The Sunday Girl

WOW what a different book. It kept me interested the entire way through. There were many on edge moments as things kept changing and twisting and leaving you wondering all the time. A great debut book, I will definitely look out for Pip's second novel.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster (Australia) and Pip Drysdale for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Sunday Girl.
This book is the debut novel from Ms Drysdale? OMG!!! What will her second book be like if this novel shows her calibre of work in her first? Needless to say, I absolutely loved reading My Sunday Girl and stayed up all night to finish it. The storyline was well thought out and fast paced with each chapter leaving you wondering what could possibly happen next. And the reader certainly will not be disappointed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves an "unputdownable" thriller. You know when you read a really, really awesome story that was so good it's hard to start reading another novel? THIS is that book.
Thankyou again to Pip Drysdale for sharing your talent with us. I look forward to reading more books from you in the future.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

I spent the first part of this book intrigued and excited as the story was woven and set up, and then spent the entire rest of the book with my heart in my mouth! This was one thrilling ride and one I certainly did not see coming.

The Sunday Girl expertly and sensitively gives a voice, a face, and a personality, to domestic abuse, and it is an eye-opening and amazing achievement for a debut novel. 4.5 stars - Highly recommended reading!

Many thanks to Pip Drysdale, Simon & Schuster Australia, and NetGalley for an ARC of this compelling book in exchange for an honest review. I sincerely look forward to reading more works from this author.

The Sunday Girl is a compelling story of domestic abuse in the digital age with lots of plot twists and turns and an end you didn’t see coming.

I read this on the train and nearly missed my stop two days in a row because I was so immersed in the story. A great first novel.

5* Game of Dominos Stars

I absolutely devoured this thrilling, nail biting read. I was hooked from the first page and until the last word was read. This story is a game of “cat and mouse” between the Heroine Taylor and her on-again off-again boyfriend Angus and the lengths they both go to, to outsmart each other with dire consequences.

This book was fraught with lies and deceit. There were excellent twists and turns that one does not see coming.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is Pip’s debut novel as the story was so well written and flowed well, it certainly made an impression on me.

I cannot wait to read what Pip brings us next as her imagination and writing skills are superb.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster (Australia) and NetGalley for my ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It deserves more than 5 stars and should be made into a movie! When you find yourself smiling whilst reading you know the characters have you hooked. Part chick-lit, part psychological thriller. Kind of like a cross between Jojo Moyes and Harlan Coben!

Loved this book and couldn't put it down. The characters were believable and the storyline kept you wondering what would happen next. Every woman has either been in a toxic relationship or knows someone who has and every woman would have dreamed of revenge and how to execute it. Consulting the Art of War and applying it to revenge was brilliant and I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The book was well paced and clever - a modern love story gone bad. Great and unpredictable ending. A good read and I'd recommend it to others. A great first book and the author, Pip Drysdale, will be on my reading list for the future.

Pip Drysdale deals with domestic violence issues in this edgy pageburner with a sensitive, intelligent novel portraying one woman's struggle against abuse. This time the protagonist, Taylor Bishop applies the ancient "Art Of War" to extract her ultimate revenge on a remorseless ex-lover. It's not a recommended solution but certainly makes a good, quick read.

I thought this was a really good book it took a little bit of time to get into it but when I did I couldn’t put it down . I will be looking out for more of her books

Great book. Storyline kept me reading late into the night. I just wanted Taylor to be safe from Angus. Looking forward to this authors next book.

When you tell a lie you must tell another to cover the first. And there will always be someone more devious or cunning than you, however clever you believe yourself to be. Taylor finds herself in the difficult position of abuse, betrayal and emotional blackmail., yet Angus seems to be one step ahead of her at each and every turn. Can she ever truly escape the clutches of someone she once loved; or at least she thought she did.

The Sunday Girl, is the woman you want to wake up to on a sunday morning, according to Taylor's boyfriend Angus.

However it seems that Taylor isn't hitting the mark with Angus, as she has been ousted before Angus' birthday, and he takes someone else on their planned skiing trip.

But that's not all. Taylor starts getting emails from men complimenting her on her recent social media posts. Posts she knows nothing about, and cause her life to change direction completely.

There's only one thing for it: Revenge.

Taylor sets about systematically destroying the 'good boy' image that Angus has worked so hard to cultivate. But when Angus comes knocking on her door, is she going to be able to resist is charm?

The Sunday Girl is fast paced thriller, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. The blows come quick and fast, and before you know it, you've hit the end of the book. There's not much you can do in the thriller genre that isn't a reinterpretation of something that has come before, so The Sunday Girl worked hard to carve out a new space for itself. Overall, it was very enjoyable.

Thanks to Pip Drysdale, Simon & Schuster Australia, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

This is a tense and engaging novel.

Taylor has decided to get revenge on her ex, following the wisdom of Sun Tzu's Art of War. I went into this expecting the perfectly crafted plan with flawless execution - an Italian Job with more angst and sadism.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when this was not the case. The story smoothly tells the story of small escalations leading Taylor onto a course that she feels she cannot divert from.

I can definitely recommend this to those who enjoy their psychological thrillers.

This is a great read, told in the first person by Taylor Bishop a young woman in a relationship with somebody she thinks she loves and she thinks he loves her. But this man is abusive both physically and mentally and we go through the ups and downs of Taylor trying to please him; sometimes succeeding but most often not.

Tylor and Angus were like two parts of a whole, at least originally. Then things began to change and on the night before a planned ski trip an argument escalated and she left with her suitcase. He went on the ski trip with a former girlfriend.

How easily these things happen.

We then learn that Angus is totally untrustworthy. Taylor receives a sex-tape link and finds that he has uploaded a tape that he promised was just for them: the time has come for her to take back control of her life and make him pay.

She is angry, hurt, and determined to destroy Angus as he has destroyed her. She sets a plan of revenge after reading “The Art of War” and takes the first steps on a journey that will change her life forever.

We are immediately on Taylor’s side against this man who uses and abuses her at his whim. She is initially, powerless against him but during the course of the book, she changes her attitude towards him finding strength in her resolve, but at what cost to herself?

I really enjoyed this book a first for this author. I read it in one sitting, a benefit of being retired, and can thoroughly recommend it. If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, and the Woman in the Window, you will surely enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Sunday Girl started off slowly, accelerated, sped up, and took me to a state of breathlessness. I didn’t want to put it down, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a dark and clever read. Beautifully written as well.

If you enjoy reading thrillers and crime fiction with a strong female lead, 'The Sunday Girl' is right up your alley.

Taylor, also known as 'The Sunday Girl' to her ex-boyfriend, discovered that a leaked sex tape of hers was in circulation online. This discovery, along with the desire to destroy all incriminating evidence led to even more deep secrets of the said ex-boyfriend.

The story alternates between the present and past recollections of her memories with him. Had he always shown an abusive nature? Was he often a control freak? Each chapter also tied back to one of Sun Tzu's Art of War tactics, which I liked and thought was a nice touch.

While this one had a slow build-up to the best bits, it definitely gets better and thoroughly enjoyable as it gets on.

Overall, a delightful debut piece by Pip Drysdale. Highly recommended!

"Some love affairs change you forever. Someone comes into your orbit and swivels you on your axis, like the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it's not always north."

Taylor Bishop is miserable after her breakup with her boyfriend, Angus, but that's nothing compared with how she feels when she discovers that he has posted a sex tape of her online, with her full name attached. When Taylor happens across a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, she decides to channel her hurt into anger. Angus will pay for what he has done to her.

The Sunday Girl is the debut novel of writer Pip Drysdale, who lives in London where the story is based. It's a psychological thriller and should come with a trigger warning for anyone who has experienced an abusive relationship. It's not exactly a spoiler to say that Angus is not a nice guy, but he fools Taylor for long enough that she is heavily invested in the relationship, and she is at first reluctant, then finally afraid to leave him. The tension ratchets up pretty quickly as Taylor's early attempts at revenge begin to seem like a very bad idea. Without wishing to spoil the plot, The Sunday Girl also contains some useful warnings or reminders about exercising caution with the use of technology.

The Sunday Girl is quite a page-turner, which will keep you guessing until the end. If you like this one you'll probably enjoy JP Delaney's The Girl Before or The Mistake by KL Slater.

A tense thriller which makes you think of the consequences of all the little choices that you make each day. What if you had done this instead of that? Moved on and not sought revenge? How things might have been different.

The Sunday Girl really took me by surprise. What begins as a payback for some revenge porn posted online quickly morphs into a situation that is so much more perilous than I could have envisaged. I was gripped by this novel, its open and easy to read narrative saw me devouring it within one, albeit late, night.

Told in the first person, in a sort of hindsight storytelling style, I really found The Sunday Girl incredibly absorbing. We know that something has happened to Taylor, but the what of it we are yet to uncover, and we’re also not sure on where this story is coming from. Is it a confession to the police? A cautionary tale of hindsight? Is she dead and are we reading a journal? I loved this unknown aspect of the story. The pacing is rapid, there are no blank spots in this novel, nor is it too busy. The suspense builds as the novel progresses and the fear that Taylor experiences, along with the dread of not knowing what Angus was going to come up with next, was on point from beginning to end.

Taylor Bishop was a character I had a lot of empathy for, and unlike many thrillers I’ve read in the past, she was not at all unlikeable. She was a regular young woman who had friends and was good at her job; she wasn’t sketchy or unreliable, nor was she cold blooded in her intentions towards Angus. Her plan for revenge was more about taking a stand, and later, her actions were all about survival. She’d just had the misfortune of being targeted by a master manipulator. And Angus Hollingsworth really was a piece of work. A very scary fellow who knew exactly what he was doing every step of the way as he laid down the path to Taylor’s destruction, likely right from their very first meeting. He chose Taylor, for a specific purpose, but fortunately, he did underestimate her pliability and considered her a shade more naïve than what she really was. The cat and mouse game that unfolded between these two was deadly in its intent and gripping in its execution.

I highly recommend The Sunday Girl far and wide if you are after a suspenseful read with a plausible storyline that will keep you guessing right up until the end.

Thanks is extended to Simon and Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Sunday Girl for review.

Wow, I loved this book, literally could not put it down!
It sees our protagonist Taylor coming out of an abusive relationship with Angus, who shows his true colours by posting sex videos of Taylor on the internet, and taking another girl on their proposed skiing holiday. So taking inspiration from Sun Tzu's classic book "The Art Of War", Taylor starts to plot her revenge. However not all goes to plan and as Taylor's life goes spiralling out of control, she's sees her revenge backfire and life becomes very dangerous indeed. As Taylor herself says, once the dominoes start to fall there's no way of stopping them. I had no idea how things were going to turn out in the end, so raced through the book in a couple of hours!
Pip Drysdale has crafted a marvellous tale of love gone wrong and revenge, and I loved the excerpts from "The Art Of War" at the start of each chapter, the different strategies having new meaning in Taylor's case. I loved the character of Taylor, wanting to rant at her at times and at others wanting to give her a push forward.
All in all a fantastic debut novel and I'll definitely be on the lookout of more of the authors work in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster (Australia) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of domestic violence both emotional and physical . The story was well written , with many twists and turns I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Wow! What started out with a leaked sex tape and the decision to use The Art of War as a guide to revenge turned into an unputdownable read. Would the crazy coked up Angus come out on top? Or would the downtrodden Taylor finally manage to outsmart him? Pip Drysdale had me guessing til the very end about how their relationship was going to turn out. A debut thriller that is well worth reading. I very much look forward to this author’s next book. 4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

‘Some love affairs change you forever.’

Taylor Bishop is hurt, and angry after her boyfriend Angus Hollingsworth kicks her out for another woman. But after he posts a pornographic video of her on the Internet, Taylor wants revenge. Armed with ‘The Art of War’, she makes a plan. If only she’d stopped there. If only. But, in a modern-day interpretation of ‘hell hath no fury’, Taylor takes the first step on a path which will quickly spiral out of control.

Reading this novel was like watching a disaster unfold in slow motion: I knew it wasn’t going to end well, but I couldn’t stop watching. The way the story unfolded held my attention: Ms Drysdale presents the story from Taylor’s perspective as a recounting of events in the past.

‘The question I keep asking myself is: would I have stopped right then and there if I’d known how things would turn out? But I don’t suppose it matters – I didn’t know.’

I found it difficult to put this novel down: I wasn’t sure how it would end. Taylor and Angus make move and counter-move, she can’t stop once she’s started and he won’t let go. And, in the back of my mind, is the thought that Taylor’s actions may well have been irrelevant in the sense that Angus has an agenda all his own.

So, what started out for me as a fairly ordinary novel about a jilted woman seeking revenge ended up in a much darker place. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending but, wow, what an impressive debut novel!

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale is described by Simon and Schuster as Bridget Jones meets The Girl on the Train, and it is definitely that—a Bridget Jones Thriller. The book was welded to my fingers once I realised the epic entanglement Taylor had gotten herself into. At first I had my heart set on the HUGE revenge plot of epic proportions by the woman scorned, as promised by the synopsis. But as I read on, it became clear that she was more Bridget Jones than Gone Girl crazy. I admit, I was slightly disappointed; I wanted a more determined Bridget Jones than the slightly flaky, indecisive one I read but she was not bad either. Taylor quite possibly reflects the mixed, ebbing feelings most people feel after a relationship gone brutally wrong. I did find Taylor quite ingenious though, which is what kept me hooked. I always wanted to know what she would do next. But I was also internally screaming the whole time—‘Just get out!’, ‘Don’t do that!’, ‘RUN! Nooo!’ My inner turmoil for Taylor was great. So while not as insidiously revengeful as first thought and more an accidental stumble and a nose dive into the deep end, The Sunday Girl was an overall entertaining read which also provided essential insight and a sensitive but strong voice into domestic abuse.
4 Stars, definitely recommended.

Thank you to Pip Drysdale, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC of this gripping book for my honest review.

There has recently been a plethora of books with “girl” in the title. Girl on the Train, The Girl in the Window and so on. They all have common elements, the writing is first person narrative by the “girl”. She is not a girl but by any definition of the word but a woman and she would cry sexist if anyone else called her a girl. She drinks too much, has slept around a bit, gets involved with unsuitable men and is always having money problems.

The Sunday Girl is no exception to this format. Taylor is around thirty and has been in a rather one-sided relationship with the manipulative Angus. She splits from him only to discover that in revenge he has posted a sex video of her on the internet. She stalks him and retaliates in her own sneaky way. Against the strong advice from her friends she gives in to him when he tearfully pleads with her to get back together. So their rocky relationship continues until new revelations about him force her to act.

Taylor purportedly gets inspiration from reading Sun Tzu’s classic book The Art of War that teaches that the first principal of war is deception and that one should keep friends close and enemies closer. There are quotes from the book at the start of each chapter however, the artifice does not come off because many of the quotes are too obtuse and don’t always relate to the chapter.

The book is well written but the story is predictable.

When Taylor Bishop is dumped by her boyfriend Angus after a row and finds he has not only posted a sex video of her on social media but also taken his ex girlfriend on the skiing holiday they had planned together, she decides to take revenge. Consulting Sun Tzu's 'Art of War', she uses her knowledge of him to lay plans to damage his reputation, setting in motion an unstoppable series of events that will take over her life as Angus fights back.

The events are narrated by Taylor and as they escalate out of control, the tension ramps up and it's hard to see how it can end well for Taylor. Although Angus is a totally self absorbed narcissist and sociopath, it was often difficult to understand Taylor's actions in allowing him to be cruel to her and accepting his explanations and excuses. However, once her eyes were open there was no going back and Angus might have underestimated his opponent. An addictive read and excellent debut novel.

What a scary story. It is een more scarier because you realise that this can actually happen. People are so evil when they are evil, there are no boundaries or limits as to hat they can do to you just for fun if nothing else. Moreover, there is nothing one cannot do to stay alive, to stop being a ictome. And when one is pushed into a cornder... Who are we to judge or blame.

A story of a relationship between tall dark handsome and wealthy sociopath and good 'Sunday girl' from a broken family. She was looking for true love. He was looking for her. He found her, marked her and made her his own.

Taylor is not stupid nor she is wane, weak or backless. She is naive when it comes to men. But aren't we all? We meet a new person with open eyes and... She met her man. She fell in love. She... blamed herself.

But he hurt her so bad and ugly. Taylor decided to retailate. It all turned upside down and from woman of vengeance Taylor quickly became a victim, a prey.

Taylor was looking for a way out. She was strifing for a point in time hen she will no longer feel scared. She found it. Moreover, she found new love. But she lost a piece of herself along the way. But may be it was just some 'baby fat' that came off...

Amazingly thrilling and consuming read. I had to finish it in one day, I could not put it don. I saw myself in Taylor. And I said a lot of graces while reading this novel. I was thankful to realise, once again, that my ex-husband was not smart enough or brave enough to deliver on all his threats.

Don't judge... until you stand in her place...

When Taylor Bishop breaks up with and is then humiliated by her abusive, cocaine addicted boyfriend Angus, she decides it’s time for revenge and seeks to destroy him. But after Taylor commits her acts of revenge, she finds herself unsure which role she plays in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

It’s not often that I find a book that I actually sit down and read in one sitting. The Sunday Girl managed to achieve this with a compelling story, a pace that told the story well but without lingering, and characters who weren’t always likeable but who were intriguing.

Drysdale has created a world that feels real despite the surreal events that are occurring within. In a thriller like The Sunday Girl the main characters, Taylor and Angus, have to be a bit caricature-like and extreme but still believable which was also well executed.

The saturation of romance thrillers with the word ‘girl’ in the title has become a bit of a joking matter in some circles, and I’m not going to tell you that The Sunday Girl is much different from others of its ilk. However, I did find it to be an engaging addition to the genre.

If you have enjoyed novels such as Gone Girl then The Sunday Girl is a quick read with tight writing that doesn’t spend too much time faffing about with unnecessary fluff.

I'm not sure what it says about me that I love books about righteous vengeance where a smart protagonist outfoxes the baddie, but this sounded right up my alley - a heroine using Sun Tzu's Art of War to ruin her cheating scumbag ex.
It didn't really go how I expected, though, and while I still really enjoyed it, I'm left feeling a little disappointed that it wasn't what I expected, hence 4 stars.

Taylor is a 20-something property researcher who has just discovered that the love of her life, handsome older banker Angus, has uploaded a sex tape of her to the Internet after an argument, and taken his ex-girlfriend on their planned skiing holiday. Determined to get revenge, she lets herself in to his flat, causing some mischief, including ordering some prostitutes on his work credit card. This is the beginning of an escalating war between them, and she soon realises she is out of her depth as she discovers how truly malignant Angus can be...

Some of the problems I had with this were Taylor's naive assumption that Angus couldn't possibly suspect her when a bunch of bad things suddenly happen to him within a week of their break-up. For a supposedly smart woman, she makes a lot of stupid mistakes, especially taking him back when she knows what he has done. She also has unprotected sex with three men within a week.
On a minor note, there were several Americanisms that should've been picked up in editing - grocery store, pantyhose, someone being pissed rather than pissed off... And, without wanting to spoil this, I'll also say I found the ending a let down, I was hoping for a clever twist - it was all a bit convenient.

Despite these criticisms, it was a fast compulsive read, and I liked the excerpts from Art of War at the start of each chapter. Angus is a brilliant antagonist, a classic narcissistic sexual predator, and you can't wait for him to get his just desserts. 3.5 rounded up for a good premise and smooth writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Sunday Girl is published on September 1st.

Can I give this more than 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️? This is the debut novel from Pip Drysdale...wow! I am a fan and can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. Do yourself a favour and pick up this book...you will not regret it, although you may lose sleep as it is very hard to put down. A brilliant read from a bright new star.

Some affairs change you forever. This is a story of an angry and hurt woman Taylor, whose now ex-boyfriend Angus has posted a sex tape of her online for the whole world to see. Taylor's is mortified, and then discovers that Angus has taken another woman on their ski trip. This is the final straw acorn Taylor who starts to plot her revenge.... but once she starts she just can't stop and things begin to spiral out of control. You will feel the need to keep reading this to find out what happens next.

I can't praise this book enough.... all the stars and more! Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

This read appears in the beginning to be a bit of naval gazing, however as the chapters progress the action picks up and with all that starts to happen it becomes hard to put down. Taylor and Angus are in a relationship, although to be more precise Taylor is in a relationship with Angus. Angus is in a relationship with Angus, himself, egotistical, narcissistic and controlling. When blank spots appear regarding certain aspects of Angus’s life along with aggressive behaviour and sordid images uploaded onto the internet, Taylor physically leaves but not mentally. Everyone around Taylor’s life, boss, friends and her mother see the real Angus but Taylor is blind to all warnings. This is a young woman as happens with many people when love is not fulfilled by a parent during childhood as with Taylor, a missing father, then the void of this is misplaced by the perceived love by a lover. This perception gives Taylor an unbalanced mind, why cannot Angus love her like she loves him, or rather is obsessed with him. The discovery of the missing elements in their relationship through Taylor’s obsessive nature and sleuthing reveals a continued contact with a previous girlfriend and prostitutes for which leads her to hatch a plan of revenge. However dealing with a narcissist is another thing, unlike Taylor highly emotional there is no emotion just cool headed evil on the part of Angus. In the midst of all this chaos Taylor meets another man, a nice man but with complications that fills her head with more negative thoughts about herself. Also the fact is that Angus is taking up all her mind space she isn’t functioning at all well and to think of any other man is not on her horizon. Events move rapidly towards the end, Angus has hatched his own counter attack, throwing Taylor to the wolves, will she survive? suspense, the worm turns will she be finally caught out?

As I write this introduction I am STILL debating on my rating of this one. I felt it wasn't quite up to a 4 for me, however 3 seems a bit slack because I did enjoy it more than that. Times like this I really wish that Goodreads and Amazon would allow half votes! 

Taylor wants to get revenge on her ex Angus, after he does more than a few awful things to her. But the problem is she doesn't quite know when enough is enough, and things get a bit out of hand...

I enjoyed this psychological thriller. It was like watching a train wreck, but in a good way. There were a lot of enjoyable twists and turns, however it didn't totally grip me. 

The characters... Wow! You love to hate them that's for sure! A little too unbelievable perhaps, but I enjoyed getting frustrated with Taylor's stupid decisions! That was part of the fun.

I enjoyed the romance and the raunchy parts, and I loved the psychological mind-screwing that was happening. You never knew exactly what was going to happen next. 

I think I would have rated it higher and not be so conflicted if I enjoyed the ending. I was unable to put it down as it reached the end, so excited for whatever was in store. But the things in store didn't do it for me unfortunately and I felt a bit down as it ended and my excitement waned. 

Would I recommend The Sunday Girl?
It was a good read, if you are a fan of psychological thrillers you should enjoy it! It was well written and fun read.

*Thanks to Simon and Schuster via Netgalley for a copy of The Sunday Girl to review.

To the external viewer, Taylor has the perfect life. Pretty, smart, with a good job in real estate research, she even has the perfect boyfriend, investment banker Angus.

Except, Taylor just found out Angus is cheating on her. On the eve of their ski holiday. And when she dumped him, the last thing she expected was for him to go on the holiday with the Other Woman… right after uploading a sex tape he convinced her to make, to the internet.

I have to say, I’d have started thinking about revenge as well. In fact, Taylor’s a great deal sweeter than I would have been. It’s not until she comes to a sudden realisation that Angus is in fact way, way worse than she originally thought, that she starts to get serious. And by then, she’s in way over her head.

I originally thought, with the comparisons to The Girl On The Train, that Taylor would turn out to be an unreliable narrator. But it’s quite the opposite, Taylor is scrupulously honest, even when her actions paint her in a less than flattering light.

For any woman who’s found her prince turning into a toad, this book is so, so relatable. You’ll find yourself understanding every step Taylor takes, find yourself rooting for her and desperately hoping she manages to outwit Angus and find some sort of resolution for herself.

This is Pip Drysdale’s first novel, and I devoured it in a couple of hours. It’s a fantastic, page-turning read with lots of intriguing twists and turns, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next. Five stars.

I love a good girlfriend revenge story so this book was right up my alley and it didn't disappoint. In the vain of The Perfect Girlfriend this book takes revenge to the next level. A fantastic debut novel and I look forward to this author's next project. I would think twice before double crossing Pip Drysdale - such an amazing and dynamic author.

This is a complex and intriguing story of love and revenge. I was captivated from the start with the main characters Taylor and Alex in a complex but obviously abusive type of relationship with work aspects adding drama to the situation and Taylor’s friend Charlotte and her Mum trying to provide support and advise. Although I felt Taylor was naive, she had some incredible strengths that had to be admired.
Well written and loved the way each chapter had a quote from Master Sun Tzu’s ‘Art of War’ giving an added dimension to the plot!
Certainly an excellent debut novel.
Recommended read.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Simon & Schuster (Australia) for a ebook copy to read and
review.

Once I started reading The Sunday Girl I couldn’t put it down. This psychological thriller had so many twists and turns I really had no idea what would happen in the end until I got there. I found the story completely plausible and truly felt for Taylor as she got into deeper and deeper trouble and as Angus became more and more unpredictable. This is an utterly gripping story and I wouldn’t hesitate to read more from this author.

I didn't remember seeing this book as a hard copy on offer for review but requested an electronic copy when it started to appear everywhere and thank god I did as it helped one of the two legs of my recent flights from Rome to Brisbane pass really quickly.

Drysdale's interjections from Sun Tzu's The Art of War are clever and offer something different to what we'd usually expect to find in a novel about relationships-gone-bad. And I must admit I initially thought this ride was going to be hosted by an arrogant and psychopathic protagonist; and I felt a bit meh about that.

They've kinda been done to death haven't they?

So I was relieved when Taylor isn't actually the deranged nutcase / stalker I initially expected her to be.

Because the novel is circular in a sense (ie. starts at the end and then jumps backwards) we meet Taylor after the events have unfolded and she's fairly unapologetic. And at first she does seem to just be the spurned girlfriend who (presumably) turns into a bunny boiler. But...

Sure she talks the big talk but she's really just someone in over her head and we quickly learn her beloved Angus - with whom she's just broken up when we meet her - is actually far from someone who deserves our sympathy. Drysdale doesn't really hide Angus's true nature or the complexities of their relationship...

"My feelings for Angus were always like that: tangled and complicated. Love tinged with fear. Rage laced with longing. And the sadness of what we'd become, always giving way to the hope that we might somehow find our way back."

Drysdale also does a great job at inserting an eerie sense of foreboding at various stages throughout the novel.

I read this in an easy sitting over just a few hours (even while scoffing my Emirates Airlines gluten free meal of dry chicken breast, carrot, peas & rice*) and very much loved that Taylor (and Angus's) fortunes turned on a knife edge so we were kept guessing as to who was playing who and - of course - who might emerge victorious.

If I was being really picky I could mention that I was slightly confused by the information Angus leaks and uses. I mean, sure Taylor's caught up in the mess but I wasn't sure it entirely made sense or if there was more to it - the who, why, when etc...

I also pondered over the inclusion of an extra twist at the end.... But it wasn't forthcoming and that was fine as I probably would have felt a little cheated had it appeared.

This was a surprisingly addictive read and I think Drysdale does a great job of creating a complex and likeable lead. I also very much enjoyed the support cast on offer, and Taylor's friend Charlotte, (boss) Val and her mother all seemed like realistic characters.

I should mention there's an underlying theme of emotional (and physical) abuse and it's one Drysdale confronts head-on but sympathetically.

"It seemed that no matter where I turned, no matter whom I trusted, men lied to me. And it had always been that way. Starting with my father.

Because of him, my life was an endless quest in search of a happy ending for which I would endure anything."

TW: Domestic Violence; Revenge Porn

Can’t quite believe that this was Pip Drysdale’s debut novel. It really was quite simply ‘unputdownable’. The narrative is structured around Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The story opens with the first person narrator revealing that something bad has happened to her, something that has set her life on a direction previously unimaginable. It’s written in a diary style and the pace gathers speed as the plot develops. The climax had me holding my breath and revealed insight into the psychological challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence. A well-paced, will-she-or-will-she-not psychological thriller that had me at the age of my seat.

*Thank you Netgalley for a copy of The Sunday Girl.*

While it initially feels lightweight, The Sunday Girl quickly draws you in to an increasingly creepy tale of abuse and revenge. Cleverly plotted, fast-moving and absorbing, it's an all-round winner of a novel. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this fast-paced psychological thriller debut and I'd definitely recommend it!

Taylor has a vicious plan of revenge in place for her ex, Angus. A well-deserved one! Taylor's plan is smart, cunning, and even outrageous at times, but things rarely go according to plan - particularly when she's still so in love with the man.

Angus is an absolutely horrible, vindictive, violent, untrustworthy and unpredictable person ... he's also highly intelligent and very-well adept at 'handling' Taylor with charm and manipulation. The abusive relationship described in these pages is cleverly written; the naive young woman and the self-entitled man so believable it's heart-wrenching.

The twists and turns in this story had me on the edge of my seat, the writing gripping and addictive. The unpredictability of the plot had me hooked, though the ending left me a little unsatisfied unfortunately.

Book blurb...
The Girl on the Train meets Before I Go to Sleep with a dash of Bridget Jones in this chilling tale of love gone horribly wrong …

Some love affairs change you forever. Someone comes into your orbit and swivels you on your axis, like the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it’s not always north.

Any woman who’s ever been involved with a bad, bad man and been dumped will understand what it feels like to be broken, broken-hearted and bent on revenge.

Taylor Bishop is hurt, angry and wants to destroy Angus Hollingsworth in the way he destroyed her: ‘Insidiously. Irreparably. Like a puzzle he’d slowly dissembled … stolen a couple of pieces from, and then discarded, knowing that nobody would ever be able to put it back together ever again.’

So Taylor consults The Art of War and makes a plan. Then she takes the next irrevocable step – one that will change her life forever.

Things start to spiral out of her control – and The Sunday Girl becomes impossible to put down.

My Thoughts…
It’s often said a book is impossible to put down and this one really, really is.
To suggest this story is entirely about manipulation, is putting it mildly.
This novel is cleverly plotted and provocative, although you might want to jump into the pages and shake Taylor just a little.
Another good book club read (very topical).

I couldn't put this book down. Thrilling pace from beginning to end, it kept me riveted to the page. The only thing I have to nitpick was the main character. I wanted her to be stronger. Overall, a great read, well worth it.

A masterclass in manipulation and lies.. that's how i would describe 'The Sunday Girl'. The characters were seriously unlikable but in turn that made you want them to get revenge even more. This book does hook you in and had a great premise. The ending could have been padded out a bit more however.

Loved this debut suspense with its unexpected twists and turns and the deeper message about domestic abuse, the dark path revenge and lies lead us on. It is hard to come up with a suspense that hasn't been done before, and Pip Drysdale has shown that it is still possible.

Set in London, this is a love story turned sour about Taylor and her boyfriend Angus. After yet another breakup between them, this one causes enough damage to be permanent, so Taylor seeks revenge to ruin Angus, unbeknown to her that Angus has been plotting against her in his manipulative ways for a long time.

Whilst the story moved along steadily and was well written, I felt the plot unlikely and it lacked the mystery and suspense that thrillers need to have to get your pulse racing. I also didn't warm to Taylor who had friends and family there for her but kept making bad decisions over and over again.

I give it 3/5 stars.

Loved this! Such a gripping psychological thriller with really great character development. There are definitely a lot of dark tones to the story and the whole story is an absolute page turner. Definitely recommend for someone looking for an easy weekend read.