Thursday, September 8, 2016

SOTTBC - A Night With Audrey Hepburn by Lucy Holliday



Sisterhood of the Traveling Book Club read A Night In With Audrey Hepburn for our August pick. You'll find our reactions below, but we all thought this was a fun, great summer read. I was definately the odd person out when it came to which ship everyone was shipping as you can see below.

SPOILERS, OBVIOUSLY


Here is a little about A Night In With Audrey Hepburn
Actress Libby Lomax has retreated into the world of classic movies, where the immortal lives of her favourite screen goddesses seem to offer so much more in the romance department than her own life.

After a terrible day on set where she embarrasses herself in front of the entire cast and worst of all, it’s sexy bad-boy star, Dillon O’Hara, she plonks herself down on her battered couch to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the trillionth time.

Suddenly, Libby is astonished to find screen icon Audrey Hepburn, complete with little black dress, trademark sunglasses and vintage cigarette holder, sitting beside her and proffering advice.
Has Libby got what it takes to turn her life from a Turkey to a Blockbuster? Perhaps with a little bit of Audrey Hepburn magic, she might just pull it off…

A night in with Audrey Hepburn is the first in a series of three books following the life and loves of Libby Lomax as she blossoms from Z-lister to A-lister and all of the stages in between with a little bit of help from some very special friends.
You can add it to Goodreads, and purchase from the following retailers

Chapters // Amazon // Kobo // Book Depository

And you can check out each of our reviews ...

Kathy // Kelly // Christy // Kim 

Here is the colour scheme so you know whose comments are whose.

Kathy
Kelly
Kim
Christy
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June 1999

Ooooh! A fun flashback as I assume she’s not going to be a teenager the entire time.

Her mother sounds like a typical stage mom which would be annoying. I love that she’s not into it but the back of the book tells us she ends up on a set of some kind so ….

Hahaha. “The Showbiz Walkers” makes me laugh.

LOVED "The Showbiz Walkers." Ridiculously funny.

OMG! As if she just asked him if he was one the Showbiz Walkers. Too funny. I like this already. It is super cute. Love their banter about Breakfast at Tiffany's and how he would prefer to see The Matrix. Are retrospectives a thing in the USA I do not recall ever seeing one here in Canada (Ottawa at least).

Sort of. They are doing something for Gene Wilder.

As if her father cancelled on her birthday. That is not okay (and it was already their reschedule birthday celebration).

Her dad is the worst.

So I know the back of the book tells me that Dillon O’Hara seems to be the love interest but I kind of hope Olly ends up being the love interest of the series. He’s adorable and they are super cute together as kids. I hope they are at least friends in the current timeline.

Team Olly.

This sounds cute. Although her mother sounds totally overbearing!

Olly is so cute!

That is terrible about her dad. Cancelling on her much-belated birthday celebration?? Rude.

Well, this book is definitely off to an interesting start!!

Also, I really like Olly. And his sister! (I hope I don't end up regretting this or something.)

ALSO -- Brunch at Bloomingdales! Hahaha!

Chapter One


Ah, so that is what she is doing on set. Her costume sounds awful! Not sure I would want this role.

‘It’s got a massively plunging neckline, and it’s totally sheer down the back so you can sort of see my bum - but through the lace so it’s really classy’ OMG! Cass is too much. TOO MUCH. I am giggling like an idiot on the bus.

‘I don’t think for a minute that he is going to stop dead in his tracks, grab the nearest passing crew member and whisper “By god, tell me the name of that flat-chested brunette with the pear-shaped bottom” …’ I am cackling so hard. This book.

OLLY WORKS ON THE SET! AND THEY ARE FRIENDS! Will I ship it? Probably. I also had to laugh at the assistant being scandalized that she was going to eat while in wardrobe.

Of course she insults Dillon to his (sort of) face and proceeds to have the most embarrassing ‘meet cute’ ever. Poor, Libby. Her sister struts in and steals the attention and she gets fired. I will admit Dillon sounds hot though.

Ok this is already funny. I’m smiling as I read - Libby is hilarious - and I love getting behind-the-scenes info on TV land!

Oh my gosh I was dying when it turned out to be Dillon in there! I love that Libby is so herself, and he seems to be into that! But Libby’s sister is already driving me bananas.

KATHY I AM SHIPPING OLLY AND LIBBY!!

Oh Lord did she just set her head on fire...I would probably die of shame.

I would too. Like, OF COURSE this would happen to me.

It’s been ages, but I am kind of getting a ‘Bridget Jones’ vibe from this?

Warty Alien. Lord Chief Arsehole. 😆😆😆

And of course Lord Chief Arsehole is exactly that. Ugh

Chapter Two

I love that her and Olly are so close (and his sister, too). THEY KISSED?! Sounds like years ago but still. They kissed! I am pretty sure I am going to want her with Olly and not Dillon but we will see.

Their cheese obsession made me laugh. So much.

Poor Libby! Her landlord sounds like an ass and potentially a pervert.

She really is having the worst day ever. I want to watch Breakfast At Tiffany’s and drink champagne now. Also, I think Olly and Libby should kiss.

Ahhh! ‘Audrey’ has shown up!

UM OBVIOUSLY LIBBY IS THE GIRL OLLY WAS IN LOVE WITH! OK so shipping them now. Just get some wine and cheese and make out! Hahaha.

I would never live in that crappy apartment. And I totally get that she wants to watch her movie in peace and comfort. That’s how I deal with a crappy day (although nothing on the scale of Libby’s, haha): comfort food, a good book or show or movie to let me turn off my brain, and solitude.

Audrey!

Cheese, what a great gift.
Does anyone think the girl that Olly was in love with from afar was Libby?? I have a feeling that is where this book is going.

Poor Libby! Nothing seems to be going right for her.

He totally loves her!

Chapter Three

Of course she thinks that it is an impersonator, or that she is a crazy person. I wouldn’t believe she was Audrey Hepburn either. She seems lovely though. I would immediately, like Libby, think I was having a stress related hallucination.

‘Your sister is in bed with Gregory Peck?’ hahaha. Now I want to watch Roman Holiday.

I love Libby! ‘I mean, sure, he’s good-looking and talented and all that, but he’s no Gregory Peck, is he?’ A girl after our own hearts, ladies.

Audrey Hepburn referring to herself as nothing terribly special may be the most laughable thing. She was stunning.

I love Audrey Hepburn. But I can see that. Because who realizes how awesome they are?

I love that Audrey gave her a bad haircut. This book needs to be a movie, I think. How fun would it be?!

Where did she go?!

So are we thinking ghost or hallucination?

I love that Audrey Hepburn cut Libby’s hair! And that she maybe did a bad job of it, haha. Short hair like that is tough to pull off!

Audrey has arrived!! And is totally how I see her in her movies. (Well, the parts I've watched, anyways.)

Omg, her hair!

Chapter Four

All that wasted cheese! I bet it smells horrible.

Bogdan Jr doesn’t sound too bad and I love that he secretly wants to be a hairdresser. He fixed Libby’s hair disaster. I am imagining a chic short style very much like Audrey’s.

I love Bogdan, Son of Bogdan.

Her mother is awful. 100% and her sister is not much better. Using her as an errand girl and being upset about the lost job instead of the fact she lit herself on fire.

I knew that guy was a paparazzi the second she let him in. I am also not surprised Ms Victoria Secret Model is cheating on Dillon. Am surprised it is with the yoga instructor.

Okay so… ‘Fire Girl’ is super cute and I do not know who I ship Libby with. This whole banter-y exchange has me second guessing myself.

I like Dillon but love Olly.

Oh no the cheese! Can I confess that all of that cheese going bad broke my heart a little??

Son of Bogdan sounds great and I feel like he basically gave Libby a perfect hair cut.

Libby’s mother is so awful. So stage-mother-y and overbearing, and Cass is not much better. I feel like Libby has just been lost somehow in THEIR dream, you know? Does she even want to be an actor

Yes, I knew there was something off about that guy scurrying in the door!

Well now I’m a little swoon-y about Libby and Dillon!

Ok, I love Son of Bogden, AND The fact that he's a hairdresser in training.

Also, I do not like her mom and sister. They seem so selfish and full of it.

The spa scene had me rolling!!

Chapter Five

‘I’m not imagining that I’m about to become his One True Love, or anything. Or even one of his Many True Lusts, nice though this would be’ I love Libby. Seriously. I feel she is a kindred spirit.

This needs to be a movie and Dillon needs to be an actor that people attracted to men will have ‘naughty bedroom related thoughts’ about. 😉

Channing Tatum? ;)

He is Irish and charming and hot? Yup. Am now Team Dillon.

Oh no…. He has asked her to the Made Man party, hasn’t he? Her sister is going to kill her.

Assumption confirmed. I hope Libby goes anyway.

Oh yes this would make a great movie!!

I don’t know about this party. Definitely this will be that Made Man party, and I feel like no good can come from this.

I do not like this Dillon fellow.

Still Team Olly.

Chapter Six

I love that it is Audrey who has to convince her to go to the party with Dillon. I am also laughing at how obsessed Audrey is with coffee. It is cute.

Coffee and the internet. Go Audrey!

I laughed waaay too hard at the whole ‘spanx’ misunderstanding. Hahaha. Scandalized Audrey is my favourite.

Awww. Olly brought her soup and I feel awful that she lied to him. I get WHY she did but I still feel awful.

Who is everyone hoping she ends up with at this point?

Team Olly.

OK my feeling is that Olly is end-game and Dillon is just Mr. Right Now, you know?

Call me old fashioned, but I totally agree that a man should pick you up at your door with flowers for a date. I'm just a romantic like that.
Poor Olly!!

Chapter Seven

The party was as awful for Libby as I expected it to be. First Rhea, and that awful Dave guy who is just creepy and finally her sister who is oblivious.

I cannot believe Cass is dating Dave and that he pretty much tried to score with Libby. What an asshole.

Cass and her boyfriend are both the worst.

Gotta love that Dillon was her white knight though and got her out of there. I hope they have a fun date instead of that awful party.

This party sounds awful, and Cass’s boyfriend is the WORST.

Good grief, her sister is SUCH A BITCH!! And of course she would be dating the agent. Ugh.

Also, Dillon is freaking confusing as hell. Men.

Chapter Eight

Everytime he calls her Fire Girl I legit swoon/squeal inside. It is ADORABLE! I am pretty sure I have firmly switched ships.

He is taking her back to his place instead?!  Does this mean there will be some sexytimes?!

‘I haven’t had sex for so long that I may, actually, have completely forgotten how to do it’ 😂 Have I mentioned I love Libby? Because I do.

It is cute that he called his mom for advice about Libby’s eye! And the kiss!!! This is pretty much an all around swoony chapter and I appreciated that.

Team Olly but I did like Dillon in this chapter.

Wow they’re going to his place??????? Oh boy.

Hahaha, she totally does have an imaginary friend!!

Chapter Nine

Stop with the judging, subway passengers! Like none of you have done the Walk Of Shame before.

It is hilarious how Libby is going on and on about how good the sex was and I love it even more that it's her skills she talking about.

I can’t believe she woke up and he was gone. I mean, I guess I can - it isn’t like I expect the best from Dillon or anything - but I find that so disappointing.

Yes, disappointing because I love him. Ugh! Be better, Dillon.  I did chuckle when Olly offered to bash Dillon’s head in with a pan. I mean…. the guy obviously is in love with her.

And now things are weird between her and Olly.

Oh, god. So awkward right now. Especially the whole ‘safe sex’ conversation. I am sad that it wasn’t THE cheese. Haha.

Am I the only one that thinks Olly is obviously in love with Libby? Or am I completely getting it all wrong

Chapter Ten

Audrey is back! Can she explain where she comes from?? I don’t get it. Is she a ghost? She doesn’t seem to know that she’s...dead. And yet she knows how to use Wikipedia and Net-a-Porter.

She sort of does. She didn't know about saved credit cards.

I love whenever Audrey pops up. At this point I don’t even care if we get an official explanation as to why. I am considering her a ghost and that is the end of it. I love Audrey’s outrage over her black eye and how Libby has to keep explaining it was her sister, not Dillon.

I think she's a ghost.

I am sorry, it is hysterical that Audrey looked up Dillon’s ex girlfriends on the internet. WIkipedia. OMG! Modelizer just came out of Audrey Hepburn’s mouth. I cannot with this book.

Do any of you know Net-a-Porter? Is it a UK thing? I am almost afraid to go look in case I want to buy all the things.

‘You fantasize about me?’ hahahahah. Audrey is so scandalized for a second.

Ooooh Bogdan Jr. said he heard TWO voices in Libby’s!

Even more hilarious she thinks she’s got a multiple personality disorder. He compares her to Psycho. OMG. Poor Libby. I would probably think I was going crazy too. Bogdan Jr is the best though.

Audrey and the cappuccino machine makes me laugh so much.

Chapter Eleven

OK so her doctor friend is understandably concerned about her following that voice mail Libby left her. But it sounds like Audrey is not a hallucination brought on by a tumour...so that’s good? But she’s still some sort of delusion, right?

She has a seriously great friend to travel there that quickly. Nora is great. She also makes it sound like it is not a tumour and is actually a whole lot less scary than I would be picturing if I were Libby. I appreciate that the novel isn’t pretending that what is happening isn’t weird or worrisome. It makes it feel less kitschy or something.

Love that they are bonding over bad fathers (and honestly...how is that book not done, already?!)

I, too, would love to know if this is all just hallucinations, or what.

Chapter Twelve

Ooooohhhhhhh Libby’s dad’s book has finally come out! After all this time!

Part of me wants to be like ‘WHO FUCKING CARES?!”. Big whoop. He finally finished the thing he stopped talking to his daughter’s for.

Uh oh, some drama between Libby’s parents seems to be brewing.

Now the douchebag wants half of the money that went into the house? Are you kidding me? He probably barely paid anything to it and now he wants to cash in. Nooooope. As if her mom wants Libby to talk to him (because they’ve done so much chatting in the past).

So Audrey is a ghost? Or something? Connected to that nasty chesterfield?

This makes a lot more sense, actually. I bet that couch had interactions with all the girls (Audrey, Marilyn and Grace) and that it somehow is haunted or something. That works for me as an explanation.

Kathy, is it the couch or is there a new piece of furniture in the sequel?

You’ll have to read the next book, Kelly!

OMG Libby! I would be so ridiculously, mortally devastated if it was me!

Rhea is the worst. Poor Libby. That is seriously the most mortifying thing ever. I could not even imagine and that it would go online, too. Ugh. She’s a bitch.

I must add that Libby has the worst father as well. What an ass.

I hate him.

The couch! I wondered if Audrey came with the couch. Haha!

Chapter Thirteen

Dillon does owe Libby an explanation, in my opinion. Woah is he jealous of Olly??

Dillon is not used to having to tell people things. It is his most annoying trait (but sadly, I would forgive him easily I think). Of course he’s jealous of Olly. Olly is in love with Libby and basically Libby is the only one that doesn’t see it.

‘Inappropriate flirting’ Geesh, I love their banter.

You know what? Even if he had some major audition somewhere - and he has his plane ticket to prove it - he still should have left her a note or texted or called to explain. This brings him down a few notches in my eyes.

Right? Like, can you not leave a note?

I am horrible because I would forgive him. He would call me Fire Girl and I would melt (because I am stupid)  I would be like “Fine, but you’re seriously making it up to me later”. I get the impression that he doesn’t do the whole relationship thing and is bad at it.

Hot make out session!

The tension between Olly and Dillon though. Yikes. The entire thing about the directions. Guys and their ‘mine is bigger’ wars.

Oh god. Finding out that the video basically went viral is awful.  I would be mortified and hide in shame.

I would die.

Olly and her are so comfortable with each other. I am pretty sure I am shipping the wrong ship but whatever. #TeamDillon

Rhea is such a bitch for posting that, though I totally saw it coming.

Also, DUH, Libby. Olly os angry cause he lurves you!!

Chapter Fourteen

How cute is it that Audrey still thinks Rhea was throwing fruit around? I mean… haha.

Oh geez Audrey is on Twitter! Adorable.

We need Audrey on Twitter.

I love how proper she is. Full spelling and everything. I love that she started one for Libby too. So funny.

Oh wow people are interested in the necklace Libby made! EMMA WATSON??? That is a big deal! Go for it, Libby!

I think Libby has found her true calling. Jewelry designer extraordinaire. If Emma Watson wants to wear your stuff you’ve hit the big time.

Yikes her dad messaged her.

Ugh is all I have to say to that whole dad thing.

And double yikes, Dillon is being super weird on the phone.

Rhea is with Dillon? UGH! Seriously, Dillon?! SERIOUSLY?!

This gif basically sums up my reaction to all of this…
rooting.gif

Okay, so maybe just me, but still. I wanted you to be better than this. BE BETTER.

I knew we'd see that jewelry making coming in handy eventually.

Dillon. ARGH! I figured he was a flake.

Also, this call with her father should be interesting.

Chapter Fifteen

This dinner with her dad is just awful.

I hate her dad.

I like that Libby realizes at the end though that her dad is just who he is. He is not going to change, and she doesn’t need him to. It was awkward and awful, but eye opening for her as well. I think everyone kind of grows to realize that our parents are people and that they are imperfect and will disappoint us sometimes.

Yes, Libby. Kiss him, hug him. He loves you!!

Her dad has THE WORST timing ever.
And good for her for finally giving him a bit of his own medicine.

Chapter Sixteen

Oh Dillon’s at her place! What is he doing there??

So...am I to believe that Dillon went to his ex’s place to confront her about the video, and the ex was so jealous of Libby that she was saying whatever Libby heard on the phone last night because Rhea was trying to mess with Libby?? I’m not sure that I believe that.

I am dumb, because I do believe it. I believe Rhea is that petty and that selfish and that bitchy. Sorry, I do.

I believe she would do it but I don't necessarily believe he didn't sleep with her.

HE’S ASKING HER TO GO TO ROME? You know what? Why not! Take a chance, Libby! I’m sure this relationship will crash and burn, but I truly believe she will wind up with Olly by the end of the series. Olly clearly loves her.

HECK YES GO TO ROME! GO TO ROME WITH THE HOTTIE. Make out all over Rome, Libby. Do it. The worst that is going to happen is that you’ll fall in love. I am just conveniently forgetting that he probably has a drug habit (oh god, I am one of those girls who like the jerk in the book).

I am Team Olly but would still go to Rome.

I’m kind of sad that she didn’t get to say goodbye to Audrey. But she did get the sunglasses, so that’s something.

THE SUNGLASSES! I am so glad she got to keep them.  And I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they are going to Rome to have their own romantic Roman holiday!

RH.gif
This except more kissing

Yay sunglasses!

OK the way that ended, I’m super excited to read the sequel!! This was such a fun book!!!

This was such a fun, light read that surprised me in the best way. I loved it and found it really charming. I agree, Kim. It reminded me of Bridget Jones’ Diary quite a bit.

So… who did everyone end the book shipping with Libby? I am pretty confident I am the only Dillon fangirl here.

Have I mentioned how much I love Son of Bogdan??

Nooooooooooooo!!

No. No. No. No. This is not how I wanted the story to end. No more Audrey? And she leaves with DILLON??

Gah. Good thing this is a series, or I'd be seriously ticked at this ending. *smirk*

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