Pretty Things: A Novel

I loved the detail and intricacies in the writing of this book! Nina has grifting in her blood. After obtaining a college degree and making an honest go of a career that's going nowhere, Nina gets a call that her mother is sick and needs her at home. When she gets home she meets Lachlan, her mother's fellow grifter friend who soon becomes her lover and partner in crime. Vanessa comes from old money and is an Instagram influencer. After questioning her life choices when her fiance calls off the wedding, she decides to move to the Lake Tahoe family mansion she's recently inherited. Nina and Vanessa's lives crossed paths in their youth and things didn't turn out well for Nina. Now years later and in need of money to help with her mother's medical costs, Nina and Lachlan devise the perfect, one last con, with Vanessa as their "mark". Told in alternating sections from the POV's of Nina and Vanessa with some of the scenes overlapping as they are told from each of their perspectives, this very well written story grabbed my attention and held it throughout. The characters are wholly realized and believable, and the situations are totally plausible and leave you with an intimate view of their worlds. Near the end your left questioning who's conning who and the conclusion is very satisfying and I'd dare say the perfect ending for this story. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this intriguing and compelling novel.

I really loved this <b>4.5 Star</b> thriller!! In the beginning I thought it would be a fun <i>caper</i> type of thriller, maybe along the lines of <i>Oceans 11</i> or the true story of those people who hung out with the Hollywood starlets and robbed them, but as the characters were further developed, is became more than that. <b>SUMMARY</b> Nina and Lachlan are literally partners in crime. They have a well organized system which includes choosing a very specific <i>mark</i>, using Nina as bait and Lachlan picks up the <i>inventory</i> at a later date. Things were going along fine until the police begin poking around, forcing Nina and Lachlan to lay low. They decide to leave LA for a couple months until the police lost interest and moved on to the next case. When they are deciding where to lay low, Nina remembers a huge antique filled mansion on Lake Tahoe she had visited as a child. Should that be their next target? What could possibly go wrong??? I'm trying to be vague because this book is much more fun to read if you don't know a lot about the plot. Unfortunately, my vagueness is not doing the story justice but, trust me, this is a FUN book to read!!! <b>WHAT I LOVED</b> The twists were what made the book!!! So many times I thought I had an idea where the plot was headed and it would change. I always liked the change more than the story like I was napping out in my head. I LOVED the characters!! As soon as I would think I've figured out a character, a new side to them is revealed. Literally down to the very end. Although several of the characters were professional criminals, they were still likeable, not just black and white. Even the ones I thought I was going to not like at all had some redeeming qualities. Toward the end, some of the characters began to evolve into better people, at least better than I thought they were going to be, and some of them turned out much worse than I imagined. I really loved the plot. It was never boring and not what I was expecting from the first chapter. There are several chapters which revisit Nina's past and explain her connection to the Tahoe mansion. Through these chapters we learn about Nina, who she is and her motivations. The story is told from two points of view, Nina and the owner of the Lake Tahoe mansion, Vanessa. It was such a great way to tell the story because their points of view were so very different. I loved hearing their takes of the same events and their opinions of each other. In addition to the plot, this book is a warning story about how impressions, even long held, firmly established impressions, of a person or situation can be wrong and harmful. It also talks about accepting blame for ones own mistakes and owning one's choices. I loved the Lake Tahoe setting. I've visited Lake Tahoe once and always thought it was one of the most beautiful places in the US. Now, I want to go back again!! <b>WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE</b> There wasn't a lot to not love. Although I really cannot think of any specific things I didn't like but I cannot give it my rare 5 Star rating. To be a five star for me, a book has to be very special. It must be unique, make me see some aspect of the world or myself differently, it must have no plot holes and it must stand the test of time- to be as relevant in ten years, fifty years or one hundred years as it is today. I really love this book, but in my opinion, it does not quite meet that criteria. <b>OVERALL</b> If you're looking for a book that will keep you entertained, make you feel like you've been on a trip to Lake Tahoe and distract you from the annoyances in your life, I highly recommend reading this book! It's way better than suspenseful thriller needs to be!

I enjoyed this book and after getting into it I had trouble putting it down. There were several twists that I wasn’t expecting. I thought the idea of the book was unique and it was interesting to have the main character committing crimes, rather than solving them like other books. The descriptions of the places and people were detailed and I found myself imagining the scenes. I’m definitely in the mood to go back to Lake Tahoe. I also appreciate the large incorporation of mental health and mental illness in this book. I think it was portrayed very well. The story also illustrates how people may view things differently and how there are multiple sides to a story. In the end, maybe people aren’t trying to be as bad as they’re made out to be from assumptions or misunderstandings, and we’re all just trying to find our way, to survive and be loved.

It was okay. The beginning starts out awesome and really grabs your attention for many chapters and pages. The book is written from the 2 main characters perspectives. What I didn’t care for is how some of the same scenes will be written out twice from the perspectives so you are then re reading something you already read. This makes the middle of the book very, very slow moving and at times kind of boring. The end does pick up and has a really good twist and because of that it makes the fairly dull whole middle of the book worth the read.

Chacun voit les choses de sa fenêtre mais chacun voit aussi les choses sous différents angles notre vie peut virer au cauchemar selon nôtre regard…et nos désirs pas toujours très clairs…

I really enjoyed this book. The ending was satisfying with plenty of twists. It did feel a little dragged out in parts but the story was helped by the two character perspective.

A Exciting read! Dragged on a bit toward the middle but really enjoyed the ending. Would make a great movie!

I picked this book on seeing that it was one of Amazon's top books of the year and it was a worthy choice. The story has good twists and surprises and kept me guessing. Scenic descriptions of Lake Tahoe, the claustrophobic ancestral home, the obsession with social media esp. Instagram, art and antiques, the vividly etched characters make for a great read.

"Nicole Kidman To Star In & Produce Series Adaptation Of Janelle Brown’s ‘Pretty Things’ For Amazon With Reed Morano Attached To Direct". This book is the perfect choice for a series. Developing the characters over many hours will help in their portrayal. The location, Lake Tahoe, is great. The ending will also be exciting. I enjoyed the surprises and twists, not really knowing how it would all turn out. I found myself switching sides frequently, not certain as to who to root for as they exposed their flaws. They dynamic between mother and child is an underlying theme which propels the women into their choices and finally, the action they ultimately take.