Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad

So here we go again with the third and final exciting installment of L.A. Candy which is Lauren Conrad's foray into fictional writing. The first book, L.A. Candy introduces us to Jane Roberts who has just moved to LA with her best friend, Scarlett Harp and ends up landing her own reality show called L.A. Candy. Pretty soon the girls are plastered all over the media as LA. Candy becomes one of the hottest shows on TV. The second title is called Sweet Little Lies and it shows Jane and Scarlett dealing with celebrity and the pressures of living their lives in a goldfish bowl. Jane is holding down a demanding job as an event planner while Scarlett is undertaking a degree at USC and this takes its toll and the two girls find themselves drifting apart. After a huge row with Scarlett, Jane moves in with L.A. Candy co-star Madison Parker but Jane is shocked to find out that Madison is not all she seems and has actually been selling stories about Jane's life to a gossip magazine in a bid to oust her from the show. Disgusted by Madison's scheming ways, Jane confronts her and moves out of her apartment. Sugar and Spice kicks off with Jane back living with Scarlett and the two friends are now closer than ever. Scarlett is embarking on her second year at college and is happy in her relationship with Liam despite the fact that they have to keep their romance under wraps. She has also decided to take a positive approach to the show and be more co-operative with the producers. Jane on the other hand is busy at work with lots of exciting projects to get stuck into but her love life is getting very complicated. Also there are more surprises in store as it turns out that Madison has a dark secret from her past which is set to impact all of the ladies on the show.

I read this book in two sittings which says a lot as my concentration has ruined thanks to Twitter and once again LC has pulled it out of the bag. This book is just as enjoyable as its predecessors and although it is not as eventful and as dramatic as the first two books it is nonetheless still captivating. I found Sugar and Spice very engrossing as it focuses on the mind set of all the characters, even Trevor who produces the show. We get to see how he systematically crafts each episodes and manipulates Jane into acting the way he wants. Also remember how I said in a review of Sweet Little Lies how I was beginning to find Scarlett more interesting? Well all her dirty washing comes out in this book and we get to see a more vulnerable side to her. Sugar and Spice is a really great read and exposes how 'reality' shows like The Hills and The City are constructed. These characters really seem real and you totally buy into it. I was quite sad when I put it down. It has been a good ride and the idea to create a three part series was ingenious and the branding of L.A. Candy is very cute. I have also just heard that there are plans for a spinoff series on Madison which should be very interesting.

Sugar and Spice is out now and available to buy from Amazon.

Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad

This is the sequel to LA Candy which is Lauren Conrad's voyage into novel writing. Ok let's do a little recap The Hills style; Jane Roberts moves to LA with her bestie, Scarlett Harp and the two end up landing their own reality show. Pretty soon the girls are plastered all over the media as LA Candy becomes one of the hottest shows on TV. Sweet Little Lies takes up where LA Candy left off with Jane fleeing LA to seek refuge in Mexico after her mini scandal. She is hiding out in Cabo with her friend Madison Parker, only except Madison is not her friend. Unknown to Jane it was Madison who leaked photos of Jane getting down and dirty with Braden who happens to be the best friend of her boyfriend, Jesse. All these misdeamenors really made a dent into Jane's wholesome girl next door look. Meanwhile Jane's best mate, Scarlett has cottoned onto Madison's devious game and is frantically trying to reach Jane to tell her. In between worrying about Jane, Scarlett embarks on a little action of her own by getting involved with one of the cute camera guys who works on the show. The only problem is that romantic relations on the set of LA Candy are not looked on favorably so the couple need to keep their relationship a secret.

I was really looking forward to the follow up to LA Candy and let me tell you it did not let me down. This book is just as engaging as the last one and really draws you in. Also the fact that you know the characters already makes it a lot easier for you to dip into the book. You don't have that dodgy three chapter period where you are uncertain as to whether you will like it or not. The first book was all about Jane and her launch into stardom but Sweet Little Lies focuses on the other characters such as Scarlett and Madison and we really see them being fleshed out and we really get to grips with their inner psychology and find out exactly what makes them the way they are. This might sound strange but I actually began to find the manipulative and conniving Madison more intriguing this time round and I cannot wait to read the next exciting installment to find out how the story pans out.

Sweet Little Lies is available to buy from amazon.

L.A. Candy: Review

When Lauren Conrad hanged up her stilettos and called in time on The Hills everyone wondered what she would do next. Well she decided to put pen to paper and write a book. L.A. Candy is the story of Jane Roberts a sweet 19 year old who moves to LA with her best friend Scarlett when she lands an internship with one of the best event planners in town. While Jane attends to the whims of her demanding boss, Scarlett gets stuck into her studies at University of Southern California. The racy life of LA is a far cry from the safe haven of Santa Barbara and Jane finds herself drawn to the diet of cute guys, designer clothes and cool clubs. So when she is approached by a producer to star in a reality version of Sex and the City which is called L.A. Candy, she and Scarlett jump at the chance. In a few months, the show catapulted Jane into stardom and she is LA’s new IT girl. However as she soon finds out fame comes with a lot of baggage and Jane has to distinguish between her real friends and those who are just out for what they can get.

I was very sceptical when I heard that Lauren Conrad was releasing a book. I mean we have all been here before with Z list celebs releasing book after book. Jordan, Madonna, Pamela Anderson and Naomi Campbell, eat your heart out. However I must admit that this book is a really good read. It is well written and the characters may be a touch cliche but they definitely evoke feeling; whether it is compassion or loathing. You find yourself caring about what happens to these people. This is the first release from Lauren’s three-book deal and judging by the huge cliff hanger at the end of the book I can only assume that there is a sequel lined up.