Sex and Vanity: A GMA Book Club Pick

Books | Fiction / Asian American

3.1

(901)

Kevin Kwan

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • The author of the international phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians takes us from Capri to NYC, where a young woman finds herself torn between two men—and two very different cultures."Another riveting tale of privilege, culture and romance ... extravagant fashion and deceit, resulting in one truly modern love story." —CNNOn 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.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.

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More Details:

Author

Kevin Kwan

Pages

336

Publisher

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Published Date

2020-06-30

ISBN

0385546289 9780385546287

Community ReviewsSee all

"Exactly what I expected! An easy vacation read."

Melanie Schmitz

"The quintessential beach read. Falling for the guy you initially despised, being transported to the lavish life of the rich in Italy, and all the scandals. Loved❤️"

Bonnie_C

"If you liked reading the Crazy Rich Asians series you will generally enjoy this one as I did. But the plot and story was so blindingly obvious it took too long to get to the conclusions and the love story could have developed so much more deeply. "

Josh Elman

"I reeeeallly wanted to like this book. It had all the ingredients to have me hooked; plot, love, intrigue, and beautiful settings. I think the plot was too predictable for me & the characters didn’t go deep enough for me. By the end of the book, I was skimming the pages ready for it to be over. I wish I liked it more than I did but it didn’t land for me. "

Giulia

"If you liked Crazy Rich Asians this is very similar! (Some of the characters even make cameos.) I thought it was a little bit slow at the beginning of Pt 1 but I could not put part 2 down!"

Gillian

"As my first Kevin Kwan book i was really disappointed. I had really high hopes for this. I felt like the messaging was so surface level, and blatant. The characters lacked depth, even the character that were meant to be more "complex" fell a little flat. However i loved his writing describing the magnificent places they were visiting. I also felt like the plot didn't flow very well, and the ending felt so fake and unrealistic. Overall i guess i was just expecting more from this novel, and i wouldn't recommend this read."

Samantha Leavitt

"Fun and similar in tone to Crazy Rich Asians. To enjoy it you will have to suspend your disbelief that Lucie’s reputation has to be so guarded. You also have to believe that someone would make all of the idiotic choices that Lucie makes throughout the book."

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"A very good book! Being 24 years old, it is very hard to find books where the main character is close to age to me. I found in this book that the main character was not less mature (when characters are in their teens) nor more mature (when characters are 40+) than me which made her relatable! This book is witty, funny and has many references to the real world…the glamorous aspect of the real world, that is! "

Taylor Lindsay

"I loved the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, but I was nervous this wouldn’t stand up to that caliber of storytelling. I was wrong! With rich description and zany characters, Kevin Kwan has produced a great read in a smaller package. "