Member Reviews
Did not enjoy. Too bitchy, too deprecating, trying too hard to 'prove' a point and harping on about it in ways that are just cringe-worthy. It wasn't comedy or funny or even entertaining at all, sadly.
Why have I never read Kathy Lette before! I have seriously been missing a treat.
Cressida, Penny and Matilda, three decades-old friends reunited with Jo, a former bandmate from their college days, you just know revenge is on the menu. Now trundling headlong towards their 60's they realise the time is Now. Time for Retribution and Revenge with plenty of hilarity thrown in. Tired of being treated as “just women” they devise ways to avenge for their mistreatment at the hands of men.
Could I relate? You betcha! This had me laughing out loud, to the bemusement of the man in my life, and this author now has a place in my List of Authors to Recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to experience and enjoy this book.
I was lucky enough to read a preview of this book and was so excited to receive the full book.
It was an easy read though some parts dragged and I found myself losing interest in the middle.
Having read some of Lette's media columns I decided to request this book as I was hoping for some of the same. Unfortunately this book did not engage due to the 'over the top' adult nature. I'm sure there is a large market for this but it is not to my personal taste.
The story follows Matilda, Jo, Penny, and Cressida, four women in their post-menopausal years, who refuse to be sidelined by society. We kick off with a lively reunion at a chic London restaurant. Three of the women arrive punctually, but Jo shows up fashionably late. When a mysterious man occupies Jo's reserved seat, the plot thickens, leading to a series of unexpected twists.
The central question of the book is: How far would you go to reclaim what you’ve lost due to age and gender?
It's a thought-provoking premise wrapped in Kathy Lette's signature humour, making for an engaging and entertaining read.
http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk
I love this kind of book, so I was so excited to pick this one up! Unfortunately though, I was left disappointed. The Revenge Club reads like a caricature, with no characters that I was interested in rooting for. And a plot that just gets worse and worse. The whole thing was over dramatic - and not in a good way, since done well that can produce a fantastic read. It also wasn't anywhere near as funny as it thought it was, and I just ended up annoyed. Not the book for me, although I went 2 stars because I loved the premise!
First of all thank you for approving my request!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.
I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.
2.5 raised to 3
From the cover and description, I was getting a ‘First Wives Club’ feel. Four college roommates, now in their 50s, being tossed aside for younger women or men being promoted over them. These women band together to right this wrong. I loved the idea of older women as protagonists.
This was a new author to me. The beginning started off strong, learning the backstories of each women as they reconnect. But, and I’m not exactly sure why, I found it difficult to follow all the dialog and found myself constantly rereading, especially in the beginning. It could have been the author’s love of vocabulary, just over the top for me. Puns, OMG enough already. There were quite a few references to people/slang that I didn’t understand. I love books set in the UK, and normally don’t have any issues. While I had empathy for situations and found it them realistic, I couldn’t connect with the characters. Yes, there were parts I found funny, but for the most part this was a miss for me.
Thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
I was lucky enough to read a section of this earlier and so to read the whole book was great as I'd been waiting for it! I enjoyed it, the female characters were the standout the men were very stereotypical male personas.
Kathy is very quick witted and that shows in her books, lots of one liners that could be too much, but I read the book over a few weeks in chunks so wasn't overpowering.
I'd recommend this to people looking for a fun tale of feminism and tongue in cheek revenge.
"The Revenge Club" by Kathy Lette is likely a sharp, witty, and empowering novel that delves into the lives of women who decide to take matters into their own hands after being wronged. Known for her humorous and bold writing style, Lette is likely to craft a story filled with strong female characters who bond over their shared experiences and devise clever, and possibly outrageous, plans to seek justice or revenge against those who have wronged them.
The novel probably explores themes of friendship, empowerment, and the complexities of modern relationships, all while delivering plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and biting social commentary. The characters might range from professionals to homemakers, each bringing their unique skills and perspectives to the group as they navigate the challenges of getting even while maintaining their everyday lives.
"The Revenge Club" would be a great read for fans of contemporary women’s fiction who enjoy stories with a mix of humor, sass, and a touch of rebellious spirit. It's likely a novel that celebrates the strength and resilience of women, wrapped up in a fun and fast-paced narrative.
Four women who were friends at Uni but fell out (but can’t remember over what) meet up for a reunion. They discover they have now reached that age where women however successful they were become invisible and discriminated against and badly treated.
They have all been badly treated badly by men be it husbands, work colleagues or agents and they set up the Revenge Club to get their own back.
I really enjoyed this book, my first by this author and I will certainly read more of their books.
Had a lot of fun. I enjoyed the peek but the entire book was a lot of fun featuring well developed characters and a lot of humour
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I'm sorry, this book put me into a slump, I thought I would love it and I loved the preview, but I just couldn't get through it. I might come back and try it again though. I did try the audiobook AND the physical book as well.
The title and synopsis of this book interested me. The idea of four women, Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy, at the top who are passed over by men and what they plan to get even.
I found the author to be repetitive and the story dragged in the middle. There was definitely humor and female friendship, but it was also predictable. The author relied on stereotypes to get the laughs. I had high hopes and was, unfortunately, disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Aria, for an ARC. The review is my own.
I’m afraid I struggled with this book. It took me ages to get through as it didn’t really grab me. I was maybe expecting too much as the description really interested me. It wasn't a bad book, just maybe too long? The way the women got their revenge was creative and interesting
. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.
This book is very much an updated First Wives' Club (the movie) if Stockard Channing had lived. There's even a reference to "Sisters are Doing It for Themselves."
Four women are in their late fifties. Three of them think they are at their pinnacles. They are about to find out that that is the opposite of the truth. But they are willing to fight their way back up to the top.
Three and a half stars
This book comes out August 6, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Aria & Aries and NetGalley
Opinions are my own
This book did make me titter. The men were absolutely stereotypical and although I enjoyed this book I perhaps I would consider whether this is an author that I would really read all their back catalogue of. That being said I did finish it.
This is a very funny book, although there were moments that it felt as if the author has tried to hard, especially when it comes to Tilly's one - liners. Funny until they weren't. Nevertheless, the author say how it is through the jokes, hiding the brutal honesty behind her wit. However, it is also insightful and occasionally moving.
The characters were not bad, although they felt one - dimensional, especially the men. The men, urgh, hold me or I'll be plotting my own revenge. I am blessed to be working with women and being surrounded by men who respect women. The men in Kathy Lette's novel were on completely different level of obnoxious, sexist... But also very caricatural, and not in a positive way.
However, I didn't buy into the whole mascarading as a man business - somehow I simply couldn't believe that it would work in real world. That's me, sceptic. And well, yes, I get it that it is a book about revenge - I don't want to get into debates about feminism - but I simply loved the 4 characters being together, because together they were strong as hell and could move mountains. Jo was right: only women have their sisterhood, so why not focus on being stron as a woman? To hell with sociopath and sexist men.
The revenge plot was very interesting, but the end, compared to the whole long book, was too quick, too fast, too convenient and too stereotypical. I have very mixed feelings about this book - I guess I know what it wanted to achieve and tell us, but not sure if the author choose the best way to communicate it like this.
This was a fun read with a serious
but well known, core of how older women are suddenly past their prime in the jobs market, but not men. So far, so good and although I imagine it wouldn't have the same appeal, maybe one of them could have had a more ordinary job and lifestyle? For me it was also overlong, sadly this reader can tire of too many puns and one liners.
Thank you to netgalley and Aria and Aries for an advance copy of this book.
Amazing. Thank you very much for this fabulous read. Kathy Lette is a genius and never disappoints. This kept me hooked right from the start with its well developed characters. Thank you for letting me have an ARC. Apologies for delay I had problems with my Net Galley account for ages!