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.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Woman of the Year by Darcey Bell from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Heads up on this one as there is animal abuse in it which was sort of disturbing. Other than the animal abuse, I thought this was intense story that kept you turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. It's a another great read by Darcey Bell!

Woman Of The Year
By Darcey Bell
Review and Rating 3

I am finally back to reviewing! Throughout my personal chaos, I have been reading, though slowly, and I actually finished Woman Of The Year awhile back. Gaslighting, revenge, lonely cat lady? Yes, please! It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though I love a good revenge thriller. This one seemed a bit all over the place, and not to the level I expected from Darcey Bell. It took me a bit, but of course I finished it and I will definitely be back for Darcey’s next novel. I rounded up from 2.5 to 3 ⭐️!

I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.



Book Rating Key
⭐️ Not Recommended
⭐️⭐️ Readable Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Near Perfect Book
***Note*** I seldom give ⭐️or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings. If I feel a book is a ⭐️sometimes I just prefer to not finish reading it and not rate it. As for 5 ⭐️books, I think of those as books I would want to take with me to a deserted island 🏝️, and this means I read a whole lot of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star books. Happy Reading!

Love this cover - but the book fell flat for me.
Lots of triggers - check them out before reading.
A very creative and unique book - just not for me.

Lorelei and Holly, both recognized for their academic excellence, were once close friends during their college years, where they shared a psychology class and forged a strong bond with their professor. Yet, an undisclosed incident caused a rift in their friendship, one that has endured for years. Now, as the prestigious "Woman of the Year" event looms, Lorelei sets her sights on retribution. The question looms: will her pursuit of revenge unfold as planned, or could she too find herself ensnared in unexpected trouble?

The narrative predominantly unfolds in the present, while offering fleeting glimpses into their shared past. As the tension escalates, the book explores the complexities of their relationship, leaving readers to ponder whether things take a catty turn or not. Ultimately, it is left to the reader to form their own judgment. One thing is certain, though: this is a fast-paced and one-of-a-kind read.

3 Stars for it's unique and enigmatic storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t feel entitled to content warnings necessarily but if a book involves animal harm I think it needs to be hinted at in some way on the plot summary

I had attempted to read this author’s previous book and had to DNF it. But I thought I would give it another try. Turns out it’s just a bad case of it’s not you it’s me. Because I just did not vibe with this.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Another dark female friendship sign me up. a revenge plot that gets a little out of hand, this had the spooky feel for me

This one had potential but fell short in the end. I keep hoping to really enjoy Darcey Bell's books, but have only found disappointment. The writing was messy and the characters were pretty flat. The animal abuse will turn many readers off, going in without any trigger warning.

Ive read several of Darcey Bell's books and they are hit or miss for me. This one was ok so I ended up finishing it just out of curiosity.

I’ve tried other books by this author and they’re just not working for me. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

I had to DNF this one at 20%. It was painful.

Thank you Net Galley & to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oof, unfortunately this was a complete failure - rambling and all over the place, flat characters, no real plan or reasons for what happens, and a completely unrealistic, silly ending to top it off.

DNF'd at 20%. I physically couldn't get through this, as much as I wanted to like this. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I've read all of Darcey Bell's books and they hook you early, are bingeable, and easy reads. This one had twists that were a bit predictable and unfortunately, it felt a bit forgettable overall. Thank you for my gifted copy!!

2 stars!

This was a...book. The ending was very good but despite only being like 250 pages, this book was SLOW. Also the main character is definitely a cat lady, which is fine I also love cats, but it was just doing too much. I thought I might like this because I like the movie A Simple Favor, but maybe it's better to just accept that as an isolated incident.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I mean... it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read but if it wasn't for the cats it would probably be 2 stars. Just kind of strange.

Also, not related to the book entirely but my horror movie night club watched a movie right before I read this and I wouldn't have gotten a reference about said movie had I not seen it right before reading it.