REVIEW: Codename Charming by Lucy Parker

 

OUR REVIEW:

When Lucy Parker releases a new novel, we're always ready. Her novels entertain us with snappy dialogue, plunge us into London (and in this case a royal family), and always guarantee a good time. In Codename Charming we get to watch Pet and Matthias go from pretending to be annoyed (or actually just a little flustered) around each other to becoming friends while faking a relationship that we all know will never be fake at all. Both Pet and Matthias come from less than wonderful upbringings and both carry wounds from earlier years; the difference is that Pet is a ray of sunshine while Matthias is perceived to be a grump (he's actually a huge softy) and while these wounds could prohibit them from falling for each other, it's really their disbelief that the other could possibly want them that is the real obstacle. Typical. 

Playing in the background is a royal family that is a hot mess in the most hilarious ways and a nefarious media circus always trying to put them in the worst light--which is how the "fake" romance comes to be. While this is all going on, we get to know more about our main characters and their friends, as well as see more of Pet's brother and sister-in-law and how their dueling bakeries are doing (happy to report all is well there). 

As usual, Parker not only has us invested in what's going on with our main characters, she's building interest in secondary characters, making us hopeful we'll get another book in this series. 

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SYNOPSIS:

Following Battle Royal, beloved author Lucy Parker pens another delicious romantic comedy about a fake relationship between a grumpy royal bodyguard and the charming, sunny assistant who melts his cold, hard exterior.

Petunia De Vere enjoys being the personal assistant to lovable, bumbling Johnny Marchmont. But the job has its share of challenges, including the royal’s giant, intimidating bodyguard, Matthias. Pet and Matthias are polar opposites—she’s spontaneous and enthusiastic, he’s rigid and stoic—but she can sense there’s something softer underneath that tough exterior…

For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out of trouble is more difficult than he imagined because everywhere Johnny goes, calamity ensues, and his petite, bubbly assistant is often caught in the fray. Matthias hates the idea of Pet getting hurt and he’s determined to keep everyone safe, even if it means clashing with his adorable new coworker.

When a clumsy moment leads to a questionable tabloid photo, the press begins to speculate that Pet is romantically involved with Johnny. To put an end to the rumors, the royal PR team asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship and the two reluctantly agree. But as they spend more time together outside of work, they begin to wonder what real emotions this pretend connection might uncover. Especially when a passionate kiss leaves both of their heads spinning… 

REVIEW: Pretty Face by Lucy Parker

OUR REVIEW:

In this second stand alone in the London Celebrities series, we get a sharp, cynical, clumsy and funny Lily and the resident grumpy cat and her new boss, Luc. As you can guess, it's a romance (and comedy) that probably shouldn't happen because of the work situation but I'm so glad it does. Their resistance to each other is short (and futile) which leaves more time for me to chuckle at their quips and, even more interestingly, feel surprisingly wounded when their 'trouble' starts. I liked them together so much that when the inevitable bad thing happened I had to put down the book for a few minutes because I wasn't ready for either of them to have their heart broken. If that's not a great sign of how invested I was in their characters, I don't know what is. Fortunately, the angsty part was over relatively quickly and painlessly and their HEA was just as sweet and funny as I hoped it would be.

Looking for a light, romcom set in the London theater district? This is the read for you.

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SYNOPSIS:

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!

REVIEW: Making Up by Lucy Parker

OUR REVIEW:

Making Up is another fun Lucy Parker novel. This series of interconnected novels are just a pleasure to read. I love getting the behind the scenes (in the theater) feel that her characters and plot provide. In the case of Making Up, we have Trix--an aerialist--and Leo --a special effects make up artist--go from enemies to lovers. They're biting sarcasm and snipes at each other make their falling for each other that much more fun. 

Lucy Parker has such a perfectly light touch in the way that she blends humor and romance.Her dialogue and pacing keep the novel moving and her diverse cast of characters always keep me coming back for more. Anytime I see a Lucy Parker novel available to review I snatch it up because I know I'm in for a good time.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2SOtSlU

SYNOPSIS: 

Once upon a time, circus artist Trix Lane was the best around. Her spark vanished with her confidence, though, and reclaiming either has proved…difficult. So when the star of The Festival of Masks is nixed and Trix is unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight, it’s exactly the push she needs. But the joy over her sudden elevation in status is cut short by a new hire on the makeup team.

Leo Magasiva: disgraced wizard of special effects. He of the beautiful voice and impressive beard. Complete dickhead and—in an unexpected twist—an enragingly good kisser.

To Leo, something about Trix is…different. Lovely. Beautiful, even though the pint-size, pink-haired former bane of his existence still spends most of her waking hours working to annoy him. They’ve barely been able to spend two minutes together for years, and now he can’t get enough of her. On stage. At home. In his bed.

When it comes to commitment, Trix has been there, done that, never wants to do it again. Leo’s this close to the job of a lifetime, which would take him away from London—and from Trix. Their past is a constant barrier between them.

It seems hopeless.

Utterly impossible.

And yet…

REVIEW: The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

OUR REVIEW:

I love plunging myself into the London theater world Lucy Parker creates.  Maybe it's because my mother was a local community theater actress and had me tag along with her to rehearsal or maybe it's just the inherent curiosity I have about what's like behind the curtain--either way, this series is one I've enjoyed and am always looking forward to reading the next new addition.

The Austen Playbook did exactly what I hoped--it lightened my mood with it's romance and comedy, kept me engaged with the building tension between Sadie and, well, basically everyone else, and had me wondering how Griff and Freddy were going to work out the conflicts that seemed to pop up. I loved that Parker took her characters out of the city and put them in the countryside for a change of pace--it gave my imagination a new thing to dream up and gave me yet another reason to want to visit England again. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and am so very hopeful that all of them can get the Lucy Parker treatment of romance and comedy and happily ever afters. The Austen Playbook was the perfect way to spend this rainy weekend.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2SR2oMI

SYNOPSIS:

In which experienced West End actress Freddy Carlton takes on an Austen-inspired play, a scandal at a country estate, an enthusiastic search for a passion outside of acting…and the (some people might say icy*) heart of London’s most feared theater critic.

*if those people were being nice



Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentration’s been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic who’s consistently slammed her performances of late. James “Griff” Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.

She can’t take her eyes off him.

Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brother’s well-intentioned (disastrous) schemes—or at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.

Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.

As he’s reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. It’s the unlikely start of something enormous…but a single revelation about the past could derail it all.

Headliners by Lucy Parker

OUR REVIEW:

The London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker has consistently been one of my favorite series; the characters never fail to interest and entertain me and I just love feeling like I'm behind the scenes of broadcast or play productions. In the case of Headliners I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers tension between Sabrina and Nick. Their snark and sniping at each other was hilarious and made their falling for each other that much more fun to read. Throw in all the shenanigans happening on their live broadcast and their future contracts connected to their mutual success and I just could not get enough of them. I have no idea if there are more couples to explore in this romcom series but if this is it, sign me up for whatever Lucy Parker is writing next because I have a feeling I'll love it.

BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/2QoS5xQ



SYNOPSIS:
Sparks fly when two feuding TV presenters are thrown together to host a live morning show in Lucy Parker’s latest enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.

He might be the sexiest man in London, according to his fan site (which he definitely writes himself), but he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met.

She might have the longest legs he’s ever seen, but she also has the sharpest tongue.

For years, rival TV presenters Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have traded barbs on their respective shows. The public can’t get enough of their feud, but after Nick airs Sabrina’s family scandals to all of Britain, the gloves are off. They can barely be in the same room together—but these longtime enemies are about to become the unlikeliest of cohosts.

With their reputations on the rocks, Sabrina and Nick have one last chance to save their careers. If they can resurrect a sinking morning show, they’ll still have a future in television. But with ratings at an all-time low and a Christmas Eve deadline to win back the nation’s favor, the clock is ticking—and someone on their staff doesn’t want them to succeed.

Small mishaps on set start adding up, and Sabrina and Nick find themselves—quelle horreur—working together to hunt down the saboteur…and discovering they might have more in common than they thought. When a fiery encounter is caught on camera, the public is convinced that the reluctant cohosts are secretly lusting after one another.

The public might not be wrong.

Their chemistry has always been explosive, but with hate turning to love, the stakes are rising and everything is on the line. Neither is sure if they can trust these new feelings…or if they’ll still have a job in the New Year.