This book is not what I expected, I’m usually not drawn to books with large age gaps but since an author I admire recommended it I was like ok I’ll read it. I think reading a book where one character is famous is so different when the author lives that life and has witnessed so much of it.

Hayes and Solène have such a beautiful love story all starting with Solène mad about having to take her daughter and friends to a meet and greet with a boy band and concert that her ex-husband won the tickets for and flaked on. The instant attraction and how Solène tries to fight it drew me in and reading about them falling in love and everything that goes on is such a great story but because Robinne Lee knows all about the life there are highs and lows and be ready to shed some big fat tears. This book was such a page turner and I really enjoyed how different from the other books I’ve read it is and I think it partially is because of the ridiculously talented author.

I honestly really wanted to like this book especially as the premise seemed truly intriguing and promising. However, while I do enjoy the occasional age-gap romance, the entire novel seemed rather pretentious and unrelatable. I mean both characters are exceedingly well-off, with one owning an art gallery and the other in the entertainment industry, travelling around the globe in their sophisticated attire and indifferent attitude. While I believe the novel addresses a concern many may have if put in the shoes of Sloane, being worried what the world might think or say if they found out her relationship with a famous singer, it just didn't make me feel for the characters. Ultimately, it wasn't my type of novel.

This was a fun, escapist read that was perfect to kick off summer reading. As a 90s kid, I loved the behind the scenes look at boy band tour life, and as a mother, I enjoyed the brief fantasy of another life. I loved the relationship between the main character, and the development of the side characters as well. Their flirty banter was unmatched, and I found myself rooting for their relationship right up to the end. I enjoyed this book more when I think about it less - if that makes sense. Hayes definitely didn't read as a 20-year old - which made me actually enjoy it more - he was much too mature and world-weary for the life his character was living. And while I loved Solene, I found her a bit contradictory at times - her boldness didn't quite match up with her deprecating commentary. All that aside, what a fun ride - quick, steamy, highly recommended read.

"Love, was not always perfect, and not exactly how you expected it to be. But when it descended upon you, there was no controlling it."

The Idea of You is a book that'll take you into the heart of the glamour of the pop culture and then show you both the beautiful as well as the ugly side to it. I've read a few books about pop-culture but never came across a story like this. It was different in its own way.

The romance, first of all, was something I really enjoyed reading about. I had never even imagined how hard it must be to love a person and not just the idea of them, especially when their life is so very different from yours.

I found that even though I'm in my early twenties, I could understand what the narrator was saying, what the author wanted to show through story, about the underrepresentation of women. It's a very real and very sad part of being a woman. It's so hard to be acknowledged, to be seen for our minds and not just our appearances. What's even sadder is that it's so easily accepted. We have adjusted according to the mindset and very rarely possess the mental awareness to recognize that we should set our own standards and limits and not let others judge us for not fitting in with what norms they have set for us in the society.

Unfairness is everywhere and the people in the entertainment industry are no strangers to it. They hardly ever get to live a life where they can be really free and true to themselves. I don't understand why celebrities have to sacrifice their privacy, their personal space and their freedom because of their fans. The sort of sick behavior that they're subjected to sometimes is something that needs to be addressed and spoken about. People should be discouraged from showing such lack of respect for a fellow human being's right to privacy.
This book made me think a lot about what bands like One Direction and BTS, with such a huge fan following, have faced, are still facing. They're loved, basically worshipped by their fans, but at the same time, they're always in fear of "upsetting" their fans and having them wreak havoc because of it. It's a crazy thing, truly, how they and everybody related to them are harassed, especially the ones they're romantically involved with.

It's a topic I can go on about for pages and pages, so I'll move on to something else but equally important. Whenever I read books like these, I'm always left in an awe of the author's talent for writing and research and here as well, I was simply amazed by all the things I read, especially about Art that the author must've worked so hard to fit just right into the story and make it such an important part too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book even though I felt that it slowed down when some repetitive parts came in, but it soon picked up pace so I got more and more interested.

I don't know what anyone else would say about the end but to me, it was perfect. Realistic.

"Because I knew, in my heart, that we would not last. And because every moment of it was extraordinary."

Typical steamy story of an older woman and a younger guy, with the exception that the younger guy happens to be Uber famous in a boy band. I get that being in the spotlight forces you to mature sooner, but it still seems icky to me 😂 The fans become obsessed with their relationship and it becomes too much for her to take, so she ends it with him and while the ending is sad, it just didn’t break your heart as much as it could have.
This is definitely not for everyone, but if you are into the May /December trope and like lots of steam, this is for you.

Thanks to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my review.

I read a lot of great things about this book so went in with high hopes that it totally exceeded! Steamy, sexy, and super entertaining, I loved it! I can't wait to discuss in our book club. So glad it's been optioned - this must be made into a series or move!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

The Idea of You is a book I have had on my Kindle for approximately 3 years. I had a back and forth relationship with wanting to read it. I was excited when I got it and then that excitement waned and I lost interest. But sometime in 2019 that interest popped up again when a lot of my reading friends started to read it and talk about it. Finally I decided it was time to give it a go. And let me tell you I am so happy that I did. The Idea of You was so addictive and amazing and sad and just what I wanted out of it.

The Idea of You is a May December relationship book. It’s the story of Solene, a divorced 40 year old woman with a 13 year old daughter. When Solene’s ex can’t bring their daughter to a concert of a popular boyband Solene is forced to. It is there she meets 20 year old Hayes Campbell, a member of the band, and things forever change. Before Solene knows it she is in an unexpected relationship with someone that is half her age. Soon the two of them are navigating their hectic schedules while trying to make time for each other and to deal with no only the age difference but how Hayes’ profession changes everything for them.

I have no idea why I lost interest in this book for a few years. It seems like such an oversight on my part because The Idea of You was truly fantastic. Hayes and Solene had some of the best chemistry of any couple I have read in a long time. Their romance was non-traditional, but it really worked. And I loved the message that was weaved throughout, how it is more acceptable for a man to be 10 or 20 years older than his partner but when the woman is older it is frowned upon. Solene and Hayes made it okay and I loved it, even when I knew it was going to break my heart. I mean come on, Hayes was so charming I’m not sure anyone could have not fallen for him.

There was magic in the pages of The Idea of You. It isn’t a romance. It is a book that involves a romance and all the messiness that comes with it when you come from two different walks of life. It has its high and lows and you can’t help but get wrapped up in their world and their love. It is a book that once you start you won’t want to stop. It’s a book journey you don’t want to miss.

I am really not even sure what to say about this book...
While the premise sounded somewhat unbelievable - a mom hooking up with a 20 year old member of a world famous boy band - somehow the entire book read true. It just felt real as you were reading it. I read through this quickly because I needed to know what became of them. They had such a beautiful love story.
But now that I am done, I just don't know how I feel. I loved the book, but I have so many questions. I want more. I need more. Please give us more!

While I really enjoyed her writing - the book wasn't for me. I just couldn't connect to the characters or stay interested in the story. She's a wonderful writer though, I will check out her other work.

This book was an amazing, more than 5 star read. She takes a woman, speaks from her point of view as a mother and woman, and makes it beautiful and raw. It takes a woman that is older and gives you real life situations. This author makes real life happen right before your eyes. She creates a masterpiece that will blow your mind and make you cry.

The characters are real. The situations make you feel so many emotions. This was a truly amazing, real life story with one crazy, mind blowing ending.

This book... it took me for a huge roller coaster ride!! I had no clue what I was getting into, I had no clue what it was about except an older divorced mom. That’s it. And that’s all you should know going in as well.

Still, almost 3 days after finishing it, I don’t have a good grasp on what I just read and how it hooked me from the beginning. The ending...

Anyways. One of the best reads I have had in a while and probably ever. This is one of those books you will go back and read over and over trying to find out if you missed something, see other clues, come up with different thoughts.... JUST.READ.IT.

So good!

So, where to begin with this book. I can easily say this book broke my heart, and not because it was a horrible book. The writing was amazing, the ending was hard to take, that I will admit. Simply because it was not really a traditional HEA. Though you'd have to read it to understand why it couldn't be, but the ending wasn't bad. My trouble with the book doesn't have anything to do with the authors writing style, I just had trouble connecting with Solene, the main character. I loved Hayes, the way he was portrayed, the play between the band members and the dynamics and drama there. The dynamics between Solene and her daughter, I just had a hard time connecting with Solene the character which made it hard to really connect with the full story with all the scenes between her and Hayes.

This book takes a serious look at fame, taboo relationships and finding love where you least expect it.

I probably never would have picked up this book had it not been suggested as part of our book club but I enjoyed the May/December romance between the art dealer and boy bander. Their banter was witty and fun and the storyline itself brought up many questions on the way society looks at relationships and how fame, social media and society plays into it all.

It took me a while to get into the book, but once I did I loved it.

This book was Great . The way it’s written makes you feel as if it a real life situation happening . This book pulls on so many heart strings and makes you keep trying to swipe at last page wanting no needing more.

There really was not one thing I did not love about this book. I nursed a book hangover for days. I cannot recommend this book enough. The writing was flawless, the story was sophisticated and seductive, the were characters charming, the trope is terrific and the passion was off the charts! I want more of Solene and Hayes!! A sweet, sexy, seductive, sophisticated love story. A passion so great it will consume you…whole.

I loved this book! Solène daughter got VIP tickets to see August Moon. Hayes is one of the boys in the band and there was a instant click. Solène got a text message from Hayes asking her out. When Solène couldn’t go to August Moon show Hayes was jealous of her daughter. He wanted to be near her all the time but it came off as a stalker.

I wanted to LOVE this book - because all of my book sisters loved it. However, I wasn't able to get into The Idea of You, so I won't be providing additional feedback due to the fact that I didn't finish the whole thing.

So...I just read this incredible book this week and I could not put it down. Yes I know it is currently $9.99 and sometimes that's a lot of money for we bookacholics. If you can't get it now, add it to your TBR. It is a May/December love story that had me turning the pages as fast as I could. This story is breathtaking and you will want to be Solenè. I guarantee! 😅 It was worth every word, every tear, every delicious moment. I have since started following the author and perusing her page to find any additional tidbits. One thing I found out...the rights to the story have been picked up for a movie version.
AND...I can't wait!
NOTE TO AUTHOR: We need more!! Please 😍

The Idea of You: A Novel

A well crafted tale of an unexpected romance. This story proves that not All love stories are fairytales. I loved the authors choices. The chemistry between Solène and Hayes was fun. The glimpse into life on the road showed the ugly side of the music business. A great read even if the ending was a bit abrupt.