What do you think?
Rate this book
24-Karat Kids
Meet Dr. Shelley Green - newly minted pediatrician. After graduating medical school at the top of her class, Shelley is hired by Madison Pediatrics, the Upper East Side's most exclusive practice. Suddenly this self-described 'schlumpy girl from Jackson Heights' is thrown into the world of the rich, famous, and very neurotic. Her life is about to change in a big way.
Hyper-parenting has reached epidemic proportions -- and Madison Pediatrics is its over-privileged epicenter. Shelley, a superb doctor with a kid-friendly touch and a genius for diagnosis, quickly becomes the Upper East Side's latest must-have accessory, the darling of the fabulously-wealthy-with-kids crowd. Now she's slimming down, dressing up in Fendi and Prada, and weekending in the Hamptons. No wonder Arthur - her adorable schoolteacher fiancé - is baffled.
Enter Josh Potter - blueblood hunk who never seems to have his checkbook around. What he does have is charm, connections, and enough sex appeal to set Shelley's head spinning. Before long, Shelley's plate is way too men and medicine, elite nursery schools and rooftop swimming pools. Can she handle it all without losing her soul? Find out in this delicious dose of fiction that brims with acerbic wit, dead-on satire, and finally, poignancy and heart.
Hyper-parenting has reached epidemic proportions -- and Madison Pediatrics is its over-privileged epicenter. Shelley, a superb doctor with a kid-friendly touch and a genius for diagnosis, quickly becomes the Upper East Side's latest must-have accessory, the darling of the fabulously-wealthy-with-kids crowd. Now she's slimming down, dressing up in Fendi and Prada, and weekending in the Hamptons. No wonder Arthur - her adorable schoolteacher fiancé - is baffled.
Enter Josh Potter - blueblood hunk who never seems to have his checkbook around. What he does have is charm, connections, and enough sex appeal to set Shelley's head spinning. Before long, Shelley's plate is way too men and medicine, elite nursery schools and rooftop swimming pools. Can she handle it all without losing her soul? Find out in this delicious dose of fiction that brims with acerbic wit, dead-on satire, and finally, poignancy and heart.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
8 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
October 13, 2011
I was really into it... I mean, I really liked it. It's a very girly book, chick lit, beach read, whatever. I love books about the Upper East Side and this one was giving me what I wanted, descriptions of the snotty, rich and famous. Then all of a sudden...
Well, what would you do if you were speaking to someone and in the middle of telling you a story they just stopped. Like, "Well I was walking in the street, and all these cars were coming, and then there was a bear running towards me and then... I had tea." You're like, wait... what? But what happened with the cars and the bear?? "Nothing happened, I just had tea," they say. Wouldn't you feel... cheated out of a good story?
That is what happens at the end of this book and it ruined it for me. There was still to much that needed to be sorted out before the book ended. Lazy writers! *shakes indignant fist*
Well, what would you do if you were speaking to someone and in the middle of telling you a story they just stopped. Like, "Well I was walking in the street, and all these cars were coming, and then there was a bear running towards me and then... I had tea." You're like, wait... what? But what happened with the cars and the bear?? "Nothing happened, I just had tea," they say. Wouldn't you feel... cheated out of a good story?
That is what happens at the end of this book and it ruined it for me. There was still to much that needed to be sorted out before the book ended. Lazy writers! *shakes indignant fist*
February 13, 2019
I think the love triangle wasn’t necessary at all and I personally would’ve preferred the story without the romantic drama. I don’t think it was developed properly. Also, I hated the subtle hints of Shelley having a shopping addiction (totally uncalled for).
I really disliked the ending. I feel like it was forced, almost as if the authors got tired of writing and just wanted to get the book over with.
I really enjoyed Shelley’s character, though. I think the storyline was good for the most part, there was just a few story holes that needed to be resolved. I think the Alison story line was okay, definitely not necessary.
I really disliked the ending. I feel like it was forced, almost as if the authors got tired of writing and just wanted to get the book over with.
I really enjoyed Shelley’s character, though. I think the storyline was good for the most part, there was just a few story holes that needed to be resolved. I think the Alison story line was okay, definitely not necessary.
April 5, 2013
A light and quirky read. Even though I guessed every character's drama before the author revealed them (beyond predictable), I was totally let down by the ending. It was abrupt and left so many strings dangling. I hate wondering what happened to certain characters! Still - definitely the type of easy reading I needed at the moment.
June 18, 2007
A quick. light, chick lit read about an upper east side pediatrician - entertaining - especially b/c the main character does everything right and has all the right answers 2 weeks out of residency and always says the right thing to parents..ha!
November 5, 2020
I picked this book up by the cover (I left my glasses at homes so I ended up just picking books literally by title and cover).
I agree with others that it was a cute chic book and I too love books centered in NYC. The book was so predictable from the time Shelley got her job. The relationships with the patients and the family were fun to read. But besides one little surprise the book ended exactly the way I thought which made it a boring ending to what could have been more real and exciting. I don't know the writers going through all the stories and parties, etc. just decided to stop telling a story and make it the easiest ending.
I agree with others that it was a cute chic book and I too love books centered in NYC. The book was so predictable from the time Shelley got her job. The relationships with the patients and the family were fun to read. But besides one little surprise the book ended exactly the way I thought which made it a boring ending to what could have been more real and exciting. I don't know the writers going through all the stories and parties, etc. just decided to stop telling a story and make it the easiest ending.
June 10, 2017
great
April 8, 2023
Very good 👍
June 25, 2023
LOVED!! Was so surprised by this book! The ending was perfect and I was not expecting it at all. Great light read
September 8, 2024
I enjoyed this book even more than I thought it would. Sadly, it is probably not as far fetched as one might think as it's written by someone who lived it. Too bad there is not a sequel!
February 6, 2025
Complete fluff....but it hit the spot
August 7, 2025
Total fluff, but charming. Feel good and not surprising ending.
June 13, 2007
a welcome, wonderful surprise. seriously. first there's the fact that the cover is genius (i hate that they don't have the paperback cover for you to see) - but it looks like you could be reading a book about child-rearing, instead of a beach blonde book. i mean, it lists a DOCTOR as the first author.
then there's the fact that it's the first novel i've encountered that decided to chart the territory of the UES pediatricians' offices. (there is seriously so little territory left to write crap about, i'm amazing i didn't think of this.) the little glimpses into the characters and their mothers/parents are absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious, mostly because if you've ever spent any time on the UES, or babysat somewhere in the city, you KNOW these aren't horrific exaggerations. the story-line was a little . . . blah, and i really wanted it to be a much longer book, with more development in the relationships between shelly and her patients (the only real "case study" we get is an adorable girl named allison), and well, mostly that.
i was quite pleased with the ending, if a bit abrupt, and liked the fact they felt confident enough to leave it there. i really hope there's more to come.
then there's the fact that it's the first novel i've encountered that decided to chart the territory of the UES pediatricians' offices. (there is seriously so little territory left to write crap about, i'm amazing i didn't think of this.) the little glimpses into the characters and their mothers/parents are absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious, mostly because if you've ever spent any time on the UES, or babysat somewhere in the city, you KNOW these aren't horrific exaggerations. the story-line was a little . . . blah, and i really wanted it to be a much longer book, with more development in the relationships between shelly and her patients (the only real "case study" we get is an adorable girl named allison), and well, mostly that.
i was quite pleased with the ending, if a bit abrupt, and liked the fact they felt confident enough to leave it there. i really hope there's more to come.
February 10, 2017
Light cute and fun.. it entertained me
July 2, 2008
A fast light read. Enjoyable as a beach-read, chick-lit type book.
I certainly don't think much of the nouveau rich or the sense of entitlement that the upper class set in this book has. I enjoyed the author's commentary on hyper-parenting and the wonderful rapport that the main character had with the children in her practice. I was a bit worried that the book was going to end with her having lost herself, however. I was eager for her to rediscover the person she was inside with the beliefs that she stood up for. She became harder to like as the book progressed.
I think there is probably much more to say about her practice and I found the tales of her patients every bit as satisfying as the bits about her personal life. Perhaps that just shows how far from Upper East Side society I am myself.
I certainly don't think much of the nouveau rich or the sense of entitlement that the upper class set in this book has. I enjoyed the author's commentary on hyper-parenting and the wonderful rapport that the main character had with the children in her practice. I was a bit worried that the book was going to end with her having lost herself, however. I was eager for her to rediscover the person she was inside with the beliefs that she stood up for. She became harder to like as the book progressed.
I think there is probably much more to say about her practice and I found the tales of her patients every bit as satisfying as the bits about her personal life. Perhaps that just shows how far from Upper East Side society I am myself.
May 21, 2016
I'm only about halfway through this book and it is so funny! I've heard of helicopter parenting (guilty!)... however hyperparenting is a term not so familiar to me. I can relate to so many characters in this book from the unsubstantiated inadequacy felt by the parents of the over privileged to the constant validation the main character seems to need despite her scholarly background... All presented with a twist of hilarity! Hopefully, it will continue to entertain throughout the remaining pages. I have a feeling that this may end up amongst my favorites
November 9, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. To me, it read like a memoir of a doctor named Shelley Green's first year as a practicing doctor, rather than fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed this very quick read. It gave me a glimpse into the lives of the affluent in New York's Upper East Side, as well as East Hampton society. I found it charming, and would recommend it to my friends as good light-hearted chick lit.
January 21, 2010
Its a light summer read. It was cute and entertaining but if you're looking for something with more meat on it, this isn't it. Its fluff. Not bad, just not Charles Dickens. It was a story about a pediatrician who's trying to balance her old life with her new one. She has to learn a few lessons in who her real friends are. Some romantic drama. All in all a good beach read.
March 27, 2011
I might be my love of medicine, combined w/ my love of kids, but I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a little short. I especially liked the pediatric cases that came into the dr. office. I do hope there is a sequal, there seems to be plenty of material for another story. It's a quick, delightful read!
September 25, 2016
A good beach read about a new pediatrician who gets a plum job at a Manhattan Pediatric Office. Between dealing with her newly acquired wealth, her professional persona and the helicopter parents she sees every day, Shelly Green stays very busy. As she matures as a doctor and a person, she finds her feet in the adult world.
April 3, 2008
this is the most recent book I picked up at the local library. An interesting beach read, reminiscent of Jennifer Weiner's "fish-out-of-water" style of writing as the young Jewish pediatrician tries to carve herself a place in Manhattan's most exclusive medical practice.
February 23, 2008
This was a cute book about upper east side. It was mindless chick lit with some funny parts and a little life lesson too. While this book certainly wouldn't win any great literary awards, it is still an enjoyable read.
March 9, 2008
A doctor joins a practice that caters to only the most privileged children money can produce. She struggles to define her priorities in a world of fame and fortune. From the cover, I was expecting something less thoughtful. This was a pretty good chick lit.
April 10, 2009
So I picked this book up at the library last week for a fun read and it was just that. A totally light-hearted, fun read. It was super funny and cute, some loose morals but she didn't go into any details. I enjoyed it.
September 13, 2009
I read this while I was working at a summer camp where the campers were mostly from wealthy families from the Upper East Side of NY, so I really enjoyed the timing of the read.Overall I loved this book! Loved it!
November 19, 2010
I thought the book was okay. I think the only thing that really held my attention was the medical part of the book. I could relate to the main character in some ways. Simple book, with a very simple storyline. It isn't to exciting but it's readable.
July 25, 2011
Along the same vein as The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic and The Nanny Diaries, but better, in my opinion. No "Southern-hating" like in DWP, no complete unreality like in COAS, and no complete self-absorption of the authors like in TND.
May 9, 2012
If your looking for a fun, easy, innocent, beach read than this is a good one.
A little humour, an little romance, a little life struggle, and just a little "yea right".
The book does end a little suddenly but since it's not a deep book I didn't feel it ruined anything.
A little humour, an little romance, a little life struggle, and just a little "yea right".
The book does end a little suddenly but since it's not a deep book I didn't feel it ruined anything.
November 2, 2014
Fun book following a young woman who becomes a Pediatrician in a New York office with some famous clientele. It was fun to watch her grow and transform into a different person, only to find that what she really wanted was what she had before all of the fame and fortune came to her.
July 19, 2015
The characters are flat and uninteresting, there is no plot to speak of, and by the end I just kind of wished the protagonist would get hit by a bus. I read a lot of chick lit and this was the worst incarnation of it. I have no idea how this got published.
May 18, 2007
cute. easy read about a pediatrician starting out in the upper east side with the crazy rich people....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews