Review: The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow
Title: The Secret Diamond Sisters
Series: The Secret Diamond Sisters #1
By: Michelle Madow
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre Type: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: February 25th 2014
Pages: Paperback, 382 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Publisher
Summary:
Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.
The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite. Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.
The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow is the first book in her new young adult series featuring three young sisters who find out they are the daughters to one of the richest casino owners in Vegas. The cover and Las Vegas setting caught my attention and the fact that it features three teen sisters had me excited to pick this book up. The book was entertaining, slightly addicting, with a few issues.
Savannah, Courtney and Peyon are The Diamond Sisters. They've been brought up to care for their alcoholic mother from an early age and are very close siblings. When they're whisked away by the absentee father to Las Vegas while their mother tries to recover from alcoholism, they enter a dream world of seemingly endless money, boys, and entertainment. The girls each learn lessons about love, family, and the hardships that can come from living the lifestyle that surrounds Las Vegas.
The Secret Diamonds Sisters is a really quick, entertaining read, and a slightly addicting page turner in the fact that there is so much drama, parting, boys, clothes, makeup, drinking and overall frivolousness going on that my head was swimming while trying to keep up. The Las Vegas setting added to the drama and was done really well. Having been there before it was easy to picture it's larger than life glamor and over-the-top quality. This was one of my favorite aspect in the book, never knowing what casino playground the girls might venture into next.
The story is told through each girl's pov and Savannah, Courtney and Peyton are each very different making it an interesting read. I really enjoyed their devotion to each other and I liked the few glimpses of their relationship with their strong and supporting grandmother, although she had a very small role in the story. Each sister handles the Las Vegas lifestyle very differently and each sister has to deal with her feelings towards their father, who has been absent in their lives up till this point, as well as the possibility of suddenly gaining a new stepmother and stepbrother. The author did a great job of giving the readers a good sense of who the girls are, their faults as well as positive qualities. Their hopes and dreams. I felt like I got to know each sister well, and felt all their ups and downs.
As an adult, I had a few issues the excessive amount of hook-ups, boys and drinking. It was a bit much for me, and I kept hoping to see more personal growth from the girls. I worried that although this glamorous life may sound fun and a dream come true, especially to young teens, that there wouldn't be a message of caution in it. It was there in the end, but seemed rather small and disappointing.
I would recommend The Secret Diamonds Sisters to readers looking for a pure escape book, one that has a fabulous Las Vegas setting with three interesting teen protagonist and tons of drama and boys.
My Rating: 3 Stars. I liked it.
PLEASE NOTE: A courtesy review copy of this book was provided by Harlequin Teen in exchange for my fair review. Thank you Harlequin Teen for the review opportunity!
