Reviews - The Husbands | The StoryGraph

1.62k reviews for:

The Husbands

Chandler Baker

3.47 AVERAGE

carlyjmadden's review against another edition

4.0

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jillterry22's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

What a cool twist on the Stepford Wives! Narrator did a wonderful job, and I am so happy I listened to this on audio. I think any working woman will resonate with the struggles of the women in this novel. Even when you don't want to sympathasize with a character, the female personal and professional sturggles make you feel empathy for the lives they are trying to curate. After the Whisper Network and The Husbands, Chandler Baker is a must buy author for me.

shelvedbyserena's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

gwendolyn_kensinger's review against another edition

3.0

funny mysterious slow-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

Nora is overwhelmed. She's working hard to make partner at the law firm where she works, she has a 4 year old that keeps her busy, she's pregnant, looking for new home, working a possible wrongful death case and her husband Hayden doesn't seem to be working quite as hard as she is. Can she catch a break?

Much of the novel focuses on the fact that women are expected to work a 9-5 just like their partners yet they are also responsible for ensuring their domestic life is taken care of as well. Well Nora has reached the end of her rope. When she notices the dad's living in Dynasty Ranch grocery shopping, making their kids lunches and snacks she thinks that maybe things can turn around for her and Hayden. Over the course of the story we get another reminder that we truly never know what goes on behind closed doors.

It was entertaining but offered few surprises and took it's time getting to the point of the matter. I tried Whisper Network by Chandler Baker and ended up DNF'ing it. This one faired better but didn't blow me away, so I am not sure if this author is for me, and that's ok.

christine_queenofbooks's review against another edition

4.0

The Husbands was a riot in the best possible way.

I began this audiobook on an afternoon when nothing I picked up seemed to keep my attention -- I kept switching from book to book, couldn't read more than a few pages before getting distracted. I should have known Chandler Baker would come to my rescue. The Husbands is so compulsively readable, I looked up and I had read more than half of it.

This book is part meditation on women "having it all," part domestic drama, and part slow-burn suspense. That sounds like an odd combination but I swear it's juicy enough to keep the pages turning.

The story centers around Nora, an attorney who's running on empty between her long hours on the partner track, the exhaustion of being both pregnant and a mom to a young child, and needing to keep their household running. Could her husband just once drive their daughter to pre-school? Or do the grocery shopping? Or anything, really, to lighten her load? Without her needing to give explicit, detailed instructions, risking being called a nag or asking for too much, of course. Can he please just see something that needs doing, and do it?

I'd suggest skipping the synopsis; I went in knowing less than is explained there and enjoyed letting the story unfold. I daresay if you've ever been asked -- or expected -- to take on emotional labor, or found yourself frustrated by sexist expectations, this one's a must read.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free ALC of this title for review.