Celebrate by Lauren Conrad | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5)

Would it be silly to say that this review hurts me more than it hurts you, fellow readers, and of course Lauren Conrad? Yes? No? Maybe--whatever. The truth is that, despite my low star rating, I don't regret buying this book in the least. It just wasn't all I was expecting... which, I suppose, isn't all that surprising?  I'm positive I am just not a lifestyle book kind of girl and that has everything to do with the reason why I didn't love nor hate Celebrate.

Everyone knows that Lauren Conrad is my girl. From the Laguna Beach/The Hills days, to her full force run ahead into fashion and her previous fictional releases, I'm always keen on supporting her work. I'm consistently buying her clothing (ugh, it's all so cute) and stalking her website and Pinterest for inspiration. So to say I was excited, and then disappointed by this release, would be an understatement to the highest degree. I own each and every once of her previous books and while they have never been the greatest, or the most unique, they at least were solid.

Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad | Rating: ★★★☆☆

If you're looking for a dishy, quick and non serious read for your bedside table, then you should look no further. Lauren Conrad's L.A. Candy trilogy is fun, dramatic and indulgent. Over the course of two previous books, we've witnessed a great deal of drama catered to young adults with a love for reality television. Lauren Conrad's writing is surprisingly fun and although it isn't the greatest release in young adult literature, it's still a blast from start to finish--so long as you don't take it or yourself too seriously. Sugar and Spice wraps things up nicely for fans and also sets the stage for a spin-off trilogy and proves once again to be the perfect beachy read. It's fictional paperbacks at its dishiest and full of scandals which will appeal to fans of Gossip Girl and The A-List.

Onto the goods. Not a lot of time has passed since five young women's lives were changed upon signing on to film their day-to-day lives for a reality series titled L.A. Candy. Jane, Scarlett, Madison, Gabby and Hannah have reached new levels of fame in different ways and after the explosive ender to the previous installment, Conrad is sure to have more tricks up her sleeves.

And she did! I will say that I feel as though this third and final installment to Jane's story was a bit lackluster compared to the other two. But at the same time, it was fitting. I think Lauren did a nice job of wrapping things up and having a proper send-off for some characters while also having set a foundation for The Fame Game.

Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad | Rating: ★★★☆☆

Fame and style, scandal and gossip, Lauren Conrad is at it again with her bestselling drama L.A. Candy.  Sweet Little Lies follows the introduction to the trilogy quite well and showcases a tale of fluffy goodness, rivaling the novels Gossip Girl and The A-List in terms of guilty pleasure enjoyment. Because of Conrad's start on MTV with a hugely successful spin on reality television with Laguna Beach and The Hills, L.C. knows her stuff when it comes to unexpected fame and a sultry backdrop.

Not everything is as it seems and who can you really trust when it all boils down to fame? Jane Roberts' world was thrust into chaos after she and best friend, Scarlett, are approached to star in a reality series. Now, a scandal has sent her into hiding with her new, untrustworthy, friend and co-star Madison. After news leaks of Jane having cheated on her delicious, celebrity boyfriend (with his best friend, no less) and unbecoming photographs of her begin popping up in the tabloids, the series is hotter than ever. Nothing beats a good scandal in Hollywood and Jane has just provided one for the ages.

Desperate to get away from everything, Jane is swept up by Madison for a little vacation. Little does she know that Madison is the one who betrayed her and caused the storm to materialize.

L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

“Real relationships - the kind that were supposed to last but never did - were more trouble than they were worth.”

Pop culture enthusiasts will remember Lauren Conrad for her many years spent on MTV’s reality A-List with two hit shows: Laguna Beach and The Hills. Since breaking onto the scene of reality television a decade ago, her career has exploded with not only two shows under her belt but successful ventures in lifestyle, fashion and literature.

Lauren Conrad is a woman of many talents and one of my favorite people, well, ever.

L.A. Candy marked her first dabble into the release of young adult fiction and serves a dishy alternative to The A-List by Zoey Dean and Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar. It is the first of a trilogy, and followed quickly by a sequel trilogy as well, and is the very definition of beach reads.

Fans of those series will have certainly flocked to this gem and its follow-ups because reading it is just a genuinely good time. It’s smart and stylish but not a slow read. Once you’re in it, you’re in it until the finish and can’t take your eyes from it pages. The biggest mistake anyone could make with this novel is by thinking it'll be something other than it's not: don't take it too seriously.