Happy publication day to Lauren Weisberger! Her latest novel, Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty, is out TODAY! A big thank you to Random House publishers for providing me with an advanced digital copy for review!

A seat at the anchor desk of the most-watched morning show. Recognized by millions across the country, thanks in part to her flawless blond highlights and Botox-smoothed skin. An adoring husband and a Princeton-bound daughter. Peyton is that woman. She has it all.

Until . . .

Skye, her sister, is a stay-at-home mom living in a glitzy suburb of New York. She has degrees from all the right schools and can helicopter-parent with the best of them. But Skye is different from the rest. She’s looking for something real and dreams of a life beyond the PTA and pickup.

Until . . .

Max, Peyton’s bright and quirky seventeen-year-old daughter, is poised to kiss her fancy private school goodbye and head off to pursue her dreams in film. She’s waited her entire life for this opportunity.

Until . . .

One little lie. That’s all it takes. For the illusions to crack. For resentments to surface. Suddenly the grass doesn’t look so green. And they’re left wondering: will they have what it takes to survive the truth?

I was a big fan of Devil Wears Prada, and have enjoyed most of her books since then. This particular book is all about the college admissions scandal of 2019. Remember Lori Loughlin? We are going back in time to where parents pay people off to give their children an upper hand, where looks are more important than anything and status is the most important thing in life.

This book is an easy read – the focus is less on action and more on how one decision can set off a chain of events that affects those closest to you. The focus is more on the relationships between a family after one member makes a really bad choice.

At the end of the book, in the Acknowledgement section, Weisberger indicates that she had a rough go of writing this book. Her long term editor had passed away in late 2019, and then the pandemic hit, but she was still trying to write a “beach read” novel. While it’s not her typical light fare, it still is a great read.

I enjoyed reading about Peyton and Skye’s relationship while they each struggled from the fall out. Even Max’s sections are interesting to read as she tries to find her new path in life that she didn’t think was possible.

If you are looking for an easy read that focuses on relationships, then this may be the book for you!