I LOVED The Idea Of You. Such a brilliant premise, funny, clever and emotive. The story is based on something I'm sure everyone has dreamed about at some point (ahem... me & Harry Styles), and it's so interesting to read a fictional account which feels very realistic!

I really enjoyed this book! It's a great page turner - brilliant escapism for current times! The perfect fantasy tale complete with amazing holidays, epic parties and lovable characters. I've heard rumours of a sequel and hope they're true - this is the sort of book that ends and you think... but what happened next?! Will definitely be recommending this one, great read.

Art gallery owner Solene takes her 13 year old daughter to an August Moon concert in Las Vegas. Backstage, they meet the band. And Hayes, the twenty year old singer for August Moon. Over the next few months, Solene and Hayes begin an affair - and Solene has some big decisions to make.

I’ve deliberately written that synopsis in a more straight to the point and less flowery way than the blurb that drew me in. It doesn’t sound quite as enticing! Don’t be fooled though, this is the perfect beach read. In fact I’d say it’s a little bit more than that. There’s everything you could possibly want here, lust, deception, thrills and twists; but above all is the humanity and depth not usually found in a summer read.
I was hooked from the first few pages, and laughed and cried along with Solene.
I did find Hayes to be a bit much, but this is usually the way when Americans write British characters - the same stereotypes pop up - Earl Grey, afternoon tea, Eton, posh boys - 🙄 That’s the only thing I didn’t like though.

Ultimately this is a book I’d recommend - Taylor Jenkins Reid and Valley of the Dolls kind of vibes!

Okay, so. First off – this book is not a romance. It lacks a certain vital component to make it a romance, yet is full of swoony scenes. I’m not really sure what I’d term it – plain contemporary? It’s a very genre-defying book and it’s one that will really hits you in the emotions. Basically this book destroyed me and I am not okay.

I couldn’t put this down. From start to finish I pretty much raced through this book in a day, which is amazing for me. It’s like reading about a train wreck — there’s so much that could go wrong and you just spend your entire time waiting for something to drop.

Solène and Hayes’ relationship is a very taboo one, and it’s one that is never glossed over. Even from the beginning Solène points out that she is old enough to be Hayes’ mum. And she is. Solène is 39, and Hayes is 20 — that’s enough of an obstacle to begin with. Then add in the fact he’s in a world famous boy band, one her 13-year-old daughter is obsessed with, and their relationship seems doomed from the start.

I loved Solène, from her very first scene where she was struggling to juggle being a single mum and carving out some free time for herself. She was confident, yet vulnerable and her guilt over her attraction to Hayes was evident from their first meeting. I will admit I absolutely cheered when it was pointed out how much of a double standard that was — in society if it were the other way round there would be no problem and it’s true. I loved how this was pointed out in the narration.

Lee’s writing is wonderful and so addictive, it’s very hard to put it down once you’ve started. This book is pretty much based on wish fulfilment, but it was so rooted in the reality, and the fallout of what would happen if this ever became reality that it never seemed pure fantasy.

Hayes was such a charming hero, he truly straddled the line between young, cocky star, and serious, mature gentleman. I swooned over how he cherished Solène, he fell pretty hard for her and it was so lovely to see how far he would go for her.

Now, I can’t finish this review without mentioning that ending. If you’ve seen other reviews for this book then you probably already know what I mean but it pretty much destroyed me. It was so realistic and worked so well that I couldn’t argue against it but I am still desperately hoping for a sequel to fix things.

Overall this was a very entertaining novel. I loved the focus on Solène and I think it makes the perfect read to escape this Summer.

I really enjoyed this book. At the start, I did feel very mildly uncomfortable at Solene’s interest in a 20 years old, but Hayes and Solene had so much chemistry, I completely forgot about the age difference.
The Augies and the paparazzi in this book reminded me how much I hate fame and the hysteria that surrounds it. Solene and Hayes’ relationship felt realistic, especially in the way it was affected by the fan hate, and I was really rooting for them throughout the book.
I was, however, waiting for some deep revelation that was being hinted at that never came, but perhaps this is being saved for a sequel?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book is brilliant. The synopsis grabbed my attention and I could not wait to get started on it.

I grew up as a huge boy band fan, attending concerts all across the UK for many boy bands right up to recent times. So, the promise of a book which sees a nearly-40 year old mum charmed by a boy band member seemed really appealing.

Unfortunately, the storyline was just not right for me. It was only when I read about Solene and Hayes that I felt really uncomfortable. I didn’t anticipate feeling this way when I read the synopsis.

Solene’s character wasn’t overly likeable. Constant reference to the label attached to her clothes was annoying and made her an unrealistic character - one I could not engage with.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and despite not liking the storyline, I found the authors writing style great. It was so easy to read and chapters flowed well.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

What an exhilarating read! The romance in all its manifestations was simply incredible, as was the chemistry between the main characters!

Totally broke my heart. I’m devastated. Not sure how to recover.

Extraordinary story, totally told from Solene’s PoV, whilst she wasn’t that likeable for much of the story, everything about this story moved me,

They need to make it into a film. This book 2021’s bookclub book.

Thank you netgalley

I do enjoy a forbidden romance! This follows Solene, an owner of an art gallery and Hayes who is part of one of the biggest boy bands and the almost 20 year age gap between them. I really enjoyed the writing style and all the different locations mentioned. It definitely reminded me of Harry Styles, not sure whether that was the inspiration or not. A solid 4 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the IDEA of this book, and it was beautifully written! Unfortunately, I wasn't keen on the characters themselves. I wanted to love Solene, but she started grating on me from the start. And Hayes just fell completely flat.

It's unfortunate that this wasn't my cup of tea, but I have no doubt that plenty of people will love it! And I'm a fan of the author's writing style, so I'll definitely be looking out for what they write next!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Headlines:
Beware of sparks
Discomforting swooning
Tragedy felt on the horizon
Please Sir, can I have more?

I think that less is going to be more with this review. The Idea Of You blew me away, discomforted me, challenged me and devastated me. And yet, I loved every minute of the ride; I couldn’t look away as I devoured it page by page, waiting for the impending car crash.

I don’t want to give a thing away beyond the blurb. The characters, Hayes and Solène transfixed me with their story and their pairing. They glued me to the page, the strangeness of their match felt less strange with each page until you were convinced they should be together.

“So this is what twenty looked like. That sweet spot between adolescence and the moment things began to unravel.”

There were other characters in this story but it’s very hard not to feel anything but absorbed by Hayes and Solène. The complications and angst were intense so that I don’t think I will recover for a while. Plan to shelve your life when you pick this up.

The writing in this book is sublime, seamless and this is a writing debut. Robinne Lee is an author to look out for. As many readers of this book will say, I (want) need more, just so that I can keep on breathing.

I couldn't put this down, I read the entire book in one sitting with my heart in my mouth the entire time – the description warned me it was 'utterly addictive' and they weren't wrong.

Everything about Solène and Hayes' relationship had me waiting for something to go wrong, and the age gap did make me uncomfortable at first, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from their love story, even with Solène's guilt tainting the narrative from the very first lunch. (I also had to shout at myself for feeling uncomfortable once Lee pointed out the double standards of society and age gaps, and from then on I became Solène's biggest cheerleader.)

Robinne Lee's writing was delightful and I found it so easy to get lost in Solène's story, the moment I finished it I was immediately looking for anything else Lee had written. We've all wondered what it would be like to date a celebrity, and Lee manages to take us right into that world as Solène finds herself pursued by a member of her daughter's favourite boyband (and makes me almost glad that none of my celebrity crushes have ever noticed me in a crowd!) But my absolute favourite part of this is that Hayes is the perfect gentleman, he's not the stereotypical immature younger man we'd expect to be in a boyband – he's seriously charming and he adores Solène (my heart swooned so many times.)

Solène is such a strong character, and I found myself feeling oddly proud of her throughout. She knows a relationship with Hayes will be difficult, but she's brave enough to chase love and I admire that. I cringed a little at some of her decisions but I understood them all, and though a strong, independent divorcée with a twelve-year-old daughter running a gallery in LA is the last person I expected to relate to, I was completely invested in her. A real testament to Lee's talent and ultimately thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the ending and Solène and Hayes' story will definitely stay with me.

If you're looking for something to escape with this summer, I would definitely recommend The Idea of You – it's the kind of summer romance that'll make you swoon and dream of travelling the world with a charming man of your own (from the safety of your own garden.)

This book follows 39 year old Solène who gets swept up in a whirlwind romance with a 20 year old boy band member. However, her daughter is the biggest fan of the band and it doesn't turn out to be what she thought.

I adored this book. Everything between Solène and Hayes felt so real, I was so emotional throughout so many scenes. I was rooting for them the whole way through the book, I've never wanted two people to be together so much.

Some parts of this book are so messed up but it's actually a true depiction of this lifestyle I think. So many young girls devote their lives to these boy bands and think it's ok to destroy their personal lives. It really makes you think the struggles these people go through behind the doors when you read these kinds of books.

The ending broke me in so many ways but it was so perfect too because it's so rare that you find a book without a happy ending and this ending worked so well with the book. However, in my head Hayes and Solène definitely found their way back to each other, no doubt about it. This book was fantastic and I definitely recommend, it's worth a read!

This novel was the perfect relief after I read a few books that were a bit heavier. I needed some light relief, and this provided exactly that, although I will say (without spoiling anything) that it wasn't ALWAYS as light and fluffy as I thought it would be.

Going in, I did not know who Robinne Lee is, I just knew that Penguin were billing this novel as THE read for Summer 2021, which is lovely because it very much is the perfect novel to read by the beach. Or, as is likely the case, in your back garden while #socialdistancing. I, personally, flew through this book while sat either in my bed or upstairs in my loft-office. The goals, the goals.

Anyway, this novel was actually originally released a few years ago, in America anyway, but Penguin seem to have picked it up for release over here on our bright and dazzling shores (lol), and I'm glad they did because the cover is super snazzy, a lot snazzier and more eye-catching than the US offering. The book wasn't even on my radar until I saw the absolutely stunning cover, and then I realised I had to have it and I had to read it and my life would be worthless if I didn't. (A slight over-exaggeration, maybe but thankfully we will never have to find out as I DID get to read it and so, I am content).

This novel revolves around Solene Marchant, gallery owner (co-gallery owner), divorcee and mother of precocious Isabelle, who really comes into her own later in the novel; that girl is more classy at thirteen than I am at 30 and it's PAINFUL TO WITNESS FOR ME). Solene is forty, feeling like she's over the hill, past it, all of those things that solely apply to women but very, very rarely apply to men of the same age, for reasons I cannot fathom, and how her life explodes when she starts a relationship with Hayes Campbell, star of the very, very famous (and not at all like One Direction) August Moon. I'm kidding, they were inspired by 1D, and a certain Mr Styles, if the Internet is true. It's no bad thing to be inspired by 1D or Harry, what I loved was that Robinne actually named Hayes after her husband, who is called Eric Hayes. Can we say ADORBS? And considering the last Harry Styles-inspired novel I tried to read was the intolerable After, I can safely say this was eons better.

What I loved about this novel, actually, was the fact that Solene isn't some wide-eyed fangirl, desperate to bed Hayes. She doesn't have stars in her eyes, she isn't with Hayes for the cachet of being with Hayes, there is genuine attraction and fondness between the two of them, the kind of chemistry that you can't believe can be real (though trust me, it is, because I have that with my very handsome boyfriend). It just so happens that a) Solene is forty, b) Hayes is twenty and c) Hayes is a boybander. The absolute pleasure of this novel for me was that the age gap isn't an issue (and anyone who watched Love Is Blind will remember Jessica screeching on the daily about how Mark was half her age), it's the fame-side of things that's the issue, as you can understand because I cannot even begin to imagine what it's like to be thrust into that world, unwillingly, all because you're with someone in a band that's famous. (What gets me even more, is people WILLINGLY want to be in that world, all in the name of 'fame').

Solene absolutely owns her sexuality, this novel is not shy about how much Solene and Hayes get it on. Not an hour goes by that these two aren't at it like rabbits in some way and that's incredible, go them, but if I'm honest, that isn't a foundation to build a relationship on. Sex is important, sexual chemistry is a real thing, but I am curious how a sequel would go; if Hayes getting older would make him want to sow his wild oats, or whether they truly could live happily ever after. I'm loathe, so very loathe, to say Hayes would be too young to be locked to Solene, regardless of their ages, I would just be interested to see how he matured, since he was already fairly mature anyway.

This was a delicious romp, both in terms of the sheer number of countries/places Solene and Hayes visited and in the number of times these two bedded each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, Robinne Lee is a fantastic writer and all I will say about that ending is: SHE HAD BETTER BE WRITING A SEQUEL STAT. My heart, man, my heart. It just ENDED. Robinne is cruel, okay? CRU-EL.

In all seriousness, this was a very clever, enjoyable novel. I loved that Solene's sexuality was the driving force, how you can be forty and still enjoy sex. How you aren't 'over the hill' because you're forty, this whole concept that women have some kind of expiry date on feeling sexy or being sexy is absurd. And I was rooting for Solene every step of the way because I want to be like her in my forties, hell I want to be like her in my THIRTIES. She's amazing and I adored how much Hayes adored her, how this didn't take the a-typical route of Hayes doing something absurdly stupid, or reverting back to being some kind of man-child, shagging anything. He genuinely did have that raw sexuality to him, but he also had the maturity to not spread himself all over town. A fab summer read, I can see why this has a fan-following (HaySolNuts, I LOVE IT).

I binged this book over the course of a day, for me it was the perfect relief after the previous hard hitting book I'd read. It was an easy, light read. A romance that came to more or less a close.

Thank you for the opportunity to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for access to this title.

This was a palette cleanser. A straight forward romance. Mostly closed door.

Unfortunately not for me, I didn’t appreciate the age gap was as it was, also the ending was a let down for me

I really enjoyed this book & will look out for more by this author. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What happens when a boy band member falls in love with a woman twice his age? Solene, mother of Isabelle, accompanies her daughter to a meet and greet greet with August Moon, where they meet the star of the band, Hayes Campbell. This develops into a relationship that at first, is kept secret, but eventually becomes known around the world. Can they keep the relationship going with the whole world, including Isabelle, against them?

I really enjoyed this book. Not only was it a love story at heart but it was also about the crazy world of boy bands. Thank you NetGalley for my copy.

This was such a compelling read, I binged it over the course of 24 hours. I think most of us have had the 'What if?' fantasy - 'What if I were to bump into (insert prefered famous person here) and we started dating?' and Robinne Lee explores this wonderfully. The highs and lows of dating an internationally beloved pop star are well explored, at times enviable and at times fully evoking our sympathies. Solène is a well constructed character, believable in her nuances and decisions. Her lust-filled relationship was so much pleasure to follow, especially in these times of Covid where I'm relying on living vicariously through books to fill the romance void in my life. Blisteringly entertaining, it's a perfect summer read that's impossible to put down.