I bought English Roses #4 used for my daughter, and she loved it so much that I knew I would have to purchase the other books in the series to whet her appetite (just about two months ago we found "Goodbye Grace?", so definitely check out thrift shops). She enjoyed this book, but was not totally crazy about it because it is basically an introduction to the characters, and does not have a plot at all. I feel that it should not be numbered "#1" because one, such as myself, clicking away at a frantic pace at that "Add to Cart" button, who does not, for some strange reason, read the synopsis, just assumes that this book is the first installment of a story series. Charming illustrations are presented with sweet tidbits ("Supporting Characters", "Grace's Glossary", "Inside Amy's Bag" (not mine), "Which English Rose Are You?"). You know what? Madonna is good at this! I do believe that the character of Binah is based on her, and, of course, Binah is presented first, Dominic the heartthrob (of course) prefers Binah, and Binah is the most likeable character...of course. You get the picture. There is a "Vital Statistics" section for filling out, just like the characters. The included VIP pass is null, as the the website is now named: "theenglishrosescollection.com". The website is not so great- there is no news, links and "About" are basically Madonna commercials, the "Shoppe" is low on supplies (two types of tea, two books, one overpriced shirt in only size seven), and the "Fun and Games" section seems geared toward a younger set (coloring pages, memory game). So, just ignore the membership/access hype that can be seen on the front of some books. But don't ignore this advice- get #1 if you think your girl will go gaga for it, then get the rest of the series before your girl gets obsessed with "Goosebumps".