The Smart One and the Pretty One

by Claire LaZebnik

When Ava Nickerson was a child, her mother jokingly betrothed her to a friend's son, and the contract the parents made has stayed safely buried for years. Now that still-single Ava is closing in on thirty, no one even remembers she was once "engaged" to the Markowitz boy. But when their mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ava's prodigal little sister Lauren comes home to Los Angeles where she stumbles across the decades-old document.
Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava's constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she's in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister's childhood fiancé. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy to re-enter the Nickerson sisters' lives, and always-accountable Ava is forced to consider just how binding a contract really is . . .



"This sparkling novel about two sisters is both witty and stylish. Even if you don't have a sister of your own, you won't be able to resist LaZebnik's charming take on modern relationships. Read it!"
- Holly Peterson, bestselling author of The Manny

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Adult, Humor

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2008

About the author

HIDDEN BRILLIANCE: UNLOCKING THE INTELLIGENCE OF AUTISM is out! We set out to write a loving, respectful, helpful and supportive book for parents and educators, one that never forgets the value and importance of diversity in our community, and I'd like to think that we succeeded. Please check it out https://hidden-brilliance.org/

The Washington Post says: "But even those outside of that audience who would also benefit from reading it, including autistic former children (present), parents of autistic adults and, for that matter, autistic adults who have thought about having children."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...

Reviews

[L.E. Fidler · Rating 2 out of 5]

about 32 pages into this badboy, i got very excited because i was going to be able to use my "what a bunch of assholes" shelf.

that's probably not a good sign, right?

this be the story of sisters, and that special bond only sisters share. there's lauren (no relation), the gorgeous flake who's in so much debt that she contemplates declaring bankruptcy before she quits her job in new york and moves home to mooch. she's the PRETTY one. and there's ava, the spinster-esque lawyer who dresses like a forty-year-old power lesbian. she's the SMART one.

both sisters are candidates for therapy. lauren has a shopping fetish and honestly believes her clothes give her mystical powers to succeed with men on dates (or something). she is emotionally immature and likes to have sex with almost strangers. ava thinks if she wears makeup and makes herself look pretty that people will not take her seriously because the only thing people should notice about her is her mind. she is a frigid prude who pushes men away faster than you can say "habeas corpus".

while this is all obnoxious, it's not particularly disgusting. what is disgusting is: ava starts dating russell, a clothes' horse who works for a woman's clothing line and who fancies himself 'enry 'iggins to her eliza doolittle. lauren starts dating a very serious man who works exhausting hours at a high-paying job and who doesn't seem to care what he wears.

wait a second...that sounds familiar...

oh, right. that's because they're dating their sisters.
just in male form.

and that's when i threw up a little in my mouth.

there's a subplot involving contracts (it's an obnoxious contrivance meant to set up the primary plot of ava getting some) and one about cancer but both feel shamefully hollow.

two stars for some light moments, quick pacing, and a plot that picked up after the initial lagging clunkiness. lord help the mister who comes between these sisters. that's all i got to say about that.

[T.Y. Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

God I hate chick lit.

This one was especially bad. Dear god, the characters were abominable.

The "smart" one, Ava, is the least convincing lawyer character I've ever read in a book. What kind of attorney can't articulate why something pisses her off, or win an argument with her idiot sister? Clearly the writer has not associated much with actual litigators. Furthermore, in the story, Ava is full of caution and justifiable disdain for the vapid pretty boy pursuing her, but in the end just becomes another stupid "pretty" girl (an almost literal clone of her sister, except with a job), so that she can land said vapid pretty boy, who really just views her as his own personal make-over project... that he fucks. And the "pretty" one, Lauren, is a shallow binge-shopping bimbo who only cares about how hot she appears to men. Oh, if only she bought the right camisole, that guy would totally have been unable to suppress his lust for her! (I kid you not). Also, Lauren is pursuing penis while her mother is undergoing chemotherapy, AND (yes, it gets worse, believe it or not), she thinks she's such a GREAT DAUGHTER for driving her mother to the hospital (usually late) for her treatments. Somebody get her a trophy!

Also, Lauren NEVER LEARNS HER LESSON. She, in fact, in classic narcissistic personality disorder fashion, thinks that not only is her massive debt, unemployment, and uncontrollable binge-shopping understandable, but that if it weren't for that, Ava would NEVER have landed the (shallow and vile) pretty boy, and therefore a round of thanks is in order, for Lauren's chronically immature spending habits.


The morals of this story are thus:

-by all means, interfere in the affairs of your grown, adult family members. As long as you "mean well" nobody is allowed to be pissed off. After all, you're faaaaaaammmmillllyyyyyyy /gag

-you're just a self-sabotaging insecure psycho if you are offended that a guy thinks you need to make yourself more outwardly attractive and fashionable in order to be courted by him. Nope, he's not a superficial cad AT ALL! Obviously YOU are the one with the mental problems. Now start dressing and acting like a hooker.

-you don't REALLY need to learn from your mistakes. You just need to prove that your mistakes are awesome and totally forgivable because you're just so damn adorable, tee-hee!



This book makes it really hard for me to sublimate my rage against the universe.

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted a light, fluffy read before I tackled a more serious and heart-tugging book from my stash. I just never got into the plot other than to feel disgust and frustration with the two sisters Ava and Lauren. Ava is a presentable but frumpy, hard-working lawyer. Younger Lauren is cute and perky and in financial trouble. Finding herself fired from her job, facing eviction from her New York apartment and burdened with debt, she ups and moves back to California to literally sponge off her family when she learns of her mother's cancer. Ava tries to get Lauren back on track with finances while Lauren tries to make-over Ava. When Lauren found a betrothal agreement between her parents and Russell Markowitz's parents (made when the two when were about 7 years old), she goes all out to bring the two of them together and to seal the deal. Along the way she meets Daniel at the hospital where his mother is also undergoing chemo. A strange love-hate relationship develops between the two. I found all the characters shallow and spineless with no real spark of personality. The only character I truly enjoyed was Nancy, the girls' mother who remains cheerful and hopeful that she will beat the cancer that her own daughters don't seem to take very seriously. Light and fluffy...I got that, but it fell flat for me when I continued to read and not care about the outcome of the plot one way or the other.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review 3/14/22:

Compulsively readable, chick lit dramedy

Ava Nickerson is a 29-year-old, well paid, corporate attorney in Los Angeles who hasn’t had a date in over a year, and the last one she had was a total bust. She is conservative to the point of being dowdy in her dress, extremely introverted and shy, and very responsible about her obligations and her personal finances.

Though Ava and her 26-year-old sister, Lauren, look very much alike in their basic facial features and slender figures, unlike her frumpy sister, Lauren is obsessed with beauty and fashion. So much so that she is a shopaholic when it comes to clothing, and is up to her ears in debt as a result. She has recently been evicted from her apartment for owing back rent, and has been fired from her job as a fashion buyer because her boss found out her credit rating is irresponsibly low. She decides to leave New York City, where she has lived since graduating from college, to come home to Los Angeles and live with her mother, Nancy, who is going through chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Soon after Lauren arrives in town, Ava learns about her sister’s debts and is determined to help her get her life on track. Ava tricks Lauren into seeing a debt-consolidation adviser, and pressures her into signing an informal contract with herself, promising to cut up her credit cards and avoid spending a penny on anything but dire necessities for the next six months. Lauren is so embarrassed by Ava’s treating her like a recalcitrant teenager, she is determined to get even. The perfect opportunity arrives when, at their parents’ home, Lauren stumbles upon a joke contract from twenty years ago, signed by Nancy Nickerson and Lana Markowitz, betrothing eight-year-old Ava to thirteen-year-old Russell Markowitz. Lauren asks Ava’s highly efficient administrative assistant at her law firm to track down Russell, and sets up a meeting between herself, Lauren and Russell at a restaurant, thus beginning Lauren’s matchmaking efforts to get Ava and Russell together for real.

Meanwhile, after living with her parents for less than a week, Lauren asks Ava if she can stay with her instead, because their father, Jimmy, is convinced the best possible life plan for flakey Lauren is for Jimmy to pay for her to train to be a dental hygienist, so she can snag a prosperous dentist as a husband, and he won’t shut up about it. Ava knows that Lauren will bring endless chaos into her small, tidy, one-bedroom apartment, and her life in general, but she is feeling rather lonely and alienated, and soon Lauren has moved in and is sleeping on Ava’s couch.

This story is told from the alternating points of view of Ava and Lauren. There are four, main, interconnected relationships which form the core of the action in this novel: Ava and Lauren, Lauren and Nancy, Ava and Russell, and Lauren and Daniel, a man she meets at the hospital, where his mother and Lauren’s mother are both undergoing chemo. Each relationship is vividly portrayed, and each character fully and colorfully revealed via their dialogue and behavior.

In heterosexual chick lit, the core message typically amounts to this: heterosexual women should cynically distrust romance, because decent, caring, heterosexual men are almost impossible to find. Instead, work on yourself, your own self-sufficiency and maturity, and look to female relationships if you want loyalty and stability (even if some of your female relationships include female relatives who are, much of the time, aggravatingly self-centered and often downright idiotic--in this book, that is Lauren). If there is dating or an initial romantic relationship in chick lit, those connections are doomed to failure, because they represent choices the heroine has made in her immature state. A healthy, committed, romantic relationship, with an emotionally mature, financially stable man, is a reward the heroine can only achieve via a successful growth arc across the novel from clueless immaturity, to a state of rational, compassionate, humbled maturity. Unlike in a romance novel, the romance is not the main plot, but is a relatively small subplot.

This is very much the pattern that Ms. LaZebnik follows in her chick lit. What sets her stories apart is the brilliant way she weaves together captivating themes within the heroine’s various relationships that amplify each other. In this novel, there is a clever and compelling twist provided to the theme of female distrust described above in the form of the intriguing, multi-layered character, Russell. Rather than the female main characters, Ava and Lauren, being burned out and cynical about men, in this novel, it is the twice-divorced Russell who is burned out and cynical about women—and with very good reason, starting with his mother. Lana Markowitz is a self-obsessed narcissist, who never protected him from his father who, from Russell’s earliest childhood, shamed him continually with homophobic slurs for having a sensitive, metrosexual personality, rather than marching lockstep in his father’s toxic-masculinity footsteps. And when Russell ended up working in the fashion industry, it put him completely beyond the pale with his father.

I really enjoyed the fact that it isn’t just the two sisters, Ava and Lauren, who have a strong growth arc across the course of this novel, but Russell does, too. Even though we are never allowed to experience his point of view, and for most of the book, Ava is a classic “unreliable narrator” in her perceptions of Russell and his motives, CL is such a fantastic writer, the reader is able to see how kind and generous Russell really is, long before Ava gets beyond her own insecurities and is able to see it as well.

As for Lauren, it fascinated me that, though at the beginning of the novel she is presented as seemingly nothing but an irresponsible, addicted shopper, living her life in a totally superficial way, over the course of the novel, deeper layers of her personality are gradually revealed, and she becomes quite lovable by the end of the novel.

Finally, this book contains something that that I absolutely adore: plenty of witty banter, both between Ava and Russell, and between Ava and Lauren. I frequently laughed out loud at the conversational volleys between them.

All in all, this is a book I have read several times, and will no doubt read again in the future, in spite of the fact that I am, in general, not at all a fan of the chick lit genre. However, this book is so well written, I found it hard to put down once I picked it up. It is a classic case of a “compulsively readable” novel.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine Ava: 5 stars
Heroine Lauren: 5 stars
Romantic Interest Russell: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Sister Plot: 5 stars
Ava/Russell Romance Plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

Reread 12/24/24: This is still a dependably satisfying read for me. I agree with everything I stated above in my previous, glowing review.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Claire LaZebnik’s The Smart One And The Pretty One is the story of two sisters trying to understand each other as adults -- while simultaneously boosting each other as they share difficult experiences. And though I wanted to like the Nickerson girls and cheer for them from the get-go, I just had too many issues with this book.

Firstly, both sisters felt like such stereotypes to me. Ava is a lawyer (yes, of course she is) while Lauren worked at a fashionable boutique, stocking up on clothes and other items she couldn’t really afford. She’s materialistic -- and a little bratty. She craves the spotlight and demands it of everyone in her life. In terms of stereotypes, she’s the poster child for “youngest sister,” while Ava has her post as “mature big sister” all locked up.

I never felt like I really got to know either of them. I was standing at a distance, looking in as they dealt with their myriad of problems. Part of what kept me disconnected was the narrative voice -- third person -- and the fact that I couldn’t get into the minds of either woman. The novel would have functioned better for me if it were told by one of the sisters -- preferably Ava because she annoyed me far less, though Lauren’s insight might have helped me understand her better as a character.


While we saw the Nickerson daughters evolve by the end of the novel, it just wasn’t enough to redeem them in my eyes. While LaZebnik can certainly write, I didn’t identify or like any of her characters -- and like a fight with my own sister, The Smart One And The Pretty One left me with an unsettled feeling in my stomach.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I don't usually go for chick-lit, the title of this book caught my attention. It started out ok and the plot line had good potential.

Though pretty soon I started to get annoyed with Ava's character. She was just too awkward, and I couldn't help but cringe with how she interacted with Russell for most of the story.

Lauren's character however, was what kept my interest to finish the book. The relationship with her and Daniel showed potential and I wanted to see it evolve further. Even till the end I was rooting for them and wanted to see a happy ending.
I was disappointed that the story ended without letting use know where Lauren stood as far as Daniel and her future. I'm hoping that this means there will be a second book that continues Lauren's story.

I did not like the ending at all. I felt that I was too rushed and as soon as Russell and Ava started to make progress it came to an end. I would at least liked to have seen an epilogue at the end.

All in all it was an ok easy read. I'll give it two and a half stars instead of three only because the ending could of been a lot better.
I would however like to see a story on Lauren in a future book, maybe where she reunites with Daniel a few years later back in New York.

[Wisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I'm a big fan of Claire from her YA Jane Austen retellings, so I finally decided to give her adult fiction a go. This was interesting. Not much happened, it was definitely more of a slice-of-life-ish character exploration, but I found the sister relationship tolerable (a rarity!). I actually really enjoyed Ava and Lauren's mother, I felt like her story and her personality were highlights.

The romances here were lackluster and even gross sometimes, but they didn't seem like this book's center, so it wasn't terrible. I'll always be a fan of Claire's writing, even though some of this was weirdly outdated in an uncomfortable, 2008 way.

So overall, nothing to write home about and not as strong as those YA books, but a speedy read that wasn't hard to get through!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was actually the first LaZebnik I read! But that was five years ago, so all I remembered was that I liked it. Between that how much I enjoy her YA, I thought I'd give it a re-read.

And I still like it! I think the characters are a bit less likable than in her YA. That's not all bad, though. In some ways, it's nice to have love interests who come off badly at times. And the family stuff was pretty good.

I kind of wish even more had been done with Ava's attitude towards clothes and looking pretty. That's something I've struggled with at times, wanting people to like you for you and worrying that dressing up would change their impression of you in wrong ways.

[Alea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! I can't say enough good things about it! I knew exactly where Ava was coming from and found myself being eager to see what she did with herself for my own benefit! I really can't think of the last time that I identified with a character in a book so much. I don't dress to impress and hate wearing makeup! And like in the book, my little sister has done my makeup on occasion.

And Lauren, also what a great character. Even though I didn't identify nearly as much with her as I did her sister ,Ava, I saw a bit of my sister in her. Russell was so sweet, I loved him too! These characters were real people to me. (This MUST be made into a movie!)

So besides the fact that I felt like those characters were very real to me, this book was just funny. Your everyday, can't help it funny! That's just who they were. I loved that and found myself laughing often while reading this. Also the whole plot, the idea that people that knew each other as children, but that are now strangers, are thrust together in a variety of situations. It made for some great set-ups and sneaking around on Lauren's part. Ava is so stuck in her ways that Lauren has to trick her into being social with anyone other then their family.

My only unfulfilled wish for this book would have been to see the ending drawn out a bit more, maybe just 20-40 more pages. Without giving away anything, I wanted to hear Russell's thoughts a bit more on a particular character.

[Laura de Leon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I alternated between loving this book and being very annoyed by it. I spent more time in the enjoying it side, but got more annoyed as the book went on.

I liked the family relationships in the book. I enjoyed the byplay between the sisters, and how they went about reestablishing their friendship. I found both sisters to be interesting characters.

Lauren needs to grow up, but she's got a good heart. Her sister Ava is trying to help her in the growing up department. Sometimes she appreciates this, sometimes she doesn't.

Ava's been grown up for a long time. She's always taken life seriously. She wants to share this with her younger sister.

What I didn't like what the message about appearance. The characters say that beauty isn't important, but ignoring your appearance is. The fact that these conversations take place between two gorgeous size 6 women doesn't help.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is, as its title suggests, about a “smart one” and a “pretty one”--in this case, twenty-something sisters Ava and Lauren Nickerson, respectively. Ava is a smart, (overly) buttoned-up lawyer and Lauren is a bubbly, (overly) free-wheeling buyer and devotee of all things fashion. They both have their romantic storylines, as we switch back and forth between the two. But the book is also about a family reconnecting and learning a little more about each other in adulthood, as the sisters support their mother through a medical crisis. The characters seemed genuine and interesting, and the reading experience often felt like being a fly on the wall as relationships developed through witty conversations. I liked this one! It gains depth from characters that are supportive of each other, especially the sisters whose support often comes in amusingly annoying forms to the other.

[Just - The romance reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this about a year ago, before I joined goodreads, thus why I'm just not giving a review. Unfortunately, since it's been so long I don't remember lots about the book, but I enjoyed it enough to give it 4 stars. Upon reading the summary I immediately thought of the movie "In Her Shoes" and there were definitely some similarities - the two sisters being complete opposites and at times battling it out because of that oppositeness. If I remember right, both sisters tend to realize and struggle with their own insecurities while living together...a bit of that "the grass is always greener" way of thinking that they wish they were more like their sister.

Ultimately, and predictably, things work out for a happy ending. But, isn't that how we want things to end?

[Fedora · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely women's fiction/chick lit--it's the story of two sisters, Lauren, who's got some serious financial issues and who's come home to get her bearings, so to speak, and Ava, the practical, organized one. She's also kind of frumpy and has spent much of her life focused on not focusing on her externals, in part because Lauren's got that down pat.

Now, I will admit right up front that I tended to identify more with Ava and I mostly loathed Lauren, who seemed incredibly immature and self-centered and a little blind with regards to any need to change. That said, The Smart One and the Pretty One was very easy to read and I kept on turning the pages until the end. I would definitely read Ms. LaZebnik again, with hopes that I'd like the characters in the next one more :)

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a quick, mindless read, but I got annoyed while reading it. Maybe I am getting too old/jaded for chicklit. One of the main characters started dating what I would describe as a trainwreck. My younger self would probably say - Ooo, maybe he is going to change for her.

My older, more realistic and cynical self thought - drop him like a bad habit. There is not attractive about a guy who treats you like this.

If you want to read this, I wouldn't purchase it - maybe rent it from the library?

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sisters - one a responsible lawyer and the other one an unemployed spendaholic - are surprised that they something to learn from each other (while dealing with their mother's cancer). This was a light, fast read full of humor and some depth too.

Reminded me of the Shopaholic books a bit but I liked the characters more in this book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

[Lolkatings · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book on a suggestion from my book club. The only character I truly enjoyed was "the smart one." The men, you could tell, were supposed to be, for the most part, likable, but I couldn't bring myself to that point. And the message of the book, being yourself is all well and good but making the effort to conform to standards of beauty is better - just no.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a quick easy story to read...but nothing to get really excited about

[Leila Jakubinek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Normally I enjoy chick lit. However, this was written so badly that it was really hard to get through.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fluffy, romcom, slightly feminist. Easy, breezy, but overall unsatisfying/unsophisticated read. Akin to a book version of an average romcom film - if that’s what you’re looking for, then it’s great.

[Amanda Melendez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was book was okay.

I actually bought this book on sale a long time ago because I remember reading Knitting Under the Influence as a kid in high school and being entertained, but I never actually got around to reading it.

It felt a little 2-dimensional to me. I thought the sisterly bond was cute and some of their banter was funny but that was about it. I didn’t particularly like their love interests and even the development of those relationships seemed kind of rushed and short.

I got through it fairly quickly because it’s on the shorter side, but it wasn’t as entertaining as I’d hoped, unfortunately.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super light, easy beach read. Sister dynamics, family dynamics, in a "why are you acting like this?" sort of way.
Two sisters are thrown together again because their mom has cancer. Both need personal growth (grow up! adulting sucks! despite their age) and find some thanks to each other and dealing with 2 guys and 4 sets of baggages thrown in the mix.
3stars, sometimes 1, some times 4. A simple set up, but if you read it 3 times, you'd probably pick up on more subtle dynamics (they both feel unloved by their crazy odd dad and bond over it).

[Carol Perreault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast and easy read story of 2 sisters, one a lawyer and one a buyer, who help when their mother is diagnosed with cancer. The lawyer lives locally but the buyer travels from NY after being let go from her job and losing her apartment because she cannot pay her rent. She loves buying so much that she buys for herself and gets into debt. The lawyer wants to help her sister, and sets her up with someone who can help consolidate her debt. Does it work? How does it make her feel?

[Nell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read and enjoyed just about all of CL’s YA romances, so I was interested to see how I went with her adult fiction. . And hey, I enjoyed it. It probably wasn’t as appealing to me as the YA, but it had plenty of mess to be cleaned up in all sorts of different relationships, the burgeoning of more relationships and the loss of others.

This was fun and warm and easy to read.

[Rachel Shallenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is really well-written, and the characters are very believable. The plot overall is okay, and it has some deeper themes that are realistic to life. I enjoyed it, but it is for mature audiences. Contains some language and sexual content. It skips over the seriously intimate parts of the story line, praise the Lord. Recommended for light read!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit dated but it was nice to revisit a time when things were more simple before the internet was a huge part of everyone's lives. I loved the vastly different personalities of the 2 sisters and how their whole experience in this book ultimately brought them so much closer together. Even though it has been on my to-read list for YEARS, I'm glad I finally got to it!

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked that the focus of this story was on the sisters and their family dynamic. Otherwise, it was a pretty average chick lit novel. My only issue - I didn't really see what attracted Ava to Russell. He wasn't a total ass or anything, but dude had baggage and I couldn't shake the slight gay vibe. Maybe I'm just too used to the Alpha-male type.

[Mallory de la Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun, light hearted, quick read. I didn’t hate it. But it didn’t blow me away. There were way too many cliches & a tad too much misogyny for my taste, but the cleverness & wittiness made up for it.

[Michaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, most mundane book I’ve ever read. I love how Ava was so keen on women’s rights and equality and this book is titled “the smart one and the pretty one” which feels incredibly demeaning. thanks but no thanks, I stopped 80 pages in because I simply couldn’t take it anymore.

[Melissa Brosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from a library book sale. It was s good book I have never heard of this author before. But I will be looking for more books by her.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining.