Sex and Vanity is the newest escape read by Kevin Kwan. It's luscious, frothy, and everything that we as readers need right now to forget about the troubles of the world. There's lots of name-dropping and globe-trotting. It's a classic romance novel but told in a new manner. Read and enjoy!

I probably had too high of expectations for this book after the Crazy Rich Asian series, and the book fell a little short. The beginning was good, but I had issues with the pacing. Too much name dropping (of names I didn't recognize). I also felt some of the characters lacked depth... I wish there had been more character development. I liked the 2nd half of the book more.

This is my first Kevin Kwan book... and I'm a bit torn over how to review it. It's obvious that the author drew inspiration from A Room with a View; however, there was a ton of name dropping and the actual execution fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the beginning much more than the middle and end, which seemed to drag. The vivid descriptions of the landscape was above average and made me want to be there in the moment...yet, the characters themselves were somewhat more caricatures of themselves than relatable people and it was difficult to form attachment to them or the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and DoubleDay Publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. 2.5 stars.

For fans of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy who are looking for more glitz, more opulence and more over-the-top behavior this is the perfect summer read.

This is such a fun book and a clever reworking of A Room With. A view. I love how Kevin Kwan took the opportunity to insert even more social critique than EM Forster did in the original. It's a timely story about class and race, and lots of fun at the same time.

What can I say about Kevin Kwan's newest book that hasn't been said over and over again. Sex and Vanity follows his trend of crazy, rich Asians and Asian-Americans and the lives of the rich and famous with over-the-top locations, clothes, and food. Sex and Vanity is fabulous in so many ways and it is the perfect escape for these times fraught with uncertainity.

Lucie Churchill was invited to her friend and former baby-sitter's wedding on the sumptuous island of Capris. She's accompanied by her very buttoned-up cousin Charlotte. On their first morning, before they even see the bride-to-be, Lucie meets George Zao. George is a surfer dude with an Australian accent and Lucie hates him on sight, even when he and his mother offer to trade their ocean view room for Lucie and Charlotte's sub par vista of the alleyl. She keeps running into him and really can't stand him until he kisses her in ancient ruins and they're caught by the uptight Charlotte. Charlotte makes a derogatory remark about Lucie's attraction being influenced by her Chinese-American mother. Lucie has always pushed her Chinese heritage away and pushes George away as well, until she runs into him again in East Hampton, only this time she's accompanied by her fiance. The attraction is undeniable and Lucie succumbs, falling into a huge mess of lies and covering up as she tries to keep George out of her extravagant New York world.

I appreciate the ARC - I really enjoyed it! I recommend Sex and Vanity to anyone who wants a fun read and a little escapism. Enjoy!

The second I found out Kevin Kwan had a new book out, I knew I had to get my hands on it! After having read and loved the Crazy Rich Asian series, I had high expectations. Unfortunately those expectations weren’t fully met.

The entire time I just wanted more. I’m always a fan for plot lines with rich people behaving badly. It wasn’t as over the top as I would have liked it to be. The chapters felt a bit choppy and there wasn’t much character development. I will say, I did enjoy the second half of the book better than the first half.

Still a book worth to read! But I found myself comparing it to Crazy Rich Asians, which probably isn’t fair since this one isn’t part of that series.

3.5 stars from me!

VERY SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD

Lucie Churchill is in Capri for her cousin’s wedding when she meets George Zao. He is everything she dislikes in a man. Good looking, wealthy, and Chinese. When they have an instant of passion that gets caught on film she is awash in embarrassment and flee’s the scene, only to run into him in the Hampton’s five years later when she’s engaged to someone else.

Kevin Kwan is pretty famous for his over the top, ripe with excess, and really original Crazy Rich Asians. While I didn’t read the book, I did see the movie so I understand the flavor of his intent. Similar to what Candace Bushnell did for WASP’s in Sex and the City, Kevin Kwan does for Asians in the Crazy Rich Asians series. In this novel, Sex and Vanity, you have all of the above, but there’s also an underlining story that is really quite serious. Lucie is embarrassed by being half Chinese. Her father’s side of the family is all WASP, uber wealthy, and despite their good intentions and loving Lucie, racist. Lucie has been cognizant of that fact her entire life and has worked really hard to earn their praise by scrubbing everything asian from her vernacular. Unfortunately, she can’t help the way she looks, despite her beauty. So, when she meets George, and can’t look away, she’s ashamed.

George, too is part Chinese. I think one quarter? His mother is over the top in her excess and Lucie finds her appalling, despite liking her at the same time. So five years later, when George, his mother, and Lucie cross paths again, I’m surprised to find her engaged to someone who is just like what she finds most appalling. It’s no wonder George is a fascination for her, as he is all things calm and reasonable when there’s so little of that in her own life.

This novel is a bit of fun, just like Kevin Kwan’s other novels, but reading Lucie’s angst, pain, and shame over being part asian was really hard to read. Granted, I am a middle aged white woman who can’t put myself in her shoes, but I can feel the feelings the author has intended for me, and I felt myself to be one conflicted mess. Poor Lucie! The cast of characters were displayed as direct contrasts to all of the feelings Lucie had about herself. It was interesting to see those parallels and watch how Lucie unwound herself from those doubts and started living for herself.

Here’s a bit of a spoiler so STOP reading now if you plan to check out this book.

If I could change one thing about this novel, it would be that Lucie would’ve found herself a little sooner. That the book didn’t end with a series of letters that told her story instead of reading through those chapters from Lucie’s POV. I feel like I should’ve been rewarded with a couple of chapter’s of George and Lucie’s romance after having lived through the horror of she and Cecil’s. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Classic updated to crazy-excessive world of the international super rich💰💰

4-4.5🌟stars
🌅 I enjoyed the story but with a few reservations. I liked E.M. Forster's classic A Room With a View and this modern twist on Forster's society romance capitalizes on the strengths of the original story's plot and distinct personalities. I found it a relatively easy and quick read considering its length.

Kwan has taken the characters and transported them to a whirl of constant socializing among people so extravagantly wealthy that each scene goes to a new level of fantastic excess. In a social clique totally focused on itself, common haunts, designer fashion, elegant cuisine, international travel, galas and the latest new age health kick, heroine Lucy moves with ease yet she's constantly aware that she's an oddity whose mixed heritage sets her apart.

No one personifies the status-seeking, one upmanship egoism of this upper class world than Mordecai and Cecil, both of whom are annoying and laughable in their worship of pedigree, fame and wealth. Compared to them, Lucy, her mother and brother, and George and his mother are guileless and really rather down to earth. The best parts of the story for me were the emotion-packed moments when Lucy and George connected. I wish there had been more of them.

This was my first time reading a Kevin Kwan novel. All considered, I would read more by this author though I was more interested in the romance than the constant namedropping.

Thanks to publisher Doubleday and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I added Sex and Vanity to my TBR pile in late May and was finally able to read it over the weekend. I found that it was an enjoyable, fast-paced read, but didn’t find the characters nearly as well-developed as Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. The story’s main characters, Lucie and George, meet at a wedding in Capri and reunite years later in New York City and the Hamptons. As with Kwan’s previous novels, familial relationships are crucial to plot development, and I found myself wanting to shoo away Lucie’s cousin Charlotte every time she meddled in Lucie’s life. George’s mother Rosemary was a delight. Loved noting the references to Crazy Rich Asians characters.

Overall, this was a fun summer read, and I look forward to reading Kwan’s next novel.

I have really mixed feelings about this book, and reading it was a strange experience. This is a modern-day retelling of E. M. Forrester's "A Room With a View," with a "Crazy Rich Asians" spin. The characters have the exact same names and the exact same things happen. I couldn't read along without thinking of the original and comparing it to this (which pales in comparison).

It's so hard to forget that this was a gentile, Victorian-era romance, especially when there are virtually no changes to the story other than the time period. I couldn't stop picturing Helena Bonham Carter & cast in Victorian gowns speaking in subdued voices, even while I was reading about campy, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" social media hounds name-dropping celebrities and obsessing over '80s couture gowns.

Yet at the same time, the original is such a classic because it IS such a good story, and I did often find myself really enjoying Kwan's writing. Kwan's version makes for a lighthearted read - it's just not original and he didn't do anything to make this his own. I'd give 3 1/2 stars for entertainment, but rounding down for too much appropriation/not enough originality.

Kevin Kawn's Sex and Vanity is a delightful read full of all the luxury of his Crazy, Rich Asians series plus a little more heart.

Fans of Kwan will be pleased with this new book, the book, while distinct from the Crazy Rich Asians series, felt much like those books. There is the same somewhat trite and basic love story plot, the same brand namedropping, and the same attentive view into the lives of the ultra-rich. If you liked the Crazy Rich Asians series, you'll like this. If you didn't like those books, I don't see you liking this one.

God, whats not to love about a Kevin Kwan novel? So fun. So effortlessly stylized. You finish and wish it could just go on and on and on. Fans of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy will not be disappointed. This could absolutely fit into the series if you switched around some characters. The one thing, which Ive noticed in his other books as well, is that the lead female protagonist is always a fish out of water, in the rich fashionable world, who makes her way through the story in a clunky way until the guy finally pulls it together at the end. I would love if we started off with a woman who had better footing next time, from the beginning. Theyre all gorgeous and brilliant, but dont know it, and I think Kwan is such a talented writer that he could easily break this trope and still write a completely charming story.

Thank you DoubleDay books and Netgalley for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This is the perfect escape during this time when all we can travel to is from the bedroom to the living room. I think our next vacation will have to be Capri! It sounds gorgeous and full of history! As usual, Kevin Kwan does an amazing job describing the lives of the rich and famous. I don't think it's as good as Crazy Rich Asians but it is still a good read.

Like many of the other romance lovers out there, I watched the Crazy Rich Asians movie when it was released, so I jumped at the opportunity to check out more of the author's work. Unfortunately, I could tell right away that this story was not really for me. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, the romance is underdeveloped, and most of the humor fell flat for me. If you're already a fan of Kwan's books, then this might read better for you, but I just couldn't get caught up in the story.

Normally, this is where I would give you a little tease about the plot, but... that blurb gives away WAY more than I usually do. That covers about 90% of the book right there, because the Capri section is about 40% of the book and everything else happens in the back half. This is much more chick lit than romance, with several characters to keep track of and a relationship that is woefully underdeveloped. If you loved the insights into class and race that are a big part of Crazy Rich Asians, then you'll find it here, but without a likable heroine or a compelling (normal) relationship, it's a lot less relatable.

If you're a reader who loved the Crazy Rich Asians novels and want more of that world, then it's likely that you'll still enjoy this new book. But if you're new to the author and are looking for a love story that you can get lost in, I think you'll be left wanting. Lucie and George's relationship is so surface level that I just don't see it overcoming years apart, a family-approved fiancé, meddling friends, or a heroine who isn't strong enough to stand on her own two feet. I received an ARC via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sex and Vanity was another ARC that I received from Doubleday Books via Netgalley. After reading the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy in 2018, I found Kevin Kwan's writing to be something I never experienced before. Reading his books are like watching a guilty pleasure soap opera, and I don't mind that one bit. Sex and Vanity is a retelling of A Room With A View by E.M. Forster, which I've never read. While reading, I couldn't help but compare it to CRA. It's very similar in writing style. The plot follows Lucie Churchill, a girl torn between two heritages. She's half-Asian and half-white and finds herself suppressing her Asian side in favor of her Caucasian side. Because of this, she tries so hard not to fall in love with George Zao, a Chinese-Australian guest at her friend's wedding in Italy. Five years after the tumultuous ending to that week in Italy, a newly engaged Lucie faces George again, much to her disdain, but her heart's desire. Sex and Vanity was entertaining enough. There were funny moments here and there. The side characters were over-dramatized. Lucie and George lacked depth, and there wasn't much of them two together so I really didn't buy the romance. If there was less brand name dropping and more Lucie and George, I would've enjoyed this book more.

This was the exact book I needed to read right now. Kevin Kwan takes us on a decadent trip to Capri in a retelling of A Room With View. It is gorgeous and lavish. Lucid and her cousin, Charlotte arrive in Capri for a wedding and find their rooms facing an alley. Mrs. Zao and her quiet son, George offer to trade rooms. This is a different cast of characters from the Crazy Rich Asians series although there are hints of them sprinkled about. It is a must read this summer.

It's been a long time since I've found a book that captures my attention enough to read 100 pages in one sitting, but Sex and Vanity grabbed me immediately. Kevin Kwan's writing style is laugh-out-loud funny and his characters and setting sparkled. I can't speak to how it did as a retelling of A Room With A View as I've never read it, but I was engaged with the plot the whole way through. Only reason this book didn't get 5 stars was because I would've liked to see a bit more information about Lucie and George as individuals (I got the general idea of who they are, but I would've liked it if Kwan had gone deeper). Overall, though, this book was really, really good.

I’m a big fan of Kevin Kwan’s previous work and this was a great, fun read! Perfect for a summer beach read. It has a similar vibe to the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, but it takes place in Italy and New York and introduces new fabulous and fabulously wealthy characters.