Review: The Austen Playbook and Headliners

Back near the start of the pandemic (remember how naive we were?), Harlequin sent out an email with a few titles for reviewers to check out because they thought readers might be looking for some sweet Happily Ever After stories to sink into. They thought correctly and I requested two that ended up being part of the same series - Lucy Parker's London Celebrities series. 

The Austen Playbook follows Freddy, a theatre actress in London, and Griff, a theatre critic, as their lives collide. They've always been aware of each other, given their professions, but they're thrown together in the most unlikely of circumstances as Griff's family estate is playing host to a unique play that Freddy is taking part in. They're staging a play inspired by some of Jane Austen's most famous characters that will be aired on live TV. Not only that, the audience gets to vote on how the play proceeds. Sort of like a choose your own adventure but...televised live. Just a bit stressful, eh? 

The next book is Headliners and, as you may expect if you've read the preceding novel, it features Sabrina, Freddy's older sister, and Nick. The two are evening TV news presenters and they've both taken major hits to their careers. The owner of the news station decides to make them work for their careers and they're thrust together to co-host the network's struggling morning show. They hate each other...at least, that's what they think at the start. As you may imagine, those feelings start to change.

Each novel could be described as an enemies-to-lovers story (though Freddy and Griff's is more of an opposites attract but they did know each other and I wouldn't call them friends or even acquaintances...I think there was a healthy dislike there). And, I admit, this is not one of my favourite tropes. Intellectually, I just don't love the idea of people despising each other and then, wham, they want to hop into bed together. But...I'll admit that many authors know how to tell a good story and I almost always end up enjoying the ride as the characters realize their strong feelings for the other have shifted in a surprising way.

I hadn't read the first books in the London Celebrities series but I don't think you really need to. I would, however, recommend you don't jump into Headliners without first reading The Austen Playbook. A lot happens in Freddy's story that directly impacts what happens in Sabrina's and you'll get a much better sense of the sisters and their lives if you read the books together. 

I really adored Freddy and Sabrina. Their mom died when they were very young and Sabrina had to step up and become more mom than older sister to Freddy (which, of course, has it's own set of issues the pair had to deal with over the course of the novels). Their father was an actor but was injured on set and now managed Freddy's careers (again...much frustration, much drama). The women were close, which was so great, and they had their sibling squabbles like any others (made me miss my sister, that's for sure). They're both smart, funny, and had such warm and welcoming personalities that it was a delight to read their stories - and as the men in their lives realized that they had been idiots and could not live without them. 

The setting of these novels was absolutely delightful. I had a whirlwind trip to Edinburgh before the world shut down and I also spent an evening hitting the top sights in London before flying home the next day. The books are set in London and I was feeling a bit nostalgic for the sightseeing tour my sister brought me on. I also liked that part of Freddy's story took place at a countryside estate because it was just so quintessential England to me. (Maybe that's just the Canadian in me.)

I think I liked Headliners more than The Austen Playbook but both of Lucy Parker's novels were a balm to this romance lover's soul while dealing with all the pandemic has brought upon us. They were sweet and sexy, fun and dramatic, and both had the most delightful Happily Ever Afters. Check them out if you're also in need of an escape!

*Copies of these novels were provided by the publisher, Harlquin, via NetGalley, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*