Requested this book because of the cover but otherwise went in blind. This one just wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for the characters or the plot. Maybe it’s just my preference for real conflict like murders and mayhem and not just interpersonal classist drama. But thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

Lisa Jacobs’ The Pink Hotel gives off absolute The White Lotus vibes, which is why I was so eager to pick it up. As someone who couldn’t get enough of the hit HBO series, I was excited to read a book with a similar setting and atmosphere. Everything kicks off swimmingly in The Pink Hotel with its lush setting and comparisons of staff and guests, but this novel quickly loses its way … and its readers. This book had the potential to be brilliant - the elite class locked inside a posh Beverly Hills hotel while the city burns down around them due to protestors who want to “Eat the Rich” - but the way it is written is all wrong. It takes an odd, standoffish approach, letting the narrative live inside the minds of its various characters, constantly switching perspective at a dizzying pace, and never letting the readers connect with anyone. Not to mention all of the drugs and debauchery - without there being any connection between the characters and readers, all of the depravity just becomes a ridiculous freak show that you can’t help but scoff at. I really gave this book a try because I wanted to love it, but sadly it was so poorly executed. I’m frankly just glad it is over.

I listened to an audiobook production of this novel, which was, in fact, done well. Tavia Gilbert did a fine job of providing distinct, unique, and entertaining voices for the various characters. In fact, her narration might be the best thing about this otherwise underwhelming novel.

This book gave me White Lotus vibes. If you enjoyed the show, I think you'll enjoy this book as well!

Newley weds Kit and Keith Collins are spending their honeymoon at The Pink Hotel, an upscale hotel in Beverly Hills because Keith is trying to get a job there. As the book progresses and Keith and Kit become more immersed in the hotel and its guests, they become playthings of the rich.

Overall I enjoyed this book! With that said though, I reallyyyyy did not like any of the characters. Normally if I don't like the characters, I don't like the book, but there was something about this one. As the book progressed, I liked the characters less and less.

If you read this, please go into it with an opened mind and expect the unexpected. I was shocked every step of the way!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Confined to an opulent Beverly Hills hotel during a raging wildfire, a young couple is caught in the escalating tension between the wealthy guests and the staff in this blistering, dark social satire.

I'm still not sure what to think of THE PINK HOTEL, after listening to the audiobook. I loved the premise, taking place at a Beverly Hills hotel, but the plot fell short at times for me unfortunately.

*many thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Apocalypse, meet the Beverly Hills Hotel.

This book is based around wildfires in California rather than an actual apocalypse, though you’d never guess it from the behavior of the folks at the Pink Hotel (which is very clearly the Beverly Hills Hotel).

Generally speaking I’m kind of tired of the satirizing rich people behaving foolishly trope, but some of this was legitimately funny, especially when things get really unhinged at the end.

I think this would have been a better book if it had focused more on the general goings on at the hotel than on the marital problems of protagonists Kit and Keith. I’m largely bored by books that obsessively dig into dysfunctional marriages, and that part of this book was no exception.

The other plot points saved it, but it definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the book, particularly because neither half of the couple really inspires you to root for them, nor do you feel particularly invested in rooting for them both in the hopes that the relationship will work out. Keith is a nightmare and someone who no one deserves to be married to, but Kit isn’t much of a prize either. The social commentary aspects of the book do a lot more to engage and entertain the reader, and we didn’t really need these two bozos doing horrible things to each other, behaving badly, and then whining about the other one behaving badly.

The mayhem at the end saves the book and makes it worth a read, and I thought both the premise and the setting were sharp.

This worked well as an audiobook in terms of plot and pacing and the narrator does an excellent job. There is a good amount of dialogue in this and the reader is excellent and vocally differentiating between characters without getting hammy or cartoonish.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. Not my favorite hook and very little seemed to take place.

I have tried listening to this audiobook on multiple occasions and unfortunately I just can't seem to get into it. I do like the narrator 's voice. The cover of this book is amazingly beautiful and what initially drew me into requesting it. Sadly I just wasn't able to finish it. Thank you for the opportunity for an advanced copy of it.

Liska Jacobs will have you rethinking a stay at a luxury hotel after you read "The Pink Hotel." The novel is a nod to the ridiculousness of those with more money than sense.

Aspiring hotel manager Keith Collins and his naive newlywed Kit are invited to spend their honeymoon at the ritzy L.A. hotel where Keith hopes to work. When wildfires force the help and the guests to spend time together, the curtains are pulled back and the knives come out.

The haves and have-nots have close encounters of the wrong kind in this quirky tale filled with satire and social commentary. Whether you prefer an audiobook, ebook or hardback, this story will keep you entertained!

If you loved White Lotus, you’ll love this snarky look at classism in this book set at The Pink Hotel (aka The Beverly Hills Hotel.)

Suburbanites Keith and Kit Collins are there are on their honeymoon, though Keith is secretly applying for a position at the illustrious hotel. As they are drawn into the glamourous trappings of the hotel, they become the playthings of the rich and famous.

Keith believes he can be one of them, Kit feels lost. Will their marriage survive the crazy cast of characters inside and the wildfire raging outside the hotels walls? You’ll have to read this dark novel to find out.

THE PINK HOTEL
Liska Jacobs
Tavia Gilbert
Disaster Fiction

Newlyweds Keith and Kit Collins are on the honeymoon of a lifetime at The Pink Hotel. Spending time with the upper echelons of society isn’t always the best time. Especially those soundly middle class, as Keith and Kit are.

This book was a great peek into the lives of the wealthy and how they live in opulence and depravity. It is a great look into another class of people for the lesser classes. I would say this is a 5 star read for me because I found the glimpse into another class so intriguing.

I have started and stopped this book so many times. I just can’t get into it. I usually do well with audiobooks and I really enjoy them, but in this story there are so many different characters I am not able to keep them all straight. I made it 30% of the way through the book and I still couldn’t tell you who the main characters are and what it was even about so far. This is my first DNF with NetGalley, I have really given it may all but I feel that even if I were to finish the book I wouldn’t be able to give a good review because I am so confused.

The narrator Tavia Gilbert has a lovely voice and I have enjoyed her reading. I would like to listen to books read by her in the future.

The cover of this book is gorgeous and it’s what initially drew me to request this book in the first place. I’m bummed I wasn’t able to enjoy the book more.

Thank you to #netgally and #macmillanaudio for the copy in exchange for my honest review

I’ve gone back and forth on my thoughts about The Pink Hotel and honestly, I still don’t really know how to feel about it. The Pink Hotel almost felt like an origin story for the Capital society in The Hunger Games but leaves you with an almost jarring and foreboding feeling.

Pros:
Unique Characters
The pure display of classism and greed
Great narration
Love the Hotel setting and the ability it gives to introduce a variety of characters
The true climax of this story is crazy and hectic and really came across in the writing style
It wasn’t focused on giving you some kind of sunshine-picture perfect ending

Cons:
Slow start
I don’t feel like we got to connect with the more hardworking/normal characters to help ground us in the chaos and greed
Keith’s character
I don’t know if this was an individual issue but the time frame kept throwing me off. A lot of this book has the atmostopher of happening in the past (maybe the 50s) but there were random references that would force me to realize that it is supposed to be in modern times.

Though The Pink Hotel's synopsis is what intrigued me, this novel initially proved to be a difficult read with its slow beginning. As I also listened along with the audiobook, even the style of the narrative did not hold my attention as I struggled to connect with husband and wife due to the way in which POV shifted in this read, Having said this, I did not totally dislike it altogether in the end. The Pink Hotel is filled with unique characters that bring forth enjoyable humor and Hollywood hotel drama. I also appreciated the ways in which the setting is beautifully described. For me, perhaps this novel has its time and place. I might pick this back up for a second read before summer ends.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

If I did not receive this book from the publisher, I probably would not have finished it. The pacing for this story was incredibly slow and I kept waiting for something exciting to happen. Jacobs, the author, did touch on some important themes, such as classism and greed, but any messages she was trying to get across were overshadowed by how boring this book was. I will not be recommending this title to anyone.

Unfortunately, this book didn't do much for me. It had great potential , but never quite lived up to the fantastic sounding synopsis or the gorgeous cover.

I finally gave up at 75% and had to put it down and honestly felt relief. I was never completely sure of what was going on and realized I did not care about any of the characters whatsoever, which is pretty unusual for me. And I'm always into an unlikeable protagonist, so it's bad when they elicit no feelings at all. Plus, I had trouble even distinguishing who was who as I continued to read.

Overall, a super great idea and cover, but my expectations ended up being too high, I think.

This novel, focusing on elitism by the rich at a luxury hotel during a California wildfire, feels almost prescient of the times we live in. I was therefore looking forward to diving in but unfortunately do not feel that it lives us to expectations.

Kit and Keith are newly married and so, for their honeymoon, they go to the Pink Hotel, an exclusive resort hotel catering to the rich and famous. We are told that old Hollywood glamor have been to the hotel, including the likes of Marilyn Monroe, with some eccentric characters who reside their permanently. Throughout the novel, we hear of designer labels, high-couture and expensive brands, so are frequently told of the wealth of those around them. We learn that Keith is looking to get hired at the hotel as a manager and as a result, he gravitates towards the lifestyle, trying to fit in as he networks with guests and hotel management, while his wife Kit struggles to find common ground with the guests, preferring to spend time with the employees and contractors who are doing renovation work. At the same time, there is a wildfire, that shows how the guests see this is an inconvenience, complaining about the disruptions that befall them.

The idea of this novel is full of promise. Imagine “White Lotus” vibes but set outside LA, and addressing issues of climate change denial and misogyny. However, this book didn’t deliver for me. The characters were too unlikeable and cliched, so I didn’t feel myself getting invested in their character arc; their naiveté and delusional behavior just became infuriating. Further, the plot just didn’t pack a punch, since the social commentary just felt fatigued and unoriginal.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for sharing a copy of the audiobook.

I enjoyed the narrator but honestly that's about all I really enjoyed. I had a very hard time as to root for entitled people while chaos is happening outside. I forced myself to finish this audiobook because it was an ARC otherwise I wouldn't have continued listening.

"The Pink Hotel" promised to have it all. Newly married couple Mr. Keith Collins and Mrs. Kit Collins are offered a beautiful opportunity to honeymoon in Beaverly Hills one night after drinks with The Pink Hotel's general manager and his wife. Keith has dreams of running a hotel of this scale, so he secretly hopes this opportunity will give him the chance to show off his skills at being a valued asset to The Pink Hotel staff. Soon after their arrival wildfires begin to overtake all of L.A. county and the rich begin flocking to The Pink Hotel as a haven from the stress and disaster outside its walls.

What is not to love about this description? A husband with underlying motives, the lifestyle of the rich during one of the most stressful climate events in one of the most economically polarized areas of the country. The protagonists mix between guest and help. There is so many ways this novel could have been extraordinary.

However, the weird just got weirder as the plot focused heavily on the characters fitting in and less on the events of the hotel. For instance, when dead bodies turn up, they are quickly carted away. The strife between characters never really fully rears its head or resolves. It was an odd mix of events leading to breaking points with little regard for the outside world.

An interesting take on the lives of luxury and wealth amidst the backdrop of crisis.

3.25 stars

Interesting premise, but it didn’t live up to my hopes/expectations. It was fine, but it was also slow at times and a bit bizarre at others. It was fine but could’ve been more interesting and impactful.

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous - in the midst of wildfires in California.
Keith and Kit Collins are innocent, young newlyweds on their honeymoon in the opulent Pink Hotel. What Kit does not know is that Keith is using their honeymoon to audition for the job of assistant manager.

What starts out as carefree fun quickly descends into a ridiculous level of debauchery by the rich and epically bored! While wildfires rage outside, the hotel staff works tirelessly to keep their guests happy no matter their whim.

This started out fine and it was a promising concept but soon the plot went up in flames just as the wildfires in California.

The level of debauchery definitely passed into complete and utter ridiculousness - a wrestling match in a vat of creme anglaise, a black tie ball with exotic animals in cages, drugs in abundance.

Will Kit and Keith’s young love survive?

Many an eye roll from me. It was a little too much. I found myself zoning out - and that does not happen to me with audiobooks. I will give my compliments to the narrator. She was able to change her voice and her accent seamlessly and her performance was simply spectacular.