Reviews

Rebecca Sparrow, Author & Co-founder of Birds of a Feather Book Club

"One of those fearless storytellers with the ability to transport the reader so truthfully into someone else’s life that they can’t help but recognise them- selves, or someone they love, in the story – I’m calling it now . . . Rachel Fox McLeod is about to become your new favourite author."

Sommer Tothill, Writer and Feminist Commentator

"Disgraceful is a witty yet unflinching exploration of women’s sacrifice, desire, and the quiet violence of being a good girl. Balancing playfulness with pathos, Fox McLeod’s debut is a bold interrogation of generational trauma, the cost of self-erasure, and what women owe to the world and each other. Disgraceful is a complex and frequently funny journey through the awkward stumbles of self-reinvention and facing yourself anew. While the story is ticklish with smart humour, make no mistake: you’ll close this book with a bruise in your heart."

Natalie Bassingthwaite, Actor, Singer and Author

"A delicious read in every way. Hilarious, heartfelt, raw and real. I was captivated by Grace’s story and felt a real kinship from the get go. I think we can all relate to Grace in one way or another. And this needs to be a TV show!"

Lisa Ireland, Author of Feels Like Home

"Rachel Fox McLeod’s warm and witty prose had me hooked from page one. This refreshingly honest debut moves seamlessly from laugh-out-loud funny to quietly devastating before reaching its emotionally satisfying conclusion. With fabulously flawed characters and real emotional resonance, Disgraceful is my favourite kind of read. An exciting new voice in Australian fiction!"

Emma Grey, Author of Pictures of You

"Full of raw honesty and heart, Disgraceful is a wild and dazzling debut. Fox McLeod has knocked it out of the park."

Cassie Hamer, Bestselling author of After the Party

"Come for the laughs, but stay for the heart and wisdom that abounds in Rachel Fox McLeod’s highly entertaining debut. Wonderful, car-crash storytelling – just try to look away. This is the mid-life rollercoaster in all its glorious mess – and I say Amen to that!"

Bianca Dye, Radio and TV Personality

"Balls-to-the-wall fearless, funny as hell, and all the feels. This book broke my heart then put it back together again. An unforgettable read."

Nina D. Campbell, Author of Daughters of Eve

"Disgraceful is a wild, witty and expansive novel that thrilled me from the first page to the last. It offers a rich, deep and sometimes disturbing examination of what happens when women step outside the bounds of expected behaviour, never once straying into saccharine territory or shying away from difficult truths."

Fiona Horne, Bestselling author, musician, radio & TV personality

"Rachel Fox McLeod writes with humour and sharp insight, but always with care. It is at different times heartbreaking, horrifying, exciting and genuinely funny. Disgraceful feels lived-in and truthful, not theoretical. Proving that sometimes the so-called bad decisions – the one that crack everything open – are the very choices that save us. Disgraceful is a confident, confronting and emotionally intelligent debut, and a true page-turner."

Mez & Fonz - The Midlifers Podcast

"We devoured Disgraceful and each chapter left us wanting more. It’s a fierce, funny story of resilience and self-discovery that flips the bird to anyone who tries to label us and toasts the sisterhood that keeps us standing."

Brooke Crawford, Author of Better Than the Real Thing

"Wise, funny and unflinchingly honest, Disgraceful asks us to consider the true self we might find if we shed the layers life has asked us to don. Grace’s undulating path back to herself is a lesson in self-reflection and an inspiring reminder that beauty can sprout in the darkest times. A brilliant debut."

Katie Hoskins, Author of When the Party's Over

"Rachel gives us such an insightful portrayal of loss, recovery and acceptance. The importance of friendship, the mother–daughter and sister relationships shine through and are so beautifully and richly drawn. Most of all it speaks so eloquently to the experience of being female; I felt a true camaraderie with Grace and already miss her."