This was a unique book. Heavy on the revenge, and also heavy on the disturbing. It is intriguing though!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher. This was an interesting concept but the voice and writing fall short of capturing the reader’s imagination and entrancing them into a new world.

Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, cats, r@pe, se*ual abuse, gaslighting, #metoo, animal abuse at a lab

Lorelei & Holly were friends in college and now Lorelei is out to get her. I don't mind a revenge plot, but 20 years later is as crazy as her cat loving self, and boy was Lorelei a doozie of a character.

🥜❌ As a nut allergy mom I really hate how she planned to hurt her by putting her into anaphylaxis. Luckily I don't have too worry too much about this happening to my child since she went through an oral immunotherapy to help her tolerate her allergy but she'll always be allergic.

I did like the big reveal at the end and that it was only 236 pages, which didn't take me too long to get through, so I'll give it to 2⭐ instead of 1⭐.

I was really looking forward to reading this novel as I enjoyed the author’s previous books, “A Simple Favor” and “Something She’s Not Telling Us”.

This novel seems to have a variety of ratings. I fall somewhere in the middle. I thought it was an intriguing story. It was gripping and I read it in just one sitting.

The characters are wild and weird. Many readers will love to hate them while others will just hate them.

This was an original novel with some themes that will definitely trigger many readers. I have a very hard time with stories that deal with animal abuse and I know I’m not alone.

All in all this was a fascinating story. It’s definitely not my favourite from the author but I’m still glad I read it.

A unique dark and twisted revenge story that’s not for everyone.

I really thought this book went to places I hadn't expected and I found it to be a decent psychological thriller. I'm usually able to handle hard topics so i was able to overlook the abuse here.
Thank you so much to Atria Books for the ARC of this one!

I was so excited to read from this author again after loving A Simple Favor, but unfortunately this was very disappointing. Despite being a quick read, the animal abuse really took this book down a star for me. The characters were not someone I could get behind and understand the logic. Overall, this one was not a success for me however I am open to reading more from the author in the future.

I flew through this book in a few days because of its captivating psychological aspects. The author did a great job incorporating them into the story, which kept me hooked. I loved the main character, Lorelei's, strong bond with her cats, as it reminded me of my own love for my dog.

The book kept me on my toes as it took an unexpected turn from what I thought was going to happen. The story follows Lorelei's quest for revenge against her former friend, Holly, who has everything she ever wanted. But as events unfold, it becomes clear that Lorelei is not the only one seeking revenge, and her own safety becomes threatened.

Overall, I enjoyed this thrilling read and would recommend it to anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

⚠️TW: animal cruelty, rape, animal death, bullying, sexism, sexual assault

“Nothing was secret, and everything was kept secret.”

Thank you Darcey Bell, Atria, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Twenty years ago, gregarious Lorelei and mousy Holly became fast friends as students in the same college psychology seminar. Taught by an expert in control and human behavior, the two students also grew close to their charismatic professor. But in one twisted moment of gaslighting, their friendship flamed out and Lorelei's once-promising future fell apart. Flashforward, Holly has everything Lorelei ever wanted, while Lorelei is a lonely cat lady. Now, Holly is even up for an award at a Woman of the Year ceremony, and Lorelei finally has the perfect opportunity to get the revenge she's wanted for years. But she's not the only person who has been obsessively following Holly's career-and when someone winds up dead, Lorelei realizes she may be in danger, too.

I’ll be honest, this book wasn’t for me. I didn’t really vibe with the writing style. I felt like the story was erratic. It could be that, that was the author’s intent and that she wanted the narrator to come off as unreliable. However, it was too much for me. I also feel like there should’ve been trigger warnings for SA and animal abuse as it was mentioned several times throughout the book. I wish more authors and publishers would take the time to mention possible triggers, especially for ARCs.

Rating: 2 stars

This one was dark, with a revenge plot. If you are sensitive, you may want to skip it because there are animal abuse elements.

Woman of the Year: A Novel by Darcey Bell

Twenty years ago, gregarious Lorelei and mousy Holly became fast friends as students in the same college psychology seminar. Taught by an expert in control and human behavior, the two students also grew close to their charismatic professor. But in one twisted moment of gaslighting, their friendship flamed out and Lorelei’s once-promising future fell apart.

Flash forward, Holly has everything Lorelei ever wanted, while Lorelei is a lonely cat lady. Now, Holly is even up for an award at a Woman of the Year ceremony, and Lorelei finally has the perfect opportunity to get the revenge she’s wanted for years. But she’s not the only person who has been obsessively following Holly’s career—and when someone winds up dead, Lorelei realizes she may be in danger, too.

The revenge of the cat Lady

This is the perfect thriller for introverts; rarely do we get a protagonist in a thriller who is so isolated. Lorelei is part of the observant armies of people that have retreated from society. She was always a bit awkward, even when she was the pretty girl, out of three, in her college class, but traumatic events and especially people have pushed her to give up on life. But she is not entirely alone; Lorelei has always relied on cats to give her companionship, purpose, and love. And this whole book is an ode to these best of friends. It has been framed as a story of the rivalry between two women, and yes, it is. But at its core, Woman of the Year is the story of the resurgence of an outcast and her cat. And that is part of the book that is hugely satisfying.
Like Lorelei being an oddball, the book also starts strangely; her inner voice contrasts so much with what she is about to do; Lorelei is attending the Woman of the Year banquet to poison her former classmate Holly, who is the said Woman being celebrated. Lorelei doesn't intend to kill her; she only wants to make Holly suffer for what she did to her and her cat in those college years. We then get the flashback, telling us Lorelei's sad and twisted story. Laura Lee ( wait for the name change, it is a stomach-turning doozy) is attending college and falling for her professor in the behavioral psychology class. Holly was her friend and barely registers on our radar. What is clever about the book is how unstable Lorelei and her voice seem at the banquet, so we are put in the same position as her professor and her classmates when Lorelei, in the flashbacks, seems to make moves and tells something that seems way off.
Especially the novel's first act is an unsettling experience; Darcey Bell throws thriller caution to the wind and introduces quirkiness in the genre, it can feel icky and put some readers off, and I was hesitant after reading the first chapters. And I had to fast forward to some later chapters because some things were hard to stomach for me and anybody who loves animals. But I am so glad I read this; the ending was fantastic, and it is the kind of book you won't forget the moment you put it away, an original and exhilarating.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC for me! I usually love Darcey Bell books, and devoured " A simple Plan", but this was a DNF for me. Anything with animal abuse I cannot stomach, so I will not be providing a rating.

This book was really, really, not my taste. The storytelling was erratic, the main character was unlikable AND unreliable (not a great combination), and relied on too many tropes -- generally not a fan of a "crazy cat lady" narrative. There were storylines left unresolved and questions unanswered, and not in the way that makes you think. Also, TW: some really horrific animal abuse and SA in this one.
Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Twenty years ago, gregarious Lorelei and mousy Holly became fast friends as students in the same college psychology seminar. Taught by an expert in control and human behavior, the two students also grew close to their charismatic professor. But in one twisted moment of gaslighting, their friendship flamed out and Lorelei’s once-promising future fell apart.

Flashforward, Holly has everything Lorelei ever wanted, while Lorelei is a lonely cat lady. Now, Holly is even up for an award at a Woman of the Year ceremony, and Lorelei finally has the perfect opportunity to get the revenge she’s wanted for years. But she’s not the only person who has been obsessively following Holly’s career—and when someone winds up dead, Lorelei realizes she may be in danger, too.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Not for me but I actually think this would make a bomb movie.

I am really torn on how to rate and review this book. I really like Darcey Bell and her other books but this one was an odd one out. I rounded up to 3 stars because it did keep my attention and the premise was interesting but it fell flat in the end.

It started off creepy and I was waiting to have some mind blowing explanation for many questions that popped up throughout the book. (Don't want to give spoilers.) But some things were never explained and while I'm okay with things being left to the imagination, I don't think this was the place for it.

The ending I guessed at some point before the reveal. I'm usually okay with guessing too but this felt messy vs tied up in a nice bow. I do enjoy Bell's writing and this won't deter me from future books of hers. Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy to enoy.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
This author wrote A Simple Favor which I didn’t read, but watched the movie and enjoyed. So i thought i’d give her a go! Thank you to Atria Books for this gifted copy.

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
Holly has everything Lorelai she ever wanted. Including the Woman Of The Year award. Once upon a time, Holly and Lorelai were friends. But because of a life altering event, their friendship fell apart. When the opportunity for Lorelai to seek revenge presents itself, she takes it and somebody winds up dead.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. This was more character driven than a plot driven story. Which wasn’t my cup of tea. Lots of internal monologues and a slow type of unraveling is what you can expect, but the later third of the book made up for the thrill and was the only time it picked up for me. It was a fast read, but because of the internal conflict, the jumping timelines and the author’s writing style, it was quick to dissolve my attention. I think alot of people can still enjoy this if you’re into character driven plots.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘴

⚠️ 𝙏𝙒𝙨: 𝘈𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦

This was not the book for me. I DNF'd at about 10%. I could not get into the story and unfortunately this is not the first time I have had such an experience with this authors books. I do believe some people would enjoy this book but it was just not for me.

Twenty years ago, gregarious Lorelei and mousy Holly became fast friends as students in the same college psychology seminar. Taught by an expert in control and human behavior, the two students also grew close to their charismatic professor. But in one twisted moment of gaslighting, their friendship flamed out and Lorelei’s once-promising future fell apart.

Flashforward, Holly has everything Lorelei ever wanted, while Lorelei is a lonely cat lady. Now, Holly is even up for an award at a Woman of the Year ceremony, and Lorelei finally has the perfect opportunity to get the revenge she’s wanted for years. But she’s not the only person who has been obsessively following Holly’s career—and when someone winds up dead, Lorelei realizes she may be in danger, too.

I have really enjoyed Darcey Bell’s previous novels, but Woman of the Year was a little far out for me. Very disappointing as I really wanted to get more into it, but sometimes struggle with gaslighting and SA content as it is triggering for me. Sadly, I had to stop reading part way as I just couldn’t push on reading.
I hope others are able to get into the storyline more than me.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the chance to read/review this ARC.

I think this is it for Darcey Bell and I.

First of all, there should've been a trigger warning at the beginning of this book for the animal abuse alone, but also for SA. Dark romances get a lot of criticism for their trigger warnings but you're not going into those blind, and other book genres should really follow suit.

Aside from that, I just did not connect with this story. I love an unreliable narrator that leaves you questioning everything, but this book started sooo slowly and I just truly didn't care to pick it back up. I ended up mostly skimming, and the scenes I mentioned above were enough to dissuade me from finishing this one. No star rating for that reason!

Woman of the Year follows the main character's, Lorelei, story about her revenge scheme on a former college best friend, Holly Serpenta. Lorelei is very much at this point a cat lady in the making. Her cats are very prominent in her life. Lorelei and Holly were both psychology students taking a class together which was basically a group therapy session monitored by faculty and upper-grad students. Lorelei falls for her older and very intelligent, sexy, and mysterious professor. She and the professor start an inappropriate sexual relationship that she keeps secret from Holly and it strains their relationship. As most teacher-student relationships do, theirs ended after 6 weeks but something strange happens that changes her feelings towards her professor and best friend. Twenty years later her ex-best friend is receiving the Woman of the Year Award and Lorelei wants revenge for what happened in college, which we are told about throughout the story. Turns out someone else had the same idea and Holly Serpenta winds up dead. Lorelei is convinced she knows who the murderer is but is surprised when she learns the truth and when her cat, CatZilla attacks them. Lorelei throughout seems unhinged, a little crazy, and unreliable as the story teller. She is also borderline a crazy cat lady. But I loved how she was portrayed and how you unravel why she feels and is the way she is. A very intriguing, unique, and psychological mystery that kept me entertained. Also any story with cats is great!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this entertaining ARC in exchange for my honest review.