Review: 'Who Does He Think He Is?' by Emily Kerr (2016)

Lady Aurelia Osbourne-Lloyd has long wished her bank balance was as big as her name. But her home, Leydale Park, is more of a pile in a state than stately pile, and with her father off ‘finding himself’ in Thailand, it’s up to her to turn the family fortunes around by entertaining demanding tourists. 
When – thanks to her father’s interference – a Hollywood production company chooses the estate as a location for a Regency movie, a whole new level of chaos enters Aurelia’s life. Her quiet days shattered and privacy non-existent, she has no choice but to go with the flow and let them take over. 
Never mind the added distraction of dishy leading man, Xander Lord, who may have an ulterior motive for wanting to get close to her… 
Can Aurelia keep her cool in light of all the upheaval?
At the end of last year I was contacted by author Emily Kerr with the request to read and review her debut novel 'Who Does He Think He Is?'; I straight away liked the sound of the novel and especially the Jane Austen-esque feel of the story. As a big Jane Austen fan I am almost always up for novels that somehow resemble her stories, in one way or another, and the promise of a romantic comedy read is also always enough for me to want to sit down with a particular book. I was curious to give this new author a chance, and even though it took me a bit of time to finally sit down with this novel (sorry about that, Emily!), I was definitely excited to give it a go!
Aurelia Osbourne-Lloyd loves her gorgeous home, Leydale Park, but taking care of a country estate is not an easy task; a task that is made even more difficult with her father at the other side of the world trying to 'find his true self' and their bank account getting closer and closer to 0. So when Aurelia's home is suddenly taken over by a Hollywood film production, she realises she should be happy with the chance, but the chaos it brings is definitely one of the down sides. Leading actor Xander Lord happens to be a nice distraction, but Aurelia knows she needs to stay focused on saving the Yorkshire family estate; because if she does not do it, who will...?
Emily Kerr's 'Who Does He Think He Is?' is a greatly entertaining chick lit read that shows how fantastic it can be when a British country estate meets the glamour and gossip of a Hollywood film set. Main character Aurelia is trying her very best to save her beloved family home, Leydale Park, from disaster but the financial trouble only seems to get worse, especially when every single room seems to need some renovation work and serious TLC. Luckily, her father arranges for the house to be the setting of a new Hollywood film, starring heartthrob Xander Lord. Before she knows it, Aurelia's home is filled with lights, cameras and actors, and this results in some great reading. If a story is set at a lovely British country estate, you can usually already count me in, but I honestly really enjoyed what Emily Kerr did in this novel and how she gave the story her own touch.
I notice that these days sometimes the romantic sparks seem to be missing in many chick lit reads, and characters are paired off together and I just really don't feel it. It might just be me, but I'm glad to say the sparks were definitely there in this novel and I loved that feeling of wanting to turn the pages of a book, curious to see what is going to happen next and whether 'they' will end up together or not. I was slightly disappointed by the lead-up to the ending of the story, it all felt a bit rushed, but overall I was quite impressed with this debut novel and can't wait to read more. All in all, 'Who Does He Think He Is?' Is a fast-paced, fun and simply lovely chick lit read with a great setting and good characters at its core; suitable reading material for any chick lit or romcom fan!

Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.