Title: The Vintage Cinema Club
Author: Jane Linfoot
Publisher: 24th May 2015 by HarperImpulse - Harper Collins UK
Pages: 306 pages
How I Read It: ARC ebook
Genre: womens fiction; chick lit
My Rating: 2.5 cups
Synopsis:
"A witty, warm-hearted romp through the lives and loves of three friends – with a cool retro vibe, and a sense of fun that will never go out of fashion." – Debbie Johnson, author of the best-selling ‘Cold Feet At Christmas’.
Meet The Vintage Cinema Club….
Izzy is a wow at making unwanted things pretty, but with three brothers and her shabby chic furniture business to run she doesn’t have time to date. Could a fabulous French proposal change her mind?
Single mum Luce’s vintage bridal dresses are exquisite, but there’s no way she’s ever going to wear one or walk down the aisle for that matter. She’s a strictly no romance, one night kind of woman – or so she thinks…
Dida seems to have it all – a chocolate and banana cake recipe to die for, lovely kids (most of the time!) and a great lifestyle. But what good is a fabulous home, when your marriage has more cracks than a pavlova and your husband is having it off with half of Lithuania?
Three retro fabulous friends, in love with all things vintage, run their dream business from the faded grandeur of a rescued cinema. When that dream comes under threat, they’ll do whatever it takes to save it.
Fans of Lucy Diamond, Michele Gorman and Milly Johnson are going to love this heartfelt, funny story.
Meet The Vintage Cinema Club….
Izzy is a wow at making unwanted things pretty, but with three brothers and her shabby chic furniture business to run she doesn’t have time to date. Could a fabulous French proposal change her mind?
Single mum Luce’s vintage bridal dresses are exquisite, but there’s no way she’s ever going to wear one or walk down the aisle for that matter. She’s a strictly no romance, one night kind of woman – or so she thinks…
Dida seems to have it all – a chocolate and banana cake recipe to die for, lovely kids (most of the time!) and a great lifestyle. But what good is a fabulous home, when your marriage has more cracks than a pavlova and your husband is having it off with half of Lithuania?
Three retro fabulous friends, in love with all things vintage, run their dream business from the faded grandeur of a rescued cinema. When that dream comes under threat, they’ll do whatever it takes to save it.
Fans of Lucy Diamond, Michele Gorman and Milly Johnson are going to love this heartfelt, funny story.
My thoughts:
This story follows three friends - Izzy, Luce and Dida - as they fight to save the vintage cinema - their place of work and so much more. I believe the essence of this tale is about how these women became open to new possibilities in their lives, and the struggles to make those adjustments for a different, and perhaps better life. Letting go and moving forward.
"There were times when she kicked herself for not daring to be more ambitious and confident. So much for moving out of their comfort zones".
I did enjoy the rich descriptions of wedding dresses and the reclaimed items and pieces that were easy to visualise. And I loved the time spent in France wandering through the markets etc. Whilst there are some passages dedicated to Luce and Dida, the focus for the most part is on Izzy and her evolving relationship with Xander. Sadly, this ultimately becomes the sole focus at the expense of a richer storyline - the plot becomes very thin and all about the sexual tension:
"Damn that the full blown, close up scent of him had knocked the breath out of her, and holy s*** to her collapsing knees"
If we are told once, we are told over and over how "how far out of her reach Xander was" and how "heart-stoppingly, sizzlingly gorgeous" he is. Got it. Move on please....maybe....guess not. So if you are into 'snogging and shagging' then this is the book for you:
"She couldn't decide whether to grab him, and give him the snog of the decade or keep her distance" - lust on full throttle ... the lust part of her brain was sending out a million messages a minutes, telling her to grab him and jump him ASAP".
At the end I found it to be ridiculous. I was not a fan of Izzy at all as she admits to using Xander and it was all about her - the whinging and 'poor me' become rather tiresome. I wanted to high five Xander when he called Izzy on it:
"doing one thing while implying you're doing something else doesn't count as deception, so long as you're the one doing it".
No guy would put up with Izzy and she only trusted him when he 'bought' her "you thinking about me at all, and understanding me, makes me know I can trust you enough to be with you". What!
There was potential here that, for me, was not realised.
"It's so damned stupid that you only come around to realise what you want when it's too late to have it
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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