Maggie Lane wants to be a part of this exciting new thing called television. She gets her chance as a lot of women did by offering advice and recipes to ease daily life. The Maggie Lane show is complete with men overseeing her scripts and subjects so as not to offend or be controversial. Maggie navigates this male dominated atmosphere with guile and a shrewd eye. Maggie’s husband soon tires of being Mr Maggie Lane; but not so tired as to try getting ahead on his own. Here is a real voice of the 1950’s television pioneer who happens to be female. Happy reading

American Housewife was great. It examined the relationships between man and woman in an era that absolutely fascinates me.

I loved it!!!

American Housewife by Anita Abriel is a captivating historical fiction novel set in 1950s New York City. It follows the story of Maggie Lane, a rising TV star whose life takes an unexpected turn when she's thrust into the spotlight as the host of her own cooking show.
I was nervous this was going to be too similar to Lessons in Chemistry however Abriel's vivid storytelling and well-developed characters make American Housewife an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. It's a perfect choice for fans of historical fiction and those interested in the intersection of media and culture.

This really reminded me of Lessons In Chemistry in terms of the premise, but I kept hoping and wanting more for Maggie. She seemed like such a blah character and I was hoping for growth that never came.

A light read about a 1950s TV star who has great success as hostess of a television show directed towards housewives. While her professional life is soaring her marriage is on a slippery slope.
I'm not sure women in NYC had all the privileges this book includes. Certainly they were not in the USA hinderlands.

I went into American Housewife expecting a read similar to 'Lessons In Chemistry' but I was sadly disappointed. Maybe I had too high hopes going into this but I could jus not get into the story or gel well with the writing. I love the message this was trying to send about women and their struggles throughout time but this wasn't the book for me.

The American Housewife by Anita Abriel pulls readers into the 1950s with vivid, warm writing that captures the era’s atmosphere and pressures. The story flows smoothly, mixing moments of self-reflection with just enough drama. Abriel’s characters feel authentic, especially the protagonist, whose search for independence is relatable and inspiring. For fans of heartfelt historical fiction, this book is an engaging read about finding strength and self-worth.

American Housewife tells the story of Maggie Lane, TV darling on the hit show The Maggie Lane Baking Show, navigating her life and career through media scrutiny, marital challenges and deeply kept secrets. Based on that description of the book, I expected to enjoy this more than I did. The setting is provocative - 1950s post-war New York with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood just starting to become relevant as technology shifts from radio to TV. Despite the setting, however, I found myself bored at many points of the story.

There was this persistent issue where the author would set us up well for a scene, describing clothes and buildings in depth to really ground us in it, and then describe the action of the scene with one or two sentences. There was one scene where we spent a page and a half describing Maggie’s outfit for a show taping, and then the actual taping happened in one sentence. It left me feeling disappointed, like I’ve showed up somewhere exciting only to find that the event was cancelled.

I also felt that the pacing was a bit too fast for the story. There are several important characters in the background, but the quick pace means we don’t get to see them fully flesh out into recognizable people. They get introduced, but there’s no clear understanding of who they are as characters. For example, Jake, an important figure in Maggie’s life, is almost immediately removed from the story to go to war. Despite his absence, Jake remains a huge presence in Maggie’s mind and influences a fair amount of her decisions. But all we really know about him are the few shorts scenes we had with him. When he does things Maggie doesn’t like, I found it difficult to sympathize.

Despite my criticisms though, I really think I would’ve enjoyed this story if it had been expanded over two books. There is a lot of untapped potential in this book and I think it’s ben squandered because of its length. I truly feel that if this book was given some room to breathe, it could be really great.

This review was provided in exchange for an ARC copy via Netgalley.

I liked this book, but it wasn't until 3/4 into the story that I felt fully engaged. It seemed like a take off on "Lessons In Chemistry" without all the interesting science details. Even though the book takes place in the 1950's, the story felt dated. I was never drawn into the characters, at least not until the attempted blackmail at the end. I hope the book does well, it just didn't grab me.

This felt like a Lessons in Chemistry fanfiction where Elizabeth Zott wasn’t smart and her partner didn’t die. If Lessons in Chemistry felt annoying liberal with too modern takes on feminism, then American Housewife is its conservative twin.
What I mean by that is, American Housewife is “feminist” when it came to the Maggie Lane having a career and being married at a time in history when it wasn’t entirely possible, but when presented with the opportunity to either have a career or be married, the author forces Maggie to not choose and expects her to do both, even when the Maggie is miserable.
I do have some positives, that it being an easy read with an enjoyable plot, but the use of many historical inaccuracies and weak writing made it kinda boring and predictable after a while. It is a beach read, but one where I would be kinda mad that nothing really happened.

I really enjoyed this story of what it means to be a women in a challenging world, the plot was super interesting and it was well written

American Housewife was remniscent to me of Lessons In Chemisty. Maggie is the host of her own TV show in the 1950's and is also a housewife. The story has some odd elements (being "saved" and basically forced to live with a complete stranger who then falls in love with her), but overall, it was an pleasant read. Writing this review slightly over 2 weeks after I actually finished the book, I honestly can't remember anything overly noteworthy (not completely uncommon for me given the number of books I read), so I would consider this a solid 3.5 star, but I will bump it to 4.

If you loved the tv series I love Lucy. The. You will love this book. It does a great job of portraying their lives in the 50s.

If you liked Lessons In Chemistry then this book is for you!

Maggie Lane has always dreamed of moving to New York, and becoming a star with a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park.

When all her dreams start to come true, Maggie meets her soon to be husband and gets offered a job on tele, Maggie becomes a house hold name.

Being in the spotlight, sons starts to cause tensions between Maggie and her husband. Especially when they are both hiding secrets from their past, which soon look like they are coming back to destroy everything.

This book is a really good read, not only does the write capture you in with the story it is also really resonated with me.

I admit I did struggle not to compare American Housewife with Lessons in Chemistry. As a feminist it was hard to transport myself to a time when Maggie Lane deferred to Teddy, I felt the author excused a lot of his more toxic traits with 'survivor guilt'. Of course I am reading it through a 21st Century lens, though i didfeel like Maggie was apologetic about her sudden rise to fame which is probably very authentic to the time period.

I felt that introducing Charles midway through was a bit of a red herring and the Jake storyline was very quickly glossed over.

Overall I don't think this book was the right match for me but best of luck to the author.

If you enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, you’ll love American Housewife.

Set in 1950’s New York, the world is adjusting to post-war life. Women are becoming more independent, and TV is on the rise. Maggie Lane is the stereo-typical American Housewife who is newly married and offered a life changing opportunity.

Becoming the host of The Maggie Lane Baking Show becomes a familiar household name and as Maggie becomes the most recognisable face in America, her home life struggles to adjust. Teddy, her husband, must learn to adapt to no longer being the breadwinner in their marriage.

The premise of the story is very much “can the modern woman have it all?”. Can Maggie have a successful career and a happy marriage?

As the plot unravels, it appears that both Maggie and Teddy have their own secrets. Teddy, who reported during the war, is struggling with PTSD but Maggie is none the wiser as to what he experienced. Maggie has signed a morality clause upon embarking on her new television adventure, and both fear that everything will come crashing down if their secrets get out.

American Housewife is a niche storyline for a particular demographic, but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. The concept of a married woman being the provider whilst struggling with the new-found fame was eye-opening considering the expectations at the time. And Teddy, who appears to enjoy the money and fame is none the wiser to Maggie’s past.

It was an easy read and compelling in a way that has you turning pages quicker than expected.

“Women needed to be independent, but at the same time, she and Teddy were a team.”

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

1950's New York City. Maggie Lane came to New York looking to live in a big city. Starting out as a temp, she read commercials on the radio. This was just the beginning. As a single girl and someone off a farm, she loved the fast pace of the city, and although she was living hand-to-mouth in a small studio apartment she was happy. At the same time she got her big break and became the "All American Housewife" she became the star of the show on tv "The Maggie Lane Baking Show." While her career took flight, she met Teddy Buckley, a veteran who had recently come back from the war. After two years of dating, they married, very quickly. Why you might ask? The sponsor of the show wanted her to be married as she would be representing the American housewife. Yet, after several months on the air and becoming a household name, the marriage was cracking, falling apart. There were secrets each one of them kept hidden! Teddy for his part worked behind the scenes of more than one radio program, but it was Maggie who was successful and earning much more money. Was he becoming Mr. Lane instead of Mr. Buckley? This was a typical program that housewives watched every morning, however, she really wasn't typical of the 1950's women, she worked.

For me it was a bit nostalgic reading about all the places and products mentioned in the book being a native New Yorker. at that time However, I feel as if it was written much too fast, most of it not going deep enough into the story...the background of both protagonists was missing. and the emotions felt empty After a while, I kept thinking they always ordered Chinese take-out...how much of that could they possibly eat?

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, a big thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of Anita Abriel’s novel “American Housewife" – “For a beloved television star in 1950s America, image and reality clash in an insightful novel about fame, marriage, and secrets by the international bestselling author of The Light After the War.”

I was initially very intrigued by the summary of this book. I loved the duality of public vs private appearances. I feel like this is a current message with social media and online appearances - much like tv in the 1950s.

Overall, this is a lovely tale about a young woman in the 1950s who is balancing a new role in a relationship as well as a new success on tv. “American Housewife” explores relationship dynamics and expectations, especially the balance between power dynamics in careers. This book raises the question of what it means for women to have it all and if that is a realistic expectation.

Watching Maggie defy societal expectations in the 1950s was enjoyable. I wanted more from Maggie when it came to Teddy. There were times where I questioned why she was putting up with his bruised ego. I think that this does tie to the gender dynamics especially of the time, however, the opening line of the uncorrected proof read, “There was no point in trying to explain her feelings, Teddy wouldn’t understand. How could he? He might be in love with her and want her to be happy, but he was a man.”

I feel like there is still this feeling that men in general can sometimes struggle with emotion. Overall, this is a cozy, light novel set in the 1950s, the writing was immersive. I did want more from the ending - it does feel as though the author tied a neat little bow around everything and that doesn’t always feel like reality. It felt a little anticlimactic.

If you’re looking for a neat book that is a standalone, definitely give this one a go!

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Marvelous Miss Maizel- though quite the opposite of it (not sure if that makes sense. A very interesting take on a newlywed housewife!

This was a great historical fiction from the 1950's. Most women of the time were limited to aspirations of housewives and in the workforce secretaries or teachers. However, Maggie Lane made a name for herself with a very supportive man. I loved how the character was developed and loved the flashbacks. I would have liked a little more of an update on Jake since he was such an important part of her life. Overall the story was very good with just a hint of a mysterious past. The ending did feel just a little rushed and I would have liked a little more of a conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the storyline and the characters.