Ciara seems to have it all but she is not a nice person and to me is false. She is what I would call a mean girl but she is a wife, mother and friend sometimes.
Mishti Guha is her so called best friend.
Lauren Doyle is the mother next door and the brunt of most jokes.
Then Ciara is found murdered in her home.
We go back and forth to present and past and what leads up to the murder. The more I read, the more I disliked Ciara. Lots of secrets come out as well with all of them and their spouses.
I found it was an ok book. I didn't love it or dislike it. I really didn't care for any of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the book to review,

I enjoyed this thriller a great deal! I loved the storyline of all the neighbors and how we got to hear about their lives in the past and future. There were a few surprises throughout the book and I was always trying to figure out the ending. It was a bit predictable at times, but overall it keep me on my toes. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was captured by the very first page and you will be too! I loved the interesting, complex and quirky characters and the story was heart wrenching! I could not put this book down! Lots of twists and turns and an ending I did not see coming! I don't want to give anything about the story away and spoil it for others. I am hoping the author will wirte a part 2! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Dirty Laundry shows what happens to those seventh grade mean girls: they grow up to be the even more calculating and bullying wives and mothers in the play group. Disha Bose's novel is set in a small Ireland village where three young mums often go together with their children to the playground. Ciara is a social media influencer; Mishti is from Calcutta and moved to the area after her parents arranged her marriage to a psychology professor; Lauren is living with her husband in a house she inherited. Amid all their responsibilities, Ciara still finds the energy to flirt with others women's husbands and create on so subtle tension among the group. Dirty Laundry is for readers who like juicy mean girl reads. Recommended as a beach read, but there is a warning: the energy these women put into their worries can be exhausting.

I really enjoyed this twisty neighborhood drama. In this book, we met three women — a social media influencer, a social outcast, and an immigrant from India to Ireland. We find out early on in the book that one of them turns up dead and from there, the book jumps back a month to tell the story of how we got there.

I think this book is marketed as a thriller but it’s more of a drama telling the story of these three women’s lives and relationships with each other and their families, with a slight mystery element (though the mystery really wasn’t central to the story).

Though I only found one of the characters to be likable, I thought the character development was strong enough that I could really understand them, even if I didn’t like them.

This book was compelling, thoughtful and entertaining. I highly recommend to fans of Sally Hepworth and Liane Moriarty.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a free digital copy of Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose for an honest review. I was really looking forward to this one, but sadly could never really get into it. I just didn't care for any of the characters and found myself really not caring in the end. It felt like a lot of the drama was rehashed over and over and it got tiring and boring. I'd be interested in giving the next book by Bose a try. I think she definitely has writing talent!

In this crazy wild debut domestic suspense, DIRTY LAUNDRY —Disha Bose revolutionizes age-old ideas of love and deceit. Ciara Dunphy was the perfect wife with the ideal life. You would KILL to have it …

The novel is a dangerously accurate portrayal of new motherhood, secrets, and desires. A fitting title, as the characters' DIRTY LAUNDRY, is EXPOSED. Can they wash it away?

When complex female friendships are dysfunctional —they appear to look perfect on the outside, mainly—on social media.

We meet three different women in the same small Irish village (Dublin, Ireland) in this drama-filled soap opera that turns deadly.

An Irish woman and social media influencer with a perfect life (on the outside), and two other mothers in her town: Mishti Guha, an Indian woman trapped in an arranged marriage, and Lauren Doyle, made fun of for her hippie lifestyle.

CIARA: Influencer Ciara appears to have it all — immaculate home, handsome and wealthy husband, well-behaved (in public) children — but below the surface, she's struggling to maintain the facade. A year ago, she video-blogged about her six-step skin-care regimen, not expecting much, and it had gone viral. Ciara turned into an overnight sensation. Now she had everything a woman could desire—children and skin-care expertise. She needed to show she was in control even though she wasn't.

MISHTI: Mishti, Ciara's best friend (only friend)— moved to Ireland from Calcutta after an arranged marriage. She has a daughter, Maya. She is afraid to rock the boat and risk losing her new place in the inner circle. She feels so isolated, even in her home, that she repeatedly washed dishes to find a sense of purpose and somewhere to stand.

LAUREN: Lauren is the outsider who has yet to fit in, even though she grew up in the area. She looks at the other side, where the grass is greener. Their perfect life, and she catches herself staring through the window in the middle of the night.

Now the friendship between Ciara and Mishti was near collapse because of Lauren. Both women think they know Ciara's secrets. There is always an outsider with three.

Then Ciara is found DEAD.

The author digs deep into the darker nature of the character's relationships with friends, lovers, spouses, children, and family in this whydunit domestic suspense. The author uses a lot of social media, especially Instagram and WhatsApp groups.

Told from different women's POVs (then and now).

We find out early in the book the murder, and the remainder is more focused on the women. The plot examines her relationships with various people, some of whom did not have her best interests at heart.

It appears everyone has something to gain from Ciara's murder. Friends turn to foes and air each other's dirty laundry to avoid blame.

Nothing is ever as it seems.

My favorite part of the book was the character, Mishti, an immigrant, and how she experienced life as a parent, wife, and friend —in a different country.

GMA co-host Eva Pilgrim announced the selection of Bose's novel on the morning show, calling it "a dazzling debut that's like Big Little Lies meets Desperate Housewives."

Thank you to #RandomHouse via #NetGalley for a special invitation to read an ARC for review.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
April 2023 Must-Read Books

My oh my. I need to start off by saying that I could not stand Ciara this entire book and I am proud to admit it ( as I am sure many other are). I could not help but wonder when someone was going to just punch her in the face (preferably Lauren) and shut her ass up. But I guess they don't get down like that in Ireland. I feel like in this new era we are in where social media rules all that we all know a 'Ciara' type person, either personally, or in passing. Think Mean Girls, but with stays t home moms and play dates lol. Comparing Ciara to Regina George would be an insult to Regina, so that says a lot. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Mishti. All I wanted to do was hug her throughout and just tell her how worthy she is. I am not mad at the ending at all, I just wish there was more elaboration on Mishti, as I would have looooved to read what she had to say to her man afterwards. All in all 4 stars :)

Ireland

Ciara Dunphy is married to Gerry and mother to 4-year-old, Bella, and baby Finn. Bella is very vocal about her hatred for Finn. Ciara has become an Instagram sensation with thousands of followers as she shares her skin care solutions. She’s a prickly person and Gerry tries to help her. They live in a nice home and Gerry provides well for her.

Next door is Mishti Guha and husband and their daughter, Maya. Hers is an arranged marriage and she and her husband are not well-matched. They are from Calcutta and Mishti is lonesome for her family. He ignores her, leaving her unhappy. However, she has found a friend in Ciara who has taken her under her wing.

Another neighbor is Lauren who lives with Sean and is mother to Freya, 6, Harry, 4, and Willow, a toddler. Ciara looks down on them because she feels that the children are well supervised. Sean doesn’t have a real job and depends on Lauren for money. She inherited the house from her mother.

We see these women interact together and learn about their private lives and the secrets they carry. There is longing for friendship, infidelity, and more.

I did not like Ciara even from the start. Her fake persona and arrogance were eye-rolling. I felt sorry for Mishti but didn’t know how she could get out of her unhappy situation. Lauren was funny in that she seemed to thumb her nose at what people thought. This is a book that is sad in many ways and made me mad as well. Thought-provoking. Enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

So sorry I could not finish this. The beginning is completely filled with how tough Ciara finds her life of raising children and how disdainful she is of the other mothers in her group who share tips.

Boom! Right off the bat, the book starts with a dead body. The rest of the book shows of all of the people that won't be sorry that Costs is gone.

Ciara has it all, and she is a social media influence who details everything on her accounts that are secretly generating revenue that he husband Gerry is completely unaware of. The majority of the other women in their small Irish village listen to Cuara, which leads to ugly mean-girl behavior.

Mishti, an immigrant Indian woman is Ciara’s best friend. She’s unfortunately in an unhappily arranged marriage to Parth and misses the warmth of her native India. Lauren loves motherhood in all its disheveled glory but is the only one of the three in a partnership, not a marriage. Her freethinking, hippie ways have always labeled her the village odd duck. She has never been friends with Ciara, having managed to make it on her bad side when they first met.

Mishti was my favorite character, Lauren was eh but Ciara was downright despicable. These women either can't manage to stand up for themselves or, in the other direction, don't give a damn about other people at all. This was an interesting, quick read.

I really enjoyed this book. A great story line & the drama & suspense was good. Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely a twisted domestic thriller with a cast that is quite frankly not at all likable, lol. Seriously there is the face these characters try to show the world and then there are their true faces and what they do behind closed doors. If these are your ‘friends’ do you really need enemies? I have to say Dirty Laundry is a fitting title because there is an awful lot of it! Though I only ever saw a few episodes I couldn’t help but be reminded a bit of the show Desperate Housewives. I believe this is Disha Bose’s first novel and as such I think it’s an impressive debut, and I’ll be interested to see what she comes up with next. 3.5 stars. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Dirty Laundry.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2109COZ2ERZE4/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I was quickly drawn into this story. I had lots of guesses but never truly figured out what had actually happened. I love when a thriller keeps you guessing and surprised you at the end.

I enjoyed all the characters - even the unlikeable ones. There were so many personality types in this book and I could picture each person as if they were actual people in my life. It reminded me of a really juicy episode of Real Housewives but with full access. I appreciate when stories are relatable and show that every relationship has flaws and every person has skeletons in their closet and it’s not always what they portray on social media.

I was entertained throughout the whole story. I couldn’t put this book down. I loved the twist at the end. It wasn’t the most thrilling, edge of my seat type of story but it had a twist that is tangible and one that I’ve never seen used in a story before. The buildup was nice and the conclusion doesn’t disappoint.

I will be posting this review on Goodreads, Amazon and Instagram.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5049798550

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqQkjXrEmg/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I really enjoy finding debut authors. Disha Rose didn't disappoint me. I really liked the short chapters which makes it a real page turner so it was a quick read for me. This book deals with modern day issues, such as Internet power and bullying are dealt with organically and in unconventional ways. This is above average in the twisty domestic thriller category. I would definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to read her next book.


Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group. Ballantine for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Online, Ciara has a perfect life with perfect children and a perfect husband. In real life, though, Ciara is nothing like the image she has carefully cultivated. Her life would be perfect if her neighbor, Lauren, would take her disorganized, messy life and leave the village. Lauren will not go, so Ciara begins to make Lauren an outcast in their small village. Not that Lauren isn’t used to it. She grew up in this village and was bullied mercilessly by the same women she desperately wanted to connect with. She finds a friend and ally in Mishti. Mishti, originally from Calcutta, finds Ireland cold and wants to return to her family. Friends with Ciara, Mishti begins to see what type of person she is and starts to distance herself from Ciara. Then, one morning, Ciara is found dead in her house. Who wanted Ciara dead, and why? The answer to that question might shock you because nothing is what it seems about Ciara’s death.

Dirty Laundry was different from what I thought it would be, and you know what? I enjoyed it. As I read it, I did compare it to soap operas (mostly Days of Our Lives). The author did a great job of portraying the downfall of the Queen Bee of the local mom group in that village. I couldn’t get enough of it.

Before I get into the review, I want to inform you about this book’s trigger warnings. They would be:

Cheating (Ciara, Parth (Mishti’s husband), and Sean (Lauren’s partner) cheated on their SOs constantly. For the most part, it wasn’t graphic.)
Adult Bullying (Ciara led a group of women in bullying Lauren, and this did extend to Lauren’s children. Ciara was vicious with her attacks against Lauren, online and in person)
Childhood Bullying (Lauren was bullied by the other children in her village her whole life. The author showcased a few examples in the book. Also, Lauren’s children were bullied by the children of Lauren’s bullies. It was never shown, but Freya, her oldest daughter, did mention it a couple of times in the book)
Stalking (Before Sean and Lauren had children, Lauren stalked an ex-girlfriend of his and attacked her)
Arranged Marriage (Mishti and Parth had an arranged marriage, which Mishti didn’t want)
Marital Rape (There was one scene where Parth forced Mishti into having sex with him)
Neglect (Ciara neglected her children, Bella and Finn. The baby was only picked up or comforted if it was for online pictures. Mishti did pick up Finn at one point in the book to comfort him, and Ciara blew up at her)
Drug Use (Ciara was addicted to pills and used Parth to write her a prescription. Sean and Lauren used pot recreationally)
Depression (Mishti was depressed since she got married and had her daughter. She had let herself go and could barely make herself do things)
Mental Illness (Ciara was a narcissist. I do believe that Lauren had a mental illness. She revealed that she would have missing periods, and there was one point where she blacked out after Sean started hooking up with his ex-girlfriend).
Domestic Violence (Parth pushed Mishti around at least once during the book. Sean and Lauren had a very volatile relationship, which consisted of verbal and mental abuse of each other)
If any of these triggers you, I recommend not reading the book.

I rarely flat-out disliked a character right from the beginning of a book. Ciara falls into that category. I don’t know how to describe her other than evil and narcissistic. She doesn’t care who she hurts and how they get hurt as long as she gets her way. And if you were in her crosshairs, forget about it. She would hurt you any way she could. But, I was surprised that she was willing to do what she did to Mishti. I figured that Mishti was exempt from Ciara’s shenanigans. But I was wrong. And I was doubly surprised at who she was sleeping with. Never, in a million years, would I have picked that person. My sympathy lay with her husband. And guess what? I didn’t blame him at all for his actions at the end of the book.

I couldn’t quite get a good handle on Mishti until her scenes in Calcutta. I felt terrible for her because she was trapped in a lonely marriage. But, as her storyline went on, I started to like her. Yes, she made mistakes, and yes, she was punishing herself for them. But, she resolved some of her regret and guilt when talking to her ex-boyfriend. I also liked how she wasn’t surprised when discovering Parth’s secret. I loved how her mind said, “How can I use this to take a trip back to Calcutta?” I was also not surprised at what she did at the end of the book.

Out of the three main characters, I liked Lauren the best. She got off on the wrong foot with Ciara, but she was a new mother with zero support from her partner and was operating on zero sleep. I didn’t blame her for being snippy. I also understood why she wanted to fit in with the other moms in her village. She tried to patch things up with Ciara until certain things were revealed. And you know what, I would have done the same thing, confronting Ciara. Unlike Ciara, her children’s happiness came first, and it showed. Freya, Harry, and Willow were happy, well-adjusted children. I was surprised by what she did at the beginning and her actions at the end of the book. I couldn’t help but feel that everything would be pinned on her.

The main storyline centers on Ciara, her murder, and the events leading up to it. The plotline does jump around quite a bit, but I didn’t care. As I said above, it was like I was reading a script for a soap opera. The author clearly states who the chapter is about and how far before Ciara’s murder, the events in the chapter took place. There was so much to unpack in each chapter, and the author did it wonderfully.

There were several sub-storylines with Parth, Sean, and Gerry (Ciara’s husband). Each storyline adds additional insight into how and why Ciara died. I loved reading them because of the extra understanding I got.

The end of Dirty Laundry was a free for all. The author told Ciara’s death from four perspectives (Sean, Gerry, Parth, and Mishti). Each view had an element that threw Ciara’s death into a new light. I am not going to go much more into the end. But, as I said above, Lauren will get the raw end of the deal because of her history with Ciara (and notice how she wasn’t on my list of people at the beginning of the paragraph).

I would recommend Dirty Laundry for anyone over 21. There are violence, language, and non-graphic sexual scenes. Also, see my list of trigger warnings.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Disha Bose for allowing me to read and review Dirty Laundry. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

There's lots of suspense in this story. It kept me guessing till the end. It's a page turning domestic thriller with lots of drama. The characters are very interesting and well developed. I really enjoyed it.

Dirty Laundry is a captivating and intriguing novel that delves into the complex relationships between neighboring friends and foes. Bose skillfully weaves a clever web of intrigue between three unique characters, providing readers with intimate insights into the challenges of marriage and motherhood. This novel is both juicy and riveting, offering a dark and entertaining glimpse into the lives of those around us. With its engaging plot and well-developed characters, "Dirty Laundry" is a must-read for anyone looking for a thought-provoking and engaging novel.

Wow this is a train of messed up characters with all something to lose and something to keep secret but one of them loses it all anyway, despite how hard they try to hold it together. This is an intense read that you can't put down until the last page.

I always adore a good mama drama and Dirty Laundry delivered. With characters I loved to hate, an arranged marriage, infidelity, an Instagram famous mom, and more mean girls than any one town deserves, this novel had it all!

Ciara was such an unlikeable character it was fun. I really liked Mishti and her backstory and watching her grow. They made an unlikely duo but it worked. Lauren was a tough character and I didn't quite have her pegged. I always imagined her as meek and passive, but she was really anything but (except when it came to her marriage).

I loved the mystery. Bose slyly lets us know our ringleader is dead - it was so nonchalant I almost missed it! - and then we get to spend the rest of the novel trying to figure out who did it. I loved that there was no investigation, just a flashback to see how we ended up there.

The formatting of the novel was really well done. With the dual timeline that totally wasn't overdone and the multiple narrators, I had a really hard time putting this one down.

If you love novels with cliquey women, judgy parents, and drama for days, this book is totally for you!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.