Scan barcode
teresaalice's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. A perfect palate cleanser for those that, like me, are suffering the fall blues and can't concentrate on any serious fiction at the moment. Annie and Sarah have been best friends for 20 years, and as they find themselves both desperate for money for different reasons, they hatch a scheme to sell high priced face cream to the creme de la creme of La Jolla society.
libabbywilliams's review against another edition
4.0
Really great plot, very slow
Book was great, well written, intriguing plot, but towards the end there were too many characters, and I was just waiting for Annie and Sarah to get caught. Defiantly a good summer read, but I would try to do it in one sitting.
Book was great, well written, intriguing plot, but towards the end there were too many characters, and I was just waiting for Annie and Sarah to get caught. Defiantly a good summer read, but I would try to do it in one sitting.
bookoramalama's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
iamdwg's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know. This book has a weak narrative and strange pace. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere until the last three chapters, and then it seems really rushed. So,there's not a great sense of buildup of story consequence. It keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny until it runs out of steam. Plus, the whole book club concept seems way more gimmicky than need-be. It offers the setting, but that setting could essentially be anything and the book would end up exactly the same...which is fine, but far from something I'd consider worthwhile. Take that as you will.
bekkibee22's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
3.5
This book was such a fun read, we follow best friends Annie and Sarah who together come up with a quick money scheme to help them with being able to afford treatments for Annie's son and Sarah to be able to afford IVF again so she can become a mother.
Together they come up with creating a face cream which they can charge for thousands of dollars and sell to the rich ladies of La Jolla and the little book club is the perfect place to start. The problem is Annie the chemist wants to find that something special to add to the cream to make the woman feel like it's working and come back for repeat orders, the problem is that special ingredient is oh so illegal and could end up being a risk that could end everything.
We follow their journey in showing that woman will do whatever it takes to provide for their family, in this comedy, contemporary with a bit of mystery and suspense with a almost Robin Hood re-telling of stealing from the rich to help the poor. It was an easy read for me and enjoyed the journey from start to finish and how the 2 best friends overcome everything.
Together they come up with creating a face cream which they can charge for thousands of dollars and sell to the rich ladies of La Jolla and the little book club is the perfect place to start. The problem is Annie the chemist wants to find that something special to add to the cream to make the woman feel like it's working and come back for repeat orders, the problem is that special ingredient is oh so illegal and could end up being a risk that could end everything.
We follow their journey in showing that woman will do whatever it takes to provide for their family, in this comedy, contemporary with a bit of mystery and suspense with a almost Robin Hood re-telling of stealing from the rich to help the poor. It was an easy read for me and enjoyed the journey from start to finish and how the 2 best friends overcome everything.
rachelellyn's review against another edition
5.0
I would rate this witty and thoroughly delightful story 5 PLUS STARS because of the amazing talent of the audible book narrator, Katherine Kellgren. I was there in the kitchen with Annie eating ice cream. I was sitting on a stark white, frightfully expensive couch drinking white wine and gossiping with Sarah and the La Jolla Ladies.
The is the perfect, funny, light weekend read that leaves you smiling.
The is the perfect, funny, light weekend read that leaves you smiling.
jojo_27's review against another edition
3.0
This book was overall a quick and fun read. As someone who has been the Annie in more than one friendship, I really enjoyed the friendship between Sarah and Annie (even if it did sometimes lean into cliche'). The writing is fun and kept my attention; I started it on my lunch break and finished that evening.
A few things that I didn't love:
The treatment of OCD in this book is frustrating. The author seems to rely only on stereotypes instead of doing even a modicum of research into what this disorder actually is. I'm hardly an expert, but a summer psych class taught me that it's not just "give him cleaning projects and he's fine".
A few things that I didn't love:
The treatment of OCD in this book is frustrating. The author seems to rely only on stereotypes instead of doing even a modicum of research into what this disorder actually is. I'm hardly an expert, but a summer psych class taught me that it's not just "give him cleaning projects and he's fine".
Spoiler
The other thing that was in the back of my mind as I read this book was that the author didn't seem very aware of any racial elements. First, there are a few ham-fisted scenes when Annie is trying to get more cocaine. And then, while I was happy on a personal level that the women ultimately triumphed, I struggled to enjoy their victory given the current climate surrounding drugs, namely, that middle-class white women are going to marijuana yoga classes, but a black person will go to jail for a dime-sized amount of pot. I'm not sure how I would want the author to address this, but I would have appreciated some awareness.sfaul612's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 but rounding up. Listened on audible so it was a nice listen while working.
amylajiness's review against another edition
4.0
A fun, light read with a bit more substance than most "beach reads." As someone who has worked in La Jolla, I can say that the characterizations were spot on and very funny!