Welcome to Litsy!

I wrote a post on my blog this week about enemies to lovers romances and now I think I might need to reread this! And it seems to have a new edition in the UK with a swish new cover!

Just when you think this British romance may not be for you, in walks a Mr. Darcy-type character and you‘re hooked. Richard and Lainie are actors in the same play. Richard‘s popularity is declining because of his real life snarky, sarcastic attitude. The play organizers decide to set up a fake romance between the two in hopes of raising Richard‘s ratings. One thing leads to another and the fake romance turns into the real thing.

One of my favorite contemporaries is on sale for $1.99!

#romantsy

Fake relationship turns into true love. A sulky actor with a bad reputation is forced into a pretend romance with his co-star in an effort to rehabilitate his image. It works a little too well.

I stayed up until the wee hours last night because ACT LIKE IT was too good to put down. Lainie and Richard have a fabulous good girl/asshole dynamic, and Parker lets their relationship play out organically. The reader discovers how well matched they are at the same pace they themselves do. The results are DELIGHTFUL. I snickered a LOT.

The book isn‘t total sunshine and sparkles, though. Suicide, cancer, and assault all play a role.

I stopped off for a Friday afternoon cappuccino and a bit of a read. ACT LIKE IT is great so far! I like Lainie a lot and I‘m eager to learn what Richard‘s deal is.

I decided I couldn‘t face a faux-Victorian sensation novel after such a cold, miserable day, so I‘m gonna read some contemporary stuff. And unfortunately, I‘m gonna do it under my winter comforter, because it now gets too frickin cold at night.

(Also, this is your periodic reminder that my comments are the wrong venue for your cold-love. Seriously. I get that you‘re rooting for your own comfort, not my discomfort, but it doesn‘t belong HERE.)

I fInished a book during the #readathon! 🎉 Quite a fun read. A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

1. This whole series is really fun!
2. Spider-Man: Far From Home (so cute!)
3. Corn on the cob
4. Around 18 first cousins. Approximately 57 million second ones.
5. Sorry I‘m a day late in participating in my own thing! 🤦🏼‍♀️ Yesterday was super busy. (In a good way.) 🙂 Off to like a bunch of posts now! #friyayintro

This book! So many fabulous lines! #24in48

Decided to splurge at the library today. I made a red velvet bundt last weekend. Now all I want to do is bake. 😂 #lovemylibrary

I really enjoyed this fake relationship plot btw a good-natured, publicly-minded actress (Lainie) and a grouchy, patrician, git of an actor (Richard) who have to start appearing to be an item so ticket sales for the play they‘re in won‘t tank. So much good banter and a look inside the theatre world of West End London. I liked how Richard softens but doesn‘t entirely lose his “people are insufferable” vibe while Lainie gets a bit of an edge to her.

Happy Sunday 🙂 #currentlyreading

Could the rumors be right? Could this unlikely romance be the real thing? Or are these gifted stage actors playing us all?

#anglophileapril #rumorhasit
@Cinfhen @Reviewsbylola @Mdargusch @emilyhaldi

So cute! A fake relationship #romantsy set in the world of the London theater, which is a lot of fun. Richard is a broody actor who had been getting some negative press lately. Lainie is one of those perpetually happy types that is cast with him in a production that isn‘t selling very well. They‘re coerced into faking their relationship, and the story is basically as one would expect. Low angst! (Reviewers call Richard “Darcy-esque” and I agree😍)

I don't normally read romance (aside from Sophie Kinsella), but I bought this one after hearing about it on an NPR podcast and being interested by the theater aspect. Enjoyed the characters quite a bit, though the plot wasn't as compelling for me as stories in other genres tend to be. I'll likely continue with the rest of the series at some point. #romancy #slowreadersclub

#Londoncalling #marchintothe70s
Now it's a quartet of smart rom com in London art/theater/tv scene. I loved the first three and soon #4 will be mine. It's out in April. Can't wait. Lucy Parker writes smart, funny, sassy stories.
@Cinfhen @Lizpixie

🍭 Brain Candy 🍭 craving fulfilled.

Even if I didn‘t get why this simile was necessary 🤷🏾‍♀️
“He greeted her companion with a nod and a handshake - the posh gent‘s version of rappers raising their chins and bumping fists...”

I may have found a new #blamesitonlitsy favorite! I read this warm, sweet contemporary and loved the characters (who actually talk to each other to resolve their issues, gasp!) and the dialogue. 5⭐
#romantsy

Every time I get to rec Lucy Parker is a joy. I took out my Yesterday and Today Vinyl copy where you can find “Act Naturally”. #heyjune
@Cinfhen
@GypsyKat

An actor and actress pretending to be an item to save his moody reputation. Not steamy enough for me. I admit I like my romance a little more physical.

I loved this! A cute fun book about 2 theatre actors being kind of forced into pretending to date for PR reasons and feelings change....I also loved that the book is mostly set in London #MarchBooks #romance #fakerelationship

So far in enjoying this book 💜🌌💫 #theatre #romance

Smart rom-com that celebrates being an adult, being smart, standing up for yourself with humour and sass. Makes me want to raise my fist and shout “ I'm good, just watch me!” #happinessisresistance #🎉

#backlistupdates

Because this romcom fake relationship made me laugh out loud and made me laugh at the clever references sprinkled all through the story. This one made me laugh at a time I really needed it. Recommended if romance sprinkled with smart and humor is your jam. #survivingdecember #wanttolaugh

1. Act Like It by Lucy Parker
2. I can‘t watch book tubers for the same reason I can‘t do audiobooks or podcasts. People talking at me stresses me out.
3. Lord Peter Wimsey
4. See #2
5. 💨
#friyayintro

Personalized copies are the best!🙌

#romantsy #signed #booksanddessert

This was a lovely #blameitonLitsy #romantsy ebook. A fun romance between actors on the London stage. I kept picturing Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard the grumpy star of the production. Lainie is asked to pretend date Richard for publicity purposes only? Predictable but engaging👍

Get ready for reviews because I AM BACK.
This book was seriously so cute and sweet and I couldn't get enough of it. It took me a bit to get through it only because when you're on the struggle bus. A good romance without it being erotica, fun. And would highly recommend.

Don't mind me, just over here reading romance like it's my job! I read both of these in a day apiece because I can't resist a grumpy hero with a heart of gold. 😍#romantsy

That moment when you read so many books in June that you need two collages. 🙈😝

Highlights were a reread of Persuasion, The Wright Brothers, the Chronicles of St. Mary's, and Lucy Parker's two books.

(2/2) #juneinreview #monthinreview

This is yummy so far. So well written. Also it counts for the heroine smells like food item square for #therippedbodicebingo ! #romantsy

This was so good! A London-based romance with a heroine with an actual personality and no clinically detailed sexy scenes! Yay!

I'm supposed to be running a ton of errands while my kids are at art camp this morning. But I'm taking a few minutes to sneak a chapter here and there between stops. 🙂

So it turns out that Elle Pierson is actually the pen name of Lucy Parker, whose wonderful #romance novels (Act Like It and Pretty Face) I adore! Artistic License (available at Amazon and Smashwords) is definitely going to the top of my May #TBR! 📚

Act Like It by @LucyParker for today's #RomBkLove because it has two of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers (or love-hate relationship) and pretend relationships.💖 This romance set in West End is one of my favorites, and I'm looking forward to more from this author! #romantsy

A philanthropic actress is talked into faux-dating one of her co-stars to improve his cantankerous public image. Slowly but surely the ice between the two melts into a sassy and happy romance. I loved the banter between the two and the realistic look at how people relate to others in a relationship. It made me so happy!
#romantsy #chaosandordermuppets #crankynobles

This book was everything I love in a contemporary romance. Smart and funny with a competent and witty heroine. Tons of chemistry and lots of verbal sparring. There was a modern day Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy dynamic between the two main characters, and it worked wonderfully. I stayed up too late to finish this last night, and I was grinning like a fool most of the time. I'd heard nothing but raves for this book, and it lived up to the hype. #romantsy

All of the books on my immediate TBR are books I own in physical form, but I'm on a train for a quick trip and traveling super light, which means e-reader. I'm well stocked in ebooks. Decided to go for this contemporary romance that I keep hearing raves about.

Oops! Forgot to post my #monthlystats for March a few days ago...

A cute romance, epecially with the theatre element. At first, I really didn't think I would like the male love interest, but he grew on me and I came to love the relationship between the protagonists.

Doing it.

Only two chapters in and already one Doctor Who reference and one P&P reference! #romantsy

Reread. A fun contemporary romance with a theater setting! The set up is one that's tough to pull off, but I think Parker managed it.

Noooooooooooo. #byronwatch #shutupbyron (Context: my librarian book club hates Byron and now he's everywhere. Like, maybe haunting us.)