This is my favorite Lauren Weisberger book yet! Loved this ripped from the headlines novel with complex female relationships. Great storyline and character development throughout. I enjoyed Peyton’s growth throughout the books and could relate to the layered family dynamics. Definitely would be great on-screen—I couldn’t stop casting Jennifer Aniston as Peyton while I was reading (probably because of The Morning show). I have to say the ending was fairly predictable and that I don’t fully understand the title “Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty”, but still a great read, and would recommend it to friends!

Great storyline!! This makes the perfect summer read! I've only read The Devil Wears Prada, but after this book I need to go read more of her backlist.

Loved this! It did not disappoint. The characters were fun to learn about, and although parts of the plot were a little stretched, I enjoyed it.

This book was a solid 3 for me. I love Weisberger's work but I had a hard time connecting with the characters -sisters Skye and Peyton. Peyton is a type A appearance-obsessed news anchor, Skye works for a non-profit and could care less about her appearance. Both are beautiful and are surrounded by those with lots of money. Peyton's story revolves around her donating money to a dubious charity in order to get her daughter into the college that she wants her to go to. Skye's story involves starting a residence in order to provide underprivileged girls a place to live in her bougie school district (could never really understand why this school was so great). Skye spends herself into massive credit card debt shopping for these girls before the residences is even built. It stressed me out just reading about it! Even though I couldn't connect with either of these women, by about 2/3 of the way through the book, I was definitely interested to see where the plot was heading. Some of the story is told from Max's POV-Peyton's daughter. Those parts were a breath of fresh air.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I loved this book! Would be a wonderful summer read for sure. I really liked When Life Gives you Lululemons by LW, so was so thrilled I got to review this one!

Think college admissions scandal, meets lovable characters! I actually really enjoyed every character in the book, which I think is rare.

I did find the ending quite abrupt, and I wanted more details right at the end (bit of a twist), but overall it was great and I would recommend it!

Let’s not pretend Lauren Weisbergrr needs an introduction. I look forward to every one of her books, and I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of her latest from Random House via Netgalley.

“Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty” is a behind-the-scenes take on the college admissions scandals that have grabbed headlines in recent years. At the center of this scandal is network news anchor Peyton Marcus, whose husband Isaac is busted for bribing their daughter Max’s way into Princeton.

The book starts out with Peyton’s vanity front and center — the insane diet and exercise routines and trips to the dermatologist. I am here for that kind of story, but this isn’t that kind of story at all. The character development in this book was fantastic. Peyton, Max and Peyton’s sister Skye emerge as multidimensional people who are deeply and differently affected.

This isn’t a twisty page turner; this is contemporary women’s fiction at its best. It’s a deep dive into these characters — who they are and who they want to be. If you like Lauren Weisberger, you’ll definitely enjoy her latest. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and it did not disappoint. It’s perfectly timed for #beachreads szn ⛱ and it’s best savored on the beach or by a pool (in the shade, with protective clothing and SPF 🧴 😎).

I enjoyed this book. This book shows the relationships between sisters, mother-daughter, friends, and spouses. I enjoyed the growth that the main character undergoes throughout the story, especially how she grows as a mother.

Three women's lives are set off course when the actions of one have implications for all. Peyton is a certifiable star as a national news anchor. Her daughter, Max, is a creative young women on the verge of heading to Princeton. Peyton's sister, Skye, is adjusting to life as a stay-at-home mom but has found a passion project helping school age girls.

A college admissions scandal suddenly wrecks their world and they're left dealing with the ramifications. Over the course of the summer, they try to come to terms with their new reality and wonder if it's possible to rebuild any of what they've lost.

Unfortunately, the premise of this one sounded a lot more intriguing than the actual plot. I struggled to connect with the sisters and their decisions.

When the ending wrapped up extremely neatly, I found it even harder to swallow. Overall just a middle of the road women's fiction novel!

I have no sisters. But my husband has five sisters, I have two daughters, and two granddaughters. So I must confess I am obsesses, or should I say fascinated,with the sister relationship.

In Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty (what an awesome title, right?), Peyton and Skye are sisters who have it all. Peyton is a NYC tv anchor and Skye is a former teacher who is who is living the suburban mom dream. But of course, all is not as it seems. Peyton's husband is arrested for trying to get their daughter, Max, into Princeton. Skye is driving her self crazy keeping up with the other moms at her daughter's school and hiding the fact that she has amassed huge credit card debt. Will their relationship survive these lies? Will the sister bond help them through it?

I love Lauren Weisberger's fast paced novels that deal with relatable and interesting characters. She has a way of making even the NYC elite real and flawed in just the right way. And I think she got the sister relationship correct as well as the mother/daughter relationships.

Check out this favorite mother to daughter quote; "Sweetheart, I know it can be easy to miss when it's your own child - I think I might have missed it with you - but eventually you need to stand back and admire the person they've become. It's almost never the person you wanted, or expected them to be but one you can see them as separate from you, it's pretty incredible how much you can respect them for the path they've chosen." Good, huh? (less)

This was okay, I have read several books that draw from the college admissions scandal and this one was the weakest for me. Although, it could be that I am burned out on this topic. I wouldn’t tell someone not to read this but I wouldn’t say to put it at the top of your TBR.

I absolutely loved this book! This might be the author’s best one since The Devil Wears Prada. The characters are fascinating and the storyline is very engaging. Highly recommend this—it’s the perfect summer read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty.
Wow, what a mouthful for a book title. And while the lyrics are from Guns and Roses, I’m not sure why it’s the title. I enjoyed this quick read, but I don’t think the title matches the college admissions scandal storyline!
As a high school teacher, I am especially interested in the college admission process and the reasons that someone may stoop to paying to get into a school like Princeton, as Max’s family does in this novel. I felt like Skye and Gabe (Max’s aunt and uncle) could have been developed as characters a bit more, since they played larger roles in the story. I wish Isaac, Max’s dad, had been more fully developed, too, other than some of his qualities being referred to in passing by other characters.
If you like reading about families with secrets who make mistakes, this book is for you!

I loved The Devil Wears Prada, though have struggled with Weisberger's subsequent books, so really wanted to like this one. While the plot was enough to keep me going, I'm afraid this one fell flat too. Skye and Peyton are sisters, close but opposite in personality and appearance, which we're constantly reminded of. Skye is portrayed as a bit of a hippie chick that lives in a wealthy NYC suburb called Paradise (that and a fleeting reference to a Guns n' Roses concert is where the title comes from I guess?), and Peyton is a glamorous NYC morning anchor. Without giving too much away, they both make big mistakes, and the rest of the book is them dwelling on those mistakes, and the fallout from those around them. In the midst, there is constant catty narrative concerning the shallow and over the top people that surround them, in both the city and the suburbs, which they both clearly feel morally superior to, yet fall into all the same trappings of their respective communities. The last 25% really fell apart - while Peyton's daughter Max, who is at the center and main victim of the drama, comes to a cohesive resolution, the others are really rushed, particularly Skye's, practically skimmed right over. Peyton's outcome is more clear, but equally hasty. While a solid 2.5 rounded up for light entertainment value, the constant eye-rolling was tedious, and a little mean-spirited at times. Not sure the current-event spin will hold up over time - all in all, a Fruit Stripe gum of a novel. Side note, and maybe my own problem, I will be relieved to not have "Paradise City" constantly in my head now I've finished. : )

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and the author for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lauren Weisberger novels read like particularly juicy Vanity Fair articles. There's all the fabulousness of New York city, celebrities, designer labels crammed into a family dilemma. Makes for very entertaining reading!
Peyton is a news anchor who is trying to keep up with the rest of the dazzling people. She makes a serious mistake that costs her daughter, her husband, her sister, etc. some upsetting repercussions. Her sister, Skye, is trying to keep up with the ever-increasing pressure of parenting and all it entails. And Peyton's daughter, Max, is just trying to live her own life without all the "attention" Peyton inflicts on her.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early e-ARC of this novel.*

I was drawn to this title because of the Paradise City lyrics. Not my favorite GNR song, but it takes me back to my youth so it's good. I was hoping for some references to the late 80s and their hair band glory, but there were very few in this book. I requested this book from Netgalley only based on the author and the title. I did not read the description so the disappointment that followed as I read is partly on me.

Peyton Marcus is America's darling as a cohost of a popular morning show. Her sister, Skye, is living in suburbia. And Peyton's daughter, Max, is freshly graduated from an elite private high school in NYC and ready to attend Princeton. Only everything falls apart when Isaac, Max's dad, is arrested by the FBI as part of another college admissions scandal. This is revealed within the first few pages so I do not consider it a spoiler. The story follows Peyton, Skye, and Max as they deal with the aftermath.

I wanted to like this book more, but the characters were one dimensional. Peyton is obsessed with botox, exercise, and appearances. Skye has racked up credit card debt because she's preparing a home for disadvantaged girls to live in so they can attend the fancy public schools in the wealthy suburb she lives in. Max had potential to be interesting, but she comes across as whiny and privileged. The entire story felt out of touch with the world. I know this is satirical, but for those of us living in the middle of the country it's just ridiculous. I do not know a single parent IRL who is obsessed with the Ivy League.

Another issue I had with the story was the lack of communication between the wives and their husbands. They were both supposed to have solid marriages, but neither Peyton or Skye seemed capable of telling their respective spouses anything. This meant the book had pages and pages of nothing but one of them worrying what their husband would think if he finds out the truth. It would have moved the story along and given it some action for the married couples to have some conversations involving some conflict.

Finally, Max needed to have more dimension to her. She hated the private school she attended. She doesn't want to go to Princeton, but her parents are insisting. She has a vlog because of course she does. There is something that happens at the end around the vlog that just made me more annoyed. I won't give it away, but I just do not think it was remotely plausible and not any better than rich parents buying their kids way into fancy schools.

Admission by Julie Buxbaum was more entertaining. It covers the same topic and felt more like the light, fluffy read Weisberger was trying for with this book. If you are interested in a book by Weisberger check out When Life Gives You Lululemons or the Devil Wears Prada. Pass on this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This one falls into the 'eh' category. It was good. But not amazing. I didn't like and couldn't connect with any of the characters. They all felt a little too superficial to me. The plot was OK, but it felt like there were too many things going on, some which didn't really play a role in the main storyline.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this to others, unless they had absolutely nothing else to read.

I have been reading Lauren Weisberger's books since The Devil Wears Prada came out. She has a knack for writing complex characters that are still completely readable. Despite some over-the-top mommy drama and a highly unlikable main character, the book still had a lot of heart. I finished it in a little more than a weekend simply because I couldn't tear myself away. It was very entertaining, and I'm sure it will be found in a plethora of beach bags this summer!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the relationships between Peyton and her sister Skye, her husband Isaac, and her daughter Max, as well as all the rest of the full cast of characters. Peyton is a morning news anchor in New York City and she loves her job, and is very good at it. She shares her home with her husband Isaac and teenage daughter Max. Peyton's past makes her feel desperate for her daughter to attend the best college possible and when she gets a chance to donate to a charity in return for a good word with the Board of Trustees on Max's behalf, she figures what's the harm? At least until her husband, on whose account the check was written, gets arrested on live TV. The fallout from Peyton's attempt to "help" reaches far and wide, pits family member against family member, and serves as a great reminder of the ripple effect. The plotline about buying a child's way into college is ripped straight from the headlines and very relevant. In fact, the author makes reference to The Queen's Gambit on Netflix which makes it feel very up to the minute. I had no trouble relating to these characters despite the differences in our lifestyles. I mean, who doesn't want the best for their kids, or find themselves running up credit card bills unthinkingly? Some issues are universal. Much like her earlier works, Ms. Weisberger injects plenty of humor here as well and I was caught off guard a few times when I actually laughed out loud.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am a fan of Weisberger’s books and while I enjoyed this one, it didn’t meet the mark like some of her others. I found the storyline to stall at times and there were parts of the story which didn’t seem to fit in with the plot, feeling like space fillers.

The most enjoyable character/story for me was Max, the daughter caught in the drama of her mother’s scandal. I’d love to see a book about her as she starts her next adventure (no spoilers!)

Overall, this was 3.5 stars for me. I was okay putting this book down and coming back later. I will continue to read other books by this author.

Perfect, that’s what parents hope for their children. Perfect, that’s what Peyton’s life looked like on the surface. Perfect that’s the moment you will cherish in the end. Echoing the headlines Peyton makes a mistake to secure her daughter’s acceptance in an Ivy League school, only to have that assurance come to light and to the public. Caught up in a lie, her husband takes the blame and is looking at jail. All this unfolds over the course of a summer that finds each member of her house finding themselves and relinquishing a part of a life that no longer reflects the people they have come to be. It is at times funny and telling and subsequently human. Happy Reading