A review by quasinaut
The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee

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. 
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