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alysereadsbooks's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I listened to the audiobook version of this without reading much of a summary, and I was pretty disappointing. I knew from the beginning that Julian was a red flag and I had dread while reading this one. I did like the exploration of her relationship with her sister and the previous wives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death
kitkathw871's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The middle part of the book captivated my attention, but it was a long slow journey to get there and then ended fairly abruptly. It took a while before the story even approached the premise mentioned in the summary. The book also went back and forth on what genre it wanted to be. The pop culture references felt shoehorned in and took me out of the story because it was too online. I felt the dialogue was also often stilted and written with an unrealistic tone, and there were many instances where the author's own voice poked through too much, diminishing the identity of the character. This book was most interesting in the stories of the previous wives and Advika was outshone in her own book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting
evelikesbooks's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racism
brichneyfloss's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
lindsayhotrod's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Death, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Misogyny
thebigq's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Incredible twists and turns. Characters felt real in their love for each other. Advika easy to cheer for the whole way through. Deft representation of love bombing and its toxicity. Truly a delight to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racism and Pregnancy
rorikae's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
'Advika and the Hollywood Wives' by Kirthana Ramisetti is a gripping fast paced novel with mystery elements.
Advika is an aspiring screenwriter working at an Oscars afterparty when she meets Julian Zelding, a producer who has just won his latest Oscar. Swept into Julian's circle, Advika finds herself falling for him and they are quickly married. But when Julian's first wife dies, she leaves one million dollars and a tape to Advika. The catch is that Advika will have to divorce Julian to get both the money and the truth about her husband.
Ramisetti creates a quick paced and easily consumable mystery centered on the luxury of Hollywood. This story centers on the characters. Advika is easy to care for and Ramisetti does a great job of making the reader see exactly why Advika is swept away by Julian. But just as Advika begins to start questioning her relationship, Ramisetti begins to drop hints and moments with Julian that give an idea of his true nature. This story kept me gripped and fascinated. The audiobook is great and incorporates auditory elements like background music and audience laughter in appropriate moments. If you're looking for a great beach read or a fun audiobook to listen to on a roadtrip, 'Advika and the Hollywood Wives' is a great pick.
Advika is an aspiring screenwriter working at an Oscars afterparty when she meets Julian Zelding, a producer who has just won his latest Oscar. Swept into Julian's circle, Advika finds herself falling for him and they are quickly married. But when Julian's first wife dies, she leaves one million dollars and a tape to Advika. The catch is that Advika will have to divorce Julian to get both the money and the truth about her husband.
Ramisetti creates a quick paced and easily consumable mystery centered on the luxury of Hollywood. This story centers on the characters. Advika is easy to care for and Ramisetti does a great job of making the reader see exactly why Advika is swept away by Julian. But just as Advika begins to start questioning her relationship, Ramisetti begins to drop hints and moments with Julian that give an idea of his true nature. This story kept me gripped and fascinated. The audiobook is great and incorporates auditory elements like background music and audience laughter in appropriate moments. If you're looking for a great beach read or a fun audiobook to listen to on a roadtrip, 'Advika and the Hollywood Wives' is a great pick.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Death and Drug use
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use and Pregnancy
dianapiskor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
When I think of books about Hollywood, I think of glitz, glamor, and stardom. While this book had that, it was such an interesting concept to have the book centered around the relationship between Advika, an aspiring screenwriter and Julian, someone 41 years her senior and a very famous, very powerful Hollywood film producer. With it's blend of feminism, mystery, and drama, interspersed with a character driven plot, I cannot say enough good things about this book.
The triumph of this book truly is how the author gets the reader to understand how Advika ended up married to Julian in the first place and the power dynamics that created this relationship. What struck me is the author's ability to make me understand Advika's choices, even if I didn't agree with them. This ability to create that connection, that understanding, was what made this book so compelling and engaging.
This book also speaks to the author's ability to tell a story, especially when it came to her female characters.
Each woman was strong in their own ways, dealing with the power, control, and manipulation of their relationship and carving out a way to gain their identity, in healthy and unhealthy ways. To understand these women, to have their stories told, even fictionally, when so many of these similar stories are dismissed, was another amazing part of this story and another reason why I loved the book so much.
Overall, this was a great story filled with Hollywood intrigue, fantastic writing and storytelling, female empowerment, diversity, and mystery. This book is a must read.
The triumph of this book truly is how the author gets the reader to understand how Advika ended up married to Julian in the first place and the power dynamics that created this relationship. What struck me is the author's ability to make me understand Advika's choices, even if I didn't agree with them. This ability to create that connection, that understanding, was what made this book so compelling and engaging.
This book also speaks to the author's ability to tell a story, especially when it came to her female characters.
Each woman was strong in their own ways, dealing with the power, control, and manipulation of their relationship and carving out a way to gain their identity, in healthy and unhealthy ways. To understand these women, to have their stories told, even fictionally, when so many of these similar stories are dismissed, was another amazing part of this story and another reason why I loved the book so much.
Overall, this was a great story filled with Hollywood intrigue, fantastic writing and storytelling, female empowerment, diversity, and mystery. This book is a must read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Grief
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