Pink Glass Houses” is one of those books that I couldn’t put down. Interestingly, I might have overlooked it in a bookstore, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it. It’s always refreshing to explore books outside of my usual preferences, and this one certainly broadened my horizons.

This captivating novel offers a unique glimpse into the lives of Miami PTA moms. Each chapter provides a different perspective, creating an engaging drama that unfolds more through curiosity than suspense. The well-developed characters, especially when a new family moves into town, highlight the lengths to which Miami Beach social elites will go to maintain their status.

The narrative also provides an entertaining insight into the world of the wealthy Miami elite, complete with mean girls, white-collar crime, pettiness, and school politics. It’s a guilty pleasure to read, perfect for those who enjoy books about wealthy moms micromanaging their child’s school and engaging in mean-girl tactics. Despite the occasional dense narrative that may affect pacing, “Pink Glass Houses” is a compelling read that consistently holds the reader’s attention. It’s a testament to the fact that sometimes, the books we think we won’t like end up surprising us the most.

This book is everything! If Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives are your jam, you owe it to yourself to read this book (preferably holding a cocktail wink wink). So good!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a fun and easy read! It was right up my alley. It was so fun to watch the train wreck happen. So much drama and gossip!

At times it reminded me of “A Simple Favor” and “Real Housewives”. Even throw “Mean Girls” in there. And I loved every part of it.

All of the women we followed had such distinct personalities, I was never bored with whoever we were following. I liked some more so than others. They each had good and bad qualities.

I had a connection to Charlotte for some reason. I loved her a lot, despite her being one of the “villains” of the story. Even though she did a lot of not so good things. I think it’s because I love women characters who can be rude and mean and own it. I honestly think she was my favorite, even if you were probably supposed to like Melody or Darcy more.

Melody was very much of a case of the quote from Janis from “Mean Girls” in my opinion: “At least we know we are mean. You try and pretend you’re so innocent.” Melody did some pretty harsh things, even if she wanted to think that she was above what the other women did. I didn’t dislike her completely for it, but it was easier to be more upset with her when she did mean things because you expect better from her.

Darcy was someone who probably should be more sympathetic because of what happened to her and her family, but she still wasn’t super innocent either. I could tell she realized that she wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t do great things even if an injustice was done to her first. Her character seemed only to be there to connect with Melody and be a friend to her, while also having a foot in the world of Charlotte since she lived in Miami longer so she could update Melody on everything that has been happening and who is who.

Judge Carol was not in the book as much but she played a very heavy roll! Even if it was behind the scenes. Still, I could have had her character a little more fleshed out.

It was very interesting to see the kids have a lot of personality as well. Even though they weren’t in it very much, when they WERE in the book, they weren’t just background kids because the parents needed to have children. They were very involved in the plot.

I couldn’t help but have my heart ache so badly for Axel. You watch his story progress in a very deep and impactful way. I won’t say too much as not to spoil, but just know I had such a soft spot for him and what he was going through. His journey with Charlotte was one of my favorite aspects of the book, even though it hurt me.

Despite being a large part of the book, I didn’t have super strong opinions on the Walkers. They served their purpose. I don’t want to elaborate too much, but I didn’t really find too much of an interest in them, even if they were important to the story.

With all these women you can tell that you’re supposed to root for them but also at the same time despise them for some of their actions. Very much so like how I feel about some people from reality tv shows. I thought it was perfectly executed.

I thought the humor was good in this too! There were a lot of one liners I laughed at to myself.

The drama at the end of the book really hit hard and rapidly right at the end. I thought maybe it could have happened a little more slowly, but it did have my heart pumping until the very end.

I recommend giving this one a go! Especially if you are a fan of reality tv or the “Real Housewives” franchise. It was such a juicy read with characters you love to hate!

3.5 stars

Talk about a guilty please kind of book. I normally wouldn’t read this genre but needed a break from all the heavy stuff I’ve been reading.
This was great. The drama, gossip, catty rich women. I loved it. I loved the way it was written, I loved the different POV’s

This is just what I needed. And it was devilishly fun.

Snarky PTA moms and their drama always makes for a good story and when you add a rich Miami setting to it it's going to be a win. On top of that, Elias cleverly lets each character speak for herself and with the different voices, we get some different formats. All together it works really well and readers will be reluctant to let the characters go. I hope we get a follow up with some fourth grade drama. This would work well as a series!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I admit I couldn't put it down until I reached the end and I'm paying for that this morning!

The premise of Pink Glass Houses drew me in completely—Miami mothers all working to out-do one another in a race to be elected as PTA President for their children's elite elementary school. It was a fun, quick read—there were aspects I thoroughly enjoyed and parts that I definitely thought could use a bit of editing. While none of the moms are particularly likable, Pink Glass Houses is a fun, albeit stressful, read.

For the highlights: I personally love novels that delve into the cattiness that can develop in parents and in their relationships with each other. It's one of my favorite subgenres and I felt like Asha Elias did an amazing job balancing the inner motives of each character while being able to scale back and show the insanity of it all, at the same time. I also loved the formatting—each chapter alternated between the perspectives of several characters, while mixing in different mediums including emails and interviews. I thought it was a great way to break up the first person point of view, giving a larger scope of the mothers' community.

However, I did think that we didn't need all of the characters perspectives; there were about two or three secondary characters that narrated and I just didn't feel they were necessary. I don't think those characters were really beneficial to the plot itself and that Elias could have easily worked in the additional information from those chapters into the other perspective. I also thought the pacing was a bit off at some parts and, in my own personal opinion, we could have used a little bit more wrapping up near the ending.

I'm definitely interested to see where Elias goes from here because I think she's a promising writer!

This book was very unique! Each chapter was a different perspective of a Miami PTA mom as if they were talking to the reader. There was a lot of drama. I might even describe it as a cozy mystery/drama because it wasn’t very suspenseful, but just curious on how the author was going to take the story. I would also consider this academia-adjacent. I loved the characters who of course made the story what it was. I gave this 4 stars because it held my attention, but seemed a little dense at times.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to access to an advance reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Asha Elias for this arc. Congratulations to Asha Elias on your debut novel!
I was drawn to the beautiful cover and the title of this book. This is about the mothers on a Miami Beach PTA. When a new family moves into town, the mother learns all about the drama of this particular PTA. After she's encouraged to run for a position, she soon realizes she's no longer in her midwestern city. This story is about the Miami Beach Social elites at the school and what they will do to keep their status at the top. #fiction #friendship #marriage #mothers #humor #women

You know what they say about watching people throw stones in glass houses? It's absolutely entertaining! Told through alternating perspectives, Pink Glass Houses gives readers a backstage glance into wealthy Miami elite. There were times where I felt I was reading two different books, but overall really enjoyed reading.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

One of my guilty pleasures is books about obscenely wealthy moms trying to micro-manage the staff at their child's school and mean-girl the rest of the moms. If you share my love of this kind of book, grab this one - it's a good one!

Charlotte works hard to be the perfect rich mom and prove her place at the top of her community's social roster. Charlotte's ability to raise a ridiculous amount of money (mostly from the rich Walker family), opens the door to her becoming the next PTO president and solidifying her position at the top of social hierarchy at her child's public school. The Walkers support Charlotte with an air of boredom, and brag about their wealth by trying to play it off as humble folks from humble beginnings and highlighting their humility by large donations to the school. As they show off their new pink glass house, they don't notice the cracks until everything crashes around them. Melody, new to the high Florida society from truly humble Kansas origins, observes her new surroundings with disbelief and then accidentally ends up angering and challenging Charlotte for the PTO president's position.

All the makings of a guilty pleasure read - mean girls, white-collar crime, pettiness, and school politics! Great beach read if you are looking to start your summer TBR stack! This is marketed as Asha Elias's debut novel....I can only hope she writes more.

I haven't watched a soap opera since I was nine and completely obsessed with General Hospital (I used to daydream that Frisco Jones was my dad, because, uh, I don't really know because he wasn't exactly a fatherly character) so I'm not a daytime television expert or anything, but someone should really make a telenovela out of this book because it has all the petty drama. There were a couple of points (when Melody sent that text to the wrong person and also the scene with Melody and Charlotte at the gala) where I actually gasped out loud. These people are kind of cray-cray when it comes to their PTA, that's for sure.

I'm honestly surprised by how much I liked this one considering that it's basically just a bunch of rich moms fighting with each other. It's tremendously entertaining in a can't-look-away-from-the-train-wreck kind of way. I grew up in northern Florida (which I do believe is described in this book as being full of meth addicts, which, okay, fair enough) so I have no idea if this is an accurate portrayal of south Florida living or not, but if so I'll take my chances with the meth addicts (who, to be fair, come with their own brand of drama).

It probably goes without saying, but don't expect for there to be likeable characters in this book, because there are pretty much none to be found. Darcy is super amusing but she certainly isn't nice, and I was surprised by how awful Melody is at times considering she's supposed to be the wholesomely midwestern main character. I guess perhaps Axel is fairly sympathetic considering it must be hell to grow up “different” in that sort of environment.

Despite the petty drama that permeates this book, however, there is a moral redemption of sorts at the end. Certain characters get their comeuppance as others figure out what (and who) is important to them.

Also, I have to say that this novel has reinforced my resolve to never join the PTA (or the PAC, as it's called here). Our local community isn't exactly Miami Beach, but I'm sure there's an entirely different type of drama to be found.

Anyway, if you like your books with a ton of drama, a little snark, and a whole lot of rich people behaving badly, definitely give this one a read. It's not fine literature, but it is a whole lot of fun.

Overall rating: 4.15 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Told from the first-person perspective of the rich mothers of Sunset Academy’s elementary school children. Money is everything, and the role of the PTA president is a coveted and high-profile position.

When Kansas transplant Melody and her family move to Miami Beach, culture shock sets in, but she is sucked quickly into the glitzy lifestyle that the Sunset Academy mothers live. When she decides to run for PTA president against a rival mother, tensions run rampant, and the drama unfolds.

I wanted to enjoy this novel. With its quick pace and multiple stories from each mother’s point of view, I got the frenetic energy that was Sunset Academy. From the ungodly amounts of gossip and the destructive behaviors of these wealthy women, I couldn’t even really enjoy being a fly on their perfectly wallpapered and staged family portrait-covered walls.

Overall, it is a good book for someone looking for a quick read. It held my interest, but the characters were forgettable.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Miami and focused around a public school PTA and the women that run it. Rich people and their secrets. The author did a great job of developing the characters and having you sympathize with them or not. You never know what makes people the way they are or do the things they do. Scandal. Gossip. Miami.

This book is definitely Mean Girls on adult steroids!!! The “mom” community in Miami Beach keeps trying to outdo each other whether it be expensive clothes, the best of everything for their kids or who’s verbally smacking down who. I enjoyed Elias’ look into the world of the rich & how they definitely are not better than the common folk - especially morally! Thanks for the advance read & a new author to add to my list.

This story is told in varying points of view by some of the mothers of Sunset Academy, one of the most prestigious public elementary schools in Miami. “Miami is competitive. Like New York competitive, but less angry and more tan,” but there was plenty of anger here has these mothers battle to one up and get a leg up. Charlotte is the vice president of fund raising for the school’s PTA and she’s gunning for President next year. She’s proud of what she’s been able to accomplish (thanks to the generous Walkers). She adores her darling Madeline Rose, if only she could control moody teenager Axel. Melody and daughter Lucy and transplants from Kansas. How will they make their way in Miami? Should she consider challenging Charlotte for PTA President? Darcy and son Jackson are Miami natives and have seen it all. They are unimpressed by Charlotte and are happy to see new blood. Carol is an African-American judge. How can she influence what is going on at Sunset without becoming directly involved?

This book is froth, but you know it will be going in. However, there is a HUGE omission by the author that is clearly a choice she makes, but it’s one I don’t understand at all, and it really bothered me throughout the rest of the book…so much so that I didn’t really enjoy the rest and can’t recommend it. I just don’t get it. Very strange decision.

The adult Mean Girls we needed!! This is one of the best books I've read this year. There wasn't any wasted space, not one wasted word. Just the right amount of information given and information withheld... we all know what happened. The multiple POVs were FLAWLESSLY done, the best I've ever seen in my life. So often, multiple POVs sound the same, and I have to double check who was talking from the chapter title—not here! It was very clear who was talking to the point if there weren't chapter titles, you would know. This book was hilarious, shocking, and downright perfect in every way, and Charlotte's escalating unhinged POvs were a fun touch. I see this book being a #1 release of 2024, celebrity book club picks, and probably a BOTM early release pick. I wouldn't be surprised if it also became a movie in the next few years. Incredibly impressed. I'll be first in line for Asha Elias's next novel.

Real Housewives? You’ve met your match. Set among the Miami elite, this book follows the lives of three families competing for fame, money, and prestige among their peers. With all the drama of the Kardashians, I was swept up almost immediately in this hot-gos of a book. This is definitely a guilty-pleasure read that will make you glad to be “normal.” I really enjoyed not only the multiple perspectives but also the multiple forms of media depicted throughout the book. It made the stories feel more real and raw and like I was living the story in real time. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me this opportunity to read this book-definitely a mid-summer must-read!

In Asha Elias' captivating novel, Pink Glass Houses, readers are invited into the exclusive world of Miami Beach's Sunset Academy, where the social hierarchy is divided into three distinct categories: the rich, the wealthy, and the ultra-wealthy. At the heart of this captivating tale is Charlotte Giordani, the epitome of the alpha mom at Sunset Academy. With her perfectly tanned skin, radiant smile, and unyielding charm, Charlotte is a force to be reckoned with. She is vying for the prestigious title of PTA president and her ambition seems unstoppable, especially after securing a generous donation from the influential billionaire couple, Don Walker and Patricia. However, the arrival of Melody Howard, a wide-eyed transplant from Wichita, Kansas, throws a wrench into Charlotte's well-crafted world. Initially skeptical of the Miami Beach social scene, Melody finds herself irresistibly drawn into the glossy and frenetic life of the Sunset Academy moms. Her relaxed demeanor and background in nonprofit management make her an invaluable asset to the PTA. As Melody emerges as a formidable contender for the presidency, Charlotte's carefully constructed facade begins to crumble. The tension rises further when Jamaican-American Judge Carol Lawson, another school mom, initiates an investigation into white-collar crime that threatens to expose the dark underbelly of Sunset Academy. The seemingly untouchable and powerful players of the social scene suddenly become vulnerable as the imminent downfall of the institution looms overhead. As the drama escalates, tensions reach a shocking crisis point, and even the soothing effects of rosé prove insufficient to pacify the growing turmoil. Asha Elias masterfully weaves a gripping narrative, delving into the complexities of social hierarchy, ambition, and the consequences of hiding behind carefully constructed facades. Pink Glass Houses immerses readers in a world where appearances can be deceiving and the pursuit of power can lead to unexpected consequences. The characters are vividly portrayed, allowing readers to feel both empathy and disdain for their actions. The pacing is expertly crafted, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the plot thickens with each page turn. With a keen eye for detail and a sharp understanding of human nature, Asha Elias explores themes of wealth, privilege, and the perils of unchecked ambition. Pink Glass Houses is a thought-provoking and enthralling read that will leave readers questioning the price of success and the lengths some will go to maintain their social status.

Rich women suburban drama! The satire was saturated in all of the pages. Miami was the perfect setting for these seductive women!

The comparison to Big Little Lies is spot on. Maybe crossed with a little Bad Moms (the movie). A PTA cat fight among the ultra wealthy? Sign me up.

One of the most important aspects in writing is to make the reader care about the characters. Don't have to love them, but have to care about them and their outcome. And I hated Charlotte from page 1. And then a few pages later I thought 'wait, I don't like Darcy either. Will there be a lot of villains?' So it very quickly made me care!

For me, the writing skewed younger than what it says the intended audience is. More fitting for a YA crowd. It does say 'the parents act like teens' but I guess that is literal - they think things like 'this meeting was so cringe.' It made it a fast and fun read, certainly, but it did take me out of the story a few times, trying to place how old these moms really were since they talk like Gen Z. (But I suppose there are some Gen Z that would be old enough to have an 8 year old? The mom in question though makes it clear she's in her 40s.)