I really wanted to love this novel. Initially, it captured beautifully a sense of place; the setting is lush, indulgent, ripe to the point of fermentation (although this is maintained artificially) and saturated with noise and colour. But after 100 pages of essentially the same reworked descriptions and a sense of menace that took far too long to realise, I gave up and skipped to the end. I suspect this is a novel written with a screen adaption in mind.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC from the publisher. Based on the description of the book I assumed this would only be an assessment of wealth and class in the United States. However, the author found a way to artfully examine the reality of love and how women are treated by society and in their intimate relationships. At times it compares the reality of being a young woman newly married against that of a woman married for several decades, and that of a mistress. Throughout this novel I found myself rooting for and against the same exact characters. Every character is so realistic that in a sense you identify with their contradictions. I would recommend this to anyone that loves a good satire with a hint of dark comedy and several doses of truth. I’m glad I started my year off with this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, it just did not WOW me. I was confused about the time period and the characters just were not likeable. It made it hard to care what was going on in the story. Thank you.

I'm really sorry but this novel was not for me although I did manage to complete it. From looking at the reviews this is very much a marmite situation, love it or hate it. Unfortunately I fell into the latter category.

I liked the premise of this book but just found nearly all the characters unlikeable whether it was newlyweds Kit and Keith, hotel staff Coco and Ethan or the indulged guests the Laceys, Tigran or Marguerite. Only construction worker Sean had any empathy.

I found the portrayed indulgent, hedonistic lifestyles repulsive, but I fear that there are elements of this which does occur for those who have obscene wealth and few morals.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers, for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest (no pun intended...haha), I did not finish this book. I really tried to push through but the plot was moving along slowly, coupled with the annoying characters.

At first, I was intrigued by the premise of this book because it gave me 'the white lotus' vibes, and truthfully, I didn't mind it. I enjoyed the TV series, so I expected to like this book. But I couldn't get around the author's writing style. Especially the use of an omniscient POV, and how she steadily jumped from one perspective to another without warning.

Also, what's up with the main couple? Keith and Kit Collins are the most unlikeable characters I have come across in recent times. Think of annoying Arturo from Money heist married to annoying Bella Swan from the Twilight series. I will leave you with that imagination.

What a unique read this was! Drawn in by the cover and synopsis, I was totally unprepared for the dark humour and social satire that awaited me between the pages.
Newly weds Keith and Kit are invited to the famous, opulent Pink Hotel, Keith sees it as a potential new career opportunity but surrounding LA wild fires leave them trapped at the hotel in a nightmare whirlwind life locked between wound up staff and complete bonkers, Uber eccentric rich customers.

Stirring up a hefty heap of classism this novel is nuts, the novel is separated into days and Saturday ends up as one complete giant f##ed up hoo-ha.

The story jumps from POVs of numerous character and the whole story has a style of writing I hadn't experienced before but I really liked. . I'm so glad I requested this book on Netgalley as it was a real step away from my usual genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Its a classic "careful what you wish for" situation! When actually for me the simple less extravagant life is always more appealling!

Thanks to Netgalley and #farrarstrausgiroux for the ARC of this book

Pub date 19th July 2022

#netgalley #bookreview #newbooks #books2022 #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #thepinkhotel #liskajacobs #readreadnosleeprepeat #bookaholic

As someone who's extremely well acquainted with Los Angeles, I was quite eager to read this novel... that said, I had a really hard time with the first 40-50% of it, which was a bit of a slog. This story of two newly-weds honeymooning in LA during a lot of strife - wildfires, riots, etc. sounds super exciting, but the writing style was very hard to get into. I stuck with it and did get the "California feels" that I was personally looking for. I am not sure if it just needs a bit more "oomph" at the beginning to hook the reader, but sadly I can't recommend it to the average reader - maybe it is just me, as there is an audience for everyone. My sincere thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for the complimentary DRC, which obviously did not affect my review.

Most will recognize The Pink Hotel to be the iconic Bel-Air Hotel. Be careful what you wish for. The story of the young couple on their honeymoon is a classic tale of want and the emptiness having too much while others suffer can bring. The annual California fires become a character in itself, sealing off those inside even more than their privilege already has. Reaching the final page the reader is reminded to be thankful but the story to get there makes for a fascinating read.

Very grateful to NetGalley for the chance to read “The Pink Hotel”

This is literary fiction so plot is used more to suds out the characters than to provide a story. To me, this book is literature. It should be added to some reading lists for college students because there is so much to unpack. The whole work is an amalgam of wealth, sex, power, gender, expectations, animalistic appetites, decadence; you name it. You could write a thesis on the use of animals and destruction in contrast to created images of the wealthy.

The shifting third person narration adds a sort of blurriness to the intoxicated dream/nightmare of the six days that make up the novel.

Wonderful, wonderful book. I loved it.

Newlyweds invited to a exorbitant and well known Beverley hills hotel for their honey moon. The husband has ulterior motives to get a job while here - and during all of this the world is burning down around them. Literally. Wildfires everywhere. Yet the hotel is doing whatever they can to keep everything as normal as possible for their rich guests. Or. what rich people perceive as normal. Honestly was pretty out there most of the time and felt like it was a little thrown together at the end but overall well written and good concept. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I requested this book because the cover and short blurb really pulled me in. However, once I began reading, I got a little bogged down. It took me a bit to get used to the author's style, but once I did, it flowed well and the descriptions were great! The setting of The Pink Hotel really came to life.

The omniscient point of view felt a little foreign to me as a reader. It swapped around a lot, so I didn’t feel too connected to any one character. I feel that was the author’s intent because she wanted to show many facets of class and social standing.

What I did learn about the characters, particularly the wealthy ones, was not pretty, and they all came across as downright repulsive. But, the more middle class characters like the hotel employees and Kit and Keith Collins didn’t really have anything about them that made me want to root for them. Kit and Keith were starry-eyed honeymooners, but Keith was also at The Pink Hotel for a job interview of sorts.

Initially, I found their love for each other to hopefully be what cemented them and kept them out of the craziness at The Pink Hotel. It didn’t quite work in their favor. The action really picked up toward the last third of the book, and I found the ending to be vague enough to draw your own conclusions as a reader, but also strangely satisfying.

The book gives a new meaning to just burn it all down and start over.

The synopsis of this book, and the cover art really attracted me to this book. I love reading stories that are set in Los Angeles. While I loved reading about the Pink Hotel in Beverly Hills and all it’s guests, this one fell a little short. Set in the summertime where Southern California fires are burning rampant across the county, the Pink Hotel was a refuge for the wealthy looking for a staycation while the “middle class” was protesting for help and rioters were frustrated with the social divide. The story development seems very slow in the beginning and it wasn’t until about the middle of the book where the pace started picking up, and the lack of character development had me losing interest. Overall the setting made it a fun read, but it wasn’t a favorite.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I adore the cover. While I don't usually read blurbs and only skim them I read this one and it intrigued me enough to ask for a copy but I didn't remember much when I started reading and was coming into the book blind. The premise is that a couple of newlyweds have the opportunity to spend their honeymoon in the Pink Hotel. I felt like the story was moving slow and not much was happening till the fires and protests and the last part of the book. There were a lot of characters and I didn't enjoy Kit's childish behaviour at all. There are some societal issues the book touches on but it didn't hit the mark with so many characters and not enough depth to the problems. Overall, I feel like it could have been much better. The portrayal of the wealthy was spot on but the book was probably supposed to be a satire and I didn't feel that enough for me to change my perspective.

At first I thought this would be a light read, mocking the high standards the rich demand. I was pleasantly surprised to find there was so much more depth to the book. I won't give too much away, but having multiple points of view and such well thought out characters made it a delight. I also enjoyed how they tied in climate change and the destruction of California wildfires. I don't know how to explain it, but the ending left me wondering what happened to the main characters afterwards.

Overall, I flew through this book - in part, because I tend to skim descriptive prose (of which there was a good amount), but also because the plot was compelling and the characters rich. The book tackles the theme of how class and wealth interact with our perception and existence in the world - and how that comes to a head at times of crisis. It's easy to see how the pandemic and the political turmoil of the last few years impacted this story, and it's a very well-done bit of social commentary. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind diving into the dark side of our world right now, and who isn't afraid to see a little bit of themselves in the characters.

This was a complete miss for me. They synopsis was sooooo promising but then I started reading. I hate third person so automatically I was like UGH. The plot just kept going in circles and not progressing at all. So DNF for me which sucks

Too bad, so sad. My first DNF of the year. I tried! 53% of the way through and no end in sight.
The plot isn't really going anywhere. The 3rd person omniscient POV feels a bit like whiplash as we go from one persons thoughts to another in the span of a paragraph.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

Kit and Keith Collins have just married in Boonville in upstate California. They have been invited to honeymoon at the Pink Hotel in Beverley Hills by the manager and his wife who have visited their small town hotel a month ago. Keith is excited - he is hoping to get a management job at the world famous hotel. Kit supports Keith's wishes, but would be happy to stay in Booneville. The opulence of the Pink Hotel overwhelms her, and her youthful good looks excite the wealthy people who live there. A young girl named Marguerite adopts Kit and includes her in all her parties in her bungalow, dressing her in designer clothes. Keith leaves her alone to assist the manager with the demands of the clientele. There is a dangerous fire approaching LA, apartment buildings are burning and people are rioting, but it is largely ignored by the hotel guests, who continue drinking, eating and drugging themselves, feeling safe in the hotel. But during the last day, a massive party is planned and everything falls apart.

This was a sad reveal of how the rich live (if indeed it is accurate). I didn't like this book in the first few chapters, it felt slow, but picked up in the last half.

I got this Advance Review Copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect the review in any form or fashion.

The Pink Hotel is a book about a newlywed couple who are invited to spend their honeymoon at 'The Pink Hotel' in Beverly Hills. While fires break out in the LA Hills, the rich and privileged guests and residents of the hotel are in their own comfortable bubbles. This is a dark social satire about class and privilege.

The premise and setting of this book were quite interesting. The idea of this book is very powerful and had the potential to be a phenomenal character study. Such a shame, I did not finish this book.

I could not read this book past the first 30%. The blurb was so amazing, and I was so excited when I received the copy to review, but the story did not appeal to me at all. The plot is missing, and the book was almost a narrative that amounts to nothing. The story did not move at all in the first hundred pages that I read.

The main characters, the Collins' are the classic small-town youth in an opulent setting where they are so out of place. Keith is an over-ambitious weird man who looks at his wife Kit and starts imaging her in every sort of big-money setting.

Kit, on the other hand, is portrayed as a 23-year old baby - with her thumb in her mouth, Quite literally. I understand that the author aims this to be a satire but I could not wrap my head around Kit's child-like behavior.

Again, this story had so much potential, but the execution was so flawed that I do not think I will be returning to Liska Jacobs' other books as well.

I really wanted to like this book and did not expect it to become my first DNF of the year.

DNF @ 25%

The writing style just wasn't for me, it got caught up in so many details. It felt like every time there was food on a table, the author went ahead and named every fruit she could think of. And that's simply something I can't handle, add to that the fact that it didn't seem like the plot would start moving any time soon and that the main characters being named Kit and Keith wasn't helping me remember who they were as separate people. Like, I get it, it's funny and all but it didn't help. And the side characters I got to see didn't catch my eye much, either. I just hope it would've gotten to the point sooner.