Review: Perfect Wives, Perfect Lies by Jennifer Anne Gordon

September 8, 2026

Synopsis:

In the wake of losing her son, Becca also lost her marriage and her moorings. Now, work and time spent with her best friend, Lynn, are what gets her through the day. But it’s a private group of moms on social media that gets her through the long nights.

Run by Karen, the holy grail of perfect wives, Mommy Wine Time is a place where women share stories, perfectly airbrushed photos, and advice disguised as humble brags. And it’s where Becca pretends to be Lucy, with the help of a stock photo account. Lucy’s an ideal wife and mother living a dahlia-filled life in Seattle, enjoying all the things that Becca is certain she’ll never have again.

But the line between Becca’s truths and Lucy’s lies starts to blur when a series of bad deeds, daring games, and too many bottles of cheap chardonnay reveals something darker. Soon, what began as mere petty crimes escalates to kidnapping, assault, revenge, and murder. Still, the more Becca pretends, the more alive she feels . . .

Review:

That was an interesting one and not what I expected, which is usually a good thing.

When meeting Becca initially, it became very clear to me that, even years later, she is still suffering from trauma. She lives her life somewhat like a machine, never stepping outside the protective world she has built for herself. She is holding on to something and cannot fully move on. And everyone around her knows it. While I appreciated their desire to help and be there for her, it also felt as though they were enabling her to continue this façade.

When Becca is invited to an exclusive online group chat with other wives, she is intrigued, not really knowing why she was asked to join. Everyone is hiding behind a false persona and, once they share their pasts, they are presented in a completely different light. The way they portray themselves turns out to be a lie.

Some of their stories were heartbreaking, and I resonated with some of the things they did and the reasons they tried to keep them hidden from the people around them. Sharing them with strangers on the internet seemed like a way to finally speak the truth without facing the repercussions. But do they?
It took a while for the story to take its turn, and I was not expecting it. I had a feeling early on that something more was going on. Was I fully on board with everything that happened? No. Overall, it was an entertaining read that gave me a story I haven’t seen before, and for that, I appreciated it.

🌙 Recension: Perfect Wives, Perfect Lies by Jennifer Anne Gordon
📚 Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
📅 Release Date: September 8, 2026
📖 Publisher: Podium Entertainment
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
💸 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 274
⭐️ 3.5/5