I am very late to the party with Imperfect Women but I recently read One Of The Good Guys (the latest book from Araminta Hall) and absolutely loved it. I immediately started to look through her backlist and realised that this one was on my list to review.

I was hooked from the start by this story of three women who have been best friends since University but for various reasons have all ended up unhappy with certain aspects of their lives. The worst of these cases is Nancy, who despite a seemingly good marriage, has an affair with a married man and within a year ends up dead. The Police and her friends initially think that her lover must have been the killer, lashing out when Nancy tried to end their relationship. However, when Ellie starts getting closer to Robert (Nancy's husband), the suspicions begin to creep in as to whether he might have been involved. Ellie and Mary (who has her own disastrous marriage to deal with) cling together to try and make sense of the awful situation they have found themselves in, but will the truth ever come to light?

This was such a fascinating exploration into female friendships and the expectations which are forced upon women. I thought it was really refreshing to read about the men in the story's views about how women should take a step back from their careers after having children and just be happy to give up on any previous dreams of work and making an impact career wise. It's an opinion which I personally don't think is voiced enough so I really appreciated the way this was portrayed in the book.

I was surprised by the direction the story went, it actually made it more interesting for me. It was a gripping mystery and I thought that the characters were very realistic - each with their own imperfections and issues to work through.

"Imperfect Women" by Araminta Hall is a novel that promises a deep exploration of friendship, secrets, and the complexities of womanhood but falls short of delivering a truly compelling narrative. The plot follows three friends, each grappling with personal struggles and dark secrets, but the execution lacks the necessary depth and emotional resonance. The characters, while complex in their flaws, fail to evoke strong empathy or connection, making it challenging to fully invest in their individual stories. The pacing is inconsistent, leading to moments of monotony and a lack of overall momentum in the storytelling. Despite its potential, "Imperfect Women" struggles to rise above mediocrity, offering a narrative that may leave readers seeking more substance and depth in their literary experience.

2 stars

I did enjoy the start of this however found myself getting a little bored the more I went through. I found some parts to be quite predictable so this ended up just being an ok read

This is more of a psychological, female-centric novel with a mystery as one of the (sub)plots tan straight out mystery based on detective work as a central POV. And the psychological element is quite heavy - do not get me wrong, I like that in my books, but a reader wanting to get typical mystery might be compelled to read more straightforward novel. This book is told by the three women who have been friends for years. Now one of them is dead, and the death seem to be of violent nature.
Eleanor and Mary, her friends, wrestle with the aftermath of Nancy’s death - and with their own humanity. Because we can hurt those we love the most.

The female psychology is described precisely and very much spot-on. The complications of female nature and female friendships are presented believably and found myself nodding often. These women are complicated, messy, making mistakes and loving.
If only some attention - and TLC, I am compelled to say - was given to the male characters! Because the male toxicity is, in a sense, the main culprit of this novel. And this injustice is what has destroyed my joy of reading such an otherwise good, interesting novel.
But I will follow this authoress, such talent is worth of attention.

VERY STRONG START! I loved the first half of the book and then I was bored for the rest. The action fizzled out and it felt like I was reading a totally different book

I flew through this book, with a well-thought-out plot and really believable characters. would definitely recommend it!

This started out good and then about halfway through I just lost interest. The writing is good and I know other friends loved it, so it’s likely a me problem and definitely not a book problem. Definitely will recommend it to others who loved books like.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book started out pretty strong and had great writing, but it lost a little steam as it progressed. I basically figured it out half way through the novel. However, I still think it was an interesting read.

Didn't care for this at all. Couldn't finish it. The writing wasn't as good as her last.

But I saw others gave it four stars so give it a try.

I loved Our Kind of Cruelty and the synopsis of Imperfect Women sounded right in my wheelhouse. Unfortunately, this one was less impressive. I would rate it as an okay read with less suspense/thriller vibes than I was hoping for. I also am not usually a big fan of unreliable narrators, and that occurred here.
It is a story about the seemingly perfect friendships and lives of three women who get together, when one of them, Nancy is murdered. The premise of the book is good. The writing is good, as expected. I think this book just wasn't for me. It is one of those tropes that I generally don't agree with. I will certainly recommend this to people who like this style of story and keep my eye out for further books by this author.
#ImperfectWomen #Netgalley #FarrarStrausandGiroux

This is a dark story filled with complex women, marriage, loss, friendship, betrayal, murder, and sacrifice. I really enjoyed the read.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to #NetGalley for this book. Again, I'm in the minority in liking this book and for that reason I did not finish it and the plot just seemed to drag.

This is a story about three women, life long friends, and their partners and the chaos that is caused when one of them dies and the other two find out secrets and things that have been ‘going on’ without the others knowing.

This book did not do it for me! The writing was terrible. It was very hard finishing this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. I apologize for the one star.

Her last book, Our Little Cruelties, was so good I just had to get this book! And she's done it again for me. Looks like I have yet another favorite author!

We can’t all be perfect...alas we are indeed Imperfect Women.

Women are under so much pressure. To be the perfect mother, the perfect wife and have a perfectly successful career. With all these expectations one may lose themselves along the way.

This is another book that presents itself as a thriller but with profound messages hidden between the lines. It’s really all about life and expectations. The pressure that others put upon us as well as what we heap upon ourselves. Oh yes, we want it all. But is that truly an achievable goal? Is it even what we really want from our lives? Can we be joyful, content and satisfied without possessing the golden ticket?

Nancy Eleanor and Mary have been friends since University. When Nancy is killed her two best friends are left to discover the truth in what was happening in Nancy’s life, while also looking in the mirror and taking stock of their own.

I toggled back and forth between the written and audio versions of this book. Though the pace seems to crawl somewhat near the middle, it ended with a rock-solid message.

This is the second book I’ve read by Araminta Hall. And though Our Kind Of Cruelty remains a favorite, I very much enjoyed this latest. I will definitely be watching for more from this author.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley Farrar Straus and Giroux for an ARC to read and review.

Imperfect Women is a dark, and dramatic tale of life, love, marriage, loss and friendship. A well written and put together story of lifelong friends that display their flaws, and emotions unto each other. The characters are so well explored and brought to life in this book that it kept me completely enthralled.

A haunting read about friendship friendship the challenges you face along the way. It was completely immersive and kept me turning pages until the end. Well plotted and executed I love every minute of it!

This one was just sadly not for me. I wish I could have gotten all the way through it but it was a DNF; maybe I’ll pick it up again someday.

I read Araminta Hall's Our Kind of Cruelty last year and really enjoyed it. I wish I could say I loved Imperfect Women just as much, but I didn't. The story dragged and the characters were unlikeable. I look forward to see what the author writes next. Also, I'm curious to see how the movie version will compare to the book. Thank you to MCD and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this dark, deep dive into the lives of Eleanor, Nancy and Mary. The characters are all mostly unlikeable, yet I couldn’t stop reading to see what happened next. The twist is one I should have seen coming, but the way it played out was just so well done.

Three and a half stars out of five for this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Strauss and Giroux for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

As much as I liked the undertone of the perceived perfect lives of these women not being quite as they seem, sadly the plot was too obvious almost from the start. I read on hoping there would be a twist, but sadly it ended exactly I'd imagined.

It just a little clumsy in plot, and in the fact that I really struggled to see these women as friends to begin with.

That said, the writing felt fresh and well done, and it was an easy read. A little thicker plot and more carefully constructed characters could have served this well.