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The Sunday Girl
The Girl on the Train meets Before I Go to Sleep with a dash of Bridget Jones in this chilling tale of love gone horribly wrong …
Some love affairs change you forever. Someone comes into your orbit and swivels you on your axis, like the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it’s not always north.
Any woman who’s ever been involved with a bad, bad man and been dumped will understand what it feels like to be broken, broken-hearted and bent on revenge. Taylor Bishop is hurt, angry and wants to destroy Angus Hollingsworth in the way he destroyed her: Insidiously. Irreparably. Like a puzzle, he’d slowly dissembled … stolen a couple of pieces from, and then discarded, knowing that nobody would ever be able to put it back together ever again. So Taylor consulted The Art of War and made a plan. Then she took the next step – one that would change her life forever.
Then things get really out of control – and The Sunday Girl becomes impossible to put down.
Some love affairs change you forever. Someone comes into your orbit and swivels you on your axis, like the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it’s not always north.
Any woman who’s ever been involved with a bad, bad man and been dumped will understand what it feels like to be broken, broken-hearted and bent on revenge. Taylor Bishop is hurt, angry and wants to destroy Angus Hollingsworth in the way he destroyed her: Insidiously. Irreparably. Like a puzzle, he’d slowly dissembled … stolen a couple of pieces from, and then discarded, knowing that nobody would ever be able to put it back together ever again. So Taylor consulted The Art of War and made a plan. Then she took the next step – one that would change her life forever.
Then things get really out of control – and The Sunday Girl becomes impossible to put down.
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2018
499 people are currently reading
8339 people want to read
About the author
Pip Drysdale
5 books810 followersPip Drysdale is the bestselling author of five novels. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York and London, and lives on a steady diet of coffee, dreams, and literature. She is now also writing under the pen name Pip Knight—her debut 'Aubrey Wants To Die' is out in March 2026. Connect with Pip at PipDrysdale.com or on Instagram, TikTok (and rarely, Facebook) @PipDrysdale.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 861 reviews
July 11, 2019
Wow, I loved this book, literally could not put it down!
It sees our protagonist Taylor coming out of an abusive relationship with Angus, who shows his true colours by posting sex videos of Taylor on the internet, and taking another girl on their proposed skiing holiday. So taking inspiration from Sun Tzu's classic book "The Art Of War", Taylor starts to plot her revenge. However not all goes to plan and as Taylor's life goes spiralling out of control, she's sees her revenge backfire and life becomes very dangerous indeed. As Taylor herself says, once the dominoes start to fall there's no way of stopping them. I had no idea how things were going to turn out in the end, so raced through the book in a couple of hours!
Pip Drysdale has crafted a marvellous tale of love gone wrong and revenge, and I loved the excerpts from "The Art Of War" at the start of each chapter, the different strategies having new meaning in Taylor's case. I loved the character of Taylor, wanting to rant at her at times and at others wanting to give her a push forward.
All in all a fantastic debut novel and I'll definitely be on the lookout of more of the authors work in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster (Australia) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It sees our protagonist Taylor coming out of an abusive relationship with Angus, who shows his true colours by posting sex videos of Taylor on the internet, and taking another girl on their proposed skiing holiday. So taking inspiration from Sun Tzu's classic book "The Art Of War", Taylor starts to plot her revenge. However not all goes to plan and as Taylor's life goes spiralling out of control, she's sees her revenge backfire and life becomes very dangerous indeed. As Taylor herself says, once the dominoes start to fall there's no way of stopping them. I had no idea how things were going to turn out in the end, so raced through the book in a couple of hours!
Pip Drysdale has crafted a marvellous tale of love gone wrong and revenge, and I loved the excerpts from "The Art Of War" at the start of each chapter, the different strategies having new meaning in Taylor's case. I loved the character of Taylor, wanting to rant at her at times and at others wanting to give her a push forward.
All in all a fantastic debut novel and I'll definitely be on the lookout of more of the authors work in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster (Australia) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Yes! Now this is a fantastic little domestic thriller. Whew, this was a wild ride right from the first page. Taylor- our "Sunday girl" had bad taste in men. Angus her long time boyfriend ( aka F@#$ Head) as Taylor's BFF nicknamed him, was proof of that. He was all kinds of special........womanizer, drug user, abusive, just an all around scum of the earth. Yet Taylor dug him...until she didn't.
After all this that she had put up with, what was the final straw? A sex tape of her uploaded to the internet...oh Angus, what have you done?! Taylor is about to unleash her good girl gone crazy when she plots revenge.
Wow, this book is just my kind of thriller. I love a good revenge story. It actually gave me a great deal of angst waiting for the other shoe to drop. Taylor had some fantastic and entertaining revenge ideas...I mean of course they were wrong, so very wrong. HAHAHA but still I had to think...yeah Taylor you go...The thing is two can play at this game...so who will be the winner? This was a solid 5 star all the way until the end. I did expect just a little bit more cray at the end, hence the .5 star off. Yet, obviously I loved it!
I can hardly believe this is a debut! I seriously can't wait to get my hands on her next book! A huge shout out to Melody of @ohthebooksshewillread on Instagram for my giveaway copy and of course Sourcebooks Landmark. Thanks Pip Drysdale for entertaining me with this wicked little tale of revenge is sweet.
Yes! Now this is a fantastic little domestic thriller. Whew, this was a wild ride right from the first page. Taylor- our "Sunday girl" had bad taste in men. Angus her long time boyfriend ( aka F@#$ Head) as Taylor's BFF nicknamed him, was proof of that. He was all kinds of special........womanizer, drug user, abusive, just an all around scum of the earth. Yet Taylor dug him...until she didn't.
After all this that she had put up with, what was the final straw? A sex tape of her uploaded to the internet...oh Angus, what have you done?! Taylor is about to unleash her good girl gone crazy when she plots revenge.
Wow, this book is just my kind of thriller. I love a good revenge story. It actually gave me a great deal of angst waiting for the other shoe to drop. Taylor had some fantastic and entertaining revenge ideas...I mean of course they were wrong, so very wrong. HAHAHA but still I had to think...yeah Taylor you go...The thing is two can play at this game...so who will be the winner? This was a solid 5 star all the way until the end. I did expect just a little bit more cray at the end, hence the .5 star off. Yet, obviously I loved it!
I can hardly believe this is a debut! I seriously can't wait to get my hands on her next book! A huge shout out to Melody of @ohthebooksshewillread on Instagram for my giveaway copy and of course Sourcebooks Landmark. Thanks Pip Drysdale for entertaining me with this wicked little tale of revenge is sweet.
June 4, 2021
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
"Some love affairs change you forever”
Someone comes into your life, like “the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it’s not always north.”
Taylor Bishop knows why she did what she did…”love – broken love – made me do it”
She tells us the how is more complicated. And the when? Well she can tell us that exactly…
“it started four days, eighteen hours and twenty-three minutes after the strongest gust of wind I’d ever known decided to leave me”.That gust of wind was Angus Hollingsworth.
The book opens as Taylor, after a night of drinking, is using Google to search for ways to ruin a man.
What do they always say about a woman scorned?
We learn about Taylor’s relationship with Angus through memories she shares. He called her his “Sunday Girl”.
In the beginning:
“With Angus life was like a movie: a dozen red roses at work for no reason, phone calls from the restaurant bathroom in the middle of a business lunch just to say that he missed me, long baths together chatting about nonsense.”
But after a few months…things start to change. When Angus was happy he was wonderful, but when he wasn’t happy?
But something made her stay. However, everybody has a limit.
Taylor might have been able to move on and get over it. But then she receives an email with an attachment. When she opens it, she’s BEYOND shocked by what she sees…and it changes EVERYTHING. Then a friend gives her a copy of “The Art of War”.
“That’s when I had the idea that would change the course of my life forever.”
A gripping and exciting read!
At the beginning of each chapter is a quote from “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu which I found really interesting.
In my opinion, this really was a fantastic read. I may have had to let go and not worry if everything was believable or plausible, but it was worth it.
“The Sunday Girl” was an escape from everyday life that I really enjoyed.
A fantastic debut novel about love, anger, and revenge!
"Some love affairs change you forever”
Someone comes into your life, like “the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it’s not always north.”
Taylor Bishop knows why she did what she did…”love – broken love – made me do it”
She tells us the how is more complicated. And the when? Well she can tell us that exactly…
“it started four days, eighteen hours and twenty-three minutes after the strongest gust of wind I’d ever known decided to leave me”.That gust of wind was Angus Hollingsworth.
The book opens as Taylor, after a night of drinking, is using Google to search for ways to ruin a man.
What do they always say about a woman scorned?
We learn about Taylor’s relationship with Angus through memories she shares. He called her his “Sunday Girl”.
In the beginning:
“With Angus life was like a movie: a dozen red roses at work for no reason, phone calls from the restaurant bathroom in the middle of a business lunch just to say that he missed me, long baths together chatting about nonsense.”
But after a few months…things start to change. When Angus was happy he was wonderful, but when he wasn’t happy?
But something made her stay. However, everybody has a limit.
Taylor might have been able to move on and get over it. But then she receives an email with an attachment. When she opens it, she’s BEYOND shocked by what she sees…and it changes EVERYTHING. Then a friend gives her a copy of “The Art of War”.
“That’s when I had the idea that would change the course of my life forever.”
A gripping and exciting read!
At the beginning of each chapter is a quote from “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu which I found really interesting.
In my opinion, this really was a fantastic read. I may have had to let go and not worry if everything was believable or plausible, but it was worth it.
“The Sunday Girl” was an escape from everyday life that I really enjoyed.
A fantastic debut novel about love, anger, and revenge!
May 1, 2020
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"
Ahh, The Sunday Girl. The good girl. The nice girl that mothers love, colleagues can converse, and who keeps the house tidy and nice. Always dependable, soft-spoken, yet a vixen in the bedroom. Taylor Bishop enjoyed being The Sunday Girl to Angus.
What happens to the nice girl when you've betrayed her?
Imagine the love of your life has not only left you, not only has he gone on YOUR vacation with another woman, but he also posted an intimate video of you online for the entire world to see. Angry would be an understatement.
With The Art of War as her guide Taylor sets out to exact revenge but what happens when your opponent is a master of mind games and manipulation? You'll have to read this to find out.
I enjoyed the writing and I breezed right through this easily enough but I wanted more from it. I wanted it to be darker. More menacing. I was also hoping that Taylor would have been more of a force to be reckoned with but she remained sort of wishy washy. Plenty of tears but dammit! WHERE'S THE RAGE? Angus is lucky I wasn't his girlfriend! 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Ahh, The Sunday Girl. The good girl. The nice girl that mothers love, colleagues can converse, and who keeps the house tidy and nice. Always dependable, soft-spoken, yet a vixen in the bedroom. Taylor Bishop enjoyed being The Sunday Girl to Angus.
What happens to the nice girl when you've betrayed her?
Imagine the love of your life has not only left you, not only has he gone on YOUR vacation with another woman, but he also posted an intimate video of you online for the entire world to see. Angry would be an understatement.
With The Art of War as her guide Taylor sets out to exact revenge but what happens when your opponent is a master of mind games and manipulation? You'll have to read this to find out.
I enjoyed the writing and I breezed right through this easily enough but I wanted more from it. I wanted it to be darker. More menacing. I was also hoping that Taylor would have been more of a force to be reckoned with but she remained sort of wishy washy. Plenty of tears but dammit! WHERE'S THE RAGE? Angus is lucky I wasn't his girlfriend! 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 29, 2018
Can I give this more than 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️? This is the debut novel from Pip Drysdale...wow! I am a fan and can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. Do yourself a favour and pick up this book...you will not regret it, although you may lose sleep as it is very hard to put down. A brilliant read from a bright new star.
Some affairs change you forever. This is a story of an angry and hurt woman Taylor, whose now ex-boyfriend Angus has posted a sex tape of her online for the whole world to see. Taylor's is mortified, and then discovers that Angus has taken another woman on their ski trip. This is the final straw acorn Taylor who starts to plot her revenge.... but once she starts she just can't stop and things begin to spiral out of control. You will feel the need to keep reading this to find out what happens next.
I can't praise this book enough.... all the stars and more! Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Some affairs change you forever. This is a story of an angry and hurt woman Taylor, whose now ex-boyfriend Angus has posted a sex tape of her online for the whole world to see. Taylor's is mortified, and then discovers that Angus has taken another woman on their ski trip. This is the final straw acorn Taylor who starts to plot her revenge.... but once she starts she just can't stop and things begin to spiral out of control. You will feel the need to keep reading this to find out what happens next.
I can't praise this book enough.... all the stars and more! Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
August 22, 2018
When Taylor Bishop is dumped by her boyfriend Angus after a row and finds he has not only posted a sex video of her on social media but also taken his ex girlfriend on the skiing holiday they had planned together, she decides to take revenge. Consulting Sun Tzu's 'Art of War', she uses her knowledge of him to lay plans to damage his reputation, setting in motion an unstoppable series of events that will take over her life as Angus fights back.
The events are narrated by Taylor and as they escalate out of control, the tension ramps up and it's hard to see how it can end well for Taylor. Although Angus is a totally self absorbed narcissist and sociopath, it was often difficult to understand Taylor's actions in allowing him to be cruel to her and accepting his explanations and excuses. However, once her eyes were open there was no going back and Angus might have underestimated his opponent. An addictive read and excellent debut novel.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Simon & Schuster for a digital copy to read
The events are narrated by Taylor and as they escalate out of control, the tension ramps up and it's hard to see how it can end well for Taylor. Although Angus is a totally self absorbed narcissist and sociopath, it was often difficult to understand Taylor's actions in allowing him to be cruel to her and accepting his explanations and excuses. However, once her eyes were open there was no going back and Angus might have underestimated his opponent. An addictive read and excellent debut novel.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Simon & Schuster for a digital copy to read
August 2, 2020
February 5
Some love affairs change you forever. Someone comes into your orbit and swivels you on your axis, like the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it’s not always north.
The Sunday Girl
by Pip Drysdale
My review:
Note for future reference and to anyone who happens upon this review:
When writing a revenge story..THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!
Wow..How I adored this book..I came this close to giving it a five. It is THAT GOOD.
No plot review: suffice to say this is War of the Roses on Crack. Seriously.
And I HATED War of the roses.
There was so much to like about this one. This is a dysfunctional relationship to be sure but it encompasses so much more..Social issues, Domestic abuse, Internet revenge..which in today's society is very real. It really had strong character development and I liked Taylor.
This is a woman's tale. I think the more Dysfunctional relationships one has had, the more one will relate. Taylor does some immature and bratty things but anyone knows how, when your wronged, how great thoughts of revenge can be. In most cases, however they are fleeting thoughts that may linger in mind but are never carried out. Not in Taylor's case but the thing is, Taylor is such a compelling yet forlorn character (at first) that it is hard not to feel for her.
The book plays with your head as you are not sure at first, who and what will happen. You know a volcano is about to erupt. You know, from the followings of "The Art of war" that things will not end well. You know from reading the first few pages that it all gets away from Taylor but the reader does not know how. I was glued to this, trying to figure it all out.
The book felt very modern, especially since so much is concentrated on the Internet. It could be a cautionary tale. I have read more then a few revenge tales. This is one of the best.
I think that is because the characters are so much more than their circumstances and reading this, it has alot to say. It is not tawdry despite many tawdry things happening. It feels very relevant. And it does not go by the way of completely absurd which is my main complaint usually in stories such as these.
SPOILERS:
Only thing is I wish the end had gone a bit deeper. I'd have also liked to know more about Kim and her role in this. There were a few unclear threads. Perhaps the author will write a sequel.
You KNOW a book is good when you are sorry it ends. I was sorry w hen The Sunday Girl ended. Highly recommended. One heck of an awesome read!
Some love affairs change you forever. Someone comes into your orbit and swivels you on your axis, like the wind working on a rooftop weather vane. And when they leave, as the wind always does, you are different; you have a new direction. And it’s not always north.
The Sunday Girl
by Pip Drysdale
My review:
Note for future reference and to anyone who happens upon this review:
When writing a revenge story..THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!
Wow..How I adored this book..I came this close to giving it a five. It is THAT GOOD.
No plot review: suffice to say this is War of the Roses on Crack. Seriously.
And I HATED War of the roses.
There was so much to like about this one. This is a dysfunctional relationship to be sure but it encompasses so much more..Social issues, Domestic abuse, Internet revenge..which in today's society is very real. It really had strong character development and I liked Taylor.
This is a woman's tale. I think the more Dysfunctional relationships one has had, the more one will relate. Taylor does some immature and bratty things but anyone knows how, when your wronged, how great thoughts of revenge can be. In most cases, however they are fleeting thoughts that may linger in mind but are never carried out. Not in Taylor's case but the thing is, Taylor is such a compelling yet forlorn character (at first) that it is hard not to feel for her.
The book plays with your head as you are not sure at first, who and what will happen. You know a volcano is about to erupt. You know, from the followings of "The Art of war" that things will not end well. You know from reading the first few pages that it all gets away from Taylor but the reader does not know how. I was glued to this, trying to figure it all out.
The book felt very modern, especially since so much is concentrated on the Internet. It could be a cautionary tale. I have read more then a few revenge tales. This is one of the best.
I think that is because the characters are so much more than their circumstances and reading this, it has alot to say. It is not tawdry despite many tawdry things happening. It feels very relevant. And it does not go by the way of completely absurd which is my main complaint usually in stories such as these.
SPOILERS:
Only thing is I wish the end had gone a bit deeper. I'd have also liked to know more about Kim and her role in this. There were a few unclear threads. Perhaps the author will write a sequel.
You KNOW a book is good when you are sorry it ends. I was sorry w hen The Sunday Girl ended. Highly recommended. One heck of an awesome read!
September 9, 2018
3.5 Stars
As I write this introduction I am STILL debating on my rating of this one. I felt it wasn't quite up to a 4 for me, however 3 seems a bit slack because I did enjoy it more than that. Times like this I really wish that Goodreads and Amazon would allow half votes!
Taylor wants to get revenge on her ex Angus, after he does more than a few awful things to her. But the problem is she doesn't quite know when enough is enough, and things get a bit out of hand...
I enjoyed this psychological thriller. It was like watching a train wreck, but in a good way. There were a lot of enjoyable twists and turns, however it didn't totally grip me.
The characters... Wow! You love to hate them that's for sure! A little too unbelievable perhaps, but I enjoyed getting frustrated with Taylor's stupid decisions! That was part of the fun.
I enjoyed the romance and the raunchy parts, and I loved the psychological mind-screwing that was happening. You never knew exactly what was going to happen next.
I think I would have rated it higher and not be so conflicted if I enjoyed the ending. I was unable to put it down as it reached the end, so excited for whatever was in store. But the things in store didn't do it for me unfortunately and I felt a bit down as it ended and my excitement waned.
Would I recommend The Sunday Girl?
It was a good read, if you are a fan of psychological thrillers you should enjoy it! It was a well written and fun read.
*Thanks to Simon and Schuster via Netgalley for a copy of The Sunday Girl to review.
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As I write this introduction I am STILL debating on my rating of this one. I felt it wasn't quite up to a 4 for me, however 3 seems a bit slack because I did enjoy it more than that. Times like this I really wish that Goodreads and Amazon would allow half votes!
Taylor wants to get revenge on her ex Angus, after he does more than a few awful things to her. But the problem is she doesn't quite know when enough is enough, and things get a bit out of hand...
I enjoyed this psychological thriller. It was like watching a train wreck, but in a good way. There were a lot of enjoyable twists and turns, however it didn't totally grip me.
The characters... Wow! You love to hate them that's for sure! A little too unbelievable perhaps, but I enjoyed getting frustrated with Taylor's stupid decisions! That was part of the fun.
I enjoyed the romance and the raunchy parts, and I loved the psychological mind-screwing that was happening. You never knew exactly what was going to happen next.
I think I would have rated it higher and not be so conflicted if I enjoyed the ending. I was unable to put it down as it reached the end, so excited for whatever was in store. But the things in store didn't do it for me unfortunately and I felt a bit down as it ended and my excitement waned.
Would I recommend The Sunday Girl?
It was a good read, if you are a fan of psychological thrillers you should enjoy it! It was a well written and fun read.
*Thanks to Simon and Schuster via Netgalley for a copy of The Sunday Girl to review.
For more reviews check out my:
Blog
May 30, 2020
"I'd drunk most of a bottle of chardonnay and was conducting what I thought at the time to be a reasonably justified Sunday night Google search: how to ruin a man. Or, if I'm being truly faithful to history: gow yo ruin a nan. Luckily, Google can quickly decode drunk-girl speak."
I thought I was in for a fun ride after reading that, but I think my expectations were a bit high. This is an entertaining revenge story, but gets bogged down at times by hysterical crying, second-guessing, and terrible decisions. It picks up steam in the last section, but there is a glaring question that's never answered.
All in all, an enjoyable read. I'll be interested in reading the author’s next novel.
I thought I was in for a fun ride after reading that, but I think my expectations were a bit high. This is an entertaining revenge story, but gets bogged down at times by hysterical crying, second-guessing, and terrible decisions. It picks up steam in the last section, but there is a glaring question that's never answered.
All in all, an enjoyable read. I'll be interested in reading the author’s next novel.
December 17, 2018
When Taylor Bishop and Angus Hollingsworth's relationship ends, Taylor is devastated, hurt and terribly upset. When Taylor discovers Angus has posted a sex video of her on line for the whole world to see she is angry, then to add insult to injury, Angus takes his new girlfriend on a skiing trip which they were meant to be going on.
Taylor is out for revenge and she wants Angus to pay for what he did to her, but as she makes plans for her revenge she uncovers things about Angus that could turn her revenge upside down. Could Taylor be in danger?
The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale is a fantastic psychological thriller and one in which I found very difficult to put down. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the publishers for my copy to read and review.
Taylor is out for revenge and she wants Angus to pay for what he did to her, but as she makes plans for her revenge she uncovers things about Angus that could turn her revenge upside down. Could Taylor be in danger?
The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale is a fantastic psychological thriller and one in which I found very difficult to put down. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the publishers for my copy to read and review.
February 3, 2020
I actually really enjoyed thins, more than I thought I would. I’m still enjoying abusive partners, and when their victims plot some juicy payback I’m in.
Taylor is a young property analyst who is besotted with her older, cheating boyfriend Angus Hollingsworth. He’s also been very rough with her and its gotten a bit scary. When they break up and he posts a sex tape of her online and then takes his former ex on a ski trip that Taylor was supposed go on she sees red and plots some mischievous payback using strategies from Sun Tzu’s Art Of War.
Naturally things don’t quite work out and Angus is not ready to let her go and he really didn’t like her silly pranks. Angus reacts viciously and she realises that she has seriously underestimated him. The stakes have suddenly gotten much higher and she needs a real escape plan. This was an addictive read, and I thought it was very realistic too. I could see this happening. I would have liked a more dramatic ending but I liked the story a lot.
Taylor is a young property analyst who is besotted with her older, cheating boyfriend Angus Hollingsworth. He’s also been very rough with her and its gotten a bit scary. When they break up and he posts a sex tape of her online and then takes his former ex on a ski trip that Taylor was supposed go on she sees red and plots some mischievous payback using strategies from Sun Tzu’s Art Of War.
Naturally things don’t quite work out and Angus is not ready to let her go and he really didn’t like her silly pranks. Angus reacts viciously and she realises that she has seriously underestimated him. The stakes have suddenly gotten much higher and she needs a real escape plan. This was an addictive read, and I thought it was very realistic too. I could see this happening. I would have liked a more dramatic ending but I liked the story a lot.
August 27, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Pip Drysdale’s debut psychological thriller The Sunday Girl, has been marketed as The Girl on the Train meets Before I Go to Sleep, with a splash of Bridget Jones. I’m not sure if all three of these comparisons are warranted, or accurate, but I did enjoy The Sunday Girl. I think this book does a good job of attaching itself to the popular dark psychological thriller genre, but it goes that one step further in offering storyline that is both different and very contemporary. If I had the free time, I would have definitely ripped through this one in a sitting, The Sunday Girl is a compulsive read!
Taylor is a woman who has been involved with and has been duped by a despicable excuse for a man. Angus, her ex, is bad news. Not only has he dumped her and broken her heart into pieces, Angus has also objectified and humiliated Taylor. With revenge on her mind, Taylor plots to enact a plan that will ultimately destroy Angus. However, Angus always seems to be one step ahead of Taylor. In this game of cat and mouse, Taylor and Angus battle to gain the upper hand. But when one takes a step too far, the results are life changing.
I do like my psychological thrillers and nothing pleases me more than to see a book on the market that is a slight departure from the usual books that define this full genre. Pip Drysdale is also a debut author and it gives me great pleasure to endorse her writing. The Sunday Girl is a book that quite literally sent a jolt to my system. It was shocking, surprising and unpredictable. The Sunday Girl offers a great overall experience for a seasoned reader. I am always striving to find books that are original and challenge me as a reader. The Sunday Girl performed its duty in this area very well.
I liked the first person style of narration selected by Drysdale for her debut novel. Overall, The Sunday Girl came across as well composed, carefully plotted and fresh. The writing exuded plenty of foreboding and the atmosphere was tight. I felt like my heart was pounding through many sections of the narrative. Drysdale issues plenty of twists, turns and unpredictable moments in her novel. The pace was set to a brisk and unrelenting pace. The narrative is also consistent, ensuring there were no moments where the story lagged. This is just what you want in a thriller.
Drysdale’s main protagonist is the likeable Taylor. I found it easy to develop a connection to Taylor. I immediately felt incredibly sorry for the situation in which Taylor unfortunately finds herself stuck in. I did question some of the choices and moves Taylor makes, but at no point in the novel was she unreliable. This was a welcome change as many female protagonists in psychological thrillers are cast as unreliable narrators. Drysdale’s depiction of Taylor makes it easy for the reader to cheer Taylor on throughout the book, hoping that she succeeds in her revenge plot. We also want Taylor to gain the upper hand over her awful ex. How this all plays out is one of the highlights of the novel.
I really liked the use of the book of revenge that spurns on Taylor’s plan of attack against Angus. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, is the directive Taylor uses to get her own back against Angus. Quotes from this book feature at the beginning of each chapter of The Sunday Girl. It is an interesting way to set out a book and it really helped to set the tone of the novel.
The other player in this book, Angus, is pretty atrocious all over. His behaviour and actions are utterly unforgivable. I really couldn’t see Angus’ appeal, but I think that is a reflection of real life. Often we are blind in love to these horrific men and we also go back for more, a mistake Taylor makes. Drysdale does a good job of outlining Angus as a character, but I know I will not be the minority in desperately wanting Taylor to outsmart Angus. Taylor’s relationship with Angus allows Drysdale to tap into some hard-hitting themes, from domestic abuse, to the evolution of relationships in this tech savvy world. The sense that this book is situated in the here and now, tapping into the world of technology in particular, is a standout feature of The Sunday Girl.
The Sunday Girl rolls to a satisfying conclusion and I am glad I bought a ticket for this thrilling ride. I was impressed by this debut, it held my attention from the start to finish of the novel. I am definitely keen to see what Drysdale will offer up next, in light of the great start she has made to her career with The Sunday Girl.
The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale was published on 23rd August 2018 by Simon & Schuster Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Sunday Girl, Pip Drysdale visit here.
*I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Sunday Girl, is book #107 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
Pip Drysdale’s debut psychological thriller The Sunday Girl, has been marketed as The Girl on the Train meets Before I Go to Sleep, with a splash of Bridget Jones. I’m not sure if all three of these comparisons are warranted, or accurate, but I did enjoy The Sunday Girl. I think this book does a good job of attaching itself to the popular dark psychological thriller genre, but it goes that one step further in offering storyline that is both different and very contemporary. If I had the free time, I would have definitely ripped through this one in a sitting, The Sunday Girl is a compulsive read!
Taylor is a woman who has been involved with and has been duped by a despicable excuse for a man. Angus, her ex, is bad news. Not only has he dumped her and broken her heart into pieces, Angus has also objectified and humiliated Taylor. With revenge on her mind, Taylor plots to enact a plan that will ultimately destroy Angus. However, Angus always seems to be one step ahead of Taylor. In this game of cat and mouse, Taylor and Angus battle to gain the upper hand. But when one takes a step too far, the results are life changing.
I do like my psychological thrillers and nothing pleases me more than to see a book on the market that is a slight departure from the usual books that define this full genre. Pip Drysdale is also a debut author and it gives me great pleasure to endorse her writing. The Sunday Girl is a book that quite literally sent a jolt to my system. It was shocking, surprising and unpredictable. The Sunday Girl offers a great overall experience for a seasoned reader. I am always striving to find books that are original and challenge me as a reader. The Sunday Girl performed its duty in this area very well.
I liked the first person style of narration selected by Drysdale for her debut novel. Overall, The Sunday Girl came across as well composed, carefully plotted and fresh. The writing exuded plenty of foreboding and the atmosphere was tight. I felt like my heart was pounding through many sections of the narrative. Drysdale issues plenty of twists, turns and unpredictable moments in her novel. The pace was set to a brisk and unrelenting pace. The narrative is also consistent, ensuring there were no moments where the story lagged. This is just what you want in a thriller.
Drysdale’s main protagonist is the likeable Taylor. I found it easy to develop a connection to Taylor. I immediately felt incredibly sorry for the situation in which Taylor unfortunately finds herself stuck in. I did question some of the choices and moves Taylor makes, but at no point in the novel was she unreliable. This was a welcome change as many female protagonists in psychological thrillers are cast as unreliable narrators. Drysdale’s depiction of Taylor makes it easy for the reader to cheer Taylor on throughout the book, hoping that she succeeds in her revenge plot. We also want Taylor to gain the upper hand over her awful ex. How this all plays out is one of the highlights of the novel.
I really liked the use of the book of revenge that spurns on Taylor’s plan of attack against Angus. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, is the directive Taylor uses to get her own back against Angus. Quotes from this book feature at the beginning of each chapter of The Sunday Girl. It is an interesting way to set out a book and it really helped to set the tone of the novel.
The other player in this book, Angus, is pretty atrocious all over. His behaviour and actions are utterly unforgivable. I really couldn’t see Angus’ appeal, but I think that is a reflection of real life. Often we are blind in love to these horrific men and we also go back for more, a mistake Taylor makes. Drysdale does a good job of outlining Angus as a character, but I know I will not be the minority in desperately wanting Taylor to outsmart Angus. Taylor’s relationship with Angus allows Drysdale to tap into some hard-hitting themes, from domestic abuse, to the evolution of relationships in this tech savvy world. The sense that this book is situated in the here and now, tapping into the world of technology in particular, is a standout feature of The Sunday Girl.
The Sunday Girl rolls to a satisfying conclusion and I am glad I bought a ticket for this thrilling ride. I was impressed by this debut, it held my attention from the start to finish of the novel. I am definitely keen to see what Drysdale will offer up next, in light of the great start she has made to her career with The Sunday Girl.
The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale was published on 23rd August 2018 by Simon & Schuster Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Sunday Girl, Pip Drysdale visit here.
*I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Sunday Girl, is book #107 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
January 29, 2020
This is not an enjoyable read. It’s well written and full of tension, but it’s difficult to read about two people in a relationship being horrible to one another. Granted, when Taylor did things to exact revenge, she had plenty of reasons to be angry, but then she chose to believe Angus had changed and got back together with him. I’ve had many bad dates and made my share of mistakes with guys, but no where close to this colossally poor judgment on her part.
You worry about her safety—physical, financial, emotional—and you hope she finds a clever way out of it. The ending wasn’t the satisfactory one I had been hoping for.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
You worry about her safety—physical, financial, emotional—and you hope she finds a clever way out of it. The ending wasn’t the satisfactory one I had been hoping for.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
March 15, 2019
This is a bad book but a good read. That is, the characters odious but fortunately unbelievable and the plot unlikely, but I had to finish it to find out whether the narrator ended up telling her story from prison. Acquired it by mistake. Originally published in Australia and hoped that would prove the setting. No, it’s London. Taylor is a twenty-something who works for a property company on Berkeley Square (sure!) and been having an affair with Angus, a 43 year old banker who lives in Chelsea (of course!) and inhabits a ‘shimmery world of high-grade cocaine and Chivas Regal.” (I have despaired understanding the distinction between Chivas Regal drinkers and unblended single malt drinkers - probably it’s between displaying affluence and appreciating whisky.) Besides his coke habit, Angus (well named - he really is a brute) is also mixed up with a Russian oligarch (that seems to be an actual job description these days), which explains how Taylor’s workplace becomes involved. There is incriminating evidence on “a green thumb drive” (at first I thought that might be a gardening accessory), which serves as the MacGuffin of the story. But Taylor’s motivation is revenge. Angus not only gave her the el dumpo to go on a skiing holiday with another woman, he also slut-shamed her by posting on-line a sex video Taylor made with another woman for his delectation. Taylor has stumbled onto a copy of the Chinese classic, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, and is using it as a guide to get back at Angus. Unfortunately, for most of the story Angus manipulates and humiliates Taylor, not in the fifty-shades manner but with simple brutality. As most Master Sun’s precepts are lycra unisize - “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move fall like a thunderbolt” - Taylor doesn’t get much practical guidance. But the final confrontation with Angus and the interrogation by the police had me thoroughly engaged and personally I found the ending quite satisfying.
According to the biographical notes, Pip Drysdale is an Australian who worked as an actress and singer in New York and 'moved to London where she dated some interesting men'. Her peripatetic history is reflected in the narrator’s transatlantic idiolect. She wears ‘knickers’ and goes to the ‘loo’ but has ‘garter belts’ finds someone else’s ‘panties’ under Angus’s bed, he has ‘tracksuit pants’ and ‘running shoes’ and his building ‘elevators’ but also a ‘lift’ and Taylor eats ‘French fries’. Taylor occasionally essays a poetic verging on bathetic style: ‘Silence put its pretty hands around my throat’; ‘my eyes were as heavy as suburban windows tired of holding up their blinds all day’; ‘his whiskey-coloured eyes bright’; ‘caramel leather sofa’. Silly, but deliciously amusing. Was hoping for a story about a kick-arse chick, but with Taylor it’s more like blundering through.
According to the biographical notes, Pip Drysdale is an Australian who worked as an actress and singer in New York and 'moved to London where she dated some interesting men'. Her peripatetic history is reflected in the narrator’s transatlantic idiolect. She wears ‘knickers’ and goes to the ‘loo’ but has ‘garter belts’ finds someone else’s ‘panties’ under Angus’s bed, he has ‘tracksuit pants’ and ‘running shoes’ and his building ‘elevators’ but also a ‘lift’ and Taylor eats ‘French fries’. Taylor occasionally essays a poetic verging on bathetic style: ‘Silence put its pretty hands around my throat’; ‘my eyes were as heavy as suburban windows tired of holding up their blinds all day’; ‘his whiskey-coloured eyes bright’; ‘caramel leather sofa’. Silly, but deliciously amusing. Was hoping for a story about a kick-arse chick, but with Taylor it’s more like blundering through.
October 15, 2018
4.5★s
The Sunday Girl is the first novel by Australian/African raised writer, actor and musician, Pip Drysdale. Taylor Bishop is in a relationship with a psychopath. She hasn't fully realised it yet, despite warnings from her mother and her best friend Charlotte, but Angus Hollingsworth, for all his good looks, wealth and charm, is not good for her.
But they have an acrimonious split and he does something unforgivable: the sex video she never wanted to make has appeared online. And then takes his previous ex on the ski holiday he and Taylor had planned together.
It's when Taylor is meting out some carefully planned revenge that she discovers some disturbing facts about Angus. Yet when he returns begging forgiveness, she eventually capitulates. Soon enough, though, she understands what this man is really like, and realises the danger that staying with Angus presents. Dare she leave? And how will she do this without reprisals?
While Drysdale’s plot (woman in toxic relationship) has been used many times, her execution of it is excellent, making sure the reader is kept guessing until the jaw-dropping final turn. Taylor may come across as rather naive but her situation doesn't require a great deal of suspension of disbelief, and the technology involved is all too believable. An impressive debut novel.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Simon&Schuster Australia
The Sunday Girl is the first novel by Australian/African raised writer, actor and musician, Pip Drysdale. Taylor Bishop is in a relationship with a psychopath. She hasn't fully realised it yet, despite warnings from her mother and her best friend Charlotte, but Angus Hollingsworth, for all his good looks, wealth and charm, is not good for her.
But they have an acrimonious split and he does something unforgivable: the sex video she never wanted to make has appeared online. And then takes his previous ex on the ski holiday he and Taylor had planned together.
It's when Taylor is meting out some carefully planned revenge that she discovers some disturbing facts about Angus. Yet when he returns begging forgiveness, she eventually capitulates. Soon enough, though, she understands what this man is really like, and realises the danger that staying with Angus presents. Dare she leave? And how will she do this without reprisals?
While Drysdale’s plot (woman in toxic relationship) has been used many times, her execution of it is excellent, making sure the reader is kept guessing until the jaw-dropping final turn. Taylor may come across as rather naive but her situation doesn't require a great deal of suspension of disbelief, and the technology involved is all too believable. An impressive debut novel.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Simon&Schuster Australia
October 29, 2020
So usually I’m not a big fan of revenge plot’s (because girl, they ain’t worth it!)but this was SO good! I was hooked from the start and couldn’t wait to see how it all unfolded - so much so, that I finished it in less than 24 hours!
All the way through, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, knowing some big explosion is coming but now knowing from who or where. Such a fun read! 💓
Read this if you liked: The revenge storyline of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐠𝐞. 🌿
All the way through, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, knowing some big explosion is coming but now knowing from who or where. Such a fun read! 💓
Read this if you liked: The revenge storyline of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐠𝐞. 🌿
August 28, 2018
This debut psychological thriller puts Pip Drysdale firmly in the "one to look out for" category of debut authors.
Taylor and Angus were very much in love, she was his Sunday girl...a term of endearment he applied especially to her, it meant everything to her...it gave her the kind of fulfilling sense of trust and complete belonging which she yearned for.
So when she discovered he had done something so cruel and hurtful, in retaliation to an argument, it brought their relationship to an abrupt and bitter end.
Taylor was bereft, she couldn't fathom how he could betray her so totally, so she lashed out by orchestrating some stunts that would come back to hurt him.
She is so completely humiliated and hurt by what Angus has done to her, that when a friend offers her a copy of the book The Art of War, she takes it home to read and then decides to plot a revenge.
Little did she know how vengeful Angus could be also, she thought she knew him.
This story was told in such a way as to have me cringing at every turn because as difficult as it was to bear witness to, it was very, very plausible to see how such a turn of events could escalate so fast...especially in this age of social media...and that alone made it all the more disturbing.
I have to admit that some of the choices Taylor made during her relationship with Angus had me questioning her senses as some of them sent alarm bells ringing loudly in my own ears.
Yet they are choices that people make every day without a thought to the possible consequences.
Definitely a story for today, it is relevant in so many ways.
Tense...Toxic...Disturbing and Vengeful...This was a very close encounter with just how quickly things can spiral out of control once you start an action....but Taylor was very cunning in her acts of revenge, planning and scheming on the go, she manages to cover her tracks very well..at least she thought she had. So how was it that Angus was always one step ahead of her movements?
You will have to read it to see just how far people can go when they lose their grip, and even scarier is just how easy it is to orchestrate...if you have a mind to.
Well done Pip Drysdale on an excellent debut! I gave it 4*s and look forward to more from this author.
With thanks to the Publishers Simon & Schuster for my copy to read and review.
May 19, 2020
Finally released May 19, 2020!!!
A wonderful light thriller read on revenge turning a good girl into a bad girl and what happens next when things get twisted upside down. I had to keep reading this book to find out what happened in The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale.
Taylor happens to pick up Sun Tzu’s book “The Art Of War” and uses it as the basis for her plan to get revenge on the creep who totally dumps her just before their big ski trip. I thought the idea of using the book as a guide for getting the best revenge was great... unfortunately it seems that Angus Hollingsworth is indestructible as he seems to always be a few steps ahead of her. This book entertains all the way to end, with Taylor's game plans, her successes, and her failures. Will she get the upper hand in this revenge game or will she pay the ultimate price?
Great read!! Terrific writing that pulls the reader right into the story!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Author Pip Drysdale and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this temporary digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own!
A wonderful light thriller read on revenge turning a good girl into a bad girl and what happens next when things get twisted upside down. I had to keep reading this book to find out what happened in The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale.
Taylor happens to pick up Sun Tzu’s book “The Art Of War” and uses it as the basis for her plan to get revenge on the creep who totally dumps her just before their big ski trip. I thought the idea of using the book as a guide for getting the best revenge was great... unfortunately it seems that Angus Hollingsworth is indestructible as he seems to always be a few steps ahead of her. This book entertains all the way to end, with Taylor's game plans, her successes, and her failures. Will she get the upper hand in this revenge game or will she pay the ultimate price?
Great read!! Terrific writing that pulls the reader right into the story!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Author Pip Drysdale and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this temporary digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own!
April 22, 2019
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*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale. (2018).
Taylor is hurt, angry and determined to destroy Angus in the same way he's destroyed her. Any woman who's ever been involved with a bad man would understand. Taylor comes across 'The Art of War' and makes a plan to get back at Angus. But then things start to spark out of her control...
I enjoyed this clever and entertaining story of a woman getting revenge on her ex- partner who deserved everything he got. Unfortunately for Taylor, her ex is a real piece of work and not everything is as it seems...I found myself really engrossed in the storyline, even though Taylor did some things that I thought nooooo just get out of there girl! Angus was completely unlikable, as he should have been in the scenario. This novel is the debut of the author which is a surprise because it reads like it's written by a successful author with popular books behind her already - I forecast great things ahead!
This is a well written, bingeworthy book for sure.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale. (2018).
Taylor is hurt, angry and determined to destroy Angus in the same way he's destroyed her. Any woman who's ever been involved with a bad man would understand. Taylor comes across 'The Art of War' and makes a plan to get back at Angus. But then things start to spark out of her control...
I enjoyed this clever and entertaining story of a woman getting revenge on her ex- partner who deserved everything he got. Unfortunately for Taylor, her ex is a real piece of work and not everything is as it seems...I found myself really engrossed in the storyline, even though Taylor did some things that I thought nooooo just get out of there girl! Angus was completely unlikable, as he should have been in the scenario. This novel is the debut of the author which is a surprise because it reads like it's written by a successful author with popular books behind her already - I forecast great things ahead!
This is a well written, bingeworthy book for sure.
May 19, 2020
The Sunday Girl is my first read from Pip Drysdale. It's an intense tale of well deserved revenge and suspense. Angus screws Taylor over, but she doesn't take it lying down. While I enjoyed this read, and did spend most of it rooting for Taylor, Drysdale does a fantastic job making it a little bit difficult to truly love any character in this story. This is one of those stories that you may grimace through half of what's going on, but you're still going to enjoy the ride. I don't want to spoil things, but I will say that there are some surprises in this one, and not everything is as it seems.
All in all this was a great read. The Sunday Girl is incredibly well written, and I'm surprised that this was the authors first published book. It was published in 2018 in Australia, and I'm pretty sure when it releases in the US it's going to be a hit. If you love suspenseful revenge reads, then you will love this story.
Available now!
*ARC provided by Sourcebooks Landmark
All in all this was a great read. The Sunday Girl is incredibly well written, and I'm surprised that this was the authors first published book. It was published in 2018 in Australia, and I'm pretty sure when it releases in the US it's going to be a hit. If you love suspenseful revenge reads, then you will love this story.
Available now!
*ARC provided by Sourcebooks Landmark
September 6, 2020
The Sunday Girl By Pip Drysdale
What an amazing domestic thriller read. A great revenge story of a woman who has had enough, and on her last straw.
An Amazing read that had me turning those pages to see how nice girl Taylor Bishop deals when boyfriend Angus Hollingsworth did the unthinkable.
Pip Drysdale wrote a fantastic psychological thriller you won't be able to put down.
I enjoyed this one a lot!
What an amazing domestic thriller read. A great revenge story of a woman who has had enough, and on her last straw.
An Amazing read that had me turning those pages to see how nice girl Taylor Bishop deals when boyfriend Angus Hollingsworth did the unthinkable.
Pip Drysdale wrote a fantastic psychological thriller you won't be able to put down.
I enjoyed this one a lot!
July 28, 2018
Perhaps I'm not acquainted with the psychological thriller/romance genre enough to appreciate what Pip Drysdale did with this novel... Whatever the case, I found The Sunday Girl hard to enjoy both objectively and subjectively.
From a purely literary standpoint, the writing is decent. Syntax and all the technical details are fine. However, there was a distinct inauthenticity to the dialogue and much of the plot. Overuse of the word "darling" where there is literally neither need nor desire for such a term was a major problem. I get that the character who used the term of endearment was supposed to be greasy and gross, but there's a limit.
From a personal standpoint, I couldn't really enjoy any aspect of this novel because everything seemed so fake and contrived. A lot of the "revenge" schemes just wouldn't occur in real life and this put a real damper on my engagement with the text as contemporary fiction. I didn't really connect with the characters either, so it was hard to make me emotional or invested in them.
If I do give praise for one thing about this book, it would be Drysdale's tension building, even if a bit superficial. The scenes in which Angus displayed his true colours put me on edge, which was due to effective use of silences, time, deadlines... I think this aspect of the novel was decent, but not enough to redeem the book as a whole. One star.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for generously providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review!
From a purely literary standpoint, the writing is decent. Syntax and all the technical details are fine. However, there was a distinct inauthenticity to the dialogue and much of the plot. Overuse of the word "darling" where there is literally neither need nor desire for such a term was a major problem. I get that the character who used the term of endearment was supposed to be greasy and gross, but there's a limit.
From a personal standpoint, I couldn't really enjoy any aspect of this novel because everything seemed so fake and contrived. A lot of the "revenge" schemes just wouldn't occur in real life and this put a real damper on my engagement with the text as contemporary fiction. I didn't really connect with the characters either, so it was hard to make me emotional or invested in them.
If I do give praise for one thing about this book, it would be Drysdale's tension building, even if a bit superficial. The scenes in which Angus displayed his true colours put me on edge, which was due to effective use of silences, time, deadlines... I think this aspect of the novel was decent, but not enough to redeem the book as a whole. One star.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for generously providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review!
March 27, 2020
Impossible to put down - I sighed when I had to drag myself away from this treasure. But thankfully it wasn't long before I got my hands on it and literally devoured it in just two sittings.
Any girl who has got a bad, mad boyfriend and has been tossed aside will get this book. Taylor Bishop is fuming - she's been dumped and has seen the sex tape uploaded by her boyfriend to the internet and she is seeking revenge. She will stop at nothing to avenge against Angus the snake. But then things don't always go as they are planed or seem as they should be.
Pip Drysdale you have gone to my hit list of of future authors I loved this book. From page one you had me hooked and I could nearly not believe that this was your debut novel.
Once Taylor starts to avenge she cant stop and things seem to spiral out of control.
Things don't work out as Taylor wants and Angus takes control again and is a vicious scary manipulative horror. Taylor needs to come up with a plan and fast.
This story has your heart thundering in your chest and has some great strategies from all parties. Strong loveable and not so loveable characters.
Very realistic and nerve racking towards the end - four stars rather than five - I would've liked a more sizzling ending.
I cant praise this book enough, an addictive psychological thriller, a read that surprised me from the first to the last page.
Any girl who has got a bad, mad boyfriend and has been tossed aside will get this book. Taylor Bishop is fuming - she's been dumped and has seen the sex tape uploaded by her boyfriend to the internet and she is seeking revenge. She will stop at nothing to avenge against Angus the snake. But then things don't always go as they are planed or seem as they should be.
Pip Drysdale you have gone to my hit list of of future authors I loved this book. From page one you had me hooked and I could nearly not believe that this was your debut novel.
Once Taylor starts to avenge she cant stop and things seem to spiral out of control.
Things don't work out as Taylor wants and Angus takes control again and is a vicious scary manipulative horror. Taylor needs to come up with a plan and fast.
This story has your heart thundering in your chest and has some great strategies from all parties. Strong loveable and not so loveable characters.
Very realistic and nerve racking towards the end - four stars rather than five - I would've liked a more sizzling ending.
I cant praise this book enough, an addictive psychological thriller, a read that surprised me from the first to the last page.
August 5, 2024
I thought this would be a fun, vindictive thriller about a girl getting revenge on her asshole ex but it was more like a chronicle of domestic violence and that is NOT my vibe.
Taylor has just broken up with her boyfriend, and when he posts an explicit video of her online she decides to take revenge.
I am HERE for revenge stories, but this is not how the story went at all. It's hard to air my complaints without giving too much detail, but essentially Taylor is pathetic and not nearly the fierce, strong-willed woman I was hoping for. Instead, she is meek and small and makes one stupid decision after another. It became really painful to read.
I read it fast enough, but mostly because I wanted the pain to be over. There were so many concerning occurrences and if you're someone who looks for trigger warnings you're gonna want a list for this book because it is plenty messed up. I usually have a pretty high tolerance but this was too real for me, and I found it quite tough at times.
And that's essentially what it comes down to, for me: domestic violence is too real an issue to be treated so callously.
Added to that, the ending was a complete cop out and I hated it - just another way in which this book failed its subject matter.
I'm sure there will be plenty reminding me that 'It's just a book!' but this one definitely pushed me away by marketing itself as a thriller then failing to deliver. It was addictive enough, but it was troubling in so many ways.
I thought I'd enjoy this, but instead it nauseated me. I couldn't wait to be done with it, in the end, so I find it hard to recommend.
Taylor has just broken up with her boyfriend, and when he posts an explicit video of her online she decides to take revenge.
I am HERE for revenge stories, but this is not how the story went at all. It's hard to air my complaints without giving too much detail, but essentially Taylor is pathetic and not nearly the fierce, strong-willed woman I was hoping for. Instead, she is meek and small and makes one stupid decision after another. It became really painful to read.
I read it fast enough, but mostly because I wanted the pain to be over. There were so many concerning occurrences and if you're someone who looks for trigger warnings you're gonna want a list for this book because it is plenty messed up. I usually have a pretty high tolerance but this was too real for me, and I found it quite tough at times.
And that's essentially what it comes down to, for me: domestic violence is too real an issue to be treated so callously.
Added to that, the ending was a complete cop out and I hated it - just another way in which this book failed its subject matter.
I'm sure there will be plenty reminding me that 'It's just a book!' but this one definitely pushed me away by marketing itself as a thriller then failing to deliver. It was addictive enough, but it was troubling in so many ways.
I thought I'd enjoy this, but instead it nauseated me. I couldn't wait to be done with it, in the end, so I find it hard to recommend.
August 23, 2018
The Sunday Girl really took me by surprise. What begins as a payback for some revenge porn posted online quickly morphs into a situation that is so much more perilous than I could have envisaged. I was gripped by this novel, its open and easy to read narrative saw me devouring it within one, albeit late, night.
Told in the first person, in a sort of hindsight storytelling style, I really found The Sunday Girl incredibly absorbing. We know that something has happened to Taylor, but the what of it we are yet to uncover, and we’re also not sure on where this story is coming from. Is it a confession to the police? A cautionary tale of hindsight? Is she dead and are we reading a journal? I loved this unknown aspect of the story. The pacing is rapid, there are no blank spots in this novel, nor is it too busy. The suspense builds as the novel progresses and the fear that Taylor experiences, along with the dread of not knowing what Angus was going to come up with next, was on point from beginning to end.
Taylor Bishop was a character I had a lot of empathy for, and unlike many thrillers I’ve read in the past, she was not at all unlikeable. She was a regular young woman who had friends and was good at her job; she wasn’t sketchy or unreliable, nor was she cold blooded in her intentions towards Angus. Her plan for revenge was more about taking a stand, and later, her actions were all about survival. She’d just had the misfortune of being targeted by a master manipulator. And Angus Hollingsworth really was a piece of work. A very scary fellow who knew exactly what he was doing every step of the way as he laid down the path to Taylor’s destruction, likely right from their very first meeting. He chose Taylor, for a specific purpose, but fortunately, he did underestimate her pliability and considered her a shade more naïve than what she really was. The cat and mouse game that unfolded between these two was deadly in its intent and gripping in its execution.
I highly recommend The Sunday Girl far and wide if you are after a suspenseful read with a plausible storyline that will keep you guessing right up until the end.
Thanks is extended to Simon and Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Sunday Girl for review.
Told in the first person, in a sort of hindsight storytelling style, I really found The Sunday Girl incredibly absorbing. We know that something has happened to Taylor, but the what of it we are yet to uncover, and we’re also not sure on where this story is coming from. Is it a confession to the police? A cautionary tale of hindsight? Is she dead and are we reading a journal? I loved this unknown aspect of the story. The pacing is rapid, there are no blank spots in this novel, nor is it too busy. The suspense builds as the novel progresses and the fear that Taylor experiences, along with the dread of not knowing what Angus was going to come up with next, was on point from beginning to end.
Taylor Bishop was a character I had a lot of empathy for, and unlike many thrillers I’ve read in the past, she was not at all unlikeable. She was a regular young woman who had friends and was good at her job; she wasn’t sketchy or unreliable, nor was she cold blooded in her intentions towards Angus. Her plan for revenge was more about taking a stand, and later, her actions were all about survival. She’d just had the misfortune of being targeted by a master manipulator. And Angus Hollingsworth really was a piece of work. A very scary fellow who knew exactly what he was doing every step of the way as he laid down the path to Taylor’s destruction, likely right from their very first meeting. He chose Taylor, for a specific purpose, but fortunately, he did underestimate her pliability and considered her a shade more naïve than what she really was. The cat and mouse game that unfolded between these two was deadly in its intent and gripping in its execution.
I highly recommend The Sunday Girl far and wide if you are after a suspenseful read with a plausible storyline that will keep you guessing right up until the end.
Thanks is extended to Simon and Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Sunday Girl for review.
June 11, 2020
SUNDAY GIRL by Pip Drysdale was not at all what expected. There’s a reason I go in blind with thrillers, and this is it. A compulsive cat and mouse revenge tale with a bit of humor is precisely what the doctor ordered.
After a year and a half relationship, 29-year-old Taylor Bishop thinks Angus Hollingsworth is the man of her dreams. But right before they leave on their ski vacation, Angus decides to take another woman instead, leaving Taylor broken-hearted. Oh, but wait, there’s more! Angus leaks a sex video online, leaving Taylor mortified, hurt, and ready for vengeance.
Angus is absolutely vile, but it doesn’t stop Taylor from getting caught up in his trickery. This psychological thriller has its thrills, but it also showcases an abusive, dysfunctional relationship at its finest. The concept of the naive “nice girl” and the rather dickish ex-boyfriend with a “hell hath no fury like a woman scored” premise is what makes this book so much fun to read. THE SUNDAY GIRL has odious characters with an unlikely plot, but I was completely entertained from beginning to end. Also, literary references are my thing, so I enjoyed the use of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as Taylor’s guide for revenge - the quotes at the head of each chapter are a nice touch. It’s quick and the perfect escape from reality.
Special thanks to Sourcefire for this gifted copy. Have you read this one?!
After a year and a half relationship, 29-year-old Taylor Bishop thinks Angus Hollingsworth is the man of her dreams. But right before they leave on their ski vacation, Angus decides to take another woman instead, leaving Taylor broken-hearted. Oh, but wait, there’s more! Angus leaks a sex video online, leaving Taylor mortified, hurt, and ready for vengeance.
Angus is absolutely vile, but it doesn’t stop Taylor from getting caught up in his trickery. This psychological thriller has its thrills, but it also showcases an abusive, dysfunctional relationship at its finest. The concept of the naive “nice girl” and the rather dickish ex-boyfriend with a “hell hath no fury like a woman scored” premise is what makes this book so much fun to read. THE SUNDAY GIRL has odious characters with an unlikely plot, but I was completely entertained from beginning to end. Also, literary references are my thing, so I enjoyed the use of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as Taylor’s guide for revenge - the quotes at the head of each chapter are a nice touch. It’s quick and the perfect escape from reality.
Special thanks to Sourcefire for this gifted copy. Have you read this one?!
April 21, 2020
The Sunday Girl is Pip Drysdales debut novel! I'm giving it ALL the stars! Completely hooked from page 1!
Two words - sex tape. This sets the stage for this truly satisfying story of revenge, deception and lies.
Taylor Bishop has been wronged by her boyfriend Angus. They've broken up, he's played her like a fiddle and she's out for revenge! Consulting The Art Of War, Taylor makes a plan. As the story unravels more lies are revealed, venom is spewed and truths start to come to light.
Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my review copy!
Two words - sex tape. This sets the stage for this truly satisfying story of revenge, deception and lies.
Taylor Bishop has been wronged by her boyfriend Angus. They've broken up, he's played her like a fiddle and she's out for revenge! Consulting The Art Of War, Taylor makes a plan. As the story unravels more lies are revealed, venom is spewed and truths start to come to light.
Huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my review copy!
August 29, 2018
I'm not sure what it says about me that I love books about righteous vengeance where a smart protagonist outfoxes the baddie, but this sounded right up my alley - a heroine using Sun Tzu's Art of War to ruin her cheating scumbag ex.
It didn't really go how I expected, though, and while I still really enjoyed it, I'm left feeling a little disappointed that it wasn't what I expected, hence 4 stars.
Taylor is a 20-something property researcher who has just discovered that the love of her life, handsome older banker Angus, has uploaded a sex tape of her to the Internet after an argument, and taken his ex-girlfriend on their planned skiing holiday. Determined to get revenge, she lets herself in to his flat, causing some mischief, including ordering some prostitutes on his work credit card. This is the beginning of an escalating war between them, and she soon realises she is out of her depth as she discovers how truly malignant Angus can be...
Some of the problems I had with this were Taylor's naive assumption that Angus couldn't possibly suspect her when a bunch of bad things suddenly happen to him within a week of their break-up. For a supposedly smart woman, she makes a lot of stupid mistakes, especially taking him back when she knows what he has done. She also has unprotected sex with three men within a week.
On a minor note, there were several Americanisms that should've been picked up in editing - grocery store, pantyhose, someone being pissed rather than pissed off... There was some overly heavy foreshadowing all the way through. And, without wanting to spoil this, I'll also say I found the ending a let down, I was hoping for a clever twist - it was all a bit convenient.
Despite these criticisms, it was a fast compulsive read, and I liked the excerpts from Art of War at the start of each chapter. Angus is a brilliant antagonist, a classic narcissistic sexual predator, and you can't wait for him to get his just desserts. 3.5 rounded up for a good premise and smooth writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Sunday Girl is published on September 1st.
It didn't really go how I expected, though, and while I still really enjoyed it, I'm left feeling a little disappointed that it wasn't what I expected, hence 4 stars.
Taylor is a 20-something property researcher who has just discovered that the love of her life, handsome older banker Angus, has uploaded a sex tape of her to the Internet after an argument, and taken his ex-girlfriend on their planned skiing holiday. Determined to get revenge, she lets herself in to his flat, causing some mischief, including ordering some prostitutes on his work credit card. This is the beginning of an escalating war between them, and she soon realises she is out of her depth as she discovers how truly malignant Angus can be...
Some of the problems I had with this were Taylor's naive assumption that Angus couldn't possibly suspect her when a bunch of bad things suddenly happen to him within a week of their break-up. For a supposedly smart woman, she makes a lot of stupid mistakes, especially taking him back when she knows what he has done. She also has unprotected sex with three men within a week.
On a minor note, there were several Americanisms that should've been picked up in editing - grocery store, pantyhose, someone being pissed rather than pissed off... There was some overly heavy foreshadowing all the way through. And, without wanting to spoil this, I'll also say I found the ending a let down, I was hoping for a clever twist - it was all a bit convenient.
Despite these criticisms, it was a fast compulsive read, and I liked the excerpts from Art of War at the start of each chapter. Angus is a brilliant antagonist, a classic narcissistic sexual predator, and you can't wait for him to get his just desserts. 3.5 rounded up for a good premise and smooth writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Sunday Girl is published on September 1st.
December 16, 2022
Good, quick read from a new to me author. Will definitely pick up another book of hers!
October 18, 2018
I think Aussie author Pip Drysdale will have a long and successful career if her subsequent novels are as good as this debut.
Sunday Girl is an addictive psychological thriller in the vein of Girl on the Train. Written in the first person point of view of our female lead, Taylor, it starts off with the usual woman scorned seeking revenge plot. Taylor has just left her boyfriend, Angus, after learning he has gone on a skiing holiday with his ex-girlfriend. It’s soon revealed that Taylor knows not only Angus’s email password but how to break into his flat without being detected on the building’s security cameras and his work credit card details.
Taylor’s plan to wreak havoc is foiled when Angus returns from his holiday and begs forgiveness. It’s here that the tension starts to build as Angus gains the upper hand when it comes to playing confidence tricks and mind games.
I flew through the second half of the book, eager to find out how Taylor was going to sort herself out of the mess of an abusive relationship she soon finds herself in with Angus.
Instead of the big shock twist, Drysdale just keeps the tension on one blood pumping level. She has a knack of making even the most mundane moments feel frightening. From a parrot squawking to a yellow ribbon, you just know, as you read, that these small things will be dangerous.
I took a half a star off for the ending though. After such a thrill of a ride up to this point, I think I was expecting more.
The book's short chapters along with Drysdale’s writing style make it an easy read. It also had a very modern feel to it. The technology felt contemporary and fresh without being forced. The characters too acted their age and their dialogue seemed spot on.
The other half star came off as there seemed to be some characters and situations introduced into the book for no reason. I’m unsure if this was an editing issue, but I just felt that some things were initially an integral part of the plot until they were not fully explained or used by the last page.
Maybe Drysdale is thinking of a sequel? I must note, however, that I doubt most people would notice or care.
Anyway, the book is still a strong 4 out of 5 and I’d recommend grabbing a copy.
Sunday Girl is an addictive psychological thriller in the vein of Girl on the Train. Written in the first person point of view of our female lead, Taylor, it starts off with the usual woman scorned seeking revenge plot. Taylor has just left her boyfriend, Angus, after learning he has gone on a skiing holiday with his ex-girlfriend. It’s soon revealed that Taylor knows not only Angus’s email password but how to break into his flat without being detected on the building’s security cameras and his work credit card details.
Taylor’s plan to wreak havoc is foiled when Angus returns from his holiday and begs forgiveness. It’s here that the tension starts to build as Angus gains the upper hand when it comes to playing confidence tricks and mind games.
I flew through the second half of the book, eager to find out how Taylor was going to sort herself out of the mess of an abusive relationship she soon finds herself in with Angus.
Instead of the big shock twist, Drysdale just keeps the tension on one blood pumping level. She has a knack of making even the most mundane moments feel frightening. From a parrot squawking to a yellow ribbon, you just know, as you read, that these small things will be dangerous.
I took a half a star off for the ending though. After such a thrill of a ride up to this point, I think I was expecting more.
The book's short chapters along with Drysdale’s writing style make it an easy read. It also had a very modern feel to it. The technology felt contemporary and fresh without being forced. The characters too acted their age and their dialogue seemed spot on.
The other half star came off as there seemed to be some characters and situations introduced into the book for no reason. I’m unsure if this was an editing issue, but I just felt that some things were initially an integral part of the plot until they were not fully explained or used by the last page.
Maybe Drysdale is thinking of a sequel? I must note, however, that I doubt most people would notice or care.
Anyway, the book is still a strong 4 out of 5 and I’d recommend grabbing a copy.
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