Fiction

Ruthless Women

Ruthless Women

  • Downloads：6399
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-03-21 23:34:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Melanie Blake
  • ISBN：B089C2HZ1D
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

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 handsome 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。。。

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Reviews

Rebecca Stevenson ，

3。5 StarsI enjoyed my read of this book I thought it was full of twists and turns。And I really enjoyed most of the female characters in this book。My favourite character was probably Amanda。However I found this book to be a bit slow but saying that it managed to keep me intrigued as to what would Happen。I am definitely not disappointed in the ending of this book as I felt the last 100 pages were full of action and I definitely did not predict that ending。

Paul Pope ，

Melanie Blake is the true successor to Jackie Collins！It's camp， it's steamy， it's bitchy， it's glamour， it's fab！！！ Melanie Blake is the true successor to Jackie Collins！It's camp， it's steamy， it's bitchy， it's glamour， it's fab！！！ 。。。more

Sarah Ingledew ，

Literally the worst book I think I have ever read。 I was suckered in after hearing the author talk about it on radio and decided to give it a shot。 I made it to page 112 and I cannot continue with it。 I am AMAZED to think this was written by a woman。 It is fairly amateur writing at best， a potentially interesting premise。。。but it is completely ruined by the constant self appraisals of 50 something women staring at their own faces and obsessing over their wrinkles and past cosmetic procedures in Literally the worst book I think I have ever read。 I was suckered in after hearing the author talk about it on radio and decided to give it a shot。 I made it to page 112 and I cannot continue with it。 I am AMAZED to think this was written by a woman。 It is fairly amateur writing at best， a potentially interesting premise。。。but it is completely ruined by the constant self appraisals of 50 something women staring at their own faces and obsessing over their wrinkles and past cosmetic procedures in detail， with exceedingly more desperate explanations of gravity defying， pert breasts， amazing nipples， fabulous clothing etc。 etc。 to try to justify the fact that women past 50 could still be *gasp* attractive。 As if the only way this could be possible is if theyre squeezing themselves into couture and literally in excruciating pain but defying doctor's orders to stop wearing 6 inch heels。 Add in the constant self serving sex scenes and shallow characters and it's genuinely not worth your time。 I was committed to finishing it even after already throwing the towel in in terms of trying to like it because I so rarely buy myself new books and prefer second hand。 But after the arrival of the new owner （early fifties but looks a decade younger due to FANTASTIC surgery） and the weirdest paragraph I have ever read; where the ex-head of the company （whose 'prize assets' are bigger than they used to be because they're brimming with milk。。。）， the plucky actress-cum-director and the head of casting have a 'boob-off' sitting around a conference table as all the males in the room are fixated with the new owner's 'tiny waist and fabulous breasts' I just can't continue。 I'm not one for reading this genre that often so maybe this is a stellar example within its peers， I have no idea。 All I know is there have been only two instances where I couldn't finish a book in my 32 years on this rock， and this is unfortunately one of them。 To the charity shop you go。 。。。more

Zoe B ，

Glitz， glamour， drama。 Imagine TV shows such as Dynasty， Hollyoaks， The Real Housewives of Cheshire and Footballers Wives， this book oozes all the drama of these programmes and more。 Story is based around the soap （or continuing drama as soaps are now known as） Falcons Bay and its crew， actors and actresses。 There is sexism， bitchiness， back stabbing， rivalry， disloyalty， blackmail and not forgetting the sex！ in this cut throat world of TV and I loved it。 I liked the concept of the opening being Glitz， glamour， drama。 Imagine TV shows such as Dynasty， Hollyoaks， The Real Housewives of Cheshire and Footballers Wives， this book oozes all the drama of these programmes and more。 Story is based around the soap （or continuing drama as soaps are now known as） Falcons Bay and its crew， actors and actresses。 There is sexism， bitchiness， back stabbing， rivalry， disloyalty， blackmail and not forgetting the sex！ in this cut throat world of TV and I loved it。 I liked the concept of the opening being a page of who’s who in the book as there are quite a few characters， but you soon get to know the characters quickly。 I despised Jake who is the head of drama of the programme and the women of the story at first I thought I wouldn’t want them as friends but as the story progresses there are hidden depths to them that made me think there was more to them then being Ruthless Women！ A mixture of likeable and unlikeable characters makes this an addictive read。 Like my TV， I binge read this fun and exciting book and was hooked from page one。 I could visualise each character thinking who in the real world of TV who would portray who。 This is a compelling book filled with drama and the twist I did not see coming。 I hope there is more to come in the world of TV as I loved it all。 When the world has gone a bit crazy this was the perfect read to escape from reality。 。。。more

Morgan Morawski ，

This was well manicured garbage。 A Jackie Collins book has more substance than this steaming dog turd。

Amy ，

I raced through this unputdownable book！ Packed with drama and formidable characters。 And that ending - what a twist！

Shona ，

So this book fell into my online shopping order when the reviews stated this was the next big book everyone would be talking about - well talking about in the same strain as 50 Shades of Grey， not any literary classics！It tells the story of Falcon Bay， a soap that has been famous for 40 years but has now seen ratings drop and for it to survive it needs a serious story turnaround。 With investment from a new director jobs are at risk， actors about to be cut and just who will save the famous show？T So this book fell into my online shopping order when the reviews stated this was the next big book everyone would be talking about - well talking about in the same strain as 50 Shades of Grey， not any literary classics！It tells the story of Falcon Bay， a soap that has been famous for 40 years but has now seen ratings drop and for it to survive it needs a serious story turnaround。 With investment from a new director jobs are at risk， actors about to be cut and just who will save the famous show？This book is a bit of fun， giving an insight into the behind the scenes activities， backstabbing and everyday lives of the people who work in tv and soaps。 Whilst I am fully aware it is not probably like this in real life it is obvious that the ideas have come from somewhere。 At times it is ludicrous （especially the ending！） but it’s a fun light-hearted read that doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t！ 。。。more

Katheryn Thompson ，

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this one， but it appealed to me nonetheless， so I decided to give it a go。 Ruthless Women is set behind the scenes of a soap opera， and reads rather like a soap opera itself。 The story's twists and turns forced me to constantly change allegiances between characters - a testament both to the ingenuity of the plot and the brilliance of its female characters。 I loved how female-centred this book was; living up to its title's promise。 Any other fans of so-ca I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this one， but it appealed to me nonetheless， so I decided to give it a go。 Ruthless Women is set behind the scenes of a soap opera， and reads rather like a soap opera itself。 The story's twists and turns forced me to constantly change allegiances between characters - a testament both to the ingenuity of the plot and the brilliance of its female characters。 I loved how female-centred this book was; living up to its title's promise。 Any other fans of so-called unlikable female characters will not be disappointed。 Ruthless Women is a highly entertaining book， and I could barely tear myself away from the denouement。 。。。more

Rebecca Pugh ，

Easy read， fab twistFast paced book and easy holiday-type read。 Nice twist at the end， a little melodramatic but it works for the book。 Enjoyed， thank you。

Joanne ，

Not For MeIt was an easy yet completely unbelievable story to read。 Not much depth to any of the characters and the timeline was completely screwed。 At least this book has reminded me why I don't watch the soaps！ Not For MeIt was an easy yet completely unbelievable story to read。 Not much depth to any of the characters and the timeline was completely screwed。 At least this book has reminded me why I don't watch the soaps！ 。。。more

lisa poyner ，

a great readLoved it strong female lead characters good story but wouldn't call it a thriller in the murder sense but enjoyable a great readLoved it strong female lead characters good story but wouldn't call it a thriller in the murder sense but enjoyable 。。。more

Melissa Marr ，

If you ever watched Sunset Beach in the 90s/early 2000s then this book is for you！ It’s a really fun， dramatic story with some entertaining twists and turns。 An easy read and the glamorous characters make the story that much more addictive

Aisha Reads Books ，

OverhypedI’ve read my fair share of British bonkbusters。 There were far too many sex scenes， some of which felt like they were added to help the word count。 I guessed the plot， not sure it’s very nice but everyone is entitled to their own artistic licence even if it continues to harm an entire group of people。 Glad I read it to see what the hype is about， but unfortunately this is one of those books that proves having friends in high places will guarantee good press reviews but not necessarily a OverhypedI’ve read my fair share of British bonkbusters。 There were far too many sex scenes， some of which felt like they were added to help the word count。 I guessed the plot， not sure it’s very nice but everyone is entitled to their own artistic licence even if it continues to harm an entire group of people。 Glad I read it to see what the hype is about， but unfortunately this is one of those books that proves having friends in high places will guarantee good press reviews but not necessarily a good book。 。。。more

Teresa ，

Badly written， unbelievable rubbish。

Louise Mullins ，

This was marketed as a glam thriller， but there's no crime， no tension， no suspense， and no thrills。 Although there is glitzy entertainment， it's more a drama that reads like an 80s soap。 It's not a bonk-buster either as there's little in the way of actual bonking， it's more insinuated。 I did enjoy it。 But I was expecting a who-done-it as advertised。 This was marketed as a glam thriller， but there's no crime， no tension， no suspense， and no thrills。 Although there is glitzy entertainment， it's more a drama that reads like an 80s soap。 It's not a bonk-buster either as there's little in the way of actual bonking， it's more insinuated。 I did enjoy it。 But I was expecting a who-done-it as advertised。 。。。more

Maya ，

This was an impulse buy from a local supermarket， and to be honest， I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did。 My edition has red-stained edges， which look great when combined with the dust jacket。 Not getting into any spoilers here， but Jesus， the ending was freaking INTENSE。

Jodie Chalmers ，

Loved this book。 If you love drama then this is the book for you。 Literally makes your addicted to the life’s of the cast in the book。 From the sex to the bitchness。 This book has it all。 Really hope there’s more to come Melanie， your smashing it ！ X

Maisie ，

A bit slow to start with but I persevered。 A few likeable characters， I especially enjoyed watching the relationship between Amanda and Dan develop。 A book very much based in soap opera land and tv。 I could imagine quite a true reflection of how the sexes are treated in the industry。 I see the same in my own industry which is quite sad but true。Well written， not as erotic as i would have thought when it has been likened to 50 shades but better。 I guess it depends what you look for in a book。

d。scutter ，

Brilliant。 Read it。This book is not my genre at all， I usually read sci fi， but I just had a feeling that I ought to try something different， and boy is this different。 I was hooked from the very first chapter， and the tension just progressed until the very last page。 This book has been written with immense skill， and every character is expertly brought to life。 I can thoroughly recommend it。

Lynne Willetts ，

I thoroughly enjoyed this bonk buster！ It's an easy read that had me laughing out loud！ I thoroughly enjoyed this bonk buster！ It's an easy read that had me laughing out loud！ 。。。more

Steph Carter ，

this was deliciously trashy and ridiculous， but I loved it for precisely that reason

Julie ，

Best-selling author Melanie Blake lifts the lid on the less than squeaky clean world of soap operas with the book everyone is going to be talking about in 2021: Ruthless Women。Millions of people all around the world were hooked on Falcon Bay。 The steamy soap set off the coast of Jersey had captivated audiences all around the world with its outrageous plots， larger than life characters and picturesque locations， but the shine has worn off this jewel in the network’s crown。 Falcon Bay is yesterday Best-selling author Melanie Blake lifts the lid on the less than squeaky clean world of soap operas with the book everyone is going to be talking about in 2021: Ruthless Women。Millions of people all around the world were hooked on Falcon Bay。 The steamy soap set off the coast of Jersey had captivated audiences all around the world with its outrageous plots， larger than life characters and picturesque locations， but the shine has worn off this jewel in the network’s crown。 Falcon Bay is yesterday’s news and rather than turning people on， viewers are switching off with ratings at an all-time low and public interest in the soap waning。 The next dramatic plot twist looks set to be the chopping block – until the network is taken over by a new owner， Madeline Kane， who vows to do whatever it takes to turn things around and drag the show up to the top spot。 Ambitious Madeline has success in her sights and nothing and nobody is going to stand in her way of seeing Falcon Bay at the top of the ratings where it belongs！The cast and crew of the soap cannot help but be slightly apprehensive about Madeline’s arrival。 What is the malevolent network owner prepared to do the save the show？ Will she ride roughshod over people who have been faithful to the show for decades？ Will she destroy people’s livelihoods and careers just because they are not in the first flush of youth？ Or is she about to cause so much damage to the show that Falcon Bay will end up cancelled anyway？ Director Farrah， leading lady Catherine and producer Amanda cannot help but feel worried about the way things are evolving on set。 While they’ve tried their hardest to keep production going， their corrupt boss Jake Monroe seems to delight in throwing spanner after spanner at the wheel resulting in Farrah losing episodes to male colleagues， Catherine feelings insecure that she is losing the public’s affection and adoration and Amanda worrying about her feelings for an employee who is strictly off limits。As the Falcon Bay set become a battlefield overnight， it soon becomes clear that only the strongest woman will survive。 As colleague is pitted against colleague， jealousy， vengeance and betrayal threaten to destroy long-held friendships for good。 Will Farrah， Catherine and Amanda team up to destroy their rivals？ Or is there yet another shocking plot twists coming that will knock them all for six？Celebrity soap agent Melanie Blake has written a steamy and scandalous exposé on the world of soap that will keep readers glued to the pages of her latest novel， Ruthless Women。 With more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and sizzling with red-hot sex scenes， witty one-liners and shocking surprises and revelations， Melanie Blake’s Ruthless Women is the escape we so desperately need in 2021。Packed with strong and powerful female characters who make their own rules， Ruthless Women is a devour in a single sitting kind of book that is so so steamy， tantalizing and outrageous， it makes Fifty Shades of Grey look like CBeebies。 。。。more

Jana ，

This is one of those books you just can't put down！ So addictive and dramatic and I want more from this world that Melanie created。 Loved the insight of TV production and all the women behind this soap opera。 A must read for 2021！ This is one of those books you just can't put down！ So addictive and dramatic and I want more from this world that Melanie created。 Loved the insight of TV production and all the women behind this soap opera。 A must read for 2021！ 。。。more

Charlotte ，

I couldn’t get into the book at first I felt it started pretty slow however as I got further into the book I really enjoyed the book。 So much drama！！

Lorna Kathleen ，

I loved the first 3/4 of it。 The ending was 。。。 unexpected。 I’m not quite sure where I would have wanted the story to go， but that certainly wasn’t it。 The end was just a bit “meh” for me which is why I docked two stars。

Donna ，

This is one hell of a read that grips you from the beginning to the end！！I had read Thunder Girls & was amazed at how I read it in one night only because I was drawn in by the characters， the amazing Jackie Collins style storyline & revenge！ Then I started this book knowing it was going to hit a home run， I'm sitting here at half past 5 in the morning having just finished it， I'm speechless！What an ride， friendships tested， marriages failed but most of all the friends stuck together no matter wh This is one hell of a read that grips you from the beginning to the end！！I had read Thunder Girls & was amazed at how I read it in one night only because I was drawn in by the characters， the amazing Jackie Collins style storyline & revenge！ Then I started this book knowing it was going to hit a home run， I'm sitting here at half past 5 in the morning having just finished it， I'm speechless！What an ride， friendships tested， marriages failed but most of all the friends stuck together no matter who tried to come between them & this isn't a spoiler but there is more than ONE shark in this story & she has one hell of a bite！！Please read it & enjoy as much as I did， I'm sitting here thinking of how Melanie could write a follow-up & pick up where she left off， I think it can be done as she is a genius storyteller。。 。。。more

Craig / Phil ，

Thank you Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review。Where Jackie Collins and Rebecca Chance left off， go no further， we have a new reigning Queen Melanie Blake。Falcon Bay is the worlds most watched soap for nearly forty years。From it’s over the top storyline’s and filmed on a secluded island， what goes on when the cameras stop recording is so much more scandalous than what’s on the screen。But the ratings are low and it’s time to bring in new blood and revamp the series。Enter Madeli Thank you Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review。Where Jackie Collins and Rebecca Chance left off， go no further， we have a new reigning Queen Melanie Blake。Falcon Bay is the worlds most watched soap for nearly forty years。From it’s over the top storyline’s and filmed on a secluded island， what goes on when the cameras stop recording is so much more scandalous than what’s on the screen。But the ratings are low and it’s time to bring in new blood and revamp the series。Enter Madeline Kane， new network owner， a beauty with a fierce attitude and about to shake things up。Superstar leading lady Catherine Belle， ambitious lead writer Farrah Adams， determined casting director Helen Gold and powerful producer Amanda King， all deal with chauvinistic men on a daily basis， so when the new strong female boss arrives， the women are applauding。But instead of women sticking together， rivalry is formed and between battle of the sexes and trying to stay on top， their friendship will be tested until the shocking climax。This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea， but it’s fun， sassy， bitchy， revengeful， glamorous and a darn good read。Featuring strong female leads and woeful narcissistic male characters， where backstabbing， deception， sex， betrayal， scheming and vengeance is all in a day’s work。The writing is spot on for this type of plot and Melanie pulls you into the drama without fail。An addictive and escapism read that’s perfect to read on your holiday。 If you enjoy Dallas and Dynasty and willing to go in with an open mind， it’s outrageous， over the top and juicy but that’s the point don’t take it too seriously and enjoy it for what it is。 A trashy entertaining sexy read。For those of you who are missing the bonkbuster， stop right here， you won’t be disappointed。 。。。more

Julie Simon ，

True escapism just when I needed it most。 Couldn’t put this book down。

Gkave ，

I was getting very excited to read this but unfortunately my expectations were not met。 I read the first 100 pages and decided maybe Im not the preferred audience for this book due to my age （im 27 y o）， as i couldn't relate to any of the characters。 A very bloated introduction that goes on way too long， with little to nothing happening in the first part。 I was expecting a thriller， but the thrills are kept to a minimum。 Just felt like a waste of my time reallyI will give it another chance when I was getting very excited to read this but unfortunately my expectations were not met。 I read the first 100 pages and decided maybe Im not the preferred audience for this book due to my age （im 27 y o）， as i couldn't relate to any of the characters。 A very bloated introduction that goes on way too long， with little to nothing happening in the first part。 I was expecting a thriller， but the thrills are kept to a minimum。 Just felt like a waste of my time reallyI will give it another chance when i will be a bit older maybe。 。。。more

Neelam Babul ，

It has been an extremely long time since I last read a book that kept me so engrossed and mesmerized that I read the entire story in one sitting。 I was impressed with Melanie Blake's premise on centering the whole story around women of different ages and portraying them as powerful women who are their own rescuers and challenge the norms laid out for women by the society and men surrounding them。 The women around whom the story is constructed all have very different parts to play， from new mum A It has been an extremely long time since I last read a book that kept me so engrossed and mesmerized that I read the entire story in one sitting。 I was impressed with Melanie Blake's premise on centering the whole story around women of different ages and portraying them as powerful women who are their own rescuers and challenge the norms laid out for women by the society and men surrounding them。 The women around whom the story is constructed all have very different parts to play， from new mum Amanda， who was demoted in favour of her husband whilst on maternity leave， to casting agent Helen ， who was responsible for the hiring of Farah， and a lifelong friendship with Falcon Bay’s grande dame， Catherine。 One aspect which they all have in common is that they are overlooked by the men in their lives。They have passion， experience and charisma and are at the precipice of the show which brought them together and the tv show which they have dedicated their lives to。 This is a novel of female empowerment and what happens when women are tired of being written out of their own narratives。 It also provides an in depth look on TV Shows and how they are made; how lives can change from one episode to the next。 Furthermore， there is a sense of reflection on how far soaps， or rather ‘continuing dramas’ are perceived。A well written and by far the best book I have read this year。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Ruthless Women

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Ruthless Women&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Ruthless Women&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0