Strange Girls and Ordinary Women

by Morgan McCarthy

They say you know instinctively who to trust.

Alice is normal; she'd never do anything rash. But when she sees her husband one day with a younger girl, she knows at once that he's having an affair. And it must be stopped.

Vic loves her friend Michael, more than he knows. He wants happiness, and thinks he's found it with the magnetic Estella. But Vic feels sure she can't be trusted - and she needs to make Michael see that too.

They don't know Kaya; her life is tougher than they can imagine. But Kaya's a survivor, and she's determined to find a way out of her miserable world.

Three women, three lives that come crashing together in this dark, lyrical and utterly enthralling story of warped perceptions, female intuition and 'the other woman'.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2014

About the author

Morgan McCarthy was born in Berkshire, UK, where she still lives, in 1982. She has worked in a supermarket, a small independent bookstore, and, most recently, as a media analyst.

Reviews

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.5 stars***

Publication Date: Available Now from Tinder Press.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy via Bookbridgr.

So, Strange Girls and Ordinary Women which involved a bit of both – and admittedly I was a little bit up and down on this one. After a fairly slow burn, a little way through it suddenly kicked in big time for me and I was hooked. Then it has to be said, I felt a little let down by the ending – offering as it did closure on some things but not on others and also, for me, being very abrupt. Overall though these are small downsides in what was a very compelling tale.

We follow along through a period of the lives of three women – Alice, Vic and Kaya – who become linked through a series of events, affecting all of them in different ways. The prose is beautiful, almost musical, and carries you along as each of the characters face very different hurdles, yet all are caught up in the same small whirlpool of time. They are all easy to relate to in different ways and the main magic of this for me was actually in their very differing personalities and ways of approaching things. The majority of the story was totally enthralling, as we go from one to the next and see things unravel for each of them.

There is a lot to love here – the strong female protagonists who also show very human weakness, the layers of plot exquisitely placed to offer both questions and answers and the examination of how women view themselves and each other. It is intelligent and well written and I was often enchanted.

Yes ok, personally I wish that the final denouement was more solid and that perhaps the start was a little more full on, but that is a purely subjective viewpoint – overall this is a wonderful book with some enigmatic and enthralling characters, and some wonderful settings - I definitely want to read more from this author.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Jood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Morgan McCarthy's first novel "The Other Half of Me" so enthralled me that I couldn't wait to get my hands on her second one - Strange Girls and Ordinary Women". It's early days yet, as I'm only halfway into it, but so far not only am I not enthralled, I'm really struggling to engage with any of the characters. The writing style is also completely different, this being heavy with long convoluted sentences which don't seem to make a great deal of sense.

The story centres around three women:

Wishy-washy Alice, who is devoid of any emotion other than sadness, is married to Jasper, a GP, they have a son of so far indeterminate age; Alice suspects Jasper of having an affair. The idea of her following someone for as long as she does seems somewhat preposterous to me - where is her child while she's doing this, in the early hours of the morning? Surely Jasper would notice her missing from their bed?

Vic (Victoria - why the necessity for the rather ugly short version, I don't know), lives in Madeira and is joint manager of a hotel which used to belong to her parents. She embraced Catholicism as a child, having been persuaded by Kate, her enigmatic friend. She loves another childhood friend, Michael, more than they both realise. But Michael is smitten with Estelle.

Finally there is Kaya, beautiful (of course) daughter of alcoholic Louise, she's had a tough life and now works as a stripper, ostensibly to save enough money to go to Uni.

These three very different women don't know each other, but .... what do you know ......their lives collide....

I honestly don't know if I have the energy or interest to read any more of this; if I do, I'll update this review, but until then I can only award it two stars.....SO disappointed with this.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book got off to quite a slow start for me, and whilst it did pick up in pace as we went along, it didn't really "hold me tight" whilst reading, I was finding myself struggling to focus, and to connect with the story and the characters. Nevertheless it's a well written novel that I think will be one of those that you either really like or you simply don't.

The novel addresses the lives of three separate women and changes point of view so that we see and hear each woman's perspective. I found the style of writing about each woman was different too, almost so much so as it could be like three different authors wrote the book.

I found a lot of the paragraphs terribly long winded with an overuse of "fluffy" descriptions and excessive use of words, I felt it could be so much better if some of that was more short and snappy, to hold the reader closer in mind and spirit.

I enjoyed reading some aspects of the book but was drifting with others, so I sit on the fence really with this one. I was keen to see how the lives of the three women intersected and didn't quite piece it together until it was all revealed, that I liked, that I didn't work it out TOO early in the book.

I really can't decide on 2 or 3 stars for rating this book so sit at 2.5, leaning more towards a 2 if I am really honest, and I so wanted to love this book, it has a lot of promise but I just got lost too many times in over wording and drawn out descriptions.

[Tracey Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has felt quite a long slow read .
We meet three women in this story, Alice a housewife who sees her husband with a younger girl and realises that he’s having an affair with her.
Vic , best friend of Michael . She is in love with him , but he has no idea and very protective of him when he meets Estella.
Kaya/Estella has not had an easy life with a mother who drinks and takes drugs and falls for unsuitable men like carl,
To be honest i haven’t connected with any of the characters but if i had empathy for one it would be Kaya ,she went to work in a stripping club with such naivety to help bring money in at home . Im glad she had an open ending and the possibility of a new life with Michael at the end of the book though it feels optimistic of Kaya to hope that he will accept her back .

[Msdot · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought the novel has alot of potential with its intriguing title and quite interesting story line. But the way it was written was really boring and it dragged on a bit too much. Couple characters stood out and was interesting to read... like the wife who was cheated on or the girl who became a stripper..., but the other characters that meant to be main characters such as the girl who had been ghosted by a 'bestfriend' was a pain to read because it was boring and i wasnt sure how it related to the whole story....so I skipped alot of pages because I couldn't get wait to get this book over done with, and was so glad when it finally over.

[Just another reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book follows the lives of Alice, Victoria, and Kaya, three captivating women, interestingly strong in their own ways. The narration is lovely, and I loved the characters, with all their flaws and human slips.

[Anya Räsänen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit torturous, but still enjoyable to read.

[The Thompson Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it start to finish. We’re all complicated and you’re never able to accurately judge someone from what you perceive in passing

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange girls and ordinary women by morgan mccarthy
The blurb
They say you know instinctively who to trust.
Alice is normal; she'd never do anything rash. But when she sees her husband one day with a younger girl, she knows at once that he's having an affair. And it must be stopped.
Vic loves her friend Michael, more than he knows. He wants happiness, and thinks he's found it with the magnetic Estella. But Vic feels sure she can't be trusted - and she needs to make Michael see that too.
They don't know Kaya; her life is tougher than they can imagine. But Kaya's a survivor, and she's determined to find a way out of her miserable world.
Three women, three lives that come crashing together in this dark, lyrical and utterly enthralling story of warped perceptions, female intuition and 'the other woman'.
WHAT I SAY
I did enjoy this book it was a bit slow at the start but it was so well written and you get to learn lots about the characters i did not mind the book about three different women
Alice was a lovely lady a great mum very homely she know her husbands having a affair she not to happy about it she going to follow him to see what he doing her home is lovely she should do interior designs she take great care of her home this part of the story were she follows him will get you hooked jasper a doctor so they are very well off but were some of their money going
Ben their son he a normal young boy but he spend a lot time with his mum which i like that they still did things together
Vic is just so in love with Michael but he can not see this she all way there for him a true mate she just want Michael to love her back but i not sure if this will happen vic living and working in her mum & dads hotel her childhood was not very easy her friend died and religion become a big part of her life
Kaya was my favourite character i just loved all about her she got to make ends meat so she working as a stripper in a club she was not very good a dancing to start with her mum Louise was a alcoholic it was not easy for her to deal with she want to go to uni to me she was a very bright young lady she loves her mum but her boyfriend was not very nice to them i felt her life was very tough when she lived at home it was so nice to read about her life
All three were very different they all had very different life's and personalities they all had to work at getting what they wanted out of life it took me a while to see how they fitted into each other life's i loved that we hear about all their worlds the whole book was very good i enjoy each part of the book it was set in three parts part one was their backgrounds part two there life's part 3 about now what was going on
As i say i was a bit slow as how there were join together i could see a few links in my head a very good book 4 stars read enjoy pass on
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Amazon
Strange Girls and Ordinary Women by Morgan Mccarthy http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1472205804...

[Beth (bibliobeth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars from me!

First of all, many thanks to Book Bridgr (the fantastic site which provides books to eager book bloggers like myself) and to Tinder Press for allowing me to read a copy of this intriguing novel in return for an honest review. I've never read anything by the author, Morgan McCarthy before and I'm always keen to try new authors especially those that capture my attention with an eye-catching title and a tag-line that states: "We all see what we want to see."

Strange Girls and Ordinary Women is a story told in three separate parts from three very different and independent women, the style of which took a little while to get used to but once I got each character established in my head I really enjoyed reading about each one individually. We have Alice, a "normal" housewife who is married to Jasper but her world is about to change forever when suspecting him of having an affair, she follows him and sees him meeting a younger woman. Then there is Vic, British born but living in Madeira where she manages a hotel that was formerly owned by her parents. Vic has had quite an interesting life and flirted quite seriously with Catholicism when she was younger, led into it by her childhood friend Kate who then passed away. When Vic's oldest and very good friend Michael moves back to the island, Vic is ecstatic but less so about his girlfriend Estella as she has strong suspicions that there is something not right about her. Finally, my favourite character of the book - Kaya who has had a tough childhood trying to look after her alcoholic mother, Louise. Attempting to sever some ties and reclaim control over her life, Kaya moves in with a friend and makes money by stripping in an exclusive club. This is merely a short-term measure however as Kaya has many plans and ambitions for her future, things that may come to fruition when one of her rich (and married) client takes a fancy to her.

When you first begin this book, you wonder how there could be a connection between three such different women but there is a definite link that once discovered will have you quickly thumbing through the pages to determine how it will all be resolved! Each woman has something about them that kept me wanting to read and those that seem predictable turn out to be quite the opposite in the end. I probably enjoyed Kaya's story more than the other two women but they all managed to surprise me in some shape or form. The author also cleverly mixes in an open ending for the grand finale so the reader is left to make up their own mind about the direction some of the characters may have taken. Anyone who finds this particular style frustrating will probably not enjoy this but I personally found it quite refreshing and I enjoyed making up alternate futures for them all! For my first book from this particular author, it was a good solid read with some lovely prose and interesting ideas and I shall certainly be checking out more books in her back catalogue.

For my full review and many others please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com

[Jackie Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange Girls and Ordinary Women, by Morgan McCarthy, is a mixed bag of a novel. It tells the separate stories of three women whose lives collide, a narrative device that is common enough, yet which in this case frustrated me as I read the book. Moving between the early chapters felt abrupt, an irritation. With two strong and one weaker plot I felt pangs of annoyance each time I had to work my way through the less engaging segments in order to progress with the story.

The chapters given over to Alice, the middle aged housewife, were excellent. The writing flowed effortlessly as the plot drew me in. Her backstory and experiences felt real and I could immerse myself in her history and concerns.

Kaya, the young woman struggling to rise above the life she had been dealt, was an unfolding tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. As the author developed her character I felt that I was getting to know someone, a young woman learning wise lessons from her experiences. I particularly liked her growing interest in philosophy and candid perceptions of the world. Of the three women, she seemed most able to see people for what they were.

The weak link, in my view, was Vic. Compared to the other two strands of the story hers felt two dimensional. There were jarring inconsistencies, such as when this naive and religious misfit masturbated; she was presented as too straight laced, harbouring strong feelings of guilt, for such activities. I pondered the possibility that the author deliberately wrote this socially challenged character in a less empathetic manner, but still found the writing of her backstory shallow.

As the three strands of the story came together the book gained strength, the compelling tales overtaking the staidness of Vic’s earlier contribution. The denouement of all three characters tales was satisfying. I felt that I had got to know the entire cast and their final scenes suited the rounded personalities that had been created.

So much of this book was well written and it is a story that is worth picking up. Perhaps the early chapters given over to Vic were deliberately constructed to match her limited outlook and stilted personal growth. Whatever the reason, if indeed one exists, I felt that this weakened an otherwise engaging and enjoyable read.

My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Tinder Press.

[Rosie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sent this book through bookbridgr and I’ve wanted to read it since it arrived, however I had too much uni reading to do. I’ve finally found the time to pick it up and I have to admit, I’m quite disappointed…

The novel focuses on the lives of three very different women. Alice, whose marriage is gradually falling apart; Vic, who is in love with her best friend but is confused about her feelings and Kaya, who begins working as a stripper in order to save money for her degree. Although their lives are very different they do all link together in some way.

In the beginning I found the three protagonists very likeable and interesting. I really enjoyed reading abut each of them in part one, however as the novel progressed and the characters developed I found each of them to be less and less likeable. Sometimes I could understand why they were acting the way they were but other times I just couldn’t. I began to get a little frustrated and bored with them. Which is a shame as the plot was quite interesting and it did keep me reading as I was curious to see how it would end for each character.

Although aspects of the plot did keep me reading, sometimes I did find it a little predictable and in some parts hard to follow. There’s a great twist in the novel, but I was left a little confused by it as it took me a while to realise the various jumps in time that had been happening. I would have liked it if these jumps in time were marked a little more clearly with the addition of dates; as there were things happening in the past but I thought they were happening in the present. There was a lot of potential for the plot but because of the uncertainty of when certain events were taking place I lost a little interest.

Despite this I did like the way the novel was written. I felt that there was a poetic, almost lyrical, style to McCarthy’s writing which made parts of the novel really lovely to read. It was because of this I was able to read the whole novel in a matter of hours.

Overall Strange Girls and Ordinary Women wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be and I only liked a few aspects of it. However, as I enjoyed McCarthy’s writing style I think I will try one of her other books in the future.

Rating: 2/5

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Strange Girls and Ordinary Women is a contemporary novel by British writer Morgan McCarthy. It is a story of three very different women whose lives end up connected in various ways.

The first woman is Alice Rooke, a middle-aged doctor’s wife with a young son named Ben. When her husband begins staying out late, or occasionally not coming home at all, she begins to suspect that he is having an affair. Determined to uncover the truth she follows him in a rental car and witnesses him picking up a young beautiful woman and heading off to a hotel.

Next is Victoria Robinson – Vic to everyone but her parents. Since a young child she has lived in Madeira and currently co-manages the Quinta Verde hotel, which her parents used to own. She does not have many friends, not since school where she had issues with one girl, Kate, however she remains close to Michael, a neighbour she has known since they were both small. When he gets together with a girl named Estella, she begins to suspect she is not all that she appears.

Finally there is Kaya Doherty who has recently completed her A levels. After growing up with only her constantly drunk mother, she does not have the funds to be able to go to university, so she does the only thing she can think of to try to get the money together. She moves in with school friend, Chloe, and begins to work with her as a dancer at a club named the Tiger Lounge. Here she catches the eye of a handsome, rich man who comes with promises of a better future – once he has divorced his wife, that is.

It took a while to get into this book. I found the chapters about Vic and Kaya easier to read that those about Alice. This could be because of similarities between the characters and myself; for instance age and personality. On the other hand I liked all the philosophical references, particularly the way Kaya used them to understand her world.

There were quite a few mistakes in the text but as this is a review of an uncorrected manuscript, I assume that most of these will be spotted and edited before the final publication of the book.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a really enjoyable story.  I've not read one as intelligent and well put together as this for a long time.  An unusual title too.
 
The story is set into three Parts and I found it a great advantage to have enough time set aside to read Part One within a day.  This gave a good grounding of each of the three main female characters.  Alice, Vic and Kaya.  Alice's story takes precedence over the other two being the first story in each of the three Parts of the book. She is becoming a run of the mill housewife to Jasper the doctor and mother of Ben, their son.  Her story is a bit more humdrum and slowly it dawns on her that her husband is having an affair but is too frightened to confront him because she knows this could mean the end of her marriage.  Instead she stalks him and his lover, torturing herself further.  Vic, living and working in Madeira in her parents former hotel, is a troubled young lady with a strange childhood background of religion and death of a friend.  By the end of the book it seems that Vic is not so much part of a vital threesome as a vehicle to put Michael, her childhood friend, into the story.  Kaya is by far the most interesting and 'juicy' one to read about as a teenager living with her friend Chloe and working as a stripper in a club.  There's a lot of sadness going on in Kaya's life and far from being perceived as the dumb tart, she is a very bright ambitious girl who never does 'extras' for men at the club.  Once we have met the three main characters and know a little about them, Parts Two and Three delve deeper into their lives and how in turn their lives interact with each others and how their actions and reactions affect them.
 
Morgan McCarthy is a very intelligent writer and covers in great detail points she wants to make.  If I had any criticism of the layout of the book it would be to put Kaya at the beginning of each Part instead of Alice.  Kaya is a mesmerising character and keeps the reader interested whereas Alice's character is more ordinary, plain and in emotional pain.
 
A great story with lots of philosophical questions and answers.  A book to make you think and work out the puzzles and morals of life.

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis

The lives of three women become intrinsically linked through a set of circumstances beyond their control. The way they handle the changes, the chance encounters and the choices they make all impact their future and how they are seen by others.

Review

Strange Girls and Ordinary Woman is very much a book driven by its characters. It is very languorous in its pace and not very much actually happens. Although, on reflection, a lot actually does; the book is laden with affairs, the sultry and seedy nightlife of the world of stripping, religious integrity, travel yet it all seems very calm and composed – reflective, almost.

However, what is inarguable is the strength of its three leading ladies – Alice, Vic and Kaya. Alice discovers her own strength when the shackles of a loveless marriage make her take stand and account for herself as an individual. Vic learns to stop judging others by the standards that she sets for herself. And Kaya learns to allow herself to be loved – or at least that is the optimistic slant that I am placing on its ambiguous but hopeful ending.

Out of all the characters, it is the chameleon like Kaya who is the most interesting. She is misunderstood by so many of the other characters within the narrative that you genuinely want to protect her and see her get something good from life. It is almost heartbreaking that she seems to hit hurdle after hurdle, life constantly throwing bad things in her way.

Strange Girls and Ordinary Women isn’t a light read but it is effortless in its lyrical style. You do become swallowed up whole by the story and I will admit that I lost myself for a few hours between the pages. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to those who like character driven novels.

Strange Girls and Ordinary Women by Morgan McCarthy is available now.

[Charlotte (Escapades of a Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews can also be found on my blog Escapades of a Bookworm

The three women – Alice, Vic and Kaya, all lead very different lives but though a series of events they all become linked. Each of them are effected in different ways and they all have distinct personalities and coping mechanisms.

All three women have a something that the reader can relate to. Alice is a housewife but it is her backstory that makes her feel so real and relatable – haven’t we all found ourselves in a situation that we actually had hoped would never happen? Then there is Vic, who is jarringly socially akward. And finially there is Kaya who is struggling with the life she leads.

Kaya was the charcater I felt most for as her story unfolded. She is a young woman, who is able to learn so much from her experiences and progress. She has an interesting pholosiphy and is quite capabe of seeing people for what they really are – her persceptions of the world are quite candid.

For me it did take a while to get into this book, I found it much easier to read Alice’s and Kaya’s story than Vic’s. Prehaps this is because I could relate more to Alice and Kaya, or prehaps it is because I didn’t really like Vic and to be honest, there were times when I wished she would disappear.

The plot of Strange Girls and Ordinary Women is structured in a way that enables the reader to gain answers while at the same time produces more questions. Each of the three women can be considered as strong and independant females who all have very human and very real weaknessnes. And it was interesting to read how the women viewed each other – after all as it says on the cover of this book “We all see what we want to see“.

[Genevieve Mcallister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from three points of view, Strange Girls and Ordinary Women draws you in just like the title suggests although as I began to identify with each character, the story moved on. About a third of the way through the novel I realised how the characters were connected but read on, eager to find out how it would be resolved. Surprisingly however, the open ending didn’t pose much of an issue for me as I often live with characters for a while after I finish a book – and it felt as if Morgan McCarthy pointed us in the direction she believed the characters would take.

I felt Kara to be the most sympathetic of the narrators. She has the hardest time of it and ultimately was a positive force for change with all the women – even if they don’t realise it at the time. The men in the novel are certainly portrayed as not up to much – even Michael who is affable and sunny is only shown as being so because he has led a lucky life and has never been tested in any real way. The story is more about how women behave under pressure and whether they can change the habits of a lifetime (the answer’s yes, by the way).

The prose in Strange Girls and Ordinary Women is poetic and carefully attentive to detail. The settings are described so well that I could see the twilight settling over Alice’s kitchen, the lush gardens of Vic’s humiliations and the seedy domesticity of Kara’s Purple Tiger club. It’s rich in psychological observations too, so I was very clear about what Alice, Vic and Kara were thinking and feeling and what propelled their actions. Based on a first read of Morgan McCarthy, I’ll be searching out more by her in the future.

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice, Vic and Kaya - a housewife in England, a hotel manager in Madeira and a stripper - three lives so different to each other, how could they possibly have anything in common.

Can I start off by saying how much I dislike this cover? It doesn't do this book any justice, I thought this would be a flimsy romance about empty-headed women, a chick-lit holiday read. How wrong I was...

The writing in this novel left me breathless, it is amazing, to be honest it doesn't really matter what the story is, I could read this author's work forever. The story is excellent though, it tantalises the reader, giving you just enough information to start pondering.

The characters are so well written, given depth with just a few words. I immediately empathised with them, I wasn't reading about their lives, I was living it with them. They seemed to have an idyllic life (well, not Kaya, who is having a crappy life), but scratch the surface and see things start unravelling.

While reading this novel I became slightly obsessed with these women, I could see them changing as I turned the pages, slowly morphing into something new but not seeing the join. None of them are quite what they seem, first impressions hide traumas, unfinished emotions and passionate longings.

I wanted to ration my reading of this novel, I wanted it to last forever but I also wanted, desperately, to know what happened next. Needless to say, I've ordered this author's other two books and can't wait to read them. This is the best book I've read in months, and I read a lot of books.

This reminded me so much of Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson - I urge you to read both of these immediately.

[Amy Mckee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through goodreads first-reads

It took my longer to read this book than I thought it would but I'm not entirely sure if that was because I didn't have time or because I didn't enjoy it.

My first impressions of this book were one of anticipation and interest, the three different points of view are unique and the whole idea was unlike any other book I've read, 10/10 for originality. Though I have to admit the initial excitement of this wore off pretty quickly and then there wasn't anything particularly special about this book. Before reviewing a book I usually have a good idea about the good point and the bad points I want to talk about but this book I don't, I just didn't seem to form an opinion about it which is in the nature of the book itself, rather bland, nothing special but not bad at all!

The ending was certainly the most gripping part of the book and Star's story was by far the most insightful, I rather wish the book was just about her to be honest. Other than that the only answer I gave when people were asking how the book was was 'its okay i guess.'

I understand that I'm not exactly the target audience as I've just turned 16 and I feel like a wider experience of life will improve this book, by all means read it! I would recommend it if someone asked me if they should read it but just don't expect to be blown away, I wasn't anyway, but as I said, I might be different for someone older, or indeed just someone with more experience of general life than me.

I hope you enjoy this book more than I did!

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd not read anything by Morgan McCarthy before but admit that I was enticed by the captivating cover and the line "We all see what we want to see".

The story revolves around 3 women: Alice, Vic and Kaya and how their lives will ultimately connect. These are 3 very different women with very different lives that intertwine even when they don't know it.

The book is split into parts with each part giving each of the 3 women a chapter each. You do get to learn a lot more about them quicker this way but it does make for a long read before there's a break (if you like to read in chapters like I do). However, the timeline is jumbled between chapters, you know things about the other characters before it's revealed in their own chapter which I wasn't sure if I liked.

It's an exceptionally well written novel and the plot itself was quite interesting but it was just too slow to enforce any real interest and I didn't feel engaged in what I was reading.

The 2 epilogues were a clever way to bring it altogether and bring closure but you could have got the gist of the book by just reading these and not the actual book. On the whole, it's quite an intense read and probably one to read for yourself.

Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy via Bookbridgr.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this in a Goodreads giveaway.

This is a very character driven book that revolves around three women whose lives are interlinked and interrelated in ways they are not even aware of. Very little happens in the way of action or story progression and it did take a little while to get into but once you do you discover three women with a surprising amount in common despite their very different backgrounds. As the book progresses we discover more and more about each character and their lives from the day to day chores to life changing events. It was a good read once I got into it, which did take a little while as each of the three main characters and their situations were established. But once I got past this I did enjoy their stories and was keen to find out how it turned out, which you get to a certain extent although a lot is left to the reader to decide too. On the whole, this is a book that will be different for every reader and different for each reader at different times.

[Anne Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice’s husband is becoming increasingly critical and his excuses for his absences from the home more and more lame; is she right to suspect he’s having an affair? Vic, managing the hotel in Madeira previously owned by her parents, is delighted when her old friend Michael returns to work on the island; should she share her doubts about the honesty of his new girlfriend, Estella? Kaya dreams of studying philosophy at university but for now, having fled her feckless mother and her mother’s druggie boyfriend, she’s capitalising on her good looks as a stripper; can she leave this life behind? Three women at different stages of the lifespan, seemingly unconnected at the beginning of the novel, find their fates disturbingly intertwined. Review continues at http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdo...

[Nats · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Received this book through Book Bridgr and Tinder Press for an honest review.

Strange Girls and Ordinary Women tells the stories of three women whose lives end up colliding. Each Chapter switches between the 3 women. I felt personally that this was done quite abruptly for me it just didn’t seem to flow.

Victoria (Vic) I just did not seem to grasp the character and found her very confusing and a bit whiny.

Back over to the positives I really enjoyed the chapters where Alice and Kaya they both seem to have such interesting background stories esp Kaya and the issues she had with her mum. The way these 2 Characters were written was fab and kept me reading this book

This book is defiantly worth picking up and is a very quick sunday afternoon read

[Martin Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing title - perhaps ordinary women see other women that they come into contact with as strange girls? This is a tale of three women whose paths cross to a greater or lesser extent, though there is another binding factor that draws them all together, but this will become clear when you read it. This is cleverly written and you don't see what is coming. Some beautifully described settings, especially in Madeira, this looks at relationships (real and imagined) and how they work, or don't. Three stories all good, but made very good by the way they intertwine with all three running together, though separated by chaters, which helps the reader, of course. Good stuff.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very intrigued by both the cover and the summary for this book.
I found the start of the book quite slow to get into and at first seems like three separate stories about three different women but as the stories progress Alice, Kaya and Vics lives become entangled together.
This is a perfect portrayal of how peoples lives blindly weave within each other's, leaving trails we don't always want to face.
Once I got into this book I found it very engaging and hard to put down, highly recommended.

Big thanks to goodreads First Reads where I won a review copy of this book.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

l won this book in Good Reads First Reads. lt is the best book l have read for some time. Three women with no apparent links with each other find their lives intertwined and l couldn't wait to see the intricacies of how it unfolded.
l loved the references to J P Sartre and his existential theories as l did my university thesis on his use of religious analogies.
l will read this book again at some time and look forward to seeing the characters in a new light as l now know of their inter-connection.

[Dina u Paninu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down in order to find out what would happen next. But couldn't give it more than three stars due to one particular character making it boring to read through her chapters.

The story of 3 women whose lives are connected without them knowing.

Alice - a good housewife and mother who finds out her husband is cheating on her with a younger woman.
Kaya - a young female from a broken family who ends up working as a strip club to make ends meet.
Vic - {the only annoying character in the book} is shy, strange, unsociable and completely boring.

[Janice Kirkcaldy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable book featuring 3 interesting but very different women - Alice,Vic,and Kaya - a fairly affluent doctor's wife, a hotel manager in Madeira and a club dancer. We follow their very different lives in London and Madeira with so many aspects of modern life and emotions involved. In some ways the characters were not particularly likeable but at the same time it was well worth finding out how their paths were ultimately linked.

[Helen Carolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan's best book to date. Alice's husband is having an affair with Star. Vic is concerned for her friend Michael and his relationship with the mysterious Estella. Kaya has survived a tough childhood and intends to go on surviving. What Alice and Vic do not realise is that Star, Estella and Kaya are the same woman who wreaks havoc wherever she goes. I have had the pleasure of reading Mccarthy's two previous books and both were excellent. this though might be her best yet.