Should I Read It? The Husbands, a page-turning domestic drama with an unexpected twist.

Earlier this year, I fell into a deep reading slump.

It was frustrating. I picked up new books; I returned to old favourites, and yet nothing could pull me out of the rut.

Then, The Husbands landed on my desk. And thankfully, it was exactly what I needed. 

Slow-burning drama? Tick. Relatable themes? Tick. A mysterious house fire? Tick.

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Keep reading to find out what The Husbands is about and whether you should read it: 

What is The Husbands about?

The Husbands is a slow burning domestic drama with an unexpected twist.

The novel centres on Nora Spangler, a lawyer who is pregnant with her second child.

Nora loves her husband Hayden, but she's struggling to balance motherhood, her burgeoning career, and the ever-present burden of the mental load.

For Nora, "having it all" comes with a price, but it's a price that Hayden doesn't seem to be paying quite so heavily. 

While house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an affluent suburban neighbourhood near Austin, Nora meets a high-powered group of women who have enviably supportive husbands.

The novel imagines Dynasty Ranch as a world where the mental load is equally shared. One where the men pull their weight at home, while also having careers themselves.

Nora is drawn deeper into the world of Dynasty Ranch when she is hired to help with a resident's wrongful death case following a mysterious house fire. But as Nora embeds herself in the community, she slowly learns that Dynasty Ranch isn't as perfect as it seems.

Who's the author?

The Husbands was written by Chandler Baker, the New York Times bestselling author of The Whisper Network. The popular novel, which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, was a page-turning thriller that turned the #MeToo movement into a story about empowerment.

Before writing The Whisper Network, Baker wrote a number of young adult novels.

Image: Booktopia.

She currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and their two young children.

In June, MGM and Plan B Entertainment landed the rights to adapt The Husbands into a feature film starring Kristen Wiig. Baker will make her screenwriting debut as she adapts her novel for the film.

Is it a sprint, a marathon, or a hike?

It's a sprint. The Husbands is the type of page-turning domestic drama that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Come for...

Nora's humourous yet relatable stream of consciousness. 

Stay for the...

The mystery of Dynasty Ranch.

What books will it remind you of?

The Husbands will remind you of I Give My Marriage A Year by Holly Wainwright, and Stepford Wives by Ira Levin.

Plus, if you love Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth's novels, you'll love The Husbands.

How long is it?

The Husbands is almost 400 pages long, meaning it can be devoured in a single weekend.

Image: Booktopia.

How will it make you feel?

A little... frustrated.

The Husbands is a fun, quick read with a humourous vibe. 

But behind the humour, Baker's novel is an exploration on what it would really take for women to have it all.

Through Nora's stream of consciousness, Baker provides a realistic view on the burden of the mental load, which many readers will (unfortunately) relate to.

How many stars would I give it?

I would give The Husbands four out of five stars.

The Husbands is undoubtedly a page turner. But be warned, the twist at the end is a little... out there.

So, should you read it?

Absolutely.

The Husbands is a humourous read with dark and twisted undercurrents. 

Seriously, it's no wonder it's been picked up for a feature film.

From the page-turning plot to Nora's relatable story, The Husbands is the perfect weekend read.

For more like this: 

• Should I Read It? The Last Thing He Told Me, the bestseller that's about to become a TV series.
  
• Should I Read It? Malibu Rising, the epic family drama everyone is talking about.
  
• The best books of 2021 so far. 
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Feature Image: Booktopia/Mamamia.

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