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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
Okay... So hear me out: This book bridges the gap of women’s fiction and domestic thriller genres!
Let me explain why! The plot isn't geared toward your typical thriller/suspense vibe - no one’s getting murdered and there’s no blood and guts. It plays out as a domestic drama with some twists. Predominantly, you're in it for the revenge game. And on a whole, that's entirely what this plotline is - a huge vengeance cat and mouse game. (There are totally subplots that include family backstories, marital drama, and hints of a love story.)
But what really makes this book is the two main characters - because both Jordana and Olivia are ON POINT!! I just devoured Olivia's character. She's smart, cunning, but still human in all her deception. Liebert wrote her to perfection! She was relatable which was so surprising because my personality isn't driven by one-upping someone. But Olivia made you wanna try and out-smart your biggest nemesis!
I also appreciated that this wasn't a fluffy ending. There were two critical plot points that could have turned into real "eh" moments - one was a death and the other was the ending. I found both authentic and probable (probability is high on my "well that's a nope" for me scale).
So my suggestion to you fellow readers is: walk into this book knowing it's domestic drama/thriller. It will be so much more satisfying!
Let me explain why! The plot isn't geared toward your typical thriller/suspense vibe - no one’s getting murdered and there’s no blood and guts. It plays out as a domestic drama with some twists. Predominantly, you're in it for the revenge game. And on a whole, that's entirely what this plotline is - a huge vengeance cat and mouse game. (There are totally subplots that include family backstories, marital drama, and hints of a love story.)
But what really makes this book is the two main characters - because both Jordana and Olivia are ON POINT!! I just devoured Olivia's character. She's smart, cunning, but still human in all her deception. Liebert wrote her to perfection! She was relatable which was so surprising because my personality isn't driven by one-upping someone. But Olivia made you wanna try and out-smart your biggest nemesis!
I also appreciated that this wasn't a fluffy ending. There were two critical plot points that could have turned into real "eh" moments - one was a death and the other was the ending. I found both authentic and probable (probability is high on my "well that's a nope" for me scale).
So my suggestion to you fellow readers is: walk into this book knowing it's domestic drama/thriller. It will be so much more satisfying!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
[b:Pretty Revenge|42201567|Pretty Revenge|Emily Liebert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560073293i/42201567._SY75_.jpg|65814105] by [a:Emily Liebert|3128050|Emily Liebert|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1551710221p2/3128050.jpg] ended up being not at all what I expected, but that was no problem because I really enjoyed it!
What it's about: Kerrie O'Malley can remember exactly when her life took a turn for the worse, and it was when the older girl she looked up to stole everything she had left. So when Kerrie sees her former idol on TV seemingly with everything she lacks, she decides it is time to exact her revenge...
I loved the pacing of Pretty Revenge, and I read it incredibly quickly since it only took me just shy of 3 hours and 49 minutes. I also loved the switches between Kerrie and Jordana's point of views because I thought it helped the pacing, which already seemed fast due to the short chapters.
I wouldn't say I particularly loved either Kerrie or Jordana, but I did become more endeared to both of them by the time the book ended. Both of them are dealing with some pretty heavy issues and you can't help but feel sorry for them as the truth comes out.
I thought the beginning chapter endings repeated themselves a little in Kerrie's viewpoint, but that quickly stopped and I didn't feel like anything else was repetitive.
Song/s the book brought to mind: A mix of Better Than Revenge and Speak Now, both by Taylor Swift.
Final Thought: I wanted to keep this review short and sweet which were my exact feelings about this book. If you are looking for a quick, binge-worthy read that focuses on retribution then I highly recommend reading Pretty Revenge. I loved Liebert's writing style and while this might be my first time reading her novels, it definitely will not be my last!
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
[b:Pretty Revenge|42201567|Pretty Revenge|Emily Liebert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560073293i/42201567._SY75_.jpg|65814105] by [a:Emily Liebert|3128050|Emily Liebert|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1551710221p2/3128050.jpg] ended up being not at all what I expected, but that was no problem because I really enjoyed it!
What it's about: Kerrie O'Malley can remember exactly when her life took a turn for the worse, and it was when the older girl she looked up to stole everything she had left. So when Kerrie sees her former idol on TV seemingly with everything she lacks, she decides it is time to exact her revenge...
I loved the pacing of Pretty Revenge, and I read it incredibly quickly since it only took me just shy of 3 hours and 49 minutes. I also loved the switches between Kerrie and Jordana's point of views because I thought it helped the pacing, which already seemed fast due to the short chapters.
I wouldn't say I particularly loved either Kerrie or Jordana, but I did become more endeared to both of them by the time the book ended. Both of them are dealing with some pretty heavy issues and you can't help but feel sorry for them as the truth comes out.
I thought the beginning chapter endings repeated themselves a little in Kerrie's viewpoint, but that quickly stopped and I didn't feel like anything else was repetitive.
Song/s the book brought to mind: A mix of Better Than Revenge and Speak Now, both by Taylor Swift.
Final Thought: I wanted to keep this review short and sweet which were my exact feelings about this book. If you are looking for a quick, binge-worthy read that focuses on retribution then I highly recommend reading Pretty Revenge. I loved Liebert's writing style and while this might be my first time reading her novels, it definitely will not be my last!
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A fun beach read. I’m confused about this being described as suspenseful or thrilling as it is neither. The reader has the inside scoop from the beginning so there is no suspense, just a slow unraveling of the story. It was a fun book about revenge and I enjoyed it!
I enjoyed this book a lot while reading it, which makes me feel weird giving it 3 stars. I guess it’s more of a 3.5?? It’s a light and quick read, it’s chick lit with a small mystery in the background. It definitely made me want to be a wedding planner, but I didn’t think the mystery twist really held up in the end. All that being said, I still enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it. Just be warned: this is chick lit (as much as I hate that term) and not a thriller.
The premise of revenge in this book sounded intriguing, thinking it would be a thriller. It is not. It's very tame.
Kerrie sees an interview with Jordan on television about her new wedding concierge business. Jordan has wronged Kerrie many years ago as a child and she decides this is the perfect time to take her revenge. Kerrie becomes Olivia and moves to New York to interview with Jordan (now Jordana). She gets the job (way too easily) and starts her plan of revenge. Her ways of revenge are pretty lame: deleting emails and voicemails, miscommunication with wedding vendors, etc. Nothing too jaw-dropping. Her whole reason for revenge was very weak, too, and not well thought out. She was lucky to find the information on Jordana's husband on the computer.
The ending was weak and unbelievable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an electronic arc in exchange for an honest review.
Kerrie sees an interview with Jordan on television about her new wedding concierge business. Jordan has wronged Kerrie many years ago as a child and she decides this is the perfect time to take her revenge. Kerrie becomes Olivia and moves to New York to interview with Jordan (now Jordana). She gets the job (way too easily) and starts her plan of revenge. Her ways of revenge are pretty lame: deleting emails and voicemails, miscommunication with wedding vendors, etc. Nothing too jaw-dropping. Her whole reason for revenge was very weak, too, and not well thought out. She was lucky to find the information on Jordana's husband on the computer.
The ending was weak and unbelievable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an electronic arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was fun-kept me engaged. A little "fluffier" than I was expecting. Super disappointed/underwhelmed in the reason Kerrie wanted "revenge" but definitely a read you're looking for if you don't want anything dark before bed and want some chick lit.
Kerrie has lost everything important to her. Her parents, and even worse, her Nana. Jordan is the one that ruined her life. 18 years later when Kerrie sees that Jordana, as she now goes by, runs a successful business and it looking to hire help, Kerrie uproots her life to extract revenge. She changes her looks and gets hired to ruin Jordana from the inside out.
I really enjoyed this book. I listened to this one on audio and I loved following the story through the two different viewpoints. There were a few times where I wondered if Kerrie was taking her revenge plot too far, but that’s the glory of this kind of story. You root for one, then you root for the other, and in the end you don’t really know who to root for!
I really enjoyed this book. I listened to this one on audio and I loved following the story through the two different viewpoints. There were a few times where I wondered if Kerrie was taking her revenge plot too far, but that’s the glory of this kind of story. You root for one, then you root for the other, and in the end you don’t really know who to root for!
So how about 4.44 stars? As high as possible without rounding up to a 5. Why not 5 stars? Well, the ending was predictable and tied up in a nice little package. You know how I feel about those neat and tidy endings. I loved the characters and the various story lines that brought them all together, but I needed more of a climax, probably would have preferred someone die, and again, the pretty ending. I know! I am a rough audience. BUT, it was an enjoyable read!
This one was okay. Decent concept but the end was abrupt and boring.