This is a fun, sexy summertime read that does not follow the format of your typical romance. I absolutely loved both main characters, Solène and Hayes, and appreciate that, while their age difference was a major factor in the book, Robinne Lee didn't write it in a very stereotypical, exaggerated way.

While this is a romance, there is an additional plot focused on Solène finding herself again at 39, the divorced mother of a teenager, juggling motherhood and running her own business. And I LOVED that.

The glamor, the jetsetting, the peek into the life of the rich & famous - this is a brilliantly done (if a bit long) summer read that I highly recommend - especially if you find yourself in a rather glamorous destination this summer. It'll leave you looking out for celebs everywhere you go!

If you want a book with 80% sex this is the book for you.
Difficult to score either 2 or 3.
Solene 39 takes her 11yr old daughter to see her favourite boy band a present from Solene`s ex husband to her daughter Isabelle with a back stage pass.
The singer Hayes takes a liking to Solene she follows him around the world to meet up after his concerts she leaves her daughter with her ex or babysitters, loads and loads of sex scenes which gets very boring. The 10% of the story that is left is good and sad at the same time.
Pity too full of sex for my liking.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

I’ve seen this described as a kind of Fifty Shades meets One Direction type read, and to be fair, it’s not far off. It’s an enjoyable read. I found it paced really well and I ended up reading it over the course of a 24 hour period due to that fact. I can’t say I loved it, but it kept me reading. It wasn’t what I expected!

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

Girl meets boy.
She’s American with French parents; he’s a proper British boy from a posh public school.
She’s sophisticated, petite and stunning; he’s bright, thoughtful and criminally gorgeous.
She’s the single mother of a thirteen year old girl; he should be studying at Cambridge.
She’s fast approaching her fortieth birthday; he’s not quite twenty-one.
She’s the owner of a successful, niche art gallery; he’s the lead singer of the biggest boy band in the world, loved by millions of tween girls internationally and yet he only has eyes for her…

Indulge your inner teen: dredge up memories of your teenage crush (it was Rob Lowe for me!) and just enjoy this fabulous, racy, escapist ride!

When I say I read this read as One Direction fan fiction, I don't mean it in a derogatory way at all - but just to give an accurate feel of the tone and plot.

The Idea of You is the love story of Solène and Hayes. Solène is a 39 year old art gallery owner with a 12 year old daughter. Her daughter is a huge fan of August Moon, the biggest boy band in the world. She takes her daughter to their concert, goes backstage and meets 20 year old band member Hayes. Their attraction is instant but dating a famous man who is half your age is going to come with some draw backs.

This is what the story explores - Solène and Hayes' (quite sexually graphic) relationship, the rich celebrity lifestyle most of us can only dream of, the more dangerous side of obsessive fans, and is loving someone enough when there are so many other barriers?

Highly erotic, highly fun and highly readable. The Idea of You was pure fun and escapism - the perfect sexy summer read.

Oh my goodness! This book slayed me. I don’t think I’ve recovered from that ending yet. I didn’t want it to end…

I’m going to try and keep my review spoiler free as everyone should get to enjoy this heady and thrilling book as it’s intended.

First of all, the writing was brilliant. I could not put it down. I was desperate to know what was going to happen next. It’s such an uncomfortable read at times and yet I still couldn’t stop reading. I loved that the book was so enthralling and all this from a debut author. Robinne Lee is definitely on my radar now so bring on all the books!

The main characters, Solène and Hayes, were perfectly written. Initially the age difference felt really noticeable and obvious, however as the story progressed, and we learned more about them, the more right they felt together. The more I believed they should be together forever despite the challenges. What an epic yet heartbreaking love story! There is a supporting cast of characters from Solène’s family and friends to Hayes’ band mates but to be honest, as good as they are, it’s difficult not to get lost in the all encompassing passion and intensity that is Solène and Hayes’ relationship. I definitely recommend having a cool drink to hand when reading some of their scenes.

Wow, wow, wow! What a story. I genuinely cannot recommend this book highly enough. You must read it, read it now!!
I promise you won’t be sorry!

All the stars for this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This sexy and sizzling summer read is going to stay with me for a long time to come! I’ve found myself thinking about these characters many times since finishing this book!

For 39 year old Solène Marchand, a devoted mother and dedicated business partner, it’s been a long time since she’s felt like herself. When her ex-husband Daniel lets her and their teenage daughter Isabelle down again, Solène finds herself accompanying Isabelle and her two best friends to Las Vegas for a concert and meet and greet with August Moon. Finding themselves backstage after the show, Hayes, one of the captivating frontmen of this world famous boy band finds Solène. He seems to see Solène - and wants her - for who she really is and their attraction is instant! And so begins a secret love affair for Solène...with a boy whose face is on her own daughter’s wall! But can she allow herself to fall for someone the whole world wants?

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Solène and Hayes! The pages could easily have set alight with the heat of their interactions. I really enjoyed travelling the world vicariously thanks to all of the different locations the book is set in too as Solène jointly owns a gallery and gets to travel to exhibit at different art fairs (and to meet up with Hayes of course at various points of the August Moon world tour)!

The outward glamour of the world Hayes is a part of was often not the reality and I liked how this element was explored. The hype and fandom surrounding August Moon really reminded me of One Direction as I was reading and I think Robinne Lee captured this worldwide adoration so perfectly in the book. The at times dark and possessive nature of their fans and also the press was cleverly portrayed too, and I liked how there were secrets within the band themselves which were revealed or alluded to.

I totally found myself swept up in this story as I as reading and feel like I went on a real emotional rollercoaster. I was so invested in these characters and immersed in their experiences and just didn’t want it to end.

I’m excited to see what Robinne Lee writes in the future!

So...it's Harry Styles fanfiction. Cool.
Not for me, however. I'm sure some people will really enjoy this book (I did appreciate the exploration of an older woman/younger man relationship) but yeah. I didn't think it was great.

Book Review | The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

⭐⭐✨✨(2.75/5)

[ad • review copy]
Received via NetGalley.

When Solène's ex-husband tells her that he cannot take their daughter, Isabelle, to a concert and meet and greet for world-famous boyband August Moon, none of them realise that Solène acting as chaperone instead will be the start of something big. Meeting Hayes Campbell, a member of August Moon, will put Solène's life on an unexpected path, but will it last?

I'm going to be honest and say that this novel was not entirely for me. However, that does not mean that other people won't really enjoy it, and neither does it mean that there were no elements to the novel that I liked.

I found the relationship between Solène and Hayes more challenging than I expected. I had anticipated a more relaxing read with a hot relationship, but I struggled with their age gap and how different their lives are.

That said, I was given a lot to think about, such as why an older woman dating a younger guy has more stigma attached than the reverse situation. Additionally, both Hayes and Solène are consenting adults, so I questioned my own reservations about their relationship, especially as Solène thinks about how much she allows her fear of other's opinions to hold her back.

Despite being unsure of the relationship, Lee creates complex characters and exploring Hayes and Solène was thought-provoking.

As she approaches her 40th birthday, Solène reflects on growing older and how she is perceived as a woman. I found this particularly interesting and thinking about how we view women as they age made me stop and think about our society and its double-standards.

As a world-famous musician, Hayes has a lot to deal with and it was interesting to view things from his perspective and to see the price of fame. Lee explores the highs and lows that fame can bring and I liked the depiction of band dynamics and what life can be like on tour.

Whilst Solène worries about how others perceive her, Hayes struggles with people assuming they know him. Tied with the exploration of social media, Lee highlights that what we perceive of someone is not necessarily who they are and that people have a lot more to them. Lee shows the power that social media gives to people to express their opinions, but then we see how these impact those on the receiving end. This is an important issue to highlight today, and I am pleased the book looked at this aspect of fame.

As I thought about and continued to read the novel, I did find myself becoming more invested in the characters and their story.

Whilst I found this to be a challenging read for me, I ended up thinking about the narrative a lot. Since reading it, I still reconsider my ideas and feel that I was impacted by the book.

The ending of the novel was definitely emotional, and although it was not unexpected to me, I was surprised by how much it pulled at my heartstrings.

Maybe this novel was not the one for me overall, but I am glad I read it because it gave me a lot to think about and I definitely feel the impact of the narrative. If The Idea of You sounds appeals to you, definitely give it a read.

The Idea of You is available as an ebook now and will be released in paperback in the UK on 8th July.

This book gives fifty shades a run for its money. A love story full of glamour, jet setting and passion.
The characters are fun, likeable and an unlikely match made in heaven.

This was a very indulgent read, I enjoyed it throughout until the ending which is contrary to other reviews I’ve read. I adored Hayes and it’s made me listen to One Direction again.

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This book was a fast paced and vibrant story that had the reader glued to the page until the very end. It was well written and the characters engaging as well as fleshed out. It captured the modern era of celebrity well and had a variety of settings across the world.

I really enjoyed this story it was a rollercoaster.

But now I am broken. That end killed me. I wish there is a sequel or so I need to know more.

Things that I actually did not like the story was the description of places, paintings, clothes and branding.
I think it was too much and made the book slow down in the rhythm.

Loved this - felt fully immersed in the world and the romance. It was amazing escapism, with scenes all over the world. Would definitely recommend.

After reading a few other reviews I had high hopes for this one. I was not proved wrong. I haven’t really ventured into the ‘older woman/younger man’ world, but I think that’s about to change haha
I was immediately hooked.
I loved the connection between Hayes and Solene. Even though on paper they wrong together, it felt so right.
A very cleverly written book

One of the best romance reads I have enjoyed in a long time – this is an extremely steamy open door romance between a chic older woman and a young male rockstar icon. At first look, this should be unbelievable but the chemistry between them leaps off the page and makes this unputdownable. Although it constantly grapples with the age difference and the opinions of those around them, which feels true, I was still rooting for it to work out till the very end. The main character is impossibly glamorous and chic, yet still relatable, a real feat of the impossible by Robinne Lee. Devoured in half a day, the escapism of their jet setting and crackling chemistry fed a reader starved of adventure in quarantine. Ending is also perfect, completely feeling true. Wish I could say more but don’t want to spill spoilers!!

I've waited a few days since finishing "The Idea of You" to write my review because I wasn't sure what to say. Initially I thought I didn't enjoy the book, however the reality is I stayed up late two nights in a row because I couldn't bare to put it down. I can't fault the style of writing or the way that Lee seamlessly transported you around the world as the romance between Solène and Hayes progressed.
The truth is that I found the romance/relationship between Solène and Hayes uncomfortable and I couldn't comprehend in my head, how a middle aged woman could find a boy/man described as having boyish good lucks and swagger to be attractive. The problem is, if these ages and genders were to be reversed I wouldn't have blinked at the concept of an older, divorced man and a younger women. As a society I feel we see a "mum" or a "middle aged woman" as someone who has to be responsible, sensible and ultimately not sexy enough or attractive enough to be with a younger man. A concept that Lee continuously challenges throughout her book in a number of ways.
At 27, I personally don't feel I could ever find a boy/man that many years my junior to be attractive, or someone I would be willing to risk the happiness of my daughter for and I feel this is where my uncertainty as to whether I enjoyed reading the story lies. As a reader, I like to immerse myself in the story and regardless of any unrealistic glitz and glam like to truly believe I could be the main character. Sadly, with "The Idea of You" this wasn't possible for me. However, having reflected after finishing the book, I've come to the conclusion that just because I can't see myself as Solène, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy or wouldn't recommend "The Idea of You" to family and friends.
"The Idea of You" was thought provoking and challenged societal norms - many reviewers have argued that it isn't a 'romance' but I strongly disagree. If you're looking to read a love story that makes you think and question how we see women in the world then "The Idea of You" is for you!

This was a fantastic book that felt so real and full.of emotion. An excellent well written story. You must read this xx

Sexy, witty & oh so compelling! This one deserves all the hype and more. I've recommended to lots of friends already.

The Idea of You - Robinne Lee

I've been desperate to get my hands on this book for so long as I've seen so many amazing reviews for it (and also a lot of not so good ones-I think its a love or hate kind of book), and (for me) it certainly lived up to the hype. I finished this book last week and I'm still thinking about it now, I don't tend to re-read many books but I will be picking this up again and again. When reading the book I couldn't put it down, but had to keep forcing myself to as I wanted to drag it out for as long as I could. This is definitely going to be a top contender for one of my favourite books this year (and we are only in May, so yes I did love it!)