I feel like I was only interested in some of the characters. Loved Victory's character, like Nico, and I was not particularly interested in what Wendy had going on...maybe it's because I don't care for Brooke Shields...

Eh...I just wasn't impressed.

DNF at 60%. I’ve had this on my list to read for the past 10 years or more. And I’ve been trying to get through my TBR back list. I think if I had read this way back then I maybe would’ve enjoyed it more. But the characters are unrealistic but I was annoyed and rolled my eyes too many times.

Chick lit. I got a few chuckles but its airport fiction.

Great tale of women executives and the paths our choices as leaders take us! A bit slow to get into but as soon as your attached to the characters you can't wait to see how everything turns out. Really a thought provoking tale for the young career minded woman on marriage/kids/business and making sense of it all!

This book paints a vivid picture of the New York lifestyle for ultra-successful women in their 40s. You really get into their marriages, and day-to-day work as a high-powered executive.

The character development is strong, and I found the book to be a real page-turner. It also explored interesting aspects of feminism: as a successful woman, is it preferable to date a more-successful man or a less-successful one? Both have their complications.

One annoying aspect is the author's poor understanding of text message lingo. Here is one example:

husband: "i wnt d*vorce"
wife: "don2 b sil-e"
husband: "i am c-re-us"
wife: "pt off dvr-c"

I was jolted out of my suspension of disbelief upon reading this ridiculous sms exchange.

Another issue is that there was no big climactic scene. Instead all the open issues magically resolved themselves, and the loose ends got tied off too cleanly.

This one didn't draw me in at all. I was quickly bored of it and just wanted to finish it. There were good parts but over all I was underwhelmed.

Really well written. My favourite CB novel so far.

Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell
⭐️⭐️

Publication Date: September 6, 2005
435 pages (print)

Nico O’Neilly, Victory Ford, and Wendy Healy are all successful women living in New York City. Nico is the editor of Bonfire Magazine, Victory is an established fashion designer, and Wendy is the president of Parador Pictures. All three women are balancing the stresses of being successful, relationships, and friendships. Nico is struggling with her marriage and hoping to land a promotion at work. Wendy’s marriage is crumbling due to her hectic work schedule and Victory has just bombed her spring fashion show. All these ladies are trying to work past all their obstacles to be successful in New York City.

This story will catch a reader’s attention as a feminist read. It is a feminist read and the writing and story will remind you of that fact throughout almost to an insufferable degree. The characters always remind themselves that the men around them are weak and they deserve better. Sometimes the attitudes of the main characters drove me crazy. Also, about half way through the story, I noticed the style of the writing. Every chapter started with a character on a plane, hung over, or in some state that the reader was unaware of and then the character sat and contemplated about their previous week, month, etc. I don’t understand why big chunks of the book were written as though everything already happened and now the character is sitting on a plane and recounting it in their head. I finished but the book was way too long.