Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of an art gallery in Los Angeles, is reluctant to take her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band. But since her divorce, she’s more eager than ever to be close to Isabelle. The last thing Solène expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.
What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate and genuine relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways in Paris and Miami. For Solène, it is a reclaiming of self, as well as a rediscovery of happiness and love. When Solène and Hayes’ romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her romantic life has impacted the lives of those she cares about most.
Genre:contemporary romance
Publication date: June 2017
Mature content: yes
Review: I liked the overall concept of The Idea of You, I liked the story, I loved Hayes. I did't like Solène all that much, except at the very end of the book, when she finally makes a decision, for better or worse.
Romance novels with an age gap trope are pretty common, but almost always it's an older man/younger woman combination. And no one overthinks it. Somehow, when the roles are reversed, the older woman is accused of being a cradle robber and the younger man must have mommy issues...It's hypocritical, and I believe The Idea of You addresses this issue very well.
It's true that Hayes is pretty young, but throughout the book he feels like the most mature of the two. He knows what he wants, knows it right from the start, knows how to pursue it, and is willing to make sacrifices to get it. Solène is the one always doubting everything, doubting them. I understand her reasons, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to deal with the consequences of Hayes fame myself or, in the long term, with the age difference. But I still wished she'd handled things differently.
The Idea of You has recently been adapted to film, but if I'm honest I liked the book more. Below is the link to the official trailer, in case you want to check it out:
The screen version starts and ends differently, and while it may leave viewers happier, part of the interesting messages from the book are lost.
In any case, and despite my rantings above, I enjoyed reading The Idea of You very much, and I recommend it. Just beware that there are some pretty explicit sex scenes throughout the book, so please take this into account before choosing to read it.
Happy readings!
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