Them Girls

by Eva Verde

Two sisters, a lifetime of secrets, and the chance to set the record straight...

Meet Goldie and sisters, dreamers, grafters. In their forties, both appear to have it all...

Until Goldie finds the courage to leave Benedict. Once upon a time their faux marriage worked, but when the magnetic Wolfie comes on the scene, her world of pretending falls apart.

Vee’s neat world is spiraling, too. Since her ex-husband Jamie started dating Julia her cruel school bully, Vee’s long-buried insecurities are out of control. She needs to get away, and fast.

So when Goldie suggests a holiday in France, Vee leaps at the idea. A curiously well-timed invitation - just as speculations around Goldie’s brilliantly brief pop career back in the nineties are beginning to resurface. Escaping’s one thing, but nothing stays secret forever, and as Vee and Goldie’s unresolved pasts make surprise returns, the stories them girls once told themselves begin to look very different...


A raw and real portrayal of two sisters, the lives they left behind and the lives they want to lead, Them Girls is bold and immediate and deals with themes of identity, class and the corruption of power . . .
 

Genres: Fiction

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2026

About the author

Eva Verde is a writer from East London. Identity, class and female rage are recurring themes throughout her work and her novels Lives Like Mine, In Bloom and Them Girls are published by Simon and Schuster.

Eva's love song to libraries, I Am Not Your Tituba forms part of Kit De Waal’s Common People: An Anthology of Working-Class Writers. Her words have featured in Marie Claire, Grazia, Elle and The Big Issue, also penning the new foreword for the international bestselling author Jackie Collins Goddess of Vengeance.

Eva lives in Essex with her husband, children and dogs.


Instagram @evakinderwrites
evaverdebooks.com

Reviews

[Rhianah]

Brilliant! This book is about two sisters, Goldie & Vee who aren’t necessarily happy with their lives and ‘love’ situations so decide to go on a holiday to France together.

This book started off slow and I was unsure if I was getting along with the writing style but I carried on pushing through to see where the plot would take me and… WOW! From the get go, there is major juiciness to the sister’s lives that instantly have you wanting to see where the book takes you. I made sure to ride that wave and I’m glad I did.

After I hit that 50% mark it just took a turn for the best. The juice was juicing and I felt like I was reading an Eastenders episode script but in the best way. The added layers of gossip to the plot wasn’t too far fetched that it had you eye rolling but instead thinking ‘surely not?!’. I stayed up late at night to finish this and thought it was such a great read!

Again, I will emphasise that I felt this book started off slow so it’s one of those you have to strap in for and believe in the journey!

[Alice]

Them Girls, by Eva Verde, catches middle-aged London/Essex sisters Goldie and Valeria (Vee) at a pivotal point in both their lives.

One-time pop star Goldie has spent the past 15 years or so as a kept woman in a sham marriage with upper-class Benedict (Ben). This arrangement suits both sides until – on the same night – Goldie is unexpectedly reunited with attactive former classmate Wolfgang (Wolfie), and realises she can’t ignore Ben’s unpleasant side any longer.

Meanwhile, a high-profile court case against a notorious male singer has brought to light other stories of abuse at Goldie’s former record label, forcing her to reckon with her own experiences as a 16-year-old wannabe, and threatening to pull her back into the limelight.

Freelance publishing researcher and copyeditor Vee’s marriage has also come to an end, but in very different circumstances. She and Jamie split amicably, and are even still living in the same house until they can sell it without negative equity. This works – until Jamie starts dating Julia, who bullied Vee so badly in school, she had a breakdown and was sectioned.

Vee is thrown by Julia’s reappearance, which brings up painful memories and leads her to reflect on how she’s always played it safe and hidden her light as a result of Julia’s cruelties. What’s more, she doesn’t believe for a second that Julia’s changed. Can the positive feedback and potential love interest Vee’s found at her new writing group take her down a more positive road?

Them Girls was a joy to read! The author’s lively, witty style brings the characters and scenes to vivid, sparkling life, making me feel carried along by the various threads of the story. While I loved both sisters and found it really satisfying to watch them emerge from their respective ruts and start to bloom over the course of the book, Vee especially won my heart.

I could relate so hard to her remembering and feeling long-ago hurts as if they just happened yesterday; keeping her head down because, in her experience, drawing attention to herself has negative consequences; being a keen documentarian of her own life; and benefitting from being part of a writing group. And hey, if she can belatedly find success with her writing, maybe there’s hope for me as well.

Writing about fictional pop artists and record labels can be hit-and-miss, but Goldie’s story of whirlwind fame in the early 90s, and the way the renewed interest in her played out, all felt very authentic. I also appreciated the use of song names as chapter titles! Goldie’s experiences of being exploited by a much older manager-boyfriend, being made to sign NDAs, and being cast out of the fold when she called people out on their behaviour are (sadly) very topical right now.

Of course, Them Girls also features one of my favourite themes: sibling relationships. While the book sees Goldie and Vee grow close again after a period of atrophy, we learn that they were very close as children, as there were only nine months between them, and they quickly learned to rely on one another as their single mother never wanted them. Their interactions as adults are often entertaining and tell us a lot about their characters, and it’s also interesting to see how they’re still thrown when other people’s parents are kind to them.

This brings us to a couple of other important themes that run through the book: race and class. Goldie, for example, has a lot more time for her posh husband Ben’s parents than she does for him, but even so, she’s aware that they categorise her as “different” and “exotic”, and that she helps them appear modern and open-minded. Also, having grown up poor, she’s understandably terrified of being left with nothing after leaving Ben.

Vee’s former bully Julia, meanwhile, comes from a privileged background, and racism was very much an element of her abuse towards Vee. Julia is fascinating in a love-to-hate-her way: she doesn’t have an honest or empathetic bone in her body, and you can’t wait to see her downfall.

While Goldie and Vee are central to the story, now and again there’s a chapter written from the point of view of one of the secondary characters such as Julia, demonstrating the author’s skill with different voices, as well as showing how other characters perceive the sisters, whether they love or feel threatened by them.

Them Girls is an entertaining, gratifying, and timely novel that sparkles.

*I received a free copy of this book from Random Things Tours in return for an honest review.*

[Claire]

Them Girls is a very powerful, deeply emotional story about two sisters, Goldie and Vee, both navigating life in their forties.

Goldie was once a teenage pop star, but now she’s trapped in a marriage that looks perfect from the outside while leaving her deeply unhappy on the inside. She may have wealth, but she lives a very lonely life. Life as a pop star was far from glamorous. It was a life where Goldie was controlled, manipulated and exploited, and she cannot shake the feeling that history is repeating itself once more.

Vee is trying to rebuild her life after her marriage has ended. She has been deeply affected by the severe bullying that has happened to her in her past, and now those old wounds are painfully resurfacing. It feels as though the past is circling back round again. But as the story develops, we see Vee slowly regaining her confidence as she learns to put herself first again which is so wonderful to see.

Goldie and Vee each have their flaws which they recognise, but this is what makes their journey so moving and real. They have both gone on their own journeys, taking them in a different direction in life and also a distance between them. You feel so much for them both. I was rooting for the courageous sisters from the very start.

What makes the book truly shine is when the sisters head to France together, and you see them come into their own, find themselves again, and their relationship with each other blossoms. I loved watching their relationship unfold and seeing how they slowly grew closer again. This was the best part of the book for me. It was full of warmth and humour and was just brilliantly written. Vee and Goldie’s bond becomes one of the most special parts of the story and together they take back control of their own lives. They choose their future, and they refuse to let anyone else write their story ever again. "Sisters are doing it for themselves!"

This is a raw, honest and deeply emotional story, written beautifully. Eva Verde handles some very hard, real‑life themes but she writes them brilliantly, with great sensitivity. I am looking forward to reading Eva Verde's next novel.

Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster UK for my advanced copy of #ThemGirls. This review is based on a #NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Joanne]

Them Girls of the title are sisters Goldie and Vee. Goldie is married to a high-flying and ruthless businessman, Benedict, but it’s a marriage in name only, an arrangement which has suited them both till now. Vee’s still lives in the same house as her ex-husband Jamie. It’s all very amicable until his latest girlfriend turns out to be Julia, who bullied her and made her life a misery at school. We meet them at this turning point in their lives and follow them as they go to France on holiday, examine secrets from their pasts and consider their futures.

This is such a powerful read. Through the sisters’ experiences we read about exploitation, abuse, misogyny and racism in creative industries, as well as some rather dysfunctional families. This makes it sound like heavy reading but it’s well balanced by humour and emotion. I admit that although I was enjoying reading this book and getting to know the sisters from the beginning, it was really from when they travelled to France and all the secrets started emerging that I became totally enthralled.

The characterisation is wonderfully done whether that’s the insecurities of the sisters, the downright viciousness of Julia, the friendship of Jamie, the tenderness of the love interests or the corrupt power of some of the men. Each of the characters felt very authentic. The way the narrative unfolded with chapters from various points of view made you feel like you were in a conversation with the characters and privy to their innermost thoughts.

Them Girls is a vibrant tribute to sisterhood and the power of women supporting women. Vee and Goldie are unforgettable characters who, despite having had their differences and disagreements in the past, are absolutely there for each other when it matters. Eva Verde’s writing is sharp, sassy and bold. A book about the power of dreaming big, standing up to class and racial prejudice and daring to aim high, Them Girls is compelling and thought-provoking with a healthy dose of 90s nostalgia.

[Bookshortie]

Sisters Goldie and Vee decide to take a trip to France but when secrets are revaealed will they bring them closer together or tear them apart.

This was a really interesting and thought provoking read. I found this to be a slow burn read but that helped me to connect with Goldie and Vee and set the foundations for what was to come in the story. The storyline is about sisterhood, resilience and speaking your truth.

Goldie and Vee might be sisters but they've taken very different paths in life. Vee is a freelance researcher and copy editor in the publishing industry who dreams of becoming a writer. She is organised and methodical. Goldie shot to fame as a popstar in the 90’s when she was a teenager. She is someone who takes a chance and follows her dreams. The one thing that the sisters have in common is they are both hard working and have a desire to succeed. They come from a very humble background where they were raised by their grandmother and it's their background that has spurred them on to be successful.

It’s when Vee and Goldie’s circumstances change that the sisters are brought together. Goldie hasn’t been happy in her marriage to Benedict and she finally decides to leave him and Vee finds out that her ex-husband Jamie is dating her school bully Julia. I really loved learning more about each of the sisters and it was interesting to see how their life experiences had shaped them into the women that they had become. Goldie was a teenage pop star whose career was flourishing until it came to an abrupt end. Goldie thought she had left her old life behind until it catches up with her. it’s through Goldie’s narrative that the reader learns that her time in the music industry wasn’t glamorous and she was exploited at a young age. When scandal from the music world resurfaces Goldie makes the brave decision to speak out for the first time. My heart broke for Vee when she learned that Julia was back in her life and it was infuriating to see how Jamie appeared to take Julia’s side over Vee’s without knowing all of the facts. It was disgusting to see how Julia treated Vee and although it would be described as bullying, I would also describe it as torture. It was brilliant to see Vee stand up to Julia and make her feelings known.

When secrets were revealed, it was interesting to see how the sisters reacted. Initially they distanced themselves from each other but ultimately, they came together to not only support but help each other.

[Karen]

Goldie and Vee are sisters in their 40s, both at a crossroads in their life. Goldie, once a successful teen popstar, is now a trophy wife in a loveless marriage. Vee's once happy marriage has ended - can she find a fresh future with a writing career?
With a plot that draws on the #MeToo movement, and themes of bullying, coercion and abandonment, this is a hard-hitting read.
But it is given heart and soul by its exploration of relationships, betwween friends, family, colleagues, even pets - and of course, the most important one of all, the relationship between the two sisters.
Goldie and Vee haven't always been the best of friends, and life has taken them in different directions. Will their reconnection spell new beginnings, or the end of an already fragile sibling bond? This thread is what I found most fascinating about the book - Eva Verde brings both sisters to life in all their messy glory, their strengths shouting out to the reader, their faults and failings only making them all the more lovable.
I did find the story disjointed at first, and it took a little too long to get going, but once the sisters get together and go off to France, the narrative settles into a good pace and rhythm.
Though its themes can be distressing, the warmth and humour of the writing, the bonds between the varying characters and the depth of Eva Verde's storytelling make this a compulsive read.

[Bookish Sam]

I adored In Bloom, so went into Them Girls with high expectations and wasn’t disappointed.

Goldie and Vee are strong main characters, full of life and very believable. I loved them both felt fully invested in their stories and their relationships. There are also some not very pleasant people – I'm looking at you Julia – who made me so angry that I shook my book in frustration at some of the stuff she did and said. Don’t worry, no books were harmed in the venting of my frustration. 😀

The nostalgic 90's elements really resonated, and the chapter titles had me remembering songs I’d not thought about in long time. The book deserves a playlist.

There are some dark themes that make for uncomfortable reading, but they are an essential part of the story and told well.

I can’t really say too much without venturing into spoiler territory, but I loved this and it was easy to rate this a Five Star (if you know, you know) read. Now I’m off to listen to Silk and Steel and see if I can remember the dance routines!

[Kelly Hollingworth]

Two sisters, Goldie and Vee are at a crossroads in their lives. Goldie is in an empty marriage of convenience, a cosplay with Ben and self doubter Vee is getting divorced from Jamie who is dating Vee’s childhood bully Julia. Both sisters are artistic - Goldie musically and Vee a writer. The sisters go to France - Villa Fleurie, to get away from their complicated lives. I loved the descriptions and idea of their Mediterranean thaw! They start to talk about their difficult childhood.

This is a complex storyline about sisters and secrets through songs. There are themes of trauma, exploitation, abuse and dysfunction but I took away an overall feeling of women supporting women and sisters supporting sisters through the highs and lows of life. I really enjoyed the 1980’s/90’s playlist. The mention of System Addict took me back immediately to playing Silk and Steel on cassette many decades ago! A great read.

[Gem ~]

Superbly stunning
From the first page I was mesmerised and in love with Goldie and Vee, and subsequently all of their cheerleaders.
I particularly loved the musical references, the chapter titles, the many 90s/00s groups / artists mentioned, the all-too-familiar story of Goldie's experience with her record company.
So deliciously honest and unapologetic, the writing delivers an intimate account of the highs, lows and naked realism of what it is like to be in your 40s with the baggage you've carried from your teens and facing midlife and so many obstacles that you've lost yourself along the way.
Secrets are revealed, shocks are delivered and you become embroiled in all of the stories as you root for your favourites and wish a large comeuppance to their nemeses.
I just want now to read it all over again .

[Fran McBookface]

Well this is an absolute treat of a read!

I just love Evas writing. It is so sharp, honest and sexy. She’s so good at writing characters that feel so real they almost walk off the page. 

That's certainly the case here with Vee & Goldie, two sisters in their 40s both at a bit of a crossroads and both struggling to come to terms with their past for different reasons. 

There's a lot in the mix here - bullying, me too, the dangers of social media, press intrusion - all expertly woven together into a story of sisterhood, love and starting again in middle age. 

It's a vivid portrayal of how the hurts of childhood colour our lives and other people's opinions of us are a heavy weight to carry. I loved watching each sister  break out and realise their own worth and find themselves and each other again.

A great read and extra points for the 90s nostalgia tunes 👌 

[Fatguyreading]

Well what absolute pleasant surprise this was. Not being my go to genre, I wasn't sure what to expect, but i'm a firm believer that authors should have the perspective of readers who are not necessarily their target audience, so I try to read outside of my comfort zone as often as possible and I must say, this was impressive.

We follow Goldie and Vee, Sisters in their 40's, both in unfulfilling marriages, ( with Vee’s recently ended ), in a tale centred around relationships and sisterhood with themes of bullying and abandonment, a wrapped up in a great nostalgic 90's feel.

It was good to see the sisters break free and discovering their true, authentic selves.

Most enjoyable

4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.

[Angi Plant]

I loved this tale of two sisters, their lives, loves and losses.
It has two sisters leading vastly different lives, both seemingly happy until they realise that they’re not.
They are not being true to themselves, their own roots and beliefs and are slowly fading away in worlds that just don’t work for them anymore.
There are so many current themes in this story that it’s hard to pick particular ones. But, me too and the press being intrusive in anyones personal lives do spring to the fore.
I liked the characters of the sisters very much. This is a book to read if you’re nostalgic for the late 80’s and 90’s or you like stories about sisterhood. A great read.
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey]

This is a brilliant capture of a sibling relationship, of second chances and remembering the importance of self-care.
Eva Verde writes about the sisters in such an emotional way - both of them so flawed and damaged by events in their early lives they need now to rediscover themselves and eachother to move on. Both so different but so similar in their strength and love for eachother.
Their bravery shines through on every page and seeing how they’re able to make positive steps forward on the back of such emotional and harming memories was wonderful to read about. I was routing for both of them from the very start

[Vicky]

90s nostalgia will always grab my attention add that to a book about sisters, I'm in. It was a slow start for me but the nods to teen moments I could relate to helped. The drama really kicked off midway and although there were some deep topics covered, abuse, misogyny, bullying and exploitation in the creative industry as well as interesting family dynamics there is a good balance of humour and emotions. The sisterhood was strong and proved a point in the end. Now where is my Five Star tape?

[Naomi]

This book was so good! I did find the beginning a bit slow but after the first 20% I was hooked and ended up reading 300 pages in a day…

Goldie and Vee had such a relatable sisterly dynamic and were both such loveable characters! They had their individual faults but the growth they both went through during this book was so heart warming to read ❤️

Highly recommend!

[Rob Cook]

A fabulous read that makes me want to read Eva's other books.

[Tim Leggatt]

I really enjoyed Lives like mine but this was not for me, didn’t really get into the characters

[Emma Ashley]

💚 Blurb-
Until Goldie finds the courage to leave Benedict. Once upon a time their faux marriage worked, but when the magnetic Wolfie comes on the scene, her world of pretending falls apart.
Vee’s neat world is spiraling, too. Since her ex-husband Jamie started dating Julia her cruel school bully, Vee’s long-buried insecurities are out of control. She needs to get away, and fast.
So when Goldie suggests a holiday in France, Vee leaps at the idea. A curiously well-timed invitation - just as speculations around Goldie’s brilliantly brief pop career back in the nineties are beginning to resurface. Escaping’s one thing, but nothing stays secret forever, and as Vee and Goldie’s unresolved pasts make surprise returns, the stories them girls once told themselves begin to look very different...
💜 Review -
This was a new to me author and I will definitely be reading more by them. From the very first page I was hooked and I was entertained all the way through. I loved the author's writing style and the pacing was just right. I also loved the characters in the story. Overall a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author Eva Verde and the publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.