Included on The Skimm’s 2020 list of Eight Books Both You and Mom Will Love “The sleeper hit of the pandemic . . . . There is no escapism like reading about a nearly middle-aged woman embarking on a glittering, global love affair with a thoughtful young sex god . . . . It’s electric, triumphant to read.” —Vogue.com “An OMG page-turner.” —Gabrielle UnionSolène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old … Union
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.
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I’ve read a few ‘older woman, younger man’ scenario’s before, but not one like this. There is so much more to it than you imagine. I started off with the ‘Urgh, that’s just not right’ opinion and ended up with ‘I think I’m in love with Hayes myself!’ opinion. Then I realised that this author is oh so clever. It’s not that I’m in love with him, it was just the idea of him! How did the author do that?
This book portrays some of the hardships of being in the limelight today and how social media can bring you down as well as catapult you to the stars. It’s cruel in places and shows so well how living this life is not always the dream. It can be horrendous, suffocating and totally intrusive.
TIDOY also has the most fantastic twists and turns. Some never really get solved, some you make your own mind up about and others have you thinking, ‘of course, how stupid of me!’
It’s just a bloody brilliant read, but it will leave you grieving for its end. I haven’t gone to bed with such a bad book hangover in a while. It’s going to take me some time to get over it. (less)
Just wow! I have chills. The Idea of You will touch you deeply. Written with depth, sensitivity, and sincerity; it’s full of emotion, and will captivate you from start to finish.
The plot is intricate and delicate, heartbreaking and honest, and full of love. Robinne Lee paints everything so vividly, you feel the connection, you feel everything each person is going through. Solene and Hayes will burrow into your heart. I can’t stop thinking about their journey. I’m blown away. Stunning!
4.5+ STARS!
I’m not sure I have the words. What I wanted by the end of this book and what I received were on two contrasting planes. At the same time, I have the utmost respect for the story an author is led to tell even if it isn’t the happily-ever-after I come to expect. Just like life, it was unpredictable and messy. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m still reeling and feeling a bit lost after investing myself emotionally in Hayes and Solene’s love story. Overall, The Idea of You was a sublimely written romance and original in its unpredictability.
I also listened intermittently to the audio version narrated by the author herself. Initially, I wasn’t sure what I thought. As I continued to listen, I became transfixed by her voice, inflections, and competent accents. It was the perfect way to experience the tone of the story exactly as it was intended.
First person is not my favorite style, unless it’s done really, really well. And The Idea of You was written exceptionally well. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Lee’s voice and could relate to both characters. Having been in my twenties, I understood Hayes’s youthful “It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks” attitude when it came to their age difference. And, having also been in my forties, Solène’s difficulty with living out Hayes’s blasé mantra and the affects of it on her thirteen-year-old daughter and career were understandable and realistic. Our choices affect those around us, sometimes in negative ways. I did not question that these two characters truly loved one another, and their banter and verbal sparring was terrific. However, real love requires sacrifice. And, Solène, in her mature wisdom, knew this; Hayes, in his blissful youth, has yet to learn it.
I don’t require a traditional happy ending, only an ending that makes sense and feels right for the characters in their circumstances. And this story and its ending rang true to me. When you are blessed to find love, cherish it; however long it lasts.
If you haven’t heard of this book… you will. There is literally a FB support group for this book because women have been so affected by the love story. I enjoyed it very much, even with a predictable outcome. It was fun to have a heroine who was not only a 39-year-old single mother but to also indulge in the ultimate rock star fantasy. What happens when a boy band member (like Harry Styles) falls for the mother of a teenage fan? It’s a sexy ride that makes you rethink some of the obsessive media cultures we’re submerged in and our stigmas around age. The only thing that would have made this a 5-Star for me is if the author had written her character as a mixed-race woman, like herself. The choice to make her white bothered me because there was no reason behind it.
An all time favorite! TIOY is beautifully written and gives you all the feels. This is the best(and worst) book hangover I’ve had in a long time. I was expecting something completely different but I was so pleasantly surprised. The romance was deep and palpable. The main characters were intelligent and cultured. There were a lot of eye opening points made about our culture and the roles we play, how we treat celebrities and what it’s like from their side. It also made me think about our roles as parents. This novel will always stick with me and have me thinking about it for a long time. I pray there is a sequel.
this book takes you on a journey, of love!
I firmly believe that this is a case of “it’s not the book, it’s me”. While this book was beautifully written, I just couldn’t connect with it at all.
I honestly felt that 75% of this book is the pretty much the same scene over and over and OVER again, just in a different setting. I was bored.
And TBH, all of the pretension in this book really turned me off.
I couldn’t connect with or relate to these characters and their lifestyle, and I never got invested in their relationship. I went into this pretty much assuming what the outcome of the book would be, and I was right, so perhaps that was part of the issue?
I really am sad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. So many friends loved it, and I really wanted to feel that, but I just didn’t.