Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel [Hardcover]

Lauren Conrad (Author)

Book Description

Series: L.a. Candy | Publication Date: October 5, 2010

Sugar and Spice . . . Not everyone's nice.

Fresh from being betrayed by one of her closest friends, new reality-television celebrity Jane Roberts has learned a few lessons. Most important: know who to trust. And in Hollywood, that list is short.

Although the press is intent on creating a tabloid war between her and ex-friend/current-costar Madison Parker, Jane just wants to take control of her life. She’s started by swearing off guys and the drama that comes with them. But when her high school sweetheart Caleb and her unrequited L.A. crush Braden show up, both acting sweeter than ever, Jane has a hard time remembering her no-boys rule. . . .

Her best friend, Scarlett, has only one guy on her mind: her new boyfriend, Liam. The girl who once thought love was a four-letter word is now head over heels. The problem is, being on a hit reality show means hanging out with other guys on-camera, and Liam isn’t too happy with pretending to play a bit part in her love life.

Just when everything feels out of control, Jane makes a shocking discovery—one that changes everyone’s definition of “reality” forever.

In her deliciously entertaining novel, television star Lauren Conrad pulls back the curtain on young Hollywood and shows that sometimes the real drama is behind the scenes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Highly entertaining.' Heat --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Lauren Conrad is best known for starring in the MTV hit series The Hills. Her novels, L.A. Candy and Sweet Little Lies, were #1 New York Times bestsellers. She began her career as a fashion designer in spring 2008 with the debut of the Lauren Conrad Collection and expanded in 2009 with a second line, LC Lauren Conrad, exclusively for Kohl's. She has been featured on the covers of Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly, among others. Lauren also launched the m.powerment by mark charity campaign in 2008. She lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (October 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006176762X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061767623
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lauren Conrad is the star of MTV's #1 show, The Hills. She has been featured on the covers of Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, Seventeen and Entertainment Weekly, among others. She lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spicy, Sweet Final Chapter in Conrad's Trilogy, October 8, 2010

By 

Robert Taylor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel (Hardcover)

After a surprisingly mediocre second novel in her "L.A. Candy" trilogy, Lauren Conrad has returned to form with "Sugar and Spice." She effectively pays off all the umbrella arcs set in motion in the first two novels while still bringing in fresh, fun drama that (dare I say) firmly establishes her as a fresh, interesting voice in the teenage book market.

Before I dive in, let me warn you that I will be making note of the parallels between this novel and Conrad's now defunct television show "The Hills." If you have not seen the show, then please check Wikipedia if you get confused.

"Sugar and Spice" begins with the premier party for the second season of "L.A. Candy." Jane and Scarlett (different halves of Conrad's personality) have patched up their friendship and enter the second season with mixed emotions, both wanting to be there but also wanting to embrace other ambitions. Jane's feud with Madison (Heidi) has only deepened over the hiatus thanks to Madison continuing to lie to the press about leaking explosive personal information to the press about Jane, and Jane must struggle with the fact that her side of the argument cannot be portrayed on her reality show. Oh, and Gabby has hired a publicist ready to rocket her from the D-list to the double D-list.

Conrad introduces a juicy, soapy new character in Madison's half-sister Sophie, who basically blackmails Madison onto getting a role in "L.A. Candy" after a little nipping and cutting. Conrad has wisely realized that it would have hurt Jane's character to have her sink to Madison's level in order to take her down, and her introduction of a mini-Madison brings the book a lot of life and fun.

After "Sweet Little Lies" spread 50 pages of material to novel length, it's refreshing to see "Sugar and Spice" filled cover-to-cover with enough plot developments, twists and pay-offs to merit re-reading. My favorite development happens when Jane discovers her producer's notebook...a book that reveals a few too many secrets about how little control Jane really has over her life. But there is more, like having Madison becoming Jane's new co-worker only to realize that she really, really hates working or the curious case of how real Hannah's office romance really is.

Conrad still allows time for some darker, more real developments within the reality world, as when Jane visits her horrible (horrible!) ex-boyfriend in the hospital after he rolls his car over on the freeway during a bender. We see (humorously at first, but later seriously), just how much of a toll the Hollywood machine has taken on the once-sweet Gabby. Conrad is also very, very careful in her handling of Jane's on-again, off-again love interest Braden. The way she pays off the building romantic tension in the book's final pages is quite smart, hugely satisfying and reinforces just how much Jane has grown as a character over the course of the book series. Bravo.

Problems? Yes, a few. Jane's romance with former-flame Caleb was predictable and we never see Madison and Scarlett go head-to-head for more than a few lines, which is a missed opportunity. Though I enjoyed the quiet scene between Madison and Jane that happens late in the book, I wish that Jane had some involvement in the climax to Madison's arc. Oh, and since the series is called "L.A. Candy," I found it odd that every story culminated in either Las Vegas or New York.

Quibbles. "Sugar and Spice" is a surprisingly sweet, spicy (oh look, a pun) novel that will offer fans of the series really enjoyable pay-offs. It's a testament to Conrad's talents that, by the middle of the book, you forget the connection Speidi, MTV and "The Hills" and begin reading it simply as a good story. Here's hoping this isn't the last time we hear from Conrad the author.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fun quick read, October 12, 2010

By 

Allison (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel (Hardcover)

Fun read. I wasn't expecting much from these books but got hooked after the first one. If you liked the first two then you will like this one. I just wish this wasn't the last one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full Circle, October 29, 2010

By 

S. Church (MO, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel (Hardcover)

Sugar and Spice is an easy read in the LA Candy Series. The series though clearly fictional, is an interesting portrayal of what living "The Hills" must have been like. The authors writing skills have improved since the first book and the storyline is much more fluid.