The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell

You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses.You’ve known your neighbors for years and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really?

I really enjoyed The Girls in the Garden. I decided to read this one after reading Lisa Jewell's novel, "Then She Was Gone" and it won't be the last book of hers I read. Thirteen-year-old, Grace, is found unconscious and undressed in the park's garden after a community party. The story goes back before the assault and is told through multiple point of views to uncover what happened. I especially enjoyed the setting of the story, set in the communal park and garden with all of the interesting characters weaved throughout. Definitely one of those books you don't want to put down. I will say though, the ending was a bit of a letdown with Grace. I found the buildup to be more thrilling than what actually happened. I was expecting more of a twist or finality, which didn't happen. Aside from the ending, The Girls in the Garden, was a great book and lived up to my expectations.

I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become. Which is how she gets into trouble.

I really wanted to love this one but sadly, it missed the mark for me. I could never get into the story and romance between Nick and Bex, and didn't particularly care for either character. I also found there to be far too much dialogue and the fact that it's 500 pages was painful. In the end, I found myself skipping pages and chapters just so I could move on to another book.

Pinch me, please. Is any of this real?

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich

So, I was slightly disappointed with Crazy Rich Asians. Was it terrible? No. Did I enjoy it? Sure. With that being said, I was left wanting more. I decided to add this one to my pile amid all the hype with both the book and movie that came out. However, in the end it was just...ok. First of all, it's way, way, WAY too long. 400+ pages too long. I'm not a fan of super long books to begin with, as they tend to drag on and I lose interest... but, Crazy Rich Asians takes the cake. I'd say I was about half way through when I began getting bored - nothing was happening. I did enjoy Nick and Rachel's relationship, and how humble Nick was - especially compared to his family. But, I didn't  particularly care for any of the other characters, including Astrid and Colin. All in all I'd say it was an okay read, but I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel.