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The Confidence Woman
A fresh and darkly funny debut novel about blurred online identities and striving for success (or just security) in a rigged system. Perfect for anyone who's ever enjoyed a good scammer story.
I was active and agile. I was a champion. I was a witch. I was a winner.
Christina is a single mother living in the Melbourne suburbs, but to her online clients she is the esteemed Dr Ruth Carlisle, an 'executive coach and mindset expert, specialising in high-performing individuals'.
Dr Ruth gains her clients' trust through her online coaching business, finds out their secrets and deepest fears, and uses this information to extort them, using the money to save for the ultimate unobtainable Australian a home deposit. But when she uncovers a secret that could set her up with much more than a 2-bedroom apartment in Clifton Hill, suddenly everything is at stake.
The Confidence Woman is a novel about more than one kind of confidence game. It explores and hilariously skewers contemporary cults of self-optimisation, while also creating a moving and too-real portrait of the difficulties of striving for success (or just security) in a rigged system.
'The wicked Australian lovechild of Sally Rooney and Aubrey Plaza.' CHRIS FLYNN, author of Mammoth
I was active and agile. I was a champion. I was a witch. I was a winner.
Christina is a single mother living in the Melbourne suburbs, but to her online clients she is the esteemed Dr Ruth Carlisle, an 'executive coach and mindset expert, specialising in high-performing individuals'.
Dr Ruth gains her clients' trust through her online coaching business, finds out their secrets and deepest fears, and uses this information to extort them, using the money to save for the ultimate unobtainable Australian a home deposit. But when she uncovers a secret that could set her up with much more than a 2-bedroom apartment in Clifton Hill, suddenly everything is at stake.
The Confidence Woman is a novel about more than one kind of confidence game. It explores and hilariously skewers contemporary cults of self-optimisation, while also creating a moving and too-real portrait of the difficulties of striving for success (or just security) in a rigged system.
'The wicked Australian lovechild of Sally Rooney and Aubrey Plaza.' CHRIS FLYNN, author of Mammoth
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First published April 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 7, 2025
'People's secrets didn't interest or offend me. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just need the money, and I kept my word and left people alone once they had paid me'.
Christina was raised by a single dad who, although kind-hearted, was more concerned with taking care of a bar stool in the local pub than being a caretaker of her. But Christina learned from a young age that by keeping quiet and watching the people around you, you could learn society's unwritten rules - and manipulate them to your advantage. After leaving home, with a scholarship to University though, her life still is like an unsolved puzzle, until finally an opportunity to put her skills and 'psychology' together to create an online persona together (well a few of them), 'The model was simple...I aimed to secure either a recording of exploitable information from the client, or a renewal for another package...'. All she wants is a deposit on a house, and telling people what they want to hear can't really be that bad, can it?
'The Confidence Woman' is an enjoyable story about a woman who finds herself becoming a scammer through opportunity and necessity. However, having always been a loner who needed to rely upon herself in order to get ahead, she begins to realise there's more to living than just her singular goal of saving.
Although I don't live in Australia or Melbourne, as a fellow Antipodean I enjoyed all the local references and colloquial nuances of this story, as they added a layer of believability to the tale. I did feel like the story wrapped up very quickly and neatly but, overall, I enjoyed the tale of an opportunistic scammer with a kind heart.
Christina was raised by a single dad who, although kind-hearted, was more concerned with taking care of a bar stool in the local pub than being a caretaker of her. But Christina learned from a young age that by keeping quiet and watching the people around you, you could learn society's unwritten rules - and manipulate them to your advantage. After leaving home, with a scholarship to University though, her life still is like an unsolved puzzle, until finally an opportunity to put her skills and 'psychology' together to create an online persona together (well a few of them), 'The model was simple...I aimed to secure either a recording of exploitable information from the client, or a renewal for another package...'. All she wants is a deposit on a house, and telling people what they want to hear can't really be that bad, can it?
'The Confidence Woman' is an enjoyable story about a woman who finds herself becoming a scammer through opportunity and necessity. However, having always been a loner who needed to rely upon herself in order to get ahead, she begins to realise there's more to living than just her singular goal of saving.
Although I don't live in Australia or Melbourne, as a fellow Antipodean I enjoyed all the local references and colloquial nuances of this story, as they added a layer of believability to the tale. I did feel like the story wrapped up very quickly and neatly but, overall, I enjoyed the tale of an opportunistic scammer with a kind heart.
April 29, 2025
An absolute hidden gem, an utter delight! Not sure what I was expecting, but it exceeded everything. Lots of 5 stars lately, I’m so grateful to A&U for this prize.
Single mum Christina is whip smart, using her innate chameleon-like ability to become a coach, ‘helping’ execs and creatives get better. This is the thing. Better at what, exactly? The whole coaching thing gives me the ick, so I was intrigued with this.
I was team Christina all the way, although clearly morally grey, the brilliant writing set the scene remarkably well. Self deprecating, smart and witty, and quality writing made this a completely compelling read. Funnily enough I related to a lot, completely my era. I think Christina may be unlikeable to many, but I loved her.
Just loving all these quotes.. I was so invested.
ᴮᵘᵗ ᴬᵈᵃᵐ ʷᵃˢⁿ’ᵗ ˡᵒᵒᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵃᵗ ᵐᵉ
ᴴᵉ ʷᵃˢ ᵒᵍˡⁱⁿᵍ ʰⁱˢ ᵒʷⁿ ⁱᵐᵃᵍᵉ ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᶜʳᵉᵉⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗᵉⁿᵈᵉʳˡʸ ʷᵃⁿᵏⁱⁿᵍ ʰⁱˢ ᵖᵒⁿʸᵗᵃⁱˡ
ᴵ ʷᵃˢ ʷᵉᵃʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵐʸ ⁿᵉʷ ʷʰⁱᵗᵉ ˢʰⁱʳᵗ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᴾᵒʳᵗᵐᵃⁿˢ, ᵐʸ ⁿᵉʷ ᵍʳᵉʸ ˢᵏⁱʳᵗ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ˢᵖᵒʳᵗˢᵍⁱʳˡ
ᴴᵒʷ ᵈⁱᵈ ˢʰᵉ ᵗᵘʳⁿ ᵈᵒᵒʳᵏⁿᵒᵇˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉ ᵗᵃᵐᵖᵒⁿˢ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ⁿᵃⁱˡˢ?
ᴴᵃᵈ ˢʰᵉ ᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵖᵉʳˢᵒⁿᵃˡˡʸ ᵐⁱˡᵏᵉᵈ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵃᵗ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ᶜˡᵃʷˢ?
ᴵ ʷᵃˢ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵃ ᴿᵉʲᵉᶜᵗ ˢʰᵒᵖ ˡᵃⁿᵗᵉʳⁿ, ᵍˡᵒʷⁱⁿᵍ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ʷⁱᵗʰⁱⁿ, ᵉᵐⁱᵗᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵃ ʰᵃᶻᵃʳᵈᵒᵘˢ ʰᵉᵃᵗ, ᵃ ᶜʰᵉᵃᵖ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁿᵃˢᵗʸ ˡⁱᵍʰᵗ.
I can’t recommend this enough, I loved the desperation, the clawing back and the affirmation that this stuff really does have the ick factor. It’s cultish, bitey and real. This is a debut novel, I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Single mum Christina is whip smart, using her innate chameleon-like ability to become a coach, ‘helping’ execs and creatives get better. This is the thing. Better at what, exactly? The whole coaching thing gives me the ick, so I was intrigued with this.
I was team Christina all the way, although clearly morally grey, the brilliant writing set the scene remarkably well. Self deprecating, smart and witty, and quality writing made this a completely compelling read. Funnily enough I related to a lot, completely my era. I think Christina may be unlikeable to many, but I loved her.
Just loving all these quotes.. I was so invested.
ᴮᵘᵗ ᴬᵈᵃᵐ ʷᵃˢⁿ’ᵗ ˡᵒᵒᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵃᵗ ᵐᵉ
ᴴᵉ ʷᵃˢ ᵒᵍˡⁱⁿᵍ ʰⁱˢ ᵒʷⁿ ⁱᵐᵃᵍᵉ ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᶜʳᵉᵉⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗᵉⁿᵈᵉʳˡʸ ʷᵃⁿᵏⁱⁿᵍ ʰⁱˢ ᵖᵒⁿʸᵗᵃⁱˡ
ᴵ ʷᵃˢ ʷᵉᵃʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵐʸ ⁿᵉʷ ʷʰⁱᵗᵉ ˢʰⁱʳᵗ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᴾᵒʳᵗᵐᵃⁿˢ, ᵐʸ ⁿᵉʷ ᵍʳᵉʸ ˢᵏⁱʳᵗ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ˢᵖᵒʳᵗˢᵍⁱʳˡ
ᴴᵒʷ ᵈⁱᵈ ˢʰᵉ ᵗᵘʳⁿ ᵈᵒᵒʳᵏⁿᵒᵇˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉ ᵗᵃᵐᵖᵒⁿˢ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ⁿᵃⁱˡˢ?
ᴴᵃᵈ ˢʰᵉ ᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵖᵉʳˢᵒⁿᵃˡˡʸ ᵐⁱˡᵏᵉᵈ ᵃ ᵍᵒᵃᵗ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ᶜˡᵃʷˢ?
ᴵ ʷᵃˢ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵃ ᴿᵉʲᵉᶜᵗ ˢʰᵒᵖ ˡᵃⁿᵗᵉʳⁿ, ᵍˡᵒʷⁱⁿᵍ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ʷⁱᵗʰⁱⁿ, ᵉᵐⁱᵗᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵃ ʰᵃᶻᵃʳᵈᵒᵘˢ ʰᵉᵃᵗ, ᵃ ᶜʰᵉᵃᵖ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁿᵃˢᵗʸ ˡⁱᵍʰᵗ.
I can’t recommend this enough, I loved the desperation, the clawing back and the affirmation that this stuff really does have the ick factor. It’s cultish, bitey and real. This is a debut novel, I can’t wait to see what’s next.
May 19, 2025
First of all, I will say this is not my usual genre at all, but I do enjoy a con story so I was intrigued.
This was an enjoyable read, but a bit slow for me. The main character Christina aka Ruth wasn’t especially likeable to me and I didn’t really find it that funny. The concept of the story was what pulled me in but it just didn’t work that well in my mind. The ending was a bit disappointing too.
I know it sounds like I didn’t like it but I did, just not in the way that I wanted to. I liked the Melbourne setting and the fact that she was doing it for her son and their future. She was just a bit of a strange character that I just couldn’t warm to.
I can see that many people have loved this, people that read more literary fiction than I do. I think my love of crime and thrillers has made me crave that crazy twist and murders!!
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my copy of this book to read.
This was an enjoyable read, but a bit slow for me. The main character Christina aka Ruth wasn’t especially likeable to me and I didn’t really find it that funny. The concept of the story was what pulled me in but it just didn’t work that well in my mind. The ending was a bit disappointing too.
I know it sounds like I didn’t like it but I did, just not in the way that I wanted to. I liked the Melbourne setting and the fact that she was doing it for her son and their future. She was just a bit of a strange character that I just couldn’t warm to.
I can see that many people have loved this, people that read more literary fiction than I do. I think my love of crime and thrillers has made me crave that crazy twist and murders!!
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my copy of this book to read.
April 6, 2025
ARC Review
Christina is a single mum sharing a granny flat with her son, and desperately trying to better their situation to buy a family home. After spending years slaving behind the scenes for minimum wage for a world-renowned leadership coach, the alias Dr Ruth is born. As Dr Ruth, Christina runs an online coaching business to scam executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone she can get her hands on who is both wealthy and a shitty person. The bulk of her income is made when she uncovers her clients’ dirty laundry and pulls the rug out from under them. As she becomes more confident in her grift, she starts to bend her own rules and has to face the consequences when her two lives collide.
Christina is a great anti-hero because a reasonable person knows two things are true:
1. Scamming people is bad
2. Some people probably deserve it
And that’s why she works so well. Dr Ruth’s main client, Julian, is a very subtle caricature and I could 100% imagine him (and I would scam him too).
I really related to Christina and I loved that her villain origin story was realistic and made it easy to see how Dr Ruth came into existence, but it wasn’t a tortured existence that felt like a pity party. I also enjoyed how the past and present were woven together the most part. Overall I think she has a lot of humanity and there’s a lot of satisfaction by the time we leave her. My one major gripe is that the set-up wasn’t proportionate to the pay-off when it came to the big ‘problem’. I think this is a great pick if you enjoy character-driven fiction, but you find typical lit fic a bit slow.
Christina is a single mum sharing a granny flat with her son, and desperately trying to better their situation to buy a family home. After spending years slaving behind the scenes for minimum wage for a world-renowned leadership coach, the alias Dr Ruth is born. As Dr Ruth, Christina runs an online coaching business to scam executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone she can get her hands on who is both wealthy and a shitty person. The bulk of her income is made when she uncovers her clients’ dirty laundry and pulls the rug out from under them. As she becomes more confident in her grift, she starts to bend her own rules and has to face the consequences when her two lives collide.
Christina is a great anti-hero because a reasonable person knows two things are true:
1. Scamming people is bad
2. Some people probably deserve it
And that’s why she works so well. Dr Ruth’s main client, Julian, is a very subtle caricature and I could 100% imagine him (and I would scam him too).
I really related to Christina and I loved that her villain origin story was realistic and made it easy to see how Dr Ruth came into existence, but it wasn’t a tortured existence that felt like a pity party. I also enjoyed how the past and present were woven together the most part. Overall I think she has a lot of humanity and there’s a lot of satisfaction by the time we leave her. My one major gripe is that the set-up wasn’t proportionate to the pay-off when it came to the big ‘problem’. I think this is a great pick if you enjoy character-driven fiction, but you find typical lit fic a bit slow.
May 24, 2025
like a Yellowface x Belle Gibson lovechild; if you’re a fan of either, this will be a compulsive read for you!
loved (and also irked by) the familiarity of the Inner North setting. it’s a hilarious and unhinged series of events both unfortunate and fortunate. don’t take it too seriously and you’ll have a great, silly and stupid time 🫡
loved (and also irked by) the familiarity of the Inner North setting. it’s a hilarious and unhinged series of events both unfortunate and fortunate. don’t take it too seriously and you’ll have a great, silly and stupid time 🫡
May 9, 2025
so you're saying all i have to do to get into melbourne's property market is to scam people?
August 9, 2025
I quite liked this one!
I love a good morally grey character - on the one hand, you absolutely understand Christina's need to provide for and look after her son. However, I think we can all agree that perhaps blackmail is not a super ethical way to get that income 😅
i really enjoyed the flashbacks to Christina's childhood, and seeing how she came to be "Dr Ruth." It was a "villain" origin story that made sense in a lot of ways.
This book was also very Australian, with name drops such as Portmans, Dotti, Red Rooster and the Reject Shop bringing me a lot of joy. The writing was quite enjoyable and well paced overall - perhaps a bit of a rushed ending? I also didn't find the tension as tense as I think I was meant to when things started to unravel.
still a pretty solid read that, as another reviewer (Sim ✨) pointed out, would be perfect for people who liked yellowface by R. F. Kuang or the Apple Cider Vinegar tv series.
I love a good morally grey character - on the one hand, you absolutely understand Christina's need to provide for and look after her son. However, I think we can all agree that perhaps blackmail is not a super ethical way to get that income 😅
i really enjoyed the flashbacks to Christina's childhood, and seeing how she came to be "Dr Ruth." It was a "villain" origin story that made sense in a lot of ways.
This book was also very Australian, with name drops such as Portmans, Dotti, Red Rooster and the Reject Shop bringing me a lot of joy. The writing was quite enjoyable and well paced overall - perhaps a bit of a rushed ending? I also didn't find the tension as tense as I think I was meant to when things started to unravel.
still a pretty solid read that, as another reviewer (Sim ✨) pointed out, would be perfect for people who liked yellowface by R. F. Kuang or the Apple Cider Vinegar tv series.
March 30, 2025
The story follows Christina, a single mum leading a double life. She poses as life coach Dr Ruth Carlisle. It is here, she gains her clients trust and then uses their secrets to extort them.
We are given Christina's pov across dual timelines, past and present. This duality of timelines really let's us delve into Christina's mind, which was both informative and troubling.
On a more personal note, I love how fabulously Australian this story is! Granted the story is indeed set in Australia (Melbourne more specifically), everything the author referenced, from the supermarket's Christina frequents to the medication she takes were all Australian based. Whilst this story can still be enjoyed and understood by those not from Australia, having a story that depicts everyday Aussie things is a nice treat.
My elder millennial heart thoroughly enjoyed when Christina talks about her past, the things she got up to and the music that she was listening to/discussing were all the same things I was doing at that age.
We are given Christina's pov across dual timelines, past and present. This duality of timelines really let's us delve into Christina's mind, which was both informative and troubling.
On a more personal note, I love how fabulously Australian this story is! Granted the story is indeed set in Australia (Melbourne more specifically), everything the author referenced, from the supermarket's Christina frequents to the medication she takes were all Australian based. Whilst this story can still be enjoyed and understood by those not from Australia, having a story that depicts everyday Aussie things is a nice treat.
My elder millennial heart thoroughly enjoyed when Christina talks about her past, the things she got up to and the music that she was listening to/discussing were all the same things I was doing at that age.
December 5, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vibes: Scam Queen, Chic Lit, Dry Wit
- - -
The timing of this book couldn’t have been better. I wrapped up my author surname challenge with Q for Quick and the story itself turned out to be even more satisfying than the tick on my list.
I went in totally blind (as usual) and this cover had me guessing wildly. Was I about to get an animal adventure? An office drama? An office puppy situation? (Honestly, my dream scenario.)
Instead, I landed in the world of a fraudster and I was absolutely here for it. The book blends dark, dry humour with a sharp, memorable main character and a deliciously original spin on a mother pushed to her limits.
And look, while the business at the centre of this story is morally questionable… I weirdly finished with a tiny appreciation for the hustle behind certain scams. Humans are definitely creative - for better or worse.
This story gives off similar contemporary corporate energy as Stinkbug by Sinead Stubbins but with a much tighter plot that keeps things moving.
This was funny, edgy and surprising in all the right ways, a really enjoyable read.
Huge thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending this one my way.
Vibes: Scam Queen, Chic Lit, Dry Wit
- - -
The timing of this book couldn’t have been better. I wrapped up my author surname challenge with Q for Quick and the story itself turned out to be even more satisfying than the tick on my list.
I went in totally blind (as usual) and this cover had me guessing wildly. Was I about to get an animal adventure? An office drama? An office puppy situation? (Honestly, my dream scenario.)
Instead, I landed in the world of a fraudster and I was absolutely here for it. The book blends dark, dry humour with a sharp, memorable main character and a deliciously original spin on a mother pushed to her limits.
And look, while the business at the centre of this story is morally questionable… I weirdly finished with a tiny appreciation for the hustle behind certain scams. Humans are definitely creative - for better or worse.
This story gives off similar contemporary corporate energy as Stinkbug by Sinead Stubbins but with a much tighter plot that keeps things moving.
This was funny, edgy and surprising in all the right ways, a really enjoyable read.
Huge thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending this one my way.
May 4, 2025
3.5/5 rounded up. This was conflicting. Story is very well written with time taken to build up Christina’s story. It’s hard not to care about the plucky child version and to see how it was possible for her to become the scammer she is in current day. However, it was also hard to like the adult version and it felt wrong to cheer her on.
I did like the book, but it wasn’t a straightforward experience.
As others have commented, the ending is also a bit flat for the build up.
I did like the book, but it wasn’t a straightforward experience.
As others have commented, the ending is also a bit flat for the build up.
June 2, 2025
Very unlikeable and unconscionable character who makes unbelievable decisions for unbelievable reasons. All her conversations and actions are disingenuous. The writing style meanders along and the plot is quite slim. There are a lot of mindless thoughts about nothing in particular and a lot of ‘woe is me, I’ve got no money’ whinge, whinge, whinge …. The moral of the story seems to be that there is no morality and that’s all good as long as you make a buck. Dull.
May 13, 2025
3.5 stars- it just kind of fizzled out in the end
August 21, 2025
This was a fun read. Even though what she is doing is wrong, you can’t help but side with her and egg her on due to her circumstances.
July 13, 2025
Loved it. Listened to the audio book version and the narrator nailed the various Aussie accents. I was kept engaged throughout the book. Captured the essence of Australian life.
July 27, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
“I was like a reject shop lantern, glowing from within, emitting a hazardous heat, a cheap and nasty light”
Christina, a single mother living in Melbourne, in a small granny flat with her son. Online she is known to her clients as esteemed Dr. Ruth Carlisle, a life coach for the wealthy and successful. Through this elaborate scam Christina is desperate to save money to afford a home deposit, to provide a better life for her and her son. But when her two worlds and identities begin to collide will it destroy everything she has worked for?
I will preface this by saying I don’t usually read this genre, but do I think that’s the reason for my rating/review? No.
This book gives very similar vibes to Yellowface if it was set in Australia with a more boring and unlikeable main character. The beginning was slow, with flashbacks to the past giving us an insight into her childhood, some of these parts felt very irrelevant and unnecessary. I did enjoy the concept of her scheme and was intrigued to see where it would go as we progressed through the story. I hate to say it fell flat though, there was a large build up only for everything to turn out fine, well better than fine, a very easy happy ending for our main character with no real consequences for her actions. Also a side story of her being weird and having a creepy obsession with a person leading to some stalking, why? I don’t know.
Overall, slow to start, fun in the middle and easy anti climatic ending.
“I was like a reject shop lantern, glowing from within, emitting a hazardous heat, a cheap and nasty light”
Christina, a single mother living in Melbourne, in a small granny flat with her son. Online she is known to her clients as esteemed Dr. Ruth Carlisle, a life coach for the wealthy and successful. Through this elaborate scam Christina is desperate to save money to afford a home deposit, to provide a better life for her and her son. But when her two worlds and identities begin to collide will it destroy everything she has worked for?
I will preface this by saying I don’t usually read this genre, but do I think that’s the reason for my rating/review? No.
This book gives very similar vibes to Yellowface if it was set in Australia with a more boring and unlikeable main character. The beginning was slow, with flashbacks to the past giving us an insight into her childhood, some of these parts felt very irrelevant and unnecessary. I did enjoy the concept of her scheme and was intrigued to see where it would go as we progressed through the story. I hate to say it fell flat though, there was a large build up only for everything to turn out fine, well better than fine, a very easy happy ending for our main character with no real consequences for her actions. Also a side story of her being weird and having a creepy obsession with a person leading to some stalking, why? I don’t know.
Overall, slow to start, fun in the middle and easy anti climatic ending.
Read
October 22, 2025Oh, this was fun! We look into the mind of a modern scammer and single mother in Melbourne, which means not only is the book morally grey, it looks at how society has failed so many.
It's told in dual timelines, the main one being Christina's current life as a scammer, and the second timeline her past (growing up to how she got into scamming). To be honest, I think it could've done without the past timeline as it wasn't massively exciting to me and felt more like unnecessary information to fill out the story and over-explain things. I'd have really loved this if it were shorter, sharper, and focused more on a fast-pace thriller plot.
I do think that the big marketing blurb of it being 'sally rooney meets aubrey plaza' is off. To me, it wasn't particularly funny, deep, or satirical. Not to say that I thought the humour was bad/didn't vibe with it, but that it just . . . wasn't meant to be a funny book, I don't think? Or maybe it wasn't quite sure what it was trying to be.
What worked really well about this book was Christina's descent into madness. We're stuck with never knowing if she ever gets her head together. One minute she seems so reasonable, so clever, and the next she's doing something so bonkers you can't believe it. So, if you love morally grey characters, or characters who are losing their mind to their own schemes, you'll love this.
Thank you A&U for my ARC!
It's told in dual timelines, the main one being Christina's current life as a scammer, and the second timeline her past (growing up to how she got into scamming). To be honest, I think it could've done without the past timeline as it wasn't massively exciting to me and felt more like unnecessary information to fill out the story and over-explain things. I'd have really loved this if it were shorter, sharper, and focused more on a fast-pace thriller plot.
I do think that the big marketing blurb of it being 'sally rooney meets aubrey plaza' is off. To me, it wasn't particularly funny, deep, or satirical. Not to say that I thought the humour was bad/didn't vibe with it, but that it just . . . wasn't meant to be a funny book, I don't think? Or maybe it wasn't quite sure what it was trying to be.
What worked really well about this book was Christina's descent into madness. We're stuck with never knowing if she ever gets her head together. One minute she seems so reasonable, so clever, and the next she's doing something so bonkers you can't believe it. So, if you love morally grey characters, or characters who are losing their mind to their own schemes, you'll love this.
Thank you A&U for my ARC!
May 11, 2025
Started off strong and was totally engaged. Felt like I didn’t want to continue reading because it was going to be too excruciating discovering how the main character came a cropper. Bit like watching a horror show while holding your hand up to the screen. Ending let me down though.
April 13, 2025
I loved reading Sophie Quick’s first novel, The Confidence Woman. I had a lot of laughing out loud (LOL) moments, in fact I found the first two chapters hilarious. I’ll never be able to think about professional life coaching seriously ever again. Chrissy, the main character, aka Dr Ruth’s notes capturing key points from her first ten coaching sessions with Adam was another LOL star quality section! The clever and detailed portrayals of her individual clients, where in sessions she manages to get them to reveal all their foibles, quirks, ambitions and most importantly as we find out, their weaknesses was impressive.
It wasn’t all laughter though. I was shocked by some unexpected twists and turns. In fact by the end of chapter six, I was so worried I had to put the book down! This development was so unexpected! Would Chrissy get away with it? By this time I really liked the main character – a gutsy university graduate with a tough life back story. I was on her team and no matter what methods she employed, I wanted her to succeed.
Quick includes just enough of a back story to help me understand why Chrissy had become this very clever online ‘confidence woman.’ With a few deft descriptive brush strokes, she reveals the poverty of all the homes Chrissy lived in. Concrete paths, rosemary bushes, and a Hills Hoist all feature: “We had a backyard, where I passed many lonely hours alone in the tall grass, violently flogging a totem-tennis ball.” This makes Chrissy’s journey out of her impoverished childhood even more impressive. As a side note, a bit like the character of Alan himself, I loved this local librarian, a quiet angel who made sure that Chrissy’s childhood was enriched through reading.
Descriptive details is another feature of Quick’s writing I loved. From the old car she drove, to the affectionate and protective love she displays to her young son. Everything is so believable: the music choices they listened to, the food they ate, the movies they watched.
Driving distractedly down the street one day she notices the hum of traffic, she sees a campaign sign for local candidate on a front fence, she sees an old border collie snoozing on a porch and a Halal food truck parked on the front lawn. She notices a teenage boy playing trap on his phone and shooting a basketball at a driveway hoop. She sees an unusual diorama mailbox outside a standard brick home and inside it she notices fairy figurines which remind her of the Magic Faraway Tree, a book from her childhood.
Another example of this impressive use of effective descriptive detail is in her description of Paul, the father of her son. She says he is the product of a private school and sums this up exquisitely in this phrase, “a place with Deans and a Latin motto and an outdoor education campus.” This tells us everything we need to know to understand how Chrissy became this tiger spirited single mum.
Right to the end I was on tenterhooks wondering how this story would end. How would all these multiple characters and plots be resolved?
Thanks Sophie Quick for a great read, and a very satisfying conclusion – which of course I can’t write about in this review!
It wasn’t all laughter though. I was shocked by some unexpected twists and turns. In fact by the end of chapter six, I was so worried I had to put the book down! This development was so unexpected! Would Chrissy get away with it? By this time I really liked the main character – a gutsy university graduate with a tough life back story. I was on her team and no matter what methods she employed, I wanted her to succeed.
Quick includes just enough of a back story to help me understand why Chrissy had become this very clever online ‘confidence woman.’ With a few deft descriptive brush strokes, she reveals the poverty of all the homes Chrissy lived in. Concrete paths, rosemary bushes, and a Hills Hoist all feature: “We had a backyard, where I passed many lonely hours alone in the tall grass, violently flogging a totem-tennis ball.” This makes Chrissy’s journey out of her impoverished childhood even more impressive. As a side note, a bit like the character of Alan himself, I loved this local librarian, a quiet angel who made sure that Chrissy’s childhood was enriched through reading.
Descriptive details is another feature of Quick’s writing I loved. From the old car she drove, to the affectionate and protective love she displays to her young son. Everything is so believable: the music choices they listened to, the food they ate, the movies they watched.
Driving distractedly down the street one day she notices the hum of traffic, she sees a campaign sign for local candidate on a front fence, she sees an old border collie snoozing on a porch and a Halal food truck parked on the front lawn. She notices a teenage boy playing trap on his phone and shooting a basketball at a driveway hoop. She sees an unusual diorama mailbox outside a standard brick home and inside it she notices fairy figurines which remind her of the Magic Faraway Tree, a book from her childhood.
Another example of this impressive use of effective descriptive detail is in her description of Paul, the father of her son. She says he is the product of a private school and sums this up exquisitely in this phrase, “a place with Deans and a Latin motto and an outdoor education campus.” This tells us everything we need to know to understand how Chrissy became this tiger spirited single mum.
Right to the end I was on tenterhooks wondering how this story would end. How would all these multiple characters and plots be resolved?
Thanks Sophie Quick for a great read, and a very satisfying conclusion – which of course I can’t write about in this review!
May 27, 2025
Living in Melbourne, I’m always keen to read fiction that delves into Australian culture and nuances so The Confidence Woman was high on my to-read list.
Christine is a single mother, living in a granny flat and trying to raise her son while scamming people with her online ‘life coaching’ business, although that last part unravels a little slower, even though it’s clear that something isn’t quite right as we sit in on sessions early in the book.
This is a smart book with perhaps not an overly likeable protagonist but one who you could somewhat empathise with. In the unenviable position of trying to keep a roof over her and her child’s head in a very contemporary Melbourne – rental crisis, massive rents, semi unsteady employment – Christine takes a bunch of skills learned from her ex’s stepmother and turns them into a feasible cost-of-living solution.
To me, there’s a subtle dig at the proliferation of lifestyle gurus and coaching – in essence, Christine is scamming her clients twice if you want to really dig into the mechanics of it.
The flashback scenes are well paced and positioned, giving us the insights into her youth that we need to reconcile her current lifestyle and choices.
At the heart of the novel, to my mind, is the slight cliché of ‘no man is an island’ and Christine ends up finding out the hard way that she needs people to support her. This plays out well and none of what results from this feels forced.
The writing is sharp and witty, with plenty of scathing sarcasm and scolding self-deprecation dotted through the novel. I laughed aloud on numerous occasions and took every opportunity I could to steal a few extra pages of reading on breaks, while waiting for the kettle to boil, etc. That’s always a good sign!
The comparison to Sally Rooney however doesn’t ring true for me – if anything, I think Quick’s tone is more like Ottessa Moshfegh’s ‘Year of Rest…’ or Jen Beagin’s ‘Big Swiss’. I am not a big fan of Sally Rooney so this was a major plus point for me.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin, via NetGalley for the eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Christine is a single mother, living in a granny flat and trying to raise her son while scamming people with her online ‘life coaching’ business, although that last part unravels a little slower, even though it’s clear that something isn’t quite right as we sit in on sessions early in the book.
This is a smart book with perhaps not an overly likeable protagonist but one who you could somewhat empathise with. In the unenviable position of trying to keep a roof over her and her child’s head in a very contemporary Melbourne – rental crisis, massive rents, semi unsteady employment – Christine takes a bunch of skills learned from her ex’s stepmother and turns them into a feasible cost-of-living solution.
To me, there’s a subtle dig at the proliferation of lifestyle gurus and coaching – in essence, Christine is scamming her clients twice if you want to really dig into the mechanics of it.
The flashback scenes are well paced and positioned, giving us the insights into her youth that we need to reconcile her current lifestyle and choices.
At the heart of the novel, to my mind, is the slight cliché of ‘no man is an island’ and Christine ends up finding out the hard way that she needs people to support her. This plays out well and none of what results from this feels forced.
The writing is sharp and witty, with plenty of scathing sarcasm and scolding self-deprecation dotted through the novel. I laughed aloud on numerous occasions and took every opportunity I could to steal a few extra pages of reading on breaks, while waiting for the kettle to boil, etc. That’s always a good sign!
The comparison to Sally Rooney however doesn’t ring true for me – if anything, I think Quick’s tone is more like Ottessa Moshfegh’s ‘Year of Rest…’ or Jen Beagin’s ‘Big Swiss’. I am not a big fan of Sally Rooney so this was a major plus point for me.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin, via NetGalley for the eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2025
Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for gifting me a copy of this debut in exchange for my honest review.
Another Aussie novel for the win! Set in Melbourne’s suburbs, The Confidence Woman is a darkly funny, sharply observed story about blurred online identities, modern ambition, and what we’re willing to do to survive in a system that’s stacked against us.
I loved Christina – the ultimate antihero. A single mum with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, she moonlights as “Dr Ruth Carlisle,” an executive coach running a very elaborate scam. But instead of targeting the vulnerable, she scams the rich, the smug, the “too-successful-to-be-questioned” types—and honestly? I was rooting for her the whole time. I knew what she was doing was wrong, but Sophie Quick writes her with such wit and humanity that I couldn’t help but cheer her on.
The dual timelines (past and present) were a great touch, slowly building a picture of how Christina ended up in her double life. It added depth to her choices and made her motivations feel real and relatable. I also appreciated how realistic the entire plot felt—this isn’t a far-fetched heist story, but something that could genuinely happen in today’s world of online personas, self-help gurus, and endless reinvention.
Quick’s writing is so vivid and funny. I laughed out loud multiple times, especially during the scenes with Christina’s clients—each one was hilariously well-drawn and added so much flavour to the narrative. The voice throughout was punchy, clever, and distinctly Australian (which I always love). And the suspense? I was constantly trying to figure out who or what would be Christina’s undoing… and I did not see the twist coming.
And the ending? I absolutely loved it—it was the perfect conclusion for Christina’s story. So satisfying, clever, and totally in line with the tone of the book.
A fantastic debut—funny, smart, timely, and filled with heart. I can’t wait to read what Sophie Quick writes next!
Another Aussie novel for the win! Set in Melbourne’s suburbs, The Confidence Woman is a darkly funny, sharply observed story about blurred online identities, modern ambition, and what we’re willing to do to survive in a system that’s stacked against us.
I loved Christina – the ultimate antihero. A single mum with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, she moonlights as “Dr Ruth Carlisle,” an executive coach running a very elaborate scam. But instead of targeting the vulnerable, she scams the rich, the smug, the “too-successful-to-be-questioned” types—and honestly? I was rooting for her the whole time. I knew what she was doing was wrong, but Sophie Quick writes her with such wit and humanity that I couldn’t help but cheer her on.
The dual timelines (past and present) were a great touch, slowly building a picture of how Christina ended up in her double life. It added depth to her choices and made her motivations feel real and relatable. I also appreciated how realistic the entire plot felt—this isn’t a far-fetched heist story, but something that could genuinely happen in today’s world of online personas, self-help gurus, and endless reinvention.
Quick’s writing is so vivid and funny. I laughed out loud multiple times, especially during the scenes with Christina’s clients—each one was hilariously well-drawn and added so much flavour to the narrative. The voice throughout was punchy, clever, and distinctly Australian (which I always love). And the suspense? I was constantly trying to figure out who or what would be Christina’s undoing… and I did not see the twist coming.
And the ending? I absolutely loved it—it was the perfect conclusion for Christina’s story. So satisfying, clever, and totally in line with the tone of the book.
A fantastic debut—funny, smart, timely, and filled with heart. I can’t wait to read what Sophie Quick writes next!
October 19, 2025
4.5 stars.
Christina is a single mother living in the Melbourne suburbs, but to her online clients she is the esteemed Dr Ruth Carlisle, an 'executive coach and mindset expert, specialising in high-performing individuals'. Dr Ruth gains her clients' trust through her coaching business, discovering their secrets and deepest fears. Through this elaborate scam, she's saving money for the ultimate unobtainable Australian dream: a home deposit. But when she blunders, and her worlds begin to collide, suddenly everything is at stake.
Well, I’m impressed! I’ve read so many (truly, a lot!) books and I don’t think I’ve ever read anything else like this. The originality of the plot is truly commendable. It was cheeky, funny, sassy, thrilling and heartfelt! Even the title is so clever - The Confidence Woman, as in The CON Woman!
Christina definitely did a lot of bad things - faking her identity was one, extortion was another level altogether. And yet, I liked her! Her actions were somehow ‘forgivable’ because of her circumstances. I’d say she was even admirable because of the skills she had in research, storytelling and acting!
The social commentaries were great - economic disparity, struggles as a single mum, etc. They really grounded the plot and Christina as a character. Life isn’t fair and you could do everything right but still have everything wrong in the end. This book managed to tell the story in a cheeky and funny way. I was chuckling a fair bit throughout!
(Thanks to Allen & Unwin for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
Christina is a single mother living in the Melbourne suburbs, but to her online clients she is the esteemed Dr Ruth Carlisle, an 'executive coach and mindset expert, specialising in high-performing individuals'. Dr Ruth gains her clients' trust through her coaching business, discovering their secrets and deepest fears. Through this elaborate scam, she's saving money for the ultimate unobtainable Australian dream: a home deposit. But when she blunders, and her worlds begin to collide, suddenly everything is at stake.
Well, I’m impressed! I’ve read so many (truly, a lot!) books and I don’t think I’ve ever read anything else like this. The originality of the plot is truly commendable. It was cheeky, funny, sassy, thrilling and heartfelt! Even the title is so clever - The Confidence Woman, as in The CON Woman!
Christina definitely did a lot of bad things - faking her identity was one, extortion was another level altogether. And yet, I liked her! Her actions were somehow ‘forgivable’ because of her circumstances. I’d say she was even admirable because of the skills she had in research, storytelling and acting!
The social commentaries were great - economic disparity, struggles as a single mum, etc. They really grounded the plot and Christina as a character. Life isn’t fair and you could do everything right but still have everything wrong in the end. This book managed to tell the story in a cheeky and funny way. I was chuckling a fair bit throughout!
(Thanks to Allen & Unwin for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
April 22, 2025
The meeting link is sent, her glasses are on, Dr Ruth is ready for you now.
Life Coach/Success Coach, Dr Ruth is ready to hear about your professional woes or creativity blocks, she has charts and academic journals to share, advice to give, and years of experience in the field.
The problem is, Ruth doesn't exist. When the zoom session with her clients is over Christina removes her glasses and is back in the reality that is sharing a tiny granny flat with her 7 year old son.
This isn't the first scam Christina has run, she's been multiple Dr's and Coaches, all the while she's secretly recording each session, ready to extort money from her wealthy clients in exchange for her silence.
At times funny and others heartwarming this is a book about a single mother trying to do better for her young son and if that means scamming the the dumb and wealthy than so be it.
That is until she finds herself forming a friendship with one of the people she's meant to be scamming.
Before she knows it, Christina's scams are about to blow up in her face.
Told in duel timelines, this book does a fantastic job of endearing us to Christina. Under the scams she's just a woman trying her best in trying times. It's also the most quintessential Melb/Victorian book I've read and it was an absolute joy to pick up on all the Vic isms (also go hawks!).
I wish more time was spent on the actual end reveal, it felt like it was tied up a little too neatly.
This book was such a fun time! I want more books about women scammers.
Life Coach/Success Coach, Dr Ruth is ready to hear about your professional woes or creativity blocks, she has charts and academic journals to share, advice to give, and years of experience in the field.
The problem is, Ruth doesn't exist. When the zoom session with her clients is over Christina removes her glasses and is back in the reality that is sharing a tiny granny flat with her 7 year old son.
This isn't the first scam Christina has run, she's been multiple Dr's and Coaches, all the while she's secretly recording each session, ready to extort money from her wealthy clients in exchange for her silence.
At times funny and others heartwarming this is a book about a single mother trying to do better for her young son and if that means scamming the the dumb and wealthy than so be it.
That is until she finds herself forming a friendship with one of the people she's meant to be scamming.
Before she knows it, Christina's scams are about to blow up in her face.
Told in duel timelines, this book does a fantastic job of endearing us to Christina. Under the scams she's just a woman trying her best in trying times. It's also the most quintessential Melb/Victorian book I've read and it was an absolute joy to pick up on all the Vic isms (also go hawks!).
I wish more time was spent on the actual end reveal, it felt like it was tied up a little too neatly.
This book was such a fun time! I want more books about women scammers.
September 29, 2025
The Confidence Woman is the debut novel from Melbourne author Sophie Quick and it was an absolute page turner. I alternated reading the physical book with listening to the audiobook narrated by the wonderful Maddy Withington.
Dr Ruth Carlisle is an executive career coach who meets with her clients online and helps them to succeed in their chosen field. What they don’t know is that Ruth is really a single mother called Christina living in a granny flat in the Melbourne suburbs. She gains her clients’ trust while recording their sessions and discovering their secrets. Secrets which she then uses to blackmail them. But when her two worlds begin to converge, she is at risk of losing everything.
I loved this book and I loved Christina. As someone who is scamming people, both out of their money and by posing as a professional career coach, I did not expect to have any empathy for her. However, Christina was not actually a bad person and I could understand how she had gotten to this point. I also felt that the advice and coaching she was giving came from all the research she was doing behind the scenes, so although she had not formal qualification, she really did seem to actually help some of her clients.
I really enjoyed reading the two timelines, with the present day Christina and the younger version growing up in a small town and then moving into a career heavily influenced by her ex boyfriend’s mother, Yvonne. There was also so much nostalgia woven into these pages, especially as the novel was set in Melbourne. There were mentions of places that I’m very familiar with and this made the story even more relatable. Christina’s sense of humour and witty observations were also very endearing and had me laughing out loud.
My only quibble was that although I love the bright cover design, I feel like the cover and title didn’t really do the book justice, as the story was so much deeper and more nuanced than I expected, while still having a sense of humour.
Dr Ruth Carlisle is an executive career coach who meets with her clients online and helps them to succeed in their chosen field. What they don’t know is that Ruth is really a single mother called Christina living in a granny flat in the Melbourne suburbs. She gains her clients’ trust while recording their sessions and discovering their secrets. Secrets which she then uses to blackmail them. But when her two worlds begin to converge, she is at risk of losing everything.
I loved this book and I loved Christina. As someone who is scamming people, both out of their money and by posing as a professional career coach, I did not expect to have any empathy for her. However, Christina was not actually a bad person and I could understand how she had gotten to this point. I also felt that the advice and coaching she was giving came from all the research she was doing behind the scenes, so although she had not formal qualification, she really did seem to actually help some of her clients.
I really enjoyed reading the two timelines, with the present day Christina and the younger version growing up in a small town and then moving into a career heavily influenced by her ex boyfriend’s mother, Yvonne. There was also so much nostalgia woven into these pages, especially as the novel was set in Melbourne. There were mentions of places that I’m very familiar with and this made the story even more relatable. Christina’s sense of humour and witty observations were also very endearing and had me laughing out loud.
My only quibble was that although I love the bright cover design, I feel like the cover and title didn’t really do the book justice, as the story was so much deeper and more nuanced than I expected, while still having a sense of humour.
July 23, 2025
This was an unexpected love for me! We follow the story of Christina, a single mother living in the Melbourne suburbs, but to her online clients, she is the esteemed Dr Ruth Carlisle, an executive coach and mindset expert. Without a doctorate, or even a psychology background, Dr Ruth gains her clients' trust through her coaching business, discovering their secrets and deepest fears and pulling one of the more modern scams.
Despite being painted as the villain, Christina is just trying to provide a stable environment for her 5-year-old son by saving up for a home deposit. Throughout the story, we flash back to Christina's childhood and early adulthood, giving an insight into her upbringing and why she sought out this kind of work in the first place.
However, when her two worlds begin to collide, she could lose everything.
I liked how this story was told and was told in a way where you could tell we were supposed to not like Christina and what she was doing; however, as the story went on, I felt more sympathetic for her. This was an easy read that you could get lost in and gives an interesting perspective on how one person is trying to make the most of society has thrown at her by rigging the system.
Thanks so much to @allenandunwinnz for sending me this one to review. As always, I was blown away by this one.
Despite being painted as the villain, Christina is just trying to provide a stable environment for her 5-year-old son by saving up for a home deposit. Throughout the story, we flash back to Christina's childhood and early adulthood, giving an insight into her upbringing and why she sought out this kind of work in the first place.
However, when her two worlds begin to collide, she could lose everything.
I liked how this story was told and was told in a way where you could tell we were supposed to not like Christina and what she was doing; however, as the story went on, I felt more sympathetic for her. This was an easy read that you could get lost in and gives an interesting perspective on how one person is trying to make the most of society has thrown at her by rigging the system.
Thanks so much to @allenandunwinnz for sending me this one to review. As always, I was blown away by this one.
August 10, 2025
I picked up this book based on the blurb, it looked intriguing. It started really well and pulled me into Christina's life as Dr. Ruth and the different clients. Somewhere in the middle I felt that the plot was stalling and I stopped and looked into other reviews before deciding to keep going. I kept going but at a faster pace, skimming here and there.
A lot of people commented about the end being flat, but for me the ending was what made this book enjoyable. I found the end to be quite amusing and setting the whole plot into the right perspective ("the C-pex predator who poked an alligator" as Christina refers to herself).
The story ridicules the coaching \ mentoring \ be an inspiration trend. Adding the post COVID timeframe also sets the story into the right context. It was entertaining to see how everybody is trying so hard to be "someone" (Yvonne, Julian). I enjoyed Christina's glimpses into positive psychology and how she used those insights to drive her own agenda.
While I didn't particularly like Christina as a character (I was pretty sure she is a psychopath throughout most of the book) I did enjoy being surprised by her actions and by finally owning her own humanity in the end.
A lot of people commented about the end being flat, but for me the ending was what made this book enjoyable. I found the end to be quite amusing and setting the whole plot into the right perspective ("the C-pex predator who poked an alligator" as Christina refers to herself).
The story ridicules the coaching \ mentoring \ be an inspiration trend. Adding the post COVID timeframe also sets the story into the right context. It was entertaining to see how everybody is trying so hard to be "someone" (Yvonne, Julian). I enjoyed Christina's glimpses into positive psychology and how she used those insights to drive her own agenda.
While I didn't particularly like Christina as a character (I was pretty sure she is a psychopath throughout most of the book) I did enjoy being surprised by her actions and by finally owning her own humanity in the end.
April 30, 2025
This is a witty and droll take on the con person/scam trope. Christina is a young single mother and needs to lock in housing security and make ends meet.
The author cleverly constructs the character reveals in a timeline which moves back and forth (a device I often don't enjoy), but keeps the reader very oriented and engaged as we come to understand Christina and her history. This is balanced against a propulsive story.
There's a lot of insight into the world of personal growth coaching. I was really drawn into the science, language and peculiarities of this world, which the author understands very thoroughly and writes about with surety.
This novel is funny, insightful and the writing hits just the right note in originality and sly reverence for the overwhelmed protagonist. I was glad that I went into it cold with no prior knowledge as there were surprising elements.
The end resolution happened quite quickly; perhaps the author had run out of steam so the climax felt underwhelming. Still, a really good read and I'll be watching out for future work by this debut Australian novelist.
The author cleverly constructs the character reveals in a timeline which moves back and forth (a device I often don't enjoy), but keeps the reader very oriented and engaged as we come to understand Christina and her history. This is balanced against a propulsive story.
There's a lot of insight into the world of personal growth coaching. I was really drawn into the science, language and peculiarities of this world, which the author understands very thoroughly and writes about with surety.
This novel is funny, insightful and the writing hits just the right note in originality and sly reverence for the overwhelmed protagonist. I was glad that I went into it cold with no prior knowledge as there were surprising elements.
The end resolution happened quite quickly; perhaps the author had run out of steam so the climax felt underwhelming. Still, a really good read and I'll be watching out for future work by this debut Australian novelist.
May 2, 2025
This book was described as the ‘Australian love child of Sally Rooney and Aubrey Plaza’ and let me tell you if there was a single combination to sell me that would definitely be it.
Christina dreams of purchasing a home for herself and her son Sam. Relatable right? Her plan?
Run an elaborate scam as Dr Ruth, an executive coach to image obsessed influencers types, where their deepest secrets are used as blackmail.
There was so much to love about this book. Sharp humour, Australian nostalgia, suspense and a twist ending plus a lesson in a perfectly done anti hero in Christina.
Knowing that disaster was imminent made for an incredibly bingeable read which was hard to put down, only perhaps improved by getting there faster.
For Sophie Quick’s first novel I found the writing so consumable with a perfect dark and quiet humour - an absolutely hidden gem of a book.
Highly recommend picking up this wonderful book - I’m forever grateful for Allen & Unwin for gifting this to me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Christina dreams of purchasing a home for herself and her son Sam. Relatable right? Her plan?
Run an elaborate scam as Dr Ruth, an executive coach to image obsessed influencers types, where their deepest secrets are used as blackmail.
There was so much to love about this book. Sharp humour, Australian nostalgia, suspense and a twist ending plus a lesson in a perfectly done anti hero in Christina.
Knowing that disaster was imminent made for an incredibly bingeable read which was hard to put down, only perhaps improved by getting there faster.
For Sophie Quick’s first novel I found the writing so consumable with a perfect dark and quiet humour - an absolutely hidden gem of a book.
Highly recommend picking up this wonderful book - I’m forever grateful for Allen & Unwin for gifting this to me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
June 9, 2025
As someone who’s spent most of my life in Melbourne with significant periods living in rural Victoria, I wanted to love this book. I enjoyed the Melbourne setting and each local landmark mentioned made me smile. It was an easy read and I finished it pretty quickly.
Unfortunately, little things that showed the author either did not research or just didn’t care enough to fact check pulled me out of the story, eg. Christina/Ruth continuously referring to her “burner” phones. In Australia, you have to provide the telco with 100 points of ID to get an active SIM card. So Christina might have had multiple mobile phones but every single one would be linked to her legal ID of Christina and therefore 100% traceable back to her.
The characters were all a bit bland and morally ambiguous. I kept waiting for the story to pick up but it just never really did. The pace was slow and the story just casually meandered along until its conclusion where it just petered out.
Overall, this book was ok. Not great but not bad either.
Unfortunately, little things that showed the author either did not research or just didn’t care enough to fact check pulled me out of the story, eg. Christina/Ruth continuously referring to her “burner” phones. In Australia, you have to provide the telco with 100 points of ID to get an active SIM card. So Christina might have had multiple mobile phones but every single one would be linked to her legal ID of Christina and therefore 100% traceable back to her.
The characters were all a bit bland and morally ambiguous. I kept waiting for the story to pick up but it just never really did. The pace was slow and the story just casually meandered along until its conclusion where it just petered out.
Overall, this book was ok. Not great but not bad either.
April 2, 2025
I love a book where the location feels real, and this book was set in my home town of Melbourne, and in regional Victoria and it really captured the feeling of the city. It also really captured the inflated housing market and the desperate position this has put some people in. Chrissie is a single mother, doing the best she can, and this book explores how she entered her precarious situation. It has more of my favourite things - found family, personal growth and good writing. the ending felt a little rushed and a little too neat for me, but it wasn't discordant.
As an aside, it made me giggle that Christina lives Northside, and never - not once, goes south of the river this entire book. Ah Melbourne, I love you.
Sophie Quick is a strong writer - I enjoyed this book and look forward to her future writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for giving me a free e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As an aside, it made me giggle that Christina lives Northside, and never - not once, goes south of the river this entire book. Ah Melbourne, I love you.
Sophie Quick is a strong writer - I enjoyed this book and look forward to her future writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for giving me a free e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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