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.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Kit and Keith Collins are a young couple on their honeymoon, staying at the Pink Hotel, as part of an extended job interview while chaos descends around them. Kit is sweet and likable but not well developed, while Keith is a selfish ass motivated by his own ambitions, and I feel he is more developed and rounded out than Kit.

As the hotel is inundated with wealthy guests and the fire and protests surround them, the events of the novel do pick up quite a bit, with a quick descent in mayhem. This novel certainly does paint a picture of the wealthy vs the have nots who are forced to wait on them and keep them happy at all costs.

I think it could have been stronger for a but more character development on the part of Kit. I also didn't enjoy the semi open ended finale.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the electronic ARC copy of this novel for review.

Thank you NetGalley and FSG for the opportunity to read this ARC. Publication date: 7/19/22

I was excited to kick off my 2022 reading challenge with a satirical thriller, but unfortunately the book did not live up to the synopsis. In this book, we follow Keith and Kat as they celebrate their honey at the Pink Hotel, a posh destination to the rich and famous. These two kids are trying to find their way at the hotel, literally and figuratively, while navigating through the institution of marriage.

The writing was bland and I could not get into the story. The development was slow and I did not like a single character. Overall, this book is a pass for me.

I'm always captivated by stories that give you a glimpse into the daily lives of the filthy rich, so let me start by saying I did enjoy that aspect of The Pink Hotel. I loved the picture that was painted of the luxurious hotel filled with obnoxious wealthy characters whose lives are slowly spiraling out of control thanks to the inconvenient wildfires raging outside.

But sadly this book just wasn't for me. The plot moved too slowly, and the constant changing of narrators made it feel like a hard to follow fever dream.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wild, wild ride.

Imagine you're a young, doe-eyed, newlywed couple from a sleepy, nondescript California town who've successfully managed a local hotel and restaurant. Now, the husband is being considered to join an established and extravagantly luxurious in Los Angeles as the Assistant Manager. You've even now been personally invited you to spend your honeymoon -- all expenses paid -- at this iconic, indulgent playground.

A dream come true or a harrowing nightmare?

After you arrive, the surrounding LA hills ignite and rage with uncontrollable wildfires. The hotel closes, only catering to its most distinguished clientele. Yet the firestorm inside the hotel is much more disastrous than the damage that ensues just beyond its pretty pink walls.

Some of the guests are "Insatiable monsters. But if you know what they feed on, you've got nothing to fear".

A compelling read. A deep psychological and sociological slow burn. In a world consumed by internet influencers, the Kardashians and insta-princesses, one question rings true. What truly matters most?

This book is very slow, and there isn't much happening. I didn't have an urge to pick it back up and I really had to push through it. There is promise of a 'thriller' but there is nothing thrilling about the story. I tried to enjoy the book but there isn't much to enjoy, unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Liska Jacobs for an arc of The Pink Hotel in exchange for an honest review! This book follows a newly married couple, Kit and Keith, as they start their honeymoon at the Pink Hotel. It shows many different characters throughout who toy with the couple as Kit wants to return home and Keith wants to join them as one of the elites. Meanwhile, outside, California is continuing to burn.

Despite the intriguing premise, I could not get into this book and ended up putting it in my DNF pile. The writing was odd and I found it hard to become attached to the characters or the story. I simply didn’t care what happened in it, but if you’re into socialite novels you will probably like it more than me!

A newly married couple heads to a hotel for their honeymoon set in the heart of wealthy Los Angeles, at a time when a heat wave is creating tension between people and the environment. Weak female protagonist, unlikeable male protagonist, so for a character reader I just wasn't able to get into this. Very atmospheric over the top setting, filled with tension and an explosion of livelihoods and relationships at the end.

A big thank-you to fsgbooks for allowing me access to The Pink Hotel as an ARC.

I have to start by saying I could not finish this novel. I made it to 30% and I was unable to pursue it any further. The prose describes that 'Liska Jacobs explores the corrosive nature of greed and interrogates the notion of true love, while hurtling readers toward certain disaster', but largely I was confused on the overall POV, the main couples relationship steered towards a one-sided nature as opposed to typical true love and the certain disaster was continually held in the background - I would have thought that 30% into the story I would have faced a bit more 'disaster'

Although Liska hit the nail on the head with greedy, ultra-wealthy and eccentric characters!!

I went into this book hoping for more disaster telling, it was very much more a socialite and gossip style novel.

Once again, thank-you fsgbooks and Liska Jacobs - it's just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. I could not get into this one. Felt the story line was eh. Characters didn’t really grab me. Went to the DNF pile.

The cover of this novel is stunning, however the actual writing was not great. It was clunky and felt unfulfilling. I couldn't get into this one.

The cover and blurb on this are total 5 stars! I was so excited to get the NetGalley approval for this one...clearly based on the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel I was so excited to read about my city and the iconic hotel, well known LA fires and the shenanigans that arise among the ultra wealthy at the hotel.

Sadly...the blurb was the best part of this book.

This felt like more of an outline than a novel. The writing style was so choppy and hard to keep up with who's inner monologue or commentary we were following with. The chapters were really long and rambling and I just could not get into the story, primarily because I never knew who the heck we were supposed to be following in that particular chapter/sentence/etc. It became almost frustrating at times.

If you enjoy that style of writing - then you'll enjoy this one.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Farrar, Straus, and, Giroux and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

What a charming, lovely, quaint and quick (because it’s so fun) read. Pick it up for your book club or whatever asap.

I sadly could not finish this book. I found the narrative style very detached and I couldn’t get drawn in.

Great premise and setting though!