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A review by gabsalott13
The Husbands by Chandler Baker
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.25
This was enjoyable, even though you see the plot twist coming from a mile away. I think the author has some really great insights on the specific relationship dynamics where one person has a much heavier "mental load" than the other, and the cyclical arguments that can create. There were several moments where I was reading a passage, and shocked at how accurate the descriptions felt to situations I've been in before.
I do think one of the reasons I had trouble with the whole "Stepford husband" twist was because as much as I do believe people would like to have more help in the home, like the author writes about Nora, many cishet women are actually attracted to some level of toxic masculinity. This is internalized misogyny, sure, but like it is an important part of the romantic equation for many of the straight couples I know of. So, I feel that it's a misstep that this book barely addresses how the "solution" these wives have created to the problems in the kitchen will likely create a different set of problems in the bedroom. Maybe that will be addressed in the next iOS update for these Stepford Husbands...