Sometimes tracking how books come into my orbit is hard to keep up with since books are literally recommended to me just about every time I look at my phone. And I’m not complaining about this. One of those sources is the many (and I mean many) subreddits I belong to.
A reader on the Kindle Unlimited subreddit had recently read The Housewife by Natalie Barelli, commenting on how addictive and twisty a read it was. And after having finished a book that didn’t quite take hold of me as I would have liked, I wanted a book that instantly lured me in.
The Housewife is the tale of Jodie, who, from the outside, looks like she lives the life many women may dream of. She is married to a successful psychologist and lives in a beautiful home in Beverly Hills. But squeezed into every square foot of that beautiful home and life lies a secret. Actually, many, many secrets. And none of them belong to just one person.
For me, one of the things I hope for the most in a book is at least one likeable character. And it was hard not to like Jodie. As the new wife, she struggles to feel like she fits in her husband’s world. A theme that most people have experienced at some point in their lives.
She uses her skills in the kitchen to help close the distance between herself and the other somewhat judgmental women. But she isn’t all sweet. She’s sassy and likes to push back when people try to pull one over on her. And I love that about her. Sometimes “the housewife” character can be overly docile, but Jodie is anything but.
But the story isn’t about a new woman simply trying to fit into her new world. It’s about a woman trying to find the truth of something. No matter where you look in Jodie’s house, remnants of her husband’s previous marriage lurk, including a large portrait of his ex-wife. And the more Jodie learns about her husband and the people around him, the more she suspects something isn’t quite right. About him and the way his former wife apparently died.
And with each turn of the page, the reader starts to suspect nothing is quite right about everything and everyone!
If you tend to suffer motion sickness easily, you may want to consider some Dramamine before you start reading. Because every page and every chapter will spin you around far more vigorously than any ride you’ve ever been on.
The twists and turns continue right up until the end. And when I say the end, I mean the last few pages. You’ll finish the book a little out of breath, feeling a little like a piece of dough Jodie fashioned into a pretzel.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. One that, try as you might, you can’t take respectable nibbles of. It’s so tasty and addictive, you’ll want to devour it in one bite.
This was my first read of Barelli and definitely not my last.
Until next time,
Lisa
Because I believe that a TBR pile can never be too big, feel free to share some of your favorite reads with me here or on social media. You can find me on Bluesky and StoryGraph (lisareadsbytrees).
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