Title: The Husbands
Author: Chandler Baker
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

🔊Song Pairing: Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor

💭What I thought would happen:

I had nooo idea. I thought maybe it would be maybe about a group of husbands that abuse their wives? I had a feeling it was going to be dark

📖What actually happens:

Nora, an ambulance chaser, and her husband Hayden are looking to relocate within Austin, Texas from the costly living to downtown to the quiet and relaxing suburbs. Along comes Dynasty Ranch, a cozy neighbourhood with all the amenities and within budget (yes please!)

Nora soon finds out that all the women living in the Dynasty Ranch are successful in their professions and mothers, women who have it all if you will. The husbands you ask? Think Mr.Rogers with fresh pressed carrot juice.

Nora starts to wonder why her marriage can’t be as ideal as what all these wonderful women have. How can she possibly make partner, survive her second pregnancy and take care of her toddler while Hayden gets to work 9-5 uninterrupted and freaks out if the kiddo is having a tantrum. Nora doesn’t want to be a nag but what will it take for Hayden to get a damn clue…🙆🏼‍♀️

🗯Thoughts:

First chapter and there were definitely major Stepford vibes but with a role reversal. I have no idea how to classify this book. What did I just read? Was it a thriller…like the my little pony of thrillers..noo was it contemporary fiction? Maybe? Could even toss in a bit of sci-fi. It’s up for debate! If you’ve read it, I want to know your thoughts.

I loved the narrators voice for the audiobook, it’s deep and soothing. An excellent listen!

I didn’t love Nora, the central character but I did love that she was a hard working mom and that all the women featured were strong and successful, who runs the world: girls!

It almost feels like a but F.U. to men. As I am not a mother, I fully expect that I will be the one doing everything while my SO does the bare minimum and gets more praise than what is deserved…the societal pressures on mothers is heartbreaking but this book just went on and on about how men are basically useless.

As someone who has just recently moved out to the suburbs from the fast paced downtown life…I have to say it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be, less trendy restaurants and WILDLY lacking in diversity but the quiet life is pretty a-ok. It took a lot of coaxing to get me here…

Nora is a working mom, she juggles at lot of things and seemingly has it (mostly) all together while her husband seems a little clueless about how much she actually does. When they go house hunting in an exclusive neighborhood, Nora is immediately smitten, but quickly notices that something is a little off. The husbands are all helpful and involved in a way that she has never personally experienced.

This is a tale of two books, one I loved and one that was okay. I listened to the audiobook (because that’s how I multitask). The narrator may be the reason for the love. She perfectly voiced the feeling of being a working woman and an exhausted mother trying to do it all. I really felt empathy with and for Nora. I love reading about smart, interesting women and that aspect of the novel resonated with me.
The Husbands is also part science fiction. It was a gender swap from the Stepford Wives and while that part wasn’t my jam, it was fun watching Nora work out what was up in this elite community.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-ish

I really love Chandler Baker’s brand of writing! I read Whisper Network a couple of weeks ago and The Husbands was suggested to me shortly thereafter. I am a HUGE fan- a solid 5-star book for me!

I can’t remember how many times I laughed out loud at the story and just how true everything rings… for me, at least. The burden of being told to remind my husband of something, the number of dinners I’ve had to cook and have ready for my husband when he comes home. The fact that not only am I the one who cooked, I am also the one left to clean up and put everything away once we are done eating. I’m the one that hangs up the laundry once he washes everything, I’m the one who has to nag him to pull his weight because we are in fact a team and I am not his mother. Just… everything Nora is going through (except motherly duties, those I don’t have at the moment) I can 100% relate to. And it’s not just me! Of course it’s not! Baker has this huge audience of women who can relate to Nora! How wrong is that?! There has to be a solution, right?

I don’t want to be the odd one out here, I really don’t. I loved the book, I was entertained and thought the writing was very well executed as it always is. I just wish the ending didn’t go the way it did. With the disproportionate responsibility between husbands and wives being such a prominent problem in society, I felt that there should have been a call to action or something on Baker’s part. I was a little let down and it almost felt like she was joking about the problem many women are facing. After reading Whisper Network and Chandler herself popped in at the end of the audiobook recording and told her story, I thought this would have been a similar scenario. Not exactly a “How to Fix Your Husband in 10 Days”, but some sort of clever way to nod to how she “fixed” her husband. Aside from that one glaring problem I had with the book, I loved the storytelling and the way Baker makes her readers feel like a fly on the wall of all of her well-crafted characters!

I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review! The book is set to be released on August 3rd, 2021.

Imagine that your male partner puts away his shoes! Know the kids' schedule! Makes dinner without being asked! Organizes the closets! And caters to your every whim!

That's just a bit about the new hit by Chandler Baker called "The Husbands."

The main character, Nora, an attorney, and her husband want to buy a house in a desired neighborhood, Dynasty Ranch. It's a community that's chock-full of high-powered women who are in charge. Then there's also a wrongful death suit claim when one of the husbands dies in a house fire. And of course, Nora is recruited to help the newly widowed wife.

But just how far will the wives of Dynasty Ranch go to ensure that their husbands are dutiful and taking care of their suburban lives?

(Interestingly, Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig is set to star in MGM's adaptation of the novel).

I was grateful to receive an advance listener copy of the audiobook, produced by Macmillan Audio (via NetGalley). The book's cover is spectacular as is the narration by Allyson Ryan. She did a wonderful job, bringing to life the wives and husbands of Dynasty Ranch.

I overall enjoyed The Husbands. It was a little bit slower than I like when I'm reading/listening to thrillers, but still overall a good book. Definitely did not expect the ending! Definitely an interesting take on women and power. I listened to this on Audiobook, so I may have rated it higher if I had physically read the book, If you like thrillers that go a little deeper, this may be the book for you!

The husbands would not be a book I would recommend. The main character comes off whiny bitchy and not a character I would care about. This is a book where the career women in a subdivision finally get the husband of their dreams-helpful. But our main character ruined the concept of the book by being weak

Oh Dynasty Ranch, it seems so perfect from the outside, but when you step inside you know there is something crazy going on as you see husbands acting flawlessly…

I liked it! Nora, the main character, shares thoughts that every wife has had at some point in their marriage. She had me laughing out loud as she tries to juggle all of her different roles (mom, wife, lawyer). I enjoyed her character as she tried to unfold the quirks of Dynasty Ranch. However, I felt that parts of the story were not completely buttoned up which is why I rated it a 3.5 (rounded up to 4) stars. I would recommend this book to my wife/mama friends looking for a light thriller.

So many parts of this book completely justify my reasons for not wanting kids. I know my husband is great, but I think this book shines a light on the fact that parenting is expected to be so easy for women, and men are supposed to struggle. It's FINE because that's what happens all the time! I really like the concept behind this book. I had a really hard time putting it down once I started because I wanted to find out where it was going to go. Kudos to the author for tackling a timeless topic with a nice sinister twist.

Wow, so I am not sure if I read this book at the best or worst time, as I'm in the middle of an extremely busy time at work while also trying to move and juggle the rest of my life. But, I certainly could relate to the main character, Nora, a lawyer up for partner who is likewise looking for a new home while also being a mom and dealing with a less than helpful husband. While some of the situations seem a little extreme in this story, all of the accomplished women of Dynasty Ranch (the swanky subdivision that Nora is looking at a home in) make good points about equality between the genders with household duties. I think this would be an excellent book club book as there is a lot to unpack. For me, I'll just recommend it to all my friends who would fit right in at Dynasty Ranch.

I listened to this as an audiobook and was very pleased with the narration. Each character really came to life with their own voice (all done by the excellent Allyson Ryan) and I really felt like I was living through each moment while out on my morning runs.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an audiobook ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Husbands
🎧 12 Hours, 12 minutes
Publishes August 3, 2021

“The book felt personal, as many things that take place in the privacy of our own homes do. But if anything, living through the pandemic has exposed the real impact of depending on women to carry the burden of the “second shift” disproportionately. The problem of dividing domestic labor isn’t just personal, it’s widespread and systemic and it’s caused more than 2.5 million women to leave the workforce in the last twelve months alone, at four times the rate of men.

In THE HUSBANDS I hope you’ll find a big, juicy murder mystery with something to say.” - A note from Chandler Baker about The Husbands on @goodreads
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“Assume nothing” in this affluent neighborhood where the wives are widely successful, and the husbands find bliss in domestic work.

Can ALL of these men be this perfect in the home? Find out in The Husband’s where The Stepford Wives meets Get Out.

CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook.

This book was very interesting. I wasn't sure I would like it. It reminded me a lot of a mix between desperate housewives and little fires everywhere. I think I would've enjoyed it better if it wasn't audio and I was able to actually read it

Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC! This is out on 08/03.

My initial reaction after finishing this was..."okay?" Now, there were likable parts of this. Unfortunately I just didn't get invested in it like I thought I would. I really liked the portrayal of the mental weight/struggles placed on moms in today's world where we are expected to do it all, have it all, remember it all....and remind our husband's because they have no motivation to do it on their own. I feel this, I do, but also it was slightly overplayed. Some of it was like I was talking to a friend and then another part was like can you just shut up? Many times I felt myself wanting to yell "land the damn plane already let us get on with it." The pacing in this story wasn't fast enough for me to stay interested. Started off strong, then we get an answer to an ongoing question, it slows down some more, and then the ending definitely took off and it got exciting. But was that excitement worth all of the previous chapters? Ehhh I don't know.

I really enjoyed the narration in this audio though! Allyson Ryan did a great job going back and forth between characters while telling this story.

The Husbands

The Husbands is definitely a feminist thriller with a slow burn plot.

I kept expecting more to happen, and wanted a twist plot to happen way earlier in the book. The mystery kept me intrigued the whole way through and the story picked up around half way and then lost some steam again.

I found the ending to be a little disappointing, I thought it was very clear what was happening to the husbands early on. Overall a decent book, I really enjoyed listening to the narrator.

3 stars

Wow, I really didn't enjoy this. I expected a feminist, tongue-in-cheek thriller... instead it was hours of misandry and an unlikable main character. The book was slow and I DNF because I couldnt find a reason to keep going.
I will say I enjoyed the narrator.

Solid 4 stars - It checks off the most bizarre book of the year for sure!

Chandler Baker made a name for herself with Whisper Network, a me too era, feminist thriller about powerful working women. The Husbands once again, center around strong, working women and mothers. In her epilogue, she lists every name we’ve ever been called by society and/or men… it’s powerful.

In this murder mystery, we have the wives —most work outside of the home and *were* frustrated by the disparity between the expectations and responsibilities of the home and children—until they took matters into their own hands. Then we have the men —all of them are compliant and cherish/worship their wives and help out anywhere they can. SAY WHAT again?!? In this mysterious suburb, nothing is as it seems. In walks Nora and her husband, looking for a new home. Nora is an attorney and is subsequently pulled into this subdivision by a woman looking to hire her in a wrongful death pursuit. But as she digs deeper for the case, she begins to wonder if the price of living here is worth it. It’s twisty and manipulative and I did not see that ending coming!
My only complaint is there just wasn’t enough character development, especially for the villain. I just wish I had a better background on some of the characters.

Allyson Ryan as narrator is the perfect voice for Nora and she represents the other voices just as well.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of this audio for an honest review, Pub date, 8.3.21

Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of The Husbands by Chandler Baker.
The Husbands is a murder mystery surrounded by the difficulties of being a working wife and mother. Chandler captures the feelings of working moms and the disparity between the expectations and responsibilities of men and women. The main character, Nora, was a bit whiny, but the ending of the book was brilliant!
Narrator, Allyson Ryan, is a solid voice for Nora. She is easy to listen to and uses different voices to represent the personality of other characters.

The Husbands by Chandler Baker is super fun, clever, and a tad mysterious. The premise of this novel really grabbed my attention. Picture a neighborhood where the traditional and stereotypical gender roles are reversed. The women are high-powered, have successful careers, and are the breadwinners for the most part. The husbands are also employed, but don’t kick off their shoes, loosen their ties, crack a beer, and relax on the couch until dinner is made by their wives. Oh no. The men pick up the kids from school, drive them to their after-school activities, and then rush home to put dinner on the table. They also grocery shop, do the laundry, make lunches, and do the bedtime routine. They take responsibility for the majority of the household chores. And get this...they don’t complain one bit! Say what? Welcome to Dynasty Ranch, my friends. As a stay-at-home mom, I LOVE reading books about motherhood, domestic life, and the daily grind of raising a family. I love the way Baker flips everything around on us, and shakes up the routine of a typical nuclear family. The women living in Dynasty Ranch seem to have it all, and things sound a little too good to be true, don’t you think? Buckle up, and take a spin through Baker’s fantasy neighborhood. The plot takes a few unexpected twists and turns, and you’re bound to be entertained! Grab a copy on August 3rd!

I couldn't get into this and had to not finish it! I was very bored and just felt like this one was all over the place.

In this domestic thriller that didn't quite thrill, Nora Spangler thinks she has found not just her dream home, but also her tribe, in an exclusive planned community where the wives have high-powered careers and the husbands share cleaning tips and recipes while seeming a little mind-controlled. Nora is a lawyer trying to balance a rising career and a family life with a stereotypically oblivious husband. Her husband plays his role of the lazy, oblivious oaf to perfection. He isn't developed as a real character at all.

To be honest, not much rings true about Nora either. Nora is portrayed as a fed-up superhero who somehow manages to do far more work than any of her male colleagues, while constantly having to miss meetings and work hours for family emergencies, then come home and cook all the meals, do all the housework, and all the parenting. This woman is dedicated! She is strong! Hear her roar! She gets 3 hours of sleep a night and somehow makes it all work . . . most of the time.

Then comes the solution to all of Nora's problems - Stepford Husbands! Well, sort of. These husbands must still go to work, preferably as neurosurgeons, physicists, and tech gurus, but then come home and play the meek 1950s housewife and trade recipes and cleaning tips with the guys while their wives fistbump and sip cocktails in the next room.

That said, there was a pretty compelling plot emerging in the background of all this misandry. I just wish it had fully materialized. All things considered, the book moved along too slowly and the plot was too thin. The characters needed to be developed much better. I had too little sympathy for the protagonist because I just didn't know her well enough. I also needed more hints about the villain's history peppered throughout the book. There is a Wizard of Oz-style "big reveal" at the end showing us who the woman behind the curtain is which I just thought summed up this 352 pages of overused tropes archetypes perfectly.

Dynasty Ranch is an idyllic neighborhood, and Nora, a hard-working attorney who is eager to make partner at her law firm, is eager to buy a house there. Her professional life seems to be right on track and going well... but her domestic life? Well, she feels like all she does is pack lunches and take care of her daughter and Nora wishes her husband would work just a bit harder, share the responsibilities so to speak.

This is a winding, gripping thriller reminiscent of the Stepford Wives and a unique story commenting on the expectations for women, working, and marriage. I was invested from the first chapter, curious to see where the story would go, and things unravel slowly until you reach a certain point, and then you won't be able to stop reading until you know the ending.

My only qualm with this story was the ending, which I thought fell a bit flatter than the rest of the story. However, there is a final twist that was surprising but interesting.

The audio is great; the narrator sucks you in and keeps you listening!

Highly recommend for thriller readers, particularly women-centered thrillers.