Review - When Life Gives You Lululemons

When Life Gives You Lululemons
by Lauren Weisberger
release date 6/5/2018
343 pages
Chapter length: short
5 out of 5 stars

According to the publisher, "New York Times bestselling author Lauren Weisberger returns with a novel starring one of her favorite characters from The Devil Wears Prada—Emily Charlton, first assistant to Miranda Priestly, now a highly successful image consultant who’s just landed the client of a lifetime.

Welcome to Greenwich, CT, where the lawns and the women are perfectly manicured, the Tito’s and sodas are extra strong, and everyone has something to say about the infamous new neighbor.

Let’s be clear: Emily Charlton, Miranda Priestly’s ex-assistant, does not do the suburbs. She’s working in Hollywood as an image consultant to the stars, but recently, Emily’s lost a few clients. She’s hopeless with social media. The new guard is nipping at her heels. She needs a big opportunity, and she needs it now.

Karolina Hartwell is as A-list as they come. She’s the former face of L’Oreal. A mega-supermodel recognized the world over. And now she's the gorgeous wife of the newly-elected senator from New York, Graham, who also has his eye on the presidency. It’s all very Kennedy-esque, right down to the public philandering and Karolina’s arrest for a DUI—with a Suburban full of other people’s children.

Miriam is the link between them. Until recently she was a partner at one of Manhattan’s most prestigious law firms. But when Miriam moves to Greenwich and takes time off to spend with her children, she never could have predicted that being a stay-at-home mom in an uber-wealthy town could have more pitfalls than a stressful legal career.

Emily, Karolina, and Miriam make an unlikely trio, but they desperately need each other. Together, they’ll navigate the social landmines of life in America’s favorite suburb on steroids, revealing the truths—and the lies—that simmer just below the glittering surface. With her signature biting style, Lauren Weisberger offers a dazzling look into another sexy, over-the-top world, where nothing is as it appears."

When Life Gives You Lululemons is technically the third book in the Devil Wears Prada Series, following the sequel, Revenge Wears Prada, however, you can definitely read this as a stand-alone novel!  I haven't read the first two books in years, but I had no problem jumping into this book without feeling like I need to catch up or refresh on any of the earlier characters or plots.

This book was everything that I wanted from a fun, girly novel:  wealthy characters living extravagant lifestyles, a fast-moving plot that's easy to follow, and just enough struggle to keep it interesting without stressing over what will happen to the characters.

Reading this book was like watching an episode of Real Housewives, but with much more likable characters!  Even though the characters have flaws and struggles that I personally can't relate to - from Karolina investigating her suspicious DUI, or Miriam struggling to fit in with her new "stay-at-home-mom" friends - I found the characters to be very relatable.  On the surface, these women look like they have it all but, in reality, they have problems just like everyone else.

I also really enjoyed that the author included references to several current events and news stories.  Maybe a few years from now it won't have the same effect, but I thought it gave the characters even more of a sense of authenticity to have them discussing current pop culture news.

I had such a good time reading this book that I was genuinely disappointed when I finished.  I'm hoping to reread the first two books, and then circle back to When Life Gives You Lululemons for another round.

I won't say that this book is for everyone, because it is definitely geared towards female readers.  I will say that this was a really enjoyable and fun read that I am personally going to read several more times!