Desperate Deadly Widows is the 2nd book featuring four women whose attorney husbands were killed when their plane exploded, leaving the women to run their shady law firm. Determined to change the firm’s image and save it from going under, the widows get involved with a prominent family in Rhode Island who are trying to secure a land deal. But when one of the widows is arrested for the murder of the town’s mayor, they once again band together to prove her innocence. This is basically a whodunnit, with the widows investigating the.murder, trying to find the real murderer. The plot’s a little murky, with lots of characters to keep track of and just as many side plots, and that tends to dampen any tension as the reader tries to unravel all the threads. The allure of this series is the banter between the widows as they try to overcome their distrust for each other and keep the firm afloat. No new ground broken here, but the interaction between the widows as they navigate rough waters is worth the read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two years ago, the widows faced tragedy when their husbands were killed in a plane crash and they soon after set off to investigate and find out what happened to the men in their lives and make the people pay who had taken their men away from them.

In this next instalment Justine is a student lawyer, and the widows are trying to make their law firm a success, but Krystle needs funds to do so and to keep it afloat. Meredith owns the Mafia night club which she has done up and now operates under the name of the Luna Lounge. She relies on her girls, the strippers to help her brig the money in. But then an event happens that will blow their worlds right up. Camille is out to help women whose husbands cheat setting them up to be caught out. Her next mission was to trap the local Mayor by plying him with champagne and hoping that she can get him on tape acting like the sleaze bag that he is. He begins drinking it like it is going out of fashion but then suddenly collapses and Meredith’s worst nightmare happens when they realise, he is dead.

Next the police are involved, and the girls’ worlds begin to fall part. This is another fun instalment of the widow’s journeys, but I did find that the girls were not always looking out for each other as before, not quite the strong foursome that they presented as in the previous book.
They do unite to help each other solve this crime but I just feel like they each had their own personal agendas in this one that I did not find in the first book.

Overall, another quick entertaining read and I will look forward to see if there will be another instalment. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

I had to read the first book of this series before reading this one – it really helped with the backstory. The ladies were brought together, not by friendship, but by a unfortunate accident with their husbands/partners. The friends didn’t have a great “bond” but was there when they needed one another. The don’t need rescuing, they are fierce and will stop at nothing. I did enjoy these 2 titles in this series and hopefully their bond will grow more if there is another one in the series. They can truly be a mighty force together. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC #VanessaLillie #KimberlyBelle #DesperateDeadlyWidows #NetGalley

Full transparency- I read this in the accents each actor had in the first story so that may have added to my enjoyment 😂

I love this group of women. They’re so fun. I hope there are more books to come, which it kind of seems at the end. Here’s to hoping.

A who done it with a lovely comedic tone and strong female friends/friendship. I wasn’t even focused on theories, I was just enjoying the ride. However, the story was still twisty and mysterious.

Great book.
I loved how it kept changing perspectives.
Keeps you on your toes.
Couldn't put it down.
Thank you for letting me read in advance.

This book earned the whole 5 stars. It is one of the best books I have read in awhile. It kept me wanting to read. The story had an ending I did not except! I have not even read the first book and still loved it!

I really struggled with this book. I love the authors and wanted to enjoy the book, but I found it really slow moving. I didn’t care enough about the characters. I ended up not finishing the book and just perusing the end. Maybe it just was not for me. I decided not to, review it as I wonder if the book was just not the right one for me at the time.

Desperate Deadly Widows is a charming combination of drama, humor and suspense and I was drawn in from paragraph one. As other readers said, it had Mob Wives vibes, and that lent to its escapist appeal. It was a nice, light, guilty pleasure sort of read. I found it very entertaining.

“Desperate Deadly Widows” is an engaging blend of suspense and mystery that kept me on the edge of my seats. The plot twists create a captivating atmosphere that hooks you from the start. The humor sprinkled throughout provides a refreshing contrast to the scandals and tension, making for a well-rounded read. The characters are richly developed, and their interactions add depth to the story. Overall, it's a thrilling and entertaining read that left me wanting more.

For fans of Mob Wives and Real Housewives. How are these two books not bigger names!?

Absolutely love this 2nd book! There should be more 80s themed fiction! Highly recommend both this AND Deadly Rich Widows.

I have read books by some of these authors before but not all and I was curious to see how it would all come together. I absolutely loved this book. They basically put these power houses together for some awesome storytelling.

Read the 1st novel in this series and has a ball. Was excited to see a sequel was written. Fun and rip roaring read. Finished it in one sitting. So attached to the characters. Especially love the author's writing style. Will definitely continue to read more by this author!

#DESPERATEDEADLYWIDOWS
#NETGALLEY
#VANESSALITTLELAYNEFARGOCATEHOLAHANKIMBERLYBELLE

Desperate Deadly Widows is a very interesting book that keeps you guessing until the end! 2 years later and the girls are back! Honey pot schemes and more that will leave you reeling for more!

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬.

This second installment takes place just two years after a plane carrying four mafia-affiliated law firm partners exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, thereby imploding the leisurely lives of their formerly wealthy wives. It's the late 1980s in Providence, Rhode Island, when the hair was big, but the attitudes were bigger.

The women formed an uneasy alliance to sever their ties to the mob, and now, each one has a goal: Krystle is fighting to keep the law firm going, Justine has her sights set on becoming a lawyer, Meredith owns and operates the strip club where she once danced, and Camille investigates the partners of suspicious women, usually catching them up to no good. But when one of her investigations goes off the rails and involves the mayor dying in the champagne room at the strip club, the women must join forces once more to uncover who would want the mayor dead, and more importantly, who is trying to frame one of them.

The sub-plots get wild, and the tenuous bonds holding the women together will be tested once again. Will found family prevail, or will each woman decide she's better off alone?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this highly entertaining early read. At the time this review was written, this title was expected to publish April 8, 2025.

Woo hoo the widows are back! Camille runs honey- pot schemes to catch men behaving badly and one with Mayor Tom ends up with him dead. This all happened in the champagne room at Meredith’s strip club so now the stripe club is closed. Camille is the main suspect. All the widows must work hard to save the law firm, strip club and keep each other out of jail.

I enjoyed the strong fierce female friendships, found family, fast pace and the many twists and turns and laughs along the way.

This is the second book in the The Widows series! The four infamous ladies return in this sequel to continue to uncover deception, corruption and as usual family secrets!

This book is out April 2025 - add it to your pre-order list! While you wait, if you haven’t already read it, pick up a copy of Young Rich Widows to discover how Camille, Justine, Meredith and Krystle become family and a bunch of kick ass women.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy!

Enjoyed this book as much as the first one. I would definitely read other books these talented writers collaborate on and recommend to other readers!

A fun 80’s romp, just like the first one. These characters are tons of fun, and written so well by the four talented authors. I’m excited to learn there may be additional books in this series!

Picking up about two years after the previous book left off, this sequel is as fabulous as Young Rich Widows. The widows are adjusting to their lives after all the drama that came when their husbands were killed in a plane explosion. The law firm is barely holding together and their last hired attorney is leaving and poaching their top clients on his way out. Then things get out of control when the mayor is killed at Meredith’s newly redesigned strip club that she now owns, and Camille is the last one with the mayor when he dies. The ladies band together to save their reputations and to investigate who was really behind the mayor’s death before time runs out.

Like the first book, this one is also set in the 1980s, adding a fun retro twist that enhances the story. It was easy to pick up and remember the different characters and their backstories. Justine is now in law school and Krystle is the acting head of their struggling law firm, even though they’re all equal partners. She has the most time to devote to it but also considers herself as the oldest and wisest of the widows. Not sure they would agree on the latter, but I can definitely see the other ladies agreeing that she’s the oldest!

I said it after reading Young Rich Widows, and I’ll say it again now – this has to be made into a movie or series. Partly because I want to see if the characters appear to others as they do to me and also partly because it’s so freaking fun. These characters showcase all of the biggest and best parts of the 80s and would come alive on the screen. I’ll be waiting!

This is a perfect popcorn-worthy, binge-read book. Your favorite 80’s girl gang solves another murder while also having ALOT of heart. I need this series to become a TV show. This book touches on many very real and important topics, bringing light to more conversations that need to be had. Even still, it's such a fun romp. I love every one of these characters, and love to see their personal journey from book one.