Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club - by Diane Bergner (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Julia Wild was thrilled to trade her legal briefcase for stiletto heels and a glam wardrobe when she accepted the position as a high society fundraiser at a prestigious performing arts center. The Addison Center is supported by mega-donations from the ultra-rich in Royal Coconut Beach, but the gala lifestyle is a minefield.

As if the punishing schedule isn't enough, Julia's boss is having an affair with an important donor (is this what it takes to get big donations?) and someone is trying to sabotage her job. Even as she begins to doubt her new career choice, she weakens to the seduction of elite social circles and the allure of becoming a fundraising rainmaker.

But what really matters are the fascinating and strong-willed women who become her confidantes. They meet regularly for lunch, gossip, subtle lessons, and cocktails - while they dissect the wealth-fueled dynamics of the rich and powerful.

The deeper Julia is drawn into this world, the more reality and fantasy blur, and fault lines in her marriage surface. When she meets a debonair Argentinian billionaire, moral ambiguities and temptations are stirred. Will this fascinating man push her to her limit? Will she listen to her new companions who offer their smarts and feminist sensibilities?

It is only when a suspicion caused by an untimely death blows up the carefully constructed glittering mask of the moneyed set that Julia realizes she must decide whose side to take-and how willing she is to risk everything?