Most women reading THE WIFE APP will agree with Carolyn Mackler's position that in any heterosexual marriage, it's the female --- the wife --- who ends up with most of the duties when it comes to running a house and a family. In fact, I find myself a bit disgruntled as I go about my daily routine, much of which is detailed in this perspicacious novel. There is a lot that I do, that most women do, that is taken for granted. We schedule many social activities, we make sure that clean sheets are on the bed, we order food or make the grocery lists if we are lucky enough to have a husband who will do the shopping. You are forewarned.

"THE WIFE APP is quick-paced and gripping, and Mackler's writing is addictive. She makes us really like these three women, and we want them to succeed and get their justice. And while the novel is an enjoyable read, it's also a thoughtful one."

Mackler introduces us to three close friends who want revenge on their husbands, mostly. Two of them are tired of carrying the burden of being the mother, the secretary, the chef, the chauffeur, the therapist and the provider. The other has her own reasons for becoming involved in the Wife app.

Lauren is the last of her three friends to get divorced. She found out that her husband, Eric, was cheating on her. While he went to work and advanced his career, she stayed home and worked part time while caring for him and their twin daughters. Eric is now dating their babysitter, and Lauren is furious.

It appears that Madeline has it all. She is tall, beautiful and extremely wealthy. She and her husband divorced years before when he moved to England for work. Colin is as involved a father as one can be from across the globe, but Madeline made the decision to be a full-time mother to her daughter, Arabella, and she has the financial means to do exactly that. While she loves being a mother, she's feeling very threatened, not to mention angry, that her former husband wants Arabella to live with him in London for a year.

Sophie, on the other hand, struggles to make ends meet. Her husband, Joshua, never provided for them during their marriage, and now he has moved on and is married to a beautiful and successful estate lawyer. Their life, at least on Instagram, looks perfect. But Sophie knows what a jerk Joshua is. He refuses to contribute to the counseling that she believes one of their children needs, and during their marriage, she bore the brunt of any responsibility for caring for the family.

Lauren, Madeline and Sophie are sick and tired of the work involved in running a family. Lauren has a tech background, and after mulling over their issues and the attendant anger, she decides that the solution is to create an app that allows people to hire Wives (with a capital W) to do the work that they don't have the time or energy to do --- organizing calendars, grocery shopping, hiring contractors, supervising landscapers, filling out school forms, baking for class parties, and more. At the beginning, the three women will fill the jobs and limit the area to their close neighborhoods in New York City. While Madeline and Sophie are skeptical at first, they support Lauren fully.

What Mackler shows us at the very start is a day in the life of a Wife, whose jobs may consist of driving a car for the state inspection, checking out party venues for a Bar Mitzvah, and taking a dog to the vet. Instead of doing these tasks for free --- as women usually do --- this "Mental Load," as they call it, can be hired out.

THE WIFE APP is quick-paced and gripping, and Mackler's writing is addictive. She makes us really like these three women, and we want them to succeed and get their justice. And while the novel is an enjoyable read, it's also a thoughtful one. As I spent the day overseeing the gardeners, ordering medical supplies for our pets, doing laundry, and thinking about what to make for dinner, I realized how true it is that our Mental Load is literally never-ending. I want a Wife of my own! (FYI: My husband did NOT like reading this. He wants you all to know that he does a lot!)