“Every trad wife needs a baby. Camille will get one – no matter the cost.

Camille lives to embody the perfect traditional wife―cooking, cleaning, homesteading, and documenting it all for her followers. But without a baby, her image―and her following―feels incomplete. As Camille’s husband begins to withdraw and his attention in her waning, Camille’s desperation deepens.

When Camille discovers a crumbling well hidden in the wheat field behind her new house, she is drawn to it, despite its proximity to an intimidating local forest. Unsure of what else to do, she makes a wish.

Soon, she’s haunted by vivid dreams she believes are divine. Then something visits her―something not quite angelic. Her belly swells unnaturally fast. Her cravings turn raw. And yet, her announcement goes viral.

But as Camille’s influence grows, so does the horror inside her. The life she always wanted is finally within reach… if it doesn’t consume her first.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer. Trad Wife was published by Bantam Books on 19th February 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of Trad Wife but that has in no way influenced my review.

What the actual….? Oh. My. Goodness! So, this is the second book I’ve read by Saratoga Schaefer in the space of about eight months. The first, Serial Killer Support Group, was great. I enjoyed it. But Trad Wife felt like it was written by a completely different author. It felt at a different level. Both books are great, but this one is better. I loved this book. Blimey. Still recovering to be honest with you…

Camille aspires to be the perfect wife and mother. The only thing she’s missing is a baby. She has the Instagram worthy house and the handsome, hard-working husband. But no matter how hard she tries, the baby remains a distant dream. And, as a rising star in the world of trad wife influencers, a baby is what her followers expect. As her husband’s interest in her starts to wane, Camille feels everything she’s ever worked for slipping away. She would do anything for a baby, to be pregnant, for that gorgeous maternal glow. Including making a wish at the crumbling well on the edge of the creepy forest next to their property. So when what she believes is a fallen angel manifests in front of her, she takes matters into her own hands. The ‘angel’ offers Camille everything she’s ever wanted: popularity and prestige in the form of a baby. The final piece of her puzzle. But at what cost….?

Oh the horror! I read horror, I am used to reading horror, it’s one of my go-to genres, but there was something about this book that felt more horrific than everything else I’ve read before. But let’s start at the beginning. I feel I’m getting ahead of myself. Camille is an utterly frustrating character. She’s annoying as hell. Oh, the eye rolls from me as I read about her trad wife life. Her aspirations to be besties with the most popular influencer in the trad wife community. Now, if that’s your thing, then fair play to you. Each to their own. For me, that is NOT how I want to live my life. Kowtowing to my husband, spending all day, every day cleaning the house and making sourdough bread from scratch (sorry husband). Being invisible, subservient, being ‘less’ because I was born female. No siree. Not for me. Which is why I think I found Camille so utterly infuriating to start with. Scratch the surface, and all may not be as it first appears. Before long, I was feeling quite sorry for Camille. The reader is made party to some information which shifts the blame slightly. Oh, it all becomes clear….

Camille’s wishes come true when she discovers she is pregnant, but not via her husband. She convinces herself that she has been visited by a fallen angel following confirmation from her deeply spiritual husband that fallen angels appear in many different guises. But this is no ordinary pregnancy (and I’m not entirely sure how Camille convinced herself it would be). The foetus is developing at a much faster rate. Camille’s cravings are unusual to say the least. Absolutely nothing about it can begin to be deemed as ‘normal’. But Camille’s followers are delighted for her. She’s popular in the trad wife community. It’s everything she hoped it would be. And then, a few months after conception, the baby arrives…

Would I recommend this book? Hell, yes! I would. Trad Wife is grisly, unsettling, and I found it virtually impossible to tear myself away from it. It’s grotesque, disturbing and fifty shades of dark. You have been warned! For me, what I found most horrific was the blending of something so pure and innocent with utter, inescapable darkness. That was horror for me. Not so much the blood and entrails, although it’s pretty full-on at points. Camille is such a fascinating character, and I went through a plethora of emotions for her. I think I preferred ‘end Camille’ to ‘beginning Camille’ though. I love how the author put the spotlight on the influencer community. Showing how more likes, more follows and more interactions were never enough. Camille and her community always want ‘more’ (hey, whilst you’re here — don’t forget to like and subscribe 😉). The book also highlights how damaging the whole ‘trad wife lifestyle’ can be to young women. We’ve come a long way. Why go back? All in all, I found this book utterly irresistible. I was hooked from the first word to the very last. The writing is superb, the character development is top-notch (by which I mean Camille) and there’s never a dull moment. So much unhinged, gory fun. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Trad Wife. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer was published in the UK by Bantam Books on 19th February 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Saratoga Schaefer (they/them) is a horror and thriller author. Their books have been featured in Variety, People Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour, and their writing has appeared in Writer’s Digest, CrimeReads, and more. Originally from Brooklyn, Saratoga now lives upstate with several needy animals and a haunted clown table.