Cover Image: On a Night Like This

On a Night Like This

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This book was so fun! I read it so fast and enjoyed it so much! This is a bit of an escapist romance. When Fran takes a super secret job for a celebrity she thinks it will be a super easy 5 days, but after being left on an island with a night to herself she breaks into the ultra secret Crystal Ball. Fran gets her own cinderella moment with a designer gown, makeover and her own price charming. The only problem? He's American and she is in a relationship. They decide up front this is one night of flirtation. One Crystal Ball experience and then they will go their separate ways back to reality.

My only issue with this book was that the blurb of the book all happens on the back 50% of the book. There was a whole side story not even mentioned in the blurb! The first half was focused on Fran getting a job, her relationship with Juliette and their shenanigans. The back half was all about Fran and Evan and the bulk of what this story was also about. I didn't mind the separation, but considering this is a romance novel, I feel like we spent way too much time in the first half. I wish we would have gotten more romance plot. Not just about the night of the Crystal Ball but what happened afterwards. I would have love to get more about the afterwards. It felt a little rushed. But with that said I still give it 4.5!

Was this review helpful?

This is my first Lindsey Kelk novel and I have mixed feelings. Francesca (Fran) Cooper is in a rut and needs a change. She’s been with her fiancé for 12 years but always on his terms. On an impulse she applies for and gets a 5 day, personal assistant job (which she is very qualified for) that takes her away from her life in Sheffield. After signing NDA’s she is whisked off to the coast of Italy and finds that she is working for superstar singer Juliette. (Think mega star like Beyoncé.) Frans job is to make sure to get diva Juliette to the Crystal Ball where she is to perform. The ball is a fantasy by invitation only night for celebrities and millionaires to raise money for charity. Things don’t go smoothly and Fran ends up decked out to the hilt crashing the ball herself. She meets handsome stranger Evan who offers to show her around for the night.

This is a thinly veiled contemporary Cinderella retelling. But the purpose isn’t to find a prince. Instead it is for Fran to find herself. She needs to get on the right path to find her happy ever after. On the whole I liked the story. But the pacing is off for me. The first half is dealing with Juliette who isn’t an ogre. Then the next forty percent is all the antics happening at the ball. Leaving the least ten percent for Fran to make changes and open herself to a possible HEA. It was frustrating to me that Juliette disappears in the second half of the book. And also that Evan, for all his wonderfulness and several chapters, is only in her life one long evening. Kelk has a way of making it all work. I particularly enjoyed the British idioms. The book has a little language and is clean for intimacy. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

Was this review helpful?

A romance novel that isn't really a romance novel. This is one where the love story takes a backseat, and we are forced to focus on the main character and how she is trying to get her life back together. Fran is a 30-year-old who has been with her jerk boyfriend for 12 years who takes a once-in-a-lifetime job to help out a celebration for a celebrity where she finds her "spark at first touch" person. A modern-day Cinderella I would call this. This is a super quick read that was fun for the holiday season. The main character is super lovable, and her best friend jess is a friend I think everyone could use. I felt the other characters didn't get enough page time and weren't as well-rounded. This is a great read for anyone who doesn't want the love story thrown in their face but still wants to enjoy a good romance book. Great love at sight and escapist rom-com.

3 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley & HarperCollins for the ARC for this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This book gave me major Cinderella vibes and I was here for it. Fran is unhappy with her life. She takes a secretive job as a PA and off she goes. What I liked about the modern day take on the story was Fran was in a crossroads of her life and how she over came it.

I received this ARC through #netgalley and I am voluntarily reviewing this book

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars, rounded up.

Fran’s life has fallen into a pattern, leaving her going through the motions. But when an unexpected temp job sends her hurtling into the world of the rich and famous for a week, she realizes it’s okay to want more.

This book wasn’t what I expected. All the advertising led me to believe I was signing up for a light little rom-com, but instead the story centered more around Fran’s personal growth. And you know what? I think I liked it even better this way.

Reading On a Night Like This just made me feel good—there’s really no other way to put it. The plot is adorably cheesy, and it leans into the cheesy, and yet somehow it all felt so real. Fran felt like a person I could actually meet, and her inner monologue felt so comfortingly relatable. Even as the plot became more fairytale than reality, it still felt like Fran was just an average girl that I could meet in real life. Maybe that doesn’t make much sense, but I don’t know how else to describe it; something about this book just felt like a warm hug.

If you’re going into this expecting Fran and Evan’s romance to be the driving force, don’t. They don’t even meet until something like halfway through the book. Yet the build up to their meet-cute on the island and again at the Crystal Ball was so well done—we watch Fran’s character grow and begin to change until she’s at the right place in her life to meet Evan, and where his role in her story seems to fit perfectly. Don’t get me wrong, the romance itself was adorable, but I loved how much emphasis was placed on Fran’s journey.

All in all, On a Night Like This was a cute, funny, character driven rom-com that, even though a bit light on the actual romance, just made me feel good and happy. It hit all the right notes for a modern Cinderella story. Really, I have no significant complaints.

Was this review helpful?

On a Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk is a sweet rom-com story with a very likeable protagonist, Francesca, stuck in an undesirable situation. To give herself a reprieve she takes a 5 day temporary assignment landing her in the midst of a very difficult client, albeit on a yacht in the Mediterranean! In the whirlwind of those five days, Fran sees the true side of fame and a side of her client, Juliette, that no one else gets to see. That doesn't stop Juliette from leaving Fran stranded in Italy at the gala of the season, the Crystal Ball, allowing a chance meeting with the tall, handsome and mysterious Evan. One big problem...Fran doesn't belong and is definitely a party crasher. While billed as a Cinderella story, On a Night Like This is so much more. It's a story of true friendship among women, and just how important that is. Not only between Fran and Juliette but between Fran and her best friend at home, Jess. It's about a woman who can make the hard decisions when it comes relationships and not taking the comfortable or easy route. This was a fun and lighthearted read!
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance copy for my review.

Was this review helpful?

You know when you read a book and it just feels like a warm hug? And it’s completely perfect and everything just feels so right? THAT was the feeling I had the entire time while reading On a Night Like This. Why have I never read Lindsey Kelk before? Described as a modern day retelling of Cinderella, On a Night Like This takes Fran, who is a little bit down and out with a job, her lackluster relationship with her fiancé, and her non-existence relationship with her father, and for 5 days gives her a fairytale-like experience being an assistant to a musical star, the one and only Juliette. Of course trying to care for Juliette and get her to perform at The Crystal Ball (THE International party of the year), is not the easiest task, and Fran finds herself possibly attending the ball unexpectedly.
Enter Evan. I am normally not a big fan of Insta-love, but something in the way Kelk describes the instantaneous reaction/chemistry Fran and Evan have for each other makes me believe in it. Evan and The Crystal Ball are everything you could hope for in a whirlwind fairytale. This read was pure escapism for me. But what made the biggest impact was the underlying storyline; learning how to live life for yourself and not other people. Fran learns to live for herself and make choices based on what she needs and wants instead of placing all her worth in her job (Juliette), her fiancé, her parents, or even her new love interest. This was truly a magical book to read.

Was this review helpful?

A delightfully humorous read, this book is a treat. I just loved Fran. She’s smart, funny, and caring; a little too caring but the story takes us through her self-realization, her growth, and finally, her finding true love. While the love story isn’t the main theme, the HEA is swoon worthy. Plus it’s at Christmas and who can resist all the Cinderella vibes.

Was this review helpful?

It’s the season for anything to happen. Fran, who is a bit of a mess, has settled. Settled for a crummy relationship that stymies her career and her heart. Until,she’s offered a quick PA job for a high profile person. And goes to a ball after being abandoned, and Meets Mr. Charming. Will her life turn back into a pumpkin? This was a funny book. Fran gets into all sorts of scrapes, but her escapades at the ball kept me in stitches. She also finds her gumption and starts living life instead of merely existing. Find out if she gets Mr. Charming, after she saves herself.

Was this review helpful?

Pick up this book if you just want to indulge in a romance novel without thinking too hard -- this easy to read will have you flipping pages.

While this book is far from realistic, it is one of those romance novels that a girl can only dream will happen to her in real life. I guess I especially enjoyed this book after finishing another rom-com novel that really had me bored with its not-so-special characters.

Fran is such a real and likable character. She is stuck with a life she is unhappy with and is afraid to let go of her life with her cheating, dependent fiancé. One day, she is given the chance to live when she lands the impossible job as an assistant to superstar singer Juliette. She finds herself on a yacht and attending THE Crystal Ball, where she meets Evan. They spend the night together at the ball, not knowing who the other is. The night unfolds into something magical.

The storyline was such a fun and light read. I was rooting for Fran. Evan is the swoon-worthy male lead a romance novel needed.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking to find the perfect escapist book. Thank you to Netgalley, author Lindsey Kelk, and publisher HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

Man this book took me all over! The beginning was very intriguing. You start to fall for the heroine and her story. Then the middle got very slow and I was confused where the romance was at. Like seriously you meet the love interest halfway through the book. I also couldn’t stand that Fran had been an assistant for so many years and yet completely let’s it loose with Juliette.
What I did like was the relationship between Fran and Juliette. I like how Juliette learns how to becomes a better person. I enjoyed every scene with Evan and loved his character. I also think the ending was really sweet.
I recommend reading this if you’re into BritLit and are looking for a book with female friendships!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this new Lindsey Kelk novel - I typically like her writing style a lot and find it brisk and funny. I liked the main character, Fran Cooper, a woman in her early 30s who is stuck in a stagnating engagement and who survives on periodic temp work. When she and her now fiance lived in London, she did several stints in the executive assistant/personal assistant realm, and based on that experience, she's offered a very secret, NDA required, short term assistant position for pop star Juliette. She takes the job despite a lack of support from her fiance, and learns quickly that she will be in charge of getting Juliette to and from a very exclusive A-list ball in Italy called the Crystal Ball. Juliette turns out to be a challenge to deal with, and Fran is stranded in a small Italian town as she tries to work through what happens while also working through the sudden sparks she feels with a guy she just met. A lovely story about making friends as an adult, figuring out who you are, and making life decisions, even when they're scary.

Was this review helpful?

A little bit Cinderella Story, a little bit mystery! The love-interest wasn't introduced until a bit later in the story so the story went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. This almost could've been two books! I loved On a Night Like This.

Was this review helpful?

The Crystal Ball is the most exciting party, most exclusive gathering and most sought-after invitation. Fran Cooper is among a select few to attend as the acting assistant to a famous singer. There she bumps into the clichéd tall, dark and handsome Evan. He promises her one unforgettable night without even exchanging last names.

I was first introduced to Lindsey Kelk with her I Love series. Classic chick lit. Fun and light-hearted. Although, I stopped reading the series a few books ago because it started to get a bit silly. When I saw this new release, On a Night Like This, written by a familiar name, I figured I would try the author's work again.

Am I officially over this genre? Because I didn't fully enjoy On a Night Like This. It was way too predictable. While I liked Fran, it was the same 'ole Cinderella story. A girl can only read about so many glass slippers in a lifetime. I would've liked it to be more original and a lot more mature.

Happy Early Pub Day, Lindsey Kelk! On a Night Like This will be available Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

~LiteraryMarie

Was this review helpful?

This is a fun rom com. Fran Cooper was wishing that she could change her life as she is in a rut with her long- time boyfriend. A few days later, she leaves England to become a temporary assistant to a famous singer on a yacht in the Mediterranean. They are heading to a small Italian Island that is hosting the biggest celebrity gala of the season. She has interesting interaction with the superstar but then is left on the island when she goes there to get something for the diva. She quite literally runs into a handsome man in a food mart. They both feel a spark of attraction, but she has to hurry on. She goes to the hotel where the Crystal Ball is held. Fran ends up crashing the Ball and she literally bumps into the man from the store. Evan is an invited guest at the Ball so he shows Fran around. They agree to have an unforgettable night together without sharing names or life stories. This turns into a Cinderella story. I highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

On a Night Like This was a combo of romcom and chick lit that I was fully here for. This is the kind of book that makes you believe in magic!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper360/HarperCollins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

So let’s start this. 1) I would rate this book 7/10 stars and here’s why. Although I did enjoy the book for me I did not enjoy the lack of time and romance. While reading this book I felt as though the romance wasn’t the main plot. And for the romance portion of the book I would give it a 6.5/10 because it is marketed as a romance book however I feel as though there is not much of it. I felt like this book was more so focused on Frans journey as a PA and discovering herself. I loved her character development and how she grew however I did not like how short the time span was. It was a little confusing with the time placement and how it took place. For overall plot I would give it a 8/10.

Was this review helpful?

Oh my goodness! This book was so adorable! If you are looking for a feel good book that is laugh out loud funny, romantic, and a fast paced read then this is the book for you. Fran had me rolling so much with her humor ! Such a feel good book!

This is a story about a woman find her way in life and figuring out what she wants over an extended weekend trip being a personal assistant to a celebrity. She finds herself in some tricky situations and her response to them are everything!

Was this review helpful?

Another good British rom-com book. I wish this book never ended. A book that I couldn't put down and wished it lasted forever. It was like a Cinderella story but not quite. I love the finding yourself theme. I love the friendships built, finding the courage to let go of things you were so scared to lose but most of all I love Fran and Evan's romance. The book was entertaining, hilarious and comforting. My only complaint would be is that the book was not enough. I wanted to read more. Lindsey Kelk you can't just leave me like that. I wanted more Fran and Evan story. I think New York would be a good place for that. 😉

Was this review helpful?

Modern day Cinderella? Say no more! This book was an enchanting rom-com about lost love and new beginnings. I have to say, it took me a minute to really get into the book, but when the story picked up, I didn’t want it to end!

Fran cooper was stuck in a rut. After being with her controlling fiancé for ten years and taking jobs she wasn’t entirely interested in, she decides to accept a position in London which requires her to sign an NDA. This once in a life time job leads to an unforgettable night that just may change Francescas life.

Was this review helpful?