I was so excited when I saw this book, the title drew me in and I was curious about the social commentary. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me. It has kind of a Malibu Rising by TJR vibe, the switching between perspectives and only getting bits and pieces, but nothing seemed to come together. I think there was too much emphasis on making everything correlate with a social issue that the characters were left behind.

Keith and Kit Collins are newlyweds staying at The Pink Hotel partly for their honeymoon and partly so Keith can interview for a position at the hotel. They are out of their element staying among the very very rich and as fires spread chaos ensues. The cover is what initially drew me to this title. But the premise sounded great. I love stories about the rich and famous. However, this just did not work for me. I have realized that satire is not a genre that appeals to me.

The characters are all pretty awful - not just the rich ones meant to be awful - which made it hard to connect with anyone. Honestly, if it wasn't an arc I would have DNF'd because it wasn't enjoyable. There were moments that I was really into it and really hoped we would stay with those characters or in that scene but things would shift so quickly. The perspective bounces from person to the next so fast it is hard to keep up. The ending was incredibly vague and lacked closure.

While this was not for me. I can see someone who enjoys satire to enjoy this story so I would recommend it to some people.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn’t like this and I’m sorry. I feel like nothing happened in this book. The only real event was the fire and whatever hellscape it was that happened on Saturday. But that was 85% into the book. That’s too late for me to care.. And to make matters worse, none of the characters were likeable. I rooted for no one and didn’t care (again) when people wound up dead or hurt or damaged. This sounds super harsh, but I was bored the whole way through. It unfortunately fell flat. But hey, the vibe was described pretty decently.

Keith and Kit Collins are newlyweds and luck has it when the manager of one of the opulent hotels in Beverly Hills invites Keith to stay in at the Pink Hotel. But wildfire starts raging followed by riots and blackouts and Keith and Kit find themselves confined inside the hotel with disgruntled staff and wealthy guests while trying to enjoy their honeymoon.

To be honest, the front cover is appealing and beautiful and should be given a five star for the cover. The plot sounded interesting which was I requested the arc for the book. However, it wasn't great as I expected the book to me.

Though the book is labeled as a thriller, it wasn't fast-paced or that there were not much OMG moments in the story, and none of the characters in the book didn't really fall out of for me. I almosted got bored with the story but as a person who doesn't DNF the book, I kept reading the book, hoping that it will get better somewhere in some part of the story. Overall, this was an OK thriller book--not really great, not really an unputdownable thriller that you would expect in a thriller. I also didn't really enjoy much but maybe this was just me.

Overall, this book worth 2.5 stars in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs was one of my most anticipated books of the year. As soon as I saw the book cover and read the blurb, I was smitten. As a result I find it difficult to admit I did not totally dislike the book, but at times I had to push myself through it.

What I enjoyed:
Liska Jacobs did a wonderful job creating a mental image of The Pink Hotel including luxurious swimming pools, facinating bar atmosphere, gorgeous rooms/suites and a "lily scented lobby". As I read the beautiful description I wished I could visit such an amazing place. The cast includes unique characters that bring humor to the book. There were several moments I laughed out loud at the humorous situations portrayed in the book.

What I like less:
I was never sure where the plot was going and had trouble holding my interest while reading due to the slow pace. Despite Jacob's positive goal of exposing greed (without spoilers) the methods of expression the author chose at times felt a bit repetitive.

Closing thoughts:
I love and appreciate the dedication and time Liska Jacob's puts into 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 a devoted fan of her work and will definitely read her next novel.

The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs is available on July 19th.

Thank you, NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, MCD for allowing me to review this book by the very talented Liska Jacobs. I look forward to reading more.

I enjoyed reading a book based in Beverly Hills. This was just an okay book for me. The middle had me bored. But I did enjoy the ending more I thought. The cover is absolutely stunning.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel.

The Pink Hotel is atmospheric: Jacobs's prose captures the celebrity and chaotic energy that lies at the heart of the west side of Los Angeles. The setting of the Pink Hotel recalls the glamour of The Beverly Hills Hotel and the scandal of the Chateau Marmont, and its inhabitants are straight out of Instagram's most obnoxious influencers feed. Who knew a description of wildfires and the violence of mountain lions would recall a sense of nostalgia for this Angeleno?

While Jacobs masterfully captures the magic and mischief of the Hollywood elite in the setting, her characters are caricatures who fail to elicit a shred of sympathy. The Pink Hotel is a scathing critique of self-absorbed Millenials and the disgustingly wealthy, but its flat characters, slow narrative, and obscene hotel parties invoke a sense of exhaustion, rather than outrage.

one thing i'll give this book is the Beverly Hills environment. other than that i struggled to get through it. but i did it. and i liked the ending more than i was expecting but the middle part of this book had me bored out of my mind.

The Pink Hotel by Liska Jacobs is a mixture of young couple marry and run away to a bizarre world of the rich. Set in California with the wildfires in the distance. Keith and Kit Collins go to the Pink Hotel on their honeymoon. Keith and Kit were recently married and Keith worked for a hotel in a small town. When he is offered to have his honeymoon at this hotel Keith thought this is his ticket to fortune, but was it?
Kit is worried that all this mingling with the rich is turning Keith into someone she hates. She is uncomfortable with it all and wants to leave. She is thrown into a life of drinking, drugs and chaos. This book takes you on a trip of crazy. How these people treat the working class, how they think they are the privileged and nothing else matters.
I pushed through this book because I do not like to not finish a book. I couldn't connect with any character. There were many characters one crazier than the next. Keith became a crazy ambitious man who craved the wealth and status that managing this hotel could bring. Kit is a country mouse looking to get out of the big city. To much went on in this book. I wouldn't say I disliked it I'would say I didn't love it. I felt like I was watching crazy movie and there was not way for the heroine to get out.
I would give this three stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC .

I pushed through this book excited by the title and summary. This was not enjoyable at all. I pushed through until the final chapter and still was confused. Thank you for the ARC, but this one is a disappointment.

Liska Jacobs paints a world of decadence while the California hills are burning. Keith and Kit Collins, a young newly married couple, are invited to spend their honeymoon at the Pink Hotel. Keith accepts the offer with the hope of being hired by the hotel to manage the services offered to the rich and famous who visit. Kit is adopted by the rich young women as a play doll--they dress her is expensive clothing and show her off to the wealthy guests, like a teacup dog many of the guests already have in tow. Up against Keith and Kit trying to fit in, there are numerous uncontrolled wild fires threatening the area, but the guests continue to indulge in champagne and attend themed parties. This brutal story shows the rich up against the poor who are losing their homes and desperate for help.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

The plotting is way too slow for the premise and promise of this novel.

The relationship between Kit and Keith is well developed; they are interesting characters who are outsiders, a newly married couple invited to stay at The Pink Hotel where Keith will soon be working. Fires in the surrounding area means they are locked down with the rich and annoying hotel patrons.

And then nothing really happens for hundreds of pages.

I'll be honest. I still don't know what this book was about. Sure, and hotel, sure some newlyweds. Still, I felt like starting a new book on every page.
The atmosphere the author created is quite a thing! It makes you feel in the most humid and uncertain place on earth. I wonder if LA is truly like that.
I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to. At the end of the day I wasn't into the story, the characters bore me and the lack of the main plot made me say no more.
2.5

I was really looking forward to this book but unfortunately it missed the mark a little bit.

The pacing was quite slow, the character development wasn’t great, and the ending was a little too confusing.

I was looking forward to reading this book, however I found it to be hard going. It was too slow for me, and just didn't click. I am sorry, and hope other readers enjoy it more.

Rating: ⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Keith and Kit are a newly married couple. They are invited to spend their honeymoon at a very lavish hotel called The Pink Hotel where Keith will be working soon. However, upon their arrival, the situation takes a different turn as wildfires spread through all the surrounding mountains. This will cause big chaos in the city from riots to a complete blackout due to electricity loss. The Pink Hotel becomes a sanctuary for the rich and important persons only.

The premise of the story is amazing. The cover art is gorgeous. I thought with such an excellent premise and synopsis nothing could go wrong. I expected a lot from such a great idea. Unfortunately, this did not deliver. The starting point was strong though. I felt the author did a great job with the two main characters and their relationship. After the reader gets familiar with the MCs the story hardly moves on. The plot stops there and becomes stagnant. It becomes more about the different classes.

Yes, there are some crazy moments in the story, especially with the way the super-rich guests behave like in that dogs’ party and how all that affects the relationship between Keith and Kit but I feel all that was not enough to keep my interest. These satirical moments were the main highlights of this book. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. It felt somehow vague and confusing to me. I like open endings where the reader can draw his own conclusion but it didn’t work for me in this case. I really had high hopes for The Pink Hotel. It just didn’t work for me. But that doesn’t mean that it might not work for you too.

Many thanks to the publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

I was a not a fan of this one. I think this would be a better read for another person. I would not recommend this title to those that I know.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.


I went in to this knowing nothing about the story and was intrigued by the title. I actually really enjoyed it. I loved how whimsical and eccentric the characters were and how this is a work of fiction but it does touch on real life events in our society today.

Thanks, NetGalley and publisher for the ARC. Unfortunately, I just could not get into this book. The descriptions of the hotel at the beginning while fantastical and beautiful, were just that-nothing really attention-grabbing. I kept waiting for a mystery or suspenseful element to present itself, but it never did. I have far too many books I want to read to keep reading a book that doesn't pull me in. The characters were also not very interesting, I think in the beginning of the book, there has to be something that will make the reader care what happens to the characters and what to know more. All in all, maybe others will like this and it wasn't the right mood for me.