Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

Sex and Vanity is a romantic comedy set in the ultra-rich society world. The plot is inspired by A Room With A View; the core couple, Lucie and George, meet when George and his mother switch rooms with Lucie and her aunt so they can have a room with a view. The first half of the book takes place on a wedding weekend in Capri, where George and Lucie get to know each other; the weekend ends in scandal, and the second half of the book flashes forward five years, when George and Lucie meet again in NYC, under very different circumstances. Will romance reassert itself? (I feel like we know the answer, right?)

Kevin Kwan has become one of my favorite authors, and a real go-to for romantic comedy. He said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he writes to create joy, and mission accomplished. His books are just like taking a vacation in a completely different world, where everyone is kind of deranged and silly, and shenanigans ensue. Half the fun of these books is being given an insider’s tour of how the ultra rich really live; where everyone is introduced with the pedigree of their schooling, where the books on one’s shelf have to be pre-approved by a decorator to have distressed spines, where homes come equipped with an in-house infinity pool. There is a level of frivolity in the writing that comes straight from the lives of the characters; the stakes are never too high, but in a way that’s part of the fun. You can just relax into the experience and trust it will turn out just fine.

The Crazy Rich Asians trilogy was my favorite set of books in years, and Sex and Vanity doesn’t quite hit those heights. The stakes are really pretty low; there aren’t any adversaries or conflicts that make the outcome in doubt, as happened with Crazy Rich Asians. Without stakes, the plot is kind of lacking in urgency; but honestly, it’s so delightful, so funny, and such a relief to escape into this world that I’m not going to complain. Treat yourself to this book, and get out of the real world for a while.

KEVIN KWAN is the author of Crazy Rich Asians, the international bestselling novel that has been translated into more than 30 languages. Its sequel, China Rich Girlfriend, was released in 2015, and Rich People Problems, the final book in the trilogy, followed in 2017. For several weeks in 2018, the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy commanded the top three positions of the New York Times bestseller list – an almost unprecedented single-author trifecta, and the film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians became Hollywood’s highest grossing romantic comedy in over a decade. In 2018, Kevin was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

The Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan in PDF format is not available to download, however you can buy this Book from Amazon.