Book review – From London With Love by Jemma Forte

Everyone wants to be famous, don’t they?

Not Jessica Granger. Her father was the movie star who played the world’s favourite James Bond and, worse, her mother was voted sexiest-ever Bond Girl for her role as Heavenly Melons. Like it or not, fame is in her blood.

But Jessica dearly wants to be someone in her own right.

So she flees Hollywood for London, seeking independence in a city where nobody knows her name. But when she finds a job as a celebrity booker on a chat show she realizes the more friends she makes, the harder it is to keep up the lies about who she is. And when Jessica falls for Paul, a writer on the show, her life as a double agent causes double trouble.

With the truth of her past about to explode into her new world, can Jessica convince Paul she’s the real deal? Or maybe a sprinkling of the old 007 magic will spice up her love life?

Every so often a book comes along that surprises me and this summer it’s From London With Love by Jemma Forte. I loved the cover straight away and I was expecting a fun chicklit read but I  literally could not put this book down once I’d started reading and even though it’s a big read at almost 500 pages, I didn’t want it to end and could happily have carried on reading about Jessica, her family and friends all day!

The story follows Jessica Grainger, daughter of Bond actor Edward Grainger and A-list actress Angelica Dupree as she moves to London for the summer in an attempt to escape the shadow of her famous parents and make her own way in the world for a little while. I like Jessica’s character straight away; she’s self-aware and desperately wants her independence but at the same time has led a pampered and protected life so is quite naive when it comes to the practicalities which makes for some amusing moments as she sets out on her own. Jessica’s heart is definitely in the right place and her earnestness really endeared her to me. As well as the contrast between Jessica’s glam Malibu lifestyle and her ‘normal’ London existence, Jemma Forte also brings the cultural differences between the characters from the US and the UK out really well too showing a sharp sense of humor.

I thought all of the characters were well written and although this book has quite a large cast, the variety of characters and their individual threads of storyline kept the plot moving at a good pace but didn’t feel overwhelming with Jessica as the focal point around which the sub-plots revolve. Jessica’s new work colleagues in London come across as relistic and excel at exhibiting a dry British wit and I thought Jessica’s manager Kerry was fab. I loved Jessica’s Dad Edward as the action hero with a softer side and as a mum I couldn’t help sympathise with struggling worn out mum Diane (the wife of Jessica’s boss, Mike) and I think a lot of readers will find something to identify with in From London with Love.

Jemma’s writing style is witty and fresh and she gets the balance just right between lighthearted humour and more serious issues which the book doesn’t shy away from.  I laughed out loud or smiled to myself so many times whilst reading and for me thats the mark of a brilliant read. For the romantics out there, there are love stories aplenty with a number of relationships at different stages. I enjoyed the slow burn and drama of Jessica and Paul’s relationship but also loved the storyline involving Jessica’s parents and Jessica’s best friend Dulcie made me smile with her wedding obsession.

As the story progresses and Jessica ties herself in knots trying to keep her identity a secret, From London with Love has a great message about not judging a book by its over and being who you really are. Coupled with the Bond theme throughout, this is a fun summer read with more than a touch of A-list glamour.  This is Jemma’s second novel and I’ll definitely be going back to read her first, Me and Miss M as soon as possible. Perfect for fans of Paige Toon and Lindsay Kelk, I’d highly recommend adding From London with Love to your summer reading list!

5/5

From London  with Love is released today and I’d like to thank Jemma for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Jemma Forte and her books at: http://jemmaforte.com/