• Title: The Regulars
• Author: Georgia Clark 
• Genre: Beach read, Chick lit, contemporary
• Words to describe: Contrived, quirky
• Publication Date:  August 2016
• Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
• Rating: 2/5 stars

It was too contrived. 

What could have been a promising book fell flat both in character portrayal and in plot. The idea of being able to take a single drop to become drop-dead gorgeous is, of course, appealing to many women, I am sure. 

But there should have been more consequences to offset the ease of taking the potion–something more than the vomiting of mouth and anus.

The plot could have developed more deeply, without forced jokes and the “femininity.” It felt as if the author was trying to offer her POV and her feminist ideas (which I agree with), but did so flatly–why couldn’t it have been more woven into the storyline and not as cliche?

Also–did the bottle of Pretty really have to disappear unharmed down the sewer and then conveniently show up later just so they could pour it down the sink towards the end of the book? Why couldn’t they have tried to get another bottle of Pretty from Penny, and then get another glimpse of that character, have a final go at it with the potion, then give it up? Or, better yet, keep the bottle intact, with Pretty in it, but not touch it, so temptation could be there at arm’s reach, but they don’t even bother with it because they’ve grown? That would’ve been more powerful to me. 

All in all, the story was flat, contrived, and forced. If I were new to exploring feminist ideas, I’d be turned off to it after reading this book. The main characters weren’t strong women–they went with the flow, and though tried to fight back, they really didn’t. They were weak before Pretty, and almost just as weak after Pretty, though a little wiser. 

Favorite quotes from The Regulars:

“She was a professional. A professional who didn’t need five inches of makeup and f*ck-me cleavage to do her job.” 

“Men were always hungry. And they expected to be fed.” 

“We need role models who look like real girls.”