What value do you place on yourself ? Do you hold other people responsible for the actions and outcomes of your own life?
Nina is raised as a drifter , her mother never settling in one place for long. When they move to Tahoe so Nina can attend a prestigious school, she thinks life might finally be normal for her. She meets a boy and excels at school. But it does not last her mother packs all their things in her tiny car and they are off again. Nina holds the Liebling Family responsible for all the troubles that follow her through her life.
Vanessa is the heiress to the Liebling family fortune and raised in privilege. She flaunts her life on social media and measures her self worth by the likes and comments of others. She has no real job or aspiration, She is Vanessa Liebling and that is enough for her.
All families have secrets. Nina's mother is a grifter. Vanessa's mother is bipolar. Vanessa's father is a philanderer. And who is Micheal/Lachlan really? People are so good at hiding their true selves.
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown is a book you will want to read. I am so glad i was granted an advance copy of this book. What a great story with plenty of excitement and a few twists worked in throughout.

This was a fantastic read.... I enjoyed how relevant and how spot on w/the social media aspect and how fully invested I was in all of the characters from the very start. I had a hard time putting this down and felt myself and feelings reflected on more than one page, which is not necessarily a flattering viewpoint but this book made me think about things and that's the hallmark of a book well written and read. I will look for more from this Author and this publishing house, I found myself engrossed (and that's not easily come by these days). Thank you for the opportunity, and well done.

I only got into 11% of this book. I really tried to give it a go by putting it down, reading another book and then coming back to it, but it isn't remotely interesting to me. The blurb made it sound as if it would be thrilling, but it is rather bland. The characters are dry and uninteresting. This is a DNF for me. Sorry.

Another conning story with full of secret and lies, delicious twists and shocking revelations! Okay! Count me in and reserve my place for this crazy, heart throbbing ride! This is my kind of enjoyable, dark, smart thriller!

We have a drifter, Nina Ross, having a chance for con of her lifetime, avenging the Liebling family who treated her mean and unfair and told her she would never be good enough for their precious son in the past. Not only for revenge, but also affording her mother’s big C treatment bills, she needs money and her target is family’s shiny social media star Vanessa.

We have an Instagram Influencer with admirers, followers swimming around her but she still surprisingly suffers from loneliness and abandonment. She needs real friends. Could it be her con woman also her friend?
And don’t forget, we have Irish boyfriend a.k.a partners in crime of Nina, named Lachlan. Is he trustworthy enough to involve in this equation? Wait for it… He can surprise you!
Let the games begin. But be prepared to be fooled and be careful because somebody can pull the rug from under your feet. This book is layered with some many turnarounds and twists. Sometimes you think who is the real con man? The drifters we know or the victim? Sometimes the hunter can turn into a prey and prey can take his place.

I mostly engaged with the subjective perceptions and multiple narration parts. The same event was told by Nina and Vanessa from different angles so your mind spins after reading them and it was sometimes really hard to decide who was telling the truth.

But when I came to the last quarter maybe because of moving back and forth too many times to catch the back stories, the pacing got a little slower and I didn’t get the surprising, mouth widening, grandioso ending. It was a little forced, haphazard. It was not unsatisfying but it was okay not good. So after reading so long and connected with those characters even they have too much flaws, irritating attributes, suffering from their past failures, I was expecting something smarter, moving and shaking me to the core.
I still loved the writing style, the way of smart, sarcastic, moving story-telling, partly empathized with the characters.

Overall: it can be five stared book but the last parts broke my enthusiasm and I gave 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Not the best book choice for me but it still pretty good reading and I wanted to read more works of the author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group to share this fast pacing page turner with me in exchange my honest review.

Told in split perspective by protagonists Nina Ross, a down-on-her-luck grifter who desperately needs money to fund her mother's cancer treatment, and Vanessa Liebling, an Instagram-famous heiress who returns to the home she inherited after family tragedy after family tragedy strikes, leaving her lost, floundering, and alone, this reads like a "who is truly conning whom" page-turner. Spite and selfishness fuels both women at different moments, only to then be juxtaposed by moments of their sympathy and understanding. There's a good balance of these qualities as the plot unfolds which helps to add suspense as well as an element of flawed humanity. As a reader, it was satisfying to mark Nina and Vanessa's differences yet also trace where the lines blurred, where their personal traits or experiences intersected.

The rehashing of the same events from both perspectives could be a little wearying at times, stagnant in places where I wanted things to move forward, but for the most part I thought the narrative structure was effective. It gave readers a chance to fume over some of Nina and Vanessa's scheming; to feel for them when they were duped, oblivious, or suffering. I enjoyed the like vs. dislike tug-of-war I had with both characters. They were equal parts artful and pitiable.

As a place, a setting, Stonehaven had a glistening atmospheric tug to it that reminded me a little of Manderley in "Rebecca," too. I say that because though all seems quiet and lovely there, the home tucked away sweetly in its snowy landscape, not everything is as straightforward as it seems. In fact, it's shrouded in secrets, in family discord and agony.

If you're in the mood for a thriller with plausible twists and female characters you can root for almost as often as you facepalm when they do something morally ambiguous, then give this one a shot. It's duplicitous psychological fun!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

I received this as an ARC book through NetGalley.com.

Pretty Things had me from the hook. It moved quickly and effortlessly through the story of two women from very different backgrounds meeting by chance it seems. The descriptions are paintings in words, not lengthy but purposeful, that enhance this novel. Nina and Vanessa blame the other for their pain in life. Pretty Girls brought to the surface the question of being a product of our upbringing or circumstance verses the choices put before us according to our beliefs. The ending was a shock and even exploded my own expectation.
I Loved IT!
Definitely an “It” book for 2020!

If you’re looking for a thriller that isn’t really a thriller (i.e. something that’s not going to give you nightmares) I highly recommend this!!

All the negative things I had to say about this book were negated in the second half, which is when I became OBSESSED. The first half was an information dump and, while it was an interesting story, slogged along at times but boy was it all worth it after ~certain events~

I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t go into detail but I will say that I love the characters, I love the story lines, I love how the characters narratives all weave together, I love the writing, and I even love the epilogue!

There’s a really interesting discussion on internet fame and social media culture that resonated with me and an unlikely friendship that I adore.

Thanks to Random House for giving me a free arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A con game? Two cunning women? My dreams come true! What a great premise and an even greater book. Thoroughly readable, enjoyable and recommendable! Loved, loved it!

I absolutely loved Pretty Things by Janelle Brown! This book blew me away, it’s such an awesome novel that is both literary and suspenseful. If I were a book scout, which is a dream career to me, I would option this for a series. I can picture it in my head, how it would all play out, and I won’t be surprised to learn that it will be turned into a movie or show.

Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.

Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer–traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family’s sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: A mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina.

Nina, Vanessa, and Lachlan’s paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.

I don’t give out five stars very often but this was definitely a five-star read for me, excellent story! I know you will all devour this book and feel the same way. I loved everything about it!

Order here, due out on April 21, 2020.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

Nina Ross has the chance for the con of a lifetime. With her Irish boyfriend Lachlan, she travels to Lake Tahoe to scam Vanessa Liebling, a wealthy heiress, out of millions. But it's not all about the money for Nina, though she desperately needs it to pay for her mother's illness. Revenge is also on the table; revenge against the Liebling family who never considered her good enough for their son and drove her family out of town. As both Nina and Vanessa's past is revealed, you begin to wonder, Who is conning whom? 

I loved the interplay between Nina and Vanessa, as the same events are retold from each perspective to change your perception of the story. Although important, the retelling of each woman's life did drag at times, yet the intrigue between the women kept me invested enough in the story to keep pushing forward.

Unfortunately, the ending lost some of its suspense. I feel like Brown could have extended the last quarter of the book, building more to a grand finale. As it was, the backstory took so long that the ending twist was adequate instead of excellent. I wouldn't consider Pretty Things to be particularly exceptional, but good enough when you just want a standard thriller. A solid three stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Pretty Things.

The premise intrigued me which is why I requested it; a female artist matching wits with an entitled heiress sounds like a movie I definitely want to see, but I want to read about it first.

Nora is a smart, competent young woman struggling to pay for her mother's medical bills. Her lowly job at an inferior auction house wasn't cutting it so she turned to crime to help her only parent.

When a con doesn't pan out, Nora and her partner in crime, Lachlan, seek a new mark, except this time, it is someone from Nora's past, and it's personal.

I really liked Nora; I loved her voice, her honesty, and her forthrightness. I couldn't see her as a con artist, she was too smart and self aware for that, but I sympathized and understood the desperation that forced her to turn to a life of crime. Crime doesn't pay, but it depends on the crime.

When Nora is in trouble, she doesn't rail at the forces that conspired to put her there. Instead, she does something shocking.

She holds herself accountable. She tells the reader that her own actions landed her between a rock and a hard place. It was her own choice that made her team up with Lachlan, to pursue a vendetta against someone from her past, and walk this particular path.

There is no one to blame but herself.

I would like to be Nora's friend.

There is a lot of exposition on both women, offering the readers their personal POVs, their background, their family drama and how they ended up at this particular point in time.

I didn't like Vanessa, at first, and I think that was the author's intention.

She came off as a desperate, whiny, dopey entitled brat who is famous for having a famous name.

But, Vanessa became more than that; she became more real, grounded, sympathetic, especially when she spoke of her brother with great affection, their bond even as his mental illness evolved and threatened their relationship, her love for her parents despite their family drama and trauma.

The ending was satisfying, but more so because Vanessa's character had evolved.

I liked how the author incorporated Instagram culture and the rise of Influencers who are famous for not doing much; how easy it is to track and stalk anyone online, and craft an online persona to be whoever you want to be, and how you want others to see you.

There are a few twists, which I guessed, but the twists are not so much the story as the women themselves, how Nora and Vanessa are more alike than dissimilar, how an uneasy truce is brokered between them, and how sometimes we have to leave the past and people behind, if we are to move forward.

Wow, not what I was expecting from a Janelle Brown novel but it was really great and so timely with the popularity of instagram and how everyone is flaunting their wealth. Lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I also loved how it was all wrapped up at the end.

Pretty enjoyable read with the exception of too many point of views. If it wasn't for that, I would have given it 4 stars. A bit too long with the povs.
Still, all in all, I liked it and read this author again.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange of an honest opinion.

Oh goodness! Pretty Things was so hard to put down. It grabbed my interest from the very beginning. It helped that I have been to Lake Tahoe and knew what the author was explaining.

The book follows two women, Nina and Vanessa. Nina is a con artist and Vanessa is a heiress of old money. Through some life circumstances they find their lives intertwined. Two lives that seem completely different, but come together by the unfairness that life can bring.

I was intrigued by the different worlds and not knowing how everything was going to turn out for both women. The author provided both of their point of views and this allowed me to feel sympathetic to both of their stories. It was a fast paced and thrilling story! My rating is 5 stars!

I have mixed feelings about Pretty Things. On the one hand, the premise is super interesting and the overall plotting is expertly handled. My concern is that the novel feels a bit too long and dragged out, in part because we have to "re-read" some scenes from another character's point of view. While this may be clever at times, at other times it feels clunky and serves to slow down the narration. Also, the character of Benny was a little odd - I wondered if we needed either more or less of him. All in all, this is an entertaining story with twists and turns I did not see coming.

This book was good. It had a lot of potential. It was quick paced and had some good twists and I didn't see the ending coming. It has multiple POVs and I found myself thinking that there was to many. Overall it was a 3.5/5 for me.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited about this book but it put me in a reading slump. I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t feel like I got thrown into the action quick enough.

This book grabbed my attention from the start. Right away I found myself rooting for Nina, who, along with her boyfriend Lachlan, steals from the rich. Although she was committing crimes, I felt for her, with her, being raised by a single mother who was a con artist. It seemed like nothing ever worked out for her, and she was simply trying to help her sick mother out by stealing enough to cover the medical bills.
When Nina and Lachlan arrange to stay at a mansion in Lake Placid from Nina's past, under false identities, they run the risk of being caught by Vanessa, whose family owns the estate.
Pretty Things had enough twists and turns to keep me interested and wanting to read more. The story moved along at a good pace. I liked how the beginning of the story was told primarily through Nina's point of view, and then later on we heard from Vanessa. It was interesting to hear both women's perspectives. This book comes out in April, it's worth checking out!

What a fun book and engaging book!!! We have Nina and her boyfriend Lachlan who are grifters, Vanessa the heiress who is an Instagram influencer, and sweet Benny who is Vanessa’s brother all embroiled together in this thriller. I loved every minute of Pretty Things, it was an entertaining page-turner with many twists and turns. Even though I didn't like all the characters, they were real and interesting. The descriptions of Lake Tahoe and Stonehaven were written so well, I felt like I was the one staying in that old and creepy mansion with Vanessa.