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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Ooh this was a fantastic read to start off 2019 with!
Told in differing perspective and timelines, Pretty Things tells us the stories of Nina, a grifter, and Vanessa, a woman who comes from a family with old money and who has paved the way as an influencer.
When I began this book I had no idea what to expect and believe me, it takes you on some twists and turns. It tells you why Nina hates Vanessa and wants revenge and why Vanessa isn’t too keen on Nina. Who exactly will up who? The answer may surprise you. Secrets are exposed, lines are crossed, lies are told, and this twisting, turning thrilled is going to have you up late into the night.
Although this book is a bit longer than most thrillers the writing was so good that I got through it quickly, mostly because I needed to know what was going to happen next.
If you want to start off 2020 on the right foot then this is the book for you!
Told in differing perspective and timelines, Pretty Things tells us the stories of Nina, a grifter, and Vanessa, a woman who comes from a family with old money and who has paved the way as an influencer.
When I began this book I had no idea what to expect and believe me, it takes you on some twists and turns. It tells you why Nina hates Vanessa and wants revenge and why Vanessa isn’t too keen on Nina. Who exactly will up who? The answer may surprise you. Secrets are exposed, lines are crossed, lies are told, and this twisting, turning thrilled is going to have you up late into the night.
Although this book is a bit longer than most thrillers the writing was so good that I got through it quickly, mostly because I needed to know what was going to happen next.
If you want to start off 2020 on the right foot then this is the book for you!
If you love twisty, juicy, and thoroughly satisfying fictions, pick PRETTY THINGS up!
Two women of starkly different backgrounds- Vanessa, a well-to-do heiress and Nina, the daughter of a con woman, get caught in a whirlwind scam. Told from both women’s perspectives, an aspect I particularly loved as the reader gets to experience identical scenes between both characters, what happens when Nina, along with her boyfriend, decides to run the scam of a lifetime against Vanessa Liebling, the older sister of Nina’s first love? Prepare yourself for high fashion, twisty turns, and take your breath away moments!
I would rate this 4.5 stars, docking it slightly only for wanting a more substantial climax. The resolution at the end left me wanting just a bit more. It felt a bit slapdash and uncoordinated so I desired a little finessing of the ending. I wanted to have that final shock but it left something to be desired.
All in all, a can’t miss, couldn’t put down type of read. A special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this title for an honest review.
Two women of starkly different backgrounds- Vanessa, a well-to-do heiress and Nina, the daughter of a con woman, get caught in a whirlwind scam. Told from both women’s perspectives, an aspect I particularly loved as the reader gets to experience identical scenes between both characters, what happens when Nina, along with her boyfriend, decides to run the scam of a lifetime against Vanessa Liebling, the older sister of Nina’s first love? Prepare yourself for high fashion, twisty turns, and take your breath away moments!
I would rate this 4.5 stars, docking it slightly only for wanting a more substantial climax. The resolution at the end left me wanting just a bit more. It felt a bit slapdash and uncoordinated so I desired a little finessing of the ending. I wanted to have that final shock but it left something to be desired.
All in all, a can’t miss, couldn’t put down type of read. A special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this title for an honest review.
Rated 4.25 stars
Pretty Things is a good old-fashioned con story set in the current world of social media where peoples’ lives are so transparent that they can become easy marks. We meet Nina Ross, daughter of a lifelong grifter. Nina strived for a legitimate life but got pulled into the world of scam artists by her mother. Working with boyfriend Lachlan, they cleverly bilked Los Angeles’ uber-wealthy of valuable possessions. As their next victim, they set their sights on the wealthy and fabulous Vanessa Liebling, an heiress turned Instagram influencer.
Vanessa has just returned to Stonehaven, her family’s estate in the mountains of Lake Tahoe. Nina/Lachlan transform into Ashley/Michael and inject themselves into Vanessa’s life gaining her trust and friendship. While “Ashley” pretends she has never been to the area, the real Nina is returning to the scene of great pain from her years as a lonely teenager. She has revenge on her mind. The story is told from the perspectives of each woman, both dealing with the damage of family sins and lies. This cat and mouse game has many twists and turns which makes for an entertaining and suspenseful read.
Many thanks to Goodreads and Random House for an advance copy of this highly original book.
Review is posted at MicheleReader.com
Pretty Things is a good old-fashioned con story set in the current world of social media where peoples’ lives are so transparent that they can become easy marks. We meet Nina Ross, daughter of a lifelong grifter. Nina strived for a legitimate life but got pulled into the world of scam artists by her mother. Working with boyfriend Lachlan, they cleverly bilked Los Angeles’ uber-wealthy of valuable possessions. As their next victim, they set their sights on the wealthy and fabulous Vanessa Liebling, an heiress turned Instagram influencer.
Vanessa has just returned to Stonehaven, her family’s estate in the mountains of Lake Tahoe. Nina/Lachlan transform into Ashley/Michael and inject themselves into Vanessa’s life gaining her trust and friendship. While “Ashley” pretends she has never been to the area, the real Nina is returning to the scene of great pain from her years as a lonely teenager. She has revenge on her mind. The story is told from the perspectives of each woman, both dealing with the damage of family sins and lies. This cat and mouse game has many twists and turns which makes for an entertaining and suspenseful read.
Many thanks to Goodreads and Random House for an advance copy of this highly original book.
Review is posted at MicheleReader.com
A true page-turner from the first page to the last, I couldn’t put this book down nor did I want it to end! It’s made me want to read all of Janelle Brown’s other books, even to read this book again!
I really liked the plot, I just wished for a different ending and I'm not sure why. The ending is very satisfying but somehow not what I expected.
The writing was probably one of the best written novels I have read in a very long time, Janelle Brown has an incredible way with words! Will recommend to friends, no doubt.
The writing was probably one of the best written novels I have read in a very long time, Janelle Brown has an incredible way with words! Will recommend to friends, no doubt.
It's too long, predictable, and everyone is pretty annoying, but it mostly kept me interested. I loved the alternate POVs, but I feel like they overlapped too much. I'm curious to see this as a TV series.
4.25 Stars
Author Janelle Brown's latest novel Pretty Things is a cerebral thriller that is full of twists and turns. We first meet Nina, a disillusioned art history graduate who after trying to eke out a living as an interior design assistant returns to the grifter life her mother had long schooled her in- stealing from the distracted wealthy. Never taking the big and obvious, never stealing from people who would miss what was taken right away. She's doing this because her mother is ill with recurrent lymphoma, and she needs to pay mom's medical bills. When a job that she and her beau Lachlan have run goes south and their fence is arrested, they have to skip town, lie low, and work on an alternate source of funds. Nina thinks she has just the job. It involves the heiress of a family that wronged Nina as a teenager- the Liebling family, namely Vanessa Liebling, who lives in a huge mansion called Stonehaven at Lake Tahoe. But Vanessa, who's lost both her parents and whose brother is in a mental institution, isn't quite the mark that Nina was counting on.
This was a diverting thriller, with well-developed characters that you end up feeling like you know personally. One of the things I most enjoyed is that Brown has taken all the reader's doubts about the scheme and exploited them as part of the plot. I couldn't put it down and finished the novel in less than a day. Sure to be adapted for TV or film, readers will be mentally casting the roles by the end of the book.
I listened to the excellent audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan as Nina, and Lauren Fortgang as Vanessa. At about sixteen hours in length, you won't believe how fast the story flies.
I received a Digital Review Copy along with a paper review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Author Janelle Brown's latest novel Pretty Things is a cerebral thriller that is full of twists and turns. We first meet Nina, a disillusioned art history graduate who after trying to eke out a living as an interior design assistant returns to the grifter life her mother had long schooled her in- stealing from the distracted wealthy. Never taking the big and obvious, never stealing from people who would miss what was taken right away. She's doing this because her mother is ill with recurrent lymphoma, and she needs to pay mom's medical bills. When a job that she and her beau Lachlan have run goes south and their fence is arrested, they have to skip town, lie low, and work on an alternate source of funds. Nina thinks she has just the job. It involves the heiress of a family that wronged Nina as a teenager- the Liebling family, namely Vanessa Liebling, who lives in a huge mansion called Stonehaven at Lake Tahoe. But Vanessa, who's lost both her parents and whose brother is in a mental institution, isn't quite the mark that Nina was counting on.
This was a diverting thriller, with well-developed characters that you end up feeling like you know personally. One of the things I most enjoyed is that Brown has taken all the reader's doubts about the scheme and exploited them as part of the plot. I couldn't put it down and finished the novel in less than a day. Sure to be adapted for TV or film, readers will be mentally casting the roles by the end of the book.
I listened to the excellent audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan as Nina, and Lauren Fortgang as Vanessa. At about sixteen hours in length, you won't believe how fast the story flies.
I received a Digital Review Copy along with a paper review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.