booksandcoffeewithlexi's review
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Cursing
Minor: Stalking
thatswhatshanread's review
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I would like to personally thank Robinne Lee for ruining my life by writing a story so intensely close to my fangirl daydreams that I fear I will never, ever recover.
“The Idea of You” did me in. I knew from the moment I discovered who the book was inspired by (iykyk), that I would have a total book hangover from it. For this reason, I think I put off reading it for awhile. Allowed myself some time to come to terms with… the idea of it.
The idea being that the FMC, a divorced mother of a tween, gets completely swept up in a globetrotting, all-consuming romance with the 20-year-old lead singer of the hottest boyband in the world. The very same one that her daughter is infatuated with.
Even if this wasn’t about Harry Styles—I mean, Hayes Campbell—I would have devoured it. Lee’s writing is so hypnotic, emotional, sexy, candid, witty, zealous. It felt like reading very well-written gossip, a fever dream, how the pages oozed with fame and lust and heartbreak and fantasy. The characters and their thoughts melting into your skin.
Time ceased to exist while reading this, and yet also caught up with me far too soon as I began to reach the end. Why must stories like these end? It’s really quite rude, but I guess I’ll live to read another day, somehow.
“The Idea of You” did me in. I knew from the moment I discovered who the book was inspired by (iykyk), that I would have a total book hangover from it. For this reason, I think I put off reading it for awhile. Allowed myself some time to come to terms with… the idea of it.
The idea being that the FMC, a divorced mother of a tween, gets completely swept up in a globetrotting, all-consuming romance with the 20-year-old lead singer of the hottest boyband in the world. The very same one that her daughter is infatuated with.
Even if this wasn’t about Harry Styles—I mean, Hayes Campbell—I would have devoured it. Lee’s writing is so hypnotic, emotional, sexy, candid, witty, zealous. It felt like reading very well-written gossip, a fever dream, how the pages oozed with fame and lust and heartbreak and fantasy. The characters and their thoughts melting into your skin.
Time ceased to exist while reading this, and yet also caught up with me far too soon as I began to reach the end. Why must stories like these end? It’s really quite rude, but I guess I’ll live to read another day, somehow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking, Sexism, Grief, Bullying, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Misogyny, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Blood, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy
lschuchman's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
laurataylor's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Cursing, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Alcohol
kimseokjinschild's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed reading this book and definitely recommend to others.
Pros :
💫I felt the emotions that characters felt e.g. blushing, sadness and anger; could envision scenes in my head.
💫You could sense the main characters chemistry and their love for each other.
💫Resonated with the female lead.
Cons :
📉Sometimes the book did drag and made me lose interest.
📉I found the female lead sometimes annoying, I became frustrated with some of her actions / decisions.
Pros :
💫I felt the emotions that characters felt e.g. blushing, sadness and anger; could envision scenes in my head.
💫You could sense the main characters chemistry and their love for each other.
💫Resonated with the female lead.
Cons :
📉Sometimes the book did drag and made me lose interest.
📉I found the female lead sometimes annoying, I became frustrated with some of her actions / decisions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Suicide attempt
quasinaut's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
2.75
My reaction to this book is so mixed. I kept expecting more to happen. We follow the characters from city to city, but the activities at each location felt repetitive to me -- usually a fancy restaurant or store, an incident involving Hayes' fame, and sexy times.
Pet peeve: I felt like the author too often relied on dropping luxe brand names, artists, or designers instead of actually describing an object or setting. For example, saying "the Finn Juhl coffee table and Herman Miller Tuxedo sofa in the living room, the Arne Vodder table and Hans Wegner credenza in the dining area" means nothing to me because I don't care about midcentury designs by name. Instead of allowing me to picture the scene, I'm more likely to be taken out of the story and distracted by the characters' (unacknowledged) privilege.
Solène's and Hayes' lives didn't feel real to me. I couldn't identify with their choices, their interactions, their constant international travel, their lack of conflict beyond the will-they-won't-they of a romance with a wide age and fame gap. I struggled to get invested, so for me, this story didn't work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking, Misogyny, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Adult/minor relationship
beehen's review
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault
harperhoney's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
callybacon's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Stalking
thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There are not many books that tell the story of a woman in her 40s, that is divorced and has love sprung on her by the most unsuspecting man.
The Idea of You tells the story of Solène and Hayes, from meeting at a pop concert and through their romance. Life, fans, and family come in between the two as they fly around the world on their trysts.
I found myself being torn with this story. I'm not against older/younger relationships, but this one was just a bit too 50 shades when it came to the intimate scenes. I also found I started thinking Solène struggled between being the 40yo mum character and acting around Hayes age, which frustrated me.
But just as abruptly as the romance started, the the ending was just that.
The Idea of You tells the story of Solène and Hayes, from meeting at a pop concert and through their romance. Life, fans, and family come in between the two as they fly around the world on their trysts.
I found myself being torn with this story. I'm not against older/younger relationships, but this one was just a bit too 50 shades when it came to the intimate scenes. I also found I started thinking Solène struggled between being the 40yo mum character and acting around Hayes age, which frustrated me.
But just as abruptly as the romance started, the the ending was just that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Stalking