Twisty short thriller, MC is a cat lover, revenge trope. Surprise twist towards the end which resulted in my three stars, I love a good surprise, otherwise I would have rated this lower.

I thought this was a fairly strong book, though not without its flaws. I encountered a few minor issues, but nothing too significant. I was curious to find out what would happen next, although it didn't hold my attention as tightly as I had expected. There were some unexpected twists that I appreciated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

2.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books. I feel like the premises of the book was there the delivery just did not do it for me unfortunately. I wish it would of gone more in depth as to the relationship between Holly and Lorelei. There was also subjects that I felt were just glossed over when it could of been really good for they to be more explored.

*** 2.5 ⭐️ ***

Woman Of The Year is anything but about a woman of the year..... it's about a cat and a deeply misplaced #MeToo association.

In college, Lorelei and Holly forge a friendship that ultimately takes a downward spiral when Lorelei "goes crazy" (for lack of a better term). Without divulging any spoilers, there's a professor, a cat, and some weird and bizarre psychological experiments that take place.

Unfortunately, none of the characters were overly interesting or developed, and I really didn't care about the whole "cat" diatribe that was going on. The suspense aspect wasn't that suspenseful, and this definitely was no thriller story. The who-dun-it at the end was truly from left field and felt like the author was grasping at straws to tie the plot together.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

2.75

Unfortunately this book ended up not really working for me. I love the concept of the book but it took so long to set things up and then it was all wrapped up in a few pages.

A twisty-turny psychological thriller for those who enjoy that kind of thing. Jumping back and forth from past to present, the reader is caught trying to find the real villain when all the characters are so deeply traumatized and flawed. This piece of the book was done very well. I struggled a little getting traction with the storyline; it had a slow start for me and was a little scattered until closer to the end. For me, it isn't a standout in the genre, but I would recommend it to those who would are in the mood for this kind of story.

I liked the authors previous book. This one was a little much for me with the animal stuff. I did not finish.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Woman of the Year" by Darcey Bell is a psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of female friendship and the lengths one might go to for revenge. The novel follows Lorelei, a woman whose bright future was derailed by a single, manipulative event during her college years. Now, two decades later, her former friend Holly is living the life Lorelei once envisioned for herself, complete with a nomination for a prestigious Woman of the Year award.

Bell masterfully crafts a narrative that is as much about the past as it is about the present, with the characters' college days playing a significant role in shaping their current realities. The story is a compelling exploration of envy, obsession, and the human psyche, with Lorelei's unreliable narration keeping readers on their toes. As she plots her revenge during the Woman of the Year ceremony, unexpected twists and turns lead to a shocking conclusion that will leave readers questioning the nature of trust and betrayal.

The novel's pacing is tight, creating a sense of urgency that propels the story forward. Bell's use of suspense is skillful, making "Woman of the Year" a page-turner that's hard to put down. The themes of control and manipulation are woven throughout the book, echoing the dark side of human behavior that the characters studied in their college seminar.

Overall, "Woman of the Year" is a gripping read that offers a fresh take on the thriller genre. Darcey Bell has once again proven her ability to craft a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, solidifying her place as a noteworthy author in contemporary fiction.

I found the story to be riveting. The story weaves with current day to college day, mystery surrounding what happened to main character and her college friend for her to seek harm to her. I found the storyline interesting and anything related to psychology is fascinating. The only thing I could have done without is the whole chapter on cats. That is way too info to spend a chapter since the storyline felt like it went off tangent about cats.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I really enjoyed A Simple Favor by this author (and the film) but did not enjoy this latest one. Thank you netgalley for the copy.

This book lacked cohesion. The characters lacked depth, the plot was barely there, and the whole thing read like an outline. It's a very short book, so I kept reading, Not my favourite read by bell

Quick read. Nothing too thrilling. I felt like it could have been better. It was an odd read and could have had a better ending.

This is my first Darcey Bell book so I didn't know she makes characters that are actually deplorable. That's all fine and good and entertaining if it was actually entertaining and not just a long drawn out slow burn with eccentric show value events thrown in. Would not recommend and don't think I'd give the author another try.

This book was kooky in a good way. It took me a few tries to get going but I ended up really enjoying this book.

I was mildly entertained. At no point did I know where it was going ever really.

I read some reviews to try and get an idea of how I was feeling. Seeing if anyone had put the words to what I was feeling. And honestly I'm only just confused that cat haters are going off. Wdym you hate cats more because a cat attacked her in this, that cat was literally tortured and then thrown into her house to replace her old cat without her knowledge. No wonder the traumatized cat hurt her.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc of this novel. My apologies for the very late review.

I absolutely loved A Simple Plan so I couldn't wait to read Woman of The Year. It fell a little short for me. The characters were insane and so many weird things happened. I'm a cat lover but holy catman! So much cat talk!

I’m trying to understand the target audience for this book, as it seems like it’s written for cat people and then contains everything that would be off putting to a cat person (I say this as a cat person who finished the book).

This book enraged me and made me sad. For being called “Woman of The Year” it really did focus on truly abhorrent men and the pain they cause and the women they abuse and manipulate both for their own gain and to hurt more women.

This book starts out focusing on the cat our MC Lorelei found after being raped and then truly just goes on to depict the worst people in the world, including her so-called best-friend, Holly. I felt so sad for the MC being tortured and abused over and over again and no one was ever on her side.

The writing was decent but this story just felt like rage-bait.

2 stars

⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. It's too bad because A Simple Favour was so good!

Bell's writing is good, but the actual delivery of the story is awful. The main character is completely insufferable. The animal abuse was too much for me as well. There should be trigger warnings for the animal abuse!

One of the worst books I have ever read. No structure and simply unreadable.

Lorelei attends a Woman of the Year benefit dinner to seek revenge on her former friend Holly. The novel delves into Lorelei's motives, allowing readers to judge her once they know the whole truth. Woman of the Year offers a creative twist on the revenge trope, relying heavily on its protagonist. The narrative, which alternates between past and present, captivated me with its inventive and conversational tone. Lorelei, the eccentric and slightly unreliable "crazy cat lady" protagonist, tells her story in a meandering yet enjoyable way.

The story itself is filled with intriguing and unique elements. From a disturbing Thanksgiving dinner scene to a #MeToo plot, animal experimentation, and mind control discussions, there are many captivating and thought-provoking aspects. However, I would have liked Lorelei's friendship with Holly to be more developed. Nevertheless, the story is designed for readers to trust Lorelei's perspective, which might explain the lack of emphasis on their friendship.

Overall, Woman of the Year had an intriguing behavioral psychology theme and its ability to keep me engaged with its offbeat nature.