Author: Thérèse
Publisher: Fiction Studio
About the book: Single and about to turn forty, India Butler, a grade school teacher in London is having a meltdown. Desperate to reinvent her life she flies out to LA to spend the summer with her sister Annabelle a famous Hollywood actress and her brother in law a legendary rock musician. She maintains a wry detachment until she begins dating Adam, a gorgeous A- list actor. In an attempt to appear more successful she tells him she creates and teaches motivational workshops.
When Adam’s friend is in a drunk-driving accident, Annabelle finds a lump on her throat and a mutual friend’s stepdaughter overdoses, India is drawn behind the veneer of Hollywood glitz and glamour and into their private lives. As her illusions about the perfection of their LA lifestyle fade away, India has an epiphany about her own real talents. She begins designing the kinds of classes and workshops she has fantasized about to Adam and successfully launches a series of workshops to help parents relate to their teenage children. She also drafts a book proposal.In love with a movie star and with a burgeoning new career as a self- help guru, India is in her element until a defamatory video, filmed of her venting to Annabelle soon after her arrival goes viral. Her new life unravels. Humiliated and depressed, she returns to London where she repairs the damage with those closest to her. When her agent calls with news that he has sold her book proposal she takes control of her life. Shakily re-united with Adam and still balancing life on both sides of the pond, she returns to America to promote her book.
My thoughts: This one was just okay for me. While I liked India and her sister Annabelle, I found the storyline a little jumpy and hard to follow. Many times I had to reread as all the sudden we were in a new place or it would jump from one person's POV to another and I wouldn't know whose eyes I was supposed to be seeing out of.
India moves to L.A. for the summer to live with her sister Annie and her rock star husband. She doesn't seem to be satisfied with who she is, as it sounds like over the years she has tried to find a "style" that fits her and in her eyes has been unsuccessful. She is also burnt out on teaching and is wondering if she shouldn't try a different career.
She is thrown into the celebrity whirlwind with parties, fund raisers, and paparazzi. She begins to date a movie star, Adam, but when he questions her about her career she tends to be vague about the fact that she was a teacher in England. She creates this fantasy job that she comes to realize is closer to what she really wants to do.
When tragedy strikes it seems like it all happens at once (and actually, it does seem that that is how it happens. . .)Even though India isn't always true to herself, she is loyal and true to her friends and makes herself available to them when they need her. Following this path she really does start to develop some workshops as well as a book proposal and finds her niche in helping people.
There is more chaos and more success before the book wraps up. All in all it wasn't a page turner for me but it was entertaining.
~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Book Sparks PR in exchange for my unbiased review.~
Buy India's Summer: Amazon
India's Summer
Publisher/Publication Date: Fiction Studio, Jan 2012
ISBN: 978-193655834-6
259 pages
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