This is a good domestic thriller which is perfect as a summer beach read (not that I’ve been near a beach this year!)

This is a story of three women who have been friends since their first day of university. We meet them when as they approach their fifties and each of them is coming to the realisation that their lives are not what they had dreamed of or expected. This is a well paced novel and you will be turning the pages even though you may guess the ‘twist’ early on. I have read other reviews that say these women are very unlikable characters and while they are all flawed to varying degrees I did care about them and enjoyed the multi narrative structure.

I did find the narrator’s voice quite frustrating at times as she spent quite a lot of it simpering and tearful - yes the characters were emotional but this did get quite annoying.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator had good pace and her different voices for separate characters made it an easy read to follow, which is important to understand the story.

This is a read I would recommend with a few interesting twists and surprises along the way. It is a story about 3 university friends who have found themselves all in different situations but have maintained their close friendship through the years. One of them unexpectedly dies, which leaves the other two to reexamine their own lives and the connections that they have to each other. This is a book about honesty and facing up to some uncomfortable truths to accept all that the future holds.

A great listen and a brilliant story. I could listen to the narrator all day. She managed to dfferentiate between the characters making them more real to me.
A well paced story with a good twist at the end.

In this psychological suspense, two best friends, Ellie & Mary are devastated when their other best friend, Nancy is found murdered in the park. Nancy seemed to have everything, but her friends are quickly learning things aren't always what they seem.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this one. I would have liked for the three women to each have separate narrators, but it was not that big of a deal. The storyline was well put together and did not make the "whodunnit" obvious. Overall this one gets 4 stars.

I used to listen to audiobooks on the school run so I haven't had one for a while, but saw this book around & thought I'd give it a go. My make or break with audiobooks is the narrator & I really enjoyed this one, her voicing of the different characters was well done & it was easy to listen to. I did speed the recording up (as I usually do) in order to crack on with it as I wasn't finding enough time without the school run to help.

To the book itself - There are a lot of domestic thrillers out at the moment and books need something special to stand out. Unfortunately I found this a little disappointing in that I felt that the twists & secrets were signposted & therefore I spent my listening time waiting for the inevitable reveal. I felt this was missing a certain spark.

Did not finish.
I really tried with this audiobook, but about halfway through I had to give up on it. It starts off with the potential of a gripping murder mystery, but the fact that someone is killed almost immediately is very quickly forgotten. Maybe this question is answered in a section that I didn't get to, but the book drags so much that I wasn't able to find out.

The three sections of the book - narrated by the three central women - cover the same period of time, and so this structure makes the book feel even more slow-paced and uneventful. There seems to be very little in the way of actual plot, instead the focus being on the self-pitying inner turmoil of the characters. None of the central characters are particularly likeable or fully-fledged, and I found that the narrator's shrill tones only exemplify the intolerable whining of the women. The large majority of the book is dedicated to the self-pitying and pathetic complaints of these women, and yet none of them do anything about it except apologise - excessively. The presentation of the women falls entirely flat for me, with them being incapable of handling anything without obsessing over their own guilt. One particularly distressing line reads 'waiting for him to relieve me of my virginity' - I'm disappointed that this is how women's virginity is still being conceptualised in our current climate.

I also found the relationships between the women to be problematic - the reader, I presume, is meant to see these women as imperfect, and therefore real and relatable. In my experience, however, women don't think about their friends in this way. It is a shame to see women, even those who are meant to be best friends, pitted against each other and jealous of each other, and ultimately unhappy because of it.

Overall, if you enjoy books about the secrets and lies of a female relationship, this may be for you. However, proceed with caution; these women do not relate to any that I have met, and can present quite a damaging perspective.

Three women have known each other since university but couldn't make their lives more miserable if they tried. Eleanor and Nancy both react very emotionally to everything and don't seem to be able to cope with the issues they create. Secrets, betrayals, chaos but with little plot the women are constantly apologising, crying and reacting in the most annoying way.
The story doesn't flow and goes on and on and I got lost at times probably due to the drawn out dialogues and repetitive narrative where very little, if anything, happens. I found all three women acted in an unnatural way repeatedly whingeing about how awful things were, how sorry and guilty they felt without doing anything to make things better. Mary was slightly more realistic but was just such a victim.
There were the most cringe-worthy lines like, "turning each other inside out"; "waiting for Robert to relieve her of her virginity" (REALLY?); "She momentarily wondered if she was going to scream". With all the crying, not being able to make decisions and being 'the victim', I felt so sad to think that women can be seen and written about like this today.
There was so much repetition and the book is far too long where nothing happens; the last few chapters, however, sped up and improved and there was some satisfying closure.
The narration was at times expressive but also sometimes comical, for example, the asides and the 'men' in their gruff, manly voices.
The original murder seemed to go without investigation yet their sad and messed up lives were dissected in a way intended to evoke pity. The men were also pathetic and I just didn't get any pleasure from this book.

Nancy, Eleanor and Mary met in college and have been friends ever since. When Nancy is murdered, Eleanor and Mary try to discover the mystery of who killed her. We learn that although the ladies lives seem perfect on the surface, as the title suggests they are definitely imperfect. Secrets and lies are revealed.

I enjoyed this book. I was gripped by the story and felt the strongest connection to Eleanor. I thought I knew who killed Nancy from the beginning, however the twists were pretty good. And finding out who David really is was interesting.

I listened to the audio book that was beautifully narrated by Helen Keeley while reading this book.

Thank you to Hachette Audio UK, Orion Publishing Group for this advance copy.

This book is told in three points of view, Nancy, Eleanor and Mary and flips between past and present. They have been best friends since college, and now they are older they are still friends, have shared the highs and lows of their lives with each other.
One night Nancy leaves Eleanor at a restaurant to tell her secret lover that it’s over, she is found early the next morning....dead!
Eleanor and Mary are set to find out who the secret lover is and who killed their friend.
Wow can I say I really liked this book, I have read other books by Araminta Hall and liked them so I was pleased I like this one too.
This book has a lot of secrets, lies, suspicion and mystery. I thought early on in the book I knew who murdered Nancy only to be shocked when it finally came out. I was wrong!
I think the narrator Helen Keeley portrayed these women really well and I was drawn in living in their lives, imagining I was actually there. I was hooked from start to finish.
If you like suspense this will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Absolutely brilliant!

This is a story about three women who met at college and have kept in contact. Eleanor, Mary and Nancy are different personalities, but their bond is strong. When Nancy dies the guilt, lies and secrets emerge, as Eleanor and Mary try to find out who killed Nancy.

Told from the women's viewpoints in differing timelines, it is introspective, and audio is the perfect media for this. The mystery of who killed Nancy is the underlying theme, but the emphasis is on the lies and secrets the women keep and how these affect them.

The narration is professional and brings the characters and stories to life. Initially, some of the voices irritate, but as the story progresses, you get used to them.

The story is dark and poignant, but the women are believable and relatable and easy to empathise.
The slow pacing intensifies the emotion and suspense in this contemporary insight into relationships.

I received an audiobook from Orion Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

When Nancy is found murdered her two best friends struggle to comprehend the situation. Who killed her? Her devoted husband, mother and daughter cannot cope without her. Nancy appeared to have it all, big house, family and financial security but secrets unfold that tell us otherwise. Why was she having an affair and where has 'David' gone? Did the three friends really know each other as well as they thought. A great read for those who like Paula Hawkins.

This review is based on the audio.

I had to speed it up - I always do for audio books so that's not a criticism.

I enjoyed the accent for Mary.

I didn't particularly like the way she did the men's voices - although maybe that's just because they were all the worst in terms of character.

I would listen to this narrator again.

The title is definitely fitting, as Araminta Hall shows the raw and often unseen moments of our lives in this dark exploration of friendship and loss. The women are imperfect and real and this is one of the reasons that I empathised with them throughout the novel.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Helen Keeley and it really brought the characters to life. I enjoyed the fact that Mary’s accent was so distinguished from that of the other women which definitely enhanced my reading experience. Their individual personalities were at the forefront of the novel just as much as their friendship was, and we get to hear the story from the point of view of each of them.

The complexity of the story was building up, reaching its height during the final chapters. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a suspense filled novel! That being said it is a slow burner and Araminta Hall places the primary focus on the women themselves and their circumstances rather than on the mystery.

It is almost a coming of age novel in the sense that the women are all going through transitional periods in their lives and are learning more about themselves and the world around them. Araminta Hall also draws upon the realities of life as women during contemporary society and I loved this social commentary aspect. If that is the kind of novel you enjoy then make sure to pick this up!

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Audio UK for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Imperfect Women by Araminta Hall
3 stars
I was given an audiobook of this through Netgalley for an honest review.
Imperfect Women is told in three perspectives, of three female friends from university now they are in their adulthood. Then one of them dies in mysterious circumstances. Through their perspectives we learn their secrets and follow the resolution to how one of them died.
The three perspectives are split, so each third of the book is a different perspective. As a structural choice, I wish it had been mixed up and each perspective was alternative chapters rather than three segments. The trouble with multiple perspectives is you tend to like one more than others and for me it was the middle perspective – which was the perspective of Nancy, the murder victim. Which meant the last third of the book was a bit of a drag for me. It also messed with the pacing of the story because each segment had its own peak and denouement. I think if these had been played around a bit more, some of the reveals and twists would have more impact.
I found the twists heavily predictable, apart from the final reveal of ‘how she died’ which wasn’t for a good reason – because it felt like it came out of nowhere and was very underwhelming. I had an idea in mind of where it was going to go, which it didn’t – but kind of felt like the ending was a bit of a cop out and could have had a greater impact.
There were things I enjoyed. I like the way the author voiced the three women, they felt very different and clearly defined. They were very well rounded women and felt their lives were explored well. In a non-thriller setting, I think this could have been an interesting exploration of mid-life female life. In fact, I think this didn’t need a murder to be interesting. I would just have loved to explore these characters, their choices and their ‘imperfect’ lives.
I am sort of bored of domestic thrillers with questionable women. It feels like the thriller market has been overwhelmed with these character types. But because the thriller element wasn’t strong on it’s own, it brought the overall reading experience down.
I would be very interested to read other works by A.Hall as I think their writing style is promising.

I don’t know this author, but was intrigued by the burb and even to try the Audio function on Netgalley. It’s not brilliant and I’ve encountered a few problems; very, very slow download, limited actions via the App but I’m putting those to one side as teething issues fir a new App. I’m a keen audio listener and have over 800 titles on my iPod so I have a basis for comparison.

That aside, this book was quite a surprise. It’s not really genre specific; it’s part psychological thriller/ mystery but it’s actually a detailed exploration of numerous themes. The nature of friendship, love, duty, isolation and manipulation. Where does trust and love end? How far should one email committed to values? I didn’t truly warm to any of the central characters; very different and quite plausible but even when one is quite isolated, I found it difficult to sympathise. Understand, yes. Care; yes because the route to the end was complex and there but for the grace of...

This is a truly complex tale of lives, motives and relationships twisted over the years for numerous reasons. It starts off from a fairly simplistic point, but as the plot develops, it explores deeper themes around the human psyche. Occasionally overwritten with. a little too much explained. But, to my surprise, this kept me totally gripped and there are twists that almost take your breathe away. Dark and disturbing. Bring it on!

This book just wasn't for me.

It is billed as a thriller but it doesn't really fit what you would usually expect from a thriller. The killer is obvious very early into the book which is disappointing. What really sets this book apart from others in the genre is the fact that the book is told from each of the three women's perspectives focusing on just one perspective at a time. What this means for the book is that it feels as though you are reading / listening to the same book three times back-to-back. Each women does have a different perspective and new elements are unfolded in each portion but it also makes each section feel very long.

The book reads more like a romance / "women's fiction" than a mystery or a thriller.

There are some nice feminist messages running through the book as what it means to be a woman is in the 21st century is explored. It does come across as a little trite at times though.

A final note, and this is very much a personal preference thing... One of the characters is from Birmingham and has a very strong Brummy accent so beware of this if you are picking up the audiobook.

This audible book narrated by Helen Keeley was excellent. Helen's clear & clean diction made wonderful listening. Her voice had my interest from page one. With a lot going on in this story, the 14 hours listening felt a lot longer, maybe it could have been shorter? The speed control for narrating worked well,

The story of three female friends from their university days is tested to the limit. Feelings of anger, trust, love, friendship, illness, betrayal and murder begin to surface in their longtime friendship.
Elinor, Mary and Nancy are very different characters and, for me, narration made this audible book.

I recommend this audible book and give a 4 star rating.

I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this audible book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It is set to be published in August 2020.

"Imperfect Women" by Araminta Hall is not a thriller or a mystery and should not be advertised as such.
True, it starts with a murder, but that's about the end of it.
The investigation is pretty much left out of the story, and the focal point of the novel is neither the murder itself nor the search for the killer. No, the focus is on the characters' sentimental life and their self-pitying inner dialogue.
The narrator's voice gets intolerable to listen to when she does this shrill, tremulous whine as though she were on the verge of tears, but you can hardly blame the narrator: the characters she has to voice *are* constantly on the verge of tears.
Eleanor, Nancy and Mary - the three protagonists - are very different on the surface, but all the same at the core: three disempowered, dissatisfied women who throughout the story show no agency at all and refuse to own their choices.
Even in the "grande finale", when it looks like Mary's going to *do* something for once, instead of just complaining and feeling sorry for herself, she makes the ultimate choice... and then leaves the execution of it in the hands of a man.
A totally baffling story, which would be more accurately titled "Passive Women", and feels like it should be set in the 18th century rather than in the third millenium, in regards to the conception of women and their role in the society.
And as for the "mystery"... the perp's identity is painfully obvious to the reader from about one third of the book onward, and I found myself so frustrated at the characters for not sorting this out much sooner!

Received this as an audio on the new Net galley app. A good story and well narrated. An example how ordinary lives are often very complicated and full of secrets. My only disappointment was the app as the book constantly went back to the start after stopping it and as there are no chapter numbers it was the case of guessing how far into the book I was! Very irritating. Thank you for letting me experience this book.

Imperfect women

“Women, Elenor thought, carry guilt and responsibility like a second skin. So much so it weighs them down and stops them achieving quite everything they should.” This could not have been more accurate about the three women in this book.

Elenor, Mary and Nancy meet at university; bright, ambitious and although from different backgrounds they forge a strong bond and become the best of friends. We follow their lives into their troubling and destructive adulthood and are made to feel very saddened by the poor and toxic choices they make. Three imperfect women and three perspectives given as their intertwined stories are unfolded. I enjoyed this writing style and thought it was beautifully written.

I wouldn’t say I was fond of any of the three women, but I guess that’s the whole point, they are imperfect... However, when one of them is murdered we really start to discover how complex their relationships are and you are drawn deeper into their private lives and compelled to know more and of course eager to find out who did it!

There are twists in the plot that although didn’t blow my mind, weren’t completely obvious. I had a few different ideas, however, I was intrigued to find out the real truths.

I loved the sentiment of the gift to Elenor from Arena, an elderly neighbour. Sadly we did not get to know more about this beautiful and wise woman. The gift is a small box with “you are loved” inscribed on it. You have a responsibility to those who love you to take care of yourself... Knowledge imparted too late for these three damaged women.

Helen Keeley, the narrator, has a wonderful voice to listen to and switched between characters effortlessly. A few swear words (including the c-bomb) and graphic sex details; so do be careful if not listening on headphones. Typically when I bump into anyone on a dog walk and not wearing headphones it’s just at an awkward scene in the story! 🙈😂

I would recommend this book out on the 4 August and will be looking out for more from Araminta Hall. Loved the front cover too!