I'm rounding up to five stars. This was a lot of fun. It got to the potential for romance fairly quickly and I was concerned that it would rush it, buI'm rounding up to five stars. This was a lot of fun. It got to the potential for romance fairly quickly and I was concerned that it would rush it, but I thought that it ended up being well paced and enjoyable. There were bits that felt a little contrived, but the characters were exactly as lovable as they needed to be to grab my attention and I found myself laughing out loud at least once every other chapter. I was about to write that I wanted to know more about Grizelda the Terrible, but I just checked to see what else Levine has authored and saw that she is getting her own book next so I am now very happily looking forward to it....more
I read the first two books back to back before this one was published and I originally didn't think that I'd be that interested in a story about Ben. I read the first two books back to back before this one was published and I originally didn't think that I'd be that interested in a story about Ben. I ended up getting it from the library just as a sort of palate cleanser after my disappointment in the previous book that I read and I was not expecting terribly much. It turns out that this is my favorite of the three books. I like and sympathize with both protagonists a lot and the humor was excellent. The sex scenes seemed a lot more smoothly integrated with the story to me, and less like a pause in the development of the story. Although there were some bad folks in this story, it was much less of an adventure than the previous books and the conflict was from Ben and Eleonore's awkward situation and their learning to get over their misgivings to trust one another. I also loved Lilith's bit in the story: I thought that it was just going to be a silly cameo when she made an appearance early on, but we do get some quality time with her and her wonderfully imbalanced mind. It saddens me that this is probably the end of the series, but it really does a great job of leaving Glimmer Falls and the characters we've been introduced to there in a nice place....more
This is better written than the first book. It has a much more focused plot that integrates all of the characters really well. It focuses a lot more oThis is better written than the first book. It has a much more focused plot that integrates all of the characters really well. It focuses a lot more on the likable people, with the more unlikable folks being more catalysts in the background than part of a satirical focus like they were in the first book. It still has all the fun voyeurism of the super-wealthy, but it successfully puts the story and principal characters in the forefront. Also, I still want to read a series about Oliver T'sien as a social fixer....more
That was a good one. In some ways it was more intense than the others in that Chih was actually in the thick of things (moreso than waiting out tigersThat was a good one. In some ways it was more intense than the others in that Chih was actually in the thick of things (moreso than waiting out tigers), but it still had the joy of stories and the excellent storytelling of the the others. Three books in and I don't feel like the author is falling back on a formula but is sincerely making each novella it's own, fully conceived thing....more
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