Reviews

The Work Wife by Alison B. Hart

ramossnr's review against another edition

3.0

Do you love celebrity gossip? I love celebrity gossip. Give me the chisme. [b:The Work Wife|58686594|The Work Wife|Alison B. Hart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636580789l/58686594._SY75_.jpg|91770144] delivers on the "insider look" at the world of the ultra-wealthy in Hollywood. We hear the story of the Stabler family from three narrators: Zanne, Ted Stabler's assistant and soon-to-be chief of staff; Phoebe, a woman who made Ted's success and has worked for twenty years to get her film made; and, Holly, Ted's much younger (trophy?) wife. Ted is a filmmaker who came to prominence after he won a screenwriting prize and made a wildly successful sci-fi movie. The story follows one day in his life, twenty years after that fateful movie premiered. We learn early on that the Stablers have an army of assistants to keep their lives as frictionless as possible, responding to their every whim. Their wealth has made them indifferent to the fear and stress they put their staff under. This is a world I couldn't begin to imagine, and Hart brings it to life. There's a thread of #metoo running through the book, but it carries less urgency and impact now than it would have a few years go. All-in-all an easy read about terrible people who have wealth beyond my wildest dreams.

jenhightower's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

lezreadalot's review against another edition

4.0

Phoebe had been moved by the correspondents’ constancy. Such a simple plan, to exist. To outlast.

3.5 stars. When I first read the promise of this book, I wasn't sure how much it would work for me, but I ended up really enjoying it both the messages and the method of delivery. It all takes place in one day and follows three women surrounding a powerful Hollywood mogul: his current wife, his ex-partner, and his personal assistant. We follow them all on this one day as they prepare for a party, old secrets come to light, and the three women cross paths in ways they didn't expect. 

My favourite character was definitely Zanne, the personal assistant. She was such an interesting character, one who's had to reinvent herself so many times, and I adored her internal conflict around working for this hugely rich family, how it was the perfect match for her personality, even while she was almost moulding herself to be perfect for the job. There were so many things I could relate to: being a people pleaser, having a terrible boss. The plot also deals with injustice against women, assault, unfair working conditions, and a lot of the things that have come to light about Hollywood in the past several years. None of our three main characters are perfect, and I love that the book doesn't seek to make them perfect. After all, this is just in the span of one day, so while there are realisations, and certain things come to light, there really couldn't be any believable development on a huge scale. But the development that does happen is really satisfying. For the most part, at least. I do wish things had ended a little bit differently for a couple of the characters, but I can imagine what the future might be like for them. 

Listened to the audiobook as read by Soneela Nankani, and I really really enjoyed her voice. This is the kind of book that would have been perfect for three different narrators, but while listening to it I never thought that, because she did a great job of portraying each character. This was definitely really interesting, and I'm glad I gave it a try, even though it didn't really seem like my thing.

Content warnings:

Spoiler

(past) rape, PTSD, discussion of drugs and addiction

katygalloway's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

ello_mehry's review against another edition

3.0

Picked this book up after I heard about it from a recommended list somewhere. I typically enjoy this style of writing where the narration jumps around and we get to learn about each character a bit more. I most enjoyed Phoebe's storyline and the author did a good job of showcasing how humans can do mental gymnastics to justify their decisions. It was based in Hollywood and weaved in a variety of real-life storylines that have played out over the years, so that may or may not be your cup of tea. I think I have to be in the right mindset for this kind of story. Glad I read it and it was enjoyable, but not particularly memorable.

ericaerickson's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

pourquoipas's review against another edition

4.0

I really appreciated the comments from the author at the end to wrap up the story and give even more context. This book will not satisfy your needs for juicy celebrity content, but it will explore the world of three women and what it is like to people-please, putting themselves second and continuously looking fro approval or praise from others. Great read

s_ya's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mamas_gotta_read's review against another edition

3.0

I’m trying to reflect on this book and I’m honestly not even sure how I feel.

This is a multi POV story that highlights the how difficult it is to be a woman working in Hollywood and the film industry and especially in the wake of the #metoo movement.

I desperately wanted to like this because I feel that the message is important and I appreciated it asking hard questions and showcasing the less than pretty, but the story honestly felt like it ended without any sort of a resolution. The book was a bit of a whirlwind with so much happening but nothing really happening at the same time.

The characters were interesting, but I didn’t find myself particularly attaching to any of them. I really feel like the story would’ve benefited from some sort of resolution instead of leaving us readers in the dark and scratching our heads as to WHAT exactly happened.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. All opinions are my own.

marshaskrypuch's review against another edition

5.0

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