Customer Reviews

Every Woman Needs a Wife

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Every Woman Needs a Wife is an ingenuously crafted novel from Naleighna Kai. When Brandi Spencer catches her husband (Vernon) of more than a decade with his mistress (Tanya), she decides to forgo the crying, kicking and screaming and to attack her husband where it will hurt him the most-by going after and taking his mistress! What woman does not need someone to take up the slack with cooking, laundry, taking care of the children, extracurricular activities, but what wife goes so far as to actually hire the mistress-with contract to boot-and moves the other woman into her home?!

In the midst of it all, both women realize that they have both been used and that Vernon deserves to be taught a lesson. As Brandi and Tanya scheme and plan how to get even with Vernon, they bond and a friendship is formed. Each woman also reclaims her self-worth and self-importance as she sheds baggage and horrible memories and experiences of the past.

Every Woman Needs a Wife is more than a catchy title with over the top drama; it is a plausible storyline with an inspiring and empowering message for all women who have ever felt they were less than a woman if they did not have a man in their life. Multiple plot twists and turns help move the storyline along and although the ending is a little too neat it does not deter from the overall enjoyment of the storyline. Naleighna Kai has created a compelling read with unforgettable characters and sub-plots. If you are looking for a contemporary fiction relationship novel to enjoy with a cold glass of lemonade or sweet tea on a warm, summer day, then check out Kai's latest novel.

Yasmin

APOOO BookClub

What would you do if you discovered your mate has been cheating on you?  Well, the typical reaction is to be highly pissed and betrayed.  Brandi is no different, in regards to being pissed, that is.  However, she is vengeful in her approach on teaching her cheating husband, Vernon, a lesson.  Her plan: she wants the mistress to pay her back the time spent with her husband. 

 

Brandi puts her plan into action before she confronts her husband by practicing her grand entrance and speech to both her cheating husband (Vernon) and his mistress.  Realistically, Brandi doesn't really expect to be taken up on her offer, but when the mistress - Tanya - shows up on her doorstep, in the midst of a bon voyage party for her husband, Brandi has to decide if she's really serious about going through with this ridiculous notion.  Whew!  So she may have put her foot in her mouth.

 

During the party, Vernon is exposed to his family and friends.  He is frowned upon mostly by his father. Not for cheating, but for getting caught.  Now the overbearing Mr. Spencer is giving Vernon advice to secure his finances in the event Brandi decides to divorce him.  In fact, nothing would make him happier especially since he never approved of her as a daughter-in-law.

 

I need some more popcorn for all this drama.  Just when you think it's about to come to an end, another twist is thrown in to put you on edge again.  Brandi and her new wife, Tanya, actually start to get along.  They realize they have a lot in common even though they of a different race.  Experiences see no color, they just happen.  In the midst of their revelations, too much gets revealed.  Will there be a cat fight?  Or, will Brandi finally realize her idea was a bad one? 

 

Perhaps I can finally get some sleep, knowing the answers.  EVERY WOMAN NEEDS A WIFE had me forcing myself to keep reading even when my eyes were telling me to give up.  I couldn't.  I wanted all the juicy details Kai was serving up in her tantalizing novel.  Just don't come up with a sequel titled, Every Man Needs A Husband because some men may run too far with that one. 

Reviewed by Esther "Ess" Mays for Loose Leaves Book Review

Every Woman Needs a Wife

The cover of this book is what truly caught my eye. Afterwards I read the title and I thought Holy Shih Tzu!!! what did that say. Suddenly I realized it was written by one of my favorite authors and I immediately snatched up copies for my bookclub and it quickly became our next month's read. It also quickly disappointed me, that necessarily is not a bad thing. I say that because as I read my emotions are up & down, overall this book should be read.

It starts out slow and the author moves from past to present with way too many metaphors & similes thrown in the story. The storyline is a fantastic idea, husband Vernon cheats on his wife Brandi while she is at home doing the wifey thing along with running the couple' job placement business. Until a not so innocent tip is dropped in Brandi's lap and she finds out that one of their clients has really been her husband's mistress.

As the infidelity unfolds in Brandi' mind she begins to ask for the unbelievable, which is something EVERY woman has thought of at least once in their lifetime "Umm I need a wife" As Brandi move towards having the mistress earn her keep sort of speak she realizes that this has gone a little too far, but she cannot stop now. What I really enjoyed about the story is that Brandi was determined to teach her husband Vernon that his infidelity would NOT be at the wife's expense or time.

Every Woman Needs A Wife is a comedy that might have you laughing and it definitely will give you reason to pause. I must add this author has two other book that I ab-so-lutely loved under a different publishing company, titled She Touched My Soul and More Than Enough. Both these books are the reason she is on my favorite authors list. So read this one for the comedy that it is, but absorb yourself in She Touched My Soul.

This book review rating should've been a 3 not a 2, somehow I made a error and cannot update the rating.

Missy

This is one good summer read. Kai has given an original twist to an age-old problem that shows the many dynamics of marriage and what one must do to get over the betrayal.

What would you do if you discovered your mate has been cheating on you? Well, the typical reaction is to be highly pissed and betrayed. Brandi is no different, in regards to being pissed, that is. However, she is vengeful in her approach on teaching her cheating husband, Vernon, a lesson. Her plan: she wants the mistress to pay her back the time spent with her husband. Before reading this I thought this was crazy but interesting at the same time and of course a scenerio like this has been done numerous times before, but Kai has kept me on my toes as to what was going to happen on each and every chapter.

(Na-Lay-nah Ki) which means "the determined one is present," has done a good job in this book and kept me thoroughly entertain. `EVERY WOMAN NEEDS A WIFE' is really funny and have you breaking a smile every time! The title itself is attention-grabbing, but the clever story is one that will have most women thinking: what if?"

If you like this book you'll probably love her previous ones; `She Touched My Soul,' and `Right Place, Right Time.'

Lawd ha'mercy!! Brandi Spencer discovered that her husband is having an affair and instead of flipping out on him, she flips the script and moves the woman into their house to help with everything. From the beginning, you can't hate Tanya, the mistress. Her tale alone was worth a book by itself. What she endured, no one should ever have to go through. Likewise, Brandi had had her share of sorrow, and once they discover their common bond (other than Brandi's sorry-a husband, Vernon), it lays the foundation for them to truly become friends.

Vernon, desperate to get his wife back and his mistress out of his house, pulls a stunt that could be fatal for everyone, especially his wife and children. As the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

I loved the original concept of this book. And it is true, every woman does need a wife. Someone at home who can do the cooking, cleaning, scheduling, laudry, picking up the dry cleaning, whatever, leaving you to pursue your career or whatever you are in to. Those mundane things take up a lot of time that could be better spent doing something else. I thought Naleighna Kai did an excellent job telling this story, even though in a couple of places I wanted to say, ENOUGH ALREADY!! However, by the end of the book, I was flipping the pages, waiting with bated breath to see how it would all end. I loved it!! Good job, Naleighna. I look forward to reading your next book!

This book will make you laugh, cry and keep you on the edge of your seat while discussing the ins and outs of "extramarital affairs". The story is centered around the wife (Brandi) having the husband's mistress (Tanya)serve as her wife. This situation spells drama with a capitol "D", as the ladies from "Turning Pages" stated "(not in my household, would this take place)".The concept is an extraordinary idea, even though (Brandi), the wife did not think that (Tanya), the mistress would actually take her up on such a bizarre dare. Although, this arrangement proved to be a very rewarding experience for both women since they both needed to heal from past traumatic experiences that still affected their lives. These two women came to the realization during this ordeal that they were more alike than different and if the circumstances were different they could very well be friends instead of "the wife" and "the mistress".

The author has done an excellent job in developing her characters; the strong intelligent successful men, who are their brother's keeper but let him know that they are not going to condone his (Vernon), mistreatment of his wife (Brandi); the wives of the 1,000 Black Professionals; the Mothers, (Bettye Spencer) in the story were portrayed as intelligent, college educated,strong successful women and the excellent protrayal of African Americans as a family unit was done in a very wholesome manner that was constantly emphazised throughout the story, which should capture the interest of all audiences.

The historical content, along with the constantly unfolding dramatic scenes throughout the story will certainly keep the reader alert until the last page is finished. For the author to be able to take such a controversial, very serious subject matter as "extramarital affairs" and turn it around to make it a dramatic, witty and comical story is absolutely marvelous and we applaude you for sharing your creative genius in this book!

In EVERY WOMAN NEEDS A WIFE, by Naleighna Kai, for better or worse is the resounding sentiment. Brandi Spencer knew what she wanted early in life, but she didn't know that it might take her a few years to really know what sacrifices one has to make in a marriage. Brandi discovers that Vernon, her husband and business partner, has been less than faithful in their marriage. In fact, he has a completely new life somewhere else with a mistress. Brandi wants to benefit from having a mistress too, so she concocts a plan. The only catch is who will reap the most benefits from her scheme.

Tanya, the mistress, is sure to keep you interested in her tale as well, because she agrees to keep up the role as "wife" to Brandi. She finds herself in the middle of a triangle and since it's payback time, Tanya must earn her keep. She also has to confront her past in order to secure her future. Though she ran away from home years before, the demons resurface and begin challenging her, even in her new life. Things come full circle, as she faces the memories of her childhood, and she is forced to take control for the last time.

EVERY WOMAN NEEDS A WIFE is hilarious and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed this book and it has brought out a lot of discussion amongst my book club members. As a single female who has been married, it made me wonder just how many women would really befriend their husband's mistress. Not many women think they would benefit from their husband's infidelity. However, Vernon is not alone in this world in his plight to have his cake and eat it too, but when faced with a plan like Brandi's, he really only had two ways to react -- get out or stay put. Kai has given an original twist to an age-old problem that shows the many dynamics of marriage and what one must do to get over the betrayal. It also shows that it is possible to can heal from past wrongs. (RAW Rating: 4.5)

Reviewed by Nina Lewis

TRR Guest Reviewer

It was very entertaining. Funny at times, situations that many women find themselves in and wish that they had the option to have a wife also!

Naleighna Kai has outdone herself again!!! This book was as good as it the title sounds! You won't be able to put it down!

An implausible premise evolves into a fascinating story. Kai has penned a novel that plumbs the emotions of three people caught up in a all-too-common triangle.