Book Review - Ruthless Women by Melanie Blake - Blog Tour

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Title: Ruthless Women

Author: Melanie Blake

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 18th February 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Ambition can be deadly...

Broadcast to millions from its picturesque location off the coast of Jersey, Falcon Bay was once the world's most popular soap opera. But with ratings at an all-time low, a new network owner, the malevolent Madeline Kane, arrives on the private island determined to do whatever it takes to get the show back to the number 1 slot.

Director Farrah, leading lady Catherine and producer Amanda are the driven, ambitious women who've been trying to hold the production together. But thanks to their sexy but corrupt boss, Jake Monroe, Farrah is losing episodes to male colleagues, seventy-year-old Catherine is terrified of losing the public's adoration, and Amanda is battling her desire for a forbidden affair with a handsome new employee.

As Madeline's pressure to revive the show intensifies, she unleashes a true battle of the sexes where the women will do anything to stay in the jobs they love and on the island they call home. Can they team up to bring down their rivals? Or will jealousy, betrayal and revenge rip their friendships apart? As the story reaches its shocking climax, one thing is for certain: only the most ruthless woman will survive...

Wow.. utterly speechless... adrenaline pumping... couldn't put this down... what an ending... more please! 

Well those are a few of my initial thoughts just minutes after finishing this spectacular book. I knew from The Thunder Girls that Melanie Blake was clearly a good author, but had been a bit worried whether that was a one off or not, rest assured it wasn.t this was even better. 

My only regret with this book was that I wasn't reading it somewhere hot and exotic as it epitomises everything I absolutely adore in a holiday beach read.  Strong women that know what they want, as many twists and shocks as you can squeeze into the pages, a huge cast of characters, some bad boys and just absolutely no way to predict the final outcome (at least not more than a page or two before it happens).

I was taken on such a rollercoaster of a journey with these characters, I absolutely adored this behind the scenes look at the world of soap opera, and with the sort of soap that made me think more of Neighbours or possibly Home and Away (given they both feature Bays) than of the grittier British soaps, I felt right at home. 

There are a group of women who are in theory friends although some of the backstabbing makes you wonder how much they really are out for themselves instead.  We have the leading lady, the casting director, writer and director, one of the executives and an agent as the key players in this, all whose lives get thrown into disarray when Madeline buys the network and starts trying to call the shots with the aim of making Falcon Bay great again. 

This really is my absolute favourite type of book to read, although I find not that many of these sorts of sexy thriller / blockbuster-esque books are published anymore which is a shame, It took perhaps until the end of the first chapter to full capture my attention at which point I was completely hooked. 

I read it in two sittings and that is only because my eyes were getting tired at 3am, and wanted to be alert to continue reading, suspecting the last 20% or so would be explosive, and wow that was a good decision. Woke up the following morning, grabbed my kindle and didn't enter the real world again until I was finished reading. 

This is addictive, compulsive reading at its very best, and I feel the book would make a wonderful blockbuster movie too.  It's complex, its pure unadulterated escapist reading and I couldn't get enough of it.   Even having turned the last page I am wanting more.  I need more, whether it be more from Falcon Bay, or just praying that we don't have too long to wait for another gem from Melanie Blake - I'd be happy either way.  

Easily one of my books of the year! 

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Please do follow along with the rest of the bloggers on the blog tour for this fabulous book.