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

Three women..Each with a specific set of problems. All in turmoil. Together they develop an App for the work that women do. Running the kids, walking the dog, arranging appointments, filling out paperwork and so on.
It turns out to be a successful venture,, and while the ladies work towards their goals they find a happy stage of their lives.
A good read. Good for vacations or work travel. You don’t need to think this one thru, just enjoy the ride.
I recommend. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

I mean, anyone who can quote The Princess Bride has to be good, right?!

Admittedly, this book began slowly for me. The motivations of the three main characters are a bit vague. (First Wives Club did it better.)

Lauren was the most difficult for me to connect with initially, but by the end, she was my favorite. Perhaps it was her growing interactions and relationship with her daughters that really worked for me. Into the Woods! And home before dark. And her ultimate strength in adversity, especially where he friends are concerned, is admirable

Sophie is the kind of frail-but-strong character I usually gravitate toward. And the LGBTQIA+ rep is appreciated! Madeline is the character that gels the three together, but has the least characterization, in my opinion.

I really enjoyed the idea of this story. Friends creating an app to hire Wives to help with their workload is an interesting idea. And I'm sure something we have all thought we could need at different points in our lives. I enjoyed the peak into each of the woman's life and all the struggles that they faced. The story just felt a little too dragged out for me.

I don't think I was expecting to love this one as much as I did. I thought the concept of the Wife App was so interesting and I was rooting for the women the whole time. This really did highlight female friendships as well as the importance of a woman's role not only in a marriage but in life. I kept cheering for Lauren every time something went well. I liked how this was paced and I really enjoyed the alternating POV's from all three women. I liked that this showcased different ways to be a wife or a mother and that there isn't just one right way. I thought this was sharp and I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you to Simon Books for the ARC to read and review!

The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler feels like a very timely book for me. As a stay-at-home-mom, I wonder about my value to my family sometimes compared to the lack of compensation and support that I receive in return. The mental load disparity is real. I also related to the feeling of jealousy while viewing social media accounts of women who seem to have it all. I enjoyed reading from the perspective of the different characters.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Wife App
Carolyn Mackler

Redefining the definition of marriage and gender related duties within marriage is the primary focus of this book. Three New York City ladies, Lauren, Madeline and Sofia come together in the creation and development of The Wife App, an app designed to offer people a chance to outsource the “mental load” of marriage to an outside party via an app. All three come from very different backgrounds and have unique stories. Lauren is a recently divorced mother of two and works as a computer programmer. The Wife App starts off as her project, but quickly Madeline and Sofia come on board.

This book was a fast, fun read. I loved the New York City setting. One thing I would have appreciated would have been more likable men. Just about every male character in the book was pretty horrid, the only man I didn’t want to strangle didn’t show up until the last few pages of the book.

In a world of apps, a wife app for all the tasks needed to keep a family going and help a working mom (single or otherwise) has got to be the best and most creative. Three cheers to the three women that come up with the idea over drinks, to flushing out the concept, launching it and then making it work. Each woman brought her own story, strength and perspective to the business and they all grew individually in the process. I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their struggles. Mackler was able to bring into writing what it's like to be a wife and what is expected of them. She captured Sophie, Lauren, and Madeline 's feelings so well that I was feeling everything with them. I love all the women empowerment in this book and it's view of the work force and the way the world works.

It starts a lot of interesting conversations and challenges gender roles in relationships. It also mentions topics like sex work and bridging the economic divide, but it does it with an airy whimsical voice that's coated heavily in sarcasm.

I liked the topic, the plot, and the characters until the last 80 or so pages. That is when the story starts to wrap up but out was wrapped up with a nice bow that I didn't want. It was very anticlimactic and everything worked out a little too well. I get that that is the point of the book, that women can have it all but wives are no longer doing their work for free, but there were too many good consequences in the end. It was hard to believe that everything worked out for the characters that smoothly.

If you want a character driven story with feminist topics and a motivational feel then this is your next book.

#TheWifeApp #SimonBooksBuddy @SimonBooks @CarolynMacklerBooks

Clever premise with good female friendships. Seemed to try to fit in many of todays societies issues - parenting, relationships, gender, etc. - which while important seemed a bit forced. Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Premise of this book is really great - three friends in bad relationships figure out that women (and men) need to unload their "Mental Load" - and who better to do that than a "wife"?!! So they invent "The Wife App", which is kind of like a virtual assistant who is good at all the thankless tasks that usually fall on a wife.

The story is told from the perspective of each woman (Sophie, Lauren, and Madeline) in rotating chapters. It mainly follows each woman's life regarding her kids, work, and relationships. I found it interesting but a bit cliche, especially some of the ways sex is discussed.

This probably would be a good choice to discuss Mental Loads in a group/book club setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. #sponsored

—4/5 stars—
Thank you to NetGalley, Carolyn Mackler, and the publisher for this ARC opportunity! All opinions shared are my own.

About the book
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Age: adult
Genres: contemporary, romance, general fiction
Writing: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
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My thoughts:
This was a great read. I genuinely to my core enjoyed 99.5% of this book. This story felt reminiscent of a modern day “First Wives Club” in the BEST way possible! It was told from 3 perspectives and following 3 close friends.
The pacing of this book was wonderful. Sophie was easily my favorite character just due to how she was written. This band of friends felt very natural and I could see this existing in the real world which is exactly what kept me gripped.
I wish we saw more of Lauren’s ending, but it still felt natural. I just wanted more of her since it felt she breathed so much life into this.
My only true criticism is on the use of the exclamation marks within the writing. They stood out to be in an unnatural way. I would place the sentences they were used into a situation where it felt like I was listening to the character’s thoughts. That aside, I go back to my original point of it feeling paced well.
Thank you again for this opportunity and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy to share with my friends!

3.5 stars!
The concept of this book was really interesting to me, and the author definitely knows how to get a person engaged from the very first page. That said, overall, this premise felt a bit like “struggling ex wives forget that personal assistants exist”, and for me the plot never quite fully addressed that issue.
There were some funny moments, unexpected moments, definitely worth checking out if you’re interested!