4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


This book was so much fun! A book about women who are fierce, yet still struggle with self-esteem. I loved this one.

Madeline, Sophie, and Lauren are best friends in New York City. Madeline had a very amicable divorce with her ex when he took a job in London. Sophie had a very toxic break from her husband, who has since remarried. And Lauren, well, she’s in for quite the ride with her husband. Sophie and Lauren are practically life long friends, Madeline came into the group when they were in a CPR class together.

One night when the three are out together, the three come up with an idea for an app that would outsource wife duties - not the sexual kind, but the stuff wives/moms do every single day. Errands, school stuff, organizing things for the hubby’s work. All those things that women do but never get paid to do. At first Sophie and Madeline think it’s a joke, but Lauren really dives in and decides to move forward.

It’s a book that allows you to see three women as comrades, not competitors. They cheer for each other’s successes. They work together to find the best way to accomplish things. They grow and change. They learn to say no. It’s really an evolution from start to finish. There are pitfalls along the way but they confront and deal with them. A great novel about moving forward.

Mackler is a fabulous writer. The story is full of charm and wit. (And a little bit of sex here and there.) While she does somewhat wrap up the women’s stories, I would still love to see more of them, and where the future takes them.

I had such an emotional response to this book!

As a wife and mom I know all to well the mental load that we carry. I was fired up by all the unfair situations The Wife App illuminated. After reading I felt the need to thank my husband for sharing our load and being a true partner in our relationship.

I thoroughly enjoyed each individual story in the book as well as the overarching story. It was a truly satisfying read.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this beautiful story.

I loved the storyline of this book! I felt the need to write down whose exes and kids were whose to keep track while I was reading, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. My biggest issue was the use of the c word during some of the spicy scenes. I grew up being taught that it is a bad/derogatory term towards women, so it is off putting when I read it in a book. Other than that, I loved the LGBT representation that I wasn’t expecting but was a pleasant surprise.

Pros: This book delves a bit into emotional labor. We should be talking more about the invisible burdens that fall to default parents, and how those default parents tend to be female.
Women are shown having sexual agency.
There's a queer romance!

Cons: It's never clear how the characters or the author feels about sex work, it's place in our society, and then emotional and social burdens that come with that as well.
There's a fair amount of hand-waving to make the app and all that it can do feel like a success.

First thank you netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was immediately intrigued by the concept of this story - an app that monetizes the load that wives/mothers carry for their family. While the story was interesting it fell a bit flat for me and was hard to stay engaged with. The characters were a hard to relate to and some of the intimate scenes were cringey at best. That being said I do appreciate the acknowledgment of the mental labors wives/mothers deal with and some of the representation the book has.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book as an advanced readers copy.

This was my first time reading Carolyn Mackler and I LOVED the book. This is a quick read! First off, where is this app in real life? This book is so incredibly relatable as a mom, wife, daughter, etc.The book takes the viewpoint of 3 different women (switching pov throughout - my favorite!), all with different lives. Single mom, recently divorced mom and chooses to be single mom. This is LGBTQ+ supportive. I found it to be a wonderful take on the real life mental load that we are expected to take on as women. While reading this I felt heard but I didn't feel like this was a biography, I liked that it was a book of fiction still with humor sprinkled throughout. There is romance in the book too which is always a plus!

My only complaint is that the ending feels almost abrupt. It was a decent ending but leaves you wanting more of the book. What happens to the women, the app, the kids? I'm,? Just hoping this leads to a second book to focus on their new lives.

9/10 for this one!

I really enjoyed the premise of the book and it was compelling enough to keep my attention but I really wasn’t blown away by it. It wasn’t boring per se but it also wasn’t exciting. There were a few weird plot holes and storylines that made you scratch your head. I really enjoyed the characters though and how they were relatable in different ways.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review.

Okay so we know as wives we do soooo much to keep our units functioning in daily life. The mental load can get heavy..and can get heavy quick. Well one night bestfriends, Madeline, Lauren and Sophie are having drinks and the app is brought up in a “wouldn’t this be great” type of convo. Fast forward and they come together to make it a reality. We get to follow their individual stories and see how they manage everyday life and how the app is truly life changing for all of them. Just imagine how many downloads this app would have if it was in our real lives. Highly recommend this amazing book!!

Is there an app for that?

Behold, The Wife App! This story gives us some laughs and some thoughtful moments.

A lot of women will relate to the difficulty of balancing work, family, and friendships, in a world that expects so much and gives so little.

While I was nodding along to a lot of the commentary, I didn't really like or connect with any of the characters. I did, however, appreciate their emotional growth along the way.

The app this story revolves around was designed to help ease the mental load of the average woman. But most middle class families in need of the services don’t have expendable income. This issue, mentioned in passing at one point, was never fully addressed, which was unfortunate.

Overall, an interesting premise that missed the mark for me.

I really liked the concept of this book a lot. I was instantly intrigued by the idea of an app where you can sign up and then fairly pay someone to do the never ending tasks that seem to traditionally fall on the wife in our society. I loved that a piece of what they were doing was to help highlight the value of that work and hopefully change the way marriage works in our society. The three main characters all take turns telling their story and while the story was well written, there was something that made it hard to truly connect with the three women. I did love the queer representation, and I don’t just mean with a relationship but in the positive support for a child questioning gender identity and having women/men/non-binary folks be Wives on the app. This was my first one by Carolyn Mackler, but it was a light, fun, and entertaining read so I will definitely find more of her books.

The premise was interesting, but there was a lot of dialog with "As you know," and "You remember that." The reader wasn't trusted to be smart and able to follow along--there was a lot of reminding the reader of things. Then, too, there were some come-on, not credible moments.

This book was funny and light-hearted while taking on the hard task of mental load in relationships. Mental load has started taking the spotlight recently and I love that it was brought to light in a story. I very much enjoyed reading it!

3.5 stars

This was an above average read but maybe that depends on expectations. If you were expecting a solid romance, this one has romance aspects to it. If you were expecting a feminist manifesto, there is a bit of that too. But mostly it's just a story with some interesting twists.

Three very different women get out of marriages that didn't work. All have kids and all felt their time and efforts were not valued. There is a definite male-bashing vibe at times, understandable as two of the husbands are awful, one an entitled stoner, and one a serial customer of prostitutes.

They come up with an app that supplies (non-sexual and non-child care) labor for tasks normally associated with wives: school registrations, social planning, organizing photos, stocking new houses, planning kids birthday parties, etc. They require married couples to both sign off on using the service. The "wives" are not always women. They sign up separately and match opportunities.

Threaded into the story of the business start-up (conceived by one of the three women with a tech background, and organized by another of the women, a former MBA candidate) are the tales of their personal lives and their children.

It took me a while to connect with the characters but overall, an interesting read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this book! The writing was witty, the subject matter was fresh and smart, and the characters were real but likeable. I found myself thinking that this book touched on so many hard issues in society right now (children with gender questions, infidelity, sexuality, custody) and of course the main topic - wives carrying a much heavier mental loud than their male partners. Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie were all great moms and great friends to each other while also being boss business women. The idealism in this book is very high and at times everything going right could border on unrealistic. But I read to escape reality, so this was a win for me :)

Three best friends out at dinner and sharing challenges they have faced as wives joke about an app that you could use to hire people (men or women) to complete tasks for a fee that "wives" have done for years with no pay. One of the women, Lauren, goes home and creates the app. She gets her friends, Madeline and Sophie, on board and they move forward with The Wife App. It is hugely successful, and the women begin a search for investors to grow the app while trying to raise their children, navigate relationships, and continue to grow and build the app. I liked all three of the main characters and their storylines. I really enjoyed the book and the novelty of the plot. This was the first book I have read by Carolyn Mackler. I will definitely be looking her up and reading some more of her works. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

The clever premise of this book immediately grabbed my attention and the story did not disappoint. This is a fast read and hugely relatable. I could see book clubs really getting into this!

"The Wife App" by Carolyn Mackler is a delightful and entertaining novel that explores the themes of friendship, empowerment, and the complexities of modern relationships. With a mix of humor and heartwarming moments, Mackler delivers a story that captivates readers from start to finish.

Three close friends—Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie—who felt neglected by their ex-husbands resolve to take charge of their lives in the novel. They develop an app that immediately becomes the buzz of New York City, driven by a desire to commercialize the mental burden of a wife. The results, however, take an unexpected turn when life and love step in, resulting in personal growth and a celebration of female friendship.

One of the highlights of "The Wife App" is the portrayal of the strong bond between the three main characters. Mackler skillfully captures the essence of female friendship, showcasing the support, loyalty, and understanding that exists among these women. Their camaraderie serves as a driving force throughout the novel, adding depth and authenticity to the story.

Mackler's writing style is engaging and filled with humor, making the book a pleasure to read. The witty dialogue and clever plot twists keep the reader entertained and invested in the characters' journeys. The author successfully balances the lighthearted moments with more serious themes, such as personal tragedies and self-discovery, creating a well-rounded narrative that appeals to a wide range of readers.

While the initial grouchiness of the women may be off-putting to some readers, it is important to note that their characters evolve and become more relatable as the story progresses. The transformation of the women is a key aspect of the book, allowing readers to witness their growth and empathize with their struggles.

Overall, "The Wife App" is a highly enjoyable novel that combines humor, friendship, and self-discovery in a refreshing and engaging manner. Carolyn Mackler's debut into adult fiction is a success, demonstrating her talent for storytelling and her ability to craft compelling characters. I would highly recommend this book to readers who appreciate women's fiction and stories that celebrate the power of friendship.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and Carolyn Mackler for providing me with an eARC of "The Wife App" in exchange for an honest review.

Madeleine is a trust-fund baby who also has an amicable divorce and is devoted to her daughter, Sophie is a divorced teacher and mother to two sons, one of whom has issues. Lauren is a newly divorced mother of two girls and is also a web developer. She divorced her husband because she found out he was paying for hand jobs from some random women. And that’s when she gets a brilliant idea.

If only there were an app that could outsource all the thankless jobs wives and moms are traditionally saddled with. So Lauren develops the Wife App, which offers any spouse service besides sex. She pours almost all of her divorce settlement into the app and is interested in finding backers. Sophie, Lauren and Madeleine start out as the first “spouses,” and the app has a soft launch with just a few New York zip codes being offered.

The app gets off to a great start, and the author does a good job of showing how these women balance their personal and professional lives. As the app becomes more successful, additional spouses are hired to take on additional work. There are quite a few conversations about class and privilege, and the women decide to offer a sliding scale for payment.

The success and expansion of the app still has the trio looking for a big-time investor, and they each have to deal with their burgeoning romantic lives, too. I have to admit there were a couple of random sex scenes that seemed forced and weren’t needed; however, I can see how the author might need to show the women express a sense of empowerment in all aspects of their life, including their sex life.

The book kind of dragged during the last 20%, but all came to a satisfying conclusion. I especially like Sophie’s resolution. It wasn’t unexpected because of foreshadowing, but found it a nice twist to the story.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this book! A lot of my married/mom friends can absolutely relate to these characters and I’ve heard them have some of the very same struggles/challenges in marriage and motherhood. I love the idea of the 3 best friends going into business together and the girl squad aspect of the story. I appreciated the LGBTQ representation in this story.

The Wife App follows three best friends, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie, who, while divorced, continue to do all the work when it comes to parenting. After a night out, they decide to create an app to monetize on all the things wives typically do for free. Little did they know how successful it would become, not only for wives but also for husbands.

This book was unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. It was well-written, entertaining and gave off feel-good vibes. Even though the premise is not totally realistic, as I think there would be a lot of legal issues with an app like this, it is still easy to relate to the characters and themes in the story. I enjoyed how big of a role the main characters’ kids played, which balanced nicely with their evolving romances. Also, if you are an audiobook fan, I loved listening to the story, and each POV had their own narrator!

Read if you like:
-Feminist and privilege themes
-Alternative POVs
-Family drama
-NYC setting

Thank you Simon Books for the ARC! Pub date 6/27