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mzdeb's review
4.0
Another enjoyable addition to the series, and it's interesting to see how intertwined the characters are in the British theater world, across these books. The writing still remains witty, and even when falling in love the characters still get to keep their prickly sides, instead of transforming into unrecognizable saps. It looks like Parker has gotten more comfortable writing steamier as this series has progressed, but doesn't detract from the story or seem out of place for the series overall. Highly recommended.
shms's review
5.0
Heart warming main characters who don't want to make you tear your hair out, with a colourful menagerie of sidekicks and bit part players. I just love this series and waited to read this so there wouldn't be a huge gap before I could read the next in the series. And PLEASE let Sadie get her comeuppance in the next book.
Edit: upped this to 5* on reflection. It was heart warming, just a big bowl of mushy love.
Edit: upped this to 5* on reflection. It was heart warming, just a big bowl of mushy love.
shmsy's review
5.0
Heart warming main characters who don't want to make you tear your hair out, with a colourful menagerie of sidekicks and bit part players. I just love this series and waited to read this so there wouldn't be a huge gap before I could read the next in the series. And PLEASE let Sadie get her comeuppance in the next book.
Edit: upped this to 5* on reflection. It was heart warming, just a big bowl of mushy love.
Edit: upped this to 5* on reflection. It was heart warming, just a big bowl of mushy love.
kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun romance. You've got an actress from a famous acting family in London's West End theater world going to a crumbling estate to do an Austen-based play with many of her beloved characters in a murder mystery where audience gets to vote on outcomes!
Whew! Just summarizing that sounds crazy. It it crazy, but really its just fun watching the icey, repressed owner of the estate lose his heart to the fun actress playing Lydia Bennett. But what really kept my attention, other than the salacious theater gossip, was the underlying mystery.
The actress' family has some skeletons in their closet, and its all wrapped up with the estate where the play is happening. There is a sad love affair, lying, hidden rooms, and all kinds of fun historical stuff to sift through. There's even a night in a fog-bound castle with a creepy butler! Those things kind of take over from the romance, but I didn't mind because reading the book is kind of like hanging out in a jolly party of slightly emotionally immature theater geeks ;)
I read the first book in this series, Act Like It, and also enjoyed it, but The Austen Playbook adds on even more cool details so this is the better one. For those who like Austen, romance, and theater gossip!
Whew! Just summarizing that sounds crazy. It it crazy, but really its just fun watching the icey, repressed owner of the estate lose his heart to the fun actress playing Lydia Bennett. But what really kept my attention, other than the salacious theater gossip, was the underlying mystery.
The actress' family has some skeletons in their closet, and its all wrapped up with the estate where the play is happening. There is a sad love affair, lying, hidden rooms, and all kinds of fun historical stuff to sift through. There's even a night in a fog-bound castle with a creepy butler! Those things kind of take over from the romance, but I didn't mind because reading the book is kind of like hanging out in a jolly party of slightly emotionally immature theater geeks ;)
I read the first book in this series, Act Like It, and also enjoyed it, but The Austen Playbook adds on even more cool details so this is the better one. For those who like Austen, romance, and theater gossip!
sandlynn's review
4.0
Lucy Parker’s The Austen Playbook, published in 2019, is the fourth in Parker’s series set in London’s theater district, which is one of my favorite settings. In this one, we follow Freddie Carlton, a young actress from an illustrious theater family, who is struggling to define herself in her craft. On the one hand, her father — who had his own acting aspirations before an accident ended his dreams and who is also her manager -- has been pushing Freddie to carry on family tradition by becoming the West End’s next big dramatic actress. On the other hand, her own personal preference is song, dance, and comedy. This professional conflict has not gone unnoticed. J. Griffin-Ford, one of London's most difficult and acerbic theater critics has been pointing out Freddie’s dramatic deficiencies for years to her utter annoyance. Unfortunately, a role Freddie does want depends on her performance in a one off, live production of a play being performed at the private theater owned by the Griffin-Ford family which will thrust her in Griff’s orbit at this crucial time.
This up close up and personal interaction will not be the first time a Ford and a Carlton will be thrown together at Highbrook, the Ford’s debt-laden country estate. Many years in the past, Freddie’s famous grandmother, actress Henrietta Carlton, had an affair with Griff’s grandfather, who built the theater for her. However, the affair ended abruptly and only now are Freddie and Griff beginning to learn why. A long held secret, which could lead to a terrible scandal, is threatening to overwhelm both their families. Can the two of them manage to reveal this information without destroying their loved ones, their professional reputations, as well as their new found, fragile relationship.
I started this book just as I was leaving for a dream trip to Scotland, so I must admit, my attention wasn’t totally focused on the story, it took me longer to finish it, and this might have done a disservice to the book. As I mentioned, I love stories set in the entertainment industry, so this is like catnip to me, and I’ve also enjoyed all of Lucy Parker’s books thus far. However, I have to say that this particular book suffered a bit from pacing. The big secret, which led to the potential scandal, was hinted at for far too many pages than necessary, frustrating me a bit. Then, once the secret began to be revealed, the fall-out went on a little too long. Although I enjoyed the romance between Freddie and Griff, there wasn’t much of a build up, so the romantic tension I expected never really materialized and took a backseat to the other machinations and developments from the various subplots, which were aplenty. It seemed like everything but the kitchen sink was tossed into this story. I’d give it a B+.
This up close up and personal interaction will not be the first time a Ford and a Carlton will be thrown together at Highbrook, the Ford’s debt-laden country estate. Many years in the past, Freddie’s famous grandmother, actress Henrietta Carlton, had an affair with Griff’s grandfather, who built the theater for her. However, the affair ended abruptly and only now are Freddie and Griff beginning to learn why. A long held secret, which could lead to a terrible scandal, is threatening to overwhelm both their families. Can the two of them manage to reveal this information without destroying their loved ones, their professional reputations, as well as their new found, fragile relationship.
I started this book just as I was leaving for a dream trip to Scotland, so I must admit, my attention wasn’t totally focused on the story, it took me longer to finish it, and this might have done a disservice to the book. As I mentioned, I love stories set in the entertainment industry, so this is like catnip to me, and I’ve also enjoyed all of Lucy Parker’s books thus far. However, I have to say that this particular book suffered a bit from pacing. The big secret, which led to the potential scandal, was hinted at for far too many pages than necessary, frustrating me a bit. Then, once the secret began to be revealed, the fall-out went on a little too long. Although I enjoyed the romance between Freddie and Griff, there wasn’t much of a build up, so the romantic tension I expected never really materialized and took a backseat to the other machinations and developments from the various subplots, which were aplenty. It seemed like everything but the kitchen sink was tossed into this story. I’d give it a B+.
amypruski's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lindsmuhl's review
3.0
Least favorite of this series
It was like the author spent all her creativity on the play Freddy was in (which admittedly was a cool concept) and almost none on the characters themselves. Griff especially felt very flat, and I have no idea why Freddy fell for him.
It was like the author spent all her creativity on the play Freddy was in (which admittedly was a cool concept) and almost none on the characters themselves. Griff especially felt very flat, and I have no idea why Freddy fell for him.
hijinx_abound's review
4.0
Slytherin/Hufflepuff romance.
I adore a well done grumpy hero. Not an asshole but a bit of a jackass. J. Ford Griffin, his name even sounds pretentious. He has a lot of things on his shoulders. His ancestral home is crumbling, his family name is synonymous with scandal, his brother seems a bit flighty, and his parents are firmly ensconced in whatever fanciful invention they are working on. He has made a name as a critic and he pulls no punches.
Freddy is living the life her father wanted. She loves acting but would prefer to be in musicals and comedies not sweeping dramas. She does not want to be a disappointment because her father saved her life when she was a child, ending his career.
I loved the way these two circle one another. They are so interesting. I love that Freddy calls him a Slytherin and implies that makes him deficient in some way. She is so effervescent and he has to learn that it doesn't make her another person who needs a minder.
The mystery was a fun aside and I loved the discovery of his aunt and her story. This author has a real skill about creating fascinating characters who are grown and experience real complications.
I adore a well done grumpy hero. Not an asshole but a bit of a jackass. J. Ford Griffin, his name even sounds pretentious. He has a lot of things on his shoulders. His ancestral home is crumbling, his family name is synonymous with scandal, his brother seems a bit flighty, and his parents are firmly ensconced in whatever fanciful invention they are working on. He has made a name as a critic and he pulls no punches.
Freddy is living the life her father wanted. She loves acting but would prefer to be in musicals and comedies not sweeping dramas. She does not want to be a disappointment because her father saved her life when she was a child, ending his career.
I loved the way these two circle one another. They are so interesting. I love that Freddy calls him a Slytherin and implies that makes him deficient in some way. She is so effervescent and he has to learn that it doesn't make her another person who needs a minder.
The mystery was a fun aside and I loved the discovery of his aunt and her story. This author has a real skill about creating fascinating characters who are grown and experience real complications.
danabaran06's review
4.0
No one writes enemies to lovers like Lucy Parker. The setting was delightfully atmospheric and I loved stepping into the British theater world and being immersed in all the glitz and drama. I also enjoyed the mystery/theatrical intrigue that gave the plot a bit more heft. Unfortunately I read Headliners first so I already knew the reveal. Don’t make my mistake, read this one first then Headliners! Looking forward to the next installment of this series.