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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a really fun contemporary romance set in the theater world of London's West End and centered around the production of an Austen-based murder-mystery live performance, but there's also a real-life mystery surrounding the ancestors of the main characters. Freddy is a fun, optimistic actress who finds herself unexpectedly falling for grumpy and intimidating theater critic Griff, who falls for her right back. I loved their dynamic, the side characters, and the well-written and tightly plotted story. I'll definitely be picking up more from Lucy Parker; this is the first book I've read from her, but it's actually the fourth book in her London Celebrities series (although it can totally be read as a standalone!)
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well, I came out of this wishing not only for adaptations of the entire London Celebrities series but also for a real-life production of the in-book play. A murder mystery filled with Austen characters where the audience gets to choose what happens next? Sign me up.
I'm not usually one much for time jumps but the first chapter being set apart several months from the rest of the book gave a realistic feeling to the progression of events and also some perspective on the relationship that was to develop. Family secrets and issues are always fun, but I did feel at times the parents here were way too unaware of the affect they were having on their adult children. I wanted to strangle Griff's parents. Knowing someone in real life who almost mortgaged their house to help out their parents financially, reading it here was awful.
As for the actual characters, I wish a little more time was dedicated to just them, but as with all Parker books I appreciated how they handled problems that arose. The ending was also so cute and I love how it's tied in with Headliners (since I read book #5 first I just now got the reference).
I'm not usually one much for time jumps but the first chapter being set apart several months from the rest of the book gave a realistic feeling to the progression of events and also some perspective on the relationship that was to develop. Family secrets and issues are always fun, but I did feel at times the parents here were way too unaware of the affect they were having on their adult children. I wanted to strangle Griff's parents. Knowing someone in real life who almost mortgaged their house to help out their parents financially, reading it here was awful.
As for the actual characters, I wish a little more time was dedicated to just them, but as with all Parker books I appreciated how they handled problems that arose. The ending was also so cute and I love how it's tied in with Headliners (since I read book #5 first I just now got the reference).
Freddy is a stage actress whose father is pushing her to have a serious career like her grandmother who was a huge theatre star. Problem is, Freddy would rather do comedy and musicals. An acerbic critic, Griff, has picked up on this and been giving her rather cutting reviews. Griff is tired of his role as rescuer of his irresponsible parents and brothers who are driving the family estate to ruin. He needs a scheme to make money fast and rescue his ancestral home. His brother comes up with an idea, hosting The Austen Playbook, an interactive play, in the estate's theatre. Meanwhile Griff wants to make a film about his grandfather and Freddy's grandmother's affair and the iconic play she wrote.
I liked Griff a lot, I think he made the book for me. He really was a Slytherin and he's pretty much the first Slytherin I've ever liked. He is quite cold and calculating and doesn't bother with tact. But he's also scrupulously fair and loyal, very caring and protective in his own way, he feels deeply, only it's not as visible as for other people. This inscrutable front is part of his appeal and keeps him a little mysterious.
Freddy was a dear. She is a sweet, cheerful people person. I loved her attitude, she kept the story positive. I love how straightforward she was with her romantic partners, how refreshing! She was a good person, without being annoyingly perfect, she got cranky sometimes and had less than virtuous thoughts about some people. In short, she was very relatable, just what I need from a heroine.
This series is so much fun. I like the English atmosphere, it's a nice change in romance. I like the glimpse into the theatre world. There is good banter, teasing and verbal sparring. The romance is heartwarming and sweet. As I am beginning to expect with Lucy Parker, the first kiss scene is scorching, all the feels! She gets creative with her sex scenes too, it doesn't feel like the same old, same old. For example for one scene the heroine cannot have penetrative sex at a certain time in her cycle because it's painful for her. The hero is completely ok with that and they find other ways to have sex. What a great message to send, and the scene was just as hot. And there's a lovely, satisfying epilogue, I appreciate that, sometimes I feel like books wrap up too fast and I am left with mixed up emotions, not so here.
A main theme of the book is family relationships, and how you can be stuck in a certain role and your family expects you to play it and ceases to see you as a fully-rounded person, they only see the archetype they've cast you as. Another theme is a parent who projects their ambition onto their child and places a lot of pressure on them and dictates their career. There is also a secret about the play Henrietta (Freddy's grandmother) wrote which is central to the story. We see a lot of the Ford family's crumbling estate, it's almost an extra character in the book.
The only negative I can find is that the villain, Sadie, was just too over the top. It's hard for me to imagine someone quite so utterly spiteful and evil in an otherwise nuanced story, it was a little jarring.
There was a solid cast of family and friends, all distinct and easy for me to picture. I especially liked Charlie and Akiko. I am certain that Sabrina and Nick are going to get their story next, it seemed it was being set up here and their situation certainly has a lot of potential! I can't wait!
Overall, a fun, entertaining read, with some lovely romantic moments, this book worked for me :)
I liked Griff a lot, I think he made the book for me. He really was a Slytherin and he's pretty much the first Slytherin I've ever liked. He is quite cold and calculating and doesn't bother with tact. But he's also scrupulously fair and loyal, very caring and protective in his own way, he feels deeply, only it's not as visible as for other people. This inscrutable front is part of his appeal and keeps him a little mysterious.
Freddy was a dear. She is a sweet, cheerful people person. I loved her attitude, she kept the story positive. I love how straightforward she was with her romantic partners, how refreshing! She was a good person, without being annoyingly perfect, she got cranky sometimes and had less than virtuous thoughts about some people. In short, she was very relatable, just what I need from a heroine.
This series is so much fun. I like the English atmosphere, it's a nice change in romance. I like the glimpse into the theatre world. There is good banter, teasing and verbal sparring. The romance is heartwarming and sweet. As I am beginning to expect with Lucy Parker, the first kiss scene is scorching, all the feels! She gets creative with her sex scenes too, it doesn't feel like the same old, same old. For example for one scene the heroine cannot have penetrative sex at a certain time in her cycle because it's painful for her. The hero is completely ok with that and they find other ways to have sex. What a great message to send, and the scene was just as hot. And there's a lovely, satisfying epilogue, I appreciate that, sometimes I feel like books wrap up too fast and I am left with mixed up emotions, not so here.
A main theme of the book is family relationships, and how you can be stuck in a certain role and your family expects you to play it and ceases to see you as a fully-rounded person, they only see the archetype they've cast you as. Another theme is a parent who projects their ambition onto their child and places a lot of pressure on them and dictates their career. There is also a secret about the play Henrietta (Freddy's grandmother) wrote which is central to the story. We see a lot of the Ford family's crumbling estate, it's almost an extra character in the book.
The only negative I can find is that the villain, Sadie, was just too over the top. It's hard for me to imagine someone quite so utterly spiteful and evil in an otherwise nuanced story, it was a little jarring.
There was a solid cast of family and friends, all distinct and easy for me to picture. I especially liked Charlie and Akiko. I am certain that Sabrina and Nick are going to get their story next, it seemed it was being set up here and their situation certainly has a lot of potential! I can't wait!
Overall, a fun, entertaining read, with some lovely romantic moments, this book worked for me :)
As always, I adore Lucy Parker’s books. I’d preordered this one, but then I got an advance copy via Netgalley. So I will have to give my preordered copy as a gift.
Ugh. Spent most of this book rolling my eyes. The writing was... not my favorite.
A lovely romance with a lot more depth than it might initially seem to carry—the Draco Malfoy lookalike and the Manic Pixie Dream Girl have a lot more going on, and are deeply lovable—this is also a trip through the arts world in which I grew up, albeit just backstage, in all its horror, wonder, and glory.
oh, how i love Lucy Parker. this was delightful; witty, tender and emotional. i adore it.