"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

Keith Collins will do anything to improve his lot in life. Just married, he and his wife Kit are invited to spend their honeymoon in the ritziest hotel in Beverly Hills, The Pink Hotel. What Kit does not know is that Keith is using this trip as his interview to become the assistant manager there.

The couple come from a small town and are a little out of their league socially with the powers that be at the hotel. The rich and posh laugh at their lack of finesse, but will toy with the attractive couple to their amusement. Keith redoubles his efforts to impress, making excuses for his wife’s lack of sophistication, all the while letting them see him sweat and seemingly sabotaging his brand new marriage.

Apocalyptic brush fires are torching Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and most of the surrounding area. Riots and lootings are breaking out while the upper echelon of society flock to the hotel for entertainment and distraction. They are appalled that members of their staff, their maids, gardeners, and cooks have the audacity to not show up for work while the city burns.

The decadence is laid on pretty thick and it is a little hard to root for anyone involved. There are more demons registered here than in Dante’s Inferno. There is too much time spent in this suffocating environment while waiting for the outside world to make its presence felt. I finished the book but nearly took the fire escape. Apologies to #TheRealHousewivesOfHell

Take Their Money Take Their Power, the graffiti says.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD, and NetGalley for providing the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Pink Hotel is unfortunately a disappointing story about the ridiculously wealthy as they stay at the Pink Hotel in Beverly Hills. The preview was interesting and I looked forward to reading this, but I couldn't find anything likeable about the characters and their behavior.

Recently married Keith and Kit Collins head to the Pink Hotel after meeting the Beaumonts who run the hotel. Keith is excited at the prospect of being interviewed for a job their, unfortunately while they are on their honeymoon. The honeymoon is doomed from the start with Keith basically auditioning for the job due to being short staffed, raging fires in the background and wealthy people so unhappy with their lives they create more drama and problems for everyone around them.
Keith is inconsiderate to plan this while Kit is supposed to be supportive of his decision. At one point he says I am doing this for us, there was no us, it was for him.

Sorry, but this was not for me.

Timid bride Kit and her ambitious groom Keith travel from a small town to honeymoon at the lavish Pink Hotel in Beverly Hills. More interview and audition for Assistant Manager than honeymoon, Keith spends most of his time ingratiating himself with the manager and uber-wealthy clientele, many of whom have sought refuge at the hotel when wildfires forced them to evacuate their homes. And yet, as they are accustomed to a certain lifestyle, the hotel is closed to “outsiders” and the VIP occupants expect to be catered to and entertained.

Thus begins a week-long bacchanal, all the while the winds continue to blow, firetruck sirens can be heard beyond the hotel walls, ashes fall like snowflakes, helicopters pass overhead, and TVs throughout the hotel show news coverage of spreading wildfires, rolling blackouts, erupting riots and looting. One after another, the overworked staff give up and flee the premises, leaving the guests to their own devices.

This level of indulgence, oblivion and debauchery can only end badly.

I found the overall (forgive the pun) slow burn of this satire a bit difficult to get through, and my interest in the mostly unlikeable and unrelateable characters was low and only slightly improved by the end, but like the very alluring cover, the descriptions of the hotel itself were captivating, and the mental images they created drew me in and made me feel like I was right there.

MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly.

The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs was one of my most anticipated books of the year. When I saw the cover of the book and read the blurb, I was blown away. As a result, it's hard for me to admit that I didn't completely hate the book, but had to push myself through it. What I liked : Liska Jacobs has done a wonderful job of creating a mental image of the Pink Hotel, including luxurious pools, an enchanting bar atmosphere, beautiful rooms/suites, and a "lily-scented lobby". Reading the beautiful description made me wish I could visit such an amazing place. The cast includes unique characters that add humor to the book. There were several moments when I laughed out loud at the humorous situations depicted in the book.What I like less: I never knew where the plot was going and had a hard time keeping my interest in reading due to the slow pace. Despite Jacob's positive goal of exposing greed (spoiler-free), the author's chosen methods of expression felt a bit repetitive at times.Final Thoughts: I love and appreciate the dedication and time Liska Jacob invests in each of her books. I also understand that every book has an audience, so I encourage you to read The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs. I remain an avid fan of his work and will definitely be reading his next novel. Liska Jacobs' Pink Hotel will be available on July 19. (2.5 stars increased to 3 ⭐⭐⭐ for humor.)

The narrative is very distant, and that's how I felt reading this. I made it to the halfway point of the book, and I have no feelings about the characters at all. Maybe for those who are interested brushing up against celebrity and wealth, but I found it tedious.

The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs is a so-so social satire.

After meeting Richard and Ilka Beaumont, Keith and Kit Collins have been invited by Richard to spend their honeymoon in the iconic Pink Hotel located in Beverly Hills. Richard, who is the general manager, hopes to hire Keith to work there for him. Kit is less sure that this is the life she wants. Then circumstances (riots, rolling blackouts, fires, sudden new wealthy guests) occur that have the hotel being a refuge for the wealthy only and Keith off helping Richard while Kit is left alone.

The actual descriptive writing is quite good, but the barely there plot and slow pace isn't good. If you can overcome the glacially slow start, no characters you remotely care about and rather predictable antagonism against the ultra-wealthy, then I'd recommend this novel. If that doesn't seem like something you'd enjoy, pass on it. Admittedly, after wondering what direction the novel was meandering toward for over half of it, beyond social class, things pick up but not enough to redeem it.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillan via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

Newlyweds Keith and Kit are staying at the exclusive Pink Hotel in LA for their honeymoon after being invited by the proprietor. While Keith is shmoozing, trying to land himself a lucrative job at the hotel, Kit distracts herself by befriending the ultra-wealthy guests and embracing their hedonistic lifestyle. But as wildfires begin to descend on the hotel and tension mounts between guests and staff, will they be able to rise from the ashes?

The Pink Hotel didn’t have much of a plot, which can work if you’re leaning on some solid character development, but it didn’t really have that either. I thought this was a shame, as the premise had potential for some great character studies, particularly as it is marketed as a dark social satire. Keith and Kit were both unlikeable and I just didn’t care about them at all, which made it difficult to enjoy the book.

At some point after we get to know Keith and Kit a wee bit, the story stagnates and becomes repetitive, with nothing happening and no progression for quite some time. There were a couple of ‘wild’ party scenes and there was eventually a climax at the end, but by that point I was just trying to finish, and I found the finale a bit rushed and flat.

Overall, The Pink Hotel was just not for me. For the same vibes, I’d recommend The Shining, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or listening to Hotel California on repeat instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy.

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


When I saw the title of this one, I knew I had to read it. I grew up ‘in the shadow’ of the infamous pink hotel. I’ve been to all manner of parties and spent the night in this hotel. I absolutely had to see what craziness this novel would share.

Kit and Keith have just married. They work at a small hotel in a small town in northern California, both in hospitality. Not too long ago, the general manager of ‘the pink hotel’ visited this small venue and met Kit and Keith. He invited them to stay at his hotel for their honeymoon. Only what Keith has not shared with Kit is that this isn’t just a honeymoon, it’s also a job interview.

Keith fancies himself far too talented, good looking, and brilliant to be working at a small hotel in a town called Boonville. He has much higher aspirations. Aspirations that would be met with a position just under the general manager of the lauded Pink Hotel. Kit lacks the self confidence to ever think of herself the way Keith thinks of himself. Kit follows Keith around, molding herself to his image of what his wife should be. Kit is young and quite attractive. Keith likes the image that the couple present.

Los Angeles is on fire, literally, when Kit and Keith land at the airport. Santa Ana winds are fierce, causing areas to erupt into flames. Many wealthy families have taken shelter at the hotel rather than endure curfews and danger at their homes in the hills.

There is much insanity brewing at the hotel between the fires, the guests and the staff. Kit and Keith are exposed to a life they never could have imagined back in Boonville. While Keith is falling on his knees to be in the company of such wealth, Kit is not so sure. The whole experience is rather overwhelming. Will this week in Beverly Hills strengthen the bond between them? Or is it the beginning of the end for their marriage?

This was an amazingly fun trip through a fictionalized characterization of the absurdity of wealth and the lengths the staff of this hotel will go to meet their needs. Keith’s ridiculous behavior around the ultra rich and Kit’s aloofness to it are such contrasting viewpoints. While the tales of these people may be over the top, I absolutely loved getting to read this. It may not reflect real life, or maybe it does, but it’s a great read.

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and Liska Jacobs for this extraordinary book to review.
A simple newlywed couple thrown amidst eccentric, exquisite, powerful, cruel pink hotel residents.
The world is literally on fire while the orchestra is playing, entertaining the impossible to entertain hotel guests.
I loved the writing style, the hotel setting and the carefully constructed loved to hate characters.
I'd really love to see it turned to a movie one day.
Loved it!

This book is SO different from anything I have read recently. Tackles with a lot of heart some very significant and pressing environmental concerns, while showing the effect it has on our psyche and relationships.
Kudos to the author for choosing such a distinct plot and narrative. The characters too are well-researched and well-rounded. I enjoyed reading this and it felt like an enriching and interesting reading experience :)

Dnf’d at 30% and that was still too long. Boring rich people stuck in a hotel in Beverly Hills. We all know which one it is without being named. Wild fires raging along with riots. So boring and taking a long time to get there.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 2.5⭐️

Eeekk this book was just not for me. I was so excited to read it, based on the description and the gorgeous cover. Unfortunately, it was just blah. The characters annoyed me, very little actually happened, it was just blah. Honestly, it felt like chaos, but not in a good way. The changing point of view did not work in this story and made it kind of confusing - despite the fact that little seemed to actually happen.

Newlyweds are stuck at the fancy Beverly Hills Hotel during a raging wildfire. Keith, the husband, is being wooed to work for the hotel, despite Kit, his wife’s desire to stay in their small town. Chaos ensues when the wildfires surround Los Angeles, trapping the newlyweds with a bunch of extremely wealthy and bored guests.

It may be a good escape book for some, but it just didn't work for me. The reviews are ALL OVER the place, so honestly if it sounds interesting, maybe you will like it more than I did?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy!

I didn’t get this book at all. I thought it was about a newlywed couple who get stuck in a hotel by wildfires.
I finished the book but after I was done I asked myself, what did I just read? This book wasn’t for me.

This book was so boring, i unfortunately could not continue. Thank you to Net galley and the author for the advance copy.

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

I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I ended up calling it quits at about 20 percent.

For me, the most redeeming quality was the descriptions of the hotel. A character in itself, the hotel was beautifully and vividly described. The reader is instantly transported to this Pink Hotel.

Having said that, the rest of the characters seemed underdeveloped. Our main characters, Kieth and Kit, seemed rather immature. I suppose that may have been the intent, given their age as young newlyweds, but they almost felt too young. It was also difficult for me to keep up with the hotel staff. They all just seemed to be so one-dimensional and shallow. Also, perhaps this was the intent…maybe it was commentary on the LA vibe of it all??

Overall, not my cup of tea. If you’re looking for a slow burn, commentary on elite social circles, this may work for you.

Ooo I really wanted to love this book!

It started quite strong, with beautiful, lush descriptions making me wish that hotel was real. It did not disappoint in the atmosphere and vibes it was trying to convey and the writing style in undeniably strong.

But that is where it stopped for me. The characters were quite uninteresting and I was just waiting for another laugh out loud moment amidst poor plot and not much page-turning or ereader-tapping eagerness.

And that explains my average rating.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me this e-copy, I truly appreciate it and I will look more into the author as I loved her writing style despite it all.

I wanted this to be a LA version of The White Lotus. Sadly, it was a boring, multi POV story that just got.....boring. Everyone was basically the worst and had no redeeming qualities. I hated everyone.

The cover was pretty, though?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a really great book that exposes class systems for what they are and how we all just need to work together to get along, especially when the world is burning all around us.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover caught my eye and I had to request it. I couldn’t get into it, but the plot was slow and not exciting. The author did paint a gorgeous picture of the hotel, which I really enjoyed. Other than that, this book didn’t really captivate me.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book in advance.

Keith and Kit get more than they planned for when they accept an offer to spend their honeymoon at the Pink Hotel in Beverly Hills. It all starts out so well, with Keith auditioning for a job and the two of them enjoying the luxury but then things go sideways as Kit spends time with a socialite and then the wildfires start to encroach. This is very much a satire and It helps, I think, to be a bit familiar with some of the Southern California conceits. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The end is over the top but the whole thing is very entertaining.