First of all, we were stoked to get the approval for an advanced copy of king Kevin's new book, Sex and Vanity. I unfortunately was not much of a reader during the Crazy Rich Asian days so this was the first book of Kwan's for me. I was so excited because I wanted to read his writing but felt like I was way too behind to catch up, so a breakout book was just what I needed!

Set in Italy, this modern retelling of "A Room With a View" tells the tale of forbidden love and privilege.
Lucie and George met abroad and Lucie immediately wants to dislike George and steer clear. Lucie isn't sure she should love "a boy like him," but her heart says otherwise. Born to a Chinese mother and white father, Lucie has always wanted to elevate her "white" family ties. Her life of luxury and high fashion may not be the life she would get to live if she was with George.

I personally enjoy this genre and type of book so this was a fun one for me! I love to watch reality tv and dream about being apart of the "upper crust." I also get excited when there are modernizations of old favorites, although this did fall a little flat. There were no surprising twists or anything to really drive the plot.. it was all a little bit familiar. Obviously, that was the point but it sometimes did not keep my interest. However, the decadence and luxury definitely helped! Also, Kwan's characters, albeit uppity, have good values that make for the "feel-good" romance type of book. It was a great summer read! (Especially since it was set in the stunning Capri, Italy.. it did my travel poor heart good!)

Sex and Vanity is about Lucie who attends her friend's extravagant wedding on the Island of Capri in Italy. There she meets George Zao. Lucie is not initially drawn to him; however, the two share one memorable night together. Several years later, George suddenly appears back in Lucie's life and she must decide if there is still a spark between them.
The storyline of this book sounded intriguing and like a lovely and simple romance story. Unfortunately, the characters are dull and unlikeable. Kwan spent too much time describing Capri and included unnecessary footnotes about various aspects of the story. If I am reading fiction, I don't want footnotes included. I found this story boring and was extremely disappointed.

I think this book suffers from being a retelling - the parts I found most awkward were where it felt like the author was trying too hard to force his square peg story into the round hole of A Room with a View. It never quite felt like it worked.

It also suffers in comparison to Crazy Rich Asians. It's almost identical in tone and style, the characters SOUND like characters from CRA, but it lacks the heart and flair that made that series special. Somehow in CRA I didn't mind that the dialog is often stilted; here it feels unnatural.

Am I glad I read it? Sure! It was a fun summer read, and if you liked CRA it's still worth your time. Just moderate your expectations.

If you loved Crazy Rich Asians you'll love this too OR if you obsessed over E.M. Forster novels in your teens, this is a modern retelling of A Room with a View. Kwan starts in the days heading up to a wedding on Capri, and he knows his details are for such a small part of the population so he provides footnotes (don't skip them, they can be pretty funny.) It's the richest of the rich and their romantic dramas within the fanciest spaces in the fanciest clothes, a fluffy perfect summer read.

I haven't read all of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy but just the same, there are a few characters at least from that first novel that show up in the background here. It isn't necessary to have read those first, but it's a treat for those who have.

The story opens as 19 year old Lucie and her much older cousin Charlotte jet sets to a destination wedding in Capri, as her friend, a Taiwanese heiress weds a polo playing Italian count. While in Capri, she meets the handsome and mesmerizing George Zao and experiences a summer fling.

Lucie Churchill is a ‘hapa’ a term used for mixed ethnic ancestry, whose mother is Chinese from Seattle and father is white with a pedigree history that could be traced back to the Mayflower. Lucie unlike her brother looks more Chinese and has battled trying to fit in all her life. Her father has passed away and she is raised by her mother, who still tries to encourage Lucie to spend time with her father’s family.

Fast forward five years, and Charlotte has now graduated and is set to marry the most eligible bachelor in the country and a billionaire. Will a chance run-in with George Zao all these years reignite the feelings left in Capri?

Within the story, there were so many examples of micro aggression towards Lucie by both Asians non-Asians alike. For example, in her hometown of NYC you hear people commenting “F’in Asian Tourists” to Lucie as she walks down the street, or people assuming she was a delivery person, or being asked where she is from (really from), or spoken to in some ‘Asian’ language, or from her white grandmother trying to ‘fix’ her, and even from her own mother and fiancée.

Kevin Kwan’s SEX AND VANITY was such an amazing read for me that was fun, lavish, and also thought provoking that addressed issues of racism through the eyes of Lucie as she finds her footing in matters of the heart in an over the top story that was satirical, wildly romantic and gloriously decadent peek into the lives of the uber rich!

I really loved this book. Super fun gossipy - semi love story. I always love Kevin Kwan's books since I first saw the glittery gold cover of CRA. This book had me cracking up, I especially love the footnotes. If your looking for a fun summer read look no further!

I flew through Crazy Rich Asians and the two follow-up books because they were over the top in a delightful way. I had expected my feeling for this one to be similar with the ridiculous opulence of the upper !% and a juicy romance. However, with this one, the descriptions of the clothes, hotels, cars, and trips, was too much. The romance storyline seemed by an afterthought. The novel's similarities to Crazy Rich Asians is probably it's greatest strength. On its own, it falls short.

Fans of Kwan's other work will enjoy this story. A fun tale of glamorous people and their love lives.

Sex and Vanity starts with a lavish wedding in Capri. The details are truly amazing and I could picture everything. Kevin Kwan again gave us another story about the absurdly rich. The multi million (billion?) dollar wedding week sounded amazing. I loved the main character Lucie and the other strong female characters. Kevin Kwan has a way with details that make his books so wonderful! .

Thank you to netgalley, Kevin Kwan and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The descriptions of Capri were so detailed, I felt like I was there, watching the action unfold before my eyes. This was a fun read, and even if you guess the ending, you'll still enjoy the journey!

Such a smart retelling of A Room with a View. I loved reading this book and even went back to watch the movie version of RwaV.

Thank you to NetGalley and DoubleDay Publishing Company for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Let me start by saying that I haven't read any other books by Kevin Kwan, this was my first! I loved Kwan's modern romantic style, his effortlessly integrated details about the A-lister lifestyle, and the characters that he carefully built. The main character, Lucie, finds herself torn between two men and the battle between what her family wants for her and what she wants for herself ensues. This novel poignantly touches on family values, how our childhood impacts our adult self-image, and the important aspects of a romantic relationship. For me, the last 100+ pages of the book was filled with so much opportunity. Without sharing any spoilers, I really wanted more information about the romantic direction that Lucie pursues at the end of the novel. There was so much romantic build up, I wanted to see and feel more of it in the end. Needless to say, I will absolutely be circling back to the Crazy Rich Asians series and reading Kevin Kwan's future novels!

This was great. I was unsure about how Kevin Kwan would follow up the Crazy Rich Asians books, but this was a nice, new standalone.

Be aware though, that this is VERY Kevin Kwan. It is over-the-top rich people problems at hyperspeed. These characters are wild. And Lucie is a grounded foil to their drama, until she absolutely loses her mind towards the end of the book. That was my only complaint. Her behavior in the back end of the story did not really match her character throughout the rest of the book.

Otherwise, a very fun read. And the very final footnote is just...*chef's kiss*, perfection.

I enjoyed “Sex and Vanity” a lot! I love reading rich people drama. His footnotes with additional information about characters, places, etc. are always hilarious and educational. I did like the “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy a tad better, but would definitely recommend this book.

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan (6/30)

Rating 3 / 5 Stars

** Thank you to Netgalley, Doubleday Books, and of course, Kevin Kwan, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am really struggling with my review for this guy, strictly because I was such a big fan of the Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy. I was so excited to read Sex and Vanity and it did not disappoint, I just wish I didn’t have something it had to live up to. I didn’t hate the book and I didn’t love it either - I simply kept repeating in my head what it did and did not have in comparison to CRA (humor, smart, entertaining versus meh, oh no, and suspense.) I felt I was constantly comparing it to Kwan’s previous works.

That aside, this book is very enjoyable. Specifically for the themes, Kwan presents throughout: Racism, class differences, and other prejudices. I had no clue this book was a retelling of Forster’s “A Room With A View”. In fact, I didn’t learn this until later on in the book after doing a search. I’ve never been someone who likes retellings and on top of that, I found the characters to be a bit boring. Maybe it is just me as so many people seem to be a fan of this book based on other reviews.

I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it. While it wasn’t my cup of tea in general, I can see how it could be others, thus the three-star rating.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

There's never much substance to these books but they are enjoyable. With a few cameos from Crazy Rich Asians characters :) You can't help rooting for Lucie.

Summary: On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can't stand him. She can't stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can't stand that he knows more about Casa Malaparte than she does, and she really can't stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin Charlotte. The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as his other books. It was all so predictable as if it was trying to be a copy of Crazy Rich Asians. Some of the characters (the mothers) were a hoot. Perhaps a story about Lucie’s mother and how she met her husband could be his next story.

It's definitely not going to beat Crazy Rich Asians, but building characters and setting the scene is something Kevin Kwan does and does it well. If you're looking for a fun beach read - this is a decent way to pass the time in the sun!

I really enjoyed Sex and Vanity!

The first half part of the book focuses on the lavish weeding in Capri, Italy. With absorbing writing, Kwan took me to Capri as I was fully living the architecture, beautiful landscape, food and Italian culture. In addition to the mesmerizing setting, I found the characters very relatable and complex.

The Chinese manners accurately described in this book gave me a bittersweet experience - the feeling of familiarity almost always comes with the reality of facing daily microaggressions (e.g.: when people mistake generosity with trying hard to be nice). I particularly loved all the footnotes and thought that they added another layer of complexity to the story.

Lucie is a biracial girl that struggles with her identity - she is trying to embrace her white heritage while dealing with the lack of sense of belonging. The way Kwan explores internalized racism and microaggressions that Lucie (and Chinese people) suffer was so subtle and at the same time, in depth. I appreciated her growth throughout the story as she discovers what she wants rather than meeting family and society's expectations. Through Charlotte and Lucie's grandmother, we witness countless examples of racism and white privilege. Marian Tang and Rosemary Zao were crafted in authenticity and I just wanted to have some fun moments with them- sharing Chinese food and culture. While I found the love story quite predictable and a bit rushed, I still enjoyed the chemistry between George and the protagonist. As for George, he was quite mysterious and realistically developed; thus it was easy to root for him. I am excited to read what Kwan writes next!

Sex and Vanity is a modern retelling of "A Room with a View" and although I haven't read either it or CRA series, it didn't affect my reading experience.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the world of a Kevin Kwan novel. Similar to “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Sex and Vanity” pulls you in to the glamour and glitter of an elite class of wealthy socialites who are once completely outrageous and yet in some reliable ways extraordinarily human, deeply flawed, and delightfully accessible. The depth of research and personal context both culturally and socially that Kwan incorporates into fleshing out his characters and their stories is highly engaging.