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.

Woman of the Year
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Author: Darcey Bell
GR: 2.92

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Twenty years ago, gregarious Lorelei and mousy Holly became fast friends as students in the same college psychology seminar. Taught by an expert in control and human behavior, the two students also grew close to their charismatic professor. But in one twisted moment of gaslighting, their friendship flamed out and Lorelei’s once-promising future fell apart. Flashforward, Holly has everything Lorelei ever wanted, while Lorelei is a lonely cat lady. Now, Holly is even up for an award at a Woman of the Year ceremony, and Lorelei finally has the perfect opportunity to get the revenge she’s wanted for years. But she’s not the only person who has been obsessively following Holly’s career—and when someone winds up dead, Lorelei realizes she may be in danger, too.

My Thoughts: Triggers: rape, sexual abuse, lab animal abuse, and gaslighting. While this was a good read, I was left with wanting just a little more. This was a short read at just over 200 pages. While I absolutely love a revenge scenario, to hold onto anger for 20 years, enough to not live your life, and only to think of getting revenge is a bit much. It was a single person narration, with a past and present timeline. This was definitely a dark thriller, which I can appreciate. The plot was unique, which is what intrigued me to reading this book. Our protagonist is eccentric, and even psychologically disturbed, and was likely written to this effect. Things did not come together until the end. I do not want to give too much away for other readers. Again, not a bad read, I did enjoy it, I just wanted more cohesiveness throughout the story.

Oh my, this book ALMOST killed me! I don't mind when a book is a slow burn and I love revenge stories, but this one didn't really work for me. This is also not my first Darcey Bell read. I know that the author writes deplorable and eccentric characters. Our main protagonist, Laura Lee/Lorelei was certainly eccentric. Bell also enjoys exploring the dark and twisty cores that lie with us. That can definitely be felt in many of the situations that are described in this book. That Thanksgiving scene- SHUDDER! The last few chapters were probably the very best parts of the book. I am going to try and grasp those positive points and compile that to make a 2-star rating but I was really disappointed.

I will admit I am not the perfect audience for this book. I don’t love campy books and definitely don’t love the unreliable narrator. However, if you’ve read Bell’s books in the past and loved them then give this one a try!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.