The Real Desperate Housewives of Wellesley?

There once was a story about a wealthy socialite who cheated on her husband with another socialite’s husband. Sounds like a story we’ve heard before, right? A bit like an episode of Desperate Housewives. Or a little like the latest season of The Real Housewives of New York City. It’s also the premise of Suzy Duffy’s newest novel Wellesley Wives, a tale about Massachusetts housewives who take their money for granted and their relationships by the throat.

The story begins by following the escapades of Popsy Power who appears to be living the life that anyone would die to have—a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a lot of cash. That is, until her husband finds himself on the brink of bankruptcy. Then there’s Popsy’s best friend Sandra, who is super-fit and incredibly wealthy, but is aching to have children with her husband in spite of their agreement that they wouldn’t.

Sure, this chick lit has some redeeming qualities, wherein these housewives aren’t “tragic” 20-somethings whining about how difficult it is to be young and rich. Popsy is a 50-year old woman with enough life experience to validate that she does, in fact, have a lot at stake when it comes to affairs and finances. To add to the mayhem, Popsy’s two daughters and up-and-coming society-wives of Wellesley, Lily and Rosie, are getting their hands dirty with their own problems. Rosie is dragged along by her husband to a swingers’ getaway cruise, and Lily is having a secret affair with her father’s best friend and business partner—who is also Sandra’s husband. This all sounds like a soap opera that even home-wrecker Angelina Jolie wouldn’t want to be a part of.

Wellesley Wives is the first in Duffy’s New England-based trilogy of novels, and she’s working on the second installment, Newton Neighbors. Of course, it’s another title named after a Massachusetts town paired with clever use of alliteration. What should we expect for the final installment? Sudbury Sociopaths? Medford Mistresses? Waltham Washouts? The anticipation will kill us.

Wellesley Wives by Suzy Duffy was published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House, the same house that brought us Fifty Shades of Grey.