It’s revenge—sweet and hot—in the first book of this sexy and wickedly funny series by international bestselling author Tara Brown. For the young, rich, and beautiful, summertime in the Hamptons means one thing: Fling Club. Only this time, Cherry Kennedy won’t be selecting a boy for a fleeting romance. Nope, this season, Cherry is out for revenge. Her target? The Fling Club founder and society darling who slept with Cherry’s now-very-ex-boyfriend. And all Cherry needs is the perfect guy for her plan… Ashley Jardine can’t afford to refuse. He scored almost a full ride to MIT. But that almost still costs a lot. And this is so much money for a little game of revenge and a chance—albeit short—to live the high life. Here, rich girls rule the shore, and everyone has a role to play. Only nothing in the job description warned Ashley that the redhead who’s running the scheme would be so crazy. And cute. Or that he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her. Now, everything is going according to plan—until an unexpected attraction raises the stakes. It’s enough to turn the perfect payback into absolute heartbreak.
I really enjoyed Tara Brown's Born trilogy, and was excited to read a contemporary from her. The synopsis lured me in, as well, even though I tend to be a little meh about revenge plots. I thought it might present an interesting look at class issues, and I liked the idea of the role-reversal (often we see rich boy/poor girl) with some steamy romance.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ However, this one did not do it for me at all. I had major issues with the voice. Everyone is so hateful, it's really hard to get into. I also didn't expect it to be so full of hating on girls, which I am so over seeing. I thought Cherry's POV was bad until I got to Ashley's, and I couldn't figure out why he'd be anyone's crush. He has so much disgust and contempt for people with money, and especially women with money. It sort of gets better as the book goes on and as Ashley falls for Cherry, but it also feels a bit too little too late. I don't care about either character very much or if they ended up together. I also couldn't have cared any less about the revenge plot because this club--which sounded intriguing in the synopsis--just made absolutely no sense to me once I actually started reading. All becomes revealed by the end, of course, but I don't know if it was enough.
Should you read it? I don't know, y'all. This one has a lot of positive reviews, but it just is not for me. There is character growth, though, and readers who love the drama of Cruel Intentions and Gossip Girl could really get into this.
1 1/2 Stars
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication August 14, 2018 by Skyscape