This is an interesting read about how a friendship grew and then disintegrated leaving one person betrayed and in extreme dept and the other still living in Lala land thinking she did nothing wrong. I really do feel for Rachel and can see when your young and a apparent rich and bubbly gal comes along and wants to being you into their fold and have fun you slowly disregard the signs that show something isn't right. Anna certainly knew what she was doing with her long con and making sure she kept her circle small, moving around and in a way isolating her marks from others so the dots couldn't be connected was smoothly done. While it was awful what happened to Rachel and everything she went through, if it hadn't been her then who knows how long Anna would have continued conning people as she is one hell of a manipulator and actor while also cold and emotionless.

I am as obsessed with stories of social media scammers and swindlers as most of us, so loved reading the full story behind Anna Delvey's fraud, A sensational story in the truest sense of the word, its almost impossible to believe that this is a true story with real people involved. The scale of Anna's imagination and deception is unsurpassed, although Rachel the friend being scammed, doesnt come across in the best light either. A cautionary tale for our time!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It’s a riveting story that is so implausible I had to keep reminding myself it was true! Well written and engaging I enjoyed the read!

As a fan of gossip, and story of high society this was the right book for me.
I had a lot of fun in reading this story even if I think I should feel some empathy toward the people involved I shamelessly enjoyed what was happening and the how the scam worked.
On a more serious side it's a story of how apparences can deceive and Anna was the perfect example of a facade that hid something more dangerous.
It's an interesting and gripping read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An intriguing story where the story between the characters is so unbelievable (and yet real) that it gets you turning the pages. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I first read about Anna Delvey in 2018 via Rachel’s article in Vanity Fair. I remember thinking ‘Wow, this is insane! The strength it must take to be vulnerable enough to write this’. I’ve thought about it on and off ever since, then seen that Shonda Rhimes was adapting the story for Netflix, and then came across Rachel’s full length book on her relationship with Anna and everything that did and has since transpired and I knew I had to read it.

The book starts where the Vanity Fair article began, in Marrakech, so this bit of the story was familiar to me but no less shocking. You can tell that Rachel worked in and around publishing, in her case for Vanity Fair, from the way the she writes and tells the story of her experience. It is engaging and weaves through time, how she met Anna, how their friendship developed, what led them to Marrakech, everything that transpired after.

What I appreciated in Rachel’s recounting is that this isn’t just a story about Anna Delvey, but it is also a story about Rachel and one that many people who have suffered at the hands of a con-artist will understand. It is about the emotional and physical toll that this takes on a person; how the law and judicial system aren’t set up in a way that is easy to navigate when it comes to crimes like these; that you are dealing with this situation for months if not years after you friendship has ended, fighting with banks to amend the charges to your credit cards and constantly having to relive your ordeal. It is a traumatic and drawn out process and I think that this is something that comes across so well in the writing and recounting of this story.

As mentioned above, Shonda Rhimes and Netflix adapted the Anna Delvey story into a TV show which is released today, Friday 11 February. I had assumed, wrongly, that this was based on Rachel’s story, when in face it is based on a New York article called How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People" by Jessica Pressler. Netflix also optioned Anna’s life rights. This is something that is also brought up in the book - someone’s real life is optioned and turned into a pop-culture moment, helping to make money for a large corporation, whilst Rachel was still dealing with the emotional trauma and debt associated with everything that had happened. It made me think that as people we can be so quick to tune into the next True Crime podcast or TV show, eating it up without really thinking about the people that were involved and the lifelong impact it has had on them. Instead we just enjoy the entertainment of their lives with no real regard, and maybe that’s something we should all consider our role in.

Am I going to be watching the Netflix show? Yes. But I am also going to be thinking about Rachel, and Anna’s other victims, whilst doing so.

If you want to read about not just the crime but everything that happens afterwards and the fight victims have to go through for justice in causes such as this, I’d highly recommend Rachel’s book.

Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was such an interesting read. I had heard elements of the story surrounding Anna Delvey over the last few years.

Rachel’s book goes into great detail, dating back to when she and Anna first met, and all that ensued. I found Anna’s behaviour galling pretty quickly. She seemed selfish, disrespectful and like she never took anyone else’s needs or feelings into account. How things escalated is staggering. Initially it took me a while to get into it, and from the halfway point I found I was engrossed.

Rachel is a great writer, and her experiences and distress are so palpable throughout. It’s maddening to think how often deceit happens. I found myself in disbelief at what unfolded, and how Anna manipulated so many in such a calculated way is difficult to comprehend.

This was a riveting read. The build up of Anna and Rachel’s friendship through to its inevitable, irrevocable breakdown is expertly documented. I was so drawn into the recollection; I felt distraught for Rachel and the way that she was let down and manipulated by someone who she thought of as a friend. What an awful sequence of events, but what a fascinating story.

Plot

A true story based on Rachel's friendship with Anna who turns out to be not quite what she seemed.....

Ending – Thumbs up or meh

MEH

Book surmised in 5 words or less

on paper, not the best

A keep you up all night read?

Nope.

My thoughts

Thank you to NetGalley (the author and publishers) for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The opening chapter of this book was enticing and sets the book up nicely to be an enthralling read but for me, it just didn't quite deliver.

I enjoyed it and it passed the time but it didn't wow me. I think the book was lacking but it's hard to say exactly why - I think the book could have benefited from pictures of some of the events/places/nights out talked about.

The book felt very one sided which fair enough, it was Rachel's tale to tell but comments and thoughts from friends (who had been there) would I think have added to the story and given the book an extra dimension.

It's unfair to say this book was boring because it wasn't but it was a slow burner of a read and I think its one of those books where the TV adaption will be better.

I had a difficult time getting into this - it was quite an interesting true story about deceit and the drawback of seeing the good in everyone, but I found the narrator quite dislikable. She went through a horrific experience, but at no point does she admit that she liked the idea or being associated with a rich and powerful heiress, even when her other friends raised the alarm early in their friendship. It felt like although Anna behaved criminally and appallingly to her so-called friend, the writer was a bit too naive and shallow to have much of my sympathy.

The book felt a bit too long, and was quite repetitive in places when the writer was repeating the same message trails.

With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Given the potential of this incredible story, I found myself disappointed with its execution. I found the narrative clunky and the lack of self awareness of the narrator grating. Unfortunately, not recommended.

I remember seeing this in the headlines and was totally intrigued by the brazenness of Anna Sorokin (Delvey), a pretend German heiress cum scammer extraordinaire to banks, hotels and her friends. We are introduced to Anna in this book by the author, who recounts her relationship with Anna, and where it all fell apart. Anna portrays the lifestyle of the rich and famous so well. She is all-show, taking selfies of expensive outfits and outlays, yet her friends seem to foot the bill for more of these at an alarming rate. Anna even started to wear their clothes on holiday. All to be a part of the New York social set, all to be popular and live a lifestyle of indulgence, opulence and social notoriety.

One of my problems with Rachel, the author was that her story was a little flawed as well. Yes, I agree she was a victim of Anna’s deception, no argument there. But I am not sure she was a true martyr for the cause. Anna was not some helpless little bunny in the headlights, and remaining her friend is not a selfless act. The fact she didn’t want to go to court and be seen in her prison clothing is a great example of this. Anna portrayed the cool, indulgent social life that Rachel grew to love as well, and I found that sometimes she dismissed Anna’s behaviour because that’s what cool people did. Or because Rachel depicted herself as so morally right and just, she trusted Anna because of her own ethical qualities. Err … no. Was this book about laying blame at Anna? Was there no acceptance in reflection of other people’s actions, including the author’s? I believe that this would have strengthened how much more I could have sympathised with Rachel.

I was also puzzled by sone of the work stories that Rachel threw in; I wasn’t sure of there was an underlying connection between Anna and vanity fair and some of the specific clients Rachel was eluding to. If that was part of the downfall of Anna, it would have been good to have that brought to the forefront. And I think this would have also changed the way we see Anna – instead of sensationalising her and profiting from the publicity of her crimes (part of her charm and manipulation that she really didn’t seem sorry about), it would have made her actions seem much more cold, reprehensible and shameful.

3.5 stars.

This was an interesting read, part memoir and part true crime, with the story soon to be a Netflix series. I enjoyed the look at how the (ostensibly) super wealthy live, but I think this also hindered my personal connection to the book as I couldn't relate to that luxury! This isn't necessarily the book's fault, it didn't need to be relatable to be successful, nor was it a bad book by any means, it just affected my personal enjoyment which is why I've given it a somewhat lukewarm review.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the eARC.)

This whole book felt like a car crash I couldn't look away from.

The story of Anna Delvey is incredibly interesting, but I had a lot of trouble with the narrator. I really wanted her to reflect more on her own behavior in this situation, yet the entire book feels like it was written just for her to defend herself.

From her writing it was clear that Anna was never a good person: she was rude to waiting staff, she calls people peasants, never pays any of her friends back and constantly crosses boundaries. But the author describes herself as a good, selfless person just for hanging out with her and staying her friend. It seemed clear to me that the author just liked hanging out with Anna because she was (presumably) a rich, cool socialite that knew the right people and went to the right places, the author liked hanging out with her for those reasons and was willing to excuse her behavior. In my opinion it would have improved the book tremendously if she just admitted this.

The book was quite short, yet it felt repetitive to read at times. Entire text conversations are laid out for us to read. Page after page of Williams and Delvey going back and forth about a wire transfer. I get that the idea was to make as feel as frustrated with the situation as Williams was, but in my opinion there would have been better ways to do that. Instead, adding these to the book felt like nothing but padding.

I feel sympathy for the situation she went through and definitely don't subscribe to the idea that she was never a victim in the situation, but I think the book would have felt a lot more genuine if the author was more reflective in her writing and would have admitted to being driven by insecurity, vanity or need for outside approval.

Wonderfully honest, this book held my attention from the first page to the last, so much so that I read the entire book in one sitting. Heart warmingly frank, the author takes you along with her on a real emotional rollercoaster. A fascinating insight into a unique story.

A well-chosen narrative after reading Katherine Ryan's Duchess. I chose this book on the spectacular cover alone and I was not disappointed.

Well this was different!
While browsing Netgalley I spotted this cover and mention of "fake heiress of New York City" and I thought ...that's a piece of me!!!

💵I'd never heard of this true story before. I will admit to a few things, firstly the book was not at all what I'd originally hoped or expected, I was anticipating a back story of the fake heiress "Anna Delvey" and more of a storyline about the case in its entirety... however the whole book is purely from the authors point of view. Rachel DeLoache Williams, the author, was befriended and swindled by Anna and this is Rachel's story not Annas.
Anna is awful and I'm slightly mystified as to why Rachel ever was friends with her....unless you except the obvious which is she was only friends with Anna for the money in the first place! Either way my opinion of either isn't particularly high........

Saying all that though this was a bloody brilliant read and kept me hooked and I ended up reading it in two days! Hence why I gave it 4 stars.
If you love compelling, gossipy, true NYC based stories then grab this beauty now!

Thanks to @netgalley
And @quercusbooks for an ARC of this novel

The book begins with the holiday in Marrakesh, which was the beginning of the end for the friendship between Rachel and Anna. We then have a little background about her life, working for Vanity Fair in New York. She meets Anna through a friend and is intrigued by her forceful, yet distant personality, her foreign air and her taste for luxury. They start spending a lot of time together but increasingly Rachel finds herself paying for things, for which she believes Anna will pay her back...

The true story of a girl who pretended to be an heiress in order to manipulate and con the people around her.

Although I enjoyed this book, I do think it could have benefited from being shorter. However, I’m really looking forward to the Netflix miniseries inspired by Anna Delvey’s story.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

An incredible and very engrossing story, truly thrilling to read. The narrator however is difficult to read, at no point does she reflect on her own behaviour and can feel a bit insufferable.