Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty

A Novel

By: Lauren Weisberger

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

Good Morning America Buzz pick

From the best-selling author of The Devil Wears Prada and When Life Gives You Lululemons comes a highly entertaining, sharply observed novel about sisters, their perfect lives...and their perfect lies.

“Goes down like an ice-cold guilty pleasure on a hot beach-reading day.” (USA Today)

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 17-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?

©2021 Lauren Weisberger (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An entertaining page-turner filled with drama and scandal for when you’re lounging poolside this summer...[an] enjoyable read.” (Good Morning America online)

“[Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty] goes down like an ice-cold guilty pleasure on a hot beach-reading day.” (USA Today)

“Weisberger never loses her trademark beach-read breeziness as she tackles weighty problems of familial trust with a pitch-perfect blend of humor and poignancy.” (Booklist)

It was ok

It was ok! Too much unnecessary cursing for my liking and when the narrator changed to the male Australia accent or the British accent it was not great. Cringe.

I want the story to continue

I didn't have high expectations for this book because I felt like it was a story we already knew from the headlines but it surprised me and I hope there's a continuation.

Predictable easy read

The characters weren’t like able and the story was very predictable. It’s not a wonderful work of fiction, buts it’s a fine breezy summer read.

But wait, it can't end like this?!

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one, but to my surprise it kept my interest. I want to know what's next ?! How does this story really end?! Where's the part II?

Good book, but too open ended

I enjoyed this book, but too much was left open ended in my opinion. I can only imagine a sequel is already contracted, or it was written with an intended sequel in mind.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The characters are flawed, but also super relatable. The way she wrote from teenage Max’s perspective in particular felt super authentic, but Max’s mother Peyton and her aunt Skye both felt very real as well.
Chapters were written alternatively from Peyton’s, Skye’s or Max’s perspectives, and while I realise this is chick-lit, I would have liked to have a chapter or two from Isaac’s perspective too (Peyton’s husband and Mac’s dad). It would have been appropriate, I was expecting it and when it became more and more clear it wasn’t happening, I missed it. This is the only reason I’m giving the story 3 stars/4 stars overall.

What we’re they thinking

Boy did I hate these characters! That being said, the author gets the details of what ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ looks like in the 2020s. I couldn’t put it down. I think she does a good job of answering the question we were all thinking when similar headlines of college admission scandals came to light; “what were they thinking?”

Outstanding Narration

While the story was engaging, the true star is the narrator. She did an incredible job and really brought the characters to life!

Pleasantly Surprised!!!

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. Became predictable at times, but I ended up loving it!!! Takes you many places and loved the characters and descriptions. Nice happy ending story. Great summer listen!!!

Fun summer read

Not my favorite by this author but still a fun summer read. I really enjoyed this book up until the last 45 seconds or so.

Excellent narration, predictable storyline

I lost interest in this book fast. I did finish it but found it to be rather predictable. Easy day listen to help get the chores done.