Friday Book Club: Chelsea Wives by Anna-Lou Weatherley

Release Date: Out now

Book review – Chelsea Wives by Anna-Lou Weatherley

Chelsea Wives focuses on 3 glammed-up society ladies – Imogen, a former model, Yasmin, an ex-party girl with a shady past, and Calgary, a former fashion editor who’s now queen bee of the social scene. From the outside, they seem to have it all – endless pots of money, truckloads of designer handbags and jewels that cost more than the average person will earn in a lifetime. But on the inside, things aren’t quite as rosy as they seem. All 3 women are trapped in failing marriages to less-than-perfect husbands – they treat their wives as trophies, they cheat, they lie – you know the story. And so, the ladies-who-lunch concoct an elaborate plan to take revenge on their errant other halves, and try to take back the lives they gave up when they tied the knot.

The story isn’t the most complex – half the time I was able to guess what was coming a mile off. But the women were likeable, and I ended up rooting for them and their banal plans. I found the constant designer name-dropping and in-depth rundowns of the girls’ outfits a bit tedious, though, and some of the actions of the various husbands seemed a tad OTT. But hey, maybe these sorts of shenanigans really do happen in the weird and wonderful world of the rich and glamorous.

While Chelsea Wives won’t win any awards for originality, on the whole it was pretty enjoyable. I’d recommend it for holiday reading, as it’s really easy to dip in and out of, and doesn’t require much in the way of concentration. My verdict – Trashy guilty-pleasure chick-lit at its best.

If you like this, try this… Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella