start a family. He is a very controlling and abusive man. This a story of two women and their lives.
I enjoyed the book. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC. This is my own opinion.

This book was excellent. I read it in a day and could not put it down. The writing, the plot, all of it. Even figuring out what happened didn’t deter me from loving it. The infusion of feminism made it even better and so fitting for now.