Writers that read novels please suggest books

It's been awhile since I posted. I hope this is the right place to ask this question.

I am doing research for my next novel. My usual starting point is reading novels similar to what I want to write. I've searched Amazon and Goodreads, but not getting much help.

Briefly, the genre is dark/black comedy, more sexy rather than romantic with financial ruin revenge as the plot. No murder or cop stuff, nor is it a thriller. I plan to keep in the mainstream, women's fiction, or "chick lit" genre.

Think "The Help" meets "American Hustle" or "First wives club." However, the focus is on the haves-nots against the haves rather than racial, social, or sexism, etc. issues. I site movies as examples because I also write screenplays so its easier to think in those terms.

My next stop is the local library and bookstore. You can't replace the knowledge of book sellers and lenders in finding what you are looking for.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated either novels or authors that are similar.

Wilde_at_heart said:

There's an older one by Fay Weldon called The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil. It was made into a movie at one point, but it's worth a read. I wouldn't say it's terribly 'sexy' from what I remember, but it was definitely dark, centered on revenge and so on.

The premise is that there's a frumpy housewife whose husband runs off with a very rich, glamourous author of Romance novels and she seeks to ruin her rival and get her husband back.

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Roseanne and Meryl - bad movie. I'll check out amazon. Thanks