Let me introduce you to a character you'll love to loathe: Catherine West.

Catherine, our first person narrator in Swan Huntely's debut novel [b:We Could Be Beautiful|27190202|We Could Be Beautiful|Swan Huntley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449076433s/27190202.jpg|47232078], is a trust-fund wealthy Manhattanite. With the automatic monthly deposit of $80,000 from her trust fund, Catherine's days consist of shopping, spa treatments, redecorating her apartment, spending as little time as possible at the boutique stationary store she owns, and visiting art galleries. It's at one of these art galleries where she meets the very handsome and charming William Stockton.

Huntley takes us through William and Catherine's relationship with a building sense of mystery. (The description on this book uses phrases like "spellbinding" and "psychological" which seem a bit too strong for what is at play here). Still, there is a sense that there's more than meets the eye with William, and Huntley deftly builds to a conclusion that I did not see coming.

Even more enjoyable for me, however, was the pitch-perfect tone of Catherine West as an uber-privileged 1 percent-er who is completely out of touch with reality. She's so privileged she doesn't even know how privileged she is. In this regard, Huntely has created a believable character without making her cartoonish.

A solid 3.5 star debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

A weak 4 stars. The ending needs some work. ( )

This was a good book. Not too heavy so you could take it to the beach and not be lost if you get interrupted. I thought I saw some things coming and I was wrong. I was right about other things. This isn't typical "Sleeping With the Enemy" fiction. This will probably be made into a movie ( )

This was one of those books that drew me in because of my love of "rich people problems" stories. It was an enjoyable read, and it certainly had its fair share of drama and intrigue, but overall I was underwhelmed by the characters and the plot. Catherine was a bit of a bore and the supporting cast failed to fill the void left by a less than stellar protagonist. Though I saw the twist coming a mile away, I did appreciate the way Huntley hinted at and revealed it, and it was a fun vacation read. ( )

Imagine Cordelia Chase from Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a forty-something native New Yorker. Imagine she still isn't married to the perfect man of perfect taste who doesn't want her for her money. Imagine she wants this man and his baby so much that she'd be willing to compromise her rigid and privileged morals to get them (and the 10 million dollars that will come with the baby from her trust fund). Imagine that the perfect man of perfect taste wants that 10 million dollars even more than Cordelia does. ( )