A quick easy read with entertaining characters and correspondingly different lives, the connections being that in the 70s the friends house shared.
Full of twists and turns the reader couldn’t predict!
I loved it and would recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley, Head of Zeus and Bella Osborne for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I have been putting off writing this review…it is not my favourite Bella Osborne book (and I LOVE Bella Osborne!!!!) I had a hard time getting into it, I had a hard time sticking with it, and I was not upset when it ended.

Having said that, there are some great parts. Parts where friendship shines through and it is shown that differences can be put aside. That love comes in all shapes and sizes and formats, and not all love is romantic love. There are some very real and important topics in here (depression, suicide, feeling lost in life.) I also loved that the main characters were older and there was talk of their friendship over the years and how long it had been since they met!

Unfortunately it is not one I will gush about. I hope you will give it a try and see what you think for yourself! Take yourself on an adventure with The Girls!

Thank you to Head of Zeus, Bella Osborne, and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Not my usual type of reading but regardless I loved this book. I loved the fact that the characters were older than you get in a lot of popular fiction but they had great chemistry and spark on the page. The story was good but the characters made the whole book great.

I love the mix of characters, I really think it captured the essence of female friendship and let's be honest, we could do with more of that on pages generally.

I have yet to read a book by Bella Osborne that I have not loved and The Girls was no exception, I loved it. I could not stop reading it, I was hooked from the first few pages. Four friends that lost touch over the years thrown together again, what could go wrong? Plenty!! A fab, fab read.

Easy, enjoyable read. Refreshing change to have some older characters in the forefront of the story. Friendship and companionship are the name of the game by any means possible. Much more than a run of the mill formulaic read, this has some intrigue and mystery folded right in. Good read!

Thank you Netgalley

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Girls was a premise I was absolutely intrigued by, the bonds of female friendship are always so fascinating. I fell in love with the characters and their journeys throughout the book!

I really think this book wasn't for me. Nothing against it, just not my cup of tea. I'm usually a major fan of Women's Fiction books, although multiple MCs are a little heavy on me. I did like the books blurb which is why I requested it, but at around 80% I decided to DNF. I really wish I could have enjoyed it more.

I couldn’t read it sorry. First chapter far too triggering for me to be able to read and not just sit and cry

Another great read where we get to read about people who are over 30 and have seen some life, I am so here for it! This new side of a Bella Osborne novel is just wonderful. I love the way she explores some of the darker elements of life, those moments that we go through but not everyone talks about, and weaves them into her novels in an uplifting way!
The Girls is a group of four women who have known each other for forever but have fallen out of touch in recent years. When they come together for Zara’s big birthday party, against their better judgement, they reconnect and this is the jumping off point of the book. Zara is a classic diva, I can just imagine her as one of these old hollywood stars that they’ve made an E True Hollywood Story about. Jackie annoyed me to begin with, she really grated on me but she definitely grew on me over time. I think I related most to Val, trying to be the voice of reason and get everyone organised. I felt for her throughout the book since she seemed to be the only person to truly be able to look at things logically, despite her own struggles, And then we have Pauline who is the voice of anxiety and panic to Val’s voice of reason.
I loved the premise of the book, the fact that these four women will be once again sharing a house together just like they did in their wild and free days. I loved the location of the house and even the reasons behind Zara asking them to all come together for her. I really enjoyed the way they bumped up against each other and the way their personalities clashed and yet got along at the same time. This aspect of the book I found really interesting. When we started going down the road of a murder mystery type of genre and a bit of a ‘who said that?’ and “where were they when this happened?’ type of affair I didn’t find myself enjoying it quite as much.
I really loved the way that Bella Osborne explored this side of adult friendship, the way she showed this kind of reconnecting that doesn’t always go smoothly. I also loved the way the women in this book all have fully formed lives and personalities just like they would in real life. Often in fiction, just because someone is progressing in years, they have their personality taken away from them. This is certainly not the case here. These women have thoughts and feelings and can totally handle themselves as well as being able to support each other. There are 2 animals in the book for some added comedy too so you’ve got that to look forward to. I listened to this book and it was well-narrated. I definitely recommend giving Bella Osborne a try!

I requested this from Netgalley after loving Bella Osborne’s previous book, “The Library.” This started off well, four best friends reunited after decades being years apart. I was hoping for another uplifting and heart warming book but was disappointed instead. The characters weren’t always likeable, there was one in particular that I couldn’t warm to, and the plot took several different directions that made the book muddled. I thought that some of the topics that were brought up were not explored at all, rather put on show than discussed or examined. The book was slow to start, and then felt rushed at the end. I wish I could say more positive things about the book but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

The Girls by Bella Osborne

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Aria and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Four old friends. Thrown back together after fifty years apart. What could possibly go wrong?

In the 1970s, The Girls were best friends sharing a flat and good times: Zara the famous diva actor, Val the uptight solicitor, Jackie the wild child and Pauline the quirky introvert. Now they're in their twilight years, and Zara suggests that they live with her to support each other through old age.

Initially, being housemates again is just as much fun as in their heyday. But then Zara reveals the real reason she asked them to move in with her, and suddenly things take a sinister turn.

This book is different to the other books I have read by Osborne. The four characters are all very different. A very easy and enjoyable read. There are many twists throughout this book so you will never know where the plot is heading.

Rating 4/5

I really appreciated that this book focused on older characters and gave them a second chance at life. This was a charming and uplifting story that is sure to bring a smile to your face

I am a big fan of Bella Osborne books and I was really excited to read this new one! But unfortunately I have been a bit disappointed by this one. I have been really confused by this book as it is so different from what usually writes Bella Osborne. I felt like I was reading a book by a different author. I prefer Bella Osborne usual way of writing event though this book was also very well written but let's just say in a different way. I was not drawn into it and I had difficulties to really like the different characters in this book. But all in all this book is still good and there is a lot happening in the story which is good point but if you want to read it because you love Bella Osborne's book, be prepared to read something else. It's a 3 stars out of 4 for me!

i really enjoyed this book, a mix of old friends reuinted again after many years of forgetting them as a group. what turns into a small meetup goes from re introductions to moving intogether ina fun filled story. I laughed so loud at some of the things they did and do, the places they explored, you wont be able to put it done and before you know you have read the whole book.

I really enjoy Bella Osborne’s writing style; effortless and able to draw the reader in from the beginning.

This novel seemed to take a different road than what I am used to with Osborne, and at first I was really unsure whether it was a book for me.

After reading, it has to be said that this was another great novel by the author, filled with likeable characters and fantastic writing, but for me personally, I didn’t feel the storyline was something I would usually go for and this took away some of my enjoyment (perhaps I just couldn’t related to these characters as much as in previous novels!).

For fans of the author, you won’t be disappointed; for new readers, I would personally recommend Osborne’s earlier books for really getting to know this fantastic author.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Bella Osborne’s The Girls is an addictive and engrossing tale about friendship, secrets and love readers are going to thoroughly enjoy.

In the 1970s, four best friends who were as different as chalk and cheese were young, carefree and determined to have the time of their lives. Despite of their differences in personality and outlooks, Zara, Val, Jackie and Pauline were always there for one another and always willing to listen and dispense advice when needed or provide some much needed laughter and merriment during a wild night out. A couple of decades later and the girls are now grown women in their twilight years. Their days of wild parties are behind them, but Zara is determined to have her friends around her in her old age, so she suggests to her three close friends to move in with her. What could possibly go wrong?

Unlike uptight Val or introverted Pauline, Zara has always had her fair share of eccentricities. As an actor she always had a natural flair for the theatrical and no sooner have her three friends moved in with her that they all find themselves feeling lighter and having so much fun. Yet, unbeknownst to her three friends, Zara has a secret and when she reveals the reason why she has opened her house to them, Val, Pauline and Jackie realise that life as they know it will never be the same again…

As their lives begin to spiral out of control, the four women find themselves confronting their demons and facing up to harsh truths. With their lives under the glare of the press, the police and a very angry parrot, will their friendship be salvaged? Or will the girls have no other choice but to go their separate ways?

Bella Osborne certainly does not disappoint with The Girls. A sensitively written, warm-hearted and feel-good read that tackles topical issues with a light touch, The Girls is the kind of book that will have readers laughing out loud on one page and reaching for the tissues on another. Her characters are brilliantly drawn, flawed, believable and women readers will recognise because they share many of our insecurities, hopes, fears and frailties.

I will read anything Bella Osborne writes and with each book this award-winning author continues to establish herself as a novelist who is at the very top of her game.

This was a slow burn at the start, but once it got going, it did not disappoint! Lighthearted and heartwarming. I loved the storyline, the character development! Very well-written and looking forward to reading more from this author.

I had a hard time with this book. I was really hopeful because I loved a previous work by this author! I liked the premise and the characters were fun. I just didn’t enjoy some of the content especially that of assisted suicide.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first time to read this author. I was hoping for an easy bright book about lifelong friends coming together. This was my break away from my usual thrillers. Well, after reading, I wouldn't exactly bill this as a feel-good friendship story. It turns into a murder mystery and the murder portion happened abruptly.
It's not a sunshiny, breezy book, so if that's what you're hoping for, this book will mislead you. However, I would more accurately classify this as a women's fiction meets mystery hybrid. Once I realized the book wasn't what I was expecting, I still enjoyed it. Bella Osborne is a good story-teller, and while I could somewhat see where the plot was going, it held my interest and still brought a few surprises. This is definitely a character-driven story, and this is where the book really delivers. The girls (women) are very distinct and rounded, and their different personalities make their interactions entertaining. There were a lot of different issues raised throughout the book.
I did find it to be a little far fetched that someone would go to so much trouble to have their friends around them, but who am I to judge how someone copes with their loneliness? Final conclusion: I got the escape I wanted and I enjoyed this book and I will read Bella Osborne again.