I have always enjoyed Plum Sykes’s novels for their comedy and witticism and Wives Like Us is another fun and refreshing read. The story is set in Oxfordshire among the richest and the wealthiest whose ordinary life of lunches, parties, and gossiping is disrupted by the arrival of a dazzling American divorcée everyone wants to befriend.

A cast of eclectic characters kept me quite entertained as they navigate family drama, secrets, new friendships, and new loves. At the center of it all, making sure that everything goes according to plan, there is Ian Palmer, Executive Butler, graduated summa cum laude from the Greycoats’ Butler Institute in Mayfair. Every woman and man in Oxfordshire wished that Ian was theirs. Efficient, smart, loyal, always ready for any difficulty, and with a huge collection of loafers, Ian is a driver, a concierge, a fixer, and a friend to Tara Hawkins, queen of The Bottoms. So, when Tara moves them to the family estate’s huge coach house after a disagreement with her husband, Ian is not worried. When a young influencer moves into the family home with Tara’s husband, he has a spy already on the spot. When Tara manages to befriend the new arrival in the village, he is ready to organize the best dinner ever, because he knows what is required of him.

Wives Like Us is a witty and sharp read with a terrific protagonist in Ian Palmer, butler extraordinaire, and lots of hilarious and enjoyable scenes that kept me quite entertained from the first to the last page!

Overall, this was an entertaining novel that explored social status, packed with witty drama, sharp observations, and a touch of glamour.

No one knows better than Executive Butler Ian Palmer, that social position is everything in the rose-strewn Cotswolds.

So when his boss, Tata Hawkins, flounces out of her (new-build) manor house after a row with husband Bryan, Ian is alarmed: for one thing, if Tata is on the social slide downwards, that means he is too; for another, he's lost his home and has nowhere to store his prized collection of vintage Gucci loafers; even worse, a vacuum among the Country Princess set has opened up for a new Queen Bee.

With the old-money Pennybacker-Hoare sisters plotting to rid 'their' county of Tata and her ilk, a bikini influencer on the prowl for a husband just like Mr. Hawkins, a glamorous American divorcee threatening to steal Tata's crown, and the heiress-next-door threatening to steal Ian, the Cotswolds are in chaos.

Can Ian restore Tata's country crown and reinstate her to the comforts of the Manor...?

This was my first Plum Sykes novel but I absolutely loved it! It's hugely funny, presenting a delightful blend of social satire and pure escapism, as it portrays the lifestyle of the wealthy, entitled inhabitants of chic Cotswold villages, and pokes gentle fun at them.

Social standing and the must have, instagrammable lifestyle is everything to the Country Princesses like Tata and her chums, though this comes at a price - the precarious, snakes-and-ladders-like potential for dramatic rise and fall in their social league table seems more stressful and anxiety-inducing for them than it is for the manager of a Premiership football manager desperately trying to climb out of the relegation zone!

Conspicuous wealth, being on trend, having the best staff, designer jewellery and clothes, the right car, the objets du jour, and children in the best schools, is everything. Being wealthy is clearly serious hard work!

And then there is the "us and them" demarcation line between the old money - the landed or titled class, often completely broke - who, despite their impecunity, look down on the fabulously wealthy city emigres who have colonised the Cotswolds as vulgar and trashy, even though they have sold them their vast and historic crumbling properties because they can't afford the upkeep themselves.

The seam is rich for social satire, and Plum Sykes mines it beautifully, with scenes and characters that are sharply observed. The humour is delicious, there are luxury brand names dropped left, right and centre, and the characters are hilariously over the top.

This modern comedy of manners is fabulously funny, enormously entertaining, light-hearted and frothy. If you're in search of an ideal deck chair read, or need a lighter read after something heavy, look no further, this is the one...meanwhile, I shall dream of having an Executive Butler like Ian in my life. He's a Mr Fixer par excellence, and every home should have one!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars

Thank you to Bloomsbury for my AD-GIFTED Netgalley of this upcoming paperback edition, and this is my impartial and honest review.

I wasn’t overly sure about this book, if I am honest. It was fun but not funny, and there didn’t seem to be an actual plot.
The blurb makes it sound as though there is a mystery to be solved about some missing diamond’s, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I think the plot was rich friends doing rich activities, trying to out do each other, and maybe the husband and wife will get back together after the most minor tiff!
It is not the worst read by far but it also wasn’t the best. This is great for. lighthearted read but don’t expect to be wowed. Maybe a book for the pool!

I’ve not read any of Plum Sykes’s previous books – but I liked the sound of this on Net Galley and was granted an advance review copy as Net Galley said it was to be published in June 2025 – however it would appear that it’s actually already out! (I suspect it might be a geographical issue and I’ve read a version destined for another territory??)

The book has real ‘Rivals’ vibes (one of THE TV shows of 2024, based upon the classic 1980s novel by Jilly Cooper) although this is set in current times in the Cotswolds rather than 40 years ago. Initially there are a lot of different characters and I found it a little bit confusing as to who was connected to whom – but after a while I got into the swing of it.

I really liked Ian from the start, he reminded me of Gary the bag man in the TV show VEEP, always one step ahead of knowing what his client needs. Tata was a bit of a drama queen – but not dislikeable.

I have kids who move in horsey circles, and some of the descriptions of that set were perfectly written – and similarly the private school sports activities! (Although my experiences are over the border in Worcestershire rather than Gloucestershire)

There was lots of name dropping and label dropping – and the storyline doesn’t have a huge amount of substance but this is a fun and fluffy, escapist read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it for all of those reasons. A huge thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my review copy – be it advanced or not!

Unfortunately, it's a DNF for me. I tried this in multiple formats and it felt like wading through treacle. The author attempts a Kevin Kwan-esque 'decorate every single item and line with a dozen brand names' style of writing that, where it works for the aforementioned writer, it just doesn't here. Just getting through a page felt like it threw my brain into complete overdrive. I love rich people doing bad things in the countryside, it's one of my favourite subgenres, but this just wasn't particularly well-written.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

About a wide span of characters in Cotswold and a socialite life.
Tata hits rock bottom, Ian, the butler, tries his best, and matchmaking goes wrong, rich people act weird.
There was a lot love about this.

3,5 to be fair.
I wanted to love this book.
I liked it plenty, but it took me a while to engage with it.
What I am about to say is mostly down to matters of taste;
The social commentary did not work 100% for me, although I love satire and the head-on with silly things people do. The writing style was a little on the obvious side in my opinion. I wished it were more subtle and we could be let to deduce what the characters think and want via their actions most of the time.

The plot and characterisation 3.5 stars
Mood and setting 3.5 stars
Commentary 3 stars
Concept 3.5 stars
Writing style 3 stars

With the above being said, I genuinely believe this will be a 4-5 star read for a large number of readers, the most ideal reader being 30-45 yo women.

I did enjoy this book overall it's well written and very Jilly Cooper-esque with the posh Cotswold wives/country princesses. It was definitely very "other worldly" so great for escapism if that's your thing! Tata annoyed me as a character, I would not want to be her friend!! But I liked Ian, Selby and Sophie and thought there was a good amount of interest in terms of different story lines going on which kept my interest. Thanks for the copy!

This book was such fun.. I loved the setting of the Cotswolds and the residents who all are depicted as self absorbed and riotous beings.

You get a lot of story everytime with this author. I loved her writing style and the way she brings the story together.

It's as though you get a look in at how the other half live and it isn't always what you think it might.

Superbly brilliant..

Plum Sykes has always been such a fun author to read! Her books are light fun and full of social climbing but in such a fun light way you can’t help but get invested in the story. This book has a historical twist to it which is fun. I really enjoyed it and I know Ogs as well as new fans of Plums will be made after finishing this book!