I was given a free e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher.

When I finished this book I immediately thought of the description "bonkers" and the author actually uses the phrase " deranged vision". This is an initially slow and brooding book, building slowly to a massive crescendo that seems inevitable once we are there. It's a little slow in the middle, but it needs to be, to create that lovely gothic atmosphere where wrong is coming, but it's not here yet. To some extent the characters were "types" rather than people, but it is the moving away from their predetermined and well lived roles that makes this book sing. that the and ending, whch really is bonkers!

This is one of my books of the summer. Delighted to include it in the July instalment of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see review at link)

Kit and Keith Collins are a newlywed couple spending their honeymoon at the famed Pink Hotel in Beverly Hills,
courtesy of the owner as he wants to hire Keith,

Soon after their arrival wildfires rage through the nearby mountains and riots break out in Los Angeles.
the Pink Hotel closes down as the firefighters declare no one can leave.

As tensions mount Kit and Keith become estranged , secrets are exposed and guests become uncontrollable.
The ending sees the bungalows at the hotel which were under construction catch fire leaving you to guess as to if the hotel is next

I'm not a person who requires a fast-paced, action-packed story. In fact, most of my favorite books are slow burns and character-driven. However, I did have some initial questions where the plot of The Pink Hotel was going to go, but I ended up really enjoying this more subtle approach.

Young newlyweds Keith and Kit Collins have been invited to stay at the opulent Beverly Hills Pink Hotel during their honeymoon and as a bid to hire Keith full-time. During their stay, they meet a rich cast of characters and are confronted with the struggles of class differences and the realities of change.

This satire was dark and at times over the top, but I loved the progressive build-up of tension. This was a unique story, and the backdrop of a luxurious California hotel was the perfect setting.

I won't lie - it took everything in me not to quit this book.

It was endlessly boring. I understood what the author was trying to portray, the dichotomy of living in shallow opulence vs the destruction and chaos, and the depth of reality. But, much of the book was just descriptions of everything, while also telling us there were wildfires happening. As the wildfires grew nearer, so did the outright silliness grow inside the hotel.

I felt like I was searching for a real plot through most of the book. It didn't pick up my interest until about 65-70% into the book. And even after that, I was just looking forward to it ending. But then even the ending was disappointing.

For all that - I would not recommend this book. It just wasn't one that I enjoyed.

The Pink Hotel by Lisa Jacobs

Confined to an opulent Beverly Hills Hotel during a craving wildfire, a young couple is caught in the escalating tension between the wealthy guests and then staff.

Very exciting but book. Something is going on everybody minute of this hotel stay. Many, many characters. Well-written. Keeps you entertained. I recommend this book.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The prose of this writer is always what has drawn me in to her previous books. The Pink Hotel included. The author writes beautifully, but after 2/3 I was tired and ready for it to be over. The plot is slow and meandering at times.

We meet Keith and Kit Collins, newlyweds on the way to their honeymoon in Los Angeles at the famed Pink Hotel where Hollywood celebs and famous people stayed. They are young, ambitious and in the Hotel industry in Northern California. Keith is trying to get a job at the hotel so it's not a romantic honeymoon, so much as a job interview.

The characters include the Hotel manager Mr Beaumont and his wife Ilka, a long staying famous resident, a young rich model / actor who treats Kit like a pet, and her cousins, who are wild and privileged. With the fires in the hills, people have left their mansions to away at the hotel. They treat the staff terribly. They're rich and bored, and start making bets for their own entertainment. Think the movie Rat Race, x 1000 and not funny. This was definitely a rich vs poor theme but it was just....ugh. well obviously most of us can't conjure up sympathy for the super wealthy. One of the characters said "billionaires are people too". Gross, but that's the point right?

The ending is just one of those classic French movies that is ambiguous . The book centers around Kit and Keith. Do they stay together after a week of marriage? If I cared more about these characters, maybe it would bother me more. I did like Kit, a lot more than Keith.


3.25/5☆

I loved the luxury hotel setting of this book even though I didn't always love the characters who stayed and worked there. It's remarkable how a novel could be so enjoyable while also emphasizing such differences in class and imbalance of wealth. Still, the engagement level is high and if the reader can set aside their moral barriers, the ridiculousness of some of these characters will keep them entertained.

I read The Pink Hotel on and off for a bit and it was an easy and enjoyable read for the most part. There was a fun cast of characters and you weren't quite sure what they would get up to next but always had an inkling that things would get dramatic. I did find myself frustrated with some of the female characters for putting up with the guys' antics but that tends to be a theme in these types of books. The ending was very unexpected, which I generally like, but this wrap-up did not fit the plot or vibes of this book at all. It seemed very random and I had to double-check I was reading the right book.

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for my digital copy of The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs.

A luxurious hotel, a staff willing to go the extra mile, moneybags and their pampered pets, and a striking newlywed couple.

Keith Collins believes he is on his way to become the General Manager of The Pink Hotel located in Beverly Hills. So, he takes his bride on a pink honeymoon. Kit Collins is a beautiful and simple woman who doesn’t know what her stay at this glamorous hotel will bring.

Unspoken rules of the wealthy guests clash with the small world of the newlyweds bringing all sorts of emotions that will either balance or break their new life together. Liska Jacobs created a universe where money and class met and collapsed while ranging wildfires created chaos in the city of Los Angeles.

I really appreciated how the characters surrendered to the feelings and passions of the moment. When you think you found your way in the world, something comes along and rattles your peace and happiness.

I really didn't love this style of writing. I think at times it was confusing who was the character of focus. I also was just very confused as to what happened at the end of chapters sometimes. I think this just wasn't the right book for me and I just didn't connect well with any of the characters. The ending was very lacklustre and after everything I read I needed a bit more closure to the story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- LOVE the cover on this one!

This seems to be a book with a lot of mixed reviews. People either loved it or didn't. Myself, I enjoyed it quite a lot and finished it in two days. The writing was fantastic. It was well paced. The author did an amazing job with the setting. It was very atmospheric with the wild fires raging. The descriptions of the hotel and the characters made it very easy to picture everything in your mind. The plot itself was engaging, thought provoking, and intelligent. The characters were many and well developed. That said, I had a slight issue with how it ended. I wish it had been less vague and included an epilogue set in the future. Overall though, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and gets two thumbs up from yours truly.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

"Confined to an opulent Beverly Hills hotel during a raging wildfire, a young couple is caught in the escalating tension between the wealthy guests and the staff, in Liska Jacobs's blistering, dark social satire, The Pink Hotel.

Newlyweds Keith and Kit Collins can hardly believe their luck when the general manager of the iconic, opulent Pink Hotel invites them to come for a luxurious stay as a bid to hire Keith. Kit loves their small-town life, but Keith has always wanted more, and the glittering, lily-scented lobby makes him feel right at home.

Soon after their arrival, wildfires sweep through the surrounding mountains and Los Angeles becomes a pressure cooker, with riots breaking out across the city amid rolling blackouts. The Pink Hotel closes its doors to "outsiders," and Keith and Kit find themselves confined with an anxious, disgruntled staff and a growing roster of eccentric, ultra-wealthy, dangerously idle guests who flock to the hotel for sanctuary, company, and entertainment.

The Pink Hotel exposes a tenuous class system within its walls, full of insurmountable expectations and unspoken resentments, which deteriorate as the city burns. In her barbed, provocative new novel, Liska Jacobs explores the corrosive nature of greed and interrogates the notion of true love, while hurtling readers toward certain disaster."

I love luxury turning into a trap.

Beverly Hills, California burning, and Keith is vying for a job at the prestigious Pink Hotel when it gets closed to everyone else and him and his wife are stuck inside with the ultra elite. This book is filled with characters who are well built by the author and love the changing POVs throughout. The philosophical aspect of this book regarding classism was my favorite and the author wrote well. Although it could get confusing at times with the characters,
Overall the story was great and I felt like I was watching a Netflix show that changed and shifted through seasons. Great read!

The description of this book sounded interesting to me - the CA wildfires, a fancy hotel for the elite, a newlywed couple honeymooning there - and it wasn't a total miss, but there was a LOT going on with tons of characters that just overlapped making it hard to get through.
To top it off, most of the characters were totally unlikable. The theme of classism was well done, and
the environmental issue of the wildfires added to the novel. This was a slow burn, with many switches in POV and characters and interesting themes. Thankful for the ARC!

This was a very unusual book, that reminded me a little of "The White Lotus," in a good way. I enjoyed following the multiple characters and the increasingly complicated storylines. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

¿Sabes esos libros que no hay forma de que te enganchen aunque quieras? Pues este es uno de ellos. Leído el 20% y no termino de ver la trama ni el sentido.
Keith y Kit son una pareja de recién casados, que se van a un súper hotel de lujo (el Pink Hotel) invitados por su propietario, Mr. Beuamont, con quien coincidieron en un evento tiempo ha. Hasta ahí, está claro. Pero luego aparecen personajes que no sabemos qué relación tienen con la trama, el personal del hotel parece una cosa pero luego es otra... En fin, que sintiéndolo mucho, no.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. I found the writing disjointed as well as the story and could not bring myself to continue reading. Thank you for the opportunity.

Unfortunetly this one was hard to get through. There were a lot of formatting issues and it was hard to comprehend.

I loved the concept however it did not live up to expectations.

As others have said, the plot was really lacking.

The beautiful cover couldn't make up for the disappointing story.

While overall I was entertained and I did enjoy reading this, I finished reading this book not sure what this story was trying to convey morally. It seemed contradictory at times in its messages. The story is about a young married couple who spend their honeymoon at the pink hotel - which is normally outside their price range. The Pink Hotel is known for being a rich people oasis. During the couple’s hotel stay, riots and fires start happening through California while the rich drink and Lounge by the pool. That is until the unavoidable reaches them. This book was entertaining but doesn’t have longevity.