Review: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (2017)

Blurb

EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS HIS NAME . . .BUT IT’S YOU HE WANTS.

To the media, Hayes Campbell is the enigmatic front-man of a record-breaking boyband.

To his fans, he’s the man of their dreams.

To Solène Marchand, he’s just the pretty face that’s plastered over her teenage daughter’s bedroom wall.

Until a chance meeting throws them together . . .

The attraction is instant. The chemistry is electric. The affair is Solène’s secret.

But how long can it stay that way?

Review

Huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The tagline on the proof I received read ‘Warning: This Will Keep You Up All Night” – and it wasn’t lying.

I stayed up till 2am reading The Idea of You in one sitting. It is totally compulsive reading, and it threw me back to the joyous days of devouring Jilly Cooper novels and not even entertaining the idea (oops, little pun) of there being a world outside of the book until I was done. I also have to admit that being exactly the same age as the protagonist created the perfect opportunity for a bit of fantasising that I was in her shoes (although I can’t walk in heels, and Sol is a million times more glamorous and poised than I am!). I’m not going to lie, reading about a 39 year old woman having hot sex with a gorgeous 20 year old was a very pleasant way to spend an evening. I also managed to paraphrase a line from Friends and tell my husband, “Don’t worry, with you it’s like I’ve got two 20 year olds.” Great fun all round.

However, as well as being undeniably HOT, this book is also a really clever examination of the reality behind the fantasy. We’ve all imagined what it would be like to hook up with someone famous, but here the rose-tinted glasses are ripped away, and the actual consequences of being in a relationship with someone with such a high profile are explored in detail. The opposing forces of Sol’s attraction to Hayes and her responsibilities are powerful enough to create explosive conflict in the plot, and you may well be surprised by how much sympathy you feel for both Sol and Hayes.

This is the PERFECT book for summer escapism, for a whirlwind trip around some of the most glamorous locations on the globe, for a story that will utterly immerse you for the hours it takes to devour it. And god knows we need to be taken away from our own reality at the moment! And the ending – well. Read it and find out.

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee is published by Penguin and is currently only 99p on Kindle here.