Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

L.A. Candy (L.A. Candy #1)

3.37 of 5 stars 3.37 · rating details · 13,220 ratings · 1,545 reviews

Los Angeles is all about the sweet life:

hot clubs, cute guys, designer...everything. Nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts can't wait to start living it up. She may be in L.A. for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join in the fun.
When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them to be on his new seri...more

Hardcover, 326 pages

Published June 16th 2009 by HarperCollins (first published May 1st 2009)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) by Ann Coulter

If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans by Ann Coulter

Books I Have No Intention of Reading

140th out of 1,046 books — 5,568 voters

A Shore Thing by Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Confessions of an Heiress by Paris Hilton

Who Let These People Write A book?

26th out of 164 books — 695 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 03, 2009 Angelc rated it 2 of 5 stars

"LA Candy" was recommended to me by a good friend, but she enjoyed the book a lot more than I did. One reason could be that she is a fan of Lauren Conrad's MTV shows and I don't watch them. I did think I would gain insight to the world of reality tv, but I was disappointed in the small amount of insider info in the book, which could have been summed up in a short magazine article.

The story focuses on Jane Roberts and her journey from average recent high school graduate to overnight Hollywood se...more "LA Candy" was recommended to me by a good friend, but she enjoyed the book a lot more than I did. One reason could be that she is a fan of Lauren Conrad's MTV shows and I don't watch them. I did think I would gain insight to the world of reality tv, but I was disappointed in the small amount of insider info in the book, which could have been summed up in a short magazine article.

The story focuses on Jane Roberts and her journey from average recent high school graduate to overnight Hollywood sensation. Jane moves to LA with her best friend, Scarlett. Jane has an internship with an event planner and Scarlett is attending college. They happen to meet a reality tv producer at a club and he casts them, along with two more girls, for his newest reality show, called LA Candy. Jane and Scarlett's lives are changed for good when the cameras start rolling. But it's not all fun and games when the cameras start intruding upon every aspect of their lives, school, work, and boys.

I found Jane to be annoying, and much too good to be true. I found myself wondering if the Jane character was supposed to mirror Lauren Conrad herself as a naive, goody goody thrust into the limelight, and so the author tried to make her look virtually flawless. She was way too naive about boys and I wasn't interested in either of the boys pursuing her anyway. Gabby and Madison weren't in the book much as the other stars of the tv show. They were pretty flat characters, but at least they had personalities, unlike Jane.

The only interesting character in the book was Scarlett. She was the only one who seemed to have her own mind and interests outside of the show. Scarlett had a good head on her shoulders, but she wasn't in the book nearly enough.

When the other three girls became jealous that Jane was turning out to be the breakout star of the show, I found myself jealous along with them! She was so annoying, why would everyone like her so much?

A lot of reviews praise Conrad's writing style, but I found it to be very dry and un-exciting with little imagination or feeling. Sometimes her descriptions of the mechanics of the show, like microphone and lighting placement, read like a textbook. I just can't recommend this to anyone but die-hard Lauren Conrad fans and fans of MTV reality tv shows. I did gain a little insight into the world of reality tv production and I'm more convinced than ever of how very "unreal" it really is.

Reviewed for: http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/

(less)

16 likes · like · see review

May 26, 2010 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: lightfiction

This book is not as horrible as I expected, but not as good as I wished for it to be. It was only mildly entertaining. I haven't read very many other chick-lit type young adult novels, so I'm not sure how this compares. There are a couple things that annoyed me, which I realize may all be due to the fact that I'm an old codger.

The language contains a fair amount of "texting"-speak: e.g. BFF, OMG, WTF, etc. I realize that there are young adults out there that communicate like this, but is it nece...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Angela S. for TeensReadToo.com

This novel by reality TV starlet Lauren Conrad chronicles the lives of Jane Roberts and her best friend, Scarlett Harp, as they move to LA and become the stars of a reality TV show. The book, which is based loosely on Conrad's own life, is a little slow in the beginning, but picks up a bit once Jane and Scarlett are discovered at a club by a TV producer.

From that point on the two, though a little hesitant at first, decide to audition for the show and the...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 24, 2011 Aileen rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Pre-teens

Shelves: sigh

I almost forgot I read this book (call it self-preservation), but I remembered after a marathon of Laguna Beach. Also known as: Aileen Avoids Outlining, Part Deux.

It was summer, I believe. I had recently moved to Seattle and was flying back to Pittsburgh for a friend's bachelorette party. The book I was currently reading? Anna Karenina. The book I wanted to read? L.A. Candy.

Insert shameface here:

This is me pandering to MTV marketing

If you'd like to know what happens in the book, here is a guest...more

15 likes · like · see review

Aug 08, 2009 Miss Leacock rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can't believe I didn't hate this book! I definitely didn't buy it...I read it and am going to review it for the publisher (not like they're going to publish what I write about it!) so that I can add the book to my school library.
What I liked most about the book, insignificant as it is, is the chapter titles, which were sentences or phrases taken from the chapter.
I felt like this book was rather autobiographical, which does not imply that I know anything about the life of Lauren Conrad. Good w...more

8 likes · like · see review

Dec 20, 2010 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Groundbreaking! A tour de force! Just kidding, I mean it's Lauren Conrad's teen novel... It starts off kinda slow and ho hum for a while, but once the characters in the book begin the filming of the reality show that they're on, it gets very interesting for any fan of The Hills. Although the accounts are "fictional," it definitely gives great insight and potential knowledge about how the producers impacted the storyline and the characters, how the characters interacted with each other, and what...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 26, 2010 Rissa rated it 1 of 5 stars

While the story line and plot had potential, the language of the book annoyed me. Text phrases like 'OMG', 'WTF', and what-not made the book look childish. I also hated how in front of almost every sentence was the word 'like'. Even the straight male characters used 'like' often. I truly believe that Conrad wrote this book herself because while she is suppose to be really smart, the idea and text of the book match her personality. This is honestly one of the worst books that I have ever read. I...more

10 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2010 Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, library, ya, chick-lit, march-2010

While I didn't think this was the worst book I've ever read, I didn't think it was the best either. I did enjoy it alot more than I thought I would, but there were just parts that left me scratching my head. I wasn't a fan of Madison(but then again, who would be) and I wasn't too crazy about Scarlett, but at the same time I liked her because she was trying to be a good friend and watching out for Jane, but Jane couldn't realize that. I thought that it was a little too loosely based on her own li...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 09, 2009 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, series

Well at least they got rid of Laruen's mustache for the photo on the back cover....

Ok after having actually finished the book (yes I read the damn thing) I have decided that this is just like The Hills---shallow, vapid, plotless, and yet I find myself coming back for more.
After the shitty week I have had I needed some brain-numbing escapism, and this fit the bill perfectly.

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2011 Justin added it

I will admit that I did buy this book was because I am a fan of Lauren Conrad and the Hills. I didnt expect high hopes for the novel because I didn't know how good of writer she was. Going back to the novel...I seriously loved it.

You started out with these 2 best friends who are complete opposites and obvious combinations of characters from the "real life" show. Jane aka Lauren, is a sad but sweet all-american girl whose had her heart broken from her high school boyfriend (like someone we know?)...more I will admit that I did buy this book was because I am a fan of Lauren Conrad and the Hills. I didnt expect high hopes for the novel because I didn't know how good of writer she was. Going back to the novel...I seriously loved it.

You started out with these 2 best friends who are complete opposites and obvious combinations of characters from the "real life" show. Jane aka Lauren, is a sad but sweet all-american girl whose had her heart broken from her high school boyfriend (like someone we know?). Scarlett is the intelligent, indie yet exotic BFF who many feel offput about her except Jane. They get "discovered" at the bar and put on the show with 2 random insta-friends; Madison, the stuck-up snob who is the villian fame wannabe (sound familiar?) and Gaby the dumb-yet funny random girl. I liked how the characters were somewhat different and how they progressed through the novels especially how Scarlett was feeling about the cameras on her and Jane's love triangle. Can tell its like the show because likely besides Heidi & Lauren (Scarlett & Jane reference) being friends before, Audrina and Whitney (Madison & Gaby reference) most obviously are the insta-friends pick for the show.

The characters I really liked were some of the behind-the-scenes characters but I was somehow put off how they just appeared like a group of friends being all chummy and buddy, seems that way on the show. Deigo, Hannah the new work friend (sound REALLY familiar??), Braden, Dana, Trevor, Fiona Chen (familiar doesnt need to be said), and some others.

The one thing I always hate when reading books that Im not sure will have sequel is when they end in cliffhangers. The last couple of chapters were really getting good and wondering what is going to happen and to just end the book abruptly in a note is so irratating. There seriously better be a 2nd book because I want to know what happens next and there is so much that COULD have been added but it felt cut to the point.

All-in-all. Great book, one of favs, except for the cliffhanger ending. Will read the next one (if there is another one).(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 18, 2013 Hannah rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who doesn't really care about whether a book is good quality writing.

Recommended to Hannah by: My eyes

You can also read this review and many others on my blog.

L.A Candy by Lauren Conrad (or should I say Nancy Ohlin, because in the acknowledgements it says that
"she couldn't have written it without her" and on Nancy Ohlin's website it says "I have collaborated on a bestselling trilogy" and well, that seems a lot like the L.A. Candy trilogy) is an inside look at reality show life in Los Angeles. The main characters are Jane and her best friend Scarlet, but the POV of Trevor, the director of the re...more You can also read this review and many others on my blog.

L.A Candy by Lauren Conrad (or should I say Nancy Ohlin, because in the acknowledgements it says that
"she couldn't have written it without her" and on Nancy Ohlin's website it says "I have collaborated on a bestselling trilogy" and well, that seems a lot like the L.A. Candy trilogy) is an inside look at reality show life in Los Angeles. The main characters are Jane and her best friend Scarlet, but the POV of Trevor, the director of the reality T.V. show, Veronica, the editor of a gossip magazine called - OMG U R SO CREATIVE "Gossip", — and Madison, Jane's rival on the TV show, are also included. Jane is in L.A. to intern for an event planner, and Scarlett is going to U.S.C, but when they are in a club, they get snapped up by the director of a new reality T.V. show on Pop TV — L.A. Candy. As Jane and Scarlett's lives are taken over more and more by the show, Jane begins to wonder...what is reality, and what is reality?

This book is officially the worst book I have ever read. And that is saying a lot, since I also reviewed "Hades" by Alexandra Adornetto. Well, Bethie was a total Mary-Sue, but the description was at least amazing and the characters were pretty vivid.
So I picked up this book with the impression that it was going to just be a light, fluffy, entertaining read. I had never heard of Lauren Conrad (I'm not that much of a celebrity buff) so I assumed that the photo on the back was a representation of the main character Jane (since Jane looks, um, exactly like that photo.) But apparently it was actually Lauren Conrad. Strike one for an awful book.
Strike Two was that it exactly parallels her life (which I found out after researching Lauren Conrad to find out more about who she was). Strike Three was that Jane was a Mary-Sue (in case you're looking for proof, she scored a 55 on the Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test at Springhole.net) And Strike Four was the excess of parentheses, the terrible writing, and the fact that she hyphenated playfully. Yes, really.
Sorry, L.C., but your book is awful.(less)

like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Alysha Butera rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-covers-i-love, favorites

I loved this book! I was fortunate enough to pick up the whole 'L.A Candy' series for $10 reduced down from the price of $45!

I don't understand why it gets so many negative reviews for its bad writing. I thought the writing was great - it was honest and descriptive. I didn't know where the story was going next. I think people go into this book looking for a deep read about the true view of reality TV. It is a view on reality TV but not a deep deep book with all these different emotions. It's a...more

like · see review

Jan 14, 2013 Libby rated it 1 of 5 stars

3) L.A. Candy is a young adult book that is based upon the life of Lauren Conrad, written autobiographically by Lauren Conrad. In the book, two best friends, Jane and Scarlet have recently moved to L.A. in the hopes of starting a new, exciting life. Initially, their experiences are negative; however, everything changes when they are approached to star in a new reality t.v. show, "L.A. Candy". Soon, Jane and Scarlet's lives spin into stardom, but they also experience the harsh reality of having t...more 3) L.A. Candy is a young adult book that is based upon the life of Lauren Conrad, written autobiographically by Lauren Conrad. In the book, two best friends, Jane and Scarlet have recently moved to L.A. in the hopes of starting a new, exciting life. Initially, their experiences are negative; however, everything changes when they are approached to star in a new reality t.v. show, "L.A. Candy". Soon, Jane and Scarlet's lives spin into stardom, but they also experience the harsh reality of having their lives broadcasted for the world to see.
4) Theme- Being in the public eye is not all glitz and glamour.
Initially, Jane and Scarlet are enamored by the glamour of L.A. and Hollywood society; however, once provided with the opportunity to truly live in the limelight, they come to the realization that leading very public lives creates a wealth of problems. As their publicity rises, both Jane and Scarlet realize the disingenuous quality of the new "friends" they meet. On pg 143, Jane comes to realize that the public eye even interferes with her romantic life: "Jane blinked. Oh, yeah. The cameras were still rolling. Paolo was being filmed. But he didn't seem fazed by it. Did that mean he had walked into her office knowing there would be cameras? Had Dana talked to him already and gotten him to sign the release papers?". As their lives become more and more scripted, Jane and Scarlet begin to see the deception and not-so-pretty side of Hollywood.

Theme- Media can be highly skewed from reality.
As stars of a reality t.v. show, Jane and Scarlet quickly learn the deception that takes place in this so-called "reality". On Pg. 210, Scarlet's thoughts about this new reality become clear: "Besides, she was still in a foul mood over the episode. It had not reflected her 'reality.'" From this quote, it becomes evident that the main characters are coming to the realization that the media and public-eye can skew true reality. As the book continues, the characters become even more aware of the sometimes gray line between perception and reality.

5) The population most likely to enjoy this book would be teenage girls, especially those interested in reality t.v. This book was much too frivolous for my taste, lacking little to any substance; however, if I was interested in reality t.v. the book may've been more enjoyable due to its subject matter. Due to the majority of characters being females and the feminine themes, this book is definitely more appealing to a female audience. In short, if looking for an easy, frivolous read about reality t.v., this book is a suitable choice.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 05, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really am a fan of Lauren Conrad and I have been wanting read her books for the longest time. So I finally got up the courage to purchase one and give it a try. This series from what I noticed pretty much resembles Lauren's life and friends that were on the hit MTV show THE HILLS. I really enjoyed the Hills so I also really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and a good little page turner. The book would have gotten 5 stars but the first 65 pages Conrad over uses brackets and the descriptio...more

like · see review

Sep 06, 2012 Gemma rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sometimes you need good zero substance reads for pastimes such as, say, exercising on a stationary bicycle for extended periods of time when there's nothing good on TV. And for those times, LA Candy is highly, highly recommended.

It's an excellent zero-substance read because there really is zero substance. LA Candy is like whipped egg whites; it looks oh-so pretty until you bite down and realize that it has a good enough texture, but really tastes like nothing.

There really isn't a lot going on he...more Sometimes you need good zero substance reads for pastimes such as, say, exercising on a stationary bicycle for extended periods of time when there's nothing good on TV. And for those times, LA Candy is highly, highly recommended.

It's an excellent zero-substance read because there really is zero substance. LA Candy is like whipped egg whites; it looks oh-so pretty until you bite down and realize that it has a good enough texture, but really tastes like nothing.

There really isn't a lot going on here. Backstabbing and cheating and other such twists are promised, and yeah, it's all there, but it's so painfully obvious that it classifies as more of a natural way of proceeding with the plot than an actual twist. LA Candy mainly follows two girls, Jane Roberts and Scarlet Harper (Harp?) after their move to LA. For the first hundred pages or so, it's tedious stuff. Jane starts work with Fiona Chen, a high-end event planner, and is consequently yelled at, which causes her a lot of stress. She also flirts with cutie Braden, but, like, he kinda sorta has a girlfriend, so she doesn't know where to go with the relationship. Meanwhile, Scarlet goes to college (USC), and begins to realize that, like, all the professors are dumber than her, which is why she keeps getting B's.

And then--plot twist!--they meet a producer who decided that he wants them on his reality show, LA Candy with two other girls. Gabby and Madison. Gabby's a ditz and Madison is desperate for the spotlight she can't seem to find, but she bullies all the other girls, because, like, we need an antagonist. And then Jane and Scarlet's lives proceed as they did before, except there's a few ~~dozen~~ descriptions of their every move being filmed and a lot of complaining about how fame is soooo hard.

Despite being a bit dull at times and painfully obvious throughout, LA Candy wasn't as tedious as it could have been, though perhaps under certain circumstances, it would have been. Like I said, I was exercising on a stationary bicycle and nothing good was on TV, so reading this fizz was a nice way to pass the time. I was engaged throughout, and, other than a few painful attempts to sound all hip and happenin', Lauren Conrad's writing was fairly smooth, if flavorless.

That being said, there are a lot of things that need improvement. In my opinion, Conrad needs some help when it comes to selling the story. There were a lot of times when the whole thing felt overtly fake, like she wasn't sure whether the reader would believe it and didn't have the confidence to try and pass it off all the way. A lot of the conversations and interactions felt forced, as did a lot of the characters.

Oh, the characters. My favorite fluff series so far has been Kate Brian's Private books, about a bunch of unbelievably rich girls at a filthy pampered boarding school. There are times when it's painfully contrived and over-the-top convoluted, but it's a wild ride and I honestly enjoyed it. What made the books were the girls; sometimes they were just so mean. Sometimes they were even okay. The characters were obvious, but they owned it. If one character was supposed to be a b****, she was totally and completely a b****.

Here, not so much. Conrad has a very hard time making me believe these girls. Scarlet's the brainiac of the group, and every once in a while, we're reminded of her glowing SAT scores or how she's so fluent in Spanish that she corrects the professors, or how she's just this deep thinker. But she's no different than the rest of the girls, just shallow and judgmental, stumbling meaninglessly through life without a main purpose.

Jane was just as bad. I have no idea who Conrad intended for her to be. Sometimes she gives us the smart, sensible vibe; other times I'm unsure of whether or not she's supposed to be a ditz. The author clearly wasn't sure what to make of her, and it showed; Jane never gave off a consistent vibe. Gabby, who barely gets any lines, is probably the best established; she actually is the ditz, and I got it, even if she was totally unrealistic.

And then we have Madison. Madison was my biggest problem with this book. She's the mean girl, she's the conniving backstabber, but the only difference between her and Jane was that she wasn't getting the attention she wanted. She didn't have the Queen B**** vibe of Private's Noelle, and as a result, she wasn't a character I loved to hate, just someone I mildly loathed. But I didn't dislike her anymore than the rest of the characters here.

Oh, well. LA Candy is fine froth, but doesn't stand out from other such froth books. I'd definitely recommend the Private series over this one; Private has the same glitz and glamour with better mean girls and more plot twists. As I said, LA Candy Is just whipped egg-whites. But I'll still stick my hand back in the bowl for seconds and go for the next book. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Kimmy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a fan of The Hills, the reality tv-show that featured Lauren Conrad, I was a bit intrigued by this book. Here is the Kobo store’s summary:

Los Angeles is all about the sweet life: hot clubs, cute guys, designer . . . everything. Nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts can’t wait to start living it up. She may be in L.A. for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join in the fun. When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them...more As a fan of The Hills, the reality tv-show that featured Lauren Conrad, I was a bit intrigued by this book. Here is the Kobo store’s summary:

Los Angeles is all about the sweet life: hot clubs, cute guys, designer . . . everything. Nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts can’t wait to start living it up. She may be in L.A. for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join in the fun. When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them to be on his new series, a “reality version of Sex and the City,” they can hardly believe their luck. Their own show? Yes, please! Soon Jane is TV’s hottest star. Fame brings more than she ever imagined possible for a girl from Santa Barbara—free designer clothes, the choicest tables at the most exclusive clubs, invites to Hollywood premieres—and she’s lapping up the VIP treatment with her eclectic entourage of new pals. But those same friends who are always up for a wild night are also out for a piece of Jane’s spotlight. In a city filled with people chasing after their dreams, it’s not long before Jane wakes up to the reality that everyone wants something from her, and nothing is what it seems to be.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It was fun, light reading, and I was constantly on the look-out for veiled references to The Hills! The book introduces us to Jane Roberts, newly moved to L.A., who meets a television producer while out at a club with her best friend and roommate, Scarlett Harp.

They’re picked for a new reality show, L.A. Candy, which will feature two other girls, Gaby and Madison. At first, Jane is apprehensive – will anyone really want to watch her answer phones at work? But she has fun at the various magazine interviews and photo shoots designed to drum up publicity for the show’s premiere, and reminds herself that she came to L.A. to challenge herself and try something new.

Scarlett, meanwhile, becomes more pessimistic about the show as time goes by. She doesn’t like the way the camera crews interfere with her classes at USC, and she doesn’t want to pretend to like Gaby and Madison. Plus, ever since they started filming the show, she’s felt as though she and Jane are somehow growing apart.

There’s also some major boy/romance drama going on, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. It’s pretty fun stuff though!

This was fun, light summer reading, and if you are/were a fan of The Hills or reality television, I recommend this books. As I said above, I was surprised by how much I liked it, and I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series, Sweet Little Lies! (From http://pingwings.ca)(less)

like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cover:

The covers in this series are, all so pretty! I love me some, white covers; they're just really clean and a beautiful. The series itself is called L.A. Candy, so I also really liked that they incorporated the "candy" in to the covers. And they look great in my shelf; which is a big plus(:

My Opinion:

Lauren Conrad? From the show, The Hills? She writes?

Yeah, she does! I didn't believe it either. I know this might seem harsh, or mean, but I didn't expect to much from L.A. Candy.

A few weeks bac...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 22, 2012 Annie rated it 1 of 5 stars

To be honest I cannot tell you what was going through my head when I bought this book. For christmas my grandmother gave me a book voucher because she likes to conform to grandmother stereotypes; I was 15. I hate 15-year-old me. However sometimes I don't because even then, at that naive stage of adolescence when everything I said was silly and my hobbies included attacking my own face with eyeliner and bronzer, I still hated this book. I still thought it was a revolting excuse for a novel and an...more

like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Irena Benini rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a very fast paced book. It is a perfect book for the summer to read on or near the beach or pool. It is about 4 girls from the point of view of Jane, sometimes it is from the point of other people but most of the time it is from jane. The characters are Jane, her best friend Scarlett, and 2 other girls they meet later on, Madison and Gaby and how they had became famous and what actually happens behind the camera and magazines. Jane and Scarlette moved to L.A for different reasons....more

like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's book review time: LA Candy by Lauren Conrad. I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I've actually seen LA Candy and it's counterparts on shelves in several book stores but it never appealed to me, so I didn't buy it. However, the other day I was cleaning my room and I grabbed my Kindle to find a book (since Kindles can read to you) that could play as background noise while I cleaned. I found LA Candy and I figured that I wouldn't get interested in it - that it would just be a buzz in the...more It's book review time: LA Candy by Lauren Conrad. I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I've actually seen LA Candy and it's counterparts on shelves in several book stores but it never appealed to me, so I didn't buy it. However, the other day I was cleaning my room and I grabbed my Kindle to find a book (since Kindles can read to you) that could play as background noise while I cleaned. I found LA Candy and I figured that I wouldn't get interested in it - that it would just be a buzz in the back of my head. I was extremely wrong. Normally when I clean a room I make noise, which is why I did not want to have a book that I actually liked play in the background - I would just sit there and listen so that I would not miss any of the sentences. Plus, when a Kindle reads to you? You have to listen intently to understand.

It started reading to me and I was hooked by the second sentence. Moral of the story? DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

Now, on to the book review.

LA Candy mainly follows the two best friends Jane Roberts and Scarlett Harp who recently moved to LA. Scarlett is a gorgeous braniac who is attending USC, and Jane is generally classified as "the girl next door". Jane moves to LA to work for one of the most prestigious party planners, Fiona Chen, hoping to build her way up in the party planning business. Scarlett and Jane get asked to star in a reality show with two other girls that is to be called LA Candy The other two main characters are Gabby Garcia, sweet but not the sharpest tool in the shed, and Maddison Parker, a rich, self-centered and plotting brat. Gabby and Maddision are also asked to star in the show.

(Kind of spoilers, I guess)
Jane develops feelings for a boy who is in a on-again, off-again relationship, then starts dating the boy's best friend - who also happens to be a well-known celebrity and heartbreaker. The show also seems to be centered around her rather than the others. Scarlett feels as if her relationship with her BFF Jane is becoming distant and she doesn't like the show. Gabby is just... Gabby. Maddison wants the spotlight on her, so she (SPOILER) leaks some inappropriate pictures of Jane to a magazine. I'll stop there, you'll just have to read the book for yourself!

As I said before, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book! I do read some books that aren't fantasy-fiction but only a few. I really liked the writing style because normally I am a bigger fan of first person POV, but Lauren Conrad pulled of the third person omniscient POV. There is some cussing in the book as well as drinking, visits to clubs, and hints that people slept with each other. These are some things I am not very comfortable with, to be honest, in books, so those things were the only major things I did not really enjoy in the book. Other than that the plot was great, the writing style was great, the character development was pretty great.

Now, characters. Scarlett was pretty much the ONLY one who didn't annoy me. I loved her sarcastic humor and her brains. Jane got up in the fame, Maddison was a conniving, egocentric weasel, and Gabby was just stupid. I didn't like pretty much any of the other chracters except: Hannah, Jesse, Braden, Diego, and Liam. The only problem was that a lot of those people were not in the story a lot, so basically my favorite character was Scarlett. I can't wait to read the other two books in the series, Sweet Little Lies and Sugar and Spice. I also want to read the Fame Game series by Lauren Conrad: The Fame Game and Starstruck (only ones that are out so far).
(You can also see this same review on my blog: http://bookspoetrymusic.blogspot.com/ please comment and subcribe!)(less)

like · see review

Jun 01, 2012 Olivia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lauren Conrads’ book, L.A Candy is a very good read if you are the type of person who’s into reality TV shows. This book is about two girls Jane, and Scarlett, the main characters who live in Los Angeles. Jane took an internship to become an event planner, while Scarlett attends USC. Throughout their adventures in L.A, they were seen by a reality TV show producer who is interested in having them star in his reality show L.A Candy. After a while of being followed around by cameras and being in th...more

like · see review

May 22, 2012 Esther rated it 4 of 5 stars

L.A. candy is about two girls Jane and Scarlett who become stars on a reality show called L.A. Candy. They are best friends who wanted to go on a adventure together, so they decided to move to L.A. In L.A. they were making new friends and trying to get acquainted with the new environment when one night they go out to a club. At the club they are approach by a guy who is a producer and he tells them that they would be perfect for the reality show that he is making. They were hesitant at first bu...more

like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Abbey Schneider rated it 5 of 5 stars

I definitely thought that this was an amazing book! It had a really good plot, and kept me changing the pages quickly. I think that people would like this book because it is always a dream of people to go someplace new and create something for themselves. This book is about two girls named Jane and Scarlet who do just that. Jane is the quit girl next door character, and Scarlet is the exotic looking and out spoken character. The two of them make a great story because they are so different from e...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2012 Meggie Blakeley rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-to-burn

On our DVD shelf you know who bought what between my sister and I, and of course our tastes vary. Examples of mine are Supernatural, Veronica Mars, and of course the entire Harry Potter series. Now my sister owns The Hills, One Tree Hill, and Gossip Girl.

So when she bought this book and said "Like ohmygosh It's soooooo good!" I went against my own fantastic taste and read it.

...
....
.....
......
.......
FACEPALM!

The characters were just so dull and shallow! I mean, come on I've stepped in deeper p...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-2012-advisory

L.A. Candy was about two best friends moving to California, and starting a new chapter in their lives. The protagonist, Jane is starting a new job as an assistant to a very famous event planner and her best friend Scarlett is going to college. They go to a club one night and a producer approaches them. It turns out that he is starting a new reality show, called "L.A. Candy". They go through the audition process, meet some new people, including Braden. Jane has a crush on him, be he has a girlfri...more

like · see review

Feb 24, 2012 Donna rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: NOOOOOOO ONE... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ONE.

Recommended to Donna by: Lily

Shelves: hate-it, realistic-fic

WTF did I just read?

Here lemme emphasize on it:

The beginning...the shit about Jane and her hooking ups got me rolling my eyes. Is it just me or is it confusing as hell? Ok I usually read mah books very fast. maybe i read the beginning too fast because i remember myself RE-READING it and sit there and think of what I have just read. 3 minutes later: OH!

I know I should have gave up on it but one of my greatest friends recommended and i promised her! (sorry Lily, gotta put you on the spot) LILY, WH...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 28, 2011 Sarah Lozano rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gossip Girl Fans, Fan's of Lauren Conrad, People who wonder about Reality TV, MTV Fans

Shelves: drama, guilty-pleasure, girlie-books

L.A Candy might not be an emotional masterpiece of lit, but it's a good story about how fame changed the lives of two best friends. For a first time author Lauren did a good job at developing her the plot and people of L.A Candy, way better than what I or could really expected. It's a fun book that gives us details in the world of reality TV, something Conrad knows about more than anything.
L.A Candy isn't some "we're-rich-people-with-problems-story", in fact compared to Gossip Girl and many othe...more

like · see review

Nov 03, 2011 Abbey rated it 4 of 5 stars

L.A. Candy
By: Lauren Conrad
Genre: realistic fiction
Would you like to be on a hit reality T.V. show? Jane Roberts thinks she does. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad is about Jane Roberts a girl from a small town who moves to California to be “uncomfortable” with her best friend Scarlet, together they become the stars of a reality T.V. show called L.A. Candy.
Jane Roberts is an intern for a party planning company and her best friend Scarlet goes to college. One night they go out and get an opportu...more

like · see review

Jul 22, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, ya

Yay to total crap reading! I really really needed this book. If you don't know, this book was "written" by Lauren Conrad otherwise known as that girl from Laguna Beach and The Hills. It's about two girls who move to LA from SB, go clubbing and get "discovered" for a reality tv show based on their boring lives. Sound familiar? I brought this book to NY with me last weekend and the sister and aloud to each other a la SF circa 2007 when we found an old Sweet Valley High book that we read to each ot...more

like · see review

May 08, 2011 Bethany Huang rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers of Jen Calonita's book

Jane and Scarlett are the best of friends. They've always been close and almost always understand each other. Sure, there are times when there'll be misunderstandings-like Scarlett's dating problems. But they know they have each other. L.A is a new universe to them-where natural borne blondes are nearly extinct, replaced by fakes. Jane and Scarlett know they don't fit in-somewhat gladly, in fact. But that's exactly what attracted the eye of the TV producer Trevor Lord.

His past TV shows just cra...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Who has read this Book?	13	42	14 minutes ago
the f**king sleaze!	6	38	May 18, 2013 06:09pm
2 words... YA BOO...: L.A. Candy	1	2	Jan 09, 2013 04:26pm
Maymuna Abdi	1	18	Nov 20, 2011 02:32pm
Maymuna Abdi	1	6	Sep 18, 2011 06:31pm

combine
Other Editions (16)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

182 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

159 users

Romance

40 users

Contemporary

34 users

Young Adult > Teen

24 users

Realistic Fiction

23 users

Drama

10 users

Romance > Contemporary Romance

6 users

Relationships

6 users

Book Club

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Priceless
by Nicole Richie
Beach Blondes: June Dreams, July's Promise, August Magic
by Katherine Applegate
Gorgeous
by Rachel Vail
The Opposite of Invisible
by Liz Gallagher
I Will Always Love You
by Cecily von Ziegesar (creator)

About Lauren Conrad

Lauren Katherine Conrad, often referred to as "L.C.", is an American television personality and an aspiring fashion designer. She is best known for being featured in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and for her spin-off show, The Hills, which follows her personal and professional life as she pursues a career in the fashion industry. She earns an estimated $1.5 million an...more

More about Lauren Conrad...

Books by Lauren Conrad

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About L.A. Candy

4 trivia questions
1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from L.A. Candy

“The only way to belong is to act like you belong. Or to not give a shit whether you belong or not.” — 50 people liked it

“Tomorrow will be better.” — 37 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: L.A. Candy
avg rating	preview: L.A. Candy Goodreads rating: 3.37 (13220 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4758093-l-a-candy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348708931l/4758093.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4758093-l-a-candy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad[/url]

L.A. Candy (L.A. Candy #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website