A collection of heartwarming, wise and often witty stories written by women. You are not being mis-sold in the title.

My stand out story is Lucy Vine’s ‘Double Date’ which had a very unexpected protagonist and was just lovely. Others I really enjoyed were ‘Glue’ by Clare Shaw which was very funny and very poignant; ‘Ways with Mince’ by Kathryn Simmonds where poor Sue has the world’s most awful mother-in-law; ‘The Art of Genital Persuasion’ Kathy Lette a look into the underrated world of penis puppeteering; and finally the pain of ‘Nothing Compared to You’ Annemarie Cancienne which cut to my heart.

This is a lovely collection of short stories, really great for readers who want to dip their toe in without committing to a novel.

This collection is full of tales of women looking out for each other, women competing (shopping gets serious) and women just trying to get by. There’s also one about a man and a pig which didn’t really fit the pattern but was equally as enjoyable.

Would highly recommend for a nice, comforting unwind.

Thank you to Netgalley and Duckworth Books for my #arc

The Book of Witty Women is a wonderful anthology of short stories written by some very funny women. The stories are all different covering so many aspects of life, including friendship, relationships, family, food and shopping! Every story brought a smile to my face and on top of being funny, most were heartwarming and poignant too.

Amongst my favourites were ‘Ways with Mince’ by Kathryn Simmonds, a hilarious tale of a woman starved by her mother-in-law and ‘Double Date’ by Lucy Vine, a beautiful love story told from the POV of a woman’s best friend.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was perfect for dipping into one story at a time, especially when I found myself with a free half an hour. Thank-you NetGalley and Farrago for sending me this ARC for free, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A collection of short stories that are mildly amusing. I skipped through some of them, the writing overlong and not funny. A book to look at on a short journey or waiting for an appointment. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I’m currently loving exploring the short story genre, and the title and comic collective of this book really caught my attention.

Some stories really made me laugh out loud others weren’t quite as strong but overall I enjoyed the collection. The book felt well composed and the stories complimented each other. Thanks netgalley for an advanced copy of this book

This was very much a mixed bag of short stories for me. I expected from the title for them to be funny, but most weren’t at all. One (Hapless) was so awful I skipped it entirely. A handful I enjoyed but none were especially brilliant.

Kathy Lette, Helen Lederer and Josie Long mentioned on the cover - their contributions are ok, but I wouldn’t rush out to buy this book for a friend. A shame, because these kind of collections, mixed with humour, usually make fantastic gifts to cheer people up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Title hooked me, but after reading the first few stories I had to call it quits. Unfortunately I didn't find them to be witty, or well-written to be honest. Think this could use a few more rounds of editing.

A good mix of stories, some funnier than others, some easier to read than others.
I don't normally like short stories mixed by different people but I read this over a period of time, one at a time, and it worked well.
A diverse range of authors which made it interesting.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I loved all the short stories in this anthology especially the first one by Kathy Lette (Biscuits and crime?!) This is a wonderful collection that is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Some of my favourite authors contributed but I was also introduced to some new ones and I can't wait to read their other work.

So refreshing to read a book of short stories instead of a full novel, which is usually what I go for. Loved the idea of supporting women writers and their work, too. I liked all the stories, my favorite being Double Date by Lucy Vine, Glue by Clare Shaw and Ways With Mince by Kathryn Simmonds.
They’re mostly a compilation of very light stories, some funnier than others but all enjoyable and entertaining. Very well written as well.

The cover and premise of this book really caught my fancy. Short stories are a genre I’m currently enjoying more of and often seek out books by female writers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read.

The stories are a mixed bag. All are readable and the authors can write well but fewer are memorable with the ‘doggy dating’ and ‘mince’’ particular highlights for me.

There is also a mixture of the level of witty in the book with some stories stimulating a wry smile (or even an eye roll!) and others a more consistent chuckle or laugh. I would say not to expect to ‘laugh out loud’ as much of the humour is observational and relational rather than boldly hilarious.

Certainly, most of the stories felt fresh and new in their approach and each one was unexpected when it came. The flow between them was plotted well to give depth to the collection.

Overall, I love the idea of the book and there are some really shiny gems however, not consistently enough ‘witty’ to garner a higher rating. That said, I would try a similar collection by the publishers in the future as one of the key strengths of the book was how the stories were curated.

A fun read but not memorable. Great for a holiday. Amusing and sometimes quite perceptive. Good to have strong women as principal characters

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

So many funny stories with authors I want to go back and read more of! Each story was different but always put a smile on my face!

An enjoyable collection of short stories in which everyone will have their favourites. I love this type of book as I not only find different authors but also it's ideal for situations when one's attention is subject to interruptions especially when when travelling. Quick, lighthearted and entertaining reads all completely different.

Thanks kindly to NetGalley and Farago Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A nice anthology of comedic short stories from women authors. I enjoyed some much more than others, not surprising given everyone has different comedic and writing preferences.

Overall an accessible read for those interested in comedic writing more broadly.

The Book of Witty Women
15 new laugh-out-loud stories by women writers
by Helen Lederer, Kathy Lette, Sadia Azmat, Josie Long, Lucy Vine and more
I liked the book. Yes, I know, BOO ME ...DID NOT LOVE IT. There were some funny parts, but some seemed to try too hard to make the story funny. Just my opinion and as the reviews state it was brilliant to others. I may need more humor and fewer dark books.

The Book of Witty Women is like watching Netfix's Black Mirror series in a novel form. I mostly read this book during commute and it is the perfect read to indulge in if you only have 20 minutes max for reading daily.

It is an anthology of 15 short stories written by renowned female writers (as you can tell from the cover of the book) without the hardhanded preaching on feminism or any grotesque use of sexual connotation (as seen from a lot of so called comic/talk show nowadays). It is a book full of day-to-day happenings and whimsical story telling with brilliant twists that are relatable and comical at the same time.

Ways with Mince by Kathryn Simmonds is by far my favourite among the whole series. The struggle of getting along with in laws and getting "starved" during your stay with them is portrayed in a monologue of Sue, the unfortunate wifey who ruined their stay after getting hangry and probably drunk. Double Date by Lucy Vine is also a hearting warming one depicting how a woman recover from her lost of love through the eyes of her dog. There are way more to cover in this small book but I can guarantee you it is an enjoyable read about family, friendship, and even shopping, by incredible female writers.

It was great to read this collection of stories by these fantastic women and many women that I have looked up to.

My thanks to NetGalley and Farago Publishing for a copy of “ The Book Of Witty Women “ for an honest review.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.I usually find anthologies or short stories more miss than hit, but I was in need to something a little more light hearted to read, so I thought I’d give it a go .
This was a joy of a read from start to finish, and I found all of the stories numerous and entertaining .
Well worth a read !

I love short stories so when I saw a collection of witty short stories I was really looks forward to trade them but unfortunately they all fell flat,they were not funny and not did I smile. Whilst I appreciate not every story may be as good as the last,for me they were all terrible. Some of stories had potential but they simply were not for me.
Thanks to netgallery to allow me to review this book.

"The Book of Witty Women" is a captivating collection that features 15 stories penned by women authors. It offers an enjoyable and swift reading experience, filled with characters that stay with you long after you've turned the last page and moments that will have you bursting into laughter. This anthology would serve as a perfect literary present for a bookish girlfriend.