The secret lives of fortunate wives free download

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Other Editions 6. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Jun 04, The Book Maven rated it really liked it Shelves: read-fiction , read-womens-fiction , rich-people.

There's not a lot of words I can use to sum up this book. But I think I can use a few to give you an idea: A delightful romp. This book is like a Pop-tart: no nutritional value but so darned good, and lots of fun. At the beginning of the book, you can't help but to ask, "Do people actually live like this? The wives of Hunting Hills, a 'burb of Cleveland, OH, certainly know how to live the "well-maintained" life. Their husbands make money hand over There's not a lot of words I can use to sum up this book.

Their husbands make money hand over fist, and these women exist to spend it. And it's not just about the outward trappings; there's a whole code of conduct. So, as they are wearing their Gucci and Manolo Blahniks, renovating their kitchens, carting their children to expensive private schools and rushing to meet their life coaches, they must also do certain things: Look, act, be busy, and complain about being busy.

Eat voraciously on social occasions and starve yourself after. Spin everything into a positive light. Don't read serious books at your book club. Don't reveal where you got your gorgeous clothes.

Make perfection your career. Cosmetic surgery is de rigeur. And into this atmosphere of perfection walks the newest Hunting Hills wife: Claire, a year-old Amazon from the hills of West Virginia, a well-traveled journalist who has made budgeting and independence a life form.

She and her wealthy, intellectual Hunting Hills husband John are madly in love But trouble comes in many forms, and as Claire gets to know these vapid, materialistic wives, she begins to appreciate that not all is as it should be.

One husband makes his wife take a walk on the lesbian side; another is a habitual cheater; yet another is robbing his wife, and all of their friends, blind. As Claire gets more and more involved in their lives and ordeals, she somehow becomes one of them, yet also transfigures them into something more. Best quote: "I don't like when women think. It usually costs me money.

Nov 07, Dianne rated it really liked it Shelves: , dtb-s , library-books. This book was an interesting take on the ultrawealthy in a gated community near Cleveland. I can imagine these so-called "rules" for the wives in the 's or earlier. However, I found it a little difficult to imagine that these "rules" apply even in All the same, this was a fun quick read. Jul 20, Patti rated it it was ok. Soap opera that missed its chance to make a statement on so many social issues.

Great for the beach. May 26, Patty rated it liked it Shelves: friendship , , women-s-books , women-writers , fiction , contemporary-fiction , humor , marriage , husband-and-wife , ohio. This book crossed my desk at work and since I had enjoyed Strohmeyer's Bubbles books, I decided to see what this was like.

To start off, it is not like the Bubbles mysteries. These women would not pay any attention to Bubbles. I will admit I was a bit put off by the designer name dropping and the amount of money that the characters spent. And my book group is nothing like the one the Hunting Hills women apparently belong to.

However, after reading a bit, I became interested in the characters and This book crossed my desk at work and since I had enjoyed Strohmeyer's Bubbles books, I decided to see what this was like. However, after reading a bit, I became interested in the characters and where Strohmeyer was taking them.

This is not an earth shattering or life changing book. However, for the time I was reading, I found the story well told, the characters fascinating and the ending fun.

I cared about some of these women by the end of the book and only good writing got me there. Strohmeyer deserves lots of credit for making the fortunate wives worth caring about. I recommend this book to women looking for a light, fun read, to readers who like domestic fiction as opposed to romances and to readers of the Bubbles novels since seeing an author's new direction is interesting. Sep 06, Robin rated it liked it Recommends it for: Desperate Housewives fans.

This is very much a soap opera but an enjoyable read. Desperate Housewives fans would kie this book. Some of the events in the story are a bit far-fetched, but funny which is why I only gave 3 stars. The scene that involves viagra is hilarious. I think the main theme of the story is that everyone has secrets in their lives, including the rich.

The main character, Marti who was a snob, eventually came down off her perch and befriended Claire who was I finished The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives. The main character, Marti who was a snob, eventually came down off her perch and befriended Claire who was new to the group as she had married John, who Marti was secretly in love with.

Marti soon realized after a series of events that John loved Claire and she did not have a chance with him no matter how hard she tried to sexually entice him. Marti had know John all her life and missed her chance with him early in her life. Meanwhile, Marti's husband was having an affair with one of the other wives in the group.

Marti was trying to figure out who it was and did not know it was one of her close friends. Did she find out who? You don't know until the end of the book. View 1 comment. Nov 14, Sabrina rated it did not like it Recommends it for: not to anyone! Shelves: didn-t-finish.

Okay, I just can't take it anymore. I like this author but something went terribly wrong with this book. I cannot believe the language and all the sex that is happening in this book.

I was getting uncomfortable just reading about what these characters were thinking. How they all thought it was okay to sleep with eachothers husbands and wives as long as they kept it in their little community.

What finally broke the camels back was when I find out a character was involved in marital parties where Okay, I just can't take it anymore. What finally broke the camels back was when I find out a character was involved in marital parties where husbands watch their wives spend quality time together if you know what I mean.

I am very disappointed that I actually spent time on this book. I do not recommend this book to anyone, it was worse than a romance novel. I am very disgusted! Oct 09, Julie rated it did not like it.

Its sort of depressing. I picked it up because I just finished 'How to love an American Man' and I was hoping for more sweet touching stories from old people in love to cheer me up. The stories are OK but the narration in between is becoming difficult to read. I may just start skipping the text and just read the stories.

Well I finally finished. It is not my thing. This woman basically tells you the sad story of her marriage and tries to justify it by showing worse one Struggling a little so far.

This woman basically tells you the sad story of her marriage and tries to justify it by showing worse ones. And comes up with rules for a 'good' marriage that validate her but then shows a few 'just the opposite' stories. Oy, I can't believe I made it all the way through, I just kept thinking it would get better. It didn't! Aug 13, Roseanne Wilkins rated it really liked it Shelves: first-reads.

This was a Goodreads Giveaway. Receiving the book for free has not influenced my review in any way. I loved how Iris Krasnow handled the marital relationship. It was an honest look at how marriages really work - not a fluffy cover up of reality. She interviewed a variety of women who'd been married for some length of time. Although I would never do some of the things the interviewed women did, it was refreshing to see a book that showed marriages are as varied as the couples involved in them.

An This was a Goodreads Giveaway. Anyone can make a marriage work. The biggest binder in all of them was a commitment to keep the marriage together despite the weaknesses of the couple involved. Highly recommended. I would probably give this book 3. The book was well written, and I agree with the main conclusions about long-term marriages that the author draws from her research. While not particularly new or revolutionary, most long married women know that marriage is alot of work, you have to remain committed and persevere through the bad times as well as the good and there will be bad times , but the rewards of staying definately outweigh the problem I would probably give this book 3.

While not particularly new or revolutionary, most long married women know that marriage is alot of work, you have to remain committed and persevere through the bad times as well as the good and there will be bad times , but the rewards of staying definately outweigh the problems in leaving you carry the same problems with you into another relationship.

In order to stay married over a long time you have to love and respect your partner, not look to your partner to make you happy, and find passion and friendship outside of your relationship.

In other words, your relationship must be interdependant, not dependant or independant. However, the biggest problem I found in this book was in the author's research, ie, you can always find someone's story or an anecdote to support your conclusions. It seemed like the author started out with her conclusions and then found the stories to support them. It should have been done the other way around.

Show us what research has found about long-term marriages first, divide the book into chapters based on these characteristics, and use the stories to support them. Also she, needed to use stories from a wider variety of income levels although she does say at the beginning that the higher income group is now seeing the fewest divorces. What about couples that cannot afford to take a vacation at all, much less seperate ones?

What aout those who have to work in less than stimulating and exciting jobs to support their families, and are not passionate about their work? Finally, what is the story about the swinging, partner swapping couple doing in this book and why did she include it? While, there are many different kinds of marriages, how typical is this really, and how how healthy and conducive to a respectful and loving relationship is it?

Would your average couple be able to emotionally handle it, and what's wrong with married monogamous sex? I find that much more intimate, sexy, and exciting. Dec 10, Heather rated it liked it Shelves: non-fiction , If you are unhappy in your marriage, go find your inner happiness because the issue is probably with you instead of with your marriage. The author feels that you should stay married no matter what barring abuse,or other very serious issues that would endanger you.

Shelves: audio , library. Made it halfway through. Every single wife in the book fits that description. This book totally lacks dimension - its so narrow minded. And the "secret" that all the women seem to share?

Have your own life and your own money. And oh, having kids sucks the life out of your marriage. But then it gets better again when you are an empty nester so just tough it out. Or just not DNF. Or just not have kids. Jul 31, Lisa Lucas added it Shelves: owned-paperback , first-reads , won-in-goodreads-giveaway. Won in goodreads giveaway. Review coming soon. Oct 07, Dana J. Moore marked it as to-read. I doubt I'll agree with much in this book. But I'm curious to see what American wives think it takes to stay married.

Jan 07, Jennie rated it it was ok. There were some interesting stories, but overall is skewed so upper middle class spend your summers traveling! Sep 28, Sara rated it really liked it Shelves: psych-womens-studies , memoir-biography , won-on-goodreads.

I was fortunate to win a copy of this book on Good Reads. Initially when I started reading this book, in the first chapter, and it started discussing how to be happy wives need to have a "secret" from their husbands, I felt myself becoming defensive. I was married before my current marriage, and it ended because I discovered my ex's "secrets" - a huge web of lies and infidelity.

I am of a view that keeping secrets from your spouse is a bad thing. I took a deep breath and kept reading, and I am ve I was fortunate to win a copy of this book on Good Reads.

I took a deep breath and kept reading, and I am very glad that I did. Turns out the "secrets" that the author explores, are for the most part, just having something of your own that doesn't involve your husband. Girlfriend getaways, hobbies, classes, friends are all examples - basically having something that is just for you that helps round you out as an individual and helps feed you emotionally - that is the secret life that most of the scenarios in this book entail.

I am all for this! I don't consider this "secret" in my opinion, it's just alone time that doesn't involve your spouse, so I had to get past my own preconceptions of what a "secret life" could entail. This book examines long term marriages, from all walks of life and from all scenarios, and examines why they are still intact.

So many different marriage scenarios are explored - ones that were "hot" from the start and stayed hot, or cooled off to a deep friendship , ones that started as a slow burn of friendship, ones that lost a child, dealt with illness, widowhood, and ones that have survived infidelity on both sides as the cheater and the faithful spouse. The interview subjects are incredibly candid about their marriages, which is a fascinating look inside the lives of others.

The author does a great job of being non-judgmental and gaining value from all the lessons available. These stories are completely fascinating! The essential message here is boiled down on page "Wives who don't rely on their husbands for happiness end up having the happiest marriages.

The author also does reiterate that marriage isn't all wine a roses - there will be issues, there will be times you wondered why in the hell you anchored yourself to this person - and it is all normal, and sticking it out will be beneficial in the end if no one is being abused if you can just hang in there - the grass always looks greener, but it really isn't.

I loved this book because it reflected how I personally feel about being married - I am a feminist completely, and I would be ok being alone, I could survive ok and I have great friends and hobbies to get me through. I hyphenated my name because I didn't want to give up my name, but I wanted his to be a part of my reality also. Being a feminist and married are not mutually exclusive - you can have it all, you can have a great partnership where you enhance each other instead of repress each other.

One thing I noticed was that while the author is very liberal-minded and non-judgmental, there was no discussion of non-hetero marriages. I understand that the majority of marriages are between a man and a woman, but there are many unions legal! Then there are even non-traditional open marriages - I thought perhaps a chapter with some interviewees involved in those types of unions would help balance the book a bit better. So overall a wonderful book examining the different ways that marriages can enhance the lives of couples, and advice from wives as to how to make it to the final stretch together.

Jun 21, Melissa T rated it liked it Shelves: marriage , nonfiction , goodreads-giveaways. And, while I'm not a wife, I have been in a relationship with the same man for almost 6 and a half years. Sometimes that can feel like a marriage. It's got nothing in terms of longevity on the various marriages in this book though. I believe the youngest marriage of all included was 17 years long, the oldest, I find it funny that even though I'm not married now, I find myself wondering if I could see myself married to him for the next 50 or so years.

Lucky for me, that's not a crazy thing to think. The book explores a lot of different elements of staying married. I try to do this as best I can, sometimes to the point of shutting myself off, which I'm working on.

Another theme is to explore your own hobbies, and to have space. I think this is crucial in any sort of relationship. Relationships where two people are engrossed in only each other are very limiting, and can be lonely, and boring.

I'm a very solitary person by nature, though I do like to go out and socialize as well. Since my own relationship has been a long distance one, for most of the time, having space hasn't been too much of an issue. Though I must admit, since we have lived together for the last year and a half it has taken some getting used to. Another important thing is to constantly be making friends, since new friends bring new experiences, and new experiences bring growth.

This is another one that's hard for me to do. I'm very shy, and slow to trust. That's not to say I don't want to make more friends, I suppose I'm just picky about it.

Although the book is geared toward women, and holds mostly female points of view, a few male perspectives are provided as well, which gives this a nice sense of balance. It covers a lot of subjects, from parenthood and Empty Nest Syndrome to swingers, to starting over at It has both an academic and personal feel to it. It would probably make a good accompaniment to a college class on marriages or women's studies.

I picked up this book about women who managed to make marriage last for decades because of a magazine article about it that highlighted the story of one woman who goes out with her college boyfriend once a year and makes out in his car as way to stay energized for her own marriage. I wondered if the whole book were along those lines. That story is in there, as part of a chapter on "naughty girls" who found that extra-marital adventures, some platonic and some very much not, helped them endure th I picked up this book about women who managed to make marriage last for decades because of a magazine article about it that highlighted the story of one woman who goes out with her college boyfriend once a year and makes out in his car as way to stay energized for her own marriage.

That story is in there, as part of a chapter on "naughty girls" who found that extra-marital adventures, some platonic and some very much not, helped them endure their marriages. But it's clear the author, herself married for 23 years, does not advocate that as the key to a lasting marriage. Krasnow is a journalist, so like most journalism these days, this book is a collection of anecdotes of a dozen or so women who have been married at least 25 or 30 years one woman profiled was married for 70 years before her husband passed away.

There is quite a bit of variety in their stories, though Krasnow tries to find a common thread that involves having a job you love and having hobbies and interests that are your own. Even there, she includes one couple who have worked together for decades and rarely spend any time with anyone besides each other and love it that way. So, in fact, there is no single secret to lasting marriage. Most of the women interviewed are educated and middle- or upper-class, so it's not clear that they are representative of the overall population or all long marriages.

There are occasional references to actual sociological studies, but they take a distant back seat to the personal stories. The stories are often touching; some are nearly unbelievable one woman endured a verbally abusive, drunken husband for decades before managing to turn him around and teach him civility. But in the end, they are unique to these women. You will still have to navigate your own course through your own relationship.

Jul 03, Shirley rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction. I read about this book in a woman's magazine and thought it would be interesting to read. And the book turned out to be not only interesting, but thought-provoking as well. Many women were interviewed for this book, which explores the different ways that wives stay married to their husbands, for a variety of reasons.

The one thing in common that all these women had was that they have stayed married to their husbands for years! So these are women who really know what it takes to have a long I read about this book in a woman's magazine and thought it would be interesting to read. So these are women who really know what it takes to have a long-lasting marriage. What I got from this book was that marriage is NOT easy: you have two different people who have different viewpoints, tastes, and opinions.

It's important to pursue your own interests, whether a career that will make you proud of your accomplishments, or a hobby that will leave you satisfied and happy about what you can do. Spouses actually become more close when they spend some time apart, doing what they are interested in doing, and pursuing their own hobbies and interests. I really loved this quote from one of the wives interviewed I tell them you must have love, you must have respect, and you must have a sense of self.

Even if you are giving in to the other person, you never can lose yourself. Oct 12, Lisa rated it liked it. This is interesting because it focuses on long term married coupes-like twenty years or more. I did agree with many of her conclusions However, it seemed like the bulk of of interviews were with new This is interesting because it focuses on long term married coupes-like twenty years or more.

However, it seemed like the bulk of of interviews were with new age type couples or artists that I did not have a lot in common with generally. Additionally, many of the couples were filthy rich with plenty of time and money to pursue their hobbies and travel.

Most of these couples encouraged adultery or "borderline" adulterous activity to improve longevity in their marriage. OK, not an option for those of us that would only practice a monogamous lifestyle.

The bottom line I do think she gets right-marriage is hard work, and worth the work. View all 4 comments. Jan 18, Debbie rated it liked it.

I think every women who has been married for twenty years or more should read this non-fiction book. The reader will definitely find herself and her mate on atleast one or several of the pages. It left me feeling that everything is ok, all is good. As I read on I found myself wondering about the married lives of my friends, neighbours and coworkers - wondering what page they would fall under.