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kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Author: Robinne Lee
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: June 13, 2017
T H R E E • W O R D S
Juicy • Angsty • Intense
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of a prestigious art gallery in Los Angeles, takes her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band, she does so reluctantly and at her ex-husband’s request. The last thing she expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.
What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s disparate worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways in Paris and Miami. And for Solène, it is as much a reclaiming of self, as it is a rediscovery of happiness and love. When their romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her new status has impacted not only her life, but the lives of those closest to her.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Since her Princess Diaries days, I have always been an Anne Hathaway fan, so when I learned she'd be Solène in the movie adaptation of The Idea of You I added the book to my TBR. It also came highly recommended by several bookish friends and I knew summer time would be the perfect time to finally pick it up.
What started out highly engaging, soon turned to the same thing happening - them meeting up in a different city and having sex - from one chapter to the next. There is no denying the potential of the story, yet it lacked substance and I simply got bored with the repetitiveness of the the plot. The way the sex overtakes the narrative was disappointing.
I also had a hard time making a connection with the world they are living in. There is a lot of glitz, glamour, and privilege within the celebrity lifestyle, the L.A. setting, and all of the jet setting for their meetups, which makes their world seem way out of grasp.
Overall, The Idea of You had the makings of a smash hit, yet unfortunately it lacked the necessary substance. Despite making total sense, the ending was so abrupt I didn't actually believe it was the end. I did appreciate the author choosing to have the woman be the older of the two characters, and I'll be interested to watch the movie to see my thoughts on it.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• age-gap
• boy bands
• secret trysts
⚠️ CW: sexual content, divorce, bullying, stalking, alcohol, sexual harassment, cursing, suicide attempt, self-harm, injury/injury detail, blood, pregnancy, panic attacks/disorders
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Love, she said, was not always perfect, and not exactly how you expected it to be. But when it descended upon you, there was no controlling it."
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Self harm, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
divorcefkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
britwalsh16's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
But I feel like we just needed more. Like an epilogue of both of them finding love again years down the road or just something more. What happened? Like we didn’t get any closure. The relationship ended, & then a paragraph later, the book was over. What happened? It just feels incomplete.
The paparazzi don’t just go away over night, everything didn’t just go back to how it was before. Solene probably got more threats & crazy fans blaming her for breaking Hayes’ heart. Nothing is that simple. So what happened. Where’s the closure and the ending? 🤔
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Infidelity, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Stalking, and Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Toxic friendship
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
jamie_rich's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide attempt
achay91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Stalking and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Suicide attempt
maddisonjane's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
bookswithca's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment