Pretty Things

Two wildly different women--one a grifter, the other an heiress--are brought together by the scam of a lifetime in a page-turner from the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear.

Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.

Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer--traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family's sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: A mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa's past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina.

Nina, Vanessa, and Lachlan's paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.

This dazzling, twisty, mesmerizing novel showcases acclaimed author Janelle Brown at her best, as two brilliant, damaged women try to survive the greatest game of deceit and destruction they will ever play.

I couldn’t quite remember what this was about, but I kept hearing good things about it and recently decided it was finally time to read it and see what the buzz was about.

I really enjoyed this book, but it took me such a long time to get into it. So I would say if you find yourself not grabbed right away either, stick with it because once all the pieces are in place, it is nearly impossible to put down.

This was a dark, sort of twisty story, and despite its slow start, it wound up being a really absorbing read. The shifting narratives and jumps back and forth in time revealed moments seen from multiple perspectives, and was so well done that I found myself frequently wondering who’s side I was on, if anyone’s.

Author Janelle Brown has a new book released in April, I’ll Be You, and I’m adding it to my TBR along with her backlist!