So, I have this annoying habit of reading about a movie that is about to be released, realising it’s been adapted from a book then rushing to read the book before the movie comes out … this was one of those books. And I really wanted to love this book, I couldn’t put it down – I read it over two days – but once I’d finished it I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not.
The plot was perfect for me, love stories, romance, that’s my thing, plus this had the added bonus of being the older woman/younger man scenario, and as a woman in her forties how could I not be taken in by the adoration of a younger man. And from a boy band no less, that, I could get on board with. From my own teenage crushes on Mark Owen and Robbie Williams, praying they would notice younger me across a crowded concert arena (I’m also not ashamed to admit the same thoughts still cross my mind now when the mum squad and I still attend these concerts, only this time fuelled by gin and not teenage hormones). But, I think what it really came down to for me was that I just couldn’t gel with the main character. The premise was great – forty year old single mum embarks on a passionate affair with a guy half her age – but this was no ordinary 40 year old. Nope, Solene wasn’t topping up her roots every four weeks, she hadn’t mysteriously gained a stone and gone up three cup sizes overnight, her hormones seemed remarkably steady. She was petite, thin, successful in her own right with a designer wardrobe and the ability to wear sky high heels for longer than thirty minutes. On top of all this, the gorgeous boy band star worshipped the ground she walked on. Jealous? Abso-bloody-lutely I am!
This brings me onto our boy band star, Hayes Campbell, written in such a way that I was rooting for the guy (trying not to crush on him as I’m old enough to be his mum – don’t worry, I know it’s fiction). The character was written perfectly, if he has been based on a certain famous pop star of the moment, which is the common theory, then a big well done to the author – the swagger, the sexiness, the flirting – it worked for me.
The plot line takes us on a passionate journey, there’s exotic locations, art and music, fancy dinners and lots and lots of sex (so much sex, seriously, was there nothing on tv)? But essentially what this story boils down to is two people trying to make what they think is the impossible work – I can't help thinking they were making it more impossible than it needed to be, that the long list of obstacles could have been avoided... but then that would have been a different story.
I guess what I have found whilst writing this is that I did, actually, enjoy the book, you don’t have to love every character. Sometimes it’s the stories that annoy you the most that are the best reads and I think the fact that it’s kept me thinking about it for the last few days means it’s definitely made an impression. So, with this in mind, it’s a recommended read from me and I look forward to the movie adaptation. In fact, I may even start reading it again.