Review: 'The Reluctant Celebrity' by Laurie Ellingham (2015)

Some people crave fame, others can't escape it.
When property developer and loner, Jules Stewart, comes face-to-face with her former self grinning back from the front page of Britain's most popular tabloid, escape is not an option.
With a new house determined to remain derelict, a nosy village determined to befriend her, and a gorgeous pub owner determined to undress her, life for Jules is difficult enough. But add a famous ex-boyfriend set to ruin her life (for the second time), a newspaper eager to expose her, and everyone she has ever known desperate for their fifteen minutes of fame...
Can Jules protect herself from getting hurt again? Or will her perfectly built life crumble at the same rate as her house?
Today I have another book review to share with all of you; one for a book I am sorry to say has spent quite a lot of time on my TBR-pile! Sometimes I wish I could read 24/7 in order to read all the review books I want to read much faster, but I'm only human, so occasionally things just take longer than I would like... Unfortunately! However, it doesn't make me any less excited to finally share my review of Laurie Ellingham's novel 'The Reluctant Celebrity', which was released by Austin Macauley in May 2015, with all of you today. It was a book that caught my interest straight away and I was quite excited to finally find the time to sit down with it and give it a try (If you want to find out more about Laurie Ellingham, click here)!
Juliet Stewart, known to her friends as Jules, has been trying for a few years to leave her past behind, and so far she has done a pretty good job. Her relationship with famous model and singer Guy Rawson ended quite suddenly when they were in their twenties, and Guy has gone on becoming a celebrity while Jules has mainly stayed hidden in the shadows, focusing on her job as a property developer. Her newest project is a house in a small village; a house she can see herself living in and perhaps even start a family. But all hell breaks loose when Jules' face unexpectedly appears on the front page of Britain's most popular tabloid. It seems Guy couldn't keep his mouth shut and decided to share his and Jules' relationship with the world. For what reason Jules doesn't know, but all of a sudden everyone seems to want something from Jules and her idea of a quiet life in a small village suddenly seems far, far away...
'The Reluctant Celebrity' is a rather quick read with just over 245 pages and a really enjoyable one. The storyline isn't too original (normal girl used to date famous celebrity, they broke up, circumstances result in them meeting up again after several years), but author Laurie Ellingham managed to give it her own twist with a group of interesting characters and an engaging plotline overall. Protagonist Jules is easy to warm to and I really liked that the story was told from both her and her ex Guy's perspective, providing the reader with a look at both their feelings. Flashbacks to the past show what happened previously, and this really made me feel like I got to know Jules and understood her decisions and feelings. 
The story is mainly set in a small town and I really liked the feeling of this small place where all the villagers know each other and take care of one another. Next to Jules herself there were some lovely secondary characters, such as the loveable Terri and handsome pub owner Rich. The book can be described as a modern-day romance read, and it was a read which I really enjoyed and which also made me more curious about author Laurie Ellingham's writing. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long before she treats us to another novel! Overall I thought 'The Reluctant Celebrity' was a fast-paced and entertaining chick lit read with a basic but enjoyable plotline and a good cast of characters; a novel that especially comes recommended if you're looking for a quick, enjoyable, light read!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.