Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Als du mich sahst

Honestly this book has left me the same as I’d feel if I’d seen it end mid sentence. My heart feels pain and it aches a little bit, which is crazy because it was such an amazing story.

The controversy of relationship stigma and dark aspects of fame were the framework of this book, and they were everything that I wish wouldn’t exist in our society. I actually don’t have a bad word to say about it, other than the ending which the hopeless romantic in me wanted to be happy but the other 80% of me knows that how it ended was the only real ending (hence the 4.5 star rating). But I’ve never had a romance novel like that be so sad. The nuances of especially Soléne’s character were almost like they’d become my own; it was so emotionally driven and I was so heavily a part of how she felt as the narrator. I felt very connected to her and the way she felt about every single aspect of this situation. And the complexities of messing up and giving in and hoping and being proven wrong and impulse and love and complication and boundaries and obstacles and harassment and heartbreak and fame and wealth and being torn and disappointment and embarrassment and her daughter’s struggles. It was everything. The amount of unanswered questions I have about so many aspects of the book just irks me so much as well (lol) hence the 4.5 stars again. I guess that this books ending reflects how love ends. Painfully, and with no real ending at all - just being. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. And so with that, I can’t really complain.

Also on the note of Hayes, he’s probably one of my most favourite fictional male I’ve ever read about and got to know. Yeah he’s not perfect and he was young but that doesn’t take away Lee’s EPIC character construction of him. He was PERFECT. His humour, his empathy, his kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, calm nature, intelligence, good looks (bonus) and his sincerity. Soléne’s attitude was more of a typical mother to me, but her love and passion for art and her friendship with Lulit and the gallery was a lovely touch and still made her independent and not cast in the shadow of their relationship.

I also loved that the settings were glitz and glam and this made for interesting locations and plot development for the reader. I love when things are set in Hollywood and glamour related places, but I do also see the dark aspects of that. This book definitely showed the bittersweetness of blind optimism in a very complicated social system when it comes to celebrities and their lives.

Saying that, it did get a bit repetitive and was a bit slow paced at times. They probably come of have cut out a few of the chapters because the same thing happened again and again. But the baseline of the story was still there, and the breathtaking electricity and chemistry of the sexual and romantic relationship was detailed, passionate, dark brooding and exciting. But also tender, loving and caring. I loved that it pushed age boundaries as well, because why should that matter? I think that despite it being one of Soléne’s insecurities, her age was the least of their worries to be honest. I think pressure and hate finally ate up the relationship, and the age factor could have become easier in time. Although I still think that being in completely different phases of life does make it very hard to be with people in large age gap situations. It really killed me the most though with her daughters suffering - people’s judgment and personal/social image was a really big theme in this book as to be expected but it just had no hope. I think that’s why this book is so sad. So much love and no hope that it could work. There were just too many factors that kept them apart in reality and their love wasn’t enough, which is something I never want to believe could be true but it can be for some.

So many complicated and hard factors to think about. And that’s why I loved this book; it made me think.

Content Warnings

time4tori2read's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Idea of You was everything I was looking for in a summer romance read, and it delivered far more than I expected. The celebrity-romance trope is not usually one I search out, but I decided to read it after many bookish friends raved about it -- and I'm glad I did.

Hayes and Solene are both real characters who develop deeper and truer connection over the course of the book, and even though the relationship and their struggles is the focus of the book, Robinne Lee made sure to completely develop Solene. I grew to love Solene's strength, personality, drive, and also desire to be vulnerable and open, and Lee wrote her in a realistic way that I could imagine her being a friend of mine. The struggles were real, the passion was real, and the love and thoughts were also real.

I enjoyed this book for everything it offered and then some. It was a quick read, not always an easy one, but it had me in all the feels at every turn. Please take the time out of your summer to read this book-- it is worth every minute.

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sjanke2's review against another edition

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emotional 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? No

3.0

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amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Solène is almost 40, a successful art gallery owner, and a single mother of a 13 year old daughter. When her ex bails on taking their daughter and friends to an August Moon concert, Solène takes his place. Her world is shifted upside down as she falls for Hayes, a 20 year old member of the band.

Let's just start right with the age gap. I really wish that Hayes had been slightly older, even like 24. I have no qualms with the age gap. I don't care who is older, but 20 is VERY young. I think for that reason, there was always this foreboding cloud over their relationship.

There are so many complex themes that run through this book. Society's attitude toward aging (especially women), feminism, downsides of fame, and expectations of men and women in relationships.

You can tell right away that they were both in way over their heads. You could feel that they had so much love and admiration for one another. Sometimes love isn't enough and that is heartbreaking and soul crushing, but it's the real world. Sometimes our lives don't mesh well with another's and Solène and Hayes are a perfect example of that.

Hayes is very young and naive when it comes to Solène's life. Yes, he loves her and he is willing to sacrifice everything for her, but his age and the different places they are in their lives is an insurmountable barrier. He doesn't understand the chaos that their relationship has brought to her and her daughter's lives. He thinks that is it something she can learn to accept in time, she knows that it isn't.

Solène is a very successful, hardworking, level headed woman. Falling for Hayes was not in her plans. She allows herself to get swept up in the romance of the relationship, but deep down she knows that there can never be a real future for them. She is torn between wanting to protect her daughter and wanting to follow her heart. I think that the relationship goes too long, if she had been really honest with herself, she would have ended it sooner. Yes, that shouldn't fall just on her, but we are constantly reminded (by her inner monologue) that she knows that this has an expiration date.

I think that we all were cheering for a happy ending, but it was a reacurring theme throughout the entire book. The ending is heartbreaking, but incredibly realistic.

Tropes: age gap, rockstar, single parent, taboo

Content Warnings