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The Lady Waiting
The White Lotus meets The Talented Mr. Ripley in this high-spirited novel of a stolen Vermeer, a Polish transplant in LA, and the charismatic couple who seduce her into a misguided international heist
One bright Los Angeles day, a young Polish émigré named Viva is driving along the freeway when she’s flagged down by a dazzling, disheveled woman in green chiffon. The woman is Bobby Sleeper, a fellow Eastern European and an erstwhile art gallerist with a mysterious background and even more mysterious filmmaker husband. Within days the couple hire Viva as their assistant, then enlist her as an accomplice in an improbable scheme involving a long-lost Vermeer masterwork, a multi-million-dollar reward, and several shadowy ex-husbands.
As Bobby and her husband weave her ever more tightly into their web, Viva is swept up in an escapade that’s one part art heist, one part love triangle, and one part education of a felon. Entranced by their lifestyle, alarmed by their ramshackle scam, Viva realizes she’s out of her depth—and that only luck, cunning, and her own hustler’s instinct can save her from disaster. Careening from the canyons of LA to the canals of Venice, The Lady Waiting is a page-turning caper, a cavalcade of twenty-first-century sins—rapacious capitalism, shameless fraud, and atrocious behavior—and a showcase for three of the biggest and most unforgettable characters in recent fiction.
One bright Los Angeles day, a young Polish émigré named Viva is driving along the freeway when she’s flagged down by a dazzling, disheveled woman in green chiffon. The woman is Bobby Sleeper, a fellow Eastern European and an erstwhile art gallerist with a mysterious background and even more mysterious filmmaker husband. Within days the couple hire Viva as their assistant, then enlist her as an accomplice in an improbable scheme involving a long-lost Vermeer masterwork, a multi-million-dollar reward, and several shadowy ex-husbands.
As Bobby and her husband weave her ever more tightly into their web, Viva is swept up in an escapade that’s one part art heist, one part love triangle, and one part education of a felon. Entranced by their lifestyle, alarmed by their ramshackle scam, Viva realizes she’s out of her depth—and that only luck, cunning, and her own hustler’s instinct can save her from disaster. Careening from the canyons of LA to the canals of Venice, The Lady Waiting is a page-turning caper, a cavalcade of twenty-first-century sins—rapacious capitalism, shameless fraud, and atrocious behavior—and a showcase for three of the biggest and most unforgettable characters in recent fiction.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
August 29, 2024
The Lady Waiting is the darnedest book. I disliked it – a lot – when I first started it, but I loved it by the time I finished it.
It’s not Magdalena Zyzak’s debut, as she published a novel back in 2014, but part of the problem at the start of the book is that it reads like one. A few newbie mistakes immediately jumped out at me, like a thin thriller-like setup and one-dimensional characters. The characterization, in fact, is problematic throughout the entire book because only Viva, our Polish protagonist, seems somewhat real.
And I could’ve done without all the vulgarity. The characters’ way of speaking is too crass at times for my tastes, and there’s a lot of sex within the pages. It’s tiring after a while.
Zyzak herself is Polish, so there is, however, an air of authenticity to the story, in Viva’s dialogue especially. And it’s easy to see how Viva is manipulated into taking a job as an assistant and then becomes an accessory to an art heist. She’s newly immigrated to the United States, doesn’t know anyone, and needs money. She’s sitting prey.
But what’s really remarkable is how much Zyzak’s writing evolves as the book progresses. After some time, the story begins to take on a richness that is absent in the beginning, becoming rife with moral complexities and intricate character motives. I found myself unwilling to set the book aside.
The ending is perfect, too. Ambiguous, yes, but executed so well.
My sincerest appreciation to Magdalena Zyzak, Riverhead Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
It’s not Magdalena Zyzak’s debut, as she published a novel back in 2014, but part of the problem at the start of the book is that it reads like one. A few newbie mistakes immediately jumped out at me, like a thin thriller-like setup and one-dimensional characters. The characterization, in fact, is problematic throughout the entire book because only Viva, our Polish protagonist, seems somewhat real.
And I could’ve done without all the vulgarity. The characters’ way of speaking is too crass at times for my tastes, and there’s a lot of sex within the pages. It’s tiring after a while.
Zyzak herself is Polish, so there is, however, an air of authenticity to the story, in Viva’s dialogue especially. And it’s easy to see how Viva is manipulated into taking a job as an assistant and then becomes an accessory to an art heist. She’s newly immigrated to the United States, doesn’t know anyone, and needs money. She’s sitting prey.
But what’s really remarkable is how much Zyzak’s writing evolves as the book progresses. After some time, the story begins to take on a richness that is absent in the beginning, becoming rife with moral complexities and intricate character motives. I found myself unwilling to set the book aside.
The ending is perfect, too. Ambiguous, yes, but executed so well.
My sincerest appreciation to Magdalena Zyzak, Riverhead Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
November 21, 2023
A juicy and insanely original novel overflowing with effervescent prose and captivating characters. Audacious, entertaining, and over-the-top, this is the literary equivalent of your most bingeable show.
December 25, 2024
… yeah idk fam
January 26, 2024
Deliciously chaotic…exotically sexy.
This book’s chaotic non-stop action reminds me of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club or Choke. Just enough neuroticism to keep you guessing, intertwined with lust, betrayal, and high-energy emotions. Not a single second of it was expected, keeping you guessing the entire time.
Enter the world of a Polish immigrant named Viva, just a good Samaritan picking up a woman hitchhiker in a burst of goodwill. Little did she know that moment would change her life. For the better? Kind of. But also kind of for the worst. As a poor out-of-work immigrant, she was barely making ends meet, forever chasing the elusive “American dream”. But as the Sleepers’ assistant…she gets a taste of the lavish life. Bobby bestows lavish gifts on her, but it all comes with a price. She is at Bobby’s beck and call…and when that beck and call involves an art heist that drags them across multiple countries and into a sordid throuple, she questions everything. Will she get the money promised to her for her participation? Will Sleeper choose her over Bobby, his wife? What will her life be like after all is said and done? What if she simply…removes all of them from the equation?
Oh my goodness…this was a wild ride. I love books that keep me guessing, and chaos can be such a beautiful thing in writing. Not many writers can craft such a chaotic book while keeping a coherent storyline and not going over the top. I would rate this up there with David Wong (Jason Pargin) and Chuck Palahniuk. The chaos is just beautiful. I loved every second of it. And the ending…it was incredible. I love it when books end in a way that allows the reader to speculate and draw their own conclusions. It kind of feels like a cliff hanger, but at the same time, it doesn’t. The open-ended ending is what is going to keep this book living in my headspace for a long time.
This book’s chaotic non-stop action reminds me of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club or Choke. Just enough neuroticism to keep you guessing, intertwined with lust, betrayal, and high-energy emotions. Not a single second of it was expected, keeping you guessing the entire time.
Enter the world of a Polish immigrant named Viva, just a good Samaritan picking up a woman hitchhiker in a burst of goodwill. Little did she know that moment would change her life. For the better? Kind of. But also kind of for the worst. As a poor out-of-work immigrant, she was barely making ends meet, forever chasing the elusive “American dream”. But as the Sleepers’ assistant…she gets a taste of the lavish life. Bobby bestows lavish gifts on her, but it all comes with a price. She is at Bobby’s beck and call…and when that beck and call involves an art heist that drags them across multiple countries and into a sordid throuple, she questions everything. Will she get the money promised to her for her participation? Will Sleeper choose her over Bobby, his wife? What will her life be like after all is said and done? What if she simply…removes all of them from the equation?
Oh my goodness…this was a wild ride. I love books that keep me guessing, and chaos can be such a beautiful thing in writing. Not many writers can craft such a chaotic book while keeping a coherent storyline and not going over the top. I would rate this up there with David Wong (Jason Pargin) and Chuck Palahniuk. The chaos is just beautiful. I loved every second of it. And the ending…it was incredible. I love it when books end in a way that allows the reader to speculate and draw their own conclusions. It kind of feels like a cliff hanger, but at the same time, it doesn’t. The open-ended ending is what is going to keep this book living in my headspace for a long time.
May 13, 2024
I have mixed feelings about the plot in this book, but the writing is just…chef’s kiss.
To an extent if you really care about writing for writing’s sake (I do), then the plot of this book doesn’t matter much. The characterization does, as does the sense of place, and those are well rendered and gorgeously enhanced with some of the best writing I’ve seen recently.
I love books that can take banal interactions and make them poignant, and that’s masterfully done here. The acerbic, biting wit of this is outstanding, and the understated poignancy and humor is brilliantly achieved. The affected intellectual banter of the characters is perfect, somehow both smart and deliberately shallow. It’s a commentary on who the speaker is, but also a signal to the reader. I’ll be laughing about “sprezzy” forever.
The bones of the plot are excellent too, though it does go frustratingly a bit off the rails at the end, and all the threesome stuff feels like a bit of an overplayed hand and an eye roll after a while.
Still, the writing is exceptional, and renders any plot flaws minimal as far as affecting one’s enjoyment of the novel.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
To an extent if you really care about writing for writing’s sake (I do), then the plot of this book doesn’t matter much. The characterization does, as does the sense of place, and those are well rendered and gorgeously enhanced with some of the best writing I’ve seen recently.
I love books that can take banal interactions and make them poignant, and that’s masterfully done here. The acerbic, biting wit of this is outstanding, and the understated poignancy and humor is brilliantly achieved. The affected intellectual banter of the characters is perfect, somehow both smart and deliberately shallow. It’s a commentary on who the speaker is, but also a signal to the reader. I’ll be laughing about “sprezzy” forever.
The bones of the plot are excellent too, though it does go frustratingly a bit off the rails at the end, and all the threesome stuff feels like a bit of an overplayed hand and an eye roll after a while.
Still, the writing is exceptional, and renders any plot flaws minimal as far as affecting one’s enjoyment of the novel.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
June 12, 2024
My ideal summer read: art heist, Italian adventures, Eastern European intrigue, and quite sexy to boot.
September 9, 2025
It’s the characters. I can’t do it.
June 6, 2024
It was fine but definitely not a thriller, and frankly idk if I’d call it literary. The writing style was a little too try-hard IMO, and the conceit of the whole story being a retrospective told from the protagonist in her 80s felt very shoehorned, as it didn’t develop the plot or characters in any meaningful way.
May 1, 2024
Incredible writing at both the story and line level. The characters feel fresh and believable, the “reveals” are exciting, and the full circle moments are so satisfying.
May 10, 2024
this was so fun and chaotic. not something i would normally pick up but it did not disappoint. i felt it became a little anticlimactic towards the end but overall i thought this was great.
July 30, 2024
This book is basically on crack but you’ll never predict what’s coming next so it’s got that going for it.
May 6, 2024
The Lady Waiting by Magdalena Zyzak has all the necessary elements for a highly entertaining read: it is a hilarious, over the top, romp of a novel involving a stolen painting, international locales, and a steamy love triangle. Viva, once a polish school teacher who immigrated to the US by winning the green card lottery is trying to make a way for herself in the US when she picks up a woman named Bobby who is hitchhiking on an island on L.A.s Highway 101 clad in an evening gown. By helping Bobby she wins another kind of lottery and is instantly inserted into lavish and surreal lives of the Sleepers. Shortly after Viva joins them as an assistant they embark on an international search for a stolen Vermeer painting. Viva is astute to the fact that a game is afoot and wishes for agency in the game but is also so swept up in her desire for Sleeper that she is willing to play along. This novel was WAY more spicy than I anticipated based on the blurb so definitely prepare yourself for some steamy scenes between Viva, Sleeper, and Bobby. I would say there is more sex than suspense.
Zyzak is a filmmaker and the ability to create a narrative I could visualize definitely came through in this novel. I could see the scenes playing out and hear the accents of the characters in my head. This novel could easily be adapted for the big or small screen soon.
I don’t know that this novel is intended to be anything but entertainment, but there are some deeper themes to contemplate here related to the immigrant experience, wealth, and what constitutes right and wrong. I wouldn’t say this is the focus or that it is weighed down with morals or commentary but I did think about these things as I reflected on this work.
There were a few aspects of the novel that didn’t quite work for me, and they could be spoilery so I’m going to put those below.
All in all, I think this is a hilarious global jaunt that is entertaining and worth checking out if you're looking for a fun read.
Thank you @riverheadbooks @netgalleyfor the #gifted advance copy.
Possible spoilers:
There were a few things that didn’t quite work for me. I loved the premise of this being a retrospective story of the present day told by Viva far into the future. Unfortunately, I just never felt like the author was able to make me feel like it was being told from the future Viva. There were small interjections here and there but they often felt jarring or out of place. I felt like I needed something more to make it feel really believable.
The middle of the book which focused heavily on the relationship between Viva, Bobby, and Sleeper was just too drawn out for me. I understood that diving into and exploring the dynamic between the three of them was essential to the story but it just felt to me like it went on too long and that it became more about just including lots of steamy sex scenes with the three of them then building up the dynamics between them. I was most engaged and interested in the beginning and end of the story. The middle definitely fed into this being a good fit for a visual medium (TV/Movies).
Zyzak is a filmmaker and the ability to create a narrative I could visualize definitely came through in this novel. I could see the scenes playing out and hear the accents of the characters in my head. This novel could easily be adapted for the big or small screen soon.
I don’t know that this novel is intended to be anything but entertainment, but there are some deeper themes to contemplate here related to the immigrant experience, wealth, and what constitutes right and wrong. I wouldn’t say this is the focus or that it is weighed down with morals or commentary but I did think about these things as I reflected on this work.
There were a few aspects of the novel that didn’t quite work for me, and they could be spoilery so I’m going to put those below.
All in all, I think this is a hilarious global jaunt that is entertaining and worth checking out if you're looking for a fun read.
Thank you @riverheadbooks @netgalleyfor the #gifted advance copy.
Possible spoilers:
There were a few things that didn’t quite work for me. I loved the premise of this being a retrospective story of the present day told by Viva far into the future. Unfortunately, I just never felt like the author was able to make me feel like it was being told from the future Viva. There were small interjections here and there but they often felt jarring or out of place. I felt like I needed something more to make it feel really believable.
The middle of the book which focused heavily on the relationship between Viva, Bobby, and Sleeper was just too drawn out for me. I understood that diving into and exploring the dynamic between the three of them was essential to the story but it just felt to me like it went on too long and that it became more about just including lots of steamy sex scenes with the three of them then building up the dynamics between them. I was most engaged and interested in the beginning and end of the story. The middle definitely fed into this being a good fit for a visual medium (TV/Movies).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2024
3.75⭐️
𝘓𝘈 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵, 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 ����𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦-𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭e 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦.”
this book was absolute chaos in the most delicious way!
viva has hit the green card lottery after leaving her home in poland but her goals to make a life for herself in los angeles prove challenging as the language barrier leaves her without work. a fortunate happenstance meeting with the eccentric and richness that is bobby sleeper lands viva a job as assistant to the lavish lifestyles of the sleepers. what follows next is a wild exploration into the boundaries of intimacy viva shares with her employers which leads to a manipulated agreement of aid in a scheme to steal an elusive piece of art from one of bobby’s ex husbands, thus unfolding a complex and eccentric backstory of bobby’s previous marriages.
i most enjoyed the writing style of this book as it vividly depicts each scene with such clarity it felt like a movie screening through my imagination. the usage of metaphoric prose was so clever and captivating but what stole the show was this aloof, nonsensical, extremely out-of-touch-with-reality personality given to these characters. i found myself laughing at some of their most out of pocket moments:
- “never date a socialist unless he’s the champagne kind.”
- bobby’s ranting comparison between grammar articles & g-strings
- quite literally anything lance said
- roslana (?!)
my enthusiasm for the story wore off towards the 75% mark as the writing took a different direction into viva’s narrative on life post-heist. it felt a bit anticlimactic and perhaps boring but juxtaposed with the lavishness of viva’s life before, perhaps this “boringness” was intentional. the lady waiting’s ambiguous but title befitting ending left me wanting for closure but content, albeit a bit underwhelmed.
thanks so much to penguin random house & riverhead books for sending me a physical copy of the lady waiting to review in exchange for my honest thoughts!
𝘓𝘈 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵, 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 ����𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦-𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭e 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦.”
this book was absolute chaos in the most delicious way!
viva has hit the green card lottery after leaving her home in poland but her goals to make a life for herself in los angeles prove challenging as the language barrier leaves her without work. a fortunate happenstance meeting with the eccentric and richness that is bobby sleeper lands viva a job as assistant to the lavish lifestyles of the sleepers. what follows next is a wild exploration into the boundaries of intimacy viva shares with her employers which leads to a manipulated agreement of aid in a scheme to steal an elusive piece of art from one of bobby’s ex husbands, thus unfolding a complex and eccentric backstory of bobby’s previous marriages.
i most enjoyed the writing style of this book as it vividly depicts each scene with such clarity it felt like a movie screening through my imagination. the usage of metaphoric prose was so clever and captivating but what stole the show was this aloof, nonsensical, extremely out-of-touch-with-reality personality given to these characters. i found myself laughing at some of their most out of pocket moments:
- “never date a socialist unless he’s the champagne kind.”
- bobby’s ranting comparison between grammar articles & g-strings
- quite literally anything lance said
- roslana (?!)
my enthusiasm for the story wore off towards the 75% mark as the writing took a different direction into viva’s narrative on life post-heist. it felt a bit anticlimactic and perhaps boring but juxtaposed with the lavishness of viva’s life before, perhaps this “boringness” was intentional. the lady waiting’s ambiguous but title befitting ending left me wanting for closure but content, albeit a bit underwhelmed.
thanks so much to penguin random house & riverhead books for sending me a physical copy of the lady waiting to review in exchange for my honest thoughts!
April 28, 2024
A fast paced novel about a Polish transplant in LA, missing infamous artwork, and the charismatic couple who seduce her into a misguided world of wealth, luxury, and international heist.
A few chapters in, and you’ll begin to understand why green card lottery winner Viva simply can’t look away from the beautiful catastrophe that are the Sleepers and their resident house guest. They’re witty, verbose, and indulgent — things all foreign to young Viva, who observes these unique characters from both under their wings, as well as in the shadows.
I was absorbed into this book, these purposely nonchalant people and the clever, both real and faux innocence of our main character. Deeply invested, cheering, gasping, and chuckling my way through the chapters. I clutched my pearls, I sighed deeply, and I tabbed quote after quote.
I can’t recommend this book enough. I genuinely loved it.
A few chapters in, and you’ll begin to understand why green card lottery winner Viva simply can’t look away from the beautiful catastrophe that are the Sleepers and their resident house guest. They’re witty, verbose, and indulgent — things all foreign to young Viva, who observes these unique characters from both under their wings, as well as in the shadows.
I was absorbed into this book, these purposely nonchalant people and the clever, both real and faux innocence of our main character. Deeply invested, cheering, gasping, and chuckling my way through the chapters. I clutched my pearls, I sighed deeply, and I tabbed quote after quote.
I can’t recommend this book enough. I genuinely loved it.
May 21, 2024
What a ride! Fast paced,, no moment of boredom and great writing.
June 10, 2024
Exciting, entertaining, unexpected, and beautifully written. It was also chaos and pretty out there. Much more sex than advertised, which (personal preference) I don’t like much in a book. This was a lot of that and I do think there was just a tiiiitch too much of it tbh. But my qualms with that are far outweighed by how fun and interesting this was, I really didn’t want to put it down. The characters were believable and complex and felt really real, which gave it those lit fic vibes I love. 4.5 rounded up??? tldr: fun and wild and unlike anything I’ve read in past!!
August 14, 2024
All stars for the prose
August 13, 2024
really fun and sexy. loved the triad dynamics and loved bobby and lance. loved the descriptions of la and venice. really original too
September 7, 2024
I don't know if I liked it but I applaud the bravery to write something *different*
June 11, 2024
“Are the rich and the pregnant equally annoying to everyone else?” I don’t know. Probably. The characters in this book ARE annoying.
May 14, 2024
Both outrageous and outrageously original, this cool combo of art-heist-return-for-reward, Russian gangsters, and couple’s threesome with their assistant manages to simultaneously entertain and offend. Destiny and coincidence serve as lightning strikes moving the plot breathlessly along.
Viva, a naïve and poor 21-year-old Polish woman, wins the immigration lottery for a chance to come to America. As she arrives in L.A., she picks up a wealthy woman stranded on the side of the road who profoundly changes her destiny and her luck. Bobby Sleeper, the woman she picks up, is also from Poland but from a wealthier family and living in luxury with her sexy, retired, movie director third husband, Sebastian.
Bobby offers Viva a position as their live-in-assistant, as well as eventually that of mistress of her husband as well as herself. Bobby is both comedic provocateur and victim of her own mischief, constantly spiraling out of control of her own life. She comes up with a scheme in conjunction with a past Russian mafia husband to steal back a stolen priceless artwork and get a piece of the huge reward money for its return. Mayhem, adventure, danger, and endless plot twists ensure.
Best of all, the tale gets told by a now 84-year-old Viva, still speaking her broken English, recalling the caper along with her humorous observations for girls reading her tale of how much society has changed in the meantime.
All that remains is the movie that’s sure to follow!
Thanks to Penguin Group, Riverhead Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Viva, a naïve and poor 21-year-old Polish woman, wins the immigration lottery for a chance to come to America. As she arrives in L.A., she picks up a wealthy woman stranded on the side of the road who profoundly changes her destiny and her luck. Bobby Sleeper, the woman she picks up, is also from Poland but from a wealthier family and living in luxury with her sexy, retired, movie director third husband, Sebastian.
Bobby offers Viva a position as their live-in-assistant, as well as eventually that of mistress of her husband as well as herself. Bobby is both comedic provocateur and victim of her own mischief, constantly spiraling out of control of her own life. She comes up with a scheme in conjunction with a past Russian mafia husband to steal back a stolen priceless artwork and get a piece of the huge reward money for its return. Mayhem, adventure, danger, and endless plot twists ensure.
Best of all, the tale gets told by a now 84-year-old Viva, still speaking her broken English, recalling the caper along with her humorous observations for girls reading her tale of how much society has changed in the meantime.
All that remains is the movie that’s sure to follow!
Thanks to Penguin Group, Riverhead Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
July 8, 2024
This book has EVERYTHING: highly inappropriate professional relationships, insightful takes on human motivation, characters that are rich (all meanings implied here) endearing monsters, an art heist, A SHORT-LEGGED DOG WHO DESERVES JUSTICE.
Truly a wild ride from start to finish, you’re never really sure where things might go. The narrator’s asides from the future are occasionally jarring and often dryly hilarious.
She ends her life with everything she always thought she wanted but still haunted by the ghosts of the choices that got her there.
You can buy everything but absolution.
Truly a wild ride from start to finish, you’re never really sure where things might go. The narrator’s asides from the future are occasionally jarring and often dryly hilarious.
She ends her life with everything she always thought she wanted but still haunted by the ghosts of the choices that got her there.
You can buy everything but absolution.
May 23, 2024
3.5 stars. This was chaotic in the best kind of way — outrageous characters, crazy plot lines, some funny dialogue. It did slow down for me as the story progressed, and I found the plot a touch predictable in the second half, but I enjoyed my time spent on this one.
dnf
May 17, 2024Listen, telling me a book involves a heist is total book catnip for me and will draw me in every time. Unfortunately the execution on this one wasn’t for me and I decided to DNF. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.
May 20, 2024
Much like when I watch the show, The White Lotus, (as it is advertised to be similar to), I have no idea if I loved this, or hated it. It’s uncomfortable, evocative and twisty. Absolutely enthralling. 3.75 ⭐️ (I think?)
June 1, 2024
4.5 stars - This was chaotic in the best way. I couldn’t put it down once I started it.
June 18, 2024
3.5 rounded up. It’s giving Saltburn meets Inventing Anna 😏
June 21, 2024
The end is especially good: teasingly ambiguous.
June 22, 2024
Breakfast at Tiffany’s meets auntie Mame.
June 25, 2024
This book is an introvert’s hell. Loud and annoying and so fucking dull. Listening to these stupid people drone on made me want to put a bullet in my head
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