Author: Chandler Baker
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: August 2021
Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Chandler Baker, the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network, is back with The Husbands, a novel that asks: to what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband?
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too... but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women--a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author--with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident's wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren't hanging on by a thread.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that's worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the "second shift" is equally shared--and what it may take to get there.
My Thoughts: I enjoyed this story about a couple going through the challenges of life, raising a toddler with another one on the way, managing careers and household, while trying to navigate the burden of the roles we have within our marriages and the fair division of labor once our second job as spouses and parents begin. I liked Nora and Hayden and thought they were pretty typical of most couples, but Nora’s resentment about how much she does compared to what her husband does is quite telling. This is a common issue in most households and, if left unchecked, creates most of the arguments between couples.
It doesn’t surprise me that Nora is quite taken with the community of Dynasty Ranch, where she and Hayden are house-hunting. Upon meeting some of the other wives in the neighborhood, Nora is impressed at the careers these women have, while raising children and they all have husbands who bend over backwards to help out!
For me, the story takes on a Stepford Husbands feel when one of the husbands stops to help Nora change a flat tire and appears to be quite distressed that his chores aren’t completed. Nora doesn’t seem to think too much about it and when she and her husband begin seeing one of the residents for couples therapy, she is quite impressed at her husband’s change in manner, attitude and behavior. It doesn’t take long to see where the story is heading, but the getting there was quite interesting and entertaining. The last few chapters of the book were pretty intense and held some surprises for me that I wish had been managed differently, but overall, an enjoyable story.
My Final Verdict: Fans of domestic thrillers and mysteries will enjoy this story and the heightened anticipation of what is coming next will add to the thrills. I recommend the audio version for the dramatic scenes and visualization the story brings.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Husbands from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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