#BookReview: The Spa at Lavender Lane by Phyllis Melhado

About the Book

From her elegant atelier office, Nadia Demidova discreetly monitors the arrival of her latest guests. Legendary doyenne of the fabled Palm Springs getaway, she can always tell from the moment the women arrive, which ones will be problems.

This group will not disappoint: a burned-out Fifth Avenue retail executive…a striking former model and Chicago socialite… an overweight Texas housewife on the brink of her second divorce and her beautiful, teenage daughter…and a CEO who, unhappy with recent plastic surgery, is secluded in her room.

Fortunately, Madame Demidova can rely on her Assistant Director to help manage the herd, not knowing that this valued employee is poised to make an audacious move.

Lust, ambition, secrets, betrayal, competition for the ownership of the world’s premier spa and a chance to snag the uber-eligible man who unexpectedly arrives on the scene are all on the menu at The Spa at Lavender Lane.

My Review

This wasn’t a novel that pulled me in right from the beginning and wouldn’t let me go, but it was more of a slow burn that kept me interested enough to keep coming back for more. I’m glad that I decided to keep reading, because I felt the more I got to know the array of characters, the more intrigued by their lives I became. The setting of the spa is also quite glorious – definite bucket list goals to attend something like that one day! – and there was plenty of juicy secrets behind the spa doors. While it wasn’t a story that had me on my toes from beginning to end, it was still an enjoyable and bit salacious read that I enjoyed.

3.5 stars