Fast, fun read

I was surprised to see some of the reviews here. I guess some people felt this book was not as good as its predecessors in the series. I thought it was maybe a little better, since the 3 girls were no longer working together. As a result, there were more varied storylines. It also seemed like Eliza, Jacqui and Mara had developed more distinct personalities. And each one had troubles that a teenage girl (or any woman, for that matter) could relate to.

Eliza gets hired as an assistant to a diva-esque designer, only to get fired for upstaging him. Mara dives into her job as a cub reporter with enthusiasm, but her relationship is on the line, because Ryan would rather surf than go to parties where Mara needs to interview celebrities. NYU turns Jacqui down because she didn't take enough math and science courses in Brazil.

The plot twists are entertaining and numerous, if not always believable. They helped make the book a compelling read. If you liked The Au Pairs and Skinny Dipping, I don't see why you wouldn't like this one.

Rating:


Should've Stopped After Two

Ms. de la Cruz's writing was flawless as usual, but the content was a disappointment compared to the first two in the series. I know that you have to read these knowing they're unbelievable, but this one went too far in my opinion. Mara somehow manages to be one of the best writers for a magazine and gets published in a big name paper; three incredibly cute and successful guys all want to be with Jackie; and Eliza starts her own fashion line--complete with a show--and the press comes to see it. Oh, and the girls throw a huge party for Anna and Kevin so they won't get a divorce. And Jacqui uses Anna's ATM account without any trouble at all. It was just too much.

Also, whereas with the last two books I felt like there was a nice progression through time, this one was different. It seemed like the summer went by without anything really happening. Mara and Ryan live on a boat together. All Ryan does is surf and Mara puts out amazing articles. The only conflict was that Ryan wanted Mara to be with him more often. He ends up coming off as some weak pansy. Jacqui just goes on dates with the boys next door and has trouble deciding which one is for her. The kids are hardly mentioned. There's a new Au-Pair whose only purpose in the book is to hack into computers because she's a smart Asian. The series should not have been entitled Au-Pairs since the third book had nothing do with it.

My main problem with the book is that there were only the big events that were covered, so it felt like I only got to see what they were doing every three weeks or so. To be perfectly honest, there just wasn't much of a plot. It was still an entertaining read, but I was disappointed after the first two were so great. Ms. de la Cruz said she might write a fourth, so I'm hoping it will be better, and a little more believable--like the first two.

Rating:


I loved it

I really liked this book because everyone came to there own terms

MAra relizes she doesn't want ryan but wants to go to columbia

Eliza she really wants to be with jermery

Jacqui will find trrue love on her own terms and in the right sitation

Rating: