Following the rise of popularity in celebrity-centered books led by Taylor Jenkins Reid in 2021, The Work Wife takes the model of addictive reads about Hollywood and celebrity life and makes it a platform to bring awareness to injustices faced in the film and celebrity industry. At every turn, Allison Hart imbeds a story of female and minority empowerment, with many references to the #metoo movement, impacts of poverty and addiction, and the struggle to maintain one's identity in a society that values complacency.

The Work Wife tells the story of a single-day philanthropic event put on by the famous direct Tom Stabler and his wife Holly (and their team of staff that the story centers on). Unbeknownst to them becomes the attempt to uncover the silenced injustices faced within the film industry that the couple may be trying to hide.

The story takes the approach of three narrators:
1. Suzanne “Zanne” interim chief of staff for Ted
2. Phoebe Ted’s ex-directing partner who got blackballed by Hollywood
3. Holly current wife of Ted

Every woman has a story of abuse or directly knows of someone who does. Each woman in The Work Wife is directly impacted by big-shot director Ted's life and takes different approaches to make amends with their experiences with him. I loved the fact that the entire book took place in the course of one day, which kept the book going at an amazing pace, couldn't put it down, finished in one day.

Post scheduled to go live February 20th, 2022 at 10:30am on RX One Book a Week
https://rxonebookaweek.wordpress.com/2022/02/20/the-work-wife-allison-b-hart/

Thank you so much to #Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

There is a lot to digest in this book. Its a stark reminder of the #metoo movement and the story closely mirrors once of the first and most important example of the #metoo movement.

I don't want to write too much until the book is out in July. One thing is for sure...this will be the perfect book club read.

Absolutely brilliant and unputdownable book.

I read a lot of thrillers and I was pleasantly surprised by how unique and original this book is; I recommend highly!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to read

A golden feminist-fiction debut! Three women–the wife, the work wife, and the former wife of a big-time Hollywood director–each prepare themselves for a long day filled with speeches, pitches and an extravagant Hollywood party where their worlds collide and ugly truths enter the limelight. I was blown away with the amount of character, depth, and deep understanding of the emotional and physical abuse that women have suffered through for a chance at stardom in Hollywood. This book is a very fiery reminder that the #MeToo movement is still as impactful as when it started in 2017, and there are still a lot of silent voices–not just victims, voices–waiting to be heard, to be recognized, to become. You’ll want to finish this in one swoop.

This is a very well written and enjoyable read that has a lot to say about some very current events. However, I'm not sure there was a whole lot of newness here- but I would definitely recommend!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley or the review copy, opinions are my own!

Thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House for giving me the opportunity to read this e-galley. I am a personal assistant/executive assistant myself, so I was really excited to read this book. The aspect of working in a wealthy household as an assistant was pretty darn accurate. Being asked last minute for crazy tasks (acquire a giraffe) and you just have to DO it. I really liked that aspect of the story. Unfortunately the characters just did not draw me in and I didn't find myself excited to pick up the kindle for this book. I feel like there were too many dull parts in between the good parts and eventually I gave up. I have until July to pick it back up and finish it, which I may do when I have a bit more patience.

Over the course of one day, a billionaire family and their staff must contemplate their past, present, and what is to come...both together and individually. Zanne is up for a promotion to be the Chief of Staff for the Stablers, who are insanely rich Hollywood royalty. Holly Stabler must contend with her public self and her private life, while her husband, Ted, only manages to survive based on what his staff tells him. As the day moves in a crescendo to the huge fundraiser at the Stabler estate, each person comes across moments when they must decide what is best for them versus what is best for everyone. And which option will win out?

The Work Wife comes at a time when #metoo may seem to be fading from the public eye but is never forgotten. Addressing issues including race, the story of the Stabler family, and their staff each grapples with what is right. I found myself simultaneously liking and disliking every primary character in the book, including Phoebe, who used to work with Ted at his studio until she disappeared from the limelight. Overall, I found the story engaging and finished it in under two days! I look forward to reading more from Alison Hart in the future!

This book is timely in that it addresses the continued fallout from the me too movement, and how women are treated in a male dominated profession. I wanted to shake Ted Stabler and say quit being such an a$$hole. Just because you make a ton of money you may not treat people the way you do..

The story unfolds in one day; the day of a chi chi party in Hollywood. The three women Holly, Phoebe and Zanne all have a role to play in how the day unfolds and the back story of Ted Stabler's rise to power.

It will be a good addition to public library collections, as there seems to a continued desire for me too stories, and people always want to read about the rich and famous

Full review coming soon. I ADORED this one!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alison B Bart, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Triple POV, the wife, the former wife, the work wife. The man is a big Hollywood producer who takes advantage without cognizance, as easily as he breathes. It all happens on a single day, when there's a big fundraiser at the compound to raise money for low-income mothers and the three women compare notes. #metoo
First few chapters sounded like so many romcoms but then it got great, so persevere.
#netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Work Wife.

The Work Wife is one of many books that reference the #MeToo era; the downfall of a media mogul painfully similar to Weinstein in the periphery of a story centered around three very different woman.

Zanne Klein is the personal assistant to Ted Stabler; the creator and wunderkind of a movie trilogy that sounds suspiciously like Star Wars. Zanne is good at what she does; anticipating her employer's needs, planning the event of the season at the Stabler estate and juggling personal issues of her own, she is determined that tonight go off without a hitch.

Holly Stabler is the wife of Ted Stabler; a woman who came from humble origins, now has a household staff of 30 and talks down to those who work for her.

And last but not least is Phoebe Lee, the co-creator of the movie trilogy that brought her business partner and former husband fame and fortune, but only disgrace and obscurity to her when she ran into the likes of the disgraced media mogul now in the headlines.

Each of these women will face their own personal reckoning; to seek justice, to make amends and to right the wrongs of their lives.

I enjoyed an inside look at what a personal assistant does to manage a celebrity household but I found the plot boring.

I didn't sympathize or empathize with any of the characters, except for Phoebe.

I found Zanne pretty bratty despite her age; she worried constantly about keeping her much younger girlfriend, her desperation was pitiful and pathetic. They recently met and already she's envisioning a future with a woman over a decade younger than her.

She was good at her job, but immature emotionally and mentally.

Holly was a caricature of a Hollywood wife; despite the fact she came from humble beginnings, it didn't take her long to treat her employees like servants, being driven around and escorted like she was a queen. She was shallow, superficial and a cliche. Maybe that was the author's intention.

Phoebe was a more relatable character; a woman of color ostracized and blacklisted from the film industry and community and struggling to retain her dignity and seek justice for the wrong that was done to her so many years ago.

The writing is good and the ending is satisfying, but I didn't like the characters or the story.

“Soon that bargain you made with yourself - do this to afford that - starts to look like a deal with the devil. And there are so many devils to choose from.” So ends the author’s notes in this eye-opening, riveting novel by Alison B. Hart that rips the dazzling sheen off Hollywood glamor.

The story is told in the voices of three women during a day spent planning an extravagant party. Holly is mega producer, Hollywood legend Ted Stabler’s wife. Phoebe is his ex-wife and former producing partner. Zanne is his chief of staff, tied to her job by salary. Each women is ambitious in her own way and all have had their lives molded by men in power. By the party’s end, long hidden but suspected secrets are revealed and lives are changed forever.

The Work Wife addresses the MeToo movement with a thinly veiled Harvey Weinstein character but also deals with more subtle emotional abuse and the other difficulties women experience in a male dominated profession. This is an emotional, thought-provoking read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Alison B. Hart for this ARC.

Great premise and execution. It took me a little bit to become invested in the narrative and to feel anxious about Zanne's plight, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This is an entertaining read that will keep you turning the pages. Hart is skilled at portraying the lives of the rich and famous as well as how an "ordinary" person might get swept up in all the ups and downs.

At times, the narrative flow gets interrupted for description (setting, what people are wearing, etc), whereas I wish Hart had woven the description into the story more seamlessly. However, this didn't drastically impact my enjoyment of the novel.

The plot seems well thought out and the ending is satisfying. I'll look forward to more from this author.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Harlequin Trade Publishing and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The perfect book club read.