Lee has the right designer clothes, the right job managing a stylish restaurant, and the right lover, who finances all her bad habits. As the lights go down at closing time, the energy of the city is a call Lee cannot resist, even when her Cinderella-like existence begins to unravel.

Interesting synopsis which led me to try out this book but I couldn't finish it. I just couldn't get into it.

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review

I really don't even know what this novel was trying to do. From page one, I was confused and it never got better.

The authors writing is fantastic and she is very descriptive. It was extremely intriguing but the main character was a little bit grating though. I guess our personalities didnt match up.

I tore through this book in 2 days. I really enjoyed it and not yet having read White Fur, I am definitely going to pick up a copy of that. I empathize with Lee and really felt her struggles- both as an artist and a girl on a path of self destruction. I began to adore Kelly and actually felt empty when I read Lee never went to Florida. With that being said, the ending left me feeling bummed and wanting more. Honestly, I thought the ending was a little weak, but I'm a sucker for romance and happy endings through trial and tribulations.

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Part of me truly expected to love this for nostalgic reasons. That sounds a bit odd considering the contents of Here Kitty Kitty but hear me out--I used to read a lot of books like this. Some good, some bad. At the end of winter, just a few weeks before spring every year, I get into this reading mood where I want to read books that feel like what I once adored. Last year brought me quite a few new books that somehow felt fresh and familiar all at once, so I had high hopes for this book.

When I saw Here Kitty Kitty's synopsis, I thought: yes, this is like an out-of-control adult version of Gossip Girl that I must read. Plus, I really liked the general party girl Polaroid vibe that the cover art gives off. I was like, okay, sign me up--STAT! Ultimately, I found the book to be difficult to get into and while many books share a similar plot to them, this one felt way too familiar to dozens of books and not in a good way. In short, it was repetitive and I almost didn't finish it.

It's not that I'm not keen on Libaire's writing--I enjoyed it and frankly felt it was the only thing that salvaged a lot of it and kept me reading. There's a brutal honesty to certain parts in the prose that I really got into. I like my characters complex and horribly flawed to the point of being almost unlikable. For some reason, I couldn't connect with Here Kitty Kitty even if it seemingly spelled out every trope and characteristic I'd normally like.

Who can resist a hot mess?

Apparently, I could in this case. Here Kitty Kitty simply was not for me but I think that, if you haven't read many books that are similar, you will enjoy this one. It was pretty to the point; I can definitely appreciate that even if it wasn't my cup of tea when it boiled down to it.

I struggled reading this novel. There was too much detail on every page. I loved the idea of it but found it very hard to make my way through it. I quickly forgot what I read and found myself rereading passages to try and understand what was happening. This was not the novel for me

Lee is a spoiled brat who's never had to rely on herself for anything. She takes no responsibility in her actions, knowing someone will bail her out of her messes, as they always do.

She's come to a crossroads in her life. Her best friend, and former partner in partying, has grown up and settled down. Her much older sugar daddy of a boyfriend has a health scare which prompts him to put a ring on her finger. Still, she's spending money like she has it, ignoring her rent, drinking and drugging her days and nights through, and assuming it will all just go away if she wills that to happen hard enough.

While there is a brief turning point when a new guy enters her life, it is unbelievable. She suddenly decides to sober up and even breaks it off with the guy because she realizes she needs to learn to be on her own. The catalyst for this 180 turnaround was just not enough for me to get behind this change in her behavior. I just felt "meh" about the whole thing.

If you are looking for a character study, this honestly isn't it. It's more of a showcase for the author's quick-witted word-smithing rather than an actual plot piece. While I admire the style, I wanted more. I gave it 3.25 stars for the actual writing. That's all I could muster.

3.25 stars

This review is based on an ARC of Here Kitty Kitty which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Crown Publishing).

I found Here Kitty Kitty to be a highly contrasting book. The writing was complex, yet simple to understand; the plot was addictive and fascinating, yet I found myself bored. Perhaps why I could read this monotonous book so quickly and why my interest did not waver is because I hoped (and assumed) that something big would happen. Unfortunately, events remained fairly tame and predictable throughout. Though I enjoyed Here Kitty Kitty while I read it, this won't be a re-read for me.

I will say that I really loved the mood of this story. Here Kitty Kitty felt like The Bell Jar meets American Psycho, with a main character reminiscent of Rebecca Bloomfield from Sophie Kinsella's <i>Shopaholic</i> series.

Overall an enchanting read, but not a favorite for me.

This was like reading the series of sex and the city. A definite raw & beautiful chick-lit. The main character did kind of annoy me but I enjoyed the writing style of the depth the author went into to describe New York and almost make you feel like moving there yourself.

Thanks to everyone involved

Lee is a new adult in New York City, and it shows. Brooklyn in the nineties isn’t kind to anyone, and if you’re young and impressionable like Lee, the late-night parties, easy money and drugs will ensnare you faster than you can say “no way out.” Lee has found herself in this conundrum. Will she give up life in the fast lane and — against all odds — thrive, or will she surrender to New York’s underbelly?

“You know when your life is not adding up to more than the sum of its parts? At this point, the sum wasn’t even equal to the parts; it was less. Someone was skimming.”

This book is a cross between Kate Christensen’s In the Drink and Candace Bushnell’s Sex and the City (the book, not the TV series). The aforementioned books were from the nineties; this book is set in the nineties, and while it doesn’t appear authentic as the other two, the setting is descriptive and compelling. Lee is a difficult character to like. She’s a screwup, like Claudia in In the Drink (only younger), and when she’s not doing drugs, then she’s cruising one party or other, and when she’s not doing that, she’s either stripping for money or sleeping with older men. The theme of this novel is clear, and Jardine Libaire is a good writer, but this book isn’t for me. I give it two out of five regular black coffees.

I really enjoyed the setting and descriptions. Libaire clearly has the ability to write but her character, Lee, is unbearable. If Libaire can learn how to evolve and develop her characters into something worth reading I'd be interested in reading more of her work in the future.

I was able to read Here Kitty Kitty for free from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book and the story is true to its description. Lee gets high every day and shows us what is a lifetime of excess, heavy partying, sex, alcohol, and the loneliness that leads her to her downfall. A story of self destruction and redemption. I read the story and I still don't know how what happened to her and why it happened.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC of this book. This book is true to its title description. The reader won't be disappointed when reading this book.

I could not get into this book I didn't make it passed the first three chapters. Not my usual type of book.