I started this one yesterday and really struggled to enjoy it. Perhaps the bitchy, backstabbing storyline isn't for me. especially as all the characters are as horrible as each other. I've decided to DNF it and move onto something else for now.

Sexy and thrilling. It’s a gripping novel with a more mature view than most I read. It was refreshing and one to read again.

DNF for me- I could not finish this book, it is not a book that I could get into.
I am sure other people will enjoy it,

I found this book disappointing and full of stereotypes. It was too long and boring and I struggled to finish it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.

This was so close to being a fun, if totally ridiculous romp. Then there was a healthy dose of transphobia and no thank you.

Most of this book can be described as a bunch of women working on a soap opera, backstabbing each other and having a lot of graphic sex. It's very ridiculous but not in an offensive way. Almost every sexual encounter starts with the woman not wearing underwear and the man noticing and then they bang. I was fairly engaged in the story and I enjoyed it a lot for what it was.

Unfortunately this book was ruined for me by a scene where someone is revealed as trans, and then the other characters proceed to threaten to out them. Every character is morally grey so it's not entirely portrayed as a triumphant moment, but the narrative does suggest we are meant to be on the side of the people doing the blackmailing. The trans character is what I would consider to be the most villainous presence and so it left me feeling very unhappy that in 2021, someone could write this with zero consideration for all the 'trans people are evil' tropes the media has used for years. It was bitterly disappointing.

Without that, the book could have easily gotten a 3.5 star rating from me. I am giving it 2 stars in an attempt to be fair because it could have been worse but dear god, it's such a shame.

Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

This is a long book which could have been shortened as I found it boring in places. All the women were stereotypical and all the men were misogynistic and apparently useless, apart from Dan the accountant. I found the characters were all two dimensional and although I did finish the book I had a feeling of relief rather than satisfaction

Loved this read! Couldn't put it down and decided to read it all in one sitting, definatly did not disapoint! Thankyou author!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sin rating: ❌❌
Trigger warning: substance abuse, alcoholism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, rape (yup, this book has the whole lot)

A brilliant novel from celebrity agent and author Melanie Blake, a nice discovery.

As the ratings of UK’s favourite TV soap Falcon Bay are plummeting, the show’s producers decide to shake things up with a very special episode... But life in show business is far from easy, especially for women. And it’s not something Writer Farah, producer Amanda and lead actor Catherine are ready to accept.

Although the book had a slow start, it became very difficult to put down once the main plot started to unfold. I did stay up until 2am to finish it yesterday so that says something.

Still fascinated by the show business? Give this book a try and get slapped in the face with harsh realities: pressure to get plastic surgery, non existent family life (at the risk of loosing one’s career), substance abuse, alcoholism, ageism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, rape, pressure from the press and many many more horrors.

There’s no decency, loyalty or trust. Instead, you will find scandals, ruthless ambitions and LOTS of betrayals.

Sadly I was slightly disappointed by some some plot twists which were a little... crazy. A little too far fetched for my taste. I do wonder if the author spoke from experience here.

Also, I never thought I’d say this, but I thought there were way too many descriptions of “perfect boobs”.

Still, I really liked how the story went over interesting aspects of the industry: having a relationship with a coworker, managing work life balance with a young child or making your way up the professional ladder when you’re a woman in your fifties.

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy!

This is a pleasant enough read, but there is really no thrill, suspense or breathtaking ending.
As for the sex scenes, they’re almost an afterthought and a bit awkward to be honest.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for letting me review this book.

I have zero shame in saying that I was raised reading bonkbusters, couple this with my obsession with Knots Landing in the early 00’s when it was reshown on Sky whilst I was sofa bound with glandular fever – this was one book I was really looking forward to.

On the face of it, this book had everything I was looking for from the genre – but halfway in, I was feeling a little disappointed. It just felt very slow. It felt to take a long time to introduce the characters and set the scene and this dominated the narrative so that it felt that not a lot else was really happening. It didn’t feel to be grabbing me, and I was gutted as I had such high expectations.

Thankfully, a gear shifted into turbo around the halfway mark and everything ramped up to 100 miles an hour and the drama suddenly went off the rails in a rather deliciously bonkers way. Although there were no shoulders pads or perms, it felt a wonderful tribute to the crazy drama seen in Dallas et al.

The female characters are realistically flawed women working within a ‘man’s world’. They are friends, but this friendship is tested throughout the course of the novel in different ways. In many ways this was a far more accurate depiction (with the expected sprinkling of drama) of women than in novels I’ve previously read within this genre in the past. No one woman is out and out vilified, instead their actions are a reaction to the circumstances they have found or find themselves in. Even when their actions are drastic it doesn’t feel out of character and there is the ability to understand why they’ve done what they’ve done. They are on many levels relatable women, even if we can only aspire to the lives they lead and circles they move in.

I found it interesting that whilst the women were far more three dimensional than the predecessors within the genre, the male characters were much less so and with the potential for a sequel focused on the men, it would be interesting for them to be explored on a deeper level as that was missing in this novel.

There was so much to enjoy here. Strong women, glamour and drama set within an intriguing world in which many of us will never get to experience. That current, relevant affairs such as the Me Too movement and sexism within the industry were strongly addressed was refreshing within the genre. Above all though, Ruthless Women – once I got into it – was tremendous fun to read.

The author is being touted as the new Queen of the Bonkbuster, and while I do feel that Ruthless Women fell short of my own expectations on the whole, the last half had me so hooked that I would definitely read another novel by Melanie Blake. In my opinion, whilst she may not be quite the Queen just yet, she’s definitely in the line of succession.

Huge fan of this author and this is another absolutely superb read. I have nothing negative I can say about this book. It has been a great read filled with interesting characters and a unique plot.

This fabulous read is reminiscent of Joan Collins’. Dynasty era or a book by her equally talented sister Jackie. A story full of larger than life characters, sex, drugs and a long running soap opera. Can’t wait for the next one

Dynasty meets EastEnders.  What's not to love?  A lovely, escapist read.  Strong women, pathetic men.  The book is set on a private island where a soap opera is set.  Ratings are falling, how far will the producers go to improve this situation..... Pretty far, it seems!!!!! The clue is in the title! Great storyline, with some good twists.  I don't think it the next fifty shades, if anything I thought the sex scenes were a bit of an add on, and quite contrived.  However this book would make a great holiday read.

I really, really wanted to love this book. When I read the description I thought it was going to be a kind of feminist Rivals from Jilly Cooper.

Unfortunately for me, it totally missed the mark. The characters were too two-dimensional with not enough development. The bitchiness was too extreme, meaning almost everyone was irredeemable and you didn’t back anyone.

There were a lot of moments that just didn’t ring true. E.g. a woman asking another woman if it was the “time of the month” - that’s just not something women do.

The storyline was fun, though I saw the twist coming. I loved the campness the setting and the absolute “soap”ness of it all. But I found the execution, plot and characters lacking. A real shame.

Revenge Fuelled Suspense, Insanely Glamorous Cast.....
Addictive, revenge fuelled suspense with insanely glamorous cast. Outrageous behaviour, twists and turns aplenty, a surprise or two and more than a few stabs in the back. Unadulterated escapism at its’ best. Full marks for a compulsive, explosively fun reading bout!

Wow, get this book today, clear your schedule and have fun! An absolutely fast paced read, which will have you glued to the pages! Absolutely riveting, well written, and unputdownable! So many twisty turns, chilling chills, thrilling thrills, and gasp worthy shocks! I cannot recommend this one enough! Mind blowing good, but prepare for the hangover that’s sure to follow!

Ruthless Women is celebrity agent and author Melanie Blake's highly-anticipated second novel and an exposé of life in soap, that’s all too close to the truth. Inspired by real experiences and real people in a backstabbing and ever-bitchy part of the entertainment industry that Blake knows all too well, this is a drama-filled, outrageously fun read that will whisk you away from reality into a world of cutthroat dealings, fake smiles and enemies masquerading as friends. It goes behind the scenes of beloved TV drama ‘Falcon Bay’, beamed to millions three days a week from its picturesque location in the Channel Islands. But even in this beautiful coastal spot, tensions swirl. For thirty-nine years it has graced the screens and gathered almost a cult-like following, so when ratings begin to drastically plummet, the network consider pulling it from their programming. This uncertain future feeds into a dog-eat-dog attitude that begins to overwhelm the cast and crew as they fight for their livelihoods. Whereby there had once been at least some semblance of normality with a cast and crew who were supportive of one another, this has now disintegrated into an unspoken rule between all those employed on the soap — watch your back. The network plans an explosive and unforgettable fortieth anniversary celebration episode to remind fans exactly what they fell in love with in the first place and in the hopes of a stunning comeback, which manages to unite employees behind a single cause, at least for a while.

Loyalty, decency and trust are replaced by scandal, betrayal and a ruthless ambition to survive a battle of the sexes, and the dawn of a new era. Can the cast, crew, new American network and a woman at the helm save the sinking ship or will their newfound mistrust threaten to destroy every single one of them in the process? This is a compulsive, entertaining and outrageously wild read full of drama and toxicity but also some touching and emotional moments, too. Complete with one of the most crazy casts I've encountered outside of a Jackie Collins novel or Footballer's Wives cast, it pits men against women in an age-old battle over dominance and touches on the blight of misogyny. Full of powerful, independent women we are told the story from their perspectives and I understand the sequel will focus on the POV of the guys. There's a plethora of wicked sex scenes, ridiculous confrontations and backstage drama with long-standing friendships demolished, people's insecurities becoming increasingly weaponised and deep-seated rivalries rising to the top in almost every situation. There's a decent mix of likeable characters, unlikeable and absolutely detestable, each serving their role well and thoroughly engaging in their antics. It's no doubt an addictive, raucous and thoroughly riveting tale and the perfect beach read had we been able to take a holiday abroad. The epitome of a guilty pleasure, this is an unmissable, stand out read of the past few years. Highly recommended.

Set on a failing soap opera, I wasn’t sure this would be for me. Yet it is a glam read filled with strong women. A hint of Jackie Collins, this was a fun read and I loved it.

This book was much needed pure escapism! Reminded me of Jackie Collins books that I read years ago. What a crazy world these characters look like in!

Feminist-prone RUTHLESS WOMEN (2021, Head of Zeus) by British author Melanie Blake offers a yummy premise: to save a long-running world-wide syndicated soap opera from being cancelled the Beautiful People behind Falcon Bay resolve into broadcasting a live episode which will celebrate its 40th anniversary by introducing a female antagonist à la Alexis from TVs Dynasty. But there’s more. Prior to the live broadcast, a reality TV special will air, featuring actresses vying for the pivotal role before the winner gets chosen by the TV audience. You’re taking notes, Andy Cohen?


Suffice to say, this is a fun book, and a hot one at that. There’s a bunch of great characters in it, all more wicked than the other. ‘Cause besides those reality TV contenders, the novel also highlights a slew of other wonderful strong-willed women: a leading lady, a producer, a writer-director, a super-agent, a casting director—all over 50 and still trying to break down the boys’ club doors. You’ll definitely want to get to know them and see some justice done. As expected, the novel has a Jackie Collins vibe to it but RUTHLESS WOMEN is more than just a Collins knockout. Aside from the sex, the behind-the-scene shenanigans and the fast-moving narrative, the novel winds up owning its own style. If I had to be a little bit fussy I would say that some situations have got to be taken with a grain of salt at times (the hotel room cocaine bust, for instance) but otherwise this is one great addictive trashy read.


This is Melanie Blake’s sophomore novel after 2019 THE THUNDER GIRLS. If you enjoyed that one I think you’ll dig even more RUTHLESS WOMEN. I certainly did. I look forward to reading the sequel. Last that I heard Ms. Blake is hard at work on it. This time the novel will focus on the men side as they take their own revenge on the women that have ‘wronged’ them. One word: yummy. In the meantime do pick up RUTHLESS WOMEN, will ya?



My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this captivating ARC.