Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare AshtonFinding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton is the kind of tender and delightful romance that I have been yearning to read.

Jessica Lambert seems to have everything that anyone could ever want and need because she has a very lucrative career as a movie star and she has the fame and fortune to go along with it but she is very close to burning out. As soon as Jessica arrives in London for the premiere of her latest film, she realizes that she has zero privacy because everyone knows who she is and she just can’t seem to catch a break. When the intense stares become too much for her, she panics and runs through the dark streets of London. Jessica is taken in and protected by an alluring stranger named Anna. Jessica enjoys the peace and quiet of Anna’s lovely roof-top home and it has become a safe haven for her.

Jessica knows why she wants to hide from the world but what is Anna hiding from? More importantly, will their instant connection blossom into something more or will it dry up when they reveal who they truly are to each other?

The Characters

April: Jessica Lambert is an actress and her name is on everyone’s tongue. She’s a superstar who is wanted by many, despised by a few critics and journalists and dearly loved by all of her fans. She has the biggest heart ever and she always tries to live by the principles that she believes in. I’m not going to lie, I fell arse over tit in love with this gorgeous lady from the moment she was first mentioned and I’m insanely jealous of Anna right now. Just saying…

Anna Mayhew is a voice coach but she was once a well-known actress in the theatre industry. She had to give up on acting indefinitely because of circumstances beyond her control and my heart really went out to Anna because acting meant everything to her. Anna is loyal to a fault and she loves her best friend, Penny and her daughter and she will go to the moon and back for them. I’m not ashamed to admit that there were so many times in this story where I would have given anything just to be able to hear Anna’s melodious voice (dreamy sigh…)

Jessica’s grandma had me doubled over and chuckling at her humorous wisecracks and she is definitely a Caribbean woman through and through! She is fun-loving and boisterous and she gets even louder when she is happy or excited about something and she also loves to cook and bake delicious treats just as much as I do!

I couldn’t get enough of Penny because she reminds me of my best friend. What you see is definitely what you will get with her and she always says whatever comes to mind no matter how weird or embarrassing it may be.

The Writing Style

April: Clare Ashton deserves the highest of fives for this beautiful story because she blew my mind with the way she crafted the intimate moments between Jessica and Anna. I also loved the way she portrayed the inner turmoil and the conflicting emotions that Anna and Jessica were experiencing. I will always be a huge fan of Clare Ashton’s flawless and heartwarming writing style and I’m an even bigger fan of the unforgettable and relatable characters she brings to life.

The Narration

Victoria: I thoroughly enjoyed the narration provided by Gabrielle Baker. Her voice is not perfect, and it doesn’t sound like the tenor of an otherworldly goddess. That’s exactly why I appreciated it. It sounds like a charismatic woman telling a compelling story, and that hooked me. Oftentimes I get an audiobook, and it sounds like the narrator’s performance is more important than the story.

Baker’s voicing of the characters is splendid. When I first read the book, I had tried very hard to hear Jess’s accent in my mind. Baker brings her to life and imbues her with youthful energy and genuineness tempered by the anxiety and weariness that’s a byproduct of her life under the spotlight. Baker’s voicing of Anna is compelling. First off, she makes her sound more mature in years without it sounding like a caricature. I’ll say it, it’s downright sexy. There are many layers to the performance which is exactly what Anna’s character calls for. She’s a complex mix of trepidation, anxiety, and vulnerability, who’s yearning to recapture the joy and exuberance she felt in her youth.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes where the two women are flirting and exploring the chemistry building between them. These are even more lovely when juxtaposed with the scenes where they’re performing in front of a live audience or in front of the camera. There’s such a broad spectrum of nuanced emotion felt by these characters, and the narration highlights that.

Simply put, this is a delightful audiobook.

The Pros

April: I don’t think there’s anything that can top hanging out with Anna and Jessica as they embark on journeys of self-discovery while they are learning to fully embrace the careers that they are passionate about. I can’t act to save my life but it was wonderful indeed to live vicariously through these amazing women.

The Cons

April: You won’t get any complaints from me!

The Conclusion

aprils favourite booksvictorias favourite booksApril: Do you enjoy romances with stunning actresses, nosey best friends, quirky grandmas and enough underlying family drama to keep you entertained long into the night? Then look no further because I believe this story has your name on it! I’ll always treasure this story because I really bonded with Jessica and Anna and I’m pretty sure you’ll adore them as well.

Excerpt from Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton

The woman from the Tube chatted at the counter to a young man and middle-aged woman with long black hair streaked with grey. There was an exchange of handshakes and a kiss on the cheek from the older woman who held Jess’s companion’s arm and chatted with a warm intensity. The familiarity was comforting, as was their disinterest in Jess, and she let go of another wave of tension and shuffled into her seat.

The woman concluded her chat and slid into the booth seat opposite and Jess only had a moment to take her in while she made herself comfortable. A white woman, late thirties or early forties, she guessed. Naturally pale skin or skin that hadn’t seen the sun in a while, high cheek bones and a patrician demeanor.

“You can relax here,” the woman said, her voice doing as much as the setting to soothe Jess. She was well-spoken, as Jess’s mother would have described. “Posh” her nan would have cackled. It was nothing like Jess’s accent, or as it had been. Its corners had been rounded over the last few years, only coming out in full force on the phone to her parents, slipping into Brummie and saying “Mom” instead of “Mum” and lapsing into Northern idioms with her dad, with a few choice Jamaican Patois phrases from her Nan’s early life. Jess’s accent was a blend with the flavour of many places and unmistakably British.

This woman sitting a metre away, perhaps existed in a completely different world. She came from a different generation and class, probably shopped in places Jess still wouldn’t dream of frequenting. Jess may be one degree of separation from a millionaire on the other side of the world but many from this countrywoman. Was it possible, but for that chance meeting on the Tube, neither would have known of each other’s existence?

That seemed incredible and exciting all at once, and the possibility filled Jess with a strange hope. Perhaps this was the only person in London who didn’t have an ulterior motive and had simply offered help to a young woman called Jess.

“I’ve ordered a dessert mezze with your coffee,” the woman said. “Eat as little or as much as you like but I thought sugar and caffeine might help steady you. I’ll wait until it arrives and you feel comfortable.”

“Thanks,” Jess said. At least she was capable of speech now. “Thank you.”

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Bits and Bobs

ISBN number: 9798655158085

Publisher: Indie author

Audiobook Publisher: Tantor Audio

Narrator: Gabrielle Baker

Clare Ashton Online 

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