The Sweet Life #6: An E-Serial: Bittersweet (Sweet Valley Confidential) Kindle Edition

I read this new adult series by Francine Pascal in a burst of nostalgia. I used to read the Sweet Valley series as a kid and loved the novels. The Wakefield twins seemed like good friends. However, many years have gone by and unfortunately, Pascal made some seriously out-there decisions regarding the adult twins that left a very bad taste in my literary mouth. The first thing that I hated was the way Jessica and Todd ended up "falling in love" and then getting married and having a son together. Absolutely nothing about this "romance" was believable. Supposedly Jessica and Todd's relationship began their senior year in college when they had an affair behind Liz's back while she and Todd were a couple. Todd then proceeded to pretend for the next five and a half years that he loved Elizabeth, even moving in with her and discussing marriage with her, while lying to her and fantasizing about Jessica while Jess was dating and marrying other men.When Jessica cavalierly left yet another failed marriage, she moved in with Liz and Todd and this was when they decided once and for all - with zero dating or relationship of any kind together in the intervening years - that they were in love and always secretly had been. Breaking Liz's heart after lying to her for years, Todd moved Liz out of his house and moved Jessica in. Liz went to live and work in New York, trying to cope with her sister and longtime boyfriend's lies and betrayal. Jess and Todd got married. Less than 3 years into the marriage that they built on lies and lust, Jess and Todd are separated.In most peoples' view, a separation is the time that is spent getting some perspective and working out problems with an eye to saving the marriage. Not so with Jessica and Todd. Their separation is treated like a divorce and they both proceed to jump into bed with other people. Todd goes so far as to move his lover into his home permanently. Liz, I never thought I'd say this, but Todd is a selfish, lying, amoral creep and you really dodged a bullet with that guy. He is so not good husband material.Liz eventually forgives Jessica and Todd (like she has a choice) and begins a relationship with Bruce Patman. Bruce seems to have done some growing up, but even he still thinks it's okay to cheat on Liz and sleep with his attorney in France while he's dealing with a trumped-up sexual assault lawsuit. Other story arcs include Lila Fowler and Ken Matthews' rocky marriage and her stint on a reality TV show (this relationship actually had a somewhat believable happy ending) and Steven Wakefield's divorce from Cara and coming out of the closet to move in with his gay lover. (Seriously? There was no hint of this in Sweet Valley history whatsoever and was not believable, either.)In summary, the Sweet Valley Confidential series is written in a light, gossipy style and it was interesting to see the gang grown up. Too bad Pascal ruined the effect overall in her decision to make the mean kids look good while making all the nice kids into absolute, egotistical creeps. Again, people rarely change so radically even in 13 years' time and most of it was simply unbelievable and unsatisfying. The lack of morality was appalling even by 21st century standards with marriage and family meaning essentially nothing. Jessica's idea of parenting is spending 10 minutes a day with her kid while a nanny picks up the rest so she can work overtime and sleep around. The final book left Elizabeth with yet another man that had claimed to love her but proving he actually loved someone else instead. She ends up shattered emotionally by watching all her romantic history with Todd being destroyed by him and her sister, being forced to deal with them having a marriage and a child that should have been hers, and then being tossed aside by Bruce. Frankly, that is not a future I would have wished on anyone, not even someone I despised.

This final installment of this e-serial read as compulsively as the first five, but I have to say I was quite taken aback by the cliffhanger. This is a huge cliffhanger and it almost invalidates all the previous reading I did to get to that point. The Liam storyline was fine, I saw that coming from a mile away however I hate that it made things better with Todd and Jessica. In my opinion these two as a couple just plain stinks. And don't start me on the Lila storyline. It could have been the most fun, true to form of the stories and yet it ended too quickly and in a completelly unrealistic way. Sigh. What should I expect? This is Sweet Valley after all. Back to cliffhanger one moment. I am most bothered by the fact that in October the e-serial will be issued as a one volume novel. There are no promises of future books, though I think its quite likely. Leaving the story open like this is very dissatisfying. Still I am such a sucker for Sweet Valley that I know I will be there holding out my money whenever there are any future releases.

Pretty cool story. Everything made since. The writing definitely kept me in suspense. Honestly I think both endings are fine- both the original and the alternate. My only issue with the original ending is that it's abrupt if the series is ending here. Otherwise, if there were another chapter or book following this the first ending would be fine--- it was realistic. It was more like real life. There isn't always a perfect ending. Alternative ending was good as well and did leave me on a happier note with more peaceful thoughts about the characters journey. I respect either choice the writer makes. I appreciate having two endings however.... it leaves it to the reader to choose whichever they like.Hope the series continues and the girls continue to grow with me--- like they have since childhood. Thanks Francine Pascal.

After everything that Elizabeth has done for Bruce, Annie no only takes the credit but also Bruce after from Elizabeth. What a awful ending to a series. I hope you write another book where Elizabeth gets her happy ending since she has been screwed over in all the books. I have been reading these series since they can out and the ending to this book is so wrong in so many ways. Please write another book where Elizabeth finally gets her happy ending.

I loved this whole book because I remember growing up with these guys! My only problem is how it ended. It was a cliffhanger and more books need to be written to finish the story. What happens to Liam? Did his money get him out of jail? Did he go after Jessica again? What happened between Elizabeth, Bruce, and Annie? Did Bruce ever find out that it was Elizabeth who found the information that got the charges dropped? Too many questions and not enough answers.

I loved SVH and SVU as a teen. Of course I jumped at the chance of reading the new Mini Series. Any expectations I had, well... let me say : Poor writing, boring and very predictable plot. All the fun and lightness the experience of reading Sweet Valley brought in the past books that I remembered was missing. The characters seemed all a far cry from their usual selves. Of course a certain sillyness is to be expected but Lila a TV housewife. C'mon...

I liked how the story turned out to be even with the cliffie. And I loved the Jessica and Todd arch (who knew?!) I’m now interested in reading about the twins all grown up!

HII ENJOYED THE PROGRESSION TOWARDS THE ENDING PLOTS. NOTEWORTHY I AM HOPING FOR ELIZABETH AND BRUCE TO UNITE. SINCE THAT COUPLE IS WAY SWEET NICENESS.