Now this is how your write, flawed, complex female characters. I loved how we got a big chunk of Nina to start, then a big chunk of Vanessa so as to really understand them individually. At first we think of Nina as someone who’s been dealt the bad hand and Vanessa as the privileged rich girl, but when we get to her chapters, we get to see that she’s not only had a tough life, but she’s self aware too.

I’m also really glad about the twist near the end since it had been my one complaint thus far in terms of it not being realistic for this particular character to be the way they were.

Overall I enjoyed this one, it felt like a fresh spin on similar books. I don’t have a specific complaint or reason why it’s not 5 stars, it just didn’t knock my socks off in terms of the plot.

The book opens up from the perspective of Nina - a grifter who has just pulled off another one of her grand schemes. We learn quickly that this is a life she is used to and it runs in her blood. With her mother's condition worsening, she needs a job and fast! She teams up with her 'partner' Lachlan to pull off a job that will guarantee them a good payoff and fast. We head back to Lake Tahoe where we learn Nina has a past and she targets a family from her youthful days.

Vanessa is the heir to Stonehaven - after the loss of her father, and a broken engagement she packs up her life and moves back to her family home which holds some dark secrets. I really enjoyed seeing things from Vanessa's perspective, as it gives us the behind-the-scenes of what a social media influencer might be feeling and how some things aren't always what they seem.

They all cross path's in a twisted story of lies, revenge, and desire. Without going too much into details, I saw none of the twists coming - and they left me shocked. At one point I honestly wondered how the plot would further as one of the characters returns home and it seems like the scheme is ruined. I will admit, the book sometimes got a little repetitive as we would spend a few days with Nina, only to have the same days retold from Vanessa's perspective. I understand that it gave us more insight to further the plot

*I would like to thank Netgalley and Publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Nothing is ever as pure as it seems at first glance; there is always something more complicated to be found if you peel back the unmarred surface of pretty things.”
So those of you who have found themselves in a Covid-19 reading slump, this could be the spell breaker. Janelle Brown has written a deliciously fun, schadenfreude laced thriller. A ‘Parasite’ for the instagram crowd that pits a social media darling against a grifter bent on revenge. Brown is lacerating in her observations about the current culture of #likes #follows and #livingyourbestlife as a young ambitious woman, Nina, finds the perfect mark in Venessa: a rich, privileged heiress whose only personal claim to fame is how many followers she manages to cull.
“It’s easiest to judge from a distance.That’s why the Internet has turned us all into armchair critics, experts at the cold dissection of gesture and syllable, sneering self-righteously from the safety of our screens. There, we can feel good about ourselves, validated that our flaws aren’t as bad as theirs, unchallenged in their superiority. Moral high ground is a pleasant place to perch, even if the view turns out to be rather limited in scope.” Watching these two come together as well as seeing their pasts and how they intersect is a campy treat. Nicole Kidman has already optioned the book and it will be a fun role for her playing the mother of one of the two girls.
I’ll be shocked if this isn’t one of the bigger books of the Spring.

This is the first book I have read by Janelle Brown, and it certainly will not be the last time. This is a slow burn of a thriller that you will devour. It is rather long, but well worth all the pages.

This book is written as alternating perspectives, Nina and Vanessa. Nina grew up with Cons as parents, and even though she tried to break that pattern, she unfortunately falls into that trap. Vanessa is from a very rich and established family that is about to get the surprise of a lifetime.

There is much more to this story than just a simple con, there is history to these two women, but each don’t even know how much. This book has many curves that you won’t see coming, and the author does a wonderful job keep the suspense throughout.

Mystery and Thrillers are always hard to write reviews for and keep the spoilers out, but I can promise you this does not feel tired and all. Brown has a fresh approach to this genre, that I think will have a lot reader’s wanting more. Excellent Book!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting book. I was so excited to be approved for this title! A unique cat and mouse tale that keeps you guessing until the end. I finished this book in one afternoon, I couldn't put it down.

Pretty Things is a delight! The characters are fully developed, flawed yet beautifully perfect in their own way! An amazing thrill ride! This book is buzz worthy and should be on everyone’s shelf!

A wickedly clever game of cat and mouse, but who exactly is the cat and who is the mouse?? Brown keeps the reader completely glued to the narrative throughout all 496 pages!! This book was a delight to read as we enter the world of crime, grifting and international antique theft. A unique story of double crossing, mystery and intrigue. Brown is a truly gifted writer and this book is a definite must read!

I really, really wanted to like this book.. but I just couldn't. I couldn't find my groove or my way in, which I typically like to call it. When I really like a book, I say that I've "found my groove".. but I just couldn't with this book. I trudged along and about midway I had to set it down. I wasn't feeling the plot or the characters. Unfortunately this was a DNF (Did not finish). That rarely happens with me. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, I would recommend you try this one. I really liked Janelle Brown's previous novel. Watch Me Disappear, and I will definitely read whatever she writes next!

4+stars

Nina goes to Lake Tahoe to scam heiress Vanessa out of a fortune, but it becomes a game of cat and mouse on who is conning who. The book switches between both women’s point of view and the author did a great job having very different voices for each character. I really enjoyed Nina’s backstory and felt I really got to know her.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nina and her boyfriend Lachlan are grifters, Vanessa is an heiress and their worlds collide in Lake Tahoe. Nina grew up moving constantly as her Mother followed Marks and did whatever she could to support them. Nina tried to have a 9 to 5 job using her Liberal Arts degree but when her Mother's mounting medical bills begin to pile up, Nina teamed up with Lachlan, an acquaintance of her Mother’s, for a few cons before deciding con a mark in Lake Tahoe that they both believe will provide a HUGE payoff. Vanessa is an heiress who is also an Instagram Influencer. She travels the globe, wears pretty clothes and has a glamorous life that is posted for the world to see and comment on.

"...there are only so many hours in the day that one can read before one starts to feel like one's mind is literally melting inside one's skull"

I'm going to have to disagree with the above quote and add that maybe if the characters in this book spent more time, say reading, then they would not be dealing with the stuff they are dealing with....but I digress...

The first half of this book was a slow burn for me. Lately I have been reading books that don't really grab me until the 50% mark which is exactly what this book did. Slow burn then *BAM* things began to get interesting - very interesting. There are a nice amount of twists and turns thrown in at the end. This is a long book and I might have enjoyed it more had it been a little quicker to grab me and not quite so long. But overall, I found this to be an enjoyable ride as the Con and the Mark both prove to be worthy adversaries.

Slow burn which turned the tables fast, became quite intriguing and had me turning those pages lightening fast at the end to see how this book would wrap up!

I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This domestic thriller throws tropes way out the window!

The narrative is all over the place, but in the best way possible. We have different perspectives, different timelines, and it all just works. The plot centers around pulling off the ultimate heist and this subject has always been of interest to me. We often seen fantasy tied with the heist trope, but as a thriller it was exciting, inventive, and engaging!

I appreciated the characters' inner turmoil and dialogue and felt like it added to the atmosphere of the overall book.


My issue resides with the scenes of suspense--they needed more time to be felt by the reader as monumental or as a crescendo-type "conclusion". They were rushed through.

Otherwise, Pretty Things was a great read!

Janelle Brown's Pretty Things follows two very different young woman, whose pasts intersected once, and whose lives will soon overlap once again, with dark consequences.

Nina Ross's mother was the ultimate con artist. Nina tried to avoid that life herself but was pulled back in by treatment costs for her mother's recurring cancer. Now, she works with her lover, Irish Lachlan, stealing from the wealthy young in Los Angeles.

Privileged Vanessa Liebling became an Instagram influencer, flown around the globe to pose in exotic locations. After family tragedy and a broken engagement, she hides away in the family's estate of Stonehaven. She seems the perfect mark to Nina and Lachlan.

But nothing is what it seems in Pretty Things!

This book wasn’t for me. I struggled reading it and really forced myself to finish. The story was very slow. I also skimmed some of the repetitive view points just to finish. The author’s writing is very detailed, but I am not sure if any of the details were actually interesting. I was not invested in any of the main characters. I honestly did not understand the real motivation of the two main characters. I did not think that the tension between them was warranted, and by the end I just didn’t care. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

OMG this is my first Janelle Brown book and wow this book was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It had high society rich girl and con artists. Drama drama and more drama!!!!!!!! Twists and turns everywhere!!!! I devoured this story and loved every minute of it. I have got to check out her other books and if their anything like this one devour those too!!!! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for my honest review .

I liked the structure of this book, the juxtaposition of the two women who seem so different yet have more in common than they think. Some things were a bit predictable, but there are still enough twists and turns to keep turning the page. There was one major bomb at the end that I didn't see coming. And this was the first book I've been able to stick with since self-isolation; thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the distraction I needed.

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

A slow burn the first quarter half of the book...but with good reason. Janelle Brown paints each character with precise strokes. Each one giving way to well crafted and beautifully formed personalities. Some of which you may relate, others to whom you will certainly love to hate.

Nina, a twenty something struggling to best play the hand life has dealt her.
Vanessa, also a twenty something whose family history, wealth and conceit has made her a prime target to Nina.

Who will outwit who?

With every turn of the page you will question, are you a winner by luck or how you play the game?

If you like suspense, this is a must read!
Grab #PrettyThings upon its release April 21st and enjoy.every.second! (you will, I promise) 🤗

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance reader copy!

💍💰BOOK REVIEW💰💍

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown was just so much fun! I’ve read a lot of thrillers and mysteries but nothing with these sort of twists! Looking for something dark? Twisty? Look no further!

Told between two perspectives: Nina- a grifter and con artist. Knowledgeable in art history and antiques, she spends her time swindling the rich. And Vanessa- the victim. A socialite and heiress, an Instagram influencer with a mansion full of money.

When Nina needs money fast she looks no further than poor vapid Vanessa. Nina and her cohort Lachlan infiltrate Vanessas posh life to rob her for all she’s worth. But Vanessa is smarter than she appears, which makes this ‘game’ just a little bit harder. 🙊

This book had suspense, relationships between mother/daughter, mental illness and forgiveness. It was written very well and the story flowed at a good pace. Bonus: The ending I didn’t see coming! I loved the way the author wrapped everything up. It was perfect.

This book comes out later this month on April 21st. 👏🏼

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this digital advanced copy!
Thank you @janellebrownie for an amazing novel!

5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ok, Pretty Things is all over the place. While that typically sounds bad, in this case, it's not. At all. In fact, it gives this book sort of lightening in a bottle. You have two women, one of whom is a con artist, and the only seems like your run-of-the-mill privileged pain in the butt. Then they go against each other in a possible heist. Throw in a hot Irish man, who might be screwing them both over, and a terminally ill parent, and you have this incredibly woven story.

I'd say the only negative about Pretty Things is that eventually it had to end.

Super awesome, and it publishes 4.21.2020.

5/5 Stars

This was a good book and different take on the thriller. It’s about con artists and has many twists and turns that leave the reader guessing. I found it a good read

Pretty Things isn’t just an average con novel though. The reader doesn’t just get the con and how the con happens, but also what pulled Nina into her life. The reader also get to see how Nina decided to pull off this “ultimate con.” Finally, the book shows something a con book rarely does-the full backstory of the target. By the end, not only does the reader understand both women, but their able to empathize with both. Pretty Things is a great book to get sucked into for a few hours.