Reviewed by Lynn on
Lainie Graham is the new darling of the West End stage and already making headlines as much for her private life as her professional one. After the humiliation of being dumped by her real-life, cheating co-star, she's definitely not looking to hook up with another actor, least of all the drop-dead gorgeous Thespian playing the villain in her current play.
Richard Troy is like a member of acting royalty with an impressive pedigree. He has aspirations to use his connections to cement a move into politics, only he's not at all media friendly. He's a PR's worst nightmare come true and his petulant behaviour is impacting on ticket sales. Cue, a plan to turn Richard into a charming, likeable, marketable heart-throb...He has the looks, so just needs a personality to match and a willing leading lady to help the cause!
The dialogue between the protagonists is witty and clever as we wade through back-handed humorous comments with sarcastic undertones. Lainie and Richard are real West End “luvvies,” hamming up their “Showmance” for the benefit of the ticket paying public, only the lines between acting and reality quickly become blurred. Lainie is a true darling by seeing right through Richard's prickly persona by finding a caring, loving man lurking under years of heartache and painful memories. Their backgrounds are worlds apart, but yet they complement each other perfectly.
I enjoyed the playful, light-hearted banter in this highly entertaining romance. The theatre backdrop is a refreshing change for me and is further enhanced by the colourful supporting cast, including the leading man, Will Farmer a.k.a Lainie's cheating ex and Richard's theatrical rival.
I'm, impressed this is a début novel and will be looking out for future books by this author.
***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 4 December, 2015: Finished reading
- 4 December, 2015: Reviewed