Thank you NetGalley and the publisher of this book for the advanced copy!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of the TV show, Army Wives, which I also enjoyed. We are not a military family, so it is eye-opening, inspiring and sometimes shocking to learn what a military family goes through. Often, we thank soldiers, but don’t remember that their family is also affected by their service.
This author touched on so many different topics, from politics to religion to abortion. I sometimes got confused with all of the names and couldn’t keep the wives straight, but still got the gist of the book and what was occurring. The end happened a little abruptly as well. I felt like I lived through years with this couple and then, all of a sudden we have a baby and it’s years later. The end felt a little rushed, but I did enjoy living through each deployment and getting to know the ins and outs of military life.

THE WIVES was an intimate look into the life of a woman married to a man in the military. It was fascinating to learn about the “unwritten rules” of military life and the interactions and hierarchy between the wives. I could relate to some of Simone’s experiences of navigating life feeling solitary despite being in a loving and supportive marriage with a husband who also has a demanding career. I enjoyed the themes of creating a life, community, and found family when away from home. Readers who appreciate glimpses into the lives of others will appreciate Simone's memoir.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: April 9, 2024

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this text as an advanced copy through NetGalley.

So, this one was hard for me to finish. I know the title itself suggests the story is meant to focus on the spouses rather than the men leaving to combat, train, etc. I spent a lot of my time feeling bad for her husband.

I did not grow up as a military-child nor am I married to somebody in the military. I am putting that out there before saying that to a certain point, if I were to marry somebody who signed up to serve I would anticipate deployment and time away from his family. Prior to reading this book, I did not realize how much they actually miss, but was that because the military as a whole was active?

The author did a great job of describing the bond that the women established and how they came to rely on each other, and overlook differences that they may not have in "the real world" because that community was who they had to rely on while their husbands were away. She also took us through the anxiety of receiving a red-call... Not knowing exactly why the call was made, Who was hurt, or Which one of her friends she'd have to be a shoulder for.

The reason for the lower rating is because this book comes off more on the side of criticizing the way the military is doing certain things and at times, the author seems to overshare information that isn't necessarily hers to share. Either having to do with the Military or information about other couples/wives.

Earlier this year I really enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s “The Women,” a novel based on the experiences of the Army Corps Nurses during the Vietnam war. That book about those very brave women still sits at the top of my “Best Books of 2024” list. When I read the blurb for “The Wives,” I was immediately intrigued because of the “opposite subject matter” pertaining to the women of wartime. These women were left at home. They had it much easier than those on the front lines, right? Infinitely easier. Yeah. I have read a lot of wartime stories, but never once have I read an entire book about those left behind. How bad could it be? I had to read it to find out!

Andrew, the fiancé of the author Simone, once stated that if he had to choose between her or the Army, he would pick the Army. I was impressed when Simone made the decision to marry him anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound. More like 10,000 pounds. This book is a real eye opener. What these wives had to endure to support their husbands’ desires to serve! It’s no wonder they ended up gravitating to each other. As the men bonded together to form makeshift families during deployment so did the wives back at the base. How hard it must have been for Simone and the other wives to keep stiff upper lips during the cryptic 60-second monitored phone calls that they were allowed to have with their husbands. And how little their husbands could tell them because of the strict rules against sharing ANY info regarding their duties. How difficult that must have been to be unable to communicate feelings openly and honestly and how that in turn would affect the husband-wife relationship. The wives essentially had little choice but to become each other’s support. They understood each other and leaned on each other. They were the ones who would respond in a crisis situation at home as the husbands were unavailable. And what about the knowledge that at any moment their husbands could be killed? Waiting for that ominous knock on the door must have been hellacious. Furthermore, the wives never knew exactly when they would be seeing their husbands again let alone what their mental and physical conditions would be like. And to think this could be their way of life for many years. The loneliness, the shared stress, and the inevitable need for support not surprisingly led to some extremely close and lifelong friendships amongst the wives.

Again, this book is so enlightening. I wondered how these women could cope long term. But cope they did. I found the way Simone sacrificed her own aspirations and more for her marriage incredibly inspiring. I’m not sure I could have done the same. Simone and her husband Andrew made the brave move to periodically engage in couples’ therapy in between his deployments in an attempt to keep their marriage intact. It wasn’t that their love had burned out, but that they had such difficulty relating to each other due to the inevitable breakdown of honest and direct communication.

Though The Wives is a memoir, it reads like a novel. Simone writes beautifully and honestly, and I was engaged almost from the get-go. She is a writer by trade, and I hope she writes another book whether fiction or nonfiction. I will be there with my finger on the Kindle button if she does.

As a final note, I see the reviews here are divided. Reading between the lines I think those with more liberal views will enjoy this book more than those aligned with “The Other Guy.” I hope the former aren’t dissuaded by the latter from reading this most interesting and important memoir. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Simone Gorrino for the advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Highly recommend this book, five out of five stars! This book is beautifully written in a way that has given me deeper empathy and a new understanding of the spousal struggles and friendship relationships formed in the service of our country. My best friend for over twenty years is an army wife and this book has given us new ways to peel back the onion of the feelings and experiences she's had. In our discussion of certain aspects of the book, it brought back memories of her early marriage and child rearing during deployments and gave us a wonderful opportunity to examine the feelings and thoughts associated with that time which has further enriched our friendship.

I was excited to read this memoir since I am an Army Veteran and an Army wife myself. However, I felt like the author was a little whiny and naive about Army life, (which is not for the fans of heart). Sometimes you just have to deal with it because the Army is not just a 9 to 5 job, it's a lifestyle and you don't always have a choice, especially in special forces. There is definitely a bond with certain Military units and between the wives, which I think the author captures nicely. If you enjoyed the show Army Wives (which I do like although it's definitely not real Army wife life) you would probably like this book.

I do like this author's writing style, and she definitely pulls me in and makes me want to read more -- her self-awareness really comes through and keeps her from being insufferable, if that makes any sense. I am a military brat and consciously chose to go a different way in my adult life -- after dating U.S. Army pilots like my grandfather and father, I stepped away, moved away, and married a non-military man. Having grown up in that culture, it seemed a stretch to me how many things she didn't seem to know about, but I look around at my current life and no one I interact with socially now knows them either, so it rings true, it just took a minute for me to step back and see things from her perspective. She always sees herself as an outsider, and I can respect that, as the culture I'm in now, I will always sort of see myself as an outsider in -- military culture is my home. She does a great job of sharing her perspective and connecting with her audience.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of The Wives by Simone Gorrindo. When I first came across this book, it made me think of the TV show, Army Wives, (which I really enjoyed) and it definitely has similarities. This is a non-fiction account of her life as an Army wife. She looks at marriage and friendship and from the her perspective and writes a very insightful story. Definitely recommend.

Simone Gorrindo’s memoir is about her experience when her husband joined an elite Army unit, uprooting their life in NYC and moving them to Georgia. Simone describes her experiences as an Army wife, examining how it impacted her marriage, and more importantly how the women around her lifted her up and became her family. This book is raw and honest in so many ways. Simone goes into detail about her loneliness and struggles to fully support her husband. The genuine connections she made with the other wives were beautiful and so unique, I was so invested in each of their lives while reading.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book was very hard to get through. While I can't say much in the way of technicalities, there weren't like huge glaring errors..but I just dont vibe with her liberal ish ideals and the whole thing felt very whiney... and like she was set out to spill everyone's secrets and berate others who seemed to genuinely want to be her friend and support her..it just was a bad look..

Thank you very much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Wives by Simone Gorrindo. Simone is an army wife who did not expect to be one, and this is her memoir. She and her boyfriend, now husband, were living in NYC when he decided that he wanted to go into the service and if she wanted to be with him, she had to accept that and the life. The first posting was Columbus GA, a world away from New York. This is the story of how the other army wives became so important to her, and helped her navigate her new life and keep her sanity. Really great insight and compelling story. #netgalley #thewives #simonegorrindo #bookstagram #lovetoread #memoir #readallday #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram

This author wrote her first book and I hope she will continue.
Simone never expected her partner to join the armed forces because she had always made clear her objection to the idea.
It was not till he gave her the ultimatum of becoming a military spouse or breaking off the relationship that she decided she could not live without him. What was hard for her was how his attitude changed once he became part of a special unit.
Everything was about his needs during the limited time that they were together, little or no attention given to her feelings and needs.
It was thanks to the support and the camaraderie of other wives that she managed to survive in this marriage.
At times it is heartbreaking to be reading about her live and that of the other wives.
It is a terrific book to read and one I would highly recommend for any young couple that one person considers joining the service. Times have changed but many of these situations are still part of that life. Dealing with the absence of the spouse during training and deployment means you are on your own. The secrecy about what is happening. The fear of losing your loved one is a big possibility that you need to deal with. That kind of life is not for everyone. There are spouses that manage to deal with and others who do not. It does not matter if it is the man or the woman that is in the service It applies in each case.

Positives:
A reminder of what military wives endure while their spouses are off training and fighting for our freedom
Found family, sisterhood theme
A nice glimpse into military life
Strong and fluent writing

Negatives:
I was looking for something a bit more grippping. Maybe a more in-depth look at the other wives lives as well, but overall it was a decent memoir.

What a fascinating memoir. Simone’s husband, Andrew, joins the Army, and they move to small-town Georgia. Simone doesn’t come from a military background, and her husband’s decision was quite a shock to her – maybe to both of them. I enjoyed reading about their day-to-day-life and that of their friends, and I could feel Simone’s tension and fear whenever her husband was deployed. There was a part just past halfway through the book that dragged for me, and in hindsight I think it was because Simone starts complaining and obsessing more, and that grew tiresome. But overall I really enjoyed the book, and I was happy to read the last chapter to find out what the family is doing now. Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Ms. Gorrindo for the ARC of this title.

I loved this memoir - a raw look into the lives of military spouses. Really enjoyed Simone's writing and would definitely read another book from her in the future. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

What a story I feel like there are a lot of stories like this. Being thrust into an army wives situation and truly finding out the power of perseverance. I applaud the author for sharing her story and also being so open with it. I know it must not be an easy road to take but she did it with stride, I liked how the author wrote it so everyone can understand it not just military folks. Bravo.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this one up. I will admit if I hadn’t received a copy from Goodreads and it hadn’t been a bookish first book I may have passed on it. I have little interest in the military or that style of life. I think I enjoyed this book more because I could see myself sliding into that life like Simone did, against her will and full of doubts. I found myself agreeing with Simone’s assessment of the people she came across which helped me to better relate to her since I don’t know that I could give up my home and career and life to be “a wife”. Her writing was excellent and I am in awe at the level of honesty she shared with the readers. While this may be her first book I do not think it will be her last and while she tends to drift more towards essay and non-fiction I hope she ventures into fiction at some point. I think she has plenty of creativity. This book shows the beginning of Simone’s husband Andrew’s career with the military and what Simone sacrificed and found in becoming an army wife.

As part of a military community, I found this book to be too whiney, political and anti-American. It's hard to read a book that is written in such disregard for the military. Military wives need to support each other and their husbands, not share secrets meant to remain secret. Too much complaining!

I liked this book so much, it’s mainly about a woman who loved her husband so much that she moved with him to pursue his own career in the military. This woman gave up her whole career for him, and it’s not all about the military which I feared it will be boring, but it was motivational, and encouraging, she writes about the women and how they start to get to know each other, and be there for one another. I really enjoyed this one. I don’t like to rate Memoirs but this one deserves them all.

I'm not very versed in re as big mremoirs, but this read like a fiction and I loved it. You became engaged with these people and their lives immediately. Well written.