I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed this book. At all. And I liked Act Like It, but Pretty Face was even better.
I must admit that I hate Lucy Parker’s titles. They are not at all indicative of the witty writing and wry, wonderful characters inside. I picked it up to browse the first couple of pages and the I couldn’t put it down. I read while my sinuses threw yet another mucus festival. I read while I walked the dog. I read while I made dinner. I read while my body begged for sleep. I read while I was supposed to be doing other thing.
Lily Lamprey is a TV star who playes a tarty character in a period soap opera. I could not stop associating her with Lillie Langtry. Lillie Langtry, as a young woman, was known for being beautiful. Eventually she was also known for her romantic entanglements, became an actress, and then started her own production company. She managed to do all this in the last half of the 19th century. Lily Lamprey is beautiful, a soap opera actress and has a porn star voice. We don’t meet Lily until after we meet her television character and hear what some men think of her. One covets her because of her appearance. One dismisses her because of her appearance and voice. She is championed by a woman, a casting director, who has to point out that the men are paying her a lot of money to ignore her opinion. I loved the way the character introductions were structured.
Luc Savage (dear god, that name!) is the judgemental asshole who is forced into giving Lily an audition. He does have the grace, later in the book, to be embarrassed and apologetic about his initial response to her. A lot of the barriers to romance between Luc and Lily involves expectations and assumptions. Despite themselves, they build a wonderful friendship. They are both at crossroads in their lives, Lily professionally and Luc personally, and this opens them up to each other.
Luc is softened up for a relationship with Lily by two things. His longtime girlfriend split up with him and then promptly fell in love and married a man who makes her ridiculously happy. Luc witnesses first hand the way men consistently objectify and dismiss Lily, which forces him to confront his own assumptions and consider her as a person.
Lucy Parker has written a very good book. It was a compelling and enjoyable read. I am excited for her next book, whenever that may be.
This is yet another book I would not have read without Malin. I am officially jumping on the #BlameMalin bandwagon.
Huzzah! #BlameMalin is always valid. She’s my romance spirit guide.
Can we for reals make #BlameMalin a thing? We should make it an official tag.
#BlameMalin
YAAASSSSS!
I feel that it should be #ThankMalin, especially as I will HAPPILY share my books with whomever asks.
Emmalita/Rochelle, I’m very glad you liked the book and hope it brought you some comfort while you were ill (I also hope you are feeling better now).
Are you quibbling about the way in which we choose to laud and honour you?
#BlameMalin
I feel like if you are willing to accept our thanks and praise, as is your due, you should also have to accept that you are contributing to the mounting TBR piles that threaten to fall and crush us lo one of these many long, dreary days. You are responsible for adding AT LEAST 100 books to my already overflowing pile.
#BlameMalin
Well, #BlameNarfna right back at ya.
Also, I did feel it was better written than Act Like It and that the character work was improved. That’s quite an accomplishment given how great her first book was. She’s an autobuy for encouragement for me at this point.
That reminds me, whatever happened to Caroline Linden?
Carolina Linden has a book coming out in 2 weeks. http://www.carolinelinden.com
The funny thing is, I was expecting it to be better, because you said it was, but I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
The gender politics were so spot on.
Which is what I dance around so inartfully in the review.
Also, ALSO I love it that when she meets Luc…
“her driving instinct was to touch the tips of her boots to his –and then stand her ground until he stepped back first.”
Yes to all of this. I’m reading this one slowly since I had book club business to attend to, but I am excited about how Parker is playing with gender politics. The drive to the weekend retreat alone and I was all in, let alone how its unfolding.