This is quickly becoming one of those authors where I'll read anything just because they wrote it. I've read a few books by this author now and have loved everyone of them. This is no different.

This is a different style of book written by Bella, but nevertheless a great read. Some laugh out loud moments, emotional scenes and sad parts. Highly recommended.

The Girls
by: Bella Osborne
Head of Zeus, Aria
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Women's Fiction
Pub Date: 4/14/22

Zara, Val, Jackie, and Pauline were the girls of the seventies, close friends who shared a house, the carefree days of youth, and the optimism of their futures. After forty years of going their own ways, Zara brings the women back together with a serious proposal to spend their golden years together. Her reasons aren't initially apparent, but are revealed as the curious plot unfolds.

Osborne created her main characters as uniquely different in personalities and lifestyles, adding to the charm and mystery of the story. The ladies end up with Zara in a surprise setting as they are reunited, with hopes of living their best lives together.

As the friends settle in to start anew, the narrative tapers with twists and turns. As with many stories of female friendships, topics of fashion, romance, social life, and fun are touched upon.
The pasts of each woman have molded them into their present selves. Osborne, however, goes deep into serious issues such as aging, health, and more, before presenting a puzzling mystery.

I love the authentic, quirky, and original women that I got to know in this book. The pasts of each woman have molded the friends into their present selves. As a woman in my sixties, with close ties to my friends from the Seventies, I felt as if this story was just for me. Osborne is an insightful writer who offers distinctive storylines about friendship that readers like myself crave.

Thank you to Net Galley and for the advance reader's copies and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.

I enjoy the current literary trend in fiction toward older women and their lives. The four characters in this story are so different but whatever drew them to live together when they were young intensifies when circumstances conspire to let them live together in their later years.

The story is told from three friends' viewpoints, giving the reader an intimate insight into their past and present lives and motivations. The fourth friend Zara is the catalyst for their reconnection after nearly fifty years, and it's her glamorous lifestyle allows them to be together again.

Friendship is an important theme in this story, exploring other contemporary issues like domestic abuse and mental health through the characters' lives. I loved the story's vibrant characters and the glamorous setting. The cosy mystery vibe that develops is facilitated by the setting and shows how deep the friendship between the women is.

The vivid characterisation and a believable blend of humour and poignancy make this an engaging and uplifting read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Another uplifting and entertaining book by Bella Osborne, a gripping and compelling story that i thoroughly enjoyed.
Great characters, interesting plot, and good storytelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

World famous actress Zara might have preferred to keep her 80th birthday a little quieter – that she’s that old comes as a bit of a surprise to the three friends she lived with in the 70s too, but with varying degrees of enthusiasm they can’t resist the opportunity to attend a glitzy showbiz party and to spend time together once more. For all sorts of reasons, all three are finding life a little difficult at the moment, and when Zara suggests that they try living together again, they decide to give it a try – they can each pay her back by using some of their life skills – but they just hadn’t expected it to be in her sumptuous villa on the Riviera.

Jackie’s the chaotic one – still the wild child, formerly a carer but who’s recently lost her job because of a few unauthorised sidelines, and her nursing experience will be useful as Zara’s health is now failing. Val is the sensible one, has had a successful career as a solicitor, and her professional skills will come in useful to cast an eye over her business affairs. Pauline’s the quiet one – anxious and depressed in the wake of an abusive marriage and harbouring a guilty secret, lonely and lacking in confidence – and she’ll be the perfect choice to help Zara write her autobiography. They soon recover their supportive and very special friendship while living their new life of luxury – but none of them had realised that Zara’s health had declined as much as it had, that she had an ulterior motive in bringing them together again, and a very difficult favour to ask of them all.

The characterisation in this book is just wonderful – the story’s told from the points of view of the three friends, each with a very distinctive voice and their own set of memories and concerns, and it works particularly well in establishing their personalities and getting under their skin. The setting is fantastic, and particularly wonderfully drawn – and Zara moves in the kind of circles the others could never have imagined, with money no object, celebrity friends’ names and anecdotes about them littering her conversation, and with one in particular making a recurring (and hilarious) occasional appearance. And then the whole story takes a bit of a turn – their time together isn’t just fun and cocktails any more – and it turns into an intrigue-filled mystery with question marks over each woman’s involvement and their guilt or innocence.

There’s a perfect balance to this book – at times, it’s extremely funny, sometimes quite gentle, always a little more riotous when Jackie’s in the spotlight. But there are also moments of real sadness and poignancy as their former lives and experiences are exposed, quite beautifully handled with a very sure emotional touch. I grew to really love all of these women, involved in their lives, understanding their foibles and actions, feeling for them when the chips were down – and their special friendship, sometimes tested to its limits, had the most exceptional warmth and authenticity.

And I haven’t even mentioned the mysterious gardener, or Brian the cat, or Toby the foul-mouthed parrot – but they all play their parts in this wonderful story, which really was sheer enjoyment from beginning to end. I really loved this book – and recommend it really highly.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

I am a big fan of Bella Osborne's and have read all of her previous books. This book is written in a very different style to her usual books. It is quite dark in some of the themes, and has a touch of Cosy mystery to it as well. I did however really enjoy it. It wasn't at all what I was expecting.
The book was slow to start, but with four different characters, this was understandable. It was easy to recognise the characters voices. It was well written, withlits of twists and turns.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Four old friends. New adventures. Challenges and joys of growing old. Loss. Told from three points of view. Charming. Funny. Mystery.
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Head of Zeus, for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
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We follow four women who re-connect in their twilight years, having lived together in their 20s. The story is told from the POV of three of these women and I found that on the whole their voices were distinct enough not to get muddled.
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While I enjoyed this book and raced through it, I have to admit it did leave me feeling somewhat puzzled. Having spent the first 60% chugging along quite serenely (no complaints, I love a heart warming, comfortable read), the book suddenly changed course and became a bit of a mystery story, which was then was wrapped up super quickly in the last 20% of the book.
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This did feel a little rushed and I really wasn’t expecting the change in direction given some of the darker topics the early chapters touched on. As a whole this is a fun, easy read which will keep you on your toes and has some interesting characters to get to know. It’s also set in Cap Ferrat, so it was giving me all the holiday feels ☀️
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🌟🌟🌟.5/5
Publication date: 14 April 2022

I was pre-warned that this book was another change in style, for Bella Osborne, but I knew I was in for a treat because I’ve loved all of her previous books, particularly The Library. I’m not yet in the same age bracket as the girls in the story, but I’m closer than I am to my teens! I found the format to be reminiscent of the fabulous TV series, The Golden Girls, not that there is any other similarity other than the basic format.
As the synopsis explains, Zara, Val, Jackie and Pauline are poles apart in character, but their friendship was based on their house share experience in the 1970s. Although they only lived together for a few years, the friendship was a great foundation which served them well when Zara decided that they should all move into her luxury home and recapture their distant youth. That is where the similarity ends, and this story begins.
I did pick a favourite and would defy anyone not to do the same. For me, it was Pauline. She had led such an unsatisfactory life. Her marriage was to a bully, and she had remained childless and was, quite frankly, wondering why she was still alive. Bella Osborne introduced Pauline in a way that was impossible not to be drawn to. I was immediately aligned with her and wanted her to find happiness and a purpose.
Val and Jackie were polar opposites of each other, Val was an uptight former solicitor and Jackie was the eternal good-time girl. Focussed on finding herself a wealthy millionaire, Jackie was somewhat unlikeable, but I still enjoyed her story. Val was hiding a secret, but for the avoidance of spoilers, I will say no more.
This is a joyful, uplifting book that certainly takes a good look at the challenges faced by ageing women. Not just menopause but the spectre of loneliness and failing health. There are no holds barred as delicate subjects are examined and this group of women find themselves navigating their ways through a decidedly messy situation. There are, of course, male characters, but they appear in supporting roles and even include a cat and a parrot.
As I reached the closing pages, I was sad to say goodbye to this lovely group of friends; I know that their stories will stay with me for a long time to come.

I had loved Bella Osborne previous book The Library, and was very excited to read The Girls. I was sure I was going to like it and, sure enough, I did. So very much!

The Girls is funny, humorous while emotional and moving at the same time. It also deals with some heavy topics, but they are handled with a lot of tact and empathy. There's also a hint of cozy mystery which adds to the enjoyment. The characters are just wonderful, you'll fall in love with them.

Definitely a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘This wonderful book made me laugh, made me cry and most of all made me hope that my own gang of girls will be there for me when I need them the most. I loved it!’

Sarah Bennett

I enjoyed this book, although it was not at all what I expected from the description and cover. I thought it would be a feel-good read about a bunch of aging girlfriends who decide to live together and have fun adventures for their golden years.
Although there was a touch of that, I wouldn't exactly bill this as a feel-good friendship story. It sort of turns into a murder mystery and the murder portion happened a little too 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.
I give it 3.5 stars because while I did get sucked into the story and liked the different characters, I couldn't suspend my disbelief that these girlfriends would do or die for each other, when they hadn't actually spoken to each other in 30-40 years. That made the premise of 'these are my girls' feel like a lie that kept niggling at the back of my head. Aside of that, I loved the short chapters and alternating perspectives. The author did a great job of withholding just the right amount of information to make the mystery work.

This was an interesting book. Four old friends in varying stages of retirement meet up again and try to recreate their glory years - only with a few extra twists and turns.
It was interesting to see each of their individual lives before they all come together. I have to say that possibly the last 25% was the most interesting as the plot thickened and by then I was invested in knowing what had happened. Zara was definitely a character!

I really enjoyed this book, it was really different to "The Library", the characters were well written and you could relate to some of the issues they were having, I love the idea of friends living together in their later years rather than living alone, it brings the true meaning to friendship, give yourself a treat and enjoy this book

Another great book from Bella Osbourne, her books never seem to disappoint. This one was slightly different from her usual books but, it didn’t matter at all as it was still enjoyable. A fun read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Eh, I want to write something positive about it. I really do. But, to be just fair, I have to say, that this is the worst book of Bella so far and I'm just so disappointed...

I had a chance to read some books by the author. Not all of them were my favorite, but usually, they have something that keeps me entertained, which makes to stop for a sec and think about not the plot, the various elements of the story.

This one was different. It was promising from the start, I have to admit. I was curious about what would happen, what does it mean, and what is exactly going on. I have some ideas about what would be next, but then... it all crashed into pieces.

It is hard to say what was wrong. I felt like the last chapters were from a different story! It was all strange, without explanation, proper ending... I'm out.

THE GIRLS by BELLA OSBORNE.

We all know Bella Osborne for her funny and touching rom-com stories. Her last book, The Library, was a bit of a change in direction, but still utterly brilliant and written with Bella’s reliable warmth, poignancy and wit.
The Girls, is another new route for Bella’s writing style, but just as she did in The Library, the quality and skill she has as an author shines through.

Four old friends, Val, Pauline, Jackie and Zara are reunited after forty years apart, when a surprise party is arranged in honour of Zara’s 80th birthday.

Back in the 70’s all four women were students and shared a flat. Forty years on, as they rekindle their friendships, they find themselves with the opportunity to once more live together, but this time in the opulence of Zara’s villa on the French Riviera.
The plan is to live out their twilight years in companionable comfort, but of course life doesn’t run that smoothly.

Zara, Val, Pauline and Jackie are a diverse group of women. From wildly elaborate to timid and anxious, shrewd and intelligent to brash and immature. Yet somehow they gel and the story works.

As in all of Bella’s books, there are some darker topics, which are handled with tact, empathy and care.
There is also some wonderful humour peppered throughout the story.

This book is sweet, funny, emotional and moving, with a bit of mystery thrown in too. It flows effortlessly from start to finish and each page draws you in just a little more to this charming story.

I love the fact that the main characters are all of a more mature age. They have all had a life and all have a story to tell.

The Girls, is another triumph for Bella Osborne. Five glorious stars from me.
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Publication date: 14/4/22 -ebook and paperback
1/5/22-audio.

With thanks to #Netgalley and #HeadOfZeus for a digital arc of #TheGirls by #BellaOsborne.

Brilliant plot! I was deeply involved from the beginning. The story is told through the voices of the four main characters. They were housemates years ago when in college. While I do not think these four would have found friendship otherwise, living together during those years definitely bought them close despite their differences.

Each woman has a unique personality and that gives this story a spark to see how each of them deal with the new life suddenly upon them. They fall into the roles they had years ago, with one being the demanding star (actress), one the party girl (carer in an old age home), one the sensible, guarded protector (attorney) and one pleasant, kind, and wounded (typing pool clerk).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. While it is more serious than some of the books I have read by Bella Osborne, I definitely believe her fans will love it.

I want to thank Head of Zeus, Aria and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

This is my second Bella Osborne book and it didn’t disappoint. Old friends make new friendships with each other after years apart. Really enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bells Osborne and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review!

I found the beginning of the book a bit slow at first and found the number of characters a bit hard to keep track of. However, once they find out the real reason Zara asked to move into the villa, the story began to pick up the pace, and I enjoyed it a lot more. It was fun guessing who did it, and was an overall entertaining story.