Curtis Sittenfeld
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
I’m madly in love with this 2017 novel by Robinne Lee. It’s about Solène Marchand, a divorced 40-year-old art gallery owner and the mother of a 12-year-old daughter. Solène is gorgeous, sophisticated and unenthused about chaperoning her daughter and a few friends to see and meet a mega-famous boy band … but to her astonishment, Solène and the band’s extremely and delightfully Harry Styles-ish leader, Hayes, have outrageous chemistry and embark on a secret relationship. The tricky part is that Hayes is only 20. The glamorous settings are perfectly described, the celebrity details are magnificent (Lee herself is a Hollywood actor), the dialogue sparkles, and the sex scenes are scorching hot. And there are many of them. But the book also contains real emotional depth and nuance, in part because the challenges Solène and Hayes face aren’t contrived; they’re just as real as their attraction.
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld will be published by Doubleday in April.
