Set against Monaco's opulent backdrop, "All in Monte Carlo" follows four women fed up with the men in their lives. In a patriarchal society where women often suffer at the hands of protected men, they form a Book Club as a cover for revenge. Abigail, Polina, Lucinda, and Barbara each face personal challenges with their respective partners. As they plot, navigating Monaco's extravagance, they encounter unexpected obstacles like the Russian mafia and local police. ★★★★★ "All in Monte Carlo" is a hilarious and thought-provoking tale of empowerment, filled with twists and turns. It's a must-read revenge thriller set in the glamorous chaos of Monaco.

Anna Shilling's 'All in Monte Carlo' offers a tantalizing peek into the glamorous and cutthroat world of Monaco. Set against the backdrop of opulent lifestyles and clandestine dealings, this novel introduces four captivating women whose paths intertwine in unexpected ways. Initially a slow burn, the story gradually immerses readers into a whirlwind of revenge, betrayal, and intrigue. (I received an advance reader copy of this book, and all opinions are my own.) Shilling's vivid descriptions transport readers to the lavish locales of Monte Carlo, where champagne flows as freely as secrets. 'All in Monte Carlo' is a deliciously wicked tale that will leave readers thirsting for more.

The premise of this book was so interesting. Reading about the lives of the rich is always fascinating, and learning about how they got to be rich even more so. This book delivered on that. I'm not sure I would classify this as a mystery. The one thing lacking connecting the reader to the characters. They felt very far away.

This was OK. The story was interesting but moved very slowly in the first half as we got to know the different characters. There’s a lot of name dropping and learning how the other half lives while behaving badly. The actual meat of the story, the revenge portion, is fascinating but took forever to come together and seemed somewhat rushed, with tons more names thrown in, so it’s a mishmash of crimes. And the ending was super cheesy but wraps things up nicely for everyone.

Inspired by true events, All in Monte Carlo will take you within the closed doors of the rich and beautiful of Monte Carlo. Some new rich love Dubai, but those unable to beat the high hot season would rather love Monaco. After all, it´s easier there to get your fix and the principality is small enough to create a trustful network of gossips and adventures for all to follow, up in the open.

Written by a collective of four women, just like the stories shared in the book, and inspired by truth events in the life of the Monegasque inhabitants, the book cover was created by the famous graphic designer Patrick Knowles who created, among others, the cover for Anthony Horowitz books as well as the calligraphy for the wedding invitation of Prince William and Kate´s.

A good read if you love some gossipy stories and you find other rich people´s problems amusing, All in Monte Carlo is packed with action, a bit of kitsch and a lot of loud laughs. Unless you are in the skin of the characters yourself - all those cheaters! - you can hardly stop laughing, even what the women of book are planning a chilling revenge.

The luxury descriptions are accurate and tempting - but warning, there is no Black Friday for the luxury brands ! - which makes it look like a kind of European Crazy Rich Asians - with less rich, but enough crazy. My favorite - obviously - is Abigail, the journalist, especially for her black humour. The way in which she interacts with her corrupt boss and his ´clients´ is the right attitude of a smart girl whose brains are sought after in an ocean of stupidity and fake make-believe.

If you are looking for some good written fun this weekend, All in Monte Carlo is what you need for. I wish myself a continuation of the series and maybe a glamorous movie too. If you plan to visit Monaco and Monte Carlo next summer, maybe it´s also a good idea to know what it expects you there, although for few hours - staying there overnight would be possible only if you get the big pot at the Casino, who knows.

Rating: 4 stars

This book was an ok read but also a bit confusing with all the characters you have to keep track off.
At the beginning it was hard to keep track of the story and character but in the end it was a little bit easier.

If you have problems with multiple characters pov then I think you should stay away from this especially if you easily get distracted.

A multi-faceted novel that effortlessly navigates various depths. I loved the breezy, laughter-inducing beach escapade, delving into the scandalous affairs of Monaco's affluent society. I also loved how the story weaves a gratifying narrative of revenge, enthralling readers with unforeseen twists until the very end. Yet, beyond its captivating storylines, it intricately raises profound inquiries and draws compelling parallels within the realm of literature.

This is a triumphant feminist appraisal of love and life in the glittering microcosm that is Monaco. A bit of fact, a bit of fable? Barbara, Abigail, Lucinda and Polina evoke humour and heartbreak in equal measure as they use the book group they have formed as cover to seek revenge on their menfolk. I hardly believe they are not real people.
Misogynistic Monaco is crowded with ageing lotharios, vampire gold diggers, bored heiresses and wonderstruck tourists. This is a shrewdly observed, vibrant story, brimming with life and hope, and the outrageous antics of the super rich. It was an absolute joy to read.

Are you looking for a fun read to entertain you by the beach? This is it, then! An easy-to-read book that doesn't dig too deep into any of the characters, yet keeps you engaged through the absurd lifestyle that they lead compared to the average person. I wasn't too invested into any of the characters because none of them were relatable to me. I found the insights into how people live in Monte Carlo very interesting, though!

Likes: The description sounded very intriguing. I liked the idea that this was based on true events. I liked the cover. As I read, I got a good sense of the characters voices because of the way they were written. Ana Shilling is very descriptive. I've been to Monaco but had I not I feel that I would have been able to gain a sense of what it was like based on how Shilling describes it.

Dislikes: There are so many characters. I didn't feel connected to any of them. I didn't necessarily like any of them either. I got halfway through the book and all I could think was "Who cares?". The content is so un-relatable. I didn't feel bad for the women and the situations they were in (by the halfway point anyway). People with a lot of money being terrible and doing shady stuff? Color me shocked.

I was excited to read All in Monte Carlo because this was a story based on real events. I got halfway through this book before I decided to call it quits because I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the people in this story or their problems. I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I think by halfway through a book you should be invested enough to see how things turn our that you want to finish, but I didn't really care how they ended up because I didn't really like any of the people in this story. My main issue is with the story and storytelling. From a technical standpoint I don't think Anna Shilling is a bad writer, but I didn't find this book engaging at all.

Fun, breezy and clever story perfect for a beach read or over a long weekend. What's not to love about women working together?

4/10 recommend - I found this book to be overloaded with characters that were hard to keep track of. There were some parts where I had no idea what was going on or how we got from point A to point B. I felt the first half of the book was drawn out but I binged the second half. Overall, I liked the storyline but think it could have been executed better. I now want to move to Monte Carlo and live this unrealistic, lavish, drama filled lifestyle!

Thanks to Netgalley and Troubador for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Four women, wronged by four men in four different ways, work together to enact revenge on the offenders, set against the backdrop of ultra over the top Monaco.

I requested this book after finally getting to visit Monaco recently. I LOVED the setting and all of the absurd behavior of the wealthy. I could picture various landmarks discussed in the book and loved reading about all the little oddities of Monaco. The issue was the number of characters. This is something I struggle with. When too many characters are introduced too quickly, I can’t keep track and that was definitely the case here. I was halfway through the book and still could barely keep the four main women and four main men straight. So that definitely detracted from my engagement in the book as well as my enjoyment. It was a 3 star read with one extra star for a great setting.

A really fun read! The characters were well drawn and I loved reading about Monaco society. I really enjoyed this book!

This book is a captivating journey through the depths of imagination. Its rich storytelling and well-developed characters kept me engaged from start to finish. With its thought-provoking themes, it transcends genres and offers something for every reader. A must-read for anyone seeking a literary adventure.

Dizzying and delightful!

You can really feel the real-life imagery that was injected into this story, especially since this is such a tantalizing and exclusive setting that many wish just to get a glimpse of.

These four women are heroines and I am all for heroines coming together to tear down the patriarchy. Excellent read!

Thank you Netgalley and Troubador for the ARC!

📕Barbara was the woman that I expected to see in Monaco! In a such patriarchal place, I needed to see a boss lady calling the shots, checking the price of oil first thing in the morning, destroying men tried to cross her
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📗Polina was the other type of woman that I expected to see in Monegasque scene. Having so many rich men willing to pop bottles of Krug rather than paying tax and taking away titles from one ex wife to give it to ten year younger version of her, Monaco was a heaven for a gold digger like Polina. If everyone was getting one of those husbands (even if for few years), why wouldn’t she?!
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📘And Abigail! In every environment full of scheming, rich, and oblivious people, there is always someone like her: relatable, good to have around as moral compass, and “normal”. Abigail was there to be a proper journalist. But her working conditions and her vile boss made her one of those scheming Monegasque women. She never lost herself fully, but she did a lot of things making her question herself

Four women have had enough and they are out for revenge.

This book is quite a ride, honestly at the beginning I was not quite fond of all the ladies but as their stories developed I was all ready to ride for war with them.

Not everything went as plan, specially for Barbara but she wasn't the nicest either so we might just say that everyone got what they should have.

Really good read.

I couldn't really get into this one. It just seemed too outlandish to me (though I wouldn't be surprised if people really do live like this).

A fun, completely unrealistic concept made even funner by the fact that it was based on true events. Loved the descriptions of the materialistic life of Monaco.