This one is a hard one for me to rate. The Wife App follows the intertwining personal, professional, and romantic lives of three close friends who decide to create an app to help people meet Wives. The Wife App isn’t a dating app, but instead allows people to be matched with Wives who will take on the many tasks that often fall to women in relationships. More than the cooking and cleaning, Wives take on the mental load and show that the value of the free labor women do everyday. It’s a cool idea, and while not entirely the focus of the book, is interesting to see highlighted.

However, if you’re a young woman trying really hard not to be jaded by the way men are socialized and how difficult it can be to find a partner who is willing to actually partner with you instead of having you act as their second mom, this book will not help in those efforts. I often felt EXTREMELY frustrated for the characters and reading the things that they had to navigate with their exes. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing, but I do think it mad me not necessarily enjoy the book.

In this book, we get to read the point of view of each friend. At first it was hard to keep track because the women didn’t really seem to have distinct personalities, but over the course of the novel, we got to see them grow and change. While the impetus for them creating the app made me roll my eyes and say “Y’all need therapy”, I think this was a story where we got to see each character grow and develop. I was proud of them and happy for them in the end.

All in all, I think I can finally come to terms with the fact that I’m not a fan of “women’s fiction”, but still be able to appreciate a book for the ride it takes me on.

Maybe I should read Fairplay as a palette cleanser.

3.5 rounded to 4

I thought the premise was cute and empowering, however, I felt it dragged and I lost interest along the way. Lots of complaining by the characters which took away from the plot and not enough focus on the positive of living. I felt the author had to throw everything they could in and used too many stereotypes especially about men. Some content too smutty and too much information that did not add to the story. While I agree that many women are taken for granted and undervalued in what they do as a wife and mother, it just was not the book for me, a bit of a downer. No humor, no joy, no feel-good vibe. Some may enjoy this book, but I felt it was average.
Many thanks for #netgalley #thewifeapp #carolynmackler #simonandschuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an eARC of this novel! I thought it was a really interesting concept that was somewhat unexciting in its execution. I wish the romance introduced had actually been fleshed out and not rushed into the last chapter. Also, things happened (Beatrice and Sophie getting together is the most prominent example) that I honestly did not see coming. I like when a book surprises me, and the little clues are somewhat there in hindsight, but I do think it could have been set up better. I also don't think I am the target audience for this book, so I am keeping that in mind when I say that while I wouldn't necessarily say it is a must-read, there are definitely people who will really enjoy its themes and the issues it tackles.

Three friends are contemplating where they are in their lives. They each know that there’s something missing but are seeking a new path. One thing they can agree on is the things a wife is expected to do with no appreciation or compensation. They decide to start an app where they can do some of the things they are very good at and get paid for it. It starts out small and locally. Soon it blows up and they each search for the strengths within themselves. They characters are very well developed and their individual journeys are quite thought provoking.

Also reviewed on B&N (1IrishEyes430) and Kobo (IrishEyes430)

THE WIFE APP was an interesting premise that certainly resonated with me. As a mom of three young boys I am constantly wishing I had another "me" to get things done. Where this one fell short for me was the use of graphic language, particularly relating to intimate scenes. Personally I could have done without the graphic language which was distracting from me. Overall, this story was just OK for me but I would give the author another try in the future.

This was a very interesting story line as soon as I saw it in my inbox I downloaded it immediately.
I really enjoyed the three POV's and how an app is formed/created. After finding out what you do for free it all adds up pretty quickly.

My thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an jonest review.

The Wife App is a great concept for a story, I just felt like it fell short when wrapping everything up. I wanted more. Cute, easy read!
3 stars

First of all - WOW! This was an incredible & engaging read. I struggled to put it down. It kept my attention from cover to cover. Without giving away the storyline - it honed in on something very real; I’m a wife myself, & the mental loads spouses in general take on for free can be quite taxing. The new spin Lauren, Madeline, & Sophie put on being a “wife” was great, & made for an overall fun story. 10/10 recommend; 5 stars. Bravo, author Carolyn Mackler - a new auto-read author for me!

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book: what if there was an app that could help tackle all the invisible labor that often gets left to one person in a partnership? The story is told through three friends POV, Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie. All of whom are trying to raise kids and do it all without losing their minds and dealing with horrible exes.

Overall, I found this book entertaining and a very easy read. I became engrossed in the story from the get go, and I wanted to see how the author tackled this topic. Sophie was easily my favorite character, and I loved her character growth and where her story went by the end.

One thing that I was hesitant going in was it was mostly going to be a rich people problems type book. At times it definitely was. I also wish one of the characters had still been married/in a committed relationship instead of only having these scum of the earth exes. The load is often unbalanced even in good relationships, and it would have been interesting to see that POV explored more in this story.

This is one of those stories where the great idea didn’t translate into a great book. I enjoyed the first third of the book, then it feel meandering, directionless, and trying to cover too much ground (tackle lots of different topics).

There was also a lot more logistical detail about the creation of an app than I thought was needed for a chick-lit novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

- THE WIFE APP is part social commentary, part juicy beach read.
- I loved that the three main characters all came to the Wife App from different vantage points. Even though on the surface their lives were quite similar, they all had different reasons for participating. I very much enjoyed the gossipy, juicy social and relationship dramas they all went through during the launch of the app (PS - the cover doesn't say it, but this book is queer!)
- The book only touches briefly on the class aspect of an app like this - how this is simply transferring the mental loads of wealthy women onto gig workers - but doesn't really do anything about it. It seemed like the author was checking a box here so as not to get dinged for it.

This book has an interesting premise, but just enough cringy moments to knock it down in rating. Everyone could use a "wife" at times, but the way they went about this sometimes just seems so cringe. On top of that, I felt myself grind my teeth everything they referred to business school as b school. BRB, scheduling a dentist appointment now because it happened so frequently. this was a light 3 star read for me.

Lauren, Madeline, and Sophie are friends who come up with an idea to help wives and mothers outsource the mental load of work that tends to fall on women instead of men in marriages. As a working mom who is the one who handles everything for the kids, now I want a Wife App to hire people to help me schedule appointments, remember birthday parties and buy gifts, and do all of the little things that take up so much mental space. I loved the friendships between the 3 women and the story was a perfect blend of brain candy, feminism, and heart.

I liked the idea of this book but, it overall just wasn't enough for me. I did enjoy reading this as it had some funny bits that made me laugh out loud too. The ending I thought was just okay. I overall wanted to like this book more than I did b/c I mean come on who wouldn't want a wife app. Maybe it was just me and the mood I was in reading it though?

If you could outsource the mental load, would you? As a working mother I am very familiar with the buzz terms of today- default parent, mental load and like many I struggle with navigating and managing all those like the main characters, Lauren and her friends Madeline and Sophie. The mental load for this three NYC women is compounded by the fact that it led to the demise of their marriages ( along with cheating, alcoholic among others). As the navigate solo parenting ( but really they were already doing it before their divorces, co-parenting, and dating and sex post divorce they come with an revolutionary idea to help other women by creating The Wife App. The Wife App lets spouses outsource some of the more mundane task that keep life, marriages and parenthood flowing. As she scales up in her creation she learns a lot about herself and the modern motherhood.

This book seemed to move at a fast pace which was good and sometimes too much. I did find the story pretty unbelievable overall. Maybe that was due to how fast the book moved but there were just many plot elements that were just too rushed. Getting the app up to usage without a real business plan, few negative experiences that were glossed over, Beatrice and Sophie to name a few. I enjoyed the idea and the story and read the book pretty quickly but the large holes in the story dampened the story a bit for me.

First, I was very intrigued by the premise of this book and the beginning was so much fun. I’m sure most partners (wives or otherwise) can relate to the feeling of having too much mental load in the relationship. The Wife App was a cute idea and I enjoyed the majority of the plot surrounding it. I also enjoyed the personal growth experienced by the main characters and in some of their relationships, like Madeline with her daughter.

However, for a book with such a humorous fix to a relatable situation, I was disappointed that the book didn’t include more conversations with partners about correcting the imbalance in their relationship. While the app was fun, it seemed to take up a majority of the book and I would have preferred more ‘offline’ plot in the second half of the book.

Second, I discovered a trope that I really dislike, and that is insta-love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC! I was so intrigued by the premise: three friends create an app for people to be paid to take on others’ mental load? Can this be a real thing? 😂 I loved all three of the main characters and their stories. Each of the three women felt developed and realized & had their unique personal journey they went on simultaneously as the app was developed and took off. A refreshing, different plot and great characters - it’s a win for me. 4.5 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

The Wife App is a clever story about something most wives/partners dream of- outsourcing some of the mental load and physical load of being a wife and mother. Three best friends decide they’re finally done with their ex-husbands taking their work as wives and moms for granted. The writing is well done and the idea is very clever. I read the book quickly and wondered if this app actually exists. I would recommend this to all of my friends.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Simon&Schuster

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 women, especially in heteronormative relationships, in our society is VERY intriguing. As someone who advocates for Fair Play (the book, the card game, and the act) this concept had me HOOKED!
A piece of what they are doing helps highlight the value of work that often falls to women and hopefully change the way marriage works in our society.

I liked the premise but execution wasn't at 100 for me....I enjoyed reading it and there were some quirky bits that made me laugh. But overall I wanted to love this more than I did.

(I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley sending me a free eARC. All of the statements above are my own opinions.)

Three best friends reach their breaking point with their ex-husbands taking them for granted as wives and mothers. Determined to turn the tables, they embark on a thrilling journey of monetizing the mental load while sticking it to their exes.

In this engaging tale, we follow the lives of three best friends as they navigate the inaugural year of The Wife App, sparked by one friend's divorce from her unfaithful husband. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between these women, whose contrasting personalities somehow blend harmoniously. The triple point of view is seamlessly handled, with clear chapter headings indicating whose perspective we're delving into. While I can't vouch for the technological accuracy of the app's startup process, the insider peek into that world was undeniably entertaining.

The alternating perspectives of the three women added layers of intrigue and depth to the storyline. Overall, I found this book to be an endearing and enjoyable read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to others seeking a delightful escape into a world of friendship and empowerment.