Always love Lauren's books. She is a terrific reader and always keeps me engaged. A great story and a great escape for a pandemic afternoon, and hopefully a beach read this year

This is the story of two sisters and their families, but the underlying spine of the book is very relevant--cheating on college admissions. It shows in, not a preachy way, how one seemingly small act has ramifications that could not be imagined. It also shows the pain that a parent's actions can cause his/her child, even if it is done in the name of love. The book also shows the silliness of suburbia in a "perfect" town called Paradise. As usual, the book has a happy ending and everything seems to work out, although I was surprised at the very end. This might be a good book for a sequel?

I love some of Lauren Weisberger's earlier work, and this one was just ok for me. It's a fun, quick, flighty read. I never really got attached to any of the characters, and didn't find myself particularly invested in the story or how it turned out. Reading it was a good break for a bit, but it won't go in my favorites pile.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Fictional take on the Varsity Blues scandal that involved parents using some type of financial or other influence to get their kids admitted to school. The novel includes a morning show host (a la Savannah Guthrie or Katie Couric) and her daughter. After the scandal and her life is upended, she flees to the NYC suburbs with her daughter, Max, who obviously hates her, to stay in close proximity to her sister, who is facing some financial challenges.

I liked this book fairly well.

An enjoyable read from the point of view inside the college admissions schedule. A fairly realistic accounting of family dynamics with likable, if flawed characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty. I LOVE Lauren Weisberger for fun, juicy reads and I have since the Devil Wears Prada. Anyway, this story centers around Peyton Marcus, her husband Isaac, and their daughter Max, along with Peyton’s sister Skye and her family as side characters. Peyton’s husband is accused of bribery in order to get Max into Princeton. While the bribery in question isn’t as blatant and horrific as the real life inspirations, there’s still a lot of fallout...and of course, more than meets the eye. Overall I enjoyed this book. I like relaxing with a fun read like this from time to time and Weisberger is the master of satirizing rich people problems. Parts of the story kind of dragged and I’m not sure if Skye’s whole storyline was fully resolved...there was an issue that kept coming up that never ended up addressed in the end, which was odd. I really appreciated the ending...I think it ended perfectly.

Fun, beach type read following two sisters who have made bad decisions and the impact of those decisions on their loved ones. I enjoyed the story; the title didn’t grab me. We follow Peyton whose family is caught up in an admissions scandal and her sister, Skye whose dream of opening a home for under resourced girls is potentially falling apart. Skye lives in Paradise, an upper class suburb and she embraces Peyton and her daughter Max who rent a house there for the summer. The story explores the impact on Max as she tries to determine how to move forward now that the plan for college is no longer an option. We get a bit of her coming of age story as she takes a job at an ice cream shop for the summer, meets new friends and figures out how to handle the scandal fallout. Peyton’s career as a anchorwoman is hanging in the balance and she must take some time away against her ambitious wishes. The story explores the impact of their decisions, how they navigate their identities in light of the choices they’ve made. If you like exploring family dynamics in a more light-hearted way, you will enjoy this book. #netgalley #randomhouse #laurenweisberger

Sisters Payton and Skye are opposites, but each carried their own secrets. Will they continue to keep the secrets from their families, or come clean? Would their entire worlds implode in these lives based upon keeping up appearances?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC of this book. Wow! What fun! A serious subject matter - the college admissions scandal - but written in a realistic, down to earth way. I enjoyed this story so much, it is hard to believe I've never read any of Lauren Weisberger's other books. And, yes, I know about the Devil Wears Prada. Skye and Peyton are 40-ish sisters living completely different lives but they are as close as two sisters can be. Peyton is a tv news personality, married to Isaac with a teenaged daughter, Max. Skye is her older sister, married to Gabe, with a young daughter, Aurora. Peyton gets in hot water when it comes to light that she paid a "contribution" to Princeton for Max's admission. The twist is - the check is written on Isaac's bank account, so he takes the fall. She harbors guilt, mania, desperation as everything falls apart around her. Sounds serious - and it is - but Ms. Weisberger's writing is quick, sharp and funny. I'll be seeking out more of her books and highly recommend this book with the timely story and fun edge to it.

I have been a huge fan of Lauren Weisberger since i read The Devil Wears Prada when it first came out. I have enjoyed every book she has written since then and this is no exception. The story revolves our Peyton (a well know morning news anchor) and her husband Isaac and their daughter Max, who is about to start at Princeton University in the fall. One day as Peyton is finishing up her morning show, a breaking news story comes out about rich parents paying their children's way into Ivy League Universites. Soon after, Peyton's husband is arrested for doing just with for their daughter Max. The story follows the aftermath of how one bad decision can affect way more than just the immediate members of the family.

I felt this was a good read. I enjoyed the characters and seeing the story from several different perspectives. Max was my favorite character. I felt the book did a good job showing that one person's decision can have the butterfly effect, one that you may never realize or ever think could happen to people you do not even know.

I recommend reading this book if you are a fan of the chick lit genre.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Huge fan of Lauren Weisberger - she’s iconic - so when I realized I received this ARC, I was stoked.

But honestly, in real life, I didn’t much care about the college admissions scandal. Rich people, rich people problems. I didn’t care to listen the fake apologies. So I’m not sure why I was interested in reading about it.

This book was good. But I didn’t feel like I was sinking my teeth into this juicy apple. Maybe if I was invested in this type of drama, it would have been a stellar read.

Lauren Weisberger's newest book, Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty, catapults the reader into current headlines and the influx of entitlement among the rich and famous. However, present day, real-life news stories aside, this book by acclaimed author of The Devil Wears Prada, digs much deeper into the heart of the matter...family, unconditional love and how secrets and lies can damage even the strongest people and relationships. At the heart of the book is a family torn apart by scandal when 17-year-old Max's parents pull strings and pay the wrong people to have her admitted to Princeton University. What follows are the consequences that face everyone involved, other people who are not involved, and Max's relationship with both parents. I enjoyed the premise of the book, the strong characters and the surprise ending, that I did not see coming. In preparation for this review, I familiarized myself with the lyrics to Paradise City, the 1987 Guns and Roses song from which Weisberger's title was derived. The author's keen eye for detail and theme can possibly be found woven throughout the song. I definitely see some comparisons, mostly with both writers strong yearning for home, love and acceptance. Thank you NetGalley, Lauren Weisberger and Random House Publishing for this advanced eBook.

This book builds a world around its characters that kept me wanting to stay up late to read more. I loved the relationships between the characters- Max and Isaac's father/daughter relationship was my favorite storyline. I also could really connect to Peyton and Skye's sister dynamic. The character development was the strongest part of this book for me because even when they made mistakes, I wanted to root for them and see how it would turn out for them. I liked that this book talked about the idea of college admission scandals because after hearing about it all in the news, I still had not read a book that went over this topic. Lauren Weisberger is strong in the picture she paints in her writing, and her writing continues to not disappoint.

Lauren Weisberger has long been a favourite due to her genius combo of satire, humor and wit. Her characters are flawed and layered, and relatable. This book is the story of two sisters who couldn't be more different, a college admissions scandal and the fallout that ensues, & the overall challenges of family life. Long story short- life is never what it truly seems! This plot/book admittedly was not my fave by the author, however, it's a fun escape about the lengths we go to for love and family.

This new Weisberger book (The Devil Wears Prada, When Life Gives You Lululemons) is a mix between Julie Buxbaum's Admission and Emma Straub's All Adults Here while keeping with the author's reliable good writing, sharp wit, and commentary on wealth and fame.

Peyton is a morning news anchor with everything going for her until a college bribery scandal shakes up her life. Her sister Skye is a suburban mom who feels like she compromised her nonprofit skills and moved to out to a good school district for her adopted daughter to be only surrounded by wealthy people and their "problems". As scandal rocks their family, they and their husbands and daughters reexamine their choices and relationships.

This book has great writing and is fun to read. I am a bit over the college bribery scandal but it was a good device here as the characters were interesting and the interwoven stories helped lessen it's dependence on that and show the fallout throughout the family.

Prada will always be my favorite of Weisberger's books (for nostalgic reasons) and I really liked Lululemons (this has many touches of that one too), but this book can stand up with those as pure fun and interesting Weisberger.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

News anchor, Peyton Marcus, husband is accused of paying to get her daughter into an Ivy League University. I rate this book a 3.5 since I enjoyed some parts more then others. Some part felt they dragged on. I had to push myself to get through it.

*********************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.*************************

Once again Lauren Weisberger has done it again. This book did not disappoint. I love everything about this book. The story was so relevant to today.

The Devil Wears Prada was SUCH a good book, that everything else I've read from Lauren Weisberger has just fallen flat. Every time I see her name, I snatch up the book hoping it will come close to that first one. Unfortunately, they've fallen flat each time....and this is no exception.

Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty didn't draw me in or make me feel any sort of....well, anything for the characters. I wasn't really rooting for any of them, including Max. I finished the book, mostly because I was hoping there would be some sort of something dramatic happen. 3 stars given because I was able to finish it and it was some sort of entertainment while I read it, even though it didn't quench that new book thirst I have.

Truly enjoyed this inspired-by-the-headlines story of a loving family caught up in the college admissions scandal where wealthy parents make big "donations" to get their children into competitive colleges. Peyton is a famous, beloved tv anchorwoman who desperately wants her daughter, Max, to go to Princeton. The lengths she goes to do that have terrible consequences for Max, and the rest of the family as well.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy of Lauren Weisberger’s latest novel, Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty, in exchange for an honest review.

I watched, but never read The Devil Wears Prada. I did, however, read the author’s When Life Gives You Lululemons. Both were a much better experience than my third encounter with the author’s work, #WheretheGrassIsGreenandtheGirlsArePretty.

I struggled to finish this book. For some reason, the characters felt flat and none of them resonated with me. If I were forced to choose a favorite, Max would come the closest. I think if the story was meant to be deeper than chick lit, then Peyton had potential to become a stronger character. Skye’s story, on the other hand, was entirely insufferable.

Additionally, several of the characters and plotlines were practically ripped straight from various TV shows. Obviously, not the college admissions scandal since that is the main point of the novel, but there was something awfully familiar about a few of the characters and subplots.

The story seemed to stretch on with meandering vignettes and throwaway conversations, which I realize are meant to give depth to the characters, but in this case detract from the plot and leave the reader exasperated. The story would have been better off with a single linear thread and that is not something I say very often. Also, for as long as it dragged on for, the ending was relatively abrupt and unsatisfying.

On a positive note, the one redeeming feature of the novel and why it earned the extra star is due to the author being extremely observant when it comes to daily life events and knowing how to use that insight to remark on relatable subjects. Aside from that, only readers who are searching for other parents to commiserate with about the woes of raising children in a wealthy suburb will potentially enjoy this novel. All else should proceed with caution.