I loved the fun 80s theme! It was such a fun caper and I loved the female dynamic! It was so much fun! Highly recommend and enjoyed

This was a great read! I really enjoyed the writing style, as well as the characters. The plot was well written and well paced. I would definitely recommend to others!

I received an ARC of ROMP! by Ada Barumé and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Set around the chaotic world of an old-money 1980s estate, the story follows heiress Opal Fairfax, who opens the doors of her sprawling home to host a competition for an eclectic mix of artists. What follows is a lively mix of scandal, ambition, and plenty of bed-hopping as personalities clash and alliances shift.

The novel explores themes of loss, betrayal, self-discovery and ultimately rebirth, as the characters are forced to confront who they really are beneath the performances they put on for others. Opal herself is a particularly fun centre to the chaos, presiding over the drama unfolding in her house.

I found it to be a light, entertaining read with a strong sense of fun. The sex scenes are well written and add to the story without feeling gratuitous. If you enjoy big personalities, messy relationships and a bit of scandal — very much in the spirit of classic bonkbusters like Jilly Cooper — this will likely be right up your street.

Overall, a lively, well-written novel that’s easy to get swept up in and one I’d happily recommend to readers looking for an entertaining escape.

4☆ A Romping Good Read

I have to say i wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but one thing is for certain, it lives up to its name in more ways than one!
It deals with infidelity, finding oneself, sexuality, death, grief, sexual awakenings, friendships, new beginnings, and all things art.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were quirky, and each one added something special to the book.
Opal well, she was certainly a character, I loved how she encouraged the artists to reach their full potential through a series of challenging subject matters.
I loved the characters, even Johan! Ruby, i think she was my favourite. She gained so much from being at Opal's retreat.

Romp! Is exactly what this book is.
It's fun, at times empowering, with a few secrets and twists, and it definitely took me on a ride!

A fun frolic very much in the style of Jilly Cooper but with a real sense of warmth and compassion for the characters. The treatment of each artist and their approach to their art was refreshingly genuine with a real sense of respect even while maintaining the slightly irreverent attitude towards monogamy and sexuality!

It was a great read, full of personalities, sass and a little emotion. Opal’s husband is cheating and we DO NOT like him at all, Ruby is fierce and feisty, but exploring who she is and there are other dalliances when parties are thrown and people are put together. A really great read!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all the characters, even Johan! I rated this 4/5 stars and would definitely recommend it to a friend

Sex, scandal and lots of nostalgic 80’s settings ‘Romp!’ is the perfect pool side read for your summer holiday.

Lady Opal Fairfax discovers her husband is having an affair with the 19-year-old daughter of the next-door neighbour. Opal finally decides she’s had enough and is going to get even.
She invites 5 daring and gorgeous artists to her manor to compete for a life changing cash prize. Will she get her revenge or end up getting more than she bargained for?

This is such a stunning novel with delicious characters, opulent settings and devious plots which will leave you wanting more. The characters are loveable and the chaos of the intermingling love lives is entertaining and kept me glued to the page.
If you’re a fan of Jilly Cooper’s “Riders” or Jill Mansell this will be the perfect read for you

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I chose Romp by Ada Barume as a I needed a change of pace from the non-fiction bubble I'd been in for the past few months, looking for something light and engaging. While I did enjoy the book, it did not fully meet my expectations based on the blurb.

The novel is positioned as a 1980s bonkbuster, but the tone is more restrained than that description suggests. The more dramatic and sensual elements only really come through in the final third of the book.

That said, the character development is a strong point. The central art competition, hosted by Opal, provides a solid backdrop to explore the diverse characters and their individual stories and motivations for wanting to win £75k in old money. This structure works well and keeps the narrative engaging. My favourite characters from that cohort were Ruby (who was probably the most well fleshed out character) and Jojo.

I also appreciated the diversity within the cast. For a story set in the 1980s, the inclusion of queer and ethnically diverse characters felt refreshing and well integrated.

Overall, this is a light, quick read with an interesting premise and strong character work. While it does not fully deliver on the expectations set by its marketing, it is still an enjoyable novel.

3.5 stars

A really enjoyable read, it reminded me of the original raunchy books of the 80s by Jackie Collins and the like.
There’s a very diverse range of characters which was really nice to see, and I loved getting to know them as they got to know themselves. Everyone is hiding something, often from themselves, and it’s a fun journey of discovery.
It’s definitely not as spicy as you might assume but it had an emotional intensity which made it feel intimate.

This was such a fun read. Set in the 80's and full of fun likeable characters and lots of Jilly Cooper style sex scenes. I really enjoyed it and found it a fun fast read.

Absolutely loved the vibe of this one! It’s bold, glamorous, and full of messy, addictive drama that makes it hard to put down. The characters are larger-than-life in the best way, and the setting feels like pure escapist fun.
It’s definitely on the steamy side, with plenty of twists and tension to keep things interesting. While a few moments felt a little over-the-top, that’s kind of part of the charm-it leans fully into its 80s-inspired extravagance.
If you’re in the mood for something fun, sexy, and a little bit wild, it’s an easy, fast-paced read that’s perfect when you just want to switch off and enjoy the ride.

Thanks to Avon books for allowing me to read this book.
This was an enjoyable read and would be great if you're looking for an easy holiday read.
The spice I was expecting wasn't really there, but what it does have is well written.
Its a well paced and fun book.

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me read Romp! early.
We follow 5 artists compete to win £75,000 at Lady Fairfax's home.
Laughter, tears, climax and friendship gets experienced in this story.
I very much enjoyed the multiple POV, helps paint the whole picture.

OMG this was so much fun. Set in the 1980's (I remember it well), amongst the big hair, the even bigger shoulder pads! And the fantastic music. Think Hollywood Wives but instead of the hedonistic LA lifestyle we're in Cambridgeshire. I thought this might have been a bit more sedate and countryfide! Gladly I was wrong. The characters in this book could definitely give their LA counterparts a run for their money.

The story follows heiress Opal Fairfax, who has inherited a country estate. She is married to Martin, but I pleased to say the house doesn't belong to him. Martin, is an old school big business kind of guy. He was a character that I loved to hate. Opal discovers that her husband is having an affair. There are some really funny scenes in the book where we see how she comes to terms with this. She doesn't confront him though and decides to take matters into her own hands in an entirely different way. She opens the doors of her sprawling home to host a competition for an eclectic mix of artists. What follows is a lively mix of scandal, ambition, and plenty of romping going on.

The artists that Opal invites to her home and really diverse and I really enjoyed meeting the different characters. They all brought their different personalities to the book and this gave the book some great enrichment as well as giving us a wild ride throughout the book. You would think this would be all style over substance, but the characters are really well developed. We see how a lot of them change over the course of the book. At times I felt incredibly sorry for Opal, as we delve into her background and discover a sad and less glossy side to her life. Blame Martin!

The novel explores some pretty heavy themes of loss, betrayal, as characters are challenged to come to terms with who they really are. The glamour of the 80's was also tinged with an era of excess but not always in a good way. But we also get empowerment, self-discovery, fun chaos and all the drama of an 80's soap opera. I definitely got Dynasty vibes when I was reading this.

I found it to be a mainly light hearted and entertaining read. There was romping going on but these scenes were well written and not gratuitous. If you enjoy a bit of soap opera style drama, who is doing what to who, messy relationships and scandal this is a great read.

It would make a great holiday read, sat by the pool with a flamboyant 80's type cocktail to hand.

A big thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for this copy, which I reviewed honestly.

A fun and enjoyable book - one for reading on a sun lounger (which is where I read it!).

Some good characters and ones you are meant to hate and do.

Not a book I would have chosen browsing the shelves in a bookshop, but thought I would give it a go. Certainly a different read for me but was very enjoyable.

An appropriately titled novel about Lady Opal Fairfax and the five artists she invites to her estate for the summer. She's set up an art competition with a prize but what she's really set up is an entertaining situation with five people who are out to win. It's told from multiple POVs. This has been compared to Jilly Cooper's work and indeed, Cooper's fans will see familiar echoes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A popcorn read,

Opal has found out that her husband has been shagging her neighbours teenage daughter. He doesn't know that she has actually seen them.
On impulse he decides to run an art workshop at her house to award a prize at the end of 6 weeks to carefully chosen artists in different mediums.
What she doesn't count on is the sexual tension that this brings, not only for her but for the artists. The retreat becomes eye opening for more than one person and passions are roused for not just the art projects.
A homage to Jilly Cooper set in the 1980s.

What a fun read!

A competition for young struggling artists brings them slap bang into the midst of aristocratic life, with a chance to win £75k they are all keen to impress Lady Fairfax . But it soon becomes clear that money most definitely doesn't buy happiness.
This was an intriguing and comedic character driven story that oozes charm like a Jilly Cooper novel. Whilst not strong in the sexual side enough is happening to live up to the title.
Would recommend for a fun, easy read that's a little bit different!

A delightful and fun story following Opal Fairfax who decides after discovering her husbands affair to open her sprawling mansion to five artists with a cash prize of £75 thousand pounds for the most outstanding artist and board

The five artists are all different in their own way and I loved it had a style similar to Jilly Cooper spicy and full of fun.

Would recommend for a fun read and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.