3 stars

This is an entertaining read, and it does contain some wonderful characters, but frustratingly, they are all innocent bystanders to the chaos created by two wildly unlikeable characters.

Sisters Peyton and Skye are in their early 40s/late 30s and have wonderful spouses, and each has a daughter whom she adores. Because she is a news anchor who has reported on college admission scandals before, it is particularly surprising that Peyton - along with her husband Issac and their daughter Max - find themselves at the center of that very issue.

I found this novel readable but infuriating. The sisters make some wild choices, and it would be one thing if they really learned or grew, but there is little growth and too much convenient clean up for my taste. I'll be interested to read more from this author, but there is so much great women's fiction coming out this summer, and this one just falls a bit short of the competition.

Like everyone else, the college admissions scandal had me scrolling thru tmz for weeks reading every article with rapt interest. How could Aunt Becky be charged with a crime!?! This book takes that story and humanizes it. And it is soooooo good!!

Peyton is Americas Sweetheart morning newscaster and her husband is in real estate. In a startling twist Peytons husband is arrested, but she's the one who committed the actual crime. That adds so much to the story in itself. She has to watch everyone vilify her husband knowing she's the actual one at fault. Her sister is a secondary character who's story is also amazingly written and shows how our mistakes sometimes don't just hurt us but can also touch those around us as well. This book asks the hard question of how far will you go to achieve perfection? And how much of what we say is done for our children's benefit is actually done for ours?

This is obviously a work of fiction but it's such a well written story that shows you the human side of that case. We all make mistakes, some of us far worse than others. We just don't all get caught. This book was so good I read it in two days. I just couldn't put it down! Five stars! I love a fictional book on recent events and this one is so well done.

Thank you to Net Galley, Lauren Weisberger, and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and ratings are my own.

Lauren Weisberger has done it again! Ever since discovering her writing a few years ago (yes, I’m one of those people who didn’t realize Devil was based on a novel), I have excitedly awaited her next release. There’s nothing more that I love than a fantastic novel and some incredibly juicy celebrity scandal to dive into, so imagine my delight when the case I’ve been following closely since it’s breaking two years ago, Operation Varsity Blues, would be told in a fictional tale through the ever-delightful Weisberger.

This story takes us into the world of Peyton Marcus, her sister Skye, and daughter Max and the highly competitive world of college admissions that becomes all too real when Peyton’s husband is arrested. The characters are all given a healthy dose of reality as secrets and lies spill out and they are forced to come to terms with what really matters.

I keep forgetting that these characters aren’t a real part of Operation Varsity Blues, as I keep wanting to read more about them and see how their lives are continuing to play out.

All I can do since reading this is play Paradise City on repeat (anyone else?) and anxiously await the forthcoming documentaries and series on the real life scandal.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House for a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Ripped from the headlines! Lauren Weisberger has been a favorite author since reading The Devil Wears Prada many years ago! Have read everything since and it’s always fun! This book is no different! Loved the depth of characters in this book and telling the story from three unique perspectives which we didn’t get to see in the media as some of this story played out in real life. There is a little bit of a drawn out midsection but worth the wrap up in the end - as all’s well that ends well! Thank you for the advance copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a deliciously juicy story this was! I am always intrigued by the lifestyles of the rich and famous, especially in Manhattan. Also spotlighted is the perfect suburban mom. The relationship between sisters Peyton and Skye is honest and heartwarming.

While the college scandal is advertised to be the main plot, it was the relationships in this book that kept me turning the pages. I did feel that Skye's story did not give me the satisfying end that Peyton's did. Overall, an entertaining escapist read.

I have been in this with Lauren Weisberger since the beginning. "Devil Wears Prada," "Everyone Worth Knowing," "When Life Gives You Lululemons" - we've grown up together, Lauren!

And in that growing up, the characters are aging along with us - particularly in Weisberger's latest book, "Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty." I've said this in a couple other reviews recently, but I'll say it again and again if it will keep these books coming...I love that we are finally seeing stories which feature women in middle age. And it's interesting! And they have lives! And they have sex lives! They're people, too! What a crazy concept for the entertainment world to finally start figuring out...

Okay, off my soapbox...

While I'm just at the beginning of my middle-life and have small children nowhere near ready for college, I can still fully understand wanting to do what we, as parents, think is best for our children - just as Peyton, our main character, does when she makes the massive mistake of paying to get her only child, Max, into *Peyton's* ideal college. However, the true lesson that Weisberger so beautifully taught us can be completely summed up in this quote from Peyton's mother:

"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 once you can see them as separate from you, it's pretty incredible how much you can respect them for the path they've chosen."

Oof. Gut Punch. But very wise words, none-the-less.

"Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty" still has that late '90s/early aughts high heels, pink cover feel...a genre I devoured in my 20s. But instead of trying to snag a job and a boyfriend, our characters are now trying to *keep* those jobs, their families, and their youth. So, if you've loved Lauren Weisberger since her start, you're going to continue to love her as she enters mid-life along with the rest of us - her ChickLit readers.

Wow, I loved this book! Such a great summer, chick lit read. Would highly recommend this one to anyone who love chick lit. Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC.

This book had me singing Paradise City for days. Such a catchy title!

What is it about celebrity scandal that just draws us all in? Lauren Weisberger introduces us to the strong personality of Peyton Marcus, her sister - Skye, and her daughter - Max. Mix in a mess of betrayal and lies when their worlds are rocked by a college admissions scandal that hits very close to home when Peyton's husband is arrested. The scandal causes Peyton, Skye, and Max to all take a look at their lives and what is really important. You'll be caught up in the lifestyles of the rich and entitled - but not everything is as perfect as it looks.

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

Set in and around NYC, this book focuses on the repercussions of a college admissions scandal and all the lives affected by one person’s choice. The story grabbed my attention right way and never let up. I particularly loved the witty banter between the sisters and felt instantly connected to those characters.

I’m not sure if this is a pro or con, but the author spent a significant amount of time discussing the aging affects around turning 40. Having just turned 40 in January, I couldn’t help but wonder if my time for extreme facials and Botox has arrived. 😄

For me, this book felt like a combination of The Morning Show and Gossip Girl. I definitely enjoyed the fun escapism!

Release date: May 17, 2021

Thank you Random House Publishing Group & NetGalley for this fun ARC!

Need a good book to read? Pick up Where the Agra’s is Green and the Girls are Pretty - you won’t be disappointed. Weisberger delivers yet another engrossing novel that shows you inside the lives of a rich and famous couple, when life goes off the rails for them and the fall out that is all encompassing, as a result. With characters that leap off the page, and a story you can’t stop reading, you will be fully into this story from page one.

Peyton Marcus is one of the best known faces in morning news. It took her a lot of hard work, with shifts in lots of podunk towns. But she finally made it big. Her sister Skye, a stay at home mom, is putting together the charity of her dreams where underprivileged girls will be able to go to one of the areas best high schools, and she’s having a grand time buying all the essentials for this project. Max, Peyton’s daughter, has finally graduated from her dreaded prep school and is Princeton bound. Until, one terrible decision turns each woman’s dream upside down. Now, the perfect lives the built are far from perfect and it seems like they may never be better again.

I have loved every book Lauren Weisberger has written and this book was no different. This book will make you smile, laugh at loud and possibly shed a tear. You cannot help but cheer on these characters as they grapple with the unanticipated changes that rock their worlds, and feel their joy when they make some move towards change and growth throughout the pages. Pick this book up as soon as you can... you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this excellent novel in exchange for my honest reviews.

Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger. I was so looking forward to reading this book, but it just was a bit too cliche for me. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mindset or am tired of reading books about these parents and their “scandals”. I just felt like I wasn’t invested in the story. Sorry to say that this one just wasn’t for me. I do think it will appeal to many and that it will be a great beach read this summer for many.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Taking her title Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty from “Paradise City” by Guns ‘N’ Roses, Lauren Weisberger has written a novel that encompasses the recent college admissions scandals.

Isaac Marcus, husband of celebrity news anchor Peyton, is arrested for a college admissions offense on behalf of their daughter Mackenzie, otherwise known as Max. He has put his daughter’s reputation, his wife’s job, and his sister-in-law’s project to help underprivileged girls in jeopardy.

However, the truth is Isaac did not do it yet, he takes the fall to protect Peyton’s career, which makes the seemingly righteous ending seem meaningless.

Lauren Weisberger is the bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada. A graduate of Cornell University, she lives in Connecticut with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting March 13, 2021.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as some of her previous books. I have a college age daughter so I could relate to the pressure of getting a child accepted to college. I really felt for the daughter and I thought the characters were all believable. I wished the husband was not so nice to the wife.

The world of overpriveledged white people doesn’t really play well right now. The Devil Wears Prada was great for its time but this novel was cringe worthy at every turn.

This was a really good book by Lauren Weisberger. The story line did seem straight out of current news headlines, which was interesting to read a personal spin on it. This was a book about growth - personal and in relationships. The book explores relationships between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, and parents and children. I feel like most of the relationships were tied up with a bow at the end but I really was expecting to hear more from Skye's story at the end. All in all, this was another great book from Lauren Weisberger!

I just love Lauren Weisberger. Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty is the perfect spring read with family drama, a college scandal, love, forgiveness, and new beginnings. The novel is hard to put down and felt like an escape from mundane pandemic life.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. I literally couldn’t put this book down and finished in one reading. Amazing character development and integration. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Peyton Marcus has it all. She is a morning show darling. She has a husband and daughter who she couldn't love more if she tried. Peyton's older sister, Skye, similarly lives a charmed life with her husband and daughter in a town named Paradise no less.

Despite the outward appearances there's trouble brewing for both sisters. Peyton's perfect world is turned on it's head when her husband, Issac, is arrested for trying to buy their daughter's way into Princeton. Peyton quickly learns people only love you when you are on top. Forced to take a break until this all blows over she decides to spend the summer with her sister and her family until everything blows over.

Skye is in the middle of opening a home for underprivileged girls. She hopes to provide them with a home and educational opportunities. While waiting on funding from her investor , Skye has been shopping for the girls and the home so much so she is thousands of dollars in debt. She is actively avoiding her creditors while nervously awaiting the release of the funds. Skye's husband Gabe has no idea the trouble they are in, meanwhile Skye can't stop swiping her credit card.

Unfortunately, the story falls flat for me. I struggled to find compassion for either of the sisters as their problems reeked of privilege and were of their own making. Peyton let her past and insecurities influence her decisions, instead of believing in her daughter's abilities. Skye's heart was in the right place, but even when she knew she was in deep trouble she just couldn't stop adding to cart.

I am a huge fan of Lauren Weisberger, but the one left me feeling blah.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, quick read! Up to the minute cultural references And “ripped from the headlines” plot make it extra-entertaining.

Perfect “beach read” with the added storyline of the college admissions scandal. A nice escape.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56167258