All in Monte Carlo

All in Monte Carlo revolves around four women living in Monaco and their struggles living in a patriarchal country. The four women form a ‘book club’ where they plot how to get revenge on the men who have wronged them.

This was a book of two halves for me. I absolutely loved the second half of this book where the women plot and carry out their revenge. This section of the book was really fast paced and entertaining. It had some great twists and I loved the cliffhanger ending.

However the first half of the book was a lot of background information and introducing characters so was quite slow and there wasn’t much going on. Throughout the book a lot of different locations in Monaco are mentioned e.g. restaurants, street names and apartment blocks which got very confusing and if, like me, you are unfamiliar with Monaco, didn’t add anything to the story.

Overall this was a fast paced, entertaining read and if you love rich people drama and Selling Sunset, this book might be for you!

What a beautiful cover. It pulled me in right away. I love the idea of fourfwoman coming together under various circumstances to help one another out. This really isn’t my genre specifically I do know know slot of readers enjoy these mystery thrillers and this one seemed to good to pass up! I will be sharing more thoughts soon! But this seems like the perfect caper to pick up

What a dizzy wild romp of a book this is…
Monaco, have always been fascinated by these glitzy Principalities and all that goes with them….the single City state is about the same size as Hyde Park and when you go shopping you can cross streets into France then have lunch in Italy ( I think being born on an Island makes for border fascination ), life is good, no its great for our characters….until they are betrayed and seek revenge….all in the guise of a Book Club
Based on true events the author obviously knows Monaco intimately and portrays the Country so well via sights, sounds, smells and wealth, big wealth
I loved it and want to move there 🤗 well maybe visit there as requirements to live there are,lets say hefty but for the time being am more than happy to have been whisked away to this fairytale land where dreams come true…but also nightmares
The only thing could improve the book is a character list at the beginning and is it character rich ( which isen’t bad as there are no fillers here )
Sumptuous reading

Firstly I always love a four point of view narrative where each chapter is labelled as which person it relates to - makes it so much easier to follow and understand.

The four women in this book are such great characters and I found I liked them all for very different reasons. How funny to form a book club to hide your revenge plan - it’s such a clever idea.

The book says it is inspired by true events - and my biggest question Anna which member of the book club were you!? We’re you on of the main girls: Abigail, Lucinda, Polina and Barbara?

The only way I could have enjoyed this book even more would be to have a glass of champagne and be on a sun lounger by the pool. This book is highly entertaining and had me laughing into the early hours of the morning when I was reading it. And no surprise (as I never seem to get it right) this book had me guessing until the end.

We witness their mischievous actions as they seek revenge, leading to surprising and often humorous outcomes. Naturally, in their opulent world, each day is filled with champagne, extravagant fashion, and astonishingly expensive jewelry. It's a well-executed portrayal of life among the ultra-wealthy, and I couldn't help but wish I could observe it firsthand. This revenge thriller set in a glamorous backdrop is an enjoyable read for any moment.

I found myself kind of dragging through the beginning due to the pace and characters. The initial part of the text is quite perplexing, as it contains numerous descriptions of people and places. Unless you've had the opportunity to visit Monaco, which I haven't, it can be challenging to grasp the significance of the locations being discussed.
The latter half of the story more than compensates for the initial confusion. I found the revenge plot captivating, and the unexpected resolutions of various storylines took me by surprise.

This one took me a bit longer to get through than usual, however, I do recommend it to anyone who was a fan of Big Little Lies and any mystery/revenge plot.

Perfect holiday read. Exploring the timeless themes of betrayal and revenge in a glamorous, detailed setting, this was an enjoyable page turner with many LOL moments.
An entertaining cast of complicated characters. Loved how the women interacted, sometimes supportively and sometimes scornfully to humourous effect.
The four main plotlines develop at a good pace and come together nicely. There were some unexpected outcomes and a satisfying ending. Loved all the authentic details and bonkers anecdotes - apparently inspired by true events!

An accomplished novel with several layers. On one level, it's a LOL beach read that romps through the scandalous lives of Monaco's wealthy residents. On another level, it's a satisfying revenge tale with a plot that keeps surprising the reader until the final page. But then, if you dig deeper into this satire, it also poses serious questions and has interesting literary parallels.

This book was a quick and easy read and if this is at all how some people live, then that's an entirely new world for me! If you're looking for a beach read, this might be a great option!

There are four characters and they are all a little different. I did have trouble keeping track of them but I think it was smart to have longer chapters so we had a chance to spend time with each one. I felt like Polina was the easiest to keep track of, maybe because she was Bulgarian and young and she was making the most of the hand she was dealt - the other women were all older white rich women who are just passing their days smoking and drinking.

Parts of the book were fun but it also felt very surface-level or like details were thrown in halfway through. Like Abigail has an olive farm in the country that we visit toward the halfway mark that we didn't know about. And lots of things happen very quickly here so the timeline is a little tough.

The first half of the book is just meeting the four women and learning who they are trying to take down. But then the second half plays out like an Agatha Raisin or a Stephanie Plum book - there's just so much happening and because you're not really invested in anyone (because most are just rich people behaving badly) it doesn't really seem like any of it matters. This book needs another pass at the editing, too, there were a lot of missing quotation marks (and in some cases too many quotation marks) and maybe more showing and less telling. Like Barbara is supposed to be a bulldog businessperson, but she spends most of her time drunk and having sex with her bodyguard so I wasn't sold on her as a character.

While reading this, I kept wondering where the maids and taxi drivers and waiters live. It sounds like even the most small studio is still in demand. The luxury and patriarchical law of Monaco definitely comes across, and lots of champagne is enjoyed with small dogs in handbags that need their own chair at the table. I think I would be bored with that lifestyle but I get that it's easy to get used to!

The ending is unexpected and completely ridiculous, although it does feel like a second book might be written. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review!

Four women have had enough and they are out for revenge.

This book is quite a ride, honestly at the beginning I was not quite fond of all the ladies but as their stories developed I was all ready to ride for war with them.

Not everything went as plan, specially for Barbara but she wasn't the nicest either so we might just say that everyone got what they should have.

Really good read.

📕Barbara was the woman that I expected to see in Monaco! In a such patriarchal place, I needed to see a boss lady calling the shots, checking the price of oil first thing in the morning, destroying men tried to cross her
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📗Polina was the other type of woman that I expected to see in Monegasque scene. Having so many rich men willing to pop bottles of Krug rather than paying tax and taking away titles from one ex wife to give it to ten year younger version of her, Monaco was a heaven for a gold digger like Polina. If everyone was getting one of those husbands (even if for few years), why wouldn’t she?!
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📘And Abigail! In every environment full of scheming, rich, and oblivious people, there is always someone like her: relatable, good to have around as moral compass, and “normal”. Abigail was there to be a proper journalist. But her working conditions and her vile boss made her one of those scheming Monegasque women. She never lost herself fully, but she did a lot of things making her question herself

This book is a captivating journey through the depths of imagination. Its rich storytelling and well-developed characters kept me engaged from start to finish. With its thought-provoking themes, it transcends genres and offers something for every reader. A must-read for anyone seeking a literary adventure.

Dizzying and delightful!

You can really feel the real-life imagery that was injected into this story, especially since this is such a tantalizing and exclusive setting that many wish just to get a glimpse of.

These four women are heroines and I am all for heroines coming together to tear down the patriarchy. Excellent read!

Thank you Netgalley and Troubador for the ARC!

A multi-faceted novel that effortlessly navigates various depths. I loved the breezy, laughter-inducing beach escapade, delving into the scandalous affairs of Monaco's affluent society. I also loved how the story weaves a gratifying narrative of revenge, enthralling readers with unforeseen twists until the very end. Yet, beyond its captivating storylines, it intricately raises profound inquiries and draws compelling parallels within the realm of literature.

Anna Shilling does a great job in writing this novel, it had a great suspenseful element to it and had me guessing from the start. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed overall. I liked this was based on true events.

Inspired by true events, All in Monte Carlo will take you within the closed doors of the rich and beautiful of Monte Carlo. Some new rich love Dubai, but those unable to beat the high hot season would rather love Monaco. After all, it´s easier there to get your fix and the principality is small enough to create a trustful network of gossips and adventures for all to follow, up in the open.

Written by a collective of four women, just like the stories shared in the book, and inspired by truth events in the life of the Monegasque inhabitants, the book cover was created by the famous graphic designer Patrick Knowles who created, among others, the cover for Anthony Horowitz books as well as the calligraphy for the wedding invitation of Prince William and Kate´s.

A good read if you love some gossipy stories and you find other rich people´s problems amusing, All in Monte Carlo is packed with action, a bit of kitsch and a lot of loud laughs. Unless you are in the skin of the characters yourself - all those cheaters! - you can hardly stop laughing, even what the women of book are planning a chilling revenge.

The luxury descriptions are accurate and tempting - but warning, there is no Black Friday for the luxury brands ! - which makes it look like a kind of European Crazy Rich Asians - with less rich, but enough crazy. My favorite - obviously - is Abigail, the journalist, especially for her black humour. The way in which she interacts with her corrupt boss and his ´clients´ is the right attitude of a smart girl whose brains are sought after in an ocean of stupidity and fake make-believe.

If you are looking for some good written fun this weekend, All in Monte Carlo is what you need for. I wish myself a continuation of the series and maybe a glamorous movie too. If you plan to visit Monaco and Monte Carlo next summer, maybe it´s also a good idea to know what it expects you there, although for few hours - staying there overnight would be possible only if you get the big pot at the Casino, who knows.

Rating: 4 stars

Set against Monaco's opulent backdrop, "All in Monte Carlo" follows four women fed up with the men in their lives. In a patriarchal society where women often suffer at the hands of protected men, they form a Book Club as a cover for revenge. Abigail, Polina, Lucinda, and Barbara each face personal challenges with their respective partners. As they plot, navigating Monaco's extravagance, they encounter unexpected obstacles like the Russian mafia and local police. ★★★★★ "All in Monte Carlo" is a hilarious and thought-provoking tale of empowerment, filled with twists and turns. It's a must-read revenge thriller set in the glamorous chaos of Monaco.