American Housewife by Anita Abriel is a story about Maggie Lane and her rise to fame on her daytime Televison show The Maggie Lane Baking Show.

From humble beginnings Maggie lived on her family farm in Pennsylvania with no ability to cook let alone see her future on a cooking show. She moves to New York because her parents could not afford to pay for university or secretarial school. Her first job was serving coffee at CBS radio and then she became the voice to commercials on air after her predecessor was sick one day.

Two months later she meets Jake Pullman form Ohio in a New York bookstore in Feb 1944. Jake is a Navy and was on leave from his duties in Pearl Harbour. They share their love for book. He loves Agatha Christie Murder Mysteries, and she was about to buy Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Instead, later she chooses Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Jake asks her to lunch at the Woolworth Sandwich counter for a club sandwich, and this begins a love affair between them, but does it lead to marriage? Jake returns to Pearl Harbour after his time off, writes to Maggie and their love affair grows through correspondence.

Shortly after Jake returns to War, Maggie is on her way to work and is involved in an accident. Charles a playwright is her Saviour he rescues her from the accident and take care of her in his apartment near Central Park. He later offers her a live in job as his secretary and for a while Maggie is content with the arrangement at least until Jake returns. She is still in love with Jake and wants to marry him. There are a few twists and turns that happen next. Will Jake return to Maggie, will she marry her first love and sweetheart or will her life change direction?

Some time passed and Maggie is now with Ted a returned War Radio Correspondent and Journalist. He is deeply in love with Maggie often asking her to marry him. She is not ready to settle as yet but will one day as she loves him too. They love eating out and going to museums together. Spending their nights together and working during the day. They both love living in New York and she aspires for them to own an apartment on 5th Avenue Central Park one day. Will she marry Ted eventually? She wants to however they are both holding onto secrets from their pasts they have not told each other about. Will this be a deal breaker for their relationship? Time will tell........

Maggie then meets Tommy Fisher from Deluxe Baking Co and creator of The Maggie Lane Baking Show to be televised during the day for housewives across America. Tommy wants Maggie to host the show. Only problem is Maggie doesn't know how to cook, and Tommy needs her to be married before she can host the show. Especially if the show is for housewives who spend their time doing household duties and looking after children. She also can't have a sketchy past and is required to sign a waiver denying any past issues. Will she take the job will it be successful?

Maggie wants to take up the new role it will mean more money and a quicker way to buy the apartment of her dreams with Ted. She consults with Ted about the new job, including all the conditions, especially that she need to be married to take on the role. He immediately suggests they marry, and he is so excited for her to take the job.

Maggie now is happily a newlywed and the host of her new show. She spends her day filming each episode and replying to letters from her ever-growing fans. With each day and episode, the show is becoming more successful by the minute. During this time, she meets Dolly a fellow Televison Star and her boyfriend Ian who become Maggie and Ted's friends. They go out on double dates together. Ian and Ted play squash together; Dinners and outings are done together. They are a double team and are separable.

Maggie is becoming famous as a new Television Celebrity. She and Ted are invited to many Gala nights and celebrations. Dolly and Ian are always supportive of Maggie and Ted's achievements. Ted is really happy for Maggie; however, he is starting to be showing a different side to himself that Maggie has never seen before. Is she able to help Ted? Is there marriage going to be a success just like the show has become?
Can Dolly help Maggie or is there someone else she can turn too?

I appreciate NetGalley and the publishers Union Publishing for this advanced copy of Anita's new book. I have enjoyed Anita's previous books, and this one doesn't disappoint. I highly recommend reading it. It has different style and is unique in its own way. Something that makes you realize as you read this book about just how women have become stronger in their careers and home life. Women can do it all if they choose too, especially if they have a caring, loving and supportive partner and colleagues alongside her achievements. 5 stars.

I enjoyed reading this book. One of my favourite time periods to read is women in the 1950s to 1970s. I am amazed at the strength of women to live then and push to make changes for those of us that followed.

Even though there’s not a lot of emotional depth to this story, it was a great read that was fairly quick that had me engaged from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this story.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

New York City, 1950. Radio personality Maggie Lane gets her big break in the exciting new world of television -The Maggie Lane Baking Show is on the air. All she has to do is act like the ideal housewife, create sumptuous desserts, charm the show’s sponsors, and sign a morality clause to ensure that her girl-next-door image remains untarnished. With every dream on the line, Maggie wonders if she can still have it all.

In the recent past I've read a few novels about strong career-minded women in the 50s. Some books were better than others but the stories always make me glad I wasn't a working woman in those days. At the beginning of this one I was worried it was going to turn into another Lessons in Chemistry which I didn't enjoy but it took a different path and was a mostly pleasant and entertaining story. The story follows Maggie and her troubled marriage in the present and her troubled past, told through the use of flashbacks. It's much more than a piece of fluff and I really cared about what happened to Maggie and her friends. I'd rate this at 3.5 stars rounded up because it's well written in spite of some repetition. Love the cute cover too.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing, via Netgalley, for providing access to this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: April 1, 2025

Thankyou for the ARC. Netgallery, I absolutely loved this book! Page turned for me, I finished it within 2 days .

Maggie Lane has always wanted to leave rural Pennsylvania and live in NYC. She gets the opportunity for a radio show which evolves into hosting a baking show on television even though she has never baked a cookie in her life. Part of her show is to provide advice to women to keep their marriages happy and their husband's stomachs full of yummy desserts but being a housewife is something Maggie does not want to do and then she marries Teddy who seems supportive of her career but they each have secrets they want to keep.

Maggie's past was written in flashbacks and it all felt kind of flat for me. Teddy seemed like a nice guy and I did like the character. Maggie's best friend was Dolly. She drove me nuts with all her insecurities and doing everything she could to hide the fact that she was Jewish. There was a lot of focus on whether or not Teddy was smoking and Charles comes off as smarmy. I didn't feel any emotion and the whole thing just felt flat. The ending came together nicely with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union for providing me with a digital copy.

Well written but it didn't keep my attention as I couldn't connect to the story
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A baking show, love story and New York setting, what’s not to love! I loved Maggie Lane and everything about this book! The narrator is fabulous! Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing

Reading American Housewife by Anita Abriel was like stepping into the glamorous yet turbulent world of 1950s television. The story follows Maggie Lane, a radio personality who lands her dream job as the TV host of The Maggie Lane Baking Show. On the surface, Maggie embodies the ideal American housewife, charming audiences with her poise and picture-perfect persona. But behind the scenes, her life is far from perfect.

Maggie’s newfound fame comes with a price. She must adhere to a strict morality clause, maintain her flawless image, and navigate the pressures of a demanding industry. As cracks begin to show in her marriage, an old lover reappears, and secrets from her past threaten to unravel everything she’s worked for, Maggie is forced to confront the question: Can she truly have it all?

What I loved most about this book was how it explored the tension between public image and private reality. Maggie’s struggles felt authentic, and her journey of self-discovery was both poignant and empowering. The vivid descriptions of 1950s New York and the behind-the-scenes look at early television added depth to the narrative, making it a richly immersive read.

The story was engaging and the characters well-drawn, Abriel captured the complexities of fame, marriage, and identity to make a compelling and thought-provoking novel.

Historical fiction with a touch of glamour.

I really enjoyed this one! Deff gave me Lessons in Chemistry vibes. Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for this E-Arc

American Housewife is a nostalgic and charming novel that readers Anita Abriel's readers will devour. Maggie Lane has clawed her way to modest success in NYC; from the farm in Pennsylvania where she was raised to her own apartment in the city, Maggie has displayed grit and determination to succeed. The host of her own radio show, Maggie is living paycheck to paycheck and loving being an independent lady in the city. When one of the show's sponsors taps her for a TV show featuring baking and answering questions from housewives Maggie is excited-and terrified. She can't bake, she's not a housewife and she doesn't do laundry-all of the things women were generally responsible for in the 1950s. Her supportive boyfriend Teddy encourages her to take it-hopeful she will finally agree to marry him. Readers will go on a journey with Maggie as she embarks on unexpected stardom but at what cost? She's kept secrets from Teddy that would violate her morality clause if found out-and when the past comes back to haunt her, Maggie is faced with a difficult choice. With warmth and Abriel's stellar depiction of life in NYC in the 1950s and the challenges women faced, American Housewife as delightful as it is charming. Maggie is well developed and at times it was easy to forget how young she was as women in their early 20s had very different expectations placed upon them than women do today. The fashion and trends of the era are featured throughout and are a great backdrop to the novel. 4.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was decent as far as historical fiction books good. It kept me interested enough to finish the book but was not very memorable to be honest. I enjoy the housewife trope but I do think there have been others that have done it better. I would read from this author again.

While enjoyed the setting and time period of this book, I didn't necessarily contect to or like the characters very much. The main characters seemed somewhat selfish and the decisions they made continually created conflict in their lives. I do feel it was worth reading for the historical context. Thanks#NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing

While I'm always here for a book that goes against the common housewife stereotype, this one fell flat. Maggie, the FMC, felt like she was successful against her will and teetered between wanting it and not. There also wasn't really any conflict in the entire story just lying by omission and easy resolution. It's good if you want a light historical fiction, but I was bored. (Thinking of you always Lessons in Chemistry).

EXCERPT: Maggie let out her breath. It really was happening. She was going to be the star of her own baking show.
"There are a few more papers to sign." Tommy was going through his briefcase. He handed her a paper. "A noncompete, and the morality clause."
Maggie held the paper. "A morality clause?"
"They're very common. I'm surprised you didn't sign one at CBS," Tommy said. "It's particularly important for the show. Maggie Lane is going to be America's girl next door. There can't be any skeletons in our star's past."
The paper shook under her fingers. Her stomach dropped, and a feeling of foreboding overwhelmed her. Tommy and Teddy were both looking at her expectantly.

ABOUT 'AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE': New York City, 1950. Dreams come true for radio personality Maggie Lane when she gets her big break in the exciting new world of television. The Maggie Lane Baking Show is on the air.

All she has to do is act like the ideal housewife, create sumptuous desserts, charm the show’s sponsors, and sign a morality clause to ensure that her girl-next-door image remains untarnished. Although newlywed Maggie has never baked so much as a cookie, and knows even less about maintaining a home, keeping up appearances is a necessary ingredient for success. Easy. She has a supportive husband and a legion of fans who can’t wait to know her better and better, week after week.

That’s what she’s afraid of. Off camera, cracks are showing in her marriage, an old lover makes an unexpected return, and there are secrets from the past that could ruin everything Maggie has worked for. With every dream on the line, Maggie wonders if she can still have it all when the truth about what it really means to be an American housewife comes to light.

MY THOUGHTS: MC Maggie Lane has an interesting backstory which is filtered into the narrative in the form of flashbacks/memories. But it's one that, unfortunately, may prove to be her undoing should it come to light.

But Maggie is not the only one with secrets - new husband Teddy has a few of his own, secrets that keep him awake at night, secrets that give him nightmares.

I found it easy to relate to Maggie, to empathise with her. She's a likeable character with more than a little steel in her backbone and a generous heart. I could easily see why she took the path she did earlier in her life. In today's setting, no one would blink an eye at her personal history, but things were very different in the 1950s, the decade I was born.

I love a good moral dilemma, and there are several within the pages of American Housewife. There's a blackmail attempt, a groom left standing at the altar, a young woman in love trying to hide her family roots, and a very real threat to Maggie's marriage.

While there is not a lot of emotional depth to American Housewife, it was a pleasant, quick and easy read that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#AmericanHousewife #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Anita Abriel was born in Sydney, Australia. She received a BA in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bard College. She lives in California with her family and is the author of The Light After the War which was inspired by her mother’s story of survival during WWII.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of American Housewife for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I absolutely loved this book! It was entertaining, heartfelt, and poignant at times. I was captivated by the slow reveal of important past events. This was a rare treat!

I do love a good period read!

Maggie Lane has a job in radio, much listened to in 1950's America but when she gets her big break into television all her dreams come true at once. The Maggie Lane Baking Show is destined to be a huge success - despite the fact that Maggie doesn't reall know how to bake, or cook come to that and isn't really all that knowledgeable about home-making. But she will do what she has to to succeed. With a supportive husband, her only real worry is the morality clause in the contract she has signed ... will her past secrets catch up with her?

I was born in the late 50's so really don't remember much about it but I love reading about that time and enjoyed this novel immensely. Anita Abriel is a new author to me and one I shall certainly keep a lookout for in future. Her writing captures the period perfectly and I enjoyed all the little details. A good read from beginning to end and one I happily recommend. For me, 4.5*

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

I loved the book for the overall journey it took me on. If I was just here to enjoy the journey and the vibes, I probably would have raved about this book. But for the most part, it felt like
the author was unclear about the theme of the book for the majority of the novel. The overall tone and message of the book wasn’t clear until about 80% through…sometimes, this might be fine, but this felt very unclear for this particular subject. I wanted a clear opinion and declaration on gender roles and how marriages effectively work.
The miscommunication trope was incredibly infuriating, especially after the narration clearly states how important communication and clarity are in a marriage. The writing was bland and unexciting in the end considering the way the story was finished.

This had great potential but fell a little short and felt shallow. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.