Promising Young Women

'So brilliant . . . It couldn't really be more timely . . . I highly recommend it' Dolly Alderton

'I loved it. The writing is whipsmart and so witty' Marian Keyes

Jane Peters is an adrift twenty-something by day, and a world-weary agony aunt by night. But when an office party goes too far, Jane dissolves into the high-stakes world of being the Other Woman: a role she has the right advice for, but not the smarts to follow through on.

What starts out as a drunken mistake quickly unravels as Jane discovers that sex and power go hand-in-hand, and that it's hard to keep your head when you've become someone else's dirty little secret. And soon, her friendships, her sanity and even her life are put into jeopardy...

'Sharp, pithy and engaging' Irish Times

'Brilliant' Elle

'Deeply relatable and darkly comic . . . It'll have you nodding with familiarity, thinking, laughing - and crying - as you race towards the end' Grazia

'A future classic' Jane Casey

'I loved PROMISING YOUNG WOMEN. It's like Bluebeard crossed with THE YELLOW WALLPAPER neck-deep in zeitgeist. If Angela Carter was stuck in a soulless corporate job this would be the dark, delicious result' Sharlene Teo, author of PONTI

I loved it. The writing is whipsmart and so witty and what Caroline O'Donoghue says about how women interact with men and work is fascinating. A fabulous and timely novel Marian Keyes
So brilliant . . . It couldn't really be more timely . . . Compelling and illuminating . . . I highly recommend it Dolly Alderton, The High Low Podcast
This debut shows that Caroline O'Donoghue is one of the brightest stars in the current galaxy of young Irish writers. Promising Young Women is funny, clever, upsetting, fierce and absolutely of its time. A future classic Jane Casey
Anyone who enjoyed Jami Attenberg's All Grown Up or Sally Rooney's Conversations With Friends will find much to like in Caroline O'Donoghue's darkly funny novel . . . A zippy, astute read Irish Independent
I loved Promising Young Women. It's like Bluebeard crossed with The Yellow Wallpaper neck-deep in zeitgeist. If Angela Carter was stuck in a soulless corporate job this would be the dark, delicious result Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti
Tinged with modern gothic, O'Donoghue's writing is deeply relatable and darkly comic, as she examines the interplay of power and sex in modern times. A story that couldn't be more fitting for 2018, it'll have you nodding with familiarity, thinking, laughing - and crying - as you race towards the end Grazia
What starts as a couple of bad drunk decisions quickly spiral into the kind of Gaslight-y, power imbalanced relationship that will be chillingly oh-so-relatable for many women
Promising Young Women is indeed full of promise, a novel penned by a 28-year-old Corkwoman in a style that is sharp, pithy and engaging ... Promising Young Women is timely and vibrant, with O'Donoghue particularly sharp on gender relations Irish Times
This brilliant debut novel takes office politics to the extreme Elle
Promising Young Women is a book of two worlds - a light, current London of brunch and cocktails, spiraling into a gothic internal world of obsession, manipulation and fear. O'Donoghue writes the body in a hugely transporting way: if you have never felt like Jane in your own life, it will be impossible to not feel like her as you read this book - her illness and want and stasis and depression. Promising Young Women is a gothic spiral that I couldn't quite hold onto the walls of: a descent I was willing to tumble down. I loved it Sarah Maria Griffin
This is the cleverest, funniest and most assured debut novel I've ever read. Caroline O'Donoghue is enormously talented, but wears her talent lightly - this book is deceptively, seductively charming and easy, before it turns deliciously dark. It's bold, knowing and so smart - fans of Nancy Mitford or Jay McInerney will adore this, but O'Donoghue's voice is absolutely her own Daisy Buchanan, author of How to Be a Grown-Up
A darkly funny novel with a gothic twist about surviving the workplace, modern feminism, and the power dynamics that come with relationships Independent
A powerful tale of manipulation and lust inside a male dominated workforce. Not unlike Louise O'Neill's Asking For It, once you go down the rabbit hole into this dark book, you won't be coming out until you've finished it Evoke.ie Bookclub Top Five Summer Reads
A timely portrayal of what it's like to be a woman in a man's world Emerald Street
O'Donoghue's beautifully paced and very clever debut is an acerbic story about finding office love in all the wrong places with some surprising gothic undertones and a satisfyingly bitter after-taste inews, The 30 best books to take on holiday in summer 2018
You'll find both [forbidden love and scandal] in large measure in Promising Young Women, from the always on-the-nose Caroline O'Donoghue. Office worker by day and agony aunt by night, Jane Peters gets caught up in a risky affair that threatens to derail everything she's managing to precariously hold down. It's tipped to be this summer's bestseller and if you've read Caroline's writing before or follow her on Twitter, you'll know why Bustle, The Best British Beach Reads For Summer 2018
Promising Young Women is a look at office politics and power dynamics between men and women at work, with a gothic, slightly terrifying tone Stylist
Promising Young Women manages to capture exactly how it feels to be a twentysomething woman in London while also containing a gleefully dark and gothic streak. It's an absolute gamechanger The Pool
A story that couldn't be more fitting for 2018, it'll have you nodding with familiarity, thinking, laughing - and crying - as you race towards the end Grazia
This debut develops into a dark meditation about life, love and gender politics in the workplace. Witty and thought-provoking Sunday Mirror
An amazing writer and this is a timely and brilliant book Keith Stuart
There's drama aplenty in this plugged-in tale of workplace affairs, agony-aunt blogs and female friendship Mail on Sunday
Properly, properly funny Alexandra Heminsley, Radio 2 - Sara Cox Show
A smart, spiky novel Metro
By turns glossy and gritty ... If Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nora Ephron or Lena Dunham appeal, there's much to like in O'Donoghue's promising debut Irish Independent Books of the Year
Caroline O'Donoghue's witty, vibrant Promising Young Women, whose title neatly sums up the author as well as her work Irish Times Best Debuts of 2018
An intriguing debut ...The novel takes an interesting turn, spiralling into a much darker story than you might expect. Likeable and compelling; we're looking forward to seeing what O'Donoghue does next Sunday Business Post Books of the Year

Caroline O'Donoghue is a New York Times best-selling author and the host of the award-winning podcast Sentimental Garbage. She has written two previous novels for adults, Promising Young Women and Scenes of a Graphic Nature. She has also written the best-selling supernatural series for teenagers, All Our Hidden Gifts. She was born in Ireland and currently lives in London.

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