Sex and Vanity: A GMA Book Club Pick

I absolutely loved this book. I actually found it better than the CRA series even more because it did not hold as many extravagant, prolonged, detailed scenes. This was the perfect length. I absolutely adored the characters of Lucie and George. Freddie, Rosemary, and Auden were some of my favorites. Kwan sets up the characters so that each had their own personality and style. Absolutely adored them all. Even Cecil, I had a love hate relationship with.I also loved how he incorporated, very discreetly characters from the CRA series. (I won’t give the names but I found at least 2. Make sure you read the footnotes too.)This book made me feel like I was bathing in glitter off the Almafi Coast while sipping a custom made cocktail after getting massaged all morning long. The romance was dirty, but also comical at parts. There was passion behind the love and different relationships.It also explores how we visualize our own family and how we think our family sees us. That was important to look at as a 28 year old. Lucie starts out 19 in the book and the fast forward part puts her at 24. A perfect age for finding oneself and learning about love and life.I found myself laughing, giggling, blushing and totally immersed in this work. I really hope there is a sequel to this one! @lets.get.biblio

The book was just as advertised. Like new.

His books always cute , fun characters and easy read ! Enjoy them always!I have like all of them !

Unsure of where this novel was going and/or why. Not as much fun as the other Kevin Kwan novels I have read.

I like this author and just loved the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. I was a bit disappointed in the disjointedness of the plot and found many of the characters under developed.

Enjoyed the book, found the characters interesting and the footnotes throughout were helpfulGreat escape summer read. References to characters in previous books by author were fun if you are a reader of Kevin Kwan’s books.

I loved the trilogy and the newest book, this is not a favorite but I enjoyed it nonetheless because not the author' s sharp eye for details and his satiric wit. This makes me want to visit Capri, but I would be one of the scruffy tourists.

I enjoyed this one, but it still was not as good as Crazy Rich Asians. It had a lot of the same type of ridiculous characters as CRA, but it lacked something in the execution (for example, Ephrussy was clearly the Dollar Tree brand Oliver). I read through this quickly and did truly enjoy it, especially characters like Freddie and Marian, but Cecil drove me mad and honestly I could not see how Lucie could tolerate him for more than 2 seconds (the Lady Mary thing, OMGGGGGG the cringe)

Not as good as the CRA series, which I've read 2 or 3 times but good. Its obvious my beloved author has matured in his writing style yet the story line is as ridiculous as CRA! Fun beach read that showcases KKs maturity, which showed up when the race cards are played in a very expert way. Can't wait for more from this guy. Would love to see him apply his Razor sharp wit to a different more diverse story line. So much in this world to make up fun stories about!

This was the perfect Spring Break beach read on a trip with kids. It was quick, easy and mindless: I didn’t have to read intently to follow and enjoy the content.In typical Kwan fashion, there are cultural Easter eggs everywhere and the camp meter is sky high. In that sense, the book actually has more depth than it initially appears. For anyone looking to lose themselves in the lives of the ridiculously rich and not delve too deep into a realistic story or character study...pick this one up. It’s a fun one! A pro: the book is short enough that I never got bored with the vapidness. Had it been any longer, I fear I might’ve lost interest.P.S. For lovers of “Crazy, Rich Asians”...this is more of the same with a different setting and different characters but with a plot that isn’t as defined (IMO). Personally, I liked “CRA” more than this story.P.P.S. 3 stars doesn’t mean this book wasn’t an enjoyable read, it simply means it’s not a literary masterpiece in the conventional sense.DESCRIPTION:On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can't stand him. She can't stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can't stand that he knows more about Casa Malaparte than she does, and she really can't stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin Charlotte. "Your mother is Chinese so it's no surprise you'd be attracted to someone like him," Charlotte teases. The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again. Soon, Lucie is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment building, and ultimately herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world--and her heart. Moving between summer playgrounds of privilege, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story, a daring homage to A Room with a View, and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners set between two cultures.

This author is so highly rated. I knew it would only be a matter of time before I finally picked up one of his books. Sadly, I am not happy that I am not righting this review. I am having a very hard time finding positive things to say. I probably won't be reading any more of this author's work in the future.I'm just going to dive in. What is with all of the footnotes throughout the entire book? Does the author know this is a fictional book, not a non-fiction book? And what is the thing with listing every single character's pedigree in parenthesis next to their name? I have a few ideas on both. I'm mostly thinking the author wants his readers to know just how smart he thinks he is. For me, it was annoying and completely obnoxious.The book itself was a struggle for me. I couldn't stand the characters, and it felt like there was no real substantial plot. The book just over-exaggerated people of wealth. That is what it felt like was the plot, the over-exaggeration of the wealthy. It was like he either wants everyone to know that he's part of the wealthy but at the same time despises the wealthy. I found myself sighing and eyerolling throughout the whole book.To say I was unsatisfied after reading this book is an understatement. I debated on whether or not I was even going to write this review. I'm not a fan of writing a review that is completely negative. However, it has enough praises so I feel like there needs to be a balance... A voice from others who may have not been over-the-moon about this book.

As a huge fan of the CRA series, I was very excited to read this book. I love Kwan’s style of writing, it is sarcastic but with a purpose, it is very descriptive in that you feel as if you are right there with the characters, and I sure do love those footnotes. I was not aware going into this that it was a retelling of A Room With a View, but as I have not read the original, I can only review this book as is.The first half of the book is in Capri, where Lucie and her cousin Charlotte are attending a lavish wedding. Lucie meets George Zeo and cannot stand him, but yet is drawn to him, drawn in such a way that in fact she gets herself in a bit of an awkward sitch and is caught by Charlotte. The second half of the book is set in Manhattan, a few years later, and Lucie is engaged and preparing for her own upcoming lavish wedding when George reappears in her life. She is drawn to him yet again, which causes a problem as he is not whom she is currently engaged to.There were so many elements to this story that made it both complex and light and I liked the mix of both. The way Kwan handles racism as well as pokes fun at the super rich is what he does best, in my opinion. As an example, Lucie is biracial and struggling with her identity, but yet she is engaged to Cecil who comes from a wealthy, powerful family, and his marriage proposal alone to her was oh so extra and not really her style. But was she mad at it? No. And you wouldn’t be either.I read this in a day, it was a fun, quick read, and very enjoyable.

This wasn't horrible, but having read Kevin Kwan's other novels it was a bit of a let down. Kwan is an entertaining writer even though this book lacks much of a plot. The plot there is is thin and predictable. Kwan's descriptions of the lifestyles of the rich and fabulous are bloated. At first I enjoyed the trip to Cyprus for its pure escapist travelogue fun, but it went on and on and on. I think Kwan may be a frustrated wedding planner given the endless wedding details of the most absurdly overproduced wedding on the planet. If it was intended to be ridiculous, it was, but it went on for entirely too long. The book doesn't really develop a plot until midway through. Suddenly, we aren't in Cyprus any more and it's years later in New York. The effect is somewhat jarring, and even more disconcerting is Kwan's writing style which goes from the minute detail of the first half of the book, to skimming over the details in the second part to get on with the less than spectacular plot. Kwan needs to take a little more time fleshing out his characters and maybe a little less detailing the designer scenery. There are moments where his wit sparkles through, but overall the book was average.

There's nothing better during quarantine than a good romance. Kenneth Kwan seems to do thiseffortlessly. He knows the ins and outs if the elites, their hang outs, food, fashion, predilections...He uses these to quickly descrube and build up orbtake down characters. Our protagonists, Lucie and George are deep and quite likeable. There are some characters who arevquite shallow. There is one scene in the novel at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that ujust says it all. Kwan also uses social media tropes vety well. This is a book that is easy to devour in one orvtwo sittings. And Kwan's footnotes enrich the joy of reading, because, of course, us mere mortals require some guidance about the significance of those things unfamiliar. Readbit for fun, for descriptions of luxury things, for a take down of elitist snobbery, for a description of old v new money, for schadenfreude. for escape. You'll see a lot coming but it doesn't matter. It will take you away from today's craziness and leave you happy.

Kevin Kwan is already a king of the beach read. The "Crazy Rich Asians" trilogy was a sly peek into the uber-rich of Singapore (primarily), Hong Kong, Mainland China and beyond.I never thought I'd say I liked his new book even more because Crazy Rich Asians had .... too much plot ;-)Sex and Vanity HAS a plot, and it's a sweet one. But the book is really about dissecting the pedigrees, preferred brands, and mores by which a specific segment of society (mostly Upper East Side Asian-Americans) defines itself. Because so much is set in NYC or Italy, it's not a dive into various Asian cultures as his earlier books were. You'll learn no Cantonese swear words or secret recipes here. BUT....IF you are looking for a real summer read replete with brands and dropped names.....you will enjoy the complete and utter superficiality of the book (I say this with love...I did give five stars!). Like one of its playboy or playgirl protagonists, this book has no cares in the world. This book is tanning by an eternal pool, with anyone who is anyone stopping by for a large glass of the ONLY kind of champagne one drinks in society.

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan takes me to the warm, aqua blue waters of Capri; New York's sophistication and favorite-need-to-know places and the idyllic East Hampton. Mr. Kwan takes us though, with characters we love, and love to hate, and love again. They become our friends as we follow Lucie Churchill, struggling with growing up under the auspicious gaze of her family and learning to be herself and follow her passions. Lucie's arc is one we grow to admire, all the while waiting for her to realize the amazing, rich life she will have - just being who she is. Mr. Kwas gives us characters to love, characters to mock - taking EM Forster and Merchant/Ivory to the 21st century. Mr. Kwan makes me feel that I too know Three Lives Bookstore, wear sandals from Da Constanza and do puppy yoga! Mr. Kwan's unique and visionary voice looks at our lives in the way done in the past by Edith Wharton, Anthony Trollope and Henry James. I look forward to re-reading Sex and Vanity to have another moment with Mr. Kwan's world.

I bought this for a fun read after seeing the author in an interview. I didn't realize it was a retelling of A Room with a View by EM Forster, with the main changes being Asian characters instead of English and set in modern times instead of the early 1900s. After getting far enough into it to realize what I was reading, I went back and looked at a few synopsis. Only at the end of one did I find it said, "as an homage to EM Forster". I'm not sure how successful or likeable you have to be before plagiarism becomes 'homage' but this is IT. Beyond re-telling a story I know, there's two other points I have: considering sex is in the title, you'd expect it to be in the book. Other than a brief couple of vague scenes, it's not there which was fine but odd. And finally, the moments where Kwan does develop characters and ventured away from Forster's original, there are some major flaws: Lucie becomes a completely unethical liar with soap-opera like behavior. Finally, the novel spends a lot of time describing the pretentious vanity of many of the characters which is part of the story, helping define George as a unique individual. But it goes on and on. A huge portion of the book is describing designers and their histories, mentions of elite artists, architectural firms, locations. I get it! It finally made me think the author is pretentious, not just this intolerable group of characters. The spin he puts on a classic is going in the wrong direction.

When I first heard Kevin Kwan had a new book coming out I quickly went to preorder it. I fell in love with the Crazy Rich series and knew I couldn't miss out on this one. To make me even more excited than I already was I found out he wrote this as a modern day "Room with a View". I have not read that one yet but I love the movie version.Kwan did an amazing job bringing this story to modern times. Its incredible how seamlessly the characters can be transformed to be relatable in today's world.This was a great page turner I couldn't put down. I had to pace myself so I didnt finish it all in one day. Wanted to make it last. I suggest checking out his Instagram account for some amazing pictures that inspired a few of the gorgeous scenes he writes about.I cant wait for the movie version of this! I hope they get the casting that's subtly hinted at throughout. Or at the very least get Helena Bonham Carter to make a cameo.I think this was the perfect summer read we all needed right now to escape awfulness of 2020. My only gripe is (slightly spoiler alert) that I wanted to see Lucie apologize directly to George. I wanted to know that reaction. But I suppose it still ended beautifully.

Having a bad day? Need a little wanderlust? "Sex and Vanity" is for you. An easy beach read the only challenging part is if your not up to date on your cocktail-hour-art history you may have to do some googling. The only flaw is the book is a little campy, a little over-the-top. Maybe this is Kwan's signature style, literally writing soaps. He definitely had the cliff-notes version of Old New York, but I wouldn't take this book as a good guide in any way. Looking back on Crazy Rich Asians, maybe people who were familiar with a certain set in Singapore and Hong Kong felt the same way with the references he was pulling. I could go line by line, starting with the Mayflower passenger list available so last names need to make more sense here, also the anti-semitism references were miss-placed with the institutions (The Goodman of Bergdorf Goodman was Jewish...) ...  In these ways, it was worse than Gossip Girl, in the close-but-not-on-the-mark elements of the moneyed elite. but it was a fun read, so though his take on East Coast Money is "broad strokes," it's not worth spending too much time overthinking.The plot is cute, the adventures fun, worth a languid afternoon.

I loved 80% of the book but was sorely disappointed at the ending. As a fan of Kwan’s previous work, I expected a fun and fabulous read with a delicious (albeit predictable) romance to tie it all together. I was thoroughly enjoying the elaborate wedding, the sumptuous details, and cast of characters. As an Asian American I enjoyed the diversity of people portrayed and appreciated the look into internalized prejudices and subtle hypocrisies. I earnestly wanted to love this book but I found the choices the protagonist Lucie makes towards the end utterly baffling and unforgivable. The wrap up does little to redeem her and is rather rushed and unsatisfying.*Spoiler Alert*I did not find Lucie terribly compelling as a lead to begin with, but I was fine with that. This is a romcom not a character study. She is a privileged rich girl who likes art and has a sprinkle of tragic past - basic but fine. But when she chose to behave so cruelly and viciously to Rosemary, who is one of the more endearing characters and mother of the main love interest George, I was completely turned off. Then in just 20 pages, she finally sees how horrible she’d been, everyone completely forgives her, she realizes her love for a man she barely knows, and then they get together offscreen and have an epilogue in capri... I felt like I missed a huge chunk of the book! There is no real redemption for Lucie, and how does George, who loves his mother, easily forgive Lucie for such petty and cruel actions. I know I didn’t! There wasn’t even a scene of them finally coming together to complete the romance. In what romcom does the protagonist finally realize his/her love and then instead of running to whatever airport/wedding/home/etc to confess, the story just ends there and we get a tagline that they got together. How completely unsatisfying! I really hope Kwan’s next book is better. I want to fully support diverse authors, but I won’t make the mistake of pre-ordering again.