If you’re like me and are missing your weekly glimpse into the lives of New York’s elite via Gossip Girl, I have terrific news for you. SHE REGRETS NOTHING by Andrea Dunlop is exactly what your CW-loving heart needs. Family drama, backstabbing, an “it” girl, a wannabe…I had so much fun with this book.
The 411: After unexpectedly becoming an orphan at 23, Michigander Laila Lawrence is introduced to her cousins, Liberty, Leo, and Nora, all of whom are part of New York City’s in-crowd. Desperate to be part of their opulent life and to be near family, Laila makes the move to NYC and immediately starts to ingratiate herself into the lives of the rich and famous. But the rise to the top isn’t linear and doesn’t come without casualties.
As I previously mentioned, SHE REGRETS NOTHING is essentially the adult version of Gossip Girl. Beautiful people making horrible decisions in the Big Apple. There’s not necessarily a deep message or a moral to learn because of this book and sometimes you need that. Sometimes you need a good, drama-filled and addictive story. That’s what SHE REGRETS NOTHING was for me.
Do you like love triangles/squares/pentagons/octagons? You’re going to love this book. In true soap fashion, everyone is hooking up with everyone and lying to each other about it. Oh, and shout out to my girl, Liberty. I absolutely loved her character. I loved that she quit modeling and when she felt uncomfortable, she stood up for herself. I loved that she went into publishing and basically told her mom to accept her this way or lose her forever.
I’m an Iowa native and proud Midwesterner, and books/movies/tv shows that do the whole “I had such a boring life in XYZ state that I needed to go somewhere cool” or “all Midwesterners are naive” sort of thing usually annoy me. Just because we live a more low-key lifestyle and say “pop” doesn’t make us boring or naive. That was the only part of this book that kind of irked me–but Laila was so self-centered I wouldn’t want to claim her as a Midwesterner anyway.
As the Jenny Humphrey of this book, Laila is likewise very unlikable and a completely unsympathetic character. Her rise to the top is full of desperation, she’s manipulative to her family, and feels little to no remorse for her actions. And like Jenny Humphrey, you’re just waiting for the inevitable fall from grace. My lips are sealed as to if this happens to Laila.
Does she really “regret nothing”? Check it out for yourself.
MY RATING: ✰✰✰✰
RECOMMENDED FOR: Contemporary “chick-lit” lovers and non-graphic romance
MAY I ALSO SUGGEST: THE ROYALS SERIES by Erin Watt, SWEAR ON THIS LIFE by Renee Carlino
Thank you Atria Books for my galley and including me on the blog tour! SHE REGRETS NOTHING is available February 6. Buy here!