Nora is struggling with her domestic responsibilities alongside a demanding legal job. She wishes her husband Hayden would contribute more to family life. They attend an open house - Dynasty Ranch - where Nora encounters a group of women who appear to have their domestic lives sorted. However, there was recently a tragic death of one of the husbands and, in her legal capacity, Nora gets involved in finding out the truth. And why are all the husbands so compliant? An interesting take on The Stepford Wives, this books requires a huge amount of suspended disbelief, but is entertaining and on the mark about the division of domestic labour.

Another absolutely brilliant novel by Chandler Baker. I was offered an ARC as I previously read and loved The Whisper Network, and there's always the slight fear that the second book can't live up. I was delightfully wrong.

Stepword Wives meets ambitious women and modern day troubles, The Husbands is actual parts fascinating and terrifying. You find yourself on a journey with Norah trying to unravel the perfect strangeness of Dynasty Ranch. I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend for your next read!

Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Domestic Drama | Womens Literature

Release Date: Expected 3rd August 2021

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group UK


Nora has a perfect husband, a beautiful daughter with another on the way, a sucessful career as a lawyer - she really does 'Have It All'. But you know how it goes - a woman can't really have it all without sacrifice, and she's beginning to notice her partner Hayden doesn't seem to have to work half as hard as her to get anywhere, and nobody assumes anything of him.

But when they discover an unassuming suburban neighbourhood Nora doesn't just set her eyes on a beautiful new house, but a whole new world. Here, the husbands of the neighbourhood are seemingly stripped of male privileges - they look after the children, they clean the house, and most of all, their wives aren't expected to sacrifice their lives for the sake of family alone. It seems perfect, but when she's asked to consult in a wrongful death case of one of the former residents, it seems there might be something sinister lurking in her new perfect world.

The Husbands was a deeply gripping story that reached into my darkest fantasies and brought them to life in a quiet neighbourhood brimming with secrets. Calling out to the angry woman in all of us, this made us think about just what we'd be willing to do for men to finally listen before they snap. In this world, women no longer face the pressure of weighing up their careers, their passions and their families while their male counterparts get praised just for taking their kid to the park for an hour. Where they're not the default carer for everyone, where they are listened to and appreciated it. And I wanted to move in right away.

This was a tense, slow-burner of a book that while it definitely had mystery elements, it felt more like a drama in places and while most of the mysteries Nora encounters are quite easy to solve and there isn't a giant shock reveal waiting round every corner - but that doesn't take away from the journey. Even though I thought I knew where we were going, watching Nora as she figures it out was an experience that was over far too soon.

The characters were perfect - so expertly written that they're going to be stuck in my mind for some time and the world building at Dynasty Ranch was so vivid it felt like I'd really visited for a dinner party myself. I would have loved to spend a little more time with the other residents - so I'm definitely hoping we get to visit Dynasty Ranch again one day ... and we might not want to leave.


RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Chandler Baker, Little Brown Book Group UK & Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I was a bit worried on started the book that it would be cliched. I was so wrong. It is really well handled and kept me guessing until the end. The relationship between the main couple and the difficulty to explain and understand 'mental' charge were spot on. Like holding a slippery fish. And the ending doesn't disappoint. A real discovery.

This is a fantastic approach to the classic Stepford Wives tale - flipping it on it's head and looking at "Stepford Husbands". The plot flows well, but as others have noted, this is a bit of a slow burn. I enjoyed this and would recommend it

Nora and her husband live a good life, have one daughter and another baby on the way. They both work extremely hard and decide that a move to a bigger house with the baby on the way would be a good plan. Nora is a lawyer and struggles to keep everything going work wise and home life wise. One of the main issues she has is that her husband does not pull his weight and just assumes she does not have an issue so when she loses her cool he cannot understand the problem, promises to do more and then it falls by the way side again.
They go and see a house Dynasty Ranch which Nora falls in love with although Hayden (her husband) was not so keen. Nora meets Cornelia and neighbours at an open house which she has been invited to. Nora is asked to help Penny, one of the Dynasty Ranch residents whose husband died in a fire. Here she mentions how juggling work and home is an issue and that Hayden is not so helpful. It does not help when she sees the other husbands doing more than their fair share of the work. How have their wives managed to “train” their husbands. Cornelia suggests couples counselling and this leads to more interesting issues. Nora is trying to find out what happened in the house fire and gets closer and closer to the truth but it takes her sometime to figure out all is not how it should be in Dynasty Ranch. As the story progresses her husband becomes more helpful especially after their counselling sessions which she does not quite understand. Eventually it all falls into place for Nora and she realises a move to this area was not a good idea. I liked the way the book flowed and some of the characters were interesting and shows you never really know people and how they react to certain situations. A pleasant read - the last paragraph – priceless Ha Ha and something we could all do with on occasions

I was hooked on this feminist thriller. Baker plays on the Stepford Wives trope, exploring traditional gender roles and domestic work. It's one of those plots where you kind of know what's coming from the start, but that doesn't detract from the joy of following it through. Compulsively readable and wonderfully paced, what starts as a slow-burn mystery soon escalates into a fraught finale.

Smart, witty and filled with pertinent social commentary, The Husbands is a gripping read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the Doctors appointments, knows where the extra paper towels are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too.... but why does it always seem like she's working so much harder. When they go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighbourhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women, with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with residents wrongful death case, she's pulled into the lives of the women who live there.

Hayden Spangler does help his wife, Nora, out but she feels she carries the burden of the domestic chores. They are thinking of moving to the suburban neighbourhood and Nora meets a group of high-powered women with supportive husbands. She agrees to help with a residents wrongful death case and learns just how far these women will go to get help at home. This is quite a relatable read. There's humour throughout the book but it's a bit of a slow burner. Overall, this is quite a good read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #LittleBrownBookGroupUK and the author #ChandlerBaker for my ARC of #TheHusbands in exchange for an honest review.

I was sold on this as soon as I saw it described as Get Out meets The Stepford Wives, but then give me any story about dark goings on in middle-class, suburban America and I will lap it up! A really fun, compulsive slow-burn of a domestic drama, with strong Lianne Moriarty vibes which I really enjoyed.

A gripping thrilling read that gives you all The Stepford Wives vibe but turns it on it’s head. Such a compulsive slow burn thriller, giving me my little murder mystery hit which never goes amiss!
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A truly engrossing read, yes the ending is a little predictable I felt, but you also don’t always read for a big shocker, if the writing is great and you’re enjoying the story, it doesn’t matter if you see where it’s going as you’re enjoying the ride!! All in all, a great look into the life of many women, and one many people will probably worryingly relate to
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Also it would be 5 stars if I was merely reviewing Chandler Baker’s authors note, 10/10 for that 🙌🏼
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Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC!!!

"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?'"

Brilliant domestic thriller that will make more than one woman feel related! That final scene got me shrieking too!

The Husbands

Nora is a successful lawyer, hankering after her next promotion, married to Hayden, and mother to Liv. She’s pregnant and the family want to move from their Austin, Texas townhouse to somewhere more suitable - Dynasty Reach seems to fit the bill.

All is not normal at Dynasty Reach. Prospective residents have to apply to move in - they have to be approved by a group of people, one of whom is a sponsor. Nora and Hayden discover that one of the homes, belonging to Penny and Richard, had a fire, resulting in Richard’s death. What caused the fire? Or who? Nora, as a lawyer, takes on the role of representing Penny to support her as much as she can. It seems that if all goes well, they’ll be approved to buy their own slice of perfection.

I found the novel two-dimensional and implausible. The characters of Cordelia, Thea, Alexis - quite wooden. I don’t quite know why Nora and Hayden would agree to have marriage counselling with a future neighbour. There is an ulterior motive here but it still seems quite odd. It’s clear that Nora is getting in out of her depth and that things are going to turn ugly - which is what happens.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book. I so, so, so wanted to! The cover appealed (should we judge a book by its cover? Probably not, but an intriguing one helps); I also liked the idea of sinister goings on in middle-class, suburban America. But, the novel doesn’t quite work for me. There are too many dead-ends and it lacks in character development, meaning one is left irritated and questioning events in the plot.

This will be popular, I’m sure, and it’s perfect book-club material. It just didn’t do it for me - and perhaps it’s a gender thing, a book that women will enjoy more than men? Maybe this is controversial - I’m trying to figure out why it didn’t float my boat!

After reading The Whisper Network and enjoying it so much I was keen to see what Chandler Baker had for us next. Well... The Husbands did not disappoint. Luckily I read it on a weekend as I ended up reading until the wee hours of the morning and finished it in a day. I was completely hooked in this domestic/psychological thriller and needed to know more about the women of Dynasty Heights. That last page was a shocker!! Well done Chandler Baler - you nailed it again.

As with her previous book, Baker has a strong feminist's voice in The Husbands . The role of women in todays society, what is expected of women and what they deserve. It is a book that alot of women will relate to and be nodding their heads as they turn the pages.

Welcome to Dynasty Heights, where the women are powerful and men pill their weight without complaint. Nora is a tired, working mother who never seems to have anytime to rest. She is going for partner in her law firm, is pregnant with their second child and wishes that her husband would help more around the house without her needing to ask...not a lot to hope for right? When they become involved with the women of Dynasty Heights she sees what her life could look like and wants to be a part of it. But things are not always as they seem as she will find out when she starts working as their lawyer in a wrongful death case.

For me, this was a fun and entertaining book with a strong theme of women's rights running through it. Right up until the last page I was hooked, although I had hoped for a little more in the big reveal - but such a minor thing. I couldn't get enough of this story. Are you ready for Dynasty Heights?

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.

A brilliant read, I really enjoyed this fun, fast paced, domestic thriller. Think Stepford Wives meets Sally Hepworths books. Nora is down trodden trying to keep all the balls in the air- mum to a toddler, wife to a husband who does the bare minimum, and successful lawyer. When they learn of a community where the men help out as much as the women, they put in an offer and start the process of joining the community. At this point Nora begins work on a case that opens her eyes to the true cost of having everything. A great gripping read.

A deliciously enjoyable second novel from the genius writer of the Whisper Network. Attorney Nora is married, pregnant and mom to toddler Olivia. Nora is at breaking point running her home, doing her job and trying to be present mother. Her husband Hayden is your 'typical' male doing the minimum to get the maximum. Nora learns of Dynasty Ranch, a chichi housing community where the men seem to want to do the household chores and support their wives. The couple put in an offer and start attending social gatherings and - even therapy - discovering the secret behind the obedient men and what happens if they don't stick to the program. Bit too much detail about how hard being a mom is and what they have to do, but otherwise this was a fun, OTT read about what women would do and how far they would go if they could really train their men. It's a flip of the Stepford Wives and a worthy successor to the title.

Nora is a wife, mother, and lawyer who is fed up of her well-meaning but completely oblivious husband, Hayden, not helping her out more with childcare and housework. Nora's life changes when the couple's house hunting leads them to Dynasty Ranch; an exclusive suburban neighbourhood, seemingly ran by powerful women with obedient husbands. Evoking a Stepford Wives gender-swap, Nora goes on a mission to uncover what's really going on in Dynasty Ranch when she takes a personal injury case there.

Chandler Baker's 'The Husbands' has a really enticing premise. Its filled with many accurate and laugh-out-loud descriptions of Nora resenting her husband's lack of agency, as the book tackles feminism, motherhood, family dynamics, gender roles, and more. Baker's writing is fun and straight forward, but also really detailed as she explores an interesting bunch of characters, but specifically Nora and Hayden's family dynamic. The authentic yet comedic tone capturing what women really think of men is a major strength. The comedy dissipates about halfway through when the book's genre leaned more into a thriller.

For all of its positives, the book is massively let down by its pacing. It's a slow burn that takes far too long (the very end) to get to the heart of the mystery. There's too much detail where it's not needed, too much time spent with characters that aren't important to the plot, and frequent reference to an "accident," the nature of which should've been revealed much sooner than it was.

The mystery was revealed right at the end in the underwhelming fashion of the bad guy just explaining their master plan in a big speech. Nora, as a lawyer, suspected some things were a bit odd now and again, but never even came close to uncovering any big truths. Nora had a lot on her plate as a character, which is part of the point, but I feel it would've been much more exciting had she actually inched closer and closer to the truth each time, rather than the book always jumping to pointless details about Nora's family and work life.

A faster pace and tightening up of the story would've done this novel wonders, but it's still an interesting read for its brilliant feminist commentary.

The Husbands, Chandler Baker

What would it take for women to have it all? Nora is tired. A lawyer, a wife, a mother. She juggles everything resentfully as husband Hayden breezes through life with ease. When they view a house on a new housing estate where all the relationships seems to exist in a perfect balance Nora starts to dream about how her life could be. Pulled in further as she investigates a wrongful death case Nora and Hayden find themselves teetering on the brink of having it all.... but could it be worth killing for?

Chandler Baker writes such well timer books. Debut The Whisper Network landed almost shoulder to shoulder with #MeToo and was a stunning fictional look at treatment of women in the workplace. The Husbands is a stepford look at how women are expected to have it all and handle much more at the same time (and be paid less...but i digress). This was an immensely clever plot line, you can feel it unsettling you page after page. You can almost put your finger on why... but not quite. This domestic thriller leans into comedy as well, it is not afraid to make you laugh and Nora is believable in all her forms (and we’ve ALL met a version of her boss Gary)

Overall this suckered me right in, clever, quirky and bold. The Husbands is one of my favourite reads of the year. Chandler Baker is unafraid to tackle the BIG topics and she is becoming a MUST READ.

I enjoyed the book but found it more comedy than thriller. I found the relationship between Nora and Hayden a bit annoying, from both sides. Probably because my own experience was so different. I had the husband who knew the children's schedules and gladly did the ironing as long as he could view a tv showing sport!
Cornelia and her clique of high achievers would have had me running. Why would Nora want to live somewhere so regimented where everybody knows your business and husbands are like wind up Ken dolls with no thoughts of their own?
A good enough read but not a stunner.

The Husbands highlights how useless most men are without a woman to make them look good. This story has an amusing premise: what if men could be trained to think about all the things that need doing instead of having to be told? Would that be so bad??
Nora is a harassed, and pregnant, lawyer. Her, and her dim husband Hayden are looking for a new place to live. They alight upon a new place in an exclusive community. All the men are oh so thoughtful and the wives all high flyers. Nora wants in.
Her in may be via helping resident Penny with a tricky legal case. Penny's house burned down with her husband inside. Was it an accident or foul play? Do the residents want Nora to find out the truth or is she a useful idiot? Read The Husbands and find out!