I read the first book back in April…….Young Rich Widows. When I saw this book, I hit the “request” button so fast, praying it would be approved. This one was every bit as good as the first book, and actually, it was better. Definitely held my interest. I love the idea of four different authors each writing for one of the four main characters. A very unique concept. Good, satisfying ending. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I couldn’t wait to read the return of the widows. This is such a great easy read. It’s like Desperate Housewives set in the 80’s! The four widows are trying to keep their law firm afloat and run into all sorts of trouble. A good twisty mystery will keep you on your toes with some humorous moments.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the second in the Widow series by the powerhouse writing team of Vanessa Lillie, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan and Kimberly Belle. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Following all the adventures that happened in the first book, Young Rich Widows, it's 1987 in Rhode Island, two years since the plane crash that killed four law-firm partners. The four widows have had to regroup, facing the reality of their new lives. Krystle fights to keep the law firm afloat, while Justine is in law school. Meredith owns and runs the strip club where she once danced, and Camille orchestrates schemes for scorned women. However, one of her arrangements goes wrong and the mayor is now dead in the club. The widows must work together or else go down together.

These are just such fun books, taking you back to all the excesses of the 80s. There's enough here to be able to read this one as a stand alone, but do yourself a favor and start with the first. The audiobook was fabulous (available now on Audible, just like the first!) and had me laughing along at the widows' antics. But there's a mystery to be solved before one of the widows ends up in jail, and there are plenty of questionable suspects. Loved how this shows strong women supporting each other no matter what.

While it’s already out as an audiobook, the written novel is coming April 8, 2025. The Windows of the Law Firm are back and are moving forward with their lives, if only others would stop setting them up! Each of the widows has moved forward with a new career path after the deaths of their husband but when tragedy befalls one of them, they team up again to try to solve whodunit. Overall, I enjoyed this one more than the first, especially the twists along the way and the writing feels more YA. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed the first book and knew I would be in for another treat with this one. Although this wasn’t as amazing as the first book I will say that I was not disappointed. The ladies have kept me thoroughly entertained with their shenanigans and dialogue. The plot, narration, comedy and grit made this book a really enjoyable one. The addition of new characters was surprisingly well done considering I sometimes hate change. These women are smart, witty and admirable characters who know exactly what they want and how to get it. I will say that I would love to join the team again if there will be another book.

Desperate Deadly Widows was just as good as the first book! I loved catching up with my favorite widows and seeing how they are holding up! It is of the times in the most fun way!

The widows are at it again! This was a page turning thrill ride. I was laughing and cheering the widows on the whole way. A great follow up.
Thank you to net galley for my early e galley for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately I could not get through this. I did not like the first book of this series however unfortunately, because I have enjoyed other books by this author. Thank you for the opportunity however.

This was the perfect book for me now. It was so good and kept me turning pages. I laughed. I cried. I cringed. I had all the feels. Mostly I enjoyed all the laughter. It felt so good to laugh...

The follow up to Rich Young Widows, this was just as good. It starts out with excitement. The mayor is murdered and of course one of the strippers is accused of his murder. While she does look extremely guilty did she do it? Or could it have been her boss/friend. Maybe his wife. Or ex-wife. Maybe even his son. The list is endless. What did Mayor Tom do or not do to get himself murdered?

This book is so good. It keeps you guessing and turning the pages. The four widows, Krystle, Camille, Justine, and Meredith, became fast friends after their husbands were killed in a plane crash that proved to be murder in Rich Young Widows. You got a good look into each of their lives. How they stood together through so much. Friendships are the best. Sometimes it's stronger than family. Or is a family. What these women go through in this book tests the bonds many times. But in the end they stand strong. No matter what.

I enjoyed this book so much. It was spot on terrific. A joy and pleasure to read. It was a fun read with a few twists thrown in for good measure. To keep you on your toes.

Thank you #NetGalley and #SourceBooksLandmark, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts.

Five big stars.

Someone has framed these women for killing the mayor and they are determined to find out who. And like any good whodunit mystery. Their motives aplenty everywhere they turn. Somebody has a motive to have killed the mayor. And it's up to these women to unravel the mystery in time.

This book absolutely screams the '80s and that was a very fun element to help enrich the story. There were a lot of really funny comedically timed moments that added to the characters.

However, on the other hand, the widows themselves felt very disconnected from each other. Almost like there wasn't really any friendship or anything between them so it does take you out of the story at times.

Elements of this book felt like they were friends, but there were a lot of moments where I felt like you needed a couple chapters or a scene or two added in to really help cement the fact that they were truly friends because it almost felt very superficial friendship. I did love the fact that these women are very self-sufficient. They don't need a man or anyone else to ride in like a white Knight and save them. They are going to save themselves.

This sits very middle of the road for me. There were moments that I truly enjoyed this, but some that feel kind of flat. That being said, if there is a third book, I can see myself picking it up to go along with these women in their journey.

This book is delicious! I loved the first book and this one was great as well. The Widows have to come together again to save one of the women. I feel like the 80s setting is so well laid out and referenced it almost feels like a character in itself. I really hope there are more widows books coming.

Desperate Deadly Widows is the 2nd book featuring four women whose attorney husbands were killed when their plane exploded, leaving the women to run their shady law firm. Determined to change the firm’s image and save it from going under, the widows get involved with a prominent family in Rhode Island who are trying to secure a land deal. But when one of the widows is arrested for the murder of the town’s mayor, they once again band together to prove her innocence. This is basically a whodunnit, with the widows investigating the.murder, trying to find the real murderer. The plot’s a little murky, with lots of characters to keep track of and just as many side plots, and that tends to dampen any tension as the reader tries to unravel all the threads. The allure of this series is the banter between the widows as they try to overcome their distrust for each other and keep the firm afloat. No new ground broken here, but the interaction between the widows as they navigate rough waters is worth the read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two years ago, the widows faced tragedy when their husbands were killed in a plane crash and they soon after set off to investigate and find out what happened to the men in their lives and make the people pay who had taken their men away from them.

In this next instalment Justine is a student lawyer, and the widows are trying to make their law firm a success, but Krystle needs funds to do so and to keep it afloat. Meredith owns the Mafia night club which she has done up and now operates under the name of the Luna Lounge. She relies on her girls, the strippers to help her brig the money in. But then an event happens that will blow their worlds right up. Camille is out to help women whose husbands cheat setting them up to be caught out. Her next mission was to trap the local Mayor by plying him with champagne and hoping that she can get him on tape acting like the sleaze bag that he is. He begins drinking it like it is going out of fashion but then suddenly collapses and Meredith’s worst nightmare happens when they realise, he is dead.

Next the police are involved, and the girls’ worlds begin to fall part. This is another fun instalment of the widow’s journeys, but I did find that the girls were not always looking out for each other as before, not quite the strong foursome that they presented as in the previous book.
They do unite to help each other solve this crime but I just feel like they each had their own personal agendas in this one that I did not find in the first book.

Overall, another quick entertaining read and I will look forward to see if there will be another instalment. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

I had to read the first book of this series before reading this one – it really helped with the backstory. The ladies were brought together, not by friendship, but by a unfortunate accident with their husbands/partners. The friends didn’t have a great “bond” but was there when they needed one another. The don’t need rescuing, they are fierce and will stop at nothing. I did enjoy these 2 titles in this series and hopefully their bond will grow more if there is another one in the series. They can truly be a mighty force together. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC #VanessaLillie #KimberlyBelle #DesperateDeadlyWidows #NetGalley

Full transparency- I read this in the accents each actor had in the first story so that may have added to my enjoyment 😂

I love this group of women. They’re so fun. I hope there are more books to come, which it kind of seems at the end. Here’s to hoping.

A who done it with a lovely comedic tone and strong female friends/friendship. I wasn’t even focused on theories, I was just enjoying the ride. However, the story was still twisty and mysterious.

Great book.
I loved how it kept changing perspectives.
Keeps you on your toes.
Couldn't put it down.
Thank you for letting me read in advance.

This book earned the whole 5 stars. It is one of the best books I have read in awhile. It kept me wanting to read. The story had an ending I did not except! I have not even read the first book and still loved it!

I really struggled with this book. I love the authors and wanted to enjoy the book, but I found it really slow moving. I didn’t care enough about the characters. I ended up not finishing the book and just perusing the end. Maybe it just was not for me. I decided not to, review it as I wonder if the book was just not the right one for me at the time.

Desperate Deadly Widows is a charming combination of drama, humor and suspense and I was drawn in from paragraph one. As other readers said, it had Mob Wives vibes, and that lent to its escapist appeal. It was a nice, light, guilty pleasure sort of read. I found it very entertaining.

“Desperate Deadly Widows” is an engaging blend of suspense and mystery that kept me on the edge of my seats. The plot twists create a captivating atmosphere that hooks you from the start. The humor sprinkled throughout provides a refreshing contrast to the scandals and tension, making for a well-rounded read. The characters are richly developed, and their interactions add depth to the story. Overall, it's a thrilling and entertaining read that left me wanting more.