I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

In 2021, I reviewed the first book of this series Ruthless Women and marked it down for transphobia. Well, I am pleased to report that the author does some major course correction in this one. Is it entirely perfect? No, but I have respect for someone who listens to feedback and does their best.

Guilty Women is a continuation of the previous book and is best described as a soap opera come to life which also happens to take place on the set of a soap opera. I enjoyed the fun ridiculousness of the first book and I mostly enjoyed the fun ridiculousness of this one. The melodrama is toned down considerably and this is both a blessing and a curse. The characters definitely feel more real and there is an emotionality to them that didn't fully exist in the first book. On the other hand, it's a little less fun and in fact contains some quite graphic depictions of sexual assault which was a bit jarring tone-wise.

My main issue with this book however is that there is simply too much going on. I feel that many of the storylines/plot threads were not utilised or connected fully. The best example for me was the Katherine/Lee storyline. Katherine's past lover both onscreen and off comes suddenly back, and they rekindle their romance in a very passionate and intense way. This plot takes an interesting turn but then you don't revisit it again until the very end of the book, and even then it's barely explored properly. There is a lot of interesting stuff happening throughout, it's just all a bit messily put together.

The audiobook was a particularly nice way to experience the story, so long as you don't mind listening to graphic sex scenes. It really brought the story to life and amplified that 'soap opera' feeling in a good way.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you enjoyed the first one and you want to see where the story goes. It definitely improves upon the first one in many ways, and I did enjoy seeing where the characters went and the interpersonal dramas going on. I don't know if a third book is intended but if it is, I would hope it manages to strike the balance between the fun of the first one and the heart of the second one

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I started to really get into this in the first half and wanted to read the linked book but then it started to fizzle a bit for me until the very end. Enjoyable and fairly lighthearted otherwise! I might still give the linked book a go. You don't need to read it for this one but this does have spoilers for it!

3.5*

Thanks to the publisher for granting me access to an eAlc via NetGalley.

A great romp into the TV soap drama world behind the scenes! Fabulous characters and with intricate and careful planning leading to the final scenes which really catch you. Worth the time invested!

A good gossip style novel, lead by a strong female cast in a TV show setting, the secrets and lies create a good plot for this drama.
A solid 3* listen. Thanks to HarperCollins uk audio and netgalley for the ARC.

I read this one very quickly after Ruthless Women so I found it much easier keeping up with the names of the characters this time around, and I also was a lot more prepared for all the smut scenes. This book was a nice, easy read and the short chapters packed with drama kept me reading. I felt better connected to the characters in this book compared to Ruthless Women as I got to know them much better. Definitely more enjoyable read as I felt I knew a little more about what to expect, but also was kept on my toes with the drama and thriller aspect.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. The story of a Channel Islands soap opera with more drama off screen than on. After one of the actresses dies in a freak accident during a live episode it becomes clear there are a lot of secrets and lies. A brilliantly written thriller.

Not for me, I'm afraid. I wasn't a fan of the narrator, and although the author catches you up on the first book, I did find this quite disorientating too. Might have been better if I'd read the first, but all sequels should stand on their own feet as well, and wasn't sure about this one...

I don't normally read books like this, but I actually really enjoyed it, once I got further into it. The story is about a group of women and men who work on a soap opera tv set, and there is a lot of drama, suspense, sex, romance, a few deaths, gossip, family drama, betrayal, friendships and even the birth of a baby. It is full of a lot of characters and different stories, which at first felt a bit overwhelming for me, but as time went on, I started to really like it. The ending was a bit shocking, and it surprised me, but I can see why it was like that.

The narrator of the book was very good, and her voice suited the book perfectly.

The book reminded me of the program Dynasty, so if you like shows like that, you will like this book.

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Gave up on this as I thought it was a thriller but all the steamy sex scenes just made it feel more like a Mills & Boon than a thriller
Not for me I'm afraid

The title was archived part way through my read, so disappointed I didn't get to finish. Good start. Catchy plot, looking forward to listening to the ending once I've downloaded via Audible.

The premise of this book was so great, possibly too great as despite it being well written I still felt like the execution was lacking (I think I hyped it up to myself too much). The characters were wholesome and gripping and the plot moved sometime a little too slowly for my liking but not so slow as to put me off.

This book had similarity's to watching a soap opera! with a bunch of great character, mainly strong willed women. There were some sexy scenes and i enjoyed the narration. This was one listened to very quickly

When I started to listen to Guilty Women I was not aware that it is a sequel. Maybe this is why a was a little bit confused at the beginning. But once I got into the story it gathered speed!
The cast of the TV show will do anything to keep in the headlines! This was a very pleasant and quick listening for me

Thanks #Netgalley and #HarperCollins UK Audio for this audiobook

Set around a sit com film set I found it a little unreal however the characters were well developed and easy to understand. All of them trying to protect their own private lives and live in the sitcom life there was a little humour around it all. Thank goodness for Personal Assistants who can get these divas out of a scrape. Set in Jersey within a film set for a long running shop opera there is a real life death which needs to be covered up. They got away with it didn't they? ruthless and engaging a fast moving story line with excellent narration. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

Really enjoyed this but wish I’d read the first book first: found it a bit hard to get into at the start but once I did wow! Fabulous characters, amazing plot.

This is the sequel to a previous book following a group of soap actresses who are covering up a murder of one of their fellow cast members. It doesn't really matter if you read the first book or not since Melanie Blake goes to great lengths to recap the plot at various stages.

Rather like a soap itself, the plot arc of this book is really strange - something happens, it is resolved, and then doesn't come to anything later. There are some pretty sensational things that happen which get barely any time at all (Holly Hunter for example) while we the readers get repeatedly treated to talk about men with big dingles. I am also at a loss why so many people are desperate to bring down this ageing soap actress when their own careers also rely on her still doing the show, it makes no logical sense at all - but then I suppose there is no drama in everyone tolerating their work colleagues and being professional. ;-)

The book is just supremely trashy. Some people will love that, some won't. I thought I would enjoy it a lot more than I did, but the weird focus on less interesting elements of the plot made it a bit of a plodder for me. Also, like a soap opera, it finished on a cliffhanger, so ultimately I'm left rather frustrated.

However I have to add that the narration was great - having the story read by an iconic soap actress is just inspired, and Claire King's narration is spot on.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Audio and Melanie Blake for an audio-ARC in return for an honest review.

The blurb instantly drew me to this book - who doesn’t like a bit of drama and murder mystery. I didn’t realise this was a series, but it didn’t overly matter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would.
The characters a likeable villains. It’s a great read, it’ll make a good TV series!

Narrated by Claire King was a perfect choice for this audiobook and really brings it to life.

I choose this book primarily due to the cover and the title and I thought this would be a good listen. It reminded me of Jackie Collins, she is also referenced due to the book. I got so confused about the number of characters - perhaps because I hadn't read the first book. One note if you are listening to the audio version, which I was, use earphones or be alone - my teenagers accidentally walked in on me during one intense part.

The narration was brilliant and really added to it.

This book was a nice escape from reality and I enjoyed it although not my usual genre.

I was given a free copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

I love a good tv soap so this blurb really caught my attention. It gave me real Dallas vibes with a Soap Opera within it. It’s only since finishing that I’ve realised this is the second book in the series with Ruthless Women being the first. I enjoyed it far more then I thought I would. Its really well written and cleverly so with the soap opera theme thrown in. I could actually see it playing it out in my mind. Great character development that gave you real insight into Helen, Catherine, Sheena, Amanda and Farah’s characters as individuals but also as a group. I loved each of the female characters and the villains that are always a must in these type of storylines. Really enjoyed it and definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to #GuiltyWomen

I loved the scandal of this one there is a suspicious death the group have had a hand in already and then another murder happens early doors. It is a bit slow going in the in-between bits at the beginning. I felt it was very much like a real housewives programme but they are soap stars of a soap style drama. I found it a bit hard to get into the rhythm of the day to day on a soap drama. But I soon got into it as I went along.

There's a foreboding threat from Melanie's husband who is suspicious of his wife's death. It took me a while to get to know the characters but once you have them all sussed it's great. Also I didn't realise that this is the sequel to the book Ruthless Women which I hadn't previously read. I got it through Net Galley as I liked the look of the cover and description. I will definitely be checking out Ruthless Women.

I think if I'd listened to it in larger chunks I'd have found it easier to follow. But once I got into the swing of it I was hooked in and wanted to know how it would all end for the characters of Falcon Bay and the women who are fighting to hold the show together.
Lots of sauce thrown in to keep you salivating, there are some really gorgeous and savage men in this book. Some have hearts of gold others would use you up and throw you out the next day. I loved it. It all bubbles and simmers to a mouth-dropping finale. A Live episode to end all episodes and it is one you won't want to miss.

I give this a saucy 4 Lucy Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐