I loved Chandler Baker's first novel, Whisper Network, and this one did not disappoint! It was utterly engrossing, timely, funny, and poignent . If you've ever wished your husband would take on a little more of the mental load then, oh my, this book is for you! I need everyone to read this book so I can discuss. A perfect read for bookclubs.

Pure entertainment! Nora is a lawyer married to Hayden. They have one child with another on the way. With Nora becoming increasingly frustrated (and whiny, in my opinion) with her workload and lack of help from her husband, she falls in with a new group of women. All of their husband’s are mysteriously over helpful and accommodating. Nora and Hayden become intertwined with this new community and Hayden suddenly and eerily becomes the “perfect husband”. With betrayal, death and murder, this was an entertaining summer read!

**huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ahhhh how badly I wanted to love this one... I wish it was a bit twistier though.

It's definitely got ALL the Stepford Wives feelings and I guess if you don't know that story, then this one would be so much more fun. I just kinda felt like I knew what was going on the whole time and was hoping for more of a twist on that concept, but it was just kinda, I dunno ... expected? I think there was a lot of unnecessary filler to get to that point, and the mixed in blog posts, feminist articles, comments, etc. ... felt a little ... um... too preachy?

Maybe I'd feel differently if I was a mom? But I did get sucked in right away and the audio was entertaining enough that was eager to see how it all played out. The little twist at the end was fun though. A little confusing... but I still liked it.

The narration for this book was good. Unfortunately, this "Stepford Husbands" story was an overall miss for me. The book started off just fine, and then I just got tired and bored - maybe the middle part could have been edited down a bit. I really struggled to make myself listen to this book, and found myself turning to podcasts over completing this book - audiobooks I really enjoy are finished quickly and I find excuses to listen. There are a lot of characters, and because my listening was staggered and because I often didn't care, it was hard for me to keep them all straight.

This book is clearly popular with many, and on the face of it, it should have been right up my alley as I was working towards tenure with two young children and a spouse who said "you just need to ask if you want me to do anything," but it just fell flat for me.

This was a really good thriller. Its in the vane of The Power and even a little splash of Vox in there which is great to see in a more recent thriller. I really enjoy books that challenge that house wife dynamic and this did that in a really cool way.
My complaint with this book is that it is way to similar to Jordan Peels movie Get Out in a lot of ways. It felt like the main idea for this book was just that but with genders and not race. I am not saying that is what happened but that is certainly the major vibe of this. It was still really cool but its certainly not a unique idea or take on these issues.
If the whole Get Out plus The Power vibe appeals to you then this is the book for you. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking.

It’s all an illusion. Women can BE anything they dream, but can they HAVE have everything? What’s the cost if they do, and to whom? What would you be willing to do get it? These are the questions Chandler Baker poses in her new psychological thriller, The Husbands.

Nora is a wife, a mother expecting another baby, a lawyer on the partner track, burning the candle on both ends and several points in between. She deeply loves her husband Hayden but like many women wonders why he isn’t more engaged, why the rules seem different, why she’s the default for remembering/doing/getting anything done and he ‘helps’. When they look at a home for sale in the idyllic neighborhood of Dynasty Ranch their lives take a turn. Nora is befriended by several women in the community, all with accomplished careers. Something is decidedly different there. There’s a supportive network of women Nora craves. What’s more their husbands are all very supportive of their wives. The husbands cook, clean, care for the children, and hold their own careers. How does Nora get in on this?! She’s offered an opportunity when one of the women needs legal council. As Nora and Hayden are folded into Dynasty Ranch changes in their marriage are subtle, helpful, but something isn’t setting right with Nora. As she continues her legal council and investigation what she uncovers could change everything.

Chandler Baker does an excellent job of pacing the narrative in such a way that we are drawn in, almost as Nora is. It’s seductive, insidious. We know something is up but the dialogue that continues throughout is so convincing we’re nodding along yes, yes, YES, with the explanations even when we know it’s terribly unsettling. It’s this disconnect that kept me off kilter the entire last part of the book. Nora’s internal monologue was so familiar, relatable. I’ve been in the grocery store after a long day at work, pregnant, trying to convince two tiny humans to be ‘cart boys’ when they insisted on being ‘walker boys’. Nora’s mention of her ‘strategic blowout’ had me doing fist pumps!

I listed to this on audiobook, narrated by Allyson Ryan, and highly recommend this platform. The nuance that she brings to her performance is fantastic, dark, deeply disturbing in its clinical distance at times. If I were reading in print I would have imparted infection, emotion on certain characters. Ryan’s portrayals really took the story to another level, giving greater depth to the individual characters. She was an excellent casting choice and I’ll be sure to look for other audiobooks she’s in.
I recommend The Husbands on audiobook to readers/listeners looking for a weekend great binge read, those that love psychological fiction, and think it would make an excellent book club pick because it’s highly discussable!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

This book stressed me out. When people ask me why I don't have kids, I feel like giving them books like these and saying, read this and then stop and think if you really need to ask me that question. Basically, this book is about how women are expected to put in 110% at work and still do everything at home while their husbands "help out" when they feel like it. So what to do about it? Well, the women in this book certainly find a solution, but it leaves me wondering if the real solution is to rethink the whole suburban dream of being married, owning a home, and having 2.5 kids. At least my cat can take care of himself while I cook dinner, answer emails, take a bath...

This is the second Chandler Baker thriller that I read this year and I hope to read even more. Baker is a witty writer who captures the truth of working mothers and the inanity of women trying to do / have it all. Nora is a busy lawyer, up for partner in her firm, with a toddler and another baby on the way. She has a great husband, Hayden, but he really isn’t a lot of help with the house or child. ( I know, big surprise! ) When Nora decides that a new house in the affluent Dynasty Ranch neighborhood is exactly what she needs, she gets pulled into a community of strong high -achieving women who run the HOA. This neighborhood appears to offer all the networking and support system Nora dreams of, but things are not quite as perfect as they seem. Unputdownable ! For fans of Liane Moriarty.
#NetGalley
#The Husbands

This book started out really good, but after a while it was so boring I couldn't finish it. If it was cut down and changed a bit, I may consider rereading.

This sharp critique of modern motherhood will grab any mom trying to “do it all.” I found myself laughing (and cringing) at the all too familiar thoughts Nora shares about her daily grind. The thriller elements were a bit transparent, but I still enjoyed watching it unfold. And those last few lines, shew, that got me.

This was well narrated but it did take me quite some time to get through it because I did not find the story as compelling as I thought I would. I found myself yelling at Nora more and more as the book progressed. I think may book clubs would like this book though!
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The start of this book where the author asks the reader to use her imagination is hilarious and hooked me immediately. I have a husband of 33 years, so I know every one of those scenarios. Nora is every woman and I think anyone who is married with children can relate to her day-to-day life as an attorney, a wife and a mother.
This book is fun. I laughed a few times and smiled a lot. There’s a creepy mystery in there too with lots of sinister career women types to scare the reader in a fun way. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a great job with all their individual voices and personalities. I think if I’d read a text copy I might have enjoyed this book more as it got a bit repetitive and whiney in places and those sections I could have skimmed easier in print. If you like a lot of social commentary along with a decent plot, you’ll enjoy this entertaining read. The writing was clear and easy to listen to but a lot of the minutia of everyday life got tedious for this reader. We really are in Nora’s head the entire time and while I did empathize and quite like her as a character, I did tire of her perspective. Maybe because it’s too close to home?
The ending to this tale of husbands and wives is very clever and quite sinister. I really wanted to talk to someone about it and think this book would make a great book club pick. How far are we as wives willing to go to get our husbands to pull their weight?
Nora is every woman and I think anyone who is married with children can relate to her day-to-day life as an attorney. I’m not sure someone who has not been such a situation would enjoy this book as much. I enjoyed the Whisper Network and would recommend you read that one first to see how talented this author is.
Thank you for the review copy MacMillan and NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book and will be on the look out for more from this promising author.

This is a reverse Stepford wife story, where a community of women has begun training their husbands to be helpful to the point of ingratiating. This was an enjoyable read mostly because of the protagonist Nora Spangler stumbling through to the truth.

A couple of drawbacks: the faux-feminist rhetoric turned grating fairly early on, and Nora and Hayden’s relationship was a bit underdeveloped. It suffered from too much telling (Nora telling us she actually loves Hayden) and not enough showing (it really doesn’t seem like she does).

Overall, I had fun with this novel and the creepy, murderous Karen types.

3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4 for the enjoyability factor!

I am grateful to both the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Chandler Baker’s “The Whisper Network”, I was excited to see she was coming out with The Husbands. Chandler Baker’s The Husbands lived up to my expectations!

Nora is a relatable, married mom of one who feels like everything falls to her. When she falls in love with a house and it’s community in Dynasty Ranch, everything starts to change for the better…or does it? All of the husbands help around the house without complaint, but how? And how does Nora get her husband to do the same?

In this page-turning feminist mystery, readers will laugh out loud, nod in agreement, and think “wtf”. Married and unmarried, mothers and non-mothers alike can relate to this book.

Interesting thriller with some great twists. A very creepy premise brought to life nicely. Some further polishing of the writing could make it even better. The narrator does a great job of bringing the characters to life. Overall, a good read.

This story really pulled me in right away, it is very relatable for any busy parent. The main character Nora is a lawyer who is up for partner, has a toddler and is also pregnant with her second child. Her husband helps out somewhat but she doesn't think it should be called "helping" for him to take care of his own child and home. When they go house-hunting in an exclusive suburban neighbourhood, they meet a group of moms who really do seem to have it all, with husbands who are so helpful, they seem like a male version of stepford wives. Of course this got my spider senses tingling.. and things unfurl rapidly when Nora is asked to represent one of her new friends in a wrongful death case and discovers all kinds of secrets. Allyson Ryan did a great job of expressing the voices and personalities of all the different characters in the audiobook, and kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the final word.

Thank you very much to The Walking Book Club, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

This novel is like the Stepford Wives, only the husbands are the creepy cookie-cutter zombies, made to be the perfect men for their significant other.
Nora Spangler is a busy working wife and mother who would just like some help from her husband. She is expecting their second child while trying to make partner at her prestigious law firm.
She also packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. How is that fair?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women with enviably supportive husbands, because "they work so hard." When she agrees to help with a resident’s wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. Everything seems easier in Dynasty Ranch. The women there are not ready to crack.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that’s worth killing for. A must-read for the summer! And a tricky ending will not disappoint. :)
*Special thanks to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for this early e-audio version of The Husbands.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an advanced audio copy of The Husbands by Chandler Baker. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

This book started off so strong. From the opening paragraph I was hooked by the wonderful witty writing and biting social commentary. We meet Nora, an overworked under appreciated wife, mother, employee. While Nora & her husband each have a profession outside the home, somehow all the everyday tasks fall on Nora. Whether it’s paying the bills, picking up the dry cleaning, preparing meals, carpooling, buying birthday gifts or arranging date nights while her husband seems to always get a free pass. When Nora meets a group of ladies who all seem to have the “perfect” husband, she silently wishes her husband could be “programmed” to change. Well, don’t we all know the saying…be careful what you wish for.
This was a fun take on the Stepford Wives but it unfortunately fizzled midway through the book. The story became campy and absurd. Almost too exaggerated and silly. I found myself losing interest. There’s a slight mystery and some hints of a twist but when all is revealed there isn’t much of a surprise.

The audio narration was really well done and I thought the author raised some really important issues about expectations, equality, parenting and responsibility. Is it possible for a woman to have it all? This would be a perfect summer time bookclub pick and would especially appeal to women who are managing young families and careers.

I think tighter editing could have turned this from a good book to a GREAT book.

Wow, what an interesting story. It is a well crafted, creepy, ominous gripping story. Women can have it all, but not all at once. Same goes for men, except they generally leave it all to the women in their lives and are clueless when they ask for help doing things like raising their own children, feeding them and heaven forbid having to do a load of laundry. The nerve of us to expect help, because aren’t they the more important ones even though both in the relationship hold jobs outside of the home. Nora and her sweet, but oblivious husband are looking for a new gone. It drew me in immediately. Nora and her sweet, but oblivious husband are looking for a new home for their growing family. They look in a neighborhood that is filled with strong empowered women who have husbands who seem to spend their days living to make the lives of their wives better, easier and more satisfying. What are they doing differently than she is? As she becomes more involved with the women and even represents one of them in a serious legal matter she has more questions, concerns and wonders if what is happening is legal. It is more combo slow burn mystery/thriller. Interesting and will draw you in with the concept. It does get a bit wordy and at times takes too long to get to a point, but it was a good and interesting listen.

The Husbands is a fictional look at the inequality of the genders when it comes to just about everything, but it pays particular attention to couples raising a family. While the plot is indeed a mystery, it is at the same time a critical commentary of the many roles women play in order to "have it all." I think readers will especially enjoy the "creep factor" and Stepford Wives reverse modern retelling that this novel takes on. I found the narrator to be a wonderful fit for the material, and as a reader, I was thoroughly engaged. The pacing of the narrator's speech was spot on as well. This is not a passive whodunit novel, but one that will cause the reader to really ponder if the means truly does justify the end. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced listeners' copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.