Succession-style money. An age gap Cinderella romance reminiscent of Old Hollywood. Social dynamics as prickly as Pride and Prejudice. A mysterious disappearance à la The Last Thing He Told Me. Intrigued? I am. Good news for us, bookworms: This is all at the heart of Jenna Bush Hager's July 2025 book club pick, Happy Wife.
The Read with Jenna July Book Club Pick Is a Twist-Filled Thriller—and Fans Are Already Raving About it
'Succession' x 'Pride & Prejudice' x 'The Last Thing He Told Me'
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Published Jun 24, 2025
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The book is the work of Atlanta-based writing duo Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores. The plot follows 28-year-old Nora, struggling to make ends meet with a job in a Florida country club. She's soon whisked into a Cinderella romance with 46-year-old Will, a wealthy and prominent lawyer with a teenage daughter. Their quick courtship and marriage shocks the social scene—but no one is prepared for Will's mysterious disappearance the day after Nora throws him a birthday party.
The novel hops between the pair's romance and the search for Will as Nora, now the prime suspect, fights to clear her name.
"It's the first time we've ever chose a two-author book, which I love," Hager noted in an Instagram announcement. "This is the book you're going to want to read this summer. It's one of those fun summer reads that you open, and then all of a sudden it's over."
Plenty of Read with Jenna fans turned up at 30 Rock for the announcement, and the excitement was palpable in the comments.
"Love love love! Such a great book!" one fan commented.
On GoodReads, the book already has an average rating of four stars, with one reviewer writing, "The pacing starts slow, but the second half picks up momentum, delivering a series of revelations that, while not wholly surprising, are satisfying enough to keep you reading. The exploration of marriage as a complex institution, particularly when power dynamics and societal pressures are at play, adds some depth."
Lavender has a decades-long career in television as a writer and producer on shows like Charlie's Angels (2011), Nashville (2012) and, most recently, The Flight Attendant (2020). Given her storytelling track record, I'm keen to add Happy Wife to my bookshelf. Because I'm wondering the same thing as everyone else. Where is Will?
