For fans of Mob Wives and Real Housewives. How are these two books not bigger names!?

Absolutely love this 2nd book! There should be more 80s themed fiction! Highly recommend both this AND Deadly Rich Widows.

I have read books by some of these authors before but not all and I was curious to see how it would all come together. I absolutely loved this book. They basically put these power houses together for some awesome storytelling.

Read the 1st novel in this series and has a ball. Was excited to see a sequel was written. Fun and rip roaring read. Finished it in one sitting. So attached to the characters. Especially love the author's writing style. Will definitely continue to read more by this author!

#DESPERATEDEADLYWIDOWS
#NETGALLEY
#VANESSALITTLELAYNEFARGOCATEHOLAHANKIMBERLYBELLE

Desperate Deadly Widows is a very interesting book that keeps you guessing until the end! 2 years later and the girls are back! Honey pot schemes and more that will leave you reeling for more!

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬.

This second installment takes place just two years after a plane carrying four mafia-affiliated law firm partners exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, thereby imploding the leisurely lives of their formerly wealthy wives. It's the late 1980s in Providence, Rhode Island, when the hair was big, but the attitudes were bigger.

The women formed an uneasy alliance to sever their ties to the mob, and now, each one has a goal: Krystle is fighting to keep the law firm going, Justine has her sights set on becoming a lawyer, Meredith owns and operates the strip club where she once danced, and Camille investigates the partners of suspicious women, usually catching them up to no good. But when one of her investigations goes off the rails and involves the mayor dying in the champagne room at the strip club, the women must join forces once more to uncover who would want the mayor dead, and more importantly, who is trying to frame one of them.

The sub-plots get wild, and the tenuous bonds holding the women together will be tested once again. Will found family prevail, or will each woman decide she's better off alone?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this highly entertaining early read. At the time this review was written, this title was expected to publish April 8, 2025.

Woo hoo the widows are back! Camille runs honey- pot schemes to catch men behaving badly and one with Mayor Tom ends up with him dead. This all happened in the champagne room at Meredith’s strip club so now the stripe club is closed. Camille is the main suspect. All the widows must work hard to save the law firm, strip club and keep each other out of jail.

I enjoyed the strong fierce female friendships, found family, fast pace and the many twists and turns and laughs along the way.

This is the second book in the The Widows series! The four infamous ladies return in this sequel to continue to uncover deception, corruption and as usual family secrets!

This book is out April 2025 - add it to your pre-order list! While you wait, if you haven’t already read it, pick up a copy of Young Rich Widows to discover how Camille, Justine, Meredith and Krystle become family and a bunch of kick ass women.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy!

Enjoyed this book as much as the first one. I would definitely read other books these talented writers collaborate on and recommend to other readers!

A fun 80’s romp, just like the first one. These characters are tons of fun, and written so well by the four talented authors. I’m excited to learn there may be additional books in this series!

I was so excited for this sequel to Young Rich Widows and actually even may have liked this one even better! The story takes up about 2 years after the previous book. All the action once again takes place in the 80's and this 80's girl loved every word and description. The widows are struggling to keep their husbands' law firm open when the mayor is found dead in a club owned by one of the ladies and another lady was the last one with him. Just gonna leave it at that. Once again, the story is just so much fun! Great characters, story, Rhode Island setting and lots of suspense. I would love to see a series made of these books!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Vanessa Lillie; Layne Fargo; Cate Holahan; Kimberly Belle and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARRC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

Picking up about two years after the previous book left off, this sequel is as fabulous as Young Rich Widows. The widows are adjusting to their lives after all the drama that came when their husbands were killed in a plane explosion. The law firm is barely holding together and their last hired attorney is leaving and poaching their top clients on his way out. Then things get out of control when the mayor is killed at Meredith’s newly redesigned strip club that she now owns, and Camille is the last one with the mayor when he dies. The ladies band together to save their reputations and to investigate who was really behind the mayor’s death before time runs out.

Like the first book, this one is also set in the 1980s, adding a fun retro twist that enhances the story. It was easy to pick up and remember the different characters and their backstories. Justine is now in law school and Krystle is the acting head of their struggling law firm, even though they’re all equal partners. She has the most time to devote to it but also considers herself as the oldest and wisest of the widows. Not sure they would agree on the latter, but I can definitely see the other ladies agreeing that she’s the oldest!

I said it after reading Young Rich Widows, and I’ll say it again now – this has to be made into a movie or series. Partly because I want to see if the characters appear to others as they do to me and also partly because it’s so freaking fun. These characters showcase all of the biggest and best parts of the 80s and would come alive on the screen. I’ll be waiting!

This is a perfect popcorn-worthy, binge-read book. Your favorite 80’s girl gang solves another murder while also having ALOT of heart. I need this series to become a TV show. This book touches on many very real and important topics, bringing light to more conversations that need to be had. Even still, it's such a fun romp. I love every one of these characters, and love to see their personal journey from book one.

Loved this. I think Layne Fargo has such a distinct and powerful voice. I think each story and author enhanced one another.

The book has been narrated from multiple perspectives. It’s suspenseful, intriguing and full of twists and turns. Set in Rhode Island, 1987. Mayor is found dead in the champagne room. While Camille is the last person who was with him. Now, she has come under suspicion of poisoning him. Meredith is the owner of the club. The mysterious murder has not only affected Camille but it is certain to ruin the reputation of the club too. The mystery gets deep and the truth is buried beneath the layers of deception, secrets and conspiracy. When secrets haul off and truth unveils, the situation becomes complex and the suspicion grows and it brings both Camille and Meredith’s reputation at stake. The conspiracy is bigger than they think and they must find their way out of it. The truth was twisted and this is a whodunnit. It will keep you at the edge of your seat. This is twisted, suspenseful, edgy and unputdownable. I loved that how that widows supported each other.

Many Thanks to the Publisher and Authors.

After reading and loving Young Rich Widows I was so excited to be able to read Desperate Deadly Widows and it did not disappoint! It was a quick read, suspenseful with revenge, friendship, deceit and a little romance tied in to make it one of my favorite reads of 2024. I especially loved the ending and after party which gives me hope that there will be a 3rd book!!

After really enjoying Young Rich Widows, I was very excited to try Desperately Deadly Widows. However, this book missed the mark for me. While I loved the 80s theme, the land deal really wasn’t interesting to me and I just found myself bored.

It’s been 2 years since the plane crash that killed their lawyer husbands and the widows are struggling to keep the firm open. Then… the mayor is murdered and one of the widows was with him and is arrested! They must come together to figure out what is going on with developers, payoffs and many secrets. So many fun twists in this one!
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the early read!
Out Oct 1.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me access to this ebook! I immediately grabbed this one when I saw Layne Fargo! I'm a huge fan of her work! I won't disclose too much as this is best to dive into a mystery/thriller without knowing much but this was twisty and kept me on the edge until the end!

Desperate Deadly Widows by Vanessa Lillie, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, and Kimberly Belle is a thrilling continuation of the Young Rich Widows saga, set against the neon backdrop of 1980s Providence. The widows are back, and the stakes are higher than ever as they navigate a web of deceit and danger following the murder of a corrupt mayor. The novel skillfully intertwines suspense with rich character development, as the women’s fragile alliances are tested and old rivalries resurface. With sharp twists and a gripping plot, it's a compelling read for fans of high-stakes thrillers.

I love the widows and am so glad they are back for book number two! The 80s are a perfect setting as the widows, who think they are in the clear from their significant others' issues, but quickly realize there is much more to get through. Don't miss this one or Young Rich Widows. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an early ARC in exchange for an honest review.