shamelesslyash's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Stalking, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Bullying, Rape, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Medical content
islamccormack's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.5
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.
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
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide attempt
achay91's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Bullying
Moderate: Alcohol and Stalking
Minor: Drug use and Suicide attempt
lschuchman's review against another edition
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
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
juliaconnelley's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Suicide attempt
bookswithca's review against another edition
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexism, and Bullying
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
harperhoney's review against another edition
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
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