Western Alliances

by Wilton Barnhardt

Western Alliances is a vivid portrait of a wealthy family set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis. This laugh-out-loud, darkly funny novel follows the Costa family—whose members are every bit as richly absurd as the characters in HBO’s Succession.

Salvador, the patriarch, runs one of Wall Street’s biggest banks the summer before everything collapses; Roberto and Rachel, his two children, have never worked a day in their lives; and Lena, his ex-wife, is a scheming hypochondriac. Part travelogue, part epic family drama, the novel follows Roberto and Rachel across Europe as the two dilettantes come to terms with their father’s choices and the repercussions of his actions.

Oozing with his signature satire and biting wit, Barnhardt invites readers on a literary romp from an elegant Paris apartment to a hilariously inept London hotel, ancient churches and crypts to gleaming Mediterranean coasts, hot dog stands in Providence, Rhode Island to the best places in Manhattan, and terrifying encounters in the Serbian countryside to dangerous liaisons in Moscow, as two grown-up rich kids are forced to come of age at last.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Travel, Family, Contemporary

389 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2023

About the author

Wilton Barnhardt (born 1960) is a former reporter for Sports Illustrated and is the author of Emma Who Saved My Life (1989), Gospel (1993), Show World (1999), and the New York Times bestseller Lookaway, Lookaway (2013). Barnhardt took his B.A. at Michigan State University, and was a graduate student at Brasenose College, University of Oxford, where he read for an M.Phil. in English.

He currently teaches fiction-writing to undergraduate and graduate students at the North Carolina State University in Raleigh, in the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing.

Source:Wikipedia

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

Listened to 19% on audiobook but realized I’m not really sure what’s going on. Set up was going fine 2 spoiled adult children of a financial man who is possibly going down in financial crisis fail to have even a modicum of respect for his advice. But then we start into why the son can’t sustain an erection - I think I’m out. 🥱🫣

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about a well-to-do family whose patriarch loses everything during the Wall Street crash. His two kids, Roberto and Rachel, struggle through what most regular people can’t even relate to- the lack of unlimited funds from Daddy. While certain scenarios made me chuckle, I was confused for most of the book. The writing style was hard for me to follow. I may be spoiled by being spoonfed by some plots of stories I read, so that may play a role in my awkwardness in staying on point with this storyline. So don’t take my word for it, please read the book for yourself. This is a well-written author, and he deserves your time and own assessment, no matter what some readers feel.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 1, 2023.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers of this book will definitely be reminded of HBO's Succession, although Western Alliances characters are funnier. They happily screw each other over, even the mother, although the father, Sal, seems to want what is best for his family.

Roberto's descriptions of Europe made me desperate to travel and I feel like I learned a little about art and history with this book.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

**Advance Reader's Copy**

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is definitely a slow burn as far as reader engagement goes, but ultimately worth it.

I was about halfway through the book before I truly became invested in what was happening, which I suppose isn’t ideal (especially for readers who aren’t hesitant to DNF), but I thought the second half was excellent, and after reading it it’s easier to appreciate what came before.

Some of this is because there are truly no likable characters as they appear early in the story, though later almost all of them grew on me immensely. And while some of Roberto’s personal issues became a bit tedious and overly central to the story in a way that bored me, I loved the travel and art woven into the plot.

Parts of the book almost read like travel narrative, and I mean this in a good way. I loved the choice to often send the characters to less popular and less frequently written about destinations in Europe, as it makes for more interesting reading if you are yourself already well-traveled and/or read a good bit of travel related fiction or travel narrative centered on Europe.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review

A family drama, with travel, manipulation, power struggle, tragedy, and money on the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis.

Sal Costa comes from humble beginnings, but has become a powerhouse on Wall Street. He has a TV segment that helps people learn financial intelligence and how to invest. He has 2 kids, Rachel and Roberto who have never worked a day, travel europe, and spend their trust funds. His ex wife cons people out of money with schemes and false promises. When the kids financial security is in jeopardy, and their father wipes his hands clean of their antics, they must both figure out how to hold onto dear life the nice life they have always known. They are willing to screw over everyone in their path, themselves and each other. Their mother even uses them to her advantage.

The writing in this one really surprised me, this is my first novel by this author and I am intrigued enough to check out his other works. The travel element is this one was probably my favourite part. It really felt like i was in europe with the characters experiencing all the cities with the characters. The comparison to Succession is what drew me to this book in the first place and while I would not 100% agree with it, I did love the cutthroat family dynamic.

[Emma Grupenhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberto Costa's father is CEO of a Wall St bank during the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Up to that point, he and his sister Rachel have lived somewhat easy trust fund lives, wandering throughout Europe cataloguing the art and culture. When Roberto learns that his trust fund is in jeopardy, he goes on a more introspective journey, discovering who he is and what he wants to do with his life, while bringing in a whole host of European-centric characters.
Despite the fact that the plot is fairly slow-moving, Barnhardt makes the reader really feel connected to the main character and his sitcom-worthy family. Some of the scenes were a little graphic for me, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

[Meghan ReadsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you St Martin's for the review copy of Western Alliances by Wilton Barnhardt; audiobook copy from MacMillan audio.
Western Alliances is a witty, humorous set of adventures with the Costa family. I wanted to like this, I could tell this is a funny and observationally acute writer, which usually works for me but this is a situation with characters who I did not quite connect with... What was meant to be funny was a little flat as I could not feel a real connection with the characters.
I felt more like I was dropping into a story already in progress, catching a book or show mid series where characters had established patterns and relationships and I could not catch up. For me the focus on financial/business themes also sometimes distanced me from engaging with the book.

[Jean A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wild romp across Europe with playboy and “dilettante” Roberto Costa. Populated with colorful characters who will, at times, make you laugh out loud, like his scammer mother, his sister Rachel with whom he has a love/hate relationship and myriad lovers of both persuasions. Roberto’s carefree lifestyle is financed by his father, Sal, who has made his money as a bond trader, the boring stepchild of high finance through astute investing for his clients and an outrageous TV financial advice show. Without warning, the financial crisis of 2008 looms and the high flying lifestyle comes crashing down, along with other serious life experiences.

The long and detailed travelogue descriptions of Roberto’s jaunt through countries and cathedrals was a slog for me; however that said, this is a very well written book. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy.

[Ash P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wilton Barnhardt was a new author to me but I decided this sounded like a light and fun kind of read from the description provided so why not give it a chance...unfortunately it really wasn't. Western Alliances really reminded me of a Seinfeld episode...a lot happened but nothing happened. I didn't connect with the characters so wasn't invested in their journey. Overall just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Western Alliances in exchange for an honest review.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, author Wilton Barnhardt, and St. Martin's Press. I requested this novel without properly vetting it, and for that, I apologize. There is much more sexual content even early on in this tale than I could ever be comfortable with. DNF.
pub date August 1, 2023
St. Martin's Press

Reviewed on July 17, 2023, at Goodreads and Netgalley only.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Lookaway, Lookaway by this author so this new novel by him had some big shoes to fill. 4 stars knocked down to 3 because of the fixation on the main character's sex life even though it didn't move the story forward so I found it unnecessary. Some beautiful turns of phrase and touching moments and a solid read overall.

Oh, and I got an advance copy as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[GripLitGrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your looking for a book that takes you literally across the world with a wealthy family who's patriarch runs a huge wall st bank, his children never have the need to work, with quit the scheming ex wife this familiar puts the FUN in dysfunction when it comes to reading about the adventures of the Costa family Salvador, Roberto, Rachel & Lena then you'll wanna check this one out.
A dark & humorous read. I've rounded up from 3.5 stars for this one.

[Steph Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny story about a guy, Roberto Costa, and his various travels. Lots of interesting characters and his crazy family make this book worth your time. I have never watched HBO's Succession, so I have no idea if it is similar or not. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to make of this book when I tarted reading it. I couldn't tell if it was a family drama; a treatise on finance; and art history book; a European history book; a mystery...and after a while I didn't care what it was...I was having a blast following Roberto around Europe and would go where he went. A mess, in the best possible way, Roberto is charming, a touch evil, sympathetic and someone I enjoyed spending time with. This was a great surprise and a great read.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A trip through Europe, full of history. The photos were such an awesome addition. Roberto is a great character and I was really pulling for him! When I got to the second part I was a little baffled about why we needed more, but it turned out to be very good and I loved the ending.

[AndiReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crazy Succession like story, Western Alliances will take you all over the world. Roberto and Rachel have always lived a spoiled life. When Salvador warns them that this cushy life may be ending, the two are forced to reckon with real life and the choices made by those in power (including their father). I enjoyed it very much!
#StMartinsPress #westernalliances #WiltonBarnhardt

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into this book, I had heard that it would remind the reader of HBO's Succession. I did find that the Western Alliances’ characters were a bit funnier, somewhat relatable, and made me laugh out loud a few times. The main character romps across Europe funded by his wealthy father. We hear about his mother who schemes, and sister whom he both loves and hates. I did find it that it started a bit slow and took me a little while to really get into it. That said, the novel is well-written and I would definitely recommend it.

[chels marieantoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially started reading this book in the physical form and I was so confused. It felt like I’d started the story in the middle of everything. Then I got the audio and listening made it a lot more easy to follow. The narrator was EXCELLENT. This family is witty and spoiled and selfish. Their European escapades were beautiful to picture. Most of their relationships (which each other and outsiders) were pretty sad. I liked the interactions between Sol and Roberto the most- their father/son dynamic was sweet and interesting. There’s some unique sex scenes that were maybe unnecessary, but this whole book is a satirical rollercoaster spanning decades and every little detail added to the layers of somewhat quirky nonsense. It kind of reminded me of all the wild stories Alexa tells in Schitt’s Creek about her escapades when they were still rich… and I don’t think this family ever really came to grips with the financial crisis they (and all of the US) were facing. This book is political and funny and I’d say if you like that hilariously fall-from-grace and flounder storyline, you’ll definitely like it.
3.5 - rounding up because the audio narrator was so good!

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wilton Barnhardt's "Gospel" is one of my favorite books, and I was so excited about "Western Alliances." But it seems that these books were written by two different people.

"Gospel" is big, with beautifully developed characters that you care about and an intriguing premise. "Western Alliances" is like a sit-com episode, funny, but you don't really care much about the characters. The early scenes are best, where the beleaguered dad cuts off his careless kids (set in a French train station so the father can make a speedy getaway to his next meeting.)

What's this comparison to "Succession?" This novel is more comic and hapless, more like "French Exit." Barnhart is a good writer and I hope he finds his stride in his choice of this shorter fiction format. He has a lot ot offer.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Western Alliances in exchange for an honest review.

[Mal · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a person who reads over 100 books a year, I truly believe that the activity should be considered a pleasure. Despite promises on premises, I got everything but. The listening was difficult, and at moments, I'd say, even painful. I was promised a family drama taken straight from the HBO show. What I got was a bunch of vulgar, sexual blurb around some info dump about characters in the middle of the scene, to the point of forgetting about it altogether. This bombardment had morning to do with the plot, and I kept finding myself in need of rewinding to make sure I got it correctly. It's not my definition of fun. On top of all the nonerotic descriptions of private parts of the human body, I also got a hinch of weird metaphors and comparisons. I felt like I wanted to dnf the moment I heard a character was complemented as skinny like they just escaped Auschwitz. And I leave it a that and let y'all skillet simmer on that fact alone and how inappropriate that is. This is one star for me.

[Jeneane Vanderhoof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilton Barnhardt with the new release, Western Alliances, brings to page one of the oddest families of creation- but then the rich and the powerful say and do things that always mystify those without, don't they? While the patriarch of the family, Salvador, is the only one in the family who is, at all, down to earth, his knowledge of the stock market, his self-control (especially when it comes to his money), and his desire to support his children throughout the entirety of his and their lives, lends the feel to readers that the father ends up with what he deserves, with regards to his disappointing children, in teaching them they could always count on him for money. While some of his views change on this issue toward the end of the book, the fact that he raised children who never thought to ever support themselves- makes him just as strange (when it comes to life) as his relations.

Lena, Salvador's wife and the mother of his children, after leaving him; when her new husband abruptly dies, not having changed his will, and not swapping the first wife for the second (Lena), the woman devotes any time she has to gaining money from the dead husband's estate or the live ex-husband, by any means, rather than find any way to make money herself. And the children, Roberto and Rachel are just like their mother and ever dependent on a man with stock market smarts that make him valuable to others, even outside the family. And as he tries to find his way around the looming financial crisis of 2008, when he gives his children direction on their trust, what happens is the beginning of the end, so to speak, in a way.
At least for some of the family.

While they have never been close, Salvador had set the children up with money for their future, in a trust. Essentially it is stock in a company and had the financial crisis not happened, Roberto and Rachel would have been set for life. When Salvador sends them an email with direct instructions on what they are to do to get the most return on their accounts, with the financial crisis looming, the children completely ignore the email, and the directions and meet with their father having set up none of it. Salvador begins to see the monsters he has raised- and supported. And, I think that he will have to continue to support them, even if they lose their current investment, which sits uneasily with him. Especially after he sees what little they expect to do for the investment he gave them- even with direction. So begins the unraveling of the children's future and what they expected it to be- Roberto travels around the world, writing his journal that he never thinks will be published, and Rachel, the forever student who studies ancient art and a degree that will never be finished.

However the worst of the family, Lena, always has her hand out and finds this a perfectly normal way to survive in life. When she isn't invited when the children initially meet with their father over their investment changes, she goes anyway- of course, to stay aware of what is going on with everyone else's money- because she is always at work to make it her own.

She even gets to the point, in the story, where she "rolls" her own children, creating a predicament, which is all a lie, to get money out of their hands, and into her own. The children believe they have bought a property they will all share and live in, but, in reality, all is a lie so that Lena has money to live on. Despite her lack of finances, Lena still presents herself to others as living high on the horse. With all kinds of fake charities, the only charity Lena actually collects money for- is herself.

Wilton Barnhardt pens a wonderful story in which a family is forced, each in their own way, to come of age- no matter how late. Whether it is lack of money, too much money and nothing else, or even the failure of one's own body, to have to turn to others for help because you physically can't go on living alone- to read the debacle of each unfold, to discover how wealth can ruin a life, even Salvador's - when you have it, when it goes away when it is right in your grasp and your fingers touch it before it is ripped out of one's grasp- Western Alliances begs the question- is all the money in the world- worth all that can happen to those in our lives when they come to depend on a never-ending money tree? And, when that tree is you- did you do the right thing, in planting that seed for yourself for others to use? A definite 4 and a half-star read, the story is one I will come back to every few years and want to read again and always find something new that I didn't see the first go round.

Happy Reading!

[AMAO · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western Alliances by Wilton Barnhardt
August 1, 2023

This was entertaining and engaging but way too long of a read. Audiobooking this would have made this more enjoyable for me. The story lines and characters were Netflix Mini Series worthy for sure. This is not my usual genre and it was a nice switch for me. This is best suited for folks who have no problem with large novels that may take you longer to read and follow the various scenes and story lines.

This laugh-out-loud, darkly funny novel follows the Costa family—whose members are every bit as richly absurd as the characters in HBO's Succession.
Salvador, the patriarch, runs one of Wall Street's biggest banks the summer before everything collapses; Roberto and Rachel, his two children, have never worked a day in their lives; and Lena, his ex-wife, is a scheming hypochondriac. Part travelogue, part epic family drama, the novel follows Roberto and Rachel across Europe as the two dilettantes come to terms with their father's choices and the repercussions of his actions.
Oozing with his signature satire and biting wit, Barnhardt invites listeners on a literary romp from an elegant Paris apartment to a hilariously-inept London hotel, ancient churches and crypts to gleaming Mediterranean coasts, hot dog stands in Providence, Rhode Island to the best places in Manhattan, and terrifying encounters in the Serbian countryside to dangerous liaisons in Moscow, as two grown-up rich kids are forced to come of age at last. In Western Alliances Barnhardt he delivers a riveting saga examining privilege, loyalty, ambition, and what family members owe to one another.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Western Alliances
By: Wilton Barnhart
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Book: 400 pages

Synopsis:

Western Alliances is a vivid portrait of a wealthy family set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis. This laugh-out-loud, darkly funny novel follows the Costa family—whose members are every bit as richly absurd as the characters in HBO’s Succession.

Salvador, the patriarch, runs one of Wall Street’s biggest banks the summer before everything collapses; Roberto and Rachel, his two children, have never worked a day in their lives; and Lena, his ex-wife, is a scheming hypochondriac. Part travelogue, part epic family drama, the novel follows Roberto and Rachel across Europe as the two dilettantes come to terms with their father’s choices and the repercussions of his actions.

Oozing with his signature satire and biting wit, Barnhardt invites readers on a literary romp from an elegant Paris apartment to a hilariously inept London hotel, ancient churches and crypts to gleaming Mediterranean coasts, hot dog stands in Providence, Rhode Island to the best places in Manhattan, and terrifying encounters in the Serbian countryside to dangerous liaisons in Moscow, as two grown-up rich kids are forced to come of age at last.

My thoughts:

A wealthy family in the middle of the 2008 crisis handles thing’s interestingly. Dark and funny! Some of the scenarios were funny but this book has very explicit sexual scenes so be prepared.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the ARC. Available now!

#westernalliances, #wiltonbarnhardt, #lgbt, #stmartinspress, #bookstagram, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50, #bookreview, #arc

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

Salvador, the patriarch, runs one of Wall Street’s biggest banks the summer before everything collapses in the 2008 financial crisis. Roberto and Rachel, his two children, have never worked a day in their lives; and Lena, his ex-wife, is a scheming hypochondriac. Part travelogue, part epic family drama, the novel follows Roberto and Rachel across Europe as the two dilettantes come to terms with their father’s choices and the repercussions of his actions.

When I read in the one of the blurbs for this book that the characters were comparable to those in Succession, I was intrigued. We had just finished binge-watching all of the seasons and loved it, so I thought I might love this as well. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me. At least with Succession, there was some depth to the characters. The only real likeable character was the father, Sal, and he played only a minor role in the book. Mostly it was about Roberto and Rachel. Rachel had zero redeeming qualities, and the majority of Roberto's story was either him trying to one-up Rachel, talking about him travelling all over Europe with various travelling companions, or going into great details about his sex life (or lack thereof). Their mom had to be the least motherly person ever. She spent the entire book trying to scam her children out of their money. The book really should have been titled "Rich people behaving badly". I wish I could say I enjoyed this, but I didn't.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

WESTERN ALLIANCES is a family drama following the 2008 crash. Roberto is the son of Salvador Costa, a financial guru, traveling in Europe. When his father calls a family meeting, his sister and mother also come - only to learn that the kids are being cut off financially, something they have never really considered as even possible. What follows is a family drama/dark comedy set around this tumultuous time as everyone wants access to the finances, even though the market collapse has also thrown them into jeopardy.

While there were definitely some amusing scenes, I found the story to be a bit tough to get into as some of the comedy just was not for me and the characters were somewhat tough to relate to in their extravagant wealth and eccentricities. There were also quite a few side characters that I found tough to keep track of. Without a character to really clasp onto and care about, I found myself drifting from the story quite a bit, but I think others could really get into this if they enjoy broad family dramas with some dark comedy.

A cool feature of the book was the inclusion of key photographs to illustrate certain points that added something extra to the story. Overall, WESTERN ALLIANCES was an interesting read that will appeal to people who enjoy family dramas. Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Costa family is pretty dysfunctional. Brother and sister Roberto and Rachel have been traveling Europe separately for years on daddy's money when the financial crash of 2008 takes place. How they deal with the money train stopping is a sad look at the upper crust.

I looked forward to reading the book based on the description and the humor that was supposed to be in it. I really didn't find a lot of humor, so was disappointed in that. It is well written and very descriptive in the locales around Europe.

Roberto is the main character, his bisexual sex life is a main focus of the book and there are in-depth details around most of his sexual encounters. This will not be appropriate for our HS library by anyone's standards.

There are detailed descriptions of the towns and most importantly the Romanesque architecture of the 11-1200's; something I know nothing about and really didn't care. Except for their father Sal, I wasn't really drawn to any of the characters. The book had a lot to say about Western ideals and financial trickery but it went so off track for me in the art and sex that I couldn't connect.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, this book is not very funny nor would I call it a "romp," yet I finished it. I don't have to like characters to enjoy a book, but when I loathe them, it makes it hard to finish a book. Roberto is fluent in many languages and prides himself on going to various obscure places in Europe to check off every architectural wonder found in a German Book that is the Bible. Here's what I really liked about the book: The photographs that illustrate the things Roberto and his companions go to see. Roberto's sister Rachel is working on a paper about Trompe L'oeil and gets into unfortunate relationships with controlling people. Their mother Lena is a grifter and a con artist who isn't above doing things that hurt her kids. Their father Sal is a bond fund expert who made a ton of money and is on a regular show about money. The novel takes place during the financial collapse of huge wall street financial institutions and Sal is trying to save one of them in some gutsy moves.

People who like this book a lot would enjoy the characters' messed up view on life and what is normal. I happen to love quirky books and parts of this worked for me, but it was too darned busy. Too many moving parts. Too many characters I loathed for their total self-involvement. Yes it is satire. Yes it is meant to be funny. Yes, I got a kick out of parts of it. So, I finished it.

[Alex Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that "Lookaway, Lookaway" was a wonderful novel, and so I was looking forward to another work by Wilton Barnhardt. Unfortunately, I found "Western Alliances" pretty much a disappointment. The protagonist - whom we seemingly are supposed to care about - is an entitled, self-indulgent, hedonistic parasite, as are most of the people with whom he surrounds himself; a few, like his mother, his sister, and his sister's partner manage to be even worse. About a third of the way through the book I wondered why I should spend any more time in the company of these people ("Western Alliances" isn't like an Evelyn Waugh novel, in which the loathsome characters are made intriguing by the author's brilliant satire and savage wit). However, I persevered, only to discover that the tone of the book, which starts out as a sort of comedy of manners, then changes without warning to become a melodrama and in the penultimate chapter switches disconcertingly to a sort of John le Carre thriller.

[Stroop · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I saw the Succession comparison in the blurb, I immediately clicked on "Read Now." This is sort of like an alternate Succession universe where instead of spending all of their energy hating one another and "working" to impress their father, the Roy children decide to give up and go on extended vacations.

The range of characters and locations in Western Alliances is impressive, though I didn't find myself as immersed in the story as I wanted to be. There were lots of characters to keep track of and none were sympathetic.

The author is talented and I think readers in the mood for a slow-paced story with unlikeable characters and vivid descriptions of European sites will enjoy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Sara Lingerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

After I read Look Away, Look Away, which I loved, I wanted to read Western Alliances. Not at all similar!

It is mostly a soft porn bisexual fantasy about a wealthy, bisexual young man with Marfan Syndrome who fights constantly with his spoiled,bisexual, narcissistic sister. While traveling through Europe on daddy’s dime their mother is constantly scheming to defraud them. In my opinion, the kids, the friends, the parents, are ALL underdeveloped and awful characters.

Like many of the women in this book I feel cheated. I wanted to love this book, I didn’t. It’s flaccid.

The reason I gave it two stars is because I listened to the book and the narration was really good. The book alone would have been a DNF.