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Other Women

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Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives...

Sid wears her independence like armour. So when she strikes up a rare connection with unlucky-in-love Finn, they are both determined to prove that men and women can just be friends. Can't they?

Marin has the perfect home, attentive husband, two beloved children - and a secret addiction to designer clothes. She knows she has it all, so why can't she stop comparing herself to other women?

Bea believes that we all have one love story - and she's had hers. Now her life centres around her son, Luke, and her support group of fierce single women. But there's something that she can't tell anyone...

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2021

932 people are currently reading
2131 people want to read

About the author

Cathy Kelly

115 books1,088 followers
Born in Belfast but raised in Dublin, Cathy initially worked for thirteen years as a newspaper journalist with a national Irish Sunday newspaper, where she worked in news, features, along with spending time as an agony aunt and the paper’s film critic. However, her overwhelming love was always fiction and she published her first international bestseller, Woman To Woman, in 1997. She did not become a full-time writer until she had written another two books (She’s The One and Never Too Late) and finally decided to leave the world of journalism in 2001, moving to HarperCollins Publishers at the same time.

Someone Like You and What She Wants followed in successive years. Her sixth novel, Just Between Us, was her first Sunday Times number one bestseller, while her eighth novel, Always and Forever, topped the UK bestseller lists in October 2005, displacing Dan Brown and J. K. Rowling. In 2007, Past Secrets in was also a number one paperback bestseller.

Lessons in Heartbreak was shortlisted for the Eason Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in April 2009. In September 2009, Once in a Lifetime topped the UK bestseller lists for three weeks. In March 2011, Homecoming achieved the same feat. Her latest novel is It Started With Paris, published by Orion in 2014.

In Autumn 2011, Cathy headlined a search for a new writer on ITV’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

Cathy’s trademark is warm story-telling and she consistently tops the bestseller lists around the world with books which deal with themes ranging from relationships and marriage to depression and loss, but always with an uplifting message and strong female characters at the heart.

Cathy also has a passionate interest in children’s rights and is an ambassador for UNICEF Ireland. Her role for UNICEF is a Global Parent, which means raising funds and awareness for children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDs.

She lives with her husband, John, their twin sons, Dylan and Murray, and their three dogs in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

To contact Cathy email info@cathykelly.com

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5 stars
1,712 (31%)
4 stars
2,090 (37%)
3 stars
1,300 (23%)
2 stars
303 (5%)
1 star
105 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
Profile Image for Sharon.
1,451 reviews265 followers
October 4, 2021
Other Women by Cathy Kelly is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last. I was unsure if I’d enjoy this book, but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised and glad I picked it off the shelf when I was at my local library.

This story is about three women, friendships, relationships and secrets all of which the author has entwined together to make a really enjoyable story one in which I have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who is looking for their next book to read.
Profile Image for Brenda.
5,074 reviews3,012 followers
April 17, 2021
Three women – Bea, a widow with a child who still grieves the loss of her husband; Marin, married to Nate with a life that seems perfect, but she has an addiction; Sid, independent, plucky and damaged, she hides a dreadful secret. They are all close, good friends – but each has something to hide.

Other Women comprises friendship, love, angst and betrayal – with well-developed characters (quite a few at the beginning) showing their day to day lives, Cathy Kelly weaves a refreshing story of family and female friendships. A short review as spoilers would be easy to reveal in this book. A light and enjoyable read which I recommend.

With thanks to Hachette AU for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Sandra.
276 reviews6 followers
May 18, 2021
I stopped reading this book as Cathy Kelly's writing style has changed over the years and her books are not enjoyable anymore, stupid characters, very disappointing as this is the 2nd book of this author that I did not finish reading.
Profile Image for Obsidian.
3,230 reviews1,146 followers
April 26, 2021
What a great book. Cathy Kelly has become a must always read author for me. I think this book though has a somewhat unfinished ending for one of the characters. I didn't mind it, but would have liked that story-line to be more firmly wrapped up. That said, it didn't take away from how much I loved reading this story about Sid, Bea, and Marin.

"Other Women" starts off with a bang. An unnamed woman shows up at the hospital to find another woman there sitting and waiting news on her husband. The hospital staff think that the other woman is the wife, and the wife comes forward saying she is the man's wife. Then we jump into the book and follow three women, Sid, Bea, and Marin.

Sid we find is firmly independent, though something has happened that has caused her to avoid relationships and to spend most of her time in her apartment. When Sid meets a man named Finn, she tells him all she wants is friendship and he agrees.

Bea is a widow and raising her 10 year old son. She's lonely and when she thinks about trying to date again, she finds that no one compares to her deceased husband. She's best friends with Finn and also friends with Marin.

Marin has been married to her husband Nate for almost 19 years. They have two children, a wonderful home, but Marin feels constantly on edge. She worries about her daughter about to do a trip around the world with her friend. She also stresses about her clothing and not looking as great as her husband's best friend's wife Angie. Marin also is dealing with really toxic family dynamics with her mother, father, sister, and brother.

The story jumps back and forth between the three women. At times the story syncs up and you get them all in the same "scene" and you also get their opinions of each other.

I thought the book moved at a very brisk pace. I enjoyed each women's storyline a great deal and was just sorry when we get to the end. As I said above, I just thought one woman's story-line was a bit unfinished to me. I would love to read a sequel to this one, or at least have one of the character's pop up in a future book or something.
Profile Image for Emily Rose.
162 reviews
August 21, 2022
Got to page 150 and just thought, this is really boring so I just skimmed through the rest of the book, the ending was just meh. 😂
Profile Image for Claire Louise Taylor.
36 reviews
June 26, 2021
I am obviously in the minority here but I just found it boring, no am usually a fan of Cathy Kelly books but couldn’t wait to finish this one.
Profile Image for Marilyn.
637 reviews4 followers
August 2, 2021
Way too slow snd somewhat predictable, just another suburban drama with no character development and absolutely zero tension or surprise. Perhaps that’s how life is in the 2000s.

Struggled to keep going….Lucky to give it two stars.
Profile Image for Lauma Gurgone.
447 reviews278 followers
September 1, 2022
Diezgan vāji. Nesaprotu, kāpēc vēl aizvien ticu tai maģiskajai frāzei uz grāmatu vākiem, kur minēts, ka tas ir #1 bestsellers.
Profile Image for Di.
735 reviews46 followers
March 28, 2021
A few years ago I went through a stage where I read many books by Irish authors. Maeve Binchy, Marion Keyes, and Sheila O'Flanagan were my go to authors. For some unknown reason, I never read one by Cathy Kelly. Now that I have, I look forward to more.

To me, books by these Irish authors that are set in Ireland always have a “homey” feel for me. The characters are like people I know. They have familiar issues. These books are ones that I like to read on a quiet afternoon with a cup of tea. Maybe that should an Irish Coffee!

The main ladies in this book are Sid, Bea and Marin. Sid has been abandoned by her long time, live in boyfriend and is afraid to date. Bea is a widow with a child and is resisting everyone’s plans that she should date. Marin is the peacemaker in her somewhat at odds family and she has insecurities of her own. And, of course, everyone has secrets!

Three distinct characters, 3 distinct stories that somewhat intertwine. They all have a connection, which isn't apparent in the beginning. The chapters are written by each voice in turn.

I really enjoyed this book because the characters, their flaws and their issues all seemed so normal. It was an easy read and entertaining. I kept turning pages, waiting for the secrets to be revealed.

On the surface, this book might seem like chick lit. But, it is so much more. It is about sisters, friendships, self-realization, relationships. It IS a book for and about women.

I loved the non-traditional un-fairytale ending. It was a logical and natural ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Profile Image for Bridget.
2,789 reviews131 followers
May 15, 2021
Other Women is a warm-hearted character-led novel, full of emotion. It follows three women - Marin, Bea and Sid. Marin is a married mum of two with a full-time job, an addiction and she stresses about not looking as good as her husband's best friend's wife, Angie. She also has complicated family dynamics to deal with involving her mum and siblings. Bea had to cope with the death of her husband and the birth of her son just one day later though now, ten years on, she’s ready to move on with her life. Sid is being encouraged by her sister to move on romantically after being on her own long enough after her long term relationship fell apart but Sid is only looking for friendship.

The three women’s stories partly overlap, but each of them had their own distinct voice and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how their characters evolved as time went on. Their respective journeys are all written with depth that kept me hooked until the very end. This is a fabulous book about love, loss, betrayal and family with characters I could relate to, and I found myself very absorbed in the lives of these women. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
Profile Image for Helen Rose.
69 reviews9 followers
January 3, 2022
I am giving it three stars because I have a soft spot for Sidoine even though her story isn't anything new. The author implied what had happened to her without outright telling it with the word 'shame'. I really liked the bird and the oil spill imagery. At first can women be friends with men seemed really weird but later it totally made sense. The character I really liked is April. I didn't like the writing consistently throughout the novel, but the best writing is mostly in Sid and Marin chapters. Things like 'alpha male' irked me, maybe its meant to do that so. Marin is the most fleshed out character in the novel and I really liked the depiction of poor Marin's addiction and her insecurities. Marin makes me proud of her before shattering it. Bea felt like a poor copy of her. Not only that, I felt like all characters are either Marin or not-Marin. Its strange that every other character outside of Marin is not even slightly upset or momentarily judgemental towards Bea. Though she doesn't need anyone's forgiveness or anything, she didn't even properly apologize to Marin. The book feels like weirdly dated, maybe with all the emphasis on husbands and needing boyfriends. Did I mention that Sid is supernatural when it comes to Marin. And there's a lot of not like other girls thing going on.
Profile Image for Umaymah.
255 reviews24 followers
May 31, 2021
A solid 5 star review because I've never spent more than 48 hours reading a Cathy Kelly. I cried in parts because, every woman is all women sometimes. We give away our power and often it takes a huge disaster for us to learn to take it back (Marin), we often try to do it and over compensate for our children and loved ones, only to be surprised when our natural human feelings push through (Bea) and we've been brought up with so much guilt, expected to be responsible and reliable that we don't forgive ourselves for the hurt others put us through ( Sid).
As always a Cathy Kelly reminds me to keep my heart in the right place and be true to myself and my loved ones and life in some funny way, by twists and turns will always be just OK.
73 reviews
March 2, 2022
I really wanted to like this more, but the story fell flat after the prologue. It felt like as a reader, I was being introduced to a lot of characters in a short timeframe this settled after 100 or so pages. For me the stories of the 3 different but linked women weren't characters I could connect to which ultimately means that this wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Helmi.
261 reviews13 followers
February 19, 2024
This was okay. And sometimes very very annoying. This follows three women and their lives (mid30s-mid40s) and I could really only relate to one (Sid). Marin annoyed the f out of me because of her inability to speak her mind and change her life. Bea was just sad and depressed so. Sid and Finn were interesting and carried the plot.

However, this has very good observations and thoughts about womanhood and the issues women face. It was humorous and written in a way only women can state it. I think it was extremely important! There were many errors in writing throughout the book though.

I was bored for the first half but then read it in one night. There is explicit sexual assault, misogyny, gaslighting, emotional abuse, cheating, and dysfunctional relationships. But I'm really glad I read this, it made me reflect and think about life as a woman and how I act. And it's located in Ireland and I loved the vibes!!
74 reviews
August 2, 2024
I think I’ve still overrated this book by giving it 3 stars! It took so long to get to the plot that I nearly gave up reading the book, luckily I decided not to be a defeatist and continued. The only thing that was inspiring was the strength, courage and downright determination of the 3 women who managed to make difficult decisions!
Profile Image for Caitlin.
152 reviews
November 16, 2022
I rated this book 2 stars

This was a tough read for me. I very rarely DNF books or skim read however I did have to skim the last few chapters as I was just so ready for it to be over. I found it to be really boring and there just wasn’t much of a story.

I did go into this book with the expectation that it might be similar to the film about the 3 women who find out that they are dating the same man. And the prologue also made it seem like this would be the story. However, this was not the case. It was just about 3 women (2 of whom are friends) and there love lives.

Up until the last 1/3 of the book nothing really happened! It was very slow and I just felt there was no story line.

The author also kept repeating herself. She would keep restating things that we already knew as if it was the first time that we were finding out this information. I also felt it was a little difficult to differentiate between Sid and Bea as the writing style and story for both of them was quite similar.

I did however enjoy the writing for the most part and the last third was interesting, I was just so ready for it to be over because the rest of the book had been so slow.

209 reviews
February 27, 2022
Finishing this was an endurance test. The plot was tired and predictable and the characters were the worst kind of clichés. Special mention also for some of the worst editing I have ever seen in a published book. A couple of stand-outs:

'All the liquids are making themselves felt, so I head off to the loo and am halfway down the stairs when I hear Shazz squealing with delight. Is this OK. She can't see Shazz only hear her.'

Surely those last two sentences are author/editor notes that nobody has bothered to remove?

Then there's the invitation to Luke from Joey: 'Dear Joey, will you come to my party because it will be boring without you? It's the cinema, Joey.'

I know things do get missed, but, together with the poor quality of the writing, plot, and characters, this feels like the author is just pushing sub-standard material out and relying on being an established name to sell.
25 reviews
March 27, 2022
3.5-4 stars, It was well written and I enjoyed the different story lines, I lost interest towards the end and became a bit bored as it felt like nothing was happening/had happened. But it was a nice light hearted read and I really liked Sid, in fact all of the main female characters are pretty likeable which makes it an easy read.
Profile Image for Natalie Smallwood.
32 reviews
March 4, 2022
Really disappointing story (what story really?!)
No need for there to be 3 parts as the story didn’t develop to warrant a new part.
I forced myself to carry on at times with hope for a twist but it never came.
Profile Image for Lorraine.
526 reviews157 followers
July 16, 2021
What a fantastic story centering three women. Sid, fiercely independent and guards her heart and space, Bea, widowed, single and not available and Marin, married for almost twenty years and steering the ship on the homefront with a steady hand.

Each of these three women has a secret which they carry like an albatross.

They each take turns telling their stories and at some point in the narratives, their stories entertwine and a connection is made.

OTHER WOMEN interrogates all facets of womanhood and what it means to be a woman in this world. Workplace bullying, toxicity and harassment. Toxic positivity in relationships and widowhood, its effects on group dynamics, those who are left behind and children. Mothering and motherhood while working. Dating as a single parent and navigating the dating pool, dating sights and the danger of blind dating and dating blindly. And letting go. Of grown children, old friendships, relationships, clothes, old BAD habits and negative self-limiting beliefs. Moving out of our comfort zones and starting over. Most importantly, OTHER WOMEN is about how to be a good friend, a good person.

OTHER WOMEN is not all gloomy. We get to experience pockets of joy and happiness with Sid, Bea and Marin.

A page-turner of note. Briskly-paced with a pull effect. I love women-centric stories. If you are a fan of Marian Keys, Qarnita Loxton and Joanne Fedler, you will love OTHER WOMEN.

Highly recommended 👌
Profile Image for Rosie.
4 reviews
July 8, 2024
I really struggled to get into this book. The first half is reeeeaaallly boring and slow! Too many characters being introduced at once!! In fact, it’s taken me almost 1 month to read it (in dribs and drabs), but today I really delved in…and finished it in pretty much one sitting.

I’ve not felt compelled to write a review before, but this book was very moving by the end. Although I couldn’t put it down (for today!), I’ve only awarded 3 stars as it took so long to get into, and because it was quite predictable at times. There’s also lots of grammatical errors throughout.

TRIGGER WARNING - sexual abuse and quite a graphic description of rape.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
17 reviews
April 18, 2023
Not a big fan of this book tbh lol. First of all, the front cover has nothing to do with the story at all so I’m not really sure what’s going on there. This book should also have a trigger warning bc there are some scenes that were just a bit disturbing. The majority of this book is just a lot of complaining and stress about people’s children or bad husbands or general domestic life and I’m like :/// okay great story 👍🏻 not to be really brutal about this book but there is just nothing really to the story and it’s taken me so long to get through it ! 😄
Profile Image for Gretchen.
36 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2023
A book worth reading. Every woman or person has a different life in the eyes of others. But then reality actually comes with its downsides.
The first part was a bit slow, but then the pace of actions picked up and the book became much more entertaining. Cathy has a witty sense of humor and she shows it in her writing.
Profile Image for Regina Kitto.
127 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2021
I so enjoy Cathy Kelly. This book made me so appreciate the women I have in my life
Profile Image for Zane Cīrule.
314 reviews5 followers
January 22, 2022
Sākumā nevarēju ielasīties, ilgu laiku bija garlaicīgi, beigās jau aizgāja. Bet nu tāds viegli paredzams. Lai atslēgtu smadzenes, ļoti labi
Profile Image for Novelle Novels.
1,652 reviews52 followers
November 23, 2022
4.5 stars
This is about three very different women who each have their own tales but are can connected. I really felt for Marin for personal reasons but each of the women were inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews

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