Fabulous read! This book transports you back to a time when life is simpler, when women are slowly becoming more independent, and the world is adjusting to life post-war. Maggie Lane, the main character is presented with a life-changing opportunity to become the host of a small TV show that rapidly expands to one of the most popular shows in the nation. Maggie is struggling to maintain the perfect housewife ideal while her past threatens to haunt her.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Maggie Lane's character and her development throughout the book as well as her relationship with her husband, Teddy. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

“American Housewife”
american housewife while not my usual read i truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. This book has a way of dragging you in and wishing you could watch an episode of “The Maggie Lane baking show”. At face value this story may seem simple but Maggie’s story is one that is far from that. I’m already crossing my fingers for a sequel!

I really enjoyed this book. It was pure escapism for my during a wet, wood and otherwise boring weekend. Joy.

Having read two of this author's previous works I found American Housewife to be a bit lighter and fluffier than the others. But this is in no way bad or meant to come across as negative. In fact it is a good thing as it shows her range of storytelling.

While this book is on the lighter side it shows how far women have come in the decades since the 1940s and 50s but also how things are somewhat the same. Maggie is an independent woman in the 40s and 50s and it sometimes clashed with life as a married woman. She was expected to fit into a mold and that mold just didn't fit Maggie Lane.

I enjoyed Dolly's story. It shows how the expectations were for women to be a certain way. As an actress Dolly was under pressure to be a certain way and in her personal life she put pressure on herself to be someone she wasn't. Her and Maggie's friendship was one of my favorite parts of the book.

The author did a great job of really setting the scenes for this book. There are so many references to stars, products, and pop culture of the time that it really made me feel as if I had been transported back in time.

This was a really good book and I definitely recommend it to fans of historical fiction. I also recommend this author. She knows how to tell a story and tell it well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.. This book focuses on a young couple who marry in the early 1950’s, both have interesting past experiences, that they don’t divulge for fear of losing each other. The book focuses on their respective careers and the trials and tribulations involving money, advancement, and women in the workforce. I enjoyed this story, it was an easy , enjoyable read.

Maggie Lane wants to be a part of this exciting new thing called television. She gets her chance as a lot of women did by offering advice and recipes to ease daily life. The Maggie Lane show is complete with men overseeing her scripts and subjects so as not to offend or be controversial. Maggie navigates this male dominated atmosphere with guile and a shrewd eye. Maggie’s husband soon tires of being Mr Maggie Lane; but not so tired as to try getting ahead on his own. Here is a real voice of the 1950’s television pioneer who happens to be female. Happy reading

American Housewife was great. It examined the relationships between man and woman in an era that absolutely fascinates me.

I loved it!!!

American Housewife by Anita Abriel is a captivating historical fiction novel set in 1950s New York City. It follows the story of Maggie Lane, a rising TV star whose life takes an unexpected turn when she's thrust into the spotlight as the host of her own cooking show.
I was nervous this was going to be too similar to Lessons in Chemistry however Abriel's vivid storytelling and well-developed characters make American Housewife an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. It's a perfect choice for fans of historical fiction and those interested in the intersection of media and culture.

This really reminded me of Lessons In Chemistry in terms of the premise, but I kept hoping and wanting more for Maggie. She seemed like such a blah character and I was hoping for growth that never came.

A light read about a 1950s TV star who has great success as hostess of a television show directed towards housewives. While her professional life is soaring her marriage is on a slippery slope.
I'm not sure women in NYC had all the privileges this book includes. Certainly they were not in the USA hinderlands.

I went into American Housewife expecting a read similar to 'Lessons In Chemistry' but I was sadly disappointed. Maybe I had too high hopes going into this but I could jus not get into the story or gel well with the writing. I love the message this was trying to send about women and their struggles throughout time but this wasn't the book for me.

The American Housewife by Anita Abriel pulls readers into the 1950s with vivid, warm writing that captures the era’s atmosphere and pressures. The story flows smoothly, mixing moments of self-reflection with just enough drama. Abriel’s characters feel authentic, especially the protagonist, whose search for independence is relatable and inspiring. For fans of heartfelt historical fiction, this book is an engaging read about finding strength and self-worth.

American Housewife tells the story of Maggie Lane, TV darling on the hit show The Maggie Lane Baking Show, navigating her life and career through media scrutiny, marital challenges and deeply kept secrets. Based on that description of the book, I expected to enjoy this more than I did. The setting is provocative - 1950s post-war New York with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood just starting to become relevant as technology shifts from radio to TV. Despite the setting, however, I found myself bored at many points of the story.

There was this persistent issue where the author would set us up well for a scene, describing clothes and buildings in depth to really ground us in it, and then describe the action of the scene with one or two sentences. There was one scene where we spent a page and a half describing Maggie’s outfit for a show taping, and then the actual taping happened in one sentence. It left me feeling disappointed, like I’ve showed up somewhere exciting only to find that the event was cancelled.

I also felt that the pacing was a bit too fast for the story. There are several important characters in the background, but the quick pace means we don’t get to see them fully flesh out into recognizable people. They get introduced, but there’s no clear understanding of who they are as characters. For example, Jake, an important figure in Maggie’s life, is almost immediately removed from the story to go to war. Despite his absence, Jake remains a huge presence in Maggie’s mind and influences a fair amount of her decisions. But all we really know about him are the few shorts scenes we had with him. When he does things Maggie doesn’t like, I found it difficult to sympathize.

Despite my criticisms though, I really think I would’ve enjoyed this story if it had been expanded over two books. There is a lot of untapped potential in this book and I think it’s ben squandered because of its length. I truly feel that if this book was given some room to breathe, it could be really great.

This review was provided in exchange for an ARC copy via Netgalley.

I liked this book, but it wasn't until 3/4 into the story that I felt fully engaged. It seemed like a take off on "Lessons In Chemistry" without all the interesting science details. Even though the book takes place in the 1950's, the story felt dated. I was never drawn into the characters, at least not until the attempted blackmail at the end. I hope the book does well, it just didn't grab me.

This felt like a Lessons in Chemistry fanfiction where Elizabeth Zott wasn’t smart and her partner didn’t die. If Lessons in Chemistry felt annoying liberal with too modern takes on feminism, then American Housewife is its conservative twin.
What I mean by that is, American Housewife is “feminist” when it came to the Maggie Lane having a career and being married at a time in history when it wasn’t entirely possible, but when presented with the opportunity to either have a career or be married, the author forces Maggie to not choose and expects her to do both, even when the Maggie is miserable.
I do have some positives, that it being an easy read with an enjoyable plot, but the use of many historical inaccuracies and weak writing made it kinda boring and predictable after a while. It is a beach read, but one where I would be kinda mad that nothing really happened.

I really enjoyed this story of what it means to be a women in a challenging world, the plot was super interesting and it was well written

American Housewife was remniscent to me of Lessons In Chemisty. Maggie is the host of her own TV show in the 1950's and is also a housewife. The story has some odd elements (being "saved" and basically forced to live with a complete stranger who then falls in love with her), but overall, it was an pleasant read. Writing this review slightly over 2 weeks after I actually finished the book, I honestly can't remember anything overly noteworthy (not completely uncommon for me given the number of books I read), so I would consider this a solid 3.5 star, but I will bump it to 4.

If you loved the tv series I love Lucy. The. You will love this book. It does a great job of portraying their lives in the 50s.

If you liked Lessons In Chemistry then this book is for you!

Maggie Lane has always dreamed of moving to New York, and becoming a star with a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park.

When all her dreams start to come true, Maggie meets her soon to be husband and gets offered a job on tele, Maggie becomes a house hold name.

Being in the spotlight, sons starts to cause tensions between Maggie and her husband. Especially when they are both hiding secrets from their past, which soon look like they are coming back to destroy everything.

This book is a really good read, not only does the write capture you in with the story it is also really resonated with me.

I admit I did struggle not to compare American Housewife with Lessons in Chemistry. As a feminist it was hard to transport myself to a time when Maggie Lane deferred to Teddy, I felt the author excused a lot of his more toxic traits with 'survivor guilt'. Of course I am reading it through a 21st Century lens, though i didfeel like Maggie was apologetic about her sudden rise to fame which is probably very authentic to the time period.

I felt that introducing Charles midway through was a bit of a red herring and the Jake storyline was very quickly glossed over.

Overall I don't think this book was the right match for me but best of luck to the author.