I thought this one was a different type of story going in and it wasn’t for me unfortunately. Felt surface level and kind of boring. Onto the next!

I tried to start this one so many times but it was ultimately a miss for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

this was a pretty disappointing read for me :/ i love a good older woman lit fic but this one was just rushed and boring. lily was a very annoying character to begin with and the love story that developed was mediocre at best.

Lily is in her thirties, working for a fairly reputable fashion magazine that is slowly decaying along with the rest of the publishing industry, and... is a bit lost. She's unhappy, yet uncertain what to do next. Or if there's a thing to do next. In the midst of this identify crisis, she meets Billie Astor, sophisticated, well-known make-up industrty magnate. Billie offers to mentor her, and thus embarks a texting interchange that will change Lily forever.

I thought Lily's encounters with others were fairly realistic, including the micro-aggressions because she is a woman, a (light-skinned) person-of-color, and bi-sexual. None of these things are inherently bad, and the people who interact with her are not necessarily always meaning to personally attack her. Due to her fairly quiet, inconspicuous nature, Lily is easy to not notice, so while some of the things people say are not very PC, they may be saying it partially because they have forgotten that some of what they are saying applies to a person in the room (not that that makes it 100% okay, but it also makes them potentially a bit less of an asshole). Lily is within her rights to be angry and upset, but being angry at other people every time someone else is ignorant is also a recipe for always being angry. Lily also isn't blameless herself, and has some uncharitable thoughts about some of her friends and acquaintances out of personal insecurity and fear. Again, also reasonable, understandable and realistic.

The growth that Lily experiences felt a bit abrupt and forced, to me. Seeing she has grown was well-done. But the way that growth is accomplished felt like it needed more page time.

Overall, pretty strong debut.

This book had so much potential, but it's so hard to love books with unlikeable characters unless there's a true deftness. This one missed the mark for me, but I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I just finished reading Ellipses by Vanessa Lawrence, and I am thrilled to share my thoughts with you!

This book is a beautifully woven tapestry of romance, drama, and the transformative power of self-discovery. Vanessa Lawrence's writing is both lyrical and poignant, making this a compelling read from start to finish.

One of my favorite moments in the book is when the protagonist, Nora, finds herself at a silent retreat, seeking clarity and peace. The scene where she sits by the lake, watching the sunset, is so vividly described. Lawrence captures Nora’s internal struggle and her path to self-acceptance with such grace. You can feel the weight of her emotions lifting as she embraces the calm around her. This moment of quiet introspection is beautifully contrasted with the vibrant, bustling life she returns to, making her journey all the more impactful.

What I love most about Ellipses is how it delves into the complexities of human relationships and personal growth. The characters are richly developed, and their interactions are filled with genuine emotion and depth. Lawrence’s ability to capture the essence of life’s highs and lows makes this book a truly enriching experience.

If you’re looking for a novel that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you feeling inspired, Ellipses is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be captivated by Nora’s journey and the beautiful storytelling.

Surprised by this one! Wasn't sure where it was going to go. Vanessa Lawrence writing can capture you and leave you wanting more. Ellipses was definitely a good read.

Ellipses is very readable, but also full of cliche and on the superficial side. You know exactly where the book is headed, but not because the story plants the seeds along the way; rather, it's because you've read this book before. Ending is meta wish-fulfillment.

This had potential but didn't know what to do with it. I feel it could work better as a limited series - easier to consume stories about unlikeable people via TV!

This story was interesting, it was original and exciting. I just never felt attached enough to the characters to care.... they were all kind of unlikable. I think it would make a really interesting show, it just wasn't the best book. Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC!

Good ideas but somehow both too restrained to go anywhere yet as subtle as a California wildfire when it did try to go places.

Not a fan of this one. It felt overwritten, under-plotted, and uninteresting. Didn’t really see the point!

Vanessa Lawrence gives us an in-depth look into the print world of magazine reporting and layout in Ellipses. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this story seems like one I already know. It could be because I’m a social media person (influencer would be too fancy a title). Or because this story has been done multiple times in television and movies as recently seen in The Bold Type television series.

The “romance” angle is also a familiar trope and I am disappointed that Billie became a caricature of what could have been a rich character. This viewpoint could all be me and my own experiences within the print world affecting my response to the story. Read it and let me know what you think.

I felt like this book had so much potential — there was such a great buildup that started at the very beginning, leaving you curious as to how we were going to find our way there from the start of the novel. Unfortunately, as the book progressed, it fell a little flat in my expectations. The the power dynamic held between the two protagonists was fascinating in the beginning, but I didn't feel like it went anywhere. The beginning sort of queued me up for something drastic or thrilling, but the execution didn't quite measure up for me, personally!

DNF @ 2%

The writing in this book was just too pretentious for me. Sad because the plot seemed interesting, but I just couldn't get into the writing style. I think this would work well for readers who are bigger fans of lit fic than me!

This was the most made-for-twitter book I have ever read with the writing and voice of someone who took exactly one (1) 100 level gender & women's studies class.

I say this as someone with a degree in gender & women's studies.

Everything about this book, from it's terrible, on-the-nose writing, to its attempt at creating subversive characters that inadvertently became offensive caricatures and stereotypes of themselves, was bad. I am surprised it has been hailed as both "sharp and witty" because it is as dull and gray as a butter knife left out in the rain. Thinking about it makes me angry all over again and the ending was completely out of left field in a very uninteresting and annoying way.

This is what happens when you order Melissa Broder or Meg Mason off of SHEIN.

(Actual: 3.25⭐) I wish I could love this book more than I actually did, especially given its intriguing premise & its promise of drama, the power toxicity can have in a workplace, queerness through an Asian-American lens; but, alas, I found it simply just "alright." The plot was a monotonous at times (and for long stretches, might I add), while simultaneously feeling way too disjointed, sporadic, and overall just.... unsatisfying as a whole. I kept finding myself wanting and waiting for MORE, for SOMETHING - similar to the narrator herself, lbr - but instead I only found myself with morsels of what could have been.

"ELLIPSES" by Vanessa Lawrence is for fans of "The Devil Wears Prada" but offers a more queer, intersectional, and somewhat frustrating experience. I love the premise: Lily, a disillusioned magazine writer, encounters Billie Ashton, a powerful beauty industry executive. Their professional and romantic connection, conducted entirely over text, becomes a catalyst for change in Lily’s life as she navigates career setbacks, relationship issues with her girlfriend, and her identity as a mixed-race woman in a diverse city.

Lawrence's background in the magazine industry shines through, creating an authentic depiction of a woman passionate about writing and glossy magazines but uncertain of her future. The story was clever in its use of Lily's background to critique the unique beauty industry experiences of Asian women compared to their white counterparts.

Loved the NY setting but at times this felt heavy handed. The ending also left me wanting.

I love a book where one character is being manipulated by another and you have a difficult time believing they don’t realize it’s happening. Think Fake by Erica Katz; completely different plot line on the surface, but vibes are the same. Magazine writer Lily is caught up in the charisma of the enigmatic Billie, a cosmetics mogul, while navigating her toxic workplace and breaking down relationship with Alison. It keeps you on the edge of wondering what will happen next.

Wow! What a great debut from Lawrence. There were certainly times when I thought Lawrence was writing scenes in my life working in media.