“To say I loved this book is an understatement — I adored it. The romance is beautifully written and developed and the chemistry between Luc and Lily is explosive.” —All About RomanceHighly acclaimed award-winning author of Act Like It Lucy Parker returns readers to the London stage with laugh-out-loud wit and plenty of dramaThe play’s the flingIt’s not actress Lily Lamprey’s fault that she’s all … drama
The play’s the fling
It’s not actress Lily Lamprey’s fault that she’s all curves and has the kind of voice that can fog up a camera lens. She wants to prove where her real talents lie—and that’s not on a casting couch, thank you. When she hears esteemed director Luc Savage is renovating a legendary West End theater for a lofty new production, she knows it could be her chance—if only Luc wasn’t so dictatorial, so bad-tempered and so incredibly sexy.
Luc Savage has respect, integrity and experience. He also has it bad for Lily. He’d be willing to dismiss it as a midlife crisis, but this exasperating, irresistible woman is actually a very talented actress. Unfortunately, their romance is not only raising questions about Lily’s suddenly rising career, it’s threatening Luc’s professional reputation. The course of true love never did run smooth. But if they’re not careful, it could bring down the curtain on both their careers…
Don’t miss the London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker! Order your copy of Act Like It, Making Up & The Austen Playbook today!
This book is approximately 96,000 words
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Lucy Parker is a total comfort read for me. It’s like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket and sipping tea in book form. This book was impossible to put down. I loved both the characters, and I legit did not see a way for them to get their HEA without compromising their careers and priorities…and she pulled it off! Bonus points for giving us an awesome look at the London theater scene throughout the entire series. Love, love, LOVE this book!
I adore Lucy Parker’s work but Pretty Face was truly outstanding. Parker delves so realistically into the theater world, and the pros and cons of relationships in that environment. Her heroine is a gorgeous actress on a hit TV show–who gets cast in a major stage role when her training doesn’t lie in that area. The director is forced to take her on as part of the wheeling and dealing in the entertainment business–and boy, do the sparks fly! A perfect summer read!
Return to the West End, a curmudgeon of a hero and misunderstood heroine, with Pretty Face. Expect plenty of British-isms and humor. Lucy Parker has become one of my favorite authors with just two books. Her ability to create dialogue with wit, humor, and honesty is amazing. And the snark? Top notch. Character development? Luc and Lily outperform even Richard and Lainie. Who, btw, have a cameo in Pretty Face. This a fun series to immerse yourself in London theatre culture with a fast-paced story, fantastic characters, and pure British humor. Love it!
I LOVED this book. Act Like It was one of my favorite books last year and Pretty Face was equally delightful.
The chemistry between the characters was electric, the banter clever, and the romance struck the perfect balance between poignant and sexy. I loved the London theater setting and truly felt immersed in the play and its cast of characters. Parker writes intelligent characters facing believable conflicts, and in doing so, there’s an undeniable air of authenticity in her novels. I rarely cry in books, but this one had me tearing up a bit. It was such a beautifully done romance with hidden layers and depths as well as a healthy dash of humor.
If you’re looking for a smart and fun romance that will tug at your heartstrings and keep you thoroughly engrossed, I highly recommend Pretty Face. It’s perfect for fans of The Hating Game, and if you loved Act Like It, you won’t be disappointed.
I thought Pretty Face was very witty and hilarious. I laughed through so much. My favorite line was: “It must have been like uncoupling from Eeyore and eloping with Baloo.” So funny!! Lily was great. She was witty, funny, and could give back what she got. Luc was very likable. He was driven and hard working with a sarcastic side. I enjoyed “Act Like It” but I think I enjoyed Pretty Face a little more. I am very excited to read “Making Up” next.
I had a pre-order on this book when I got the chance to read an ARC via Netgalley. And ofcourse I grabbed that chance!
It is set in the West End, like the earlier book ‘Act like it’, but I loved this one so much more. With a typical British flavor and simply good writing the story is about young beautiful soap actress Lily Lamprey auditioning for a new play. The director, Luc Savage, at first has his doubts but decides to give her the opportunity. Their developing relationship is fodder for the press and threatens her career.
As simple as this sounds, the story is so much more. Lily has a complicated background and trust issues and Luc is somewhat older and is wary at first of starting something with someone who works for him and is younger (she is 26). I liked their interactions, the warmth in their relationship. No unneccessary drama for the sake of drama. I loved this book and label it my first favorite of 2017. (2017)
No one writes a better haughty British hero than Parker, and watching the unperturbable Luc Savage get his feathers ruffled by Lily Lamprey is great fun. You’ll find some of the best repartee in romance here.
I was immediately enthralled with Lily and Luc’s love story. Both of them had realistic and respectable reasons not to be together, which made the power of their attraction and affection that much more compelling. To me, a great romance is all about kindness and compassion at critical moments, and Pretty Face delivers heart-stopping moment after moment.
To director Luc Savage nothing will compromise his new West End production. Even when one of the board members tries to pull rank and cast soap opera star Lily Lamprey as Elizabeth I. After viewing one reel of her Marilyn Monroe-esque acting, he refuses to consider her for the part until his casting director asks him to take another look. When Lily tries out in person he see’s a glimmer of Elizabeth and is intrigued, despite her breathy delivery.
Pretty Face could very easily gone the way of My Fair Lady with Luc trying to re-make Lily into his perfect Elizabeth. He does get her a voice coach and he is reluctantly attracted to he ingenue but thankfully that is where his Henry Higgins likeness stopped. Once Luc decided that he was going to stop fighting his attraction to Lily he went all in, despite what getting involved with her could do to his reputation and career. He, in fact, put love first before what had been the most important things in his life. You’ve got to love that attribute in a man!
Even though Lily had the body and voice of Marilyn Monroe, her personality was anything but Monroe-like. She knew her soap opera background didn’t do her any favors and she worked hard to overcome those expectations. I really enjoyed Lily’s sass and fire and in fact was pleasantly surprised at the depth to her character. I shouldn’t have been though, as Lucy Parker gives her characters great back stories which make them jump off the pages in 3-D and put her readers through a riot of emotions. Pretty Face was no different, I was caught up, hook line and sinker!
I think I wrote on Goodreads that I am now obsessed with Lucy Parker novels. I really am. Her stories could so easily be fluffy romances, but they aren’t! They are well written, her characters are rock solid and the build up in the romance is riveting to read. Her dialog isn’t too shabby either, it’s actually really fun! Growing up in Southern California, I love the London West End playhouse setting and the fact that these are also slow burn romances. The build up from enemies to friends to lovers has you gripping your book until your fingers hurt, the tension only unwinding when the characters deliver their HEA. Yeah, Lucy Parker is a new favorite and I will be recommending this book and series to everyone I know. Consider yourself recommended.
A soap-opera actress struggling to be taken seriously in her first stage role falls for her (slightly older and severely grumpy) director in this FABULOUS addition to the utterly addicting London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker. LOVE.
This is the second book in the London Celebrity series and it’s just as fabulous as the first. This author and her delicious banter does wonderful things to my heart and head. I can’t get enough and want to listen to these characters all day. Pretty Face had a bit more angst than the first book along with some heartbreak and emotional longing. All of it was impressively written. Two books in and I’m declaring this author a favorite whose work I will one-click from now on out.
Lucy Parker did it again. She made me fall in love with her new book! I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. I’m so happy about it because after ‘Act like it’ my hopes were very high but Lucy Parker didn’t disappoint!!
This book takes us back to the West End, in London. This time we follow the lives of TV actress Lily Lamprey and West End director Luc savage. Becoming famous is easy nowadays but be taking seriously as a good and talented actress, that’s a totally different story. Lily Lamprey has been trying for many years now to get more interesting and serious roles but when you’re a young and beautiful woman with a curvy body and a husky, breathless voice, people don’t really take you very seriously. But then an opportunity comes her way that will show the world that she can do more than they all thought possible. But first she will have to convince the infamous, bad-tempered but incredible genius director Luc Savage that she’s made for that role in his new production.
When his team first mention Lily Lamprey’s to him, Luc isn’t convince of her talents. Just like everyone else, he thinks that she is nothing more than a young and beautiful woman with more sex appeal then talent. The fact that her voice is husky and breathless is also a bad thing for acting in a theater where you need a voice that is loud and pleasant that can reach everyone in the room.
But when his team convince him to meet her just once (Luc is also famous for finding talent where most people don’t), he sees a spark in Lily that if treated right, could make her THE discovery of his career! So he takes a chance on her by giving her the role. Both have something to prove now. Both have taking a risk in their own way with their career. Lily is determined to work hard and to prove to everyone that she can do this. That she has talent and that the rumors aren’t true. She didn’t slept with Luc to get the role. But what they both didn’t count on, was the chemistry between them. Something that both haven’t experience ever before. Acting on it, could do damage to both of their careers but with each day that passes and with every little detail that they discover about each other, it’s getting harder and harder to resist the attraction. Until they finally just give in to it. But being in the spotlights means that you can’t hide, and it isn’t only the press that has an opinion on their relationship, there’s also family, friends, colleagues, enemies and ex-lovers.
But through it all Luc and Lily are willing to give this relationship a try, until the big night when something happens and Luc has to make the most difficult and important decision of their lives. Luc knows that he has made the right one but will Lily ever forgive him for making it?
Can love really exist and survive in the superficial world of acting?
Just like the first book, this book takes place in the West End of London. Something that I really enjoyed. No Hollywood dramas here, only some English ones. Just like the first book, it took me a little bit to come into the story but once I was in, I was really into it.
Although Lucy Parker wrote about a theme that has been used for many books (younger woman falls for older man), she gave it a fresh touch. I find her stories refreshing, they are filled with humor and emotions. I just love it. The main characters Lily and Luc are really great. The POV’s are told from both side.
One of the things that I like in my books is the story behind the scenes, behind the fame and glamour. The hard work, the offers that you have to make, the stress and the fear of failing. Something that I all found in this book.
Lucy Parker has just become one of my favorite writers. I can’t wait to read more of her.