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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Every home in Dynasty Ranch had neat lawns. Every home is sixty-three feet apart. Every home is a model home, perfect, a promise of domestic bliss. The American Dream. The white picket fence."
In Austen, Texas, Nora and Hayden Spangler, with four year old Liv (Olivia), pregnant with another on the way, are doing the juggle most parents find themselves doing. Of course Nora is doing much more than Hayden, both the emotional labour and practically, despite also working full-time for useless boss Gary, who also relies on attorney Nora. Hayden is a good man, husband and father, but just doesn't see all that Nora does. Wanting to move house, Nora finds Dynasty Ranch, a community where family life works differently. At Dynasty Ranch, all the wives and mothers have high-powered jobs and are supported by their husbands. It seems to good to be true and perhaps it is. When Nora helps a resident, following a tragic house-fire that killed her husband, she is becomes heavily involved in this unusual community. Will it make her dreams come true, or is there a downside to this seemingly perfect way of life and how far will Nora go to get more help from Hayden?
This is a domestic and feminist thriller, with a pacy plot and relatable characters, for fans of Lianne Moriarty. Through Nora and the women of Dynasty Ranch, Baker explores women's roles in society, how men expect so much from women, under the guise of 'equality' and a potential, if extreme solution. It cleverly turns reasonable desire for genuine equality into a chilling game of control and murder, leading to a shocking conclusion. Humerous and poignant, dramatic and everyday, I absolutely loved this furious and timely read.
"'Think of all the contributions waiting to be made by an entire half of the Earth's population. Do you realize the impossibility of materialising the potential of women's contributions to every industry, every facet of life if all women are able to manage is survival?'"
In Austen, Texas, Nora and Hayden Spangler, with four year old Liv (Olivia), pregnant with another on the way, are doing the juggle most parents find themselves doing. Of course Nora is doing much more than Hayden, both the emotional labour and practically, despite also working full-time for useless boss Gary, who also relies on attorney Nora. Hayden is a good man, husband and father, but just doesn't see all that Nora does. Wanting to move house, Nora finds Dynasty Ranch, a community where family life works differently. At Dynasty Ranch, all the wives and mothers have high-powered jobs and are supported by their husbands. It seems to good to be true and perhaps it is. When Nora helps a resident, following a tragic house-fire that killed her husband, she is becomes heavily involved in this unusual community. Will it make her dreams come true, or is there a downside to this seemingly perfect way of life and how far will Nora go to get more help from Hayden?
This is a domestic and feminist thriller, with a pacy plot and relatable characters, for fans of Lianne Moriarty. Through Nora and the women of Dynasty Ranch, Baker explores women's roles in society, how men expect so much from women, under the guise of 'equality' and a potential, if extreme solution. It cleverly turns reasonable desire for genuine equality into a chilling game of control and murder, leading to a shocking conclusion. Humerous and poignant, dramatic and everyday, I absolutely loved this furious and timely read.
"'Think of all the contributions waiting to be made by an entire half of the Earth's population. Do you realize the impossibility of materialising the potential of women's contributions to every industry, every facet of life if all women are able to manage is survival?'"
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Husbands might hit really close to home for any full time working professional mom trying to maintain her sanity while raising small children. So much of this story rang so true, the exhaustion with all the little things that are taken for granted but add up to so much: packing lunches, arranging childcare, bedtime. The list goes on…
As relatable as that was, at times the story dragged a bit. I found myself more stressed and annoyed with thinking so much about the reality of so many woman I wasn’t always eager to listen to more.
In addition to that overall theme, the book also throws the curve of are the seemingly perfect husband of the Dynasty Ranch homeowners association really that great or is there something more nefarious going on. That story line was intriguing enough to continue on in search of the truth, but overall the book moved a too slow for me and I felt frustrated by the ending. 3 stars. Recommend for moms who need to feel validated in their working mom frustration, but also identify this book just may trigger more of that exact frustration!
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As relatable as that was, at times the story dragged a bit. I found myself more stressed and annoyed with thinking so much about the reality of so many woman I wasn’t always eager to listen to more.
In addition to that overall theme, the book also throws the curve of are the seemingly perfect husband of the Dynasty Ranch homeowners association really that great or is there something more nefarious going on. That story line was intriguing enough to continue on in search of the truth, but overall the book moved a too slow for me and I felt frustrated by the ending. 3 stars. Recommend for moms who need to feel validated in their working mom frustration, but also identify this book just may trigger more of that exact frustration!
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Girlboss, Gatekeep, Gaslight: The Book.
Kind of painfully white and hetero and upper-middle-class, but enjoyable in spite of it.
The few women of color felt really tokenistic to me — one Black, one East Asian, one South Asian, check, check, check! Does that have any effect on their lives or personalities at all? Nope!
Kind of painfully white and hetero and upper-middle-class, but enjoyable in spite of it.
The few women of color felt really tokenistic to me — one Black, one East Asian, one South Asian, check, check, check! Does that have any effect on their lives or personalities at all? Nope!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy
Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes