Liane Child

Behind the filter — the #tradwife exposed in this psychological and domestic suspense thriller.

On her idyllic Montana homestead, Madison March is the ultimate social media commodity: a flawless, apron-wearing “triad wife baking sourdough for her rancher husband, Michael, and their four adorable children. Over a million followers crave her aesthetic. But when Cally, a tutor feeling her own mistakes, enters the home, the flawless filter starts to slip. Told through 3 fractured show more perspectives: the ruthlessly curated Madison, the desperate tutor Cally, and Brianna, a young girl trapped in a parallel homesteading nightmare.

This novel un peels the toxic, high level deception behind the lens of influencers. In the March house, submission isn’t just a lifestyle choice; it’s a survival tactic.

This novel offered an interesting look at the dark side of internet influencer culture and the modern homesteading movement, but it ultimately fell into predictable patterns and required a huge suspension of disbelief at the coincidences and connections. The atomosphere was tense and the ominous behavior of Michael was threatening and unsettling as he exerts his dominance and control. The contrast between the online image and the grim reality provided a good setup for the expectation of bad things to come. The final chapters really were over the top stretching believability a huge step too far.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Lauryn Allman, did a good job of voicing the many characters in this novel and tried to keep accents and tones such that they did not blend together and retrained some individuality. Since most of the characters were women and children, she had a lot to keep straight. I always think a story like this would benefit from a full cast especially to have at least one solid male voice. Listening always enhances my enjoyment of the book as it creates an immersive experience. show less