This is a great boo that is easy read with well paced and interesting characters. I would recommend this to friends and family.

Emily (the main character) - Emily is representative of anyone who has ever felt "stuck" in their life, like somehow somewhere they got lost and ended up in the wrong place. When the book first begins she's unhappy. She's double thinking all of her life choices while also trying to figure out who she is as a newly single woman. I give her major props for going after her dreams, especially so late in life. Not many people would do that - most would stay in their comfortable yet boring jobs - but Emily takes a daring leap. The leap brings the good as well as the bad. Emily finds out what she likes and doesn't like over the course of the book. While sometimes I felt that she acted slightly young for age regarding her decisions (especially regarding her office cleaning job!), it didn't bother me too much overall.

This was one of the best chick lit books I’ve read for a long while. It had me desperate to know what was going to happen and I could so easy visualise it in my mind’s eye. The different places the character visits, where she worked – the disastrous work locations, and more – all stood out for me which was fantastic.
I must say I’d love to see this book made into a movie – I think it would be brilliant, not to mention hilarious. The main character certainly gets up to all kinds of humorous situations which would transfer so well to the screen. Think Bridget Jones meets the Shopaholic! It would be fantastic!
Needless to say, I absolutely loved this book. Five stars from me!

When I read the Jane's bio, I realised that she has used so much of her life experience in creating this story. That is probably why it feels credible. So many of the background details will be spot on. In a way both roles of cabin crew and actor involve putting a different face towards the public from your private one. Although it has romance at its core, there is more to the story than that. It deals with taking a leap into the unknown, grasping second chances and being bluntly honest with yourself as to the price that must be paid if you follow your dreams.

I found Emily to be a sympathetic central character. Full of witty and wry comments, she blags her way through her early acting roles and proves herself to be resilient in never giving up. The excrutiating auditions she has to go through provide real humour and there is a warmth in her friendships that makes it a heart-warming read, even if everything does not work out quite as you imagine it will. It would be lovely to find out what happens next- hopefully this is not the last we will see of Emily.

In short: A humorous look at the life of a jobbing actress, which makes you see how important it is to live in the here and now.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

Despite acting in school plays a few times drama has never been a big interest of mine because I got stage fright (the thought of acting in front of people is intimidating), which is perhaps why I'm fascinated with stories about the protagonist working in performing arts. I didn't envy Emily when she dealt with acting divas and particularly fussy directors, but I did appreciate her guts for going for a dream that others said was ridiculous because she was older than most are when they start acting. She proves you can do anything at any age.


It is far from easy, she has to dig deep to learn new skills, put up with unpleasant people and situations (which were rather funny) and no matter what keep striving for her dream). Her attitude and determination are admirable, she manages to make a few new friends despite many not thinking very much of her. I liked learning the technical side to acting which seems like a foreign language to me, and Emily didn't know it all at first. I cheered her on through the rough times, and rejoiced on all her triumphs both acting and non-acting related. She totally deserves the happiness she gets by the end of the book which includes romance. I'd love to see her story continue, failing that I'm more than happy setting this on my reread pile.

You know that moment when you are sat at your desk but in your head your a million miles away living out your dreams? Well, Emily Forsyth, the main character in The Start of Something Wonderful is fed up of dreaming and decides to put them into practice. The bright lights have been calling her and she takes the leap to answer the call.

I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous adventure. Jane’s writing style flows effortlessly and the storyline is pure escapism. It makes you wonder if you are ever too old to fulfil your hidden dreams.

I would add The Start of Something Wonderful to your TBR, perfect for a spring day afternoon or cuddled up with a blanket on a rainy one.

The Start of Something Wonderful encourages us all to take that leap and never give up hope or determination.

As someone who always kind of wanted to be Cabin Crew and spent alot of time in theatres this book was one i have been very excited about reading since the author reached out to me last year.



When Emily decides enough is enough after her boyfriend dumps her (to find himself - apprently) she decides to follow her dreams and become the actress she always wanted to be. So - this is what she does. However, Emily knew it wasnt going to be easy but what follows is a train of often laugh out loud situations that she finds her self in.



Emily is a sweet hardworking woman who really does give everything into every thing she does, including cleaning offices. She is made of real strength and determination and thats why i loved reading this.



It is a fast paced read as we jump from venture to venture but it means we get to see the different sides to Emily as she battles her way through the acting step ladder to get her big break. You can tell Jane has experienced these things, because it has that feel of truth and real life to it.



I loved this light hearted fast paced laugh out loud read!

The Start of Something Wonderful by Jane Lambert is about how Emily, an air hostess, fights to change her life and get it back on track after her pilot boyfriend Nigel dumps her. Initially very alone and overwhelmed, Emily seeks help and advice from her friends Wendy, Céline, Rachel and Faye. Emily throws herself into working anywhere and everywhere, from cleaning jobs to acting auditions. Although acting is her passion, she realises it is a very competitive profession, and so, determined to keep pushing and fighting to make something of herself, keeps cycling around the local area looking for a job.

She ends up at an Italian restaurant called Il Molino where she finds herself attempting to waitress, while learning Italian courtesy of Francisco. I adored her experiences at the restaurant, and the ambience. I have to admit, I was sad when she continued her quest for the acting job of her dreams, as they were good together and I had hoped there would be more of a relationship between them.

I loved her sense of humour and have-a-go attitude in life. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. The Start of Something Wonderful is an incredibly feel-good, realistic yet funny romcom about never being afraid to fight for what you really want and to do it for you no matter the consequences.

Thanks to Jane Lambert and HQ Digital for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. In addition, thanks to Jane for inviting me to take part in the book's blog tour. Post on my blog on March 23rd 2017.

Thank you to Jane for inviting me to take part in this tour. 

This book follows Emily as she starts over in life. Emily is a 40 something air hostess who has always dreamed of being an actress. When her long term boyfriend Nigel breaks up with her for a younger model she decides its time to live the life she's always dreamed of.

Emily was was likeable and easy to identify with. I really liked her air hostess friends and I'm sure they could tell me a lot of funny stories from their times in the sky. Emily has a variety of roles to play and not all of them are actually on the stage but this did allow for many funny moments and lots of interesting locations for you to enjoy.

The book is split into 15 chapters each one representing a month of Emily's life.  For me there was a lot of moving around and jumping about that sometimes I found it difficult to keep up. Just as you were getting into a scene then it would completely change which sometimes threw me off. There were also some lines in Italian and German both of which I don't speak and not all were translated which meant sometimes I wasn't quite sure what was being said. 

There was a little romance in this book which I did enjoy. The male interest is romantic, passionate and hot!

The ending of this book is a little bit like marmite I think. You will either love it or you will not. While I understood it I was in the not camp.

If you like a story about second chances and living our life the way you want and not how others expect you to then this is for you.

It’s not easy to walk away from a well paid job and a certain lifestyle, but that’s exactly what Emily does. Is it ever too late to follow your dreams?

Emily Forsyth traded her ideas of an acting career for a university degree and a life in the skies due to pressure from her family to get a ‘real’ job. When eight years with her boyfriend dreaming of a proposal turns out not to be her future, she decides to toss it all aside and finally chase the thespian life she has always hankered after. It’s an interesting journey, full of ups and downs, and one we travel along with her.

You have to be the bravest of the brave to put yourself through what Emily does and, when you know that the author followed the same path, it brings an authenticity to this novel. There are some really funny moments in this story, entwined with a real determination from the main character. It shows that if you want success, you have to be pro-active, dig your heels in, keep your head down and get on with it!

This is a good story, well told and one which opened my eyes to how hard it is to break into the acting profession. Never underestimate the importance of friendships .. they pull you up when you’re down and offer amazing support when you’re on the up! An enjoyable read, and one that’s just that little bit different.

My thanks to the author for bringing my attention to this book, and to NetGalley for my copy. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Review: I throughly enjoyed this book. 

It's about taking a risk and making your dreams come true. Emily wants to make her dream come true as an actress and I loved reading about her journey discovering the acting world. Laugh out loud funny in places Jane has created a wonderful story with a strong main character. A must read if you like a good rom-com.

I left writing this review for about a day after finishing the book for a few reasons, the main one being I didn’t know how I felt about the book, and I wanted time to think about it.

I liked the story, but I feel a little… Stumped. It felt like the whole story was building up to something big, something exciting and yet… It never happened. In a way I’m hoping we see more of Emily in another book, I found her quite funny. The things she got up to were hilarious, and I’ll probably never look at another jar of tomato pasta sauce without thinking of this book, that scene made me laugh out loud. The ending of the book is what is leaving me troubled. It’s not a complete ending, but it’s not left at a cliff hanger either. It just sort of… finished..

I liked the easy flow of the book, and that it was set over a long period of time rather than a quick few weeks. We got to see Emily and her adventures through the seasons and it was fun.

I liked Emily, and I liked the fact that she was an older woman. Many other books with the same sort of feel as this is always centred on a mid twenties woman, it made a refreshing change. She had experience, she knew what she giving up in the chase for her true dream.

Other characters within in the book were all likeable, except for her ex Nigel anyway. He was a dick, yep I said it. Francesco was just romance on legs and was a good thing for Emily. I think Portia would have been a fantastic character had we seen her more. I would have found it highly entertaining if she carried on popping up in random parts of the book with a little bit of wisdom. The sense of friendship between Emily and the other characters is there, there’s chemistry, there’s passion and there are of course laughs.

I’m happy to give this book 4 stars. With it’s funny moments, special friendships and maybe a happy ending in sight, it’s a fantastic easy, light read.

Inspiring, humorous, and heartfelt!

The Start of Something Wonderful is a delightfully affecting tale that takes us on a journey into the life of Emily Forsyth as she courageously decides at forty to reinvent herself and give up all the luxuries she's become accustomed to and follow her life-long dream of becoming an actress.

The writing style is light and genuine. The characters are fun-loving, realistic, quirky, and likable. And the amusing plot is filled with hope, heartbreak, infidelity, friendship, family, dreams, romance, awkward moments, entertaining mishaps, yummy food, and an insight into the crazy world of theatre production and movie making.

Overall, The Start of Something Wonderful is an engaging, effortless read that highlights that at any age it's possible to start over and live a happy, rewarding, fulfilled life you just have to commit and jump!

The Start of something wonderful is the author’s debut novel and what a delightful uplifting story it is. It is so bloody funny you will be crying with laughter. This is definitely what a rom com is all about.

The start of something knew tells a story about grabbing life by the horns and it’s not too late to follow your dreams In this story we meet Forty-year-old air stewardess, Emily Forsyth and what a character she is. I could certainly see me have an epic night out with her.


After Emily’s boyfriend breaks up with her she decides to turn her life upside-down, quitting her job and instead beginning to chase her long-held dreams of becoming an actress! Where we follow Emily’s Upbeat and comical adventure in the London's west end.
The story is told from Emily’s POV which I am not always a fan of BUT the author has wrote it in a way that I felt like Emily was actually telling me face to face her story. Which made me feel part of the story.

I devoured this book in one sitting I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to Emily next.This is a highly entertaining and uplifting read which is perfect for fans of sophie kinsella and Colleen Coleman which I highly recommend giving it 4.5 stars.

There are so many things I like about this book, the humour, the description of the places to the character visits and the characters themselves.

A good book that I would definitely put in the category of 'books to read on the beach!'

This is the story of Emily, an air hostess who had the lifestyle she wanted, until it all fell apart. I settled into it easily and felt for her as she tried to figure out what to do next.

I was rooting for Emily as she went job hunting and tried not to giggle as door after door was slammed in her face. This book was choc full of inspiration and life lessons, as Emily decided to change everything up and study and work to become an actress. Her classes made me smile as did the characters that were vivid and bring and fun.

The book delved between being a good descriptive read, with plenty of locations that were picture perfect and comedy that made you smile. The pacing was very good, with roadblocks and stumbling blocks arising at every turn. There's also a lovely italian/ foody element for those that enjoy it (I did!) Definitely one for people who want the feel good element and I totally enjoyed. Thanks so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Nursing a broken heart and a desire to become an actress Emily throws in her airhostess career for a life of drama - in more ways than one.

The Start of Something Wonderful has been on my TBR for such a long time that I was almost afraid to read it. What if I didn't like it? I needn't have worried as I really, really enjoyed this book.

The Start of Something Wonderful is a delightfully effortless read because Jane Lambert's style is so fluid and natural that it makes reading a pleasure. I loved the realism conveyed through the sprinkling of foreign words and phrases as well as the references to the arts and literature and the quotations from Shakespeare that weave seamlessly into the narrative yet serve to add depth and flavour. And speaking of flavour, Jane Lambert manages to appeal to all the senses so that The Start of Something Wonderful is vivid and stimulating.

I loved meeting Emily. She is the perfect embodiment of a real woman of a certain age. Her anxieties, her doubts, her challenges and triumphs are told with emotion and brilliant humour and they are exactly the elements that all women can relate to. I frequently laughed aloud, smiled and nodded as I read because I understood completely how she was feeling as Jane Lambert places the reader very firmly inside Emily's head.  I confess I shed a little tear too at the end.

I adored the storyline. I learnt  a great deal about the life of a jobbing actress. I'm sure much of the novel is autobiographical, as, alongside the humour and despair there's a realism and considerable depth that I thoroughly appreciated. Whilst The Start of Something Wonderful is a rom-com or chick-lit if that's how you want to define it, it is also a book about being true to yourself, about not relying simply on a man and about making the most of every moment we have.

The Start of Something Wonderful is a glorious, escapist read with romance, drama (in more ways than one), humour and a cracking story that I loved.

Jane finds herself single at 40, ditches her job, sells her flat and decides to try and make it as an actress. She always wanted to be an actress but her parents wanted her to have a more sensible job - but now she can do what she likes!
A great tale of starting over at whatever age, changing your life and enjoying it!

At age 40, Emily breaks up with her long time love, Nigel and takes it as an opportunity to re-evaluate her life. She dreamed of becoming an actress, so become an actress she will do. I enjoyed how the story is one of reclaiming your life, at any age.

It is a classic rom-com, chick-lit read: if you are looking for a beach read, or taking a short plane ride, this may be your jam.

Today during my SoulCycle workout, our instructor Christina P. (who is my ultimate favorite by the way - her playlists are the best!) was speaking words of motivation to keep us climbing up the hill. I paused and rather silly of me thought of the character Emily and my inner self told me: if she can put herself out there, than I sure as heck can add more resistance to my wheel. (Yes, I am aware I admitted this out loud. To be fair I just finished a relevant chapter and it was on my mind. And yes, I know she is not real, BUT author, Jane Lambert, was a stewardess who quit her job to become an actress in her 40's, so to me...Jane is Emily)

But I digress. I enjoyed the read, it was cute and fun. I did get a bit confused at the many references to the Italian and German languages and wasn't really sure if the next sentence was a translation or continuing of the conversation. I also was not a fan of the ending, believe me I get the ending and appreciated it - doesn't mean I liked it. But, this is not a reason to avoid this book.

I am also a fan of UK authors - they are bloody brilliant ;)