This second in a series- which you wouldn't be able to tell so very well as a stand alone was fun and I loved the widows and their found family within eachother

Taking place two years after debut collaboration, Young Rich Widows, Desperately Deadly Widows is written by multiple well know authors, and takes place in 1987. When Providence, RI Mayor Tom dies suddenly in the champagne room leaving second wife Tara behind, in addition to first wife Nancy Davenport and only son Harrison. The mayor had been working to get a casino built in Providence (decidedly NOT an Indian casino) even though gambling is not currently legal. When he dies in Meredith's strip club while being seduced by Camille (on orders of second wife Tara who is hoping to uncover his bad behavior) the titular widows spring into action.

So what did I think about the book? Well, a lot of the story seems hastily recorded and the working haphazardly strung together (which makes sense because it was one author to each widow). Additionally, I found more than one character one dimensional. Does this mean I hated this book, nope, only that I think it could have been improved if the multiple authors worked together more effectively. 3.25 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you @bookmarked for this free arc and @netgalley for the free e-arc 💖.

✨What it is about:
Set in Providence, Rhode Island in 1987, two years after a plane carrying four mafia-affiliated law firm partners exploded, this story follows the wives of the men who died in the plane crash, and how they try to keep their law firm afloat.✨

💭My thoughts:
This was so much FUN. This is book two in The Widows Series, an edge of your seat thriller that explores how the widows work together trying to make it in the law firm business and pay their bills, all while in the middle of a murder investigation involving one of their own. The women’s personalities are wild, and their friendship though a little distant at times, shows them to be ride or dies when it matters most. Their mutual support knows no bounds. With so much snark and attitude, these girls are in it to win it, and no one is stopping them! They will do it all, and no scandal, no scheming can get past them…they are set to get to the bottom of things and will prevail, so you better get out of their way if you know what’s good for you. They are smart, resourceful and bold, and will do whatever it takes to protect each other which I loved to see (women supporting women 💪). This story was full of twists and turns, and super entertaining. I definitely recommend it.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read of you like:
🍾Female friendships
🍾Fast paced stories
🍾Twists and turns
🍾Found family
🍾Betrayal/ revenge / survival
🍾Suspenseful thrillers

⚠️CW: Murder, kidnapping.

Nostalgia. Friendship. Murder.

This is the second in a series, but I didn’t know what until it came time to write this review - so it stands alone nicely!
I found this to be a fun ride and love the friendship the widows have found with each other.

Desperate Deadly Widows is the 2nd in the series. I love all the characters and enjoyed how they helped solve a murder. This has backstabbing, friendship, murder and a lot of scandals. They are all friends and protect each other. This was an enjoyable read and you will fall on love with all of the ladies. Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC and to Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The big hair, the pocket protector vibes, the women in charge and being a boss even in the 80's- I loved it. There were some high stakes crimes happening, some manipulative moments, and some truly sweet bonding moments between women in a time when they were truly the "fairer sex" and not known for their business prowess. The cover truly did fit the inside on this one, which I love! That was, after all, the first thing that initially led me to requesting this book for an early read. Some of the POV's were more fun than others, which is why I did knock one star off- I couldn't justify it as a perfect book when I enjoyed reading some women more than I did others. This is synonymous with a cozy mystery series, and I genuinely would enjoy all of them the authors choose to write! Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read and rate an early eARC of this sequel.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmarks, and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

I really enjoyed this book, and did not need to read the first one, to understand everything that was going on and everyone that was involved.

The story line caught me at the very beginning, and I couldn’t put it down. There were some funny parts as someone more in the 80’s, and I liked that I am not the only one that remembers good old shoulder pads, big gold hoop, big hair, and bright neon dresses.

There were many more other references, but you really need to read this book to be able to enjoy these references. I also loved the strip club dancer gone owner giving the girls in the jail tips. Priceless!

Seriously. This was very good, and for someone just turning 40 a little over a month ago, I needed a book like this in my life right now. It has it all:

Murder, Money, Revenge, Regret, Suspense, Humor, you name it.

No need to rehash the storyline as it is listed already in the synopsis of this book, and more reviewers post it also. It isn’t necessary. Only my thoughts are, and this book was brilliant! Oh, this is also one of the most anticipated mystery thriller books for 2025! It’s a must read!

In the second book of the widow series, the 4 widows are in a mess up to their eyes and hairsprayed hair again, only this time one of them has been framed for murder. Like the first book - Young Rich Widows - we follow the 4 as they try to turn things around in their husbands’ law firm. But when a sting goes wrong and one is framed for murder, the others must rally to find the real killer. Another fun read, and while you don’t necessarily need to read the first book before this one, I think you would enjoy this one more if you read Young Rich Widows first, as the characters are well-defined in that one and you learn some of their backstory. Set in the 1980’s this one will bring back memories of Dynasty days for sure! And I did appreciate the authors bringing in a storyline dealing with the Indian race in a white male dominated society. Pick this one up for a fun quick read!

Desperate Deadly Widows is a wild, fun ride with four women who lost their partners in a plane crash about two years ago. I didn't notice that this ARC was a sequel until I started reading, so I quickly grabbed book one on Libby. And I think it's a testament to the writing collaboration of these four authors that I flew through book one and then straight into book two. Rarely do I do so with any series, and I had so much fun.

So first, please go read Young Rich Widows to meet the incredible and incredibly different women who must come together after unexpected loss to face personal and professional challenges and dangers they had no idea were lurking at their doors.

Then return, and read this one. I loved the character growth in this second book and equally enjoyed the rich Rhode Island 1980s setting.

A very good time when you're in the mood for a popcorn kind of book with writing that is both easy and intelligent.

This is book 2 in a series and since I have not read book 1, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. It starts off with a murder right away which kept me engaged at first. But then it fell flat during the middle. I just had a hard time with the whole story but will still give it 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The widows are back in Book #2 co-written by four successful women authors about four struggling women who learn they are stronger and better together. When their husbands were murdered in YOUNG RICH WIDOWS, we met the team of Romero, Tavani, Kelly and Romero, a more unlikely legal team could not be found. At the end of the first book, the widows have solved the murders and decided to continue the legal office run by their husbands. Now they realize just how much they don't know as the world around them seems determined to see them fail. But failure is not in the plan.

this series was born during the pandemic but the widows seem to have gained a fan club that insists on keeping track of the four women who have grown and matured together into an unbeatable force of nature.

Thank you Sourcebooks for the gifted digital ARC!

It was so fun to be back in the world of the widows. I found this one pretty predictable but I still enjoyed how the story progressed, and I think it's so fun that each author writes each of our characters. If you've ever wondered which author wrote which character, I tracked that info down for you:

Layne Fargo - Meredith
Kimberly Belle - Camille
Cate Holahan - Justine
Vanessa Lillie - Krystal

I'm impressed that even with this many authors contributing to the book, the writing is smooth and not at all clunky. I would not be one bit mad to revisit these characters again in the future!

Desperate Deadly Widows pub date is April 8.

DNF at 33%…

I am having a hard time connecting to some of the characters. Did not notice the fine print that this was a sequel… so I obviously didn’t know about the first book and just dived right in…. I was hooked from the beginning but then as I went on, more characters came in to the story, and I can’t manage to remember which voice is who’s. I found some characters insufferable, hard to keep following through, sorry 😕

I was once again lured in by an intriguing blurb and an interesting cover, and failed to notice this is book two! I really probably should have read book one first, but this was still an amazing read (even if I did feel a little lost about who was who for a while there!) Definitely going back to read book one (and while this one WAS manageable as a standalone, I'd probably recommend reading in order so you get all the MC's backstories!)

💄 T H R O W B A C K T U E S D A Y review 💄 featuring “Desperate Deadly Widows” by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Vanessa Lillie and Cate Holahan!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤.5/5

Your favourite widows are back at it again with this throwback to 1987 in Providence, Rhode Island! It’s been two years since their law firm husbands blew up in a plane and left the widows to pick up all the mob affiliated pieces!

An “arrangement” gone wrong results in Mayor Tom tragically dying while in the champagne room at the strip club. The widows must team up together to keep one of them out of prison for the mayor’s murder. The widows are getting framed, but by WHO?? The hunt is on to find out #whodunit before time runs out!

🍿 Much like the first book in this series, this book is a wild ride full of chaos, juicy drama, plot twists and kick ass girl power! The collaboration of authors is amazing and each one adds their own flair to the story and the characters! If you enjoy Desperate Housewives and Real Housewives then this series is for you!

Thank you kindly to @kimberlybellebooks @laynefargo @vanessalillie @cateholahan @bookmarked @netgalley for my #gifted digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on April 8, 2025!

The widows are back in the follow up to the smash hit Young Rich Widows. The hair is big, the outfits outrageous, and the widows are still sorting out the mess their husbands left behind, when the death of the mayor of Providence threatens to take away all that they have fought to regain. Set in Providence, RI in 1987, the story unfolds in a city that has a character all its own. From scorned wives, to corrupt politicians, to greedy developers planning a complete reimagination of the city, there’s a lot to untangle. And the widows find themselves wondering if they can trust each other as they try to find the real murderer and clear one of their own.

Another tour de force from the writing team of Vanessa Lillie, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan and Kimberly Belle. Five Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

Another wild and crazy ride with these widows. This time one and then another is accused of murder. Of course, the widows need to solve the murder which insures that the reader will be well entertained. I noticed that one reviewer had not read the first book in this series. She found it confusing to keep everyone straight. I can definitely see that this would be a problem. This is not a stand alone and should not be read that way. If you haven’t read the first, start there and, I promise, you will want to read this one too!

Well they did it again! A great read about friendship, women helping women and doing what needs to be done to achieve success in a man’s world!

Loved the storyline, kept me hooked and needing to know more! I loved that even the bad “guys” were women!

First thanks to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this one before it was published. While it was a bit different from what I'm used to this book definitely kept me entertained. I had not realized it was a sequel so now want to check out the first one.
Story shows how women can come together and empower each other in a man's world.

loved the premise but not the execution. in an effort to give the book an 80s feel and each woman to have an individual voice the dialogue was a bit cliché.