Customer Reviews

Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I love Lauren the designer, Lauren the Hills personality, and Lauren the style expert. Lauren the author, however, was disappointing. The depth and complexity of these characters was laughable. The plot was underdeveloped and underwhelming. The ambivalence I felt for each of the leading men seemed to stem from Lauren's ambivalence in writing about them. It was like she couldn't decide which guy to root for, so neither did I.

Ultimately, I was looking for a light beach read that wouldn't require a lot of thought, and that's exactly what I found: a mildly amusing series that kept my interest only by the sheer novelty of the experience. It felt like I was getting as close to an LC Hills tell-all as she could legally write without getting MTV on her case. That's really all that propelled me to read all three books... that and too much time with my family on vacation. If you dropped out of high school and are obsessed with all things Hollywood, you'll love this series. If you are educated and a reader, this story will not feed your soul.

Good book. Very quick read but if you enjoyed the first two this is a must have to see what happens next.

Ok, I admit it, I'm a 34yr old woman and I've read all three of the novels in the L.A. Candy series by Ms. Conrad. It's hard not to enjoy these books; especially if you are a fan of the show the Hills. Ms. Conrad's writing style is simple and pleasurable. Sugar & Spice is the final installment in her 3 part book series. We finally get to read what happens to Jane, Scarlet, and the dreaded Madison. There are some fun twists along the way very reminiscent to occurences on the Hills (ie Madison's sister is suddenly on the show through an interesting turn of events). The novel is a quick, fun read from the first to the last page. I'd definitely recommend Sugar & Spice to anyone who has read the first two novels or is a fan of the tv show The Hills.

I'd been anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this series for a year, but ultimately felt let down.
The book started out good, but lost steam towards the last half.
I enjoyed the drama between Madison and Sophie, but it all trailed off into nothing eventually. The climax where Madison was outed at the Vegas party should have been bigger, or at least had Jane/Scarlet present to witness it.
I also think that Trevor Lord falling more from grace would have been more satisfying- having the network cancel his show or something to that degree. This would have been much more satisfying for the reader.
I didn't understand Jane's final meeting up with Braden, or for that matter why he was even a character in the book. Other than providing inner conflict for Jane, he contributed nothing to the plot or story line.
I loved the first two books and will probably read the series again, but I was expecting so much more in the final installment of the trilogy.

I really enjoyed reading the first two books (L.A. Candy & Sweet Little Lies). But I was rather disappointed for this book, because it really didn't give the reader a great ending of the series. I found while reading this book that I wasn't as interested in the main character Jane as I had in the first two books. She couldn't make up her mind about anyone from friends to guys. I actually got annoyed that she couldn't make up her mind or stand up for herself. If you have read the first two books you will probably want to read this so that you can finish the series, but don't expect to enjoy it as much as the first two.

Received in one week. I perfect condition. My daughter was so surprised that she really got something she wanted. I was so happy I didn't have to worry when the item was coming in. Great Job!!!!

I loved all three of Lauren's books. They were just funny, and I felt like this series can keep going on. I couldn't wait to read one after another. Lauren should keep on writing. Bravo