The title of the book, The Tradwife's Secret, grabbed my attention, the blurb did not put me off the book, although it did not give much away and I am pleased I had not read any spoiler reviews.
This was an enjoyable, quick read. Liane Child takes the trend of #tradwives and the modern need for influencers to share their "perfect" lives, whilst millions follow them and comment on them on social media and weaves a gripping story with unexpected twists.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

Before I launch into my review, I would like to say a huge thank you to Liane Child, HQ Digital, and Netgalley for the Advanced Digital Reader Copy of this title. For anyone with their eye on this novel, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.

This book has been my most anticipated read of the year. I did not even read the whole blurb when I picked this novel up. I was sold by the cover, first and foremost. The title and tagline drew me in. When I finally got around to reading the book, I was elated that it came with high praise. It came with such a high build-up, and I am always wary that a book may not live up to the hype. This was on the verge of being such a book. It was only after I read the first chapter that I read the premise. Now that I was clued up about what to expect, I was on the lookout for clues about the perfect/imperfect life and there were subtle hints from the start.

Little comments about the times content were shot, the number of people serving the family (i.e., the housekeeper, the chauffeur, the nanny), the NDAs that are part of the employment contract, and the way the March couple spoke to each other set alarm bells off in the earlier chapters and those bells just kept on ringing until they reached a crescendo. From start to finish I was on an emotional rollercoaster with each of the main characters, be it because of the choices they made, the lies they told, the misguided trust, or simply because they were who they were. Most of the characters have likeable features, so it was an emotional battle with myself when I developed strong aversions to them.

I like that it was told through the viewpoint of the different female leads who seemed to have overlapping personalities. Coupled with the flawed, difficult to like, but also dislike characters, were the short chapters. With 75 chapters (including the epilogue), the book was a fairly easy read although I became a little unstuck when we reached the climax. I suspect tis might be a ‘me’ problem. Things just seemed to go from quite straightforward to a complex unveiling rather quickly. I found it snuck up on me unawares.

Owing to the points that personally confused me, I did not enjoy the book quite as much as I thought I would, but I was pleasantly surprised to read something that was quite novel. At a time when Netflix is filled with documentaries about influencers, this hits the market at the right time and gives readers a glimpse of what it sometimes takes to build a perfect façade.

The book is a 4 out of 5 stars read for an audience that likes a bit of drama, expects the unexpected, and loves to see the villain get their comeuppance. The editing was vigilant, and the story kept a great pace, revealing little by little as the book progressed. It is definitely worth a look.

Trigger warnings: Domestic abuse, miscarriage, general violence.

The rising world of Tradwives, particularly Tradwife influencers in politics fascinates me. It is a life and view point that is so very different from mine. I had come across the Tradwive’s secret while perusing Netgalley and knew as soon as I read the description that I would be requesting it. Cheers to being approved by HQ digital and immediately downloading it.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and found myself becoming pretty engrossed in Madison March’s, life, and the work and secrets it took to create and maintain it. Madison gave me the Ballerina Farms vibes and made me really curious about how such popular TradWife influencers are able to do all they post about without help. Definitely food for thought.

As my family and I were in Montana last summer, I really appreciated it the setting of the book. The addition of Kelly, as the tutor from Boston was an interesting touch as was Brianna journey in Wyoming. Each woman’s story and the forces that made up their lives and choices, propelled the book and kept me guessing as to what would happen next.

There are many twist in this book as well as scenes of violence. Living in isolated areas with heavy winters and dominant forces certainly contributed to that. They all come together to make one very intriguing read that definitely has me thinking about the power and trickery of social media.

An entertaining and engaging mystery about a Tradwife influencer whose real life does not resemble the perfect images of home-making and wholesome family life that her social media presence implies. That Madison is not who she makes out to be is very quickly apparent to Cally, who is hired to home school the children, but other darker secrets emerge as the story progresses. This is a great depiction of the fiction of online influencers and the lengths they are prepared to go to in order to promote their image.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this story.

This is definitely something different, Madison March is the queen of tradwifes, an influencer with millions of followers, she paints a picture of a perfect homestead, 4 perfect children, another baby on the way, perfect rich rancher husband, staff to assist her, including Lori who is housekeeper/cook and Cally who is the new live in tutor.
Cally has not been in her post long when she begins to realize that all is not as picture perfect as Maddison would have her followers believe. Maddison is engrossed with her perfect tradwife role, setting up photo shoots to post on instagram, Cally notices that it is Lori who pulls everything together, laundry, cooking, cleaning and seeing to the children.
This is a wild story, very entertaining and a little unbelievable, there are some twists, lots of lies, abuse and manipulation! I didn’t expect to enjoy it but I did and I found myself rooting for Maddison some of the time and wanting to shake her at other times.

Many thanks to Net Galley and HQ publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
3.5 stars

I was intrigued by the blurb and I actually had to look up what a “Trad Wife” is! It seems to be about living the dream, living off the land and very wholesome. But in this book, the whole thing is a lie.

Madison March is a seemingly perfect Trad Wife, with a huge Instagram following and influencer deals coming in daily. The story is partly narrated by Madison herself, and we very much feel her anxiety over her “brand”, the fear that it’s all over if a reel doesn’t do well and the constant need to be producing content.

We also hear from Brianna, another young Trad Wife, who is struggling and reaches out to Madison. And, finally, Madison’s new hire, her children’s tutor, who is so wrapped up in NDAs, she doesn’t know which way is up. And she also has a secret!

I had no idea of the level of “fakery” that would be revealed! The lengths that Madison had to go to, to create her perfect life! Wow!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Liane Child and HQ for an ARC of this book.

I saw the tag line for this book is ‘readers are obsessed with this book’ so was keen to see If I was

I wouldn’t say I was obsessed however it was good and was very enjoyable, but if you have read or watched anything re an influencer thats ‘life is not as it seems’ you will know how the book starts and develops, I love these kind of books and so it was as I had expected, the onus of course being on the Trad Wife lifestyle on an all American apple pie homestead and what this influencer was showing on her Insta

And of course then the disparage ( think thats the right word ) between the on line persona and the very different real life reality came to the fore

The selling diffetent point for this story is what happens next and the big twist, soz but there is one and the ‘too late now’ realisation of….well if I say that the plot is ruined so you will need to read it but it is a worthy, more than worthy ‘shock ending’

Cliches over but it is a very good read, perfect if you like the influencer gone wrong genre and lets admit it we all do to some extent 😎 great writing

I absolutely loved this book!
I had no idea what a tradwife was prior to reading this, in fact I had to Google it. I found myself drawn in from the start and I just couldn't put it down. I cannot recommend it enough.

This book is so so good!
I love how it's written,
I feel it's pretty little liars, meets desperate housewives
with a splash of the secret lives of Mormon wives.

This book had me hooked from start to finish and
I could not predict how it was going to end thoroughl

Madison March… Living the dream… Or Living a Lie. From the intriguing prologue to the final page, The TradWife’s Secret is a fast paced and easy read with multiple POV’s and individual stories which come together in very clever ways.

I was particularly impressed as I believe this is Liane Child’s debut novel and I’ll be looking out for her next book with great interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the eARC.

An influencer appears to lead an enviable life but it’s mostly built on lies. We find out the difference between the two and how others get dragged into the illusion. A page turner.

“A marriage is between two people. And their millions of followers.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

Madison March is the perfect wife, with the perfect family and the perfect life. She spends her days baking sourdough and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the fields surrounding her Montana homestead. Dinner is always on the table for her husband, and they end their days sitting on the porch, watching the sun go down.

It’s a life anyone would dream of. And it’s all a lie.

I couldn’t wait to read this book, especially at a time when the “tradwife” life is trending. This to me was definitely a popcorn thriller, and it did keep you on the edge of your seat just wondering how everyone is connected.

There’s four POVs: Madison, Brianna from WY, Lori the help, and Cally the tutor. I always love a multiple POV book and they were especially important for this story to play out. The twists didnt really shock me. I figured out the “major” twist and the secondary twist, while I didn’t guess it, made sense now that I think about the book.

Overall it was a easy read and I did want to see how everything played out!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQStories for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was completely hooked by this book from the start. The storytelling was sharp and addictive, with each chapter peeling back another layer of secrets I didn’t see coming. It kicks off with what seems like a picture-perfect housewife—her life looks straight out of a lifestyle blog—but that glossy image quickly begins to crack. When a new staff member enters the picture, things shift in the most deliciously unexpected ways. Both women have secrets, and watching them circle around each other kept me on edge the entire time.

What I loved most is how the story builds its tension—there’s always that sense that something’s just beneath the surface. The twists were clever, and just when I thought I had things figured out, the plot swerved again. It’s one of those thrillers where almost every character has something to hide, and I couldn't stop flipping the pages to uncover what was really going on. If you’re into layered mysteries with social media facades, hidden pasts, and slow-burn suspense, this one’s totally worth your time.

I am sure that this story will delight loads of readers, especially younger ones, but sadly it wasn't for me.
Madison March was living the dream, wife of a wealthy rancher and mother of three adorable young children.
Madison was a social media queen, living a healthy lifestyle in front of thousands of followers who hung on her every word, everyone wanted a lifestyle like Madison's, perfect well behaved, home schooled children, running in the fields, gathering fruit and vegetables to be made into delicious meals, meals that would be on the table when their father came home from the ranch ...........but all was not as it seemed, there were twisted secrets, where did Lori, Cally, Bill, Erica and Noah fit in ? and why did everyone have to sign a NDA.
Although there was an interesting twist to the story I can't really say that it gripped me, I didn't particularly like any of the characters and I found some of it a bit confusing, Possibly I missed the point somewhere along the line. I am not really into the world of "influencers" so I probably shouldn't have chosen this book and as I said previously, there are probably loads of people who will really enjoy it.
Thank you Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary.

Does a life like this really exist in this day and age- it sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. Madison March is an influencer, showcasing her wholesome home life to the world on instagram. Stay at home mom, home cooking, four very obedient children. But when the cameras stop rolling, life is very different. I am not going to say more about the story as it tells itself and would spoil how it affects you as a reader. I was sickened, horrified and fascinated in equal measure. Great ending. #netgalley #thetradwifessecret

One message from this book is to be wary of anything you see on the internet, especially those blogs showing idyllic families and their lovely children.
When Cally comes to stay at the home of trad wife blogger Madison March, to be the tutor to her four beautiful children, she finds that all is not as it seems (surprise!)
The family is ruled by the husband Michael who everyone seems to be wary of, and who tolerates his wife’s “hobby”.
Madison is dependent on the housekeeper, Lori, who seems to do most of the heavy work.
A separate thread is the story of Brianna and Jonah who are trying to homestead, and finding it extremely hard work.
The several stories collide spectacularly with a truly dramatic climax.
I enjoyed the book, and its contrasts between life on screen and real life.
What I found difficult was the portrayal of the main men who were generally described as weak, bullying misogynists. Hence 4 and not 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this book.

The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the world of social media influencers and the dark secrets lurking behind their curated lives.
I loved this book, it was quite scary at times with how kids and people are easily influenced by social media, there were some goo twists in the story as well. Loved the characters and the gripped to the end,

This is an interesting thriller. Madison March is an instagrammer who is portraying her perfect tradwife lifestyle to thousands of followers. She has 4 perfect kids and another on the way, and a rich and very misogynistic husband. When new tutor Callie arrives , things start to unravel. Madison is not what she seems, but nor is anyone else. There’s a mad doomsday prepper thing, a struggling young tradwife who is asking for help, and some dark, horrifying history. All this culminating in danger and potential murder.
I enjoyed this, and it’s a new take on a thriller. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.75 Rounded Up.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for this free ARC.

Madison March is the favorite trad wife on social media. Her life is perfect and there for all to see and comment on, but is it really?
Lots of things can go on behind closed doors that you don't know about, and you are seeing an illusion.
I enjoyed the storyline from this book, but certain characters irked me badly. Madison and Michael just didn't do it for me.

If you would like to see the "media truth" and the behind the scenes "truth" of a trad wife make sure you check this one out.

Madison's life seams perfect on the outside but what horrors and depravities lurk within?
A great read and sometimes a hard read for all of the right reasons.

Hopefully if any of the negative points of this amazing work of fiction ring true with any readers, they will please seek help, talk to someone. It is a great thing to be a 'trad wife' and an privilege to be able to do this if the right circumstances allow and this is what you wish and it feels right but not if forced to do so.