The Liar, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe by Allie Kingsley

Summary:
If you’re going to step on people on your way to the top, you might as well do it in stilettos . . .

. . . Or so she’s been told. Lucy Butler, former wallflower, lands her dream job working for her idol, world-famous fashion photographer Stefano Lepres. But in a world where getting doused in coffee for not getting the order right is the new normal, she isn’t getting any closer to her ideal of being behind the camera herself. Then a superstar actress generously takes Lucy under her wing and teaches her the ways of the rich and famous—treating her to racks of designer clothes and introducing her to a life of private planes and penthouse suites. Soon Lucy is dating a rock star, attending the hottest Hollywood parties, and dressing the part.

Lost in the luxury, she loses sight of the things that once mattered most. It’s going to take a hard blow from the high life to send Lucy back to the real life she always wanted.

From an industry insider—and featuring wardrobes personally selected by celebrity stylist Robert Verdi—this is a novel that will keep you guessing and introduce you to a world you know exists; you’ve just never seen it unretouched. (from GoodReads)

Review:
So when I started The Liar, the Bitch and the Wardrobe (cute title, by the way!) I fully expected it to be pretty much a remake of The Devil Wears Prada. So I wasn't disappointed that it turns out pretty much the same way as its predecessor. It would have been nice for it to be an original story, but I was okay with what I got. I thought this novel was cute and fun and perfect for people interested in Hollywood and celebrities.

So if you've seen The Devil Wears Prada you know that a lowly girl gets a job working for a high-powered   executive working in the fashion industry. This book follows that plotline, except Lucy becomes the assistant to a famous celebrity photographer, in the hopes of being a photographer herself. Of course, the job is nothing like she expects (she hasn't watched Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in a movie together) and is surprised that she is little more than a glorified servant.

Just like Anne Hathaway's character, Lucy gets caught up in the glamour and lights of Hollywood when she becomes friends with a celebrity socialite (who is pretty much just famous for being famous). She wears fabulous clothes, dines in luxury, and jet sets across the globe. I was definitely living vicariously through Lucy - I wish someone would buy me designer outfits and take me to Paris!

Naturally, Lucy realizes that her career is going no one and her new "friends" are actually her friends. Which is great message, but we've heard it a million times. The Liar, the Bitch and the Wardrobe definitely lacks originality, but the story was fun enough that I didn't mind too much. If you like this type of setting/plot then I recommend this novel. It also falls into the category of "New Adult" so if you're in your early 20s here's a character of the same age!

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: sent a copy by the publisher.

2012/Berkeley Trade/292 pages.

Easy by Tammara Weber

Summary:
A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy. (from GoodReads)

Review:
Wow!!!! This book was amazing! It's also the first book I've read that is "New Adult" so it was almost weird that the main character is in college. I can definitely relate to that.

Unlike the title, Easy is not always easy to read. In the first few pages, Jacqueline is assaulted and almost raped. It's a tough scene, because you feel Jacqueline's fear and desperation. Luckily she is a very strong character and learns to fight back through self-defense classes. Reading about assault in fiction was very interesting because I am an RA, so this is the kind of thing I might have to deal with. I really hope I don't, but it was nice to get into the mindset of Jacqueline so I can learn how to relate to victims of sexual assault.

Jacqueline is thankfully rescued during her assault by our main romantic figure, Lucas. Lucas is one of those love interests that ruins real men for readers. He was such an awesome character. He had his own secrets, but he cared so much about Jacqueline and it was really sweet. A lot of their relationship is physical, but they also seem compatible personality wise, as well.

Since this is the first New Adult book I've read, it was probably one of the first where the protagonist is in college. It was pretty cool because her school seems similar to mine and I could relate to a lot of things (classes, finals, studying, etc). It was nice reading about a character that's actually my age and I really hope that more books are written about this genre.

Overall, Easy was not the easiest book to read, but it was definitely engaging and hard to put down. I'm definitely going to watch out for Tammara Weber's other novels because she is a great writer!

Rating: 10 out of 10.
FTC: sent by publisher.

2012/Berkley/304 pages.