The First Lady Next Door by Eliza Reid: Book Review

The First Lady Next Door is the latest release from best-selling Canadian-Icelandic author Eliza Reid. Expected to be released on April 28, 2026, it is a look into Reid’s experience as an immigrant and the first lady of Iceland. She was a wife and a mother, and in the summer of 2016, found herself in a role she hadn’t expected: First Lady of Iceland.

I want to thank Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The First Lady Next Door. However, all opinions expressed here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

In early 2016, Canadian-born Eliza Reid’s biggest daily goals were modest but meaningful: showering without one of her four kids bursting into the bathroom, juggling clients without dropping a deadline, and growing the writers’ retreat she was building from scratch. What wasn’t on her bingo card? That her husband—a bookish, cardigan-wearing history professor—would run for president of Iceland. . . and seven weeks later, actually win.

Suddenly, Eliza was catapulted into a new life as First Lady of her adopted country, with the eyes of a nation watching her every move—as someone’s wife. Absent an instruction manual (she googled how to curtsy before meeting the Queen of Denmark), she decided to do what she’d always done: figure it out on her own terms.

Part fish out of water and part fairy tale, The First Lady Next Door takes you from rural Ontario to Timbuktu, to the White House and Buckingham Palace. Eliza shows how embracing authenticity in all its messiness can become your greatest strength, even when the world expects polished perfection. After all, our everyday moments are what create the roadmap for making the unexpected count.

My Opinions

Eliza Reid has become an instant-read author for me ever since I read her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar. In her first book, she discusses Iceland’s work towards gender equality. In this book, she shares how she took it upon herself to be a sprakki (Icelandic for an extraordinary woman).

Reid takes readers on a brief journey through her childhood and her decision to study in England. I enjoyed that she let readers see she was always a bit outside the norm. I mean, how many 8-year-olds play bridge? She also shares the solo journeys that she took before marrying her husband.

When Reid became the First Lady of Iceland, she found herself unsure of what she could and should do, as there was no instruction manual for the position. One thing she knew was that she would not be more than her husband’s companion. She didn’t know how to go about doing that. So, Reid did what felt was right to her.

Though I’m older than Reid, I want to be like her when I grow up! And I’m not just talking about her actions as first lady, but the way she fights for what she feels is right.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.