You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
While I have not read all of Jackie Collins books (yet) this is my absolute, without question, favourite book by her. It was dramatic and gripping and I sat with this book until I finished it, hating when I had to put it down. It was just that good. There is so much mystery and scandal within this book that even if you only read one of Collins novels, make it this one.
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Holy Crazy Sauce. I picked this book up after listening to a fated mates Trailblazers episode (podcast) regarding Jackie Collins. She was an author I heard about when I was in my teens, but I never read any of her books. I'm so glad I did - what a crazy, fun romp. It's been a long time since I read a book with such a multi-character universe. There's no single protagonist - it's a cast of characters in Hollywood ranging from nepo babies, fledgling stars, fading stars, wives, mistresses and more. Plus a serial killer.
At the end of the day I think good ultimately prevails over evil, but it's a crazy ass ride to get there.
At the end of the day I think good ultimately prevails over evil, but it's a crazy ass ride to get there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is thick book. I listened to the audio and felt like I would never see the end of the story. I would love to see what this book looks like in it's physical format! That's not to say that this is a bad book. The intro by Colleen Hoover did a good job of setting my expectations. This book reads like the trashiest E! special and I was here for it. I love drama! I binged The Ultimatum and Love is Blind in days so I was here for the Hollywood drama, the fame, the rich-ness of it all. I love getting lost in the lives of the rich and famous and this book delivered on that in spades.
At the beginning I had a tough time keeping the characters straight. Hell, even at the end I was still struggling to keep the characters straight. But each character is so different from the rest, even though they're all shallow and selfish and rich. There isn't much of a build-up in terms of the plot line. There are long stretches of plot where we lose the main plot entirely and we just get lost in the characters lives. The ending was absolutely BANANAS and it happens so quickly compared to the rest of the novel. I think the chapters are literally a quarter of the length of the previous chapters which adds to the speed of the ending. But I will say the ending did make the whole journey worth it.
I think this would be a great book for anyone who just loves the ridiculous drama of the rich. If you're picking up this book for the mystery and plot you will most likely be disappointed, but if you want an absolutely bat shit ride this is the book for you.
At the beginning I had a tough time keeping the characters straight. Hell, even at the end I was still struggling to keep the characters straight. But each character is so different from the rest, even though they're all shallow and selfish and rich. There isn't much of a build-up in terms of the plot line. There are long stretches of plot where we lose the main plot entirely and we just get lost in the characters lives. The ending was absolutely BANANAS and it happens so quickly compared to the rest of the novel. I think the chapters are literally a quarter of the length of the previous chapters which adds to the speed of the ending. But I will say the ending did make the whole journey worth it.
I think this would be a great book for anyone who just loves the ridiculous drama of the rich. If you're picking up this book for the mystery and plot you will most likely be disappointed, but if you want an absolutely bat shit ride this is the book for you.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Reading for the first time in 2023. I've been reading primarily romance genre for this year so this was kind of a rude reminder that life is imperfect and ugly. The 2000s were just rampant with overt misogyny and superficiality and this book captures that very well. There's a lot going on with the characters in this book so it's entertaining in that respect.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship
i got 3/4 through but it was so cheesy and dated. also i was getting stressed out about this party that one wife was throwing and i realized i hated her. and then i realized i hated all the characters.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Typical Jackie Collins
Plenty of Hooray Henry’s sex and underdogs
Plenty of Hooray Henry’s sex and underdogs
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hollywood Wives has been given new life with a 40th anniversary reissue, but it was long ago guaranteed immortality. A gilt-edged, leather-bound copy of Jackie Collins’s novel has pride of place on the schadenfreude bookshelf. Anyone seeking assurance that rich and famous people are absolutely miserable and obsessed with petty grievances can take Hollywood Wives into the bubble bath.
It might be awkward to celebrate Hollywood Wives’ milestone birthday just as movie actors and writers are taking to the picket line, but the story of these characters and SAG-AFTRA, if set in the present day, would be just as free from actual moviemaking as the original novel.
Sadie LaSalle would be trying to get Buddy Hudson on TikTok, with Buddy left wondering whether a doppelgänger account was run by his twin or simply a deepfake. Gina Germaine would be pitching a reality series, Ross Conti would be mulling offers from Pornhub, and Montana Gray would be on the picket line trying to answer reporters’ questions about whether it really counts as striking when she’s never had a screenplay actually produced.
While the foibles of Collins’s characters remain recognizable, the world they lived in is long gone.
It might be awkward to celebrate Hollywood Wives’ milestone birthday just as movie actors and writers are taking to the picket line, but the story of these characters and SAG-AFTRA, if set in the present day, would be just as free from actual moviemaking as the original novel.
Sadie LaSalle would be trying to get Buddy Hudson on TikTok, with Buddy left wondering whether a doppelgänger account was run by his twin or simply a deepfake. Gina Germaine would be pitching a reality series, Ross Conti would be mulling offers from Pornhub, and Montana Gray would be on the picket line trying to answer reporters’ questions about whether it really counts as striking when she’s never had a screenplay actually produced.
While the foibles of Collins’s characters remain recognizable, the world they lived in is long gone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Murder
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
slow-paced
Not a good book. Far too long, should have been edited better. Too many unnecessary characters and subplots. Salacious and sexy but not compelling. I can’t believe I first read this book when I was 12 years old. 😳
slow-paced