The Regulars

by Georgia Clark

Best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are just trying to make it through their mid-twenties in New York. They’re regular girls, with average looks and typical quarter-life crises: making it up the corporate ladder, making sense of online dating, and making rent.

Until they come across Pretty, a magic tincture that makes them, well . . . gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. And it’s certainly not their fault if the sudden gift of beauty causes unexpected doors to open for them.

But there’s a dark side to Pretty, too, and as the gloss fades for these modern-day Cinderellas, there’s just one question left:

What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Fantasy, Contemporary, Adult, Adult Fiction, Romance

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2016

About the author

Hello! I'm a Brooklyn-based novelist and host/founder of the popular storytelling series, Generation Women. I love improv, being cozy, and fun snacks that are salty.

My next book is a queer Christmas rom-com called MOST WONDERFUL (2024). I also wrote ISLAND TIME, IT HAD TO BE YOU, THE BUCKET LIST, THE REGULARS, and two YA novels.

I teach romance writing, mentor up-and-coming writers, host weekend writers’ retreats, and create the monthly author newsletter, Heartbeat. You can connect with me on Insta, @georgialouclark. Sign up for a class at georgiaclark.com!

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must have missed something here. I've never read a book that has inspired such a bad review and I'm going to try and keep my emotions in check.

I've just finished THE REGULARS by Georgia Clark...and I'm pretty mad.

RELEASE DATE: August 2016

PUBLISHER: Atira Books

DISCLAIMER: Novel sent via NetGallery in exchange for a honest review.

SYNOPSIS: Best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are just trying to make it through their mid-twenties in New York. They’re regular girls, with average looks and typical quarter-life crises: making it up the corporate ladder, making sense of online dating, and making rent.

Until they come across Pretty, a magic tincture that makes them, well...gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. And it’s certainly not their fault if the sudden gift of beauty causes unexpected doors to open for them.

But there’s a dark side to Pretty, too, and as the gloss fades for these modern-day Cinderellas, there’s just one question left:

What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?

REVIEW: I normally start reviews with a small synopsis of the book told from my point of view. I'm not going to go in depth for this one.

Three girls believe they are ugly. These girls find a miraculous potion that makes them drop-dead beautiful. Three girls struggle with the ramifications of being 'beautiful' and leading new lives.

I hated this novel.

There I said it.

I don't normally hate anything. I can put a good spin on everything. I can't with this book. I've just finished it and I'm angry.

I'm angry that this book has been portrayed as anything feminist in nature. It isn't. It's abysmal to think so. The novel barely touches upon the 'love yourself' theme that everyone knows is evident after reading the synopsis. This novel is hateful - full of spiteful, uncharismatic, problematic women who are ugly on the inside.

This novel is obscene. Stupid. The execution of the unique plot is done in a method that is so incomprehensibly dumb - the girls take the magical potion to become pretty and then the literally sh*t themselves. Literally. Every time. Apparently this is supposed to be funny. It's ludacris. The 'sex scenes' sound like something about of a parody movie. The unfathomable actions of one character (ahem, using a fellow coworkers spiritual totem as a sex toy) was when I lost my bearings with this novel. Something that could have been so fun and funky has been bogged down with stupidity and poor plot lines.

There are beautiful authors out there struggling to be read and here I am reading this absurdity. I'm angry because I feel I deserved better as a reader. I've never written a review like this but I felt compelled today.

Don't read.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“Settle down. This ain’t Oprah.”

I have a hard time believing anything will beat out The Regulars for my worst read of 2018. Not even a cameo by my beloved could turn my frown upside down . . . .



The premise here was a potentially fun one: three average girls are gifted a potion guaranteed to make them “Pretty.” My brain was swimming with visions of horrible comedy film good times from the past . . . .



Unfortunately, this was a complete and total fail for me. I don’t even know this woman, but Lisa Mossie says everything that needs to be said in her review so I’m linking it here. As for me? This gave me an anti-book-hangover – meaning I hated this so hard I think it gave me cancer I wasn’t even able to pick up a new book at all yesterday. I’m still not feeling it today either so I think Imma put up a Christmas tree when I get home and see if that cures what ails me. When the best thing about a story is . . . .



That’s not sayin’ a whole lot. As for what I would like to say to the three ladies in this book? It’s pretty simple . . . .



In case that wasn’t clear up there, I wouldn’t really recommend this to anyone. I know my subtlety is often an issue and leaves a real mixed message.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you were given a magic potion that could turn you from a 'regular' looking woman into a stunning supermodel - would you take it? This is the dilemma facing three regular looking girls in New York struggling to make their way in their careers. In this modern take on a fairy tale a little bottle of purple potion makes them beautiful for 7 days and transforms their lives. People notice beautiful women and seemingly everything they wish for is granted. But will it make them happy or teach them to accept who they really are? A fun modern day morality tale exploring feminism and what female beauty still means to our society.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for a digital copy to read and review

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a reader that enjoys a funny story and can suspend disbelief, this is pretty amusing - for the most part. This book strives to explore society's obsession with beauty and the unrealistic standards that we as women set for ourselves, in a humorous way.

I mention suspending disbelief because you kind of have to. This story is about three twenty-something friends living in New York, trying to find their way in the world. They’re each holding back in some way, until a purple liquid called “pretty” ends up in their hands. With each dose they go from “regular” to “pretty” for seven days. Like supermodel, everyone notices them, pretty.

“What you spend most of your time doing is actually what you do.”

In the beginning, their antics made me laugh and there were plenty of cringeworthy moments to match. At a point, it started to cross the line into ridiculous territory though.

The whole idea behind taking the potion was to get out there and do things differently, but in hindsight did it really matter? Could the potion help them get over their own insecurities when the world was seeing an entirely different person? I think the author proved not.

I could look past the over-the-top nature and the clichés surrounding most of the characters, but I still felt like the story was about 100 pages too long. I figured the author was taking her time building up to a strong ending and the lesson learned, but that wasn’t the case. Turns out, it was pretty lackluster. Maybe I missed the whole point?

The overall message just wasn’t as strong as I expected it to be. In fact, it fell kind of flat. Why didn’t she pound home that looks aren’t everything, that being yourself trumps all, in a more definitive voice? I’m not really sure what I took away from this mixed message plot. Dare I say, I expected it to be more empowering?

*ARC provided by Atria and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three friends in Brooklyn are struggling to succeed in their careers, bank accounts and love. Evie is a copywriter at a women’s magazine and unhappy with her current job. Kristah has dropped out of law school to pursue an unsuccessful acting career. Willow is a photographer who struggles with self image issues. All three women feel that if they were prettier, opportunities would present themselves differently, and life experiences would be more fun.

The group obtains Pretty, a drink that they know very little about but will make them beautiful for 7 days. Their current lives are completely changed while on Pretty. Each of them gets to experience the life that they have only dreamed about. They soon realize that not much has really changed in their lives beyond their improved physical attributes.

This is not the typical genre or type of book that I normally read. If you can suspend judgement over the magic/surreal aspects it can be an amusing read. It is light, fun and quick to finish. The Regulars is an interesting take on pop culture. Our society is flooded with marketing campaigns on television, magazines and social media attempting to sell beauty.

The book reminds us that beauty is only skin deep.
Giving book away on my blog until 10/14 http://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved

[Lisa Mossie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book took a premise that sounded intriguing and fun---a group of average or "regular" looking friends comes across a magical potion that makes them beautiful--and completely squanders it on the three most vapid and shallow characters ever published. It was hard for me to decide which one of these cliched millennials I disliked more: The strident angry feminist, Evie who preaches women's empowerment but doesn't practice it; the ditzy and lazy sex crazed roommate, Krista whose sexual escapades I think are supposed to be hilariously outrageous but read as pathetic, or poor little rich girl, Willow who apparently has Daddy issues that are never explained. Not a single one of these girls has anything close to impulse control. I strongly suspect that these characters were given zero depth by the author because she is just as lazy as her characters: I think they are all supposed to be loosely based on characters from the HBO show "Girls" but I can't confirm since I've never watched it.

The story is told in disconnected vignettes about these women we are supposed to believe are friends, yet as each one goes through one self-inflicted crisis after another, it seems that the other two could barely be bothered to even hear about it or (*gag*) "workshop" it, as the author calls it. The sex scenes, of which there were way too many, were raunchy, graphic and disgusting.

So the story is that these three girls get their hands on this "magic" potion that turns them "pretty" for a week, completely modifying their appearance from regular to stunningly gorgeous. Of course, their new looks open doors of opportunity for them which they then completely squander. The main character, our empowered lesbian Evie, is star struck and falls in "love" with her favorite novelist, having a purely physical affair based on nothing but chemistry which ends in quasi-stalking. Evie works for a vapid Cosmo-type magazine and as the 23-year-old junior copy editor, she loses no opportunity to expound from the lofty heights of her vast experience and wisdom directly to the publisher how damaging to women is this magazine that is paying her salary. Yet, she takes the "Pretty" potion to land a side gig hosting the magazine's web series, then after going through the trauma of actually changing her entire physical appearance to be "pretty" (and believe me, there is trauma, and like the sex in the book, it's gross) she refuses to wear makeup or dress appropriately for the on air assignment---as if she is making some kind of principled feminist stand for women.

The ditzy roommate, Krista, whom we are supposed to believe is so smart she that got into law school, but has dropped out to pursue her "dream" of acting, (yet cannot manage to get herself out of bed in time for an audition) uses her new look to land a dream role in a movie and messes that up with her sense of entitlement at least four distinct times, yet never pays a price.

The worst is the poor little rich girl, who as her new "pretty" self, sets out to seduce her boyfriend as her alter ego and is devastated by his "betrayal" when she succeeds. This vapid piece of work actually sends a suicide note to her boyfriend at the end, leads him and her girlfriends on a desperate chase around the city and then offers no explanation or apology when she just turns up unharmed.

The origins of this mysterious potion are never explained and though we are supposed to have this vague sense of the potion being bad or evil, none of that is ever explored either. But perhaps worst of all, and why this book was so unsatisfying, is that none of these idiots ever has to pay a price for the multitude of bad decisions they make during the course of the book. I read all the way to the end, actually hoping for some kind of appropriate comeuppance, and instead I get a pat,completely unrealistic happily ever after that actually rewards each of these bimbos for their stupidity.

The only reason I gave this book one star is because I didn't want anyone to think I forgot to rate it. Incredibly disappointing and a waste of a really good idea. I hated it with the intensity of a thousand white hot suns and I couldn't wait to finish it because I couldn't wait to vent the anger this book inspired in me on this review. Do not waste your time or money.

[Corrin Foster · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never regretted purchasing a book until The Regulars.

[Scottsdale Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had the opportunity to be prettier, more successful, and more confident simply by drinking a potion, would you take that chance? That's the dilemma facing three best friends living in New York and each struggling in their lives. Author Clark spins a fascinating tale of what can happen when a person decides to take the risk of reaching the pinnacle of success, no matter the cost. - Louisa A.

[Lucy Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A bold, bolshy modern fairytale, with occasionally confusing messages!

If you were offered a potion to make you unbelievably beautiful, would you take it? And if so, what might the consequences be? It's these two questions that drive the plot of The Regulars, a snappy, straight-talking book that illustrates just how much can go wrong (and right) when you're one of the gorgeous few.

We've got Evie, a downtrodden bisexual copy-editor, desperate for the world to hear her feminist message. Krista, who's trying to break into the movies, but is too damned lazy to make it. And Willow, a talented photographer, battling depression. Krista, after a particularly disastrous audition, is given a bottle of Pretty, a potion that promises to make her unbelievably beautiful - which she promptly uses, then shares with her two friends.

What follows is a fast-paced, well-handled tale of the rise and fall of the Pretties - landing themselves success, recognition and money, but realising that looking great comes at a terrible cost.

So, what was good about this book? Firstly, it's well written and compelling to read. Clark drives the plot at a cracking pace, making it the perfect chick-lit book for a beach holiday. Although the idea is completely 'far-out', it's tailored ideally to suspend disbelief. And there were a few moments that were genuinely amusing (Krista's fake name of Lenka Penka made me chuckle).

However, I had a few minor issues. Firstly (and perhaps most importantly), I felt there were mixed messages coming through. On the one hand, the book seems to firmly advocate feminism, with strong feminist messages. But occasionally, it seems to self-sabotage its own message, which I'd be concerned about for younger readers (i.e. older teens!).

It's also a little unnecessarily gross-out at times. I know this is all the rage, with films like Bridesmaids etc., but in the book, I didn't really feel it added much. Krista performing a sexual act on a co-star's old award was really cringe-worthy, as was the explosive diarrhoea towards the beginning. I also felt that the book could have worked more successfully as a young adult book, by perhaps losing some of the highly explicit scenes (which I personally didn't feel added much) and just toning it down a little.

However, it was an enjoyable read, relatively light and fun, and I think she's a really good writer. Just next book - let's deliver the feminist message loud and clear, without muddying the waters! :-)

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Regulars via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

Addicting writing and short chapters helped make this a quick read, even though it was a little longer than it needed to be. I liked the style and I think the writing is what mostly compelled me to keep reading about these awful girls.

I appreciate a good character-driven story, but to really love one I either need to Love the characters or Love to Hate them. Unfortunately I felt slightly annoyed, but mostly ambivalent towards the characters in this book. While diverse (not all just straight, white girls), they were pretty clichéd – Evie: The Angry, Feminist, Bi-Sexual; Krista: The Good Time Girl that flakes out on all responsibility; Willow: The Artist with a Tortured Soul. I also felt the character growth was pretty much contained to the final chapters and was kind of too little too, late for me.

I was surprised at how Pretty ended up working. I thought it would just enhance their features to a traditionally beautiful level, but it straight up changes their appearance into a new person. Because of this they come up with fake names and ignore their normal lives. It bothered me that there was virtually no consequences whatsoever to this. I also wished that we would have learned a little more about the origin of Pretty and how it works, but it pretty much remains a huge mystery that none of the characters are all that concerned about.

While I like the overall theme of feminism and self-acceptance, it just wasn’t quite executed as well as I wanted it to be. The main characters were pretty selfish and kind of awful people and they didn’t really face any lasting consequences to any of the bad things they did while on Pretty. The ending felt way too easy and they’re only marginally better people than they were before.

Overall, The Regulars was a quick read with some addictive writing, but it’s unlikable characters made the book kind of hard to enjoy at times. I wish that the character growth would have been more pronounced and that they would have had to face some consequences of their poor decisions. This book wasn’t my cup of tea, but I think there are a lot of people who would really enjoy it.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2.5 Stars

[Cortney - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Georgia Clark's It Had to Be You a few months ago and loved it so much... so despite the less than stellar rating, I wanted to pick up The Regulars.

It was OK, but well-deserving of it's current rating. Where is the explanation about Pretty? She touched on it briefly with the girl that gave it to Krista, but we were just left hanging and it was never revisited again.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, witty, and damn funny! THE REGULARS provides a blessedly fresh snapshot of 20-something Brooklyn, of celebrity culture, of how both men and women buy into the fiction of beauty. This book will make you giggle and sigh (and sometimes cringe on the characters' behalves!) and above all, keep you hooked. Georgia Clark sneaks in some astute observations about societal "norms" in this thoroughly entertaining novel!

[Catherine (The Gilmore Guide to Books) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chick-lit masquerading as social satire. And not even good chick-lit. I get the joke- three 'regular' friends who find out that being drop-dead, photoshopped gorgeous isn't all that it's cracked up to be, but the message is lost in so much poor taste I copped out at 90%. I could not read on. There are better ways to skewer our selfie-centric, fake-beauty obsessed culture.

[Eeva · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFed at 17%
I wish I could give this book zero stars. Or negative bazillion of stars.
It's the worst book I've read this year, and I''ve been reading some pretty shitty books, mind you.

The idea of the plot was very interesting and I was excited to read it. Unfortunately the writing is terrible, the vocabluary terrible, the characters shallow and uninteresting.
Evie, one of the main chatacters is so high and mighty that I dream of slapping her and making her fall from her high horse.

I find it apalling that this book was picked up by a publishing house when there are so many brilliamt writers struggling to be published and recognized.

[Natasha at Book Baristas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Cups of Coffee!

"You see what you want to see."

I loved THE REGULARS by Georgia Clark! This story read like a movie that was downright hilarious & addictive -- I may have laughed out loud more than once on the subway while reading

[Cassie]

I hate all the characters, and life is short.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed by this book. Every single character in this book is terrible and stupid. Every. Single. One. The feminist who I thought I was going to love, is the biggest hypocrite. She refuses to wear makeup because it's a "beauty standard" when she already took a fucking potion to BECOME the beauty standard. She's complaining about working for this materialistic Cosmopolitan-style mag but she doesn't get the balls to quit and go to a source where her opinions will be heard, not undermined. And the whole romantic situation with the famous author culminates to something that was legit just a poorly thought-out way to end a romance quick and easy. The actress... I cannot fathom the stupidity in this character. She is psychotic, incredibly unlikeable and doesn't understand how she's such a fuck-up. Then the last girl, the artist, is the worst. She seduces her boyfriend with the hot version of herself by TALKING TO HIM FIRST, making ALL the first moves and finally getting him in bed. She does all this to prove that HE isn't trustworthy. The amount of drama in her scenes doesn't match the tone of the rest of the book AT ALL and feels so out of place.

It's extremely offensive that this book calls itself a feminist book when all these characters are 1. idiots and 2. meet their stereotypes: the die-hard feminist who says all the wrong things to make everyone around her wildly uncomfortable, the air-head actress who misses an important audition because she was SHOPPING, and the tortured artist with severe daddy issues. I don't understand how these girls face 0 consequences for their reckless actions.

Goddamn terrible book. Even though it has a couple tiny redeemable moments, (one actually made me laugh) would not in the slightest chance in hell recommend this to anyone.

[Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie, I bought this book a while ago and then it sat on my shelf for years because of the bad reviews it's gotten. I finally decided to pick it up and read it since I'm trying to get through some of the books that have been on my shelves for a while, and I was pleasantly surprised! That just goes to show that I shouldn't judge a book solely on reviews, because everyone has different tastes in books!

The Regulars is a cute chick lit book with a touch of fantasy thrown in. Best friends Willow, Evie, and Krista come across a vial of liquid called "pretty", and when they take it, they turn super model gorgeous. What ensues are some hilarious (and sometimes sad) antics as the women realize that looks aren't everything and that being beautiful doesn't equate to instant happiness.

In the negative reviews, I saw that some readers felt like the message of "you're perfect just the way you are" could have been hit on more, but I actually didn't feel the same way. This book is written for adults (not teens or children) and I think adult readers can interpret the message of the book just fine without it being thrown in your face every page. I really enjoyed the friendship aspect of the book, including the fights and annoyances that the girls have with each other, which are natural! In the end, they stick by each other through thick and thin, and I really enjoyed that. We also got to see the story told from each characters POVs, which worked really well for me in this book.

All in all, I really liked the book and thought it was a fun summer read! It was quick, light, and silly, which is just what I wanted!

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Went exactly where I figured but hope it wouldn't go. At times it was funny and I did read it in a day without abandoning it, but feel like it could have done so much more.

[AusRomToday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in New York, best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are regular girls facing regular challenges surrounding careers, dating and relationships, and their own body image perceptions. The characters are easy to relate to and are well developed. The story takes a whimsical and (at times) dark turn with the introduction of magical Pretty tincture that transforms the girls from their regular-looking selves to supermodel gorgeous with all the supposed perks of beauty bestowed on them along the way—promotions, dream jobs, relationships, and their own self-esteem. However it isn’t long until we see the girls question the authenticity of their new-found lives.

With The Regulars, Georgia Clark explores and challenges body image attitudes and society’s tendency to see beauty as only skin deep. Clark goes further by questioning society’s preoccupation with beauty and the superficial way in which this impacts women in their everyday lives. Certainly The Regulars boasts a feminist-style message however delivered in a very palatable and entertaining manner. With equal measures of laugh-out-loud funny, dark, gritty, edgy, and whimsical, The Regulars is absolutely worth a read!

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 2.5 / 3 stars **

Review to come.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:  Although the characters were sometimes frustrating, the plot a bit too neat, and the social commentary a bit heavy handed, I really enjoyed this dramatic, playful read.

"Best friends Evie, Krista, and Willow are just trying to make it through their mid-twenties in New York. They’re regular girls, with average looks and typical quarter-life crises: making it up the corporate ladder, making sense of online dating, and making rent. Until they come across Pretty, a magic tincture that makes them, well...gorgeous. Like, supermodel gorgeous. And it’s certainly not their fault if the sudden gift of beauty causes unexpected doors to open for them. But there’s a dark side to Pretty, too, and as the gloss fades for these modern-day Cinderellas, there’s just one question left: What would you sacrifice to be Pretty?" (Source)

I was dubious about this book at first. The main characters sometimes felt incredibly relatable to me, but at other times they were so completely irresponsible or silly or insecure that their actions were only barely believable. As I got into the story though, I got hooked. I enjoyed the wild, crazy, once-in-a-lifetime experiences they each had while using the Pretty. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. While I sometimes find books with this much drama annoying, in this book, it was a fun adventure and was made more believable by the magical realism of the Pretty.

Throughout, the book had its flaws. The events while the girls were using the Pretty and the ways their lives were changed at the end were a bit too neat. The comments the author made about beauty were a bit too direct. At times, it felt as though the author was having the characters share with us her beliefs. Fortunately, I don't mind plots where everything just works out too much and I I agreed with the feminist commentary on beauty the author was sharing. As a result, neither of these flaws prevented me from enjoying this fun romp.

I've been trying not to compare this to  The Assistants and just enjoy it for itself, but I can't help mentioning that if you liked this book, you'll probably love The Assistants. I'm less sure the reverse is true. The Assistants had none of the flaws of this book and was wittier as well. However, if you're looking for some books to take to the beach, I'd recommend grabbing them both.
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This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate read this book. My co-worker read it and asked me to read it, cause I'll read almost anything. The only reason I gave this 2 stars, instead of one, was that I liked the concept. Everything else was complete crap.

Concept: Three very average, very 'regular' girls. Friends. Evie, Willow, and Krista. All are in somewhat of a rut and are unhappy with their lives. Krista runs into someone she used to know who looks amazing now. The friend offers her a bottle of 'pretty'. One drop will turn you pretty. Willow takes it first and shits and pukes her guts out. But is transformed into a beautiful woman, who looks nothing like her old self. So now she has to create a new life, and cover the old one, while she is this person. Each girl takes the pretty. Willow becomes Caroline. Evie become Chloe. Krista becomes Lenka Penka.

Willow is a struggling artist with a famous father. She uses the pretty to seduce her boyfriend Mark and then take pictures of herself 'emoting' from the experience. The pictures are a huge success. Evie is a feminist working at a glamour mag (a trashy one) and wants to convince the people there to start running pieces that matter. She is ignored. Takes the pretty, lands a web show, meets her favorite author Velma, starts a relationship with Velma. Krista is just a freaking hot mess. Supposed to be a lawyer but quit to become an actress. She is heavily in debt, always late, and doesn't seem to take anything seriously. She takes the pretty, lands a role in a movie.

Each girl totally messes up the opportunities they are given. Krista/Lenka's are so absurdly ridiculous, idiotic, and selfish that it's painful to read. Evie/Chloe is so idealist, ignorant, and selfish that you have no respect for her. Willow/Caroline is so destructive, bizarre, and selfish that you have no idea what you're supposed to be thinking when you read her story lines. All become dependent on the pretty. All fail to think about their lives long-term.

There is a tiny story line where Krista tracks down Penny (The girl who gave her the pretty). It's a really bizarre scene where you really don't get any answers. Almost as if Penny is a willing, yet unhappy prisoner to the man who gave her the pretty.

All three girls have their 'pretty' end, they realize they like themselves as they are. They dump the rest of the pretty and everything turns out well for them in the end.

Seriously, this book was crap. But I liked the idea of 'the pretty'. I just wish Clark had done a better job with her story and had actually taken the time to create realistic characters that people would want to read about, instead of these ridiculous, selfish girls.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

An hour of small talk with someone you'd think twice about saving from a burning building. Online dating was like Russian roulette. Mostly misses. But sometimes, people Evie knew had met that all-too-rare bullet: a smart, aesthetically pleasing New Yorker who was still single. Maybe tonight, Evie thought, is the night I blow my brains out.

There was something distinctly ethereal about Willow Hendriksen, like she might transform into a flock of birds if you snapped your fingers.

Her previously nonfunctioning brain had been working overtime to answer the endlessly cycling questions: how, how, how? By the time exhaustion finally won, the answer lay somewhere between military-grade nanotechnology and magic beans.

Krista's hangover was a vicious, circling thing: giant birds of prey pick-pick-picking over a rotten carcass in some far-off desert. Rogue eyeliner turned her into a sexy zombie.


My Review:

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book but I was captivated by this highly amusing, addictive, and cleverly written tale. It was utterly delightful and wickedly funny. I often smirked, snorted, and barked aloud at the witty observations and dialogue. The plot reminded me of a younger and edgier version of the Goldie Hawn/Merle Streep movie Death Becomes Her, although this story has three separate plot threads from three different women experiencing their own complications and reactions to "The Pretty" a magical elixir that transforms the user into a total babe for a week. Powerful stuff as the transformation only requires a drop and comes with the complete and dramatic evacuation of body fluids - smirk. The three young women find themselves affected in more than just the physical sense, as their beauty impacts their emotions, personalities, and worldview. Three heavy orders of narcissism were dished out and I could just imagine all the shoving and elbowing for mirror time. The storyline was topical, fresh, eventful, and irreverent. I adored Ms. Clark's humor, insightfulness, and deft word-craft. I have a shiny new name to add to my list of talented authors to fangirl.

[Helen Marquis · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the modern woman's seeming obsession with beauty, perfection and adhering to the unrealistic standards set by the beauty industry, 'The Regulars' centres around three female inhabitants of New York, who are gifted a potion called "Pretty" by their very own fairy godmother. Just one drop of the potion turns them into perfect specimens - long and lithe of limb, glossy and bouncy of hair, big and perky of chest, captivating of gaze and utterly irresistible to both men and women alike.
Evie, previously a struggling blogger / copyeditor, soon becomes an online show presenter, with an amazing famous girlfriend, Willow, previously a struggling photographer, soon has people queuing up for her exhibitions and Krista goes from being a struggling actress to a leading lady. However, perfection comes with a price and it soon turns out that living the life of their dreams can be a nightmare....
It's an interesting premise, and obviously one that requires the reader to suspend their disbelief and embrace the fairy tale. That said, the happy ever after ending really jarred with me. As the tale is all about perceptions of perfection, beauty from within, etc etc. the happy ending seemed a cop out. Life doesn't always have a happy ending, even if you are a really lovely person!
That said, there was still plenty to enjoy in this book. It reminded me in parts of the Witches of Eastwick, with the terrifying trio taking over Manhattan with a sultry shake of their glossy manes. There's also a good moral centre about self-acceptance and loving your flaws. But there is still the depressing side that the Pretties do get more opportunities and do get treated better by other people as they glide through life.
Definitely worth a read, it just sends out some slightly confused mix messages from time to time.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was a good read for the pool; and the topics it touches on are so relevant and timely. I really appreciated the way the author used the characters to present narratives on the contradictions and complexities about physical image that we consider normal in American culture, and to our detriment.

A couple of the reviews on the back cover used the phrase "fairy tale" to describe the story's general approach, and I would agree. However, that made it really easy to guess (correctly) how the story would end. I also felt like the development of who the characters were before the story began was inconsistent. There were times when past situations and experiences seemed hinted at, without ever being divulged; and I very much would have liked to know more about Penny.

[Georgia Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a warm-hearted, funny, dirty, sexy, political-in-a-good-way novel about beauty. You will like it if you like stories about female friendship or magic realism or contemporary fiction or Brooklyn or you've ever felt not pretty enough.

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evie, Krista and Willow are best friends, just three regular girls, trying to make it through their twenties in New York City, trying to achieve something, trying to make sense of dating.
Until they get their hands on magic in a bottle. One drop of "Pretty" is enough to change everything.
The gift of beauty opens doors but only if you're willing to sacrifice...

So this was interesting.
I haven't read anything similar before and I was intrigued by the idea. It really makes you think about the way society forces us into an ideal image.

The three girls are completely different characters, I found all of them to be relatable in some way, then again unlikeable in another.

"Because in New York everything is permissible. No one cared what you wore, how you looked. Only you cared about those things. And if they didn't worry you, then they didn't matter."

It's easy to read and interesting enough, I wanted to get through it to see where this was headed. But considering the writing style, the fun language an the vibe, plus what I expected - I was somewhat disappointed.
It's enjoyable but too superficial for what it's about, I expected something deeper.

There were so many good aspects, like how toxic a person can become and obsess over things she loathed before, how irresponsible people can be, how childhood traumas can make and break you.
But in the end it didn't feel special but like the average chick-lit.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really intrigued by this book, especially after reading the chapter sampler that ‘Books and the City’ kindly gave me at the spring blogger event. It didn’t sound like anything I’d read before so it was very excited to try something new.

The book is as fascinating as it sounds. The writing style is great, it’s sharp and packs a punch, it’s a lot darker than most of the books I read and liked that about it. I’m used to very cosy and warm writing (which i equally enjoy), so it was a great contrast.
Set in New York this book is part women’s fiction and part something else. I can’t quite put my finger on what though…realistic fantasy? Obviously the Pretty potion couldn’t happen in real life, but the setting was set in the world we know. The potion was almost fairy tale or maybe fable is a better way of putting it, as there was lessons to be learned.

Obviously body image and beauty standards is one that comes into question, but also covers feminism quite heavily. It’s very topical as while in today’s society we are more socially aware, we still have publications that have numbers articles a week or month about who looks like they’ve gained a few pounds, or dared to go outside without make up.

The three characters are all flawed (as are we all), both as regular and pretty, but while I found myself wondering what the hell some of the characters were doing at times (Krista especially), I was enthralled in the story that I could barely put this down.

Evie started out as the most likeable character but possibly changed the most throughout the book, and until very close to the end it was for the worse. However I think that Evie wouldn’t recognise the person she changed into, both physically AND on the inside. Yes she was still a fierce feminist, but she failed to see her reliance on the potion to land her idol as a girlfriend as slightly ironic compared to her disdain at things such as makeup. We can do desperate things for love sometimes, but the potion seemed to make her forget all sense, though it’s easy to see that from an outside perspective.
It was great that in her professional life she was trying her best to make a difference, but I think she should have realised that no matter what she says, they aren’t going to change. That is a defeatist attitude I realise and if it is just one person standing up maybe things won’t change, but there are strength in numbers and the book makes you stop and think.

Krista is one crazy character and probably my most disliked initially. She was inconsiderate and her antics means she didn’t help herself in any shape or form. Krista was always doing crazy things, whether it’s missing auditions for shopping or having some fun with an award statue, she was impulsive and that’s who she was throughout most of the book. However I think she possibly ended up the character I had the most fun with and she definitely seemed to grow the most as a person.

Willow I would love to get to know more, she was very withdrawn and incredibly sensitive and insecure. Her story was heart breaking at times and I kind of want a Novella on each character as follow ups!

This book was a surprise when I first heard about it, and I’m glad I had the chance to read it. Smart, fresh and an incredibly engaging read from the beginning till end.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I picked up this to read I’d completely forgotten what it was about, except for the magic potion thing, but that happens a lot for me so I just decided to go into the book blind and have no expectations. I do like going into books blind sometimes.

I think I had a problem with each woman and it just got worse as they became addicted or relied on the Pretty more and more. Evie, Krista and Willow all had their own reasons for taking Pretty but as they relied on it more things in their lives seemed to get worse, not better. I’m not really sure how they thought taking this would help them at all when they weren’t physically themselves while they were making these changes. But I think in the end it did help them. Maybe not the way they expected but more in accepting themselves for who they are. But all that acceptance and character growth came too late in the book for me.

I was surprised how much Evie, Krista and Willow changed while taking Pretty. Not just physically, but their personalities changed too. They each came up with these new personas and just let them do whatever they wanted with no consequences because at the end they could just stop taking it and no one would ever know. I do wish that they learned more on the origins of Pretty and how it worked. It was left as a mystery that none of the characters seemed to want to look into at all.

I did like the overall message of self-acceptance and feminism but I don’t think it came across that well. The main characters were all awful in their own way and didn’t seem to have any lasting consequences to the things they’d done while they were taking Pretty.

I liked the idea of this book and it was a fast read but the fact that I didn’t really like any of the characters in the book meant I couldn’t really connect with the story. I wish the character growth came a little earlier in the book, not in the last couple of chapters. Even though this book wasn’t really for me I can definitely see why others would like it.