Already a huge fan of Parker's first book, I went in to Pretty Face with incredibly high hopes - and I was not disappointed! A wonderfully funny, delightful, sexy, and engaging modern romance with a theater backdrop that seems to jump right off the page!

i picked up act like it a while back, and loved it so much that i periodically would check to see if the author had published anything else. so i was really excited when i saw that pretty face was available for request. set in the same west end world as act like it, we get close-up and personal with the london celebrities that inhabit it.

luc savage is in the family business, his mother is a world-renowned opera singer, his father an acclaimed actor, while he is a big-deal director on the london stage scene. he's in the process of opening his own theater and setting up the world premiere of 1553, a tudor-era period drama. for a host of reasons, lily lamprey is in the running to play elizabeth. except she has one big problem, her speaking voice is not good. in fact, it's especially terrible when you consider that on a stage you need to project and do it for an extended period of time. it's described as being somewhere in the range of film noir and chipmunk, or marilyn monroe on acid. and i actually know someone who speaks like that and oh dear god it's the most irritating sound a person could make and there would be no way i'd sit through a performance if one of the leads spoke like that the whole time. especially if she has a lot of lines.

but, luc sees that there is a possibility. there is the chance that she can be properly trained. and she's otherwise perfect for the role. and maybe perfect for him, even though he doesn't date younger women, and dating actresses is a terrible idea, which he knows from previous experience. the thing is he can't keep away from her. he finds her so compelling, enchanting, irritating and confounding. and she feels the same way. and the attraction that builds and builds between them is so well-paced and when they finally reach the breaking point it's so perfect.

except, lily is hoping this play is her big break into acting. she's well-known, but not for anything good. she's played a twit on the popular soap opera knightsbridge and she's yearning for something more respectable, more aspirational on her résumé. and sleeping with the director is possibly the dumbest thing she could do. because of course everyone is going to think that she slept her way into the role. but they work through all these things. and it's all so wonderful, they are adults, real adults. yes they have their foibles, they aren't perfect. they're human. and these characters are so real, and their feelings run so deeply through every word, that you almost forget that you're reading a story.

and yes, there is a moment of crisis, and luc and lily separate, take some time apart. but their feelings are never really in doubt. luc is clear that he loves lily and that he will be there for her when she is ready. and she is grieving and lost and sad and angry and maybe taking some of her abandonment issues out on luc. but she does figure these things out. and when they do come back together, it's so freaking romantic.

and then we get this bonus epilogue scene. and it's like the final scene in the kiera knightley-matthew macfayden pride & prejudice where the characters are incandescently happy and you are so happy and so sad because the story has ended and you just wish you could live in that world forever. it's seriously the best ever. and god, i can't wait to read whatever lucy parker writes next.

Lucy Parker was one of my favorite author finds last year. I devoured and thoroughly enjoyed her book Act Like It after recommendations from a couple of friends. To say that I was excited when I received her newest, Pretty Face, would be an understatement of epic proportions. I quit whatever I was reading at the time, and jumped right into the story. Once again, Lucy Parker has crafted what has got to be one of my favorite books of all time in a smart, delightful and romantic packaging.

There are two main reasons why I find Lucy Parker's books to be huge successes for me, the first being her characterizations. She writes characters that are memorable in every way. In Pretty Face, she introduces readers to Luc and Lily, two characters who charmed me and stole my heart throughout the book. I loved them both so much as individuals and as the story progressed, I grew even fonder of them. We have Lily, a 26 year old soap opera actress who is seen as nothing but a pretty face thanks to her sexy-breathy voice and has a hard time getting people to see her as an actress with potential. I felt for her and her dilemma, and also admired her tenacity to reach her goals. There was something about her voice that I connected with and I think a lot of readers will connect with too. Then we have Luc, a 40 year play director, who was more on the mature, grumpy and gruffy side. As you can imagine, I fell hopelessly in love with Luc, and even though he could be a bit of an ass at times, he was a man who was willing to admit when he was wrong.

The second reason why I love Lucy Parker's books are her smart romances. The romance in Pretty Face had plenty of tropes that I absolutely adore including, forbidden romance and hate-to-love, and they were executed perfectly. Both Lily and Luc have pre-conceived notions of each other, and they battle it out with words when they first meet. Over the course of Luc's play, they begin to see each other in different lights. The romance had a slow and sultry quality to it, filled with lots of witty banter, smart dialogue and deliciously subtle swoony scenes. The thing that's so great about Parker's mastery in writing these romances is that she doesn't have to rely on heavily explicit sex scenes to show readers the explosive chemistry between her couples. No, she does that through the small, but charged touches and looks here and there. Lily and Luc's emotional connection had my heart aching and racing, and yes I realize I sound like I was having heart failure, but that is exactly how I felt. I simply could not get enough of them and what was even better, this was a couple that talked, and avoided major misunderstandings in the process. Family dynamics and the London theatre scene were also at the center of Pretty Face, and they yet more aspects of Pretty Face that were written flawlessly. It was interesting to read how all these bonds these characters had infiltrated every essence of their lives.

As you can tell, Pretty Face is going down as one of the best romance books that I have ever read. My romance nerds, if you haven't read Lucy Parker's charming books yet, I need you all to read her books. I promise that with this breathtaking book, your reading lives will be changed 100% for the better. While I wait for the author to pen her next book, I will be eagerly re-devouring Pretty Face and Act Like It.

Pretty Face is the second novel I have read by author Lucy Parker. The originality of the book blurb is what drew me into this story, and from the very first chapter I was hooked. This book primarily takes place in London's West End, where the cut throat world of live theater has the ability to make or break an established director or a rising star.

Lily Lamprey is s popular TV soap opera actress with a lot of potential. She is used to showbiz, since her disinterested parents are in the entertainment business as well. Being cast in director Luc Savage's latest play is the opportunity of a lifetime, and she can not wait for the rehearsals to begin. Luc has a lot riding on this production, since he is not only the director of the play, he is also using his personal funds to renovate the theater the cast is performing in.

Lily and Luc share an instant chemistry that cannot be denied. Their age difference, Luc's prior relationship with his lead actress, and the fact that Luc is Lily's boss, all contribute to their new romance ending before it even begins. The paparazzi, as well as the tabloid London Celebrity, go after Luc with a vengeance. By association, Lily has become the poster child of meaningless fodder. Luckily, love does conquer all.

I really liked this slightly emotional romance, however I found the English references and colloquialisms to be a little difficult to decipher. The second half of the story was fast-paced and the plot twisted and turned in all the right places. Lily and Luc are well-defined characters, and their sexual tension was truly well executed. Overall, this is a well written and extremely impassioned novel.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

a good romance with an interesting plot. Enjoyed from start to finish.

I had a pre-order on this book when I got the chance to read an ARC via Netgalley. And ofcourse I grabbed that chance!

It is set in the West End, like the earlier book 'Act like it', but I loved this one so much more. With a typical British flavor and simply good writing the story is about young beautiful soap actress Lily Lamprey auditioning for a new play. The director, Luc Savage, at first has his doubts but decides to give her the opportunity. Their developing relationship is fodder for the press and threatens her career.

As simple as this sounds, the story is so much more. Lily has a complicated background and trust issues and Luc is somewhat older and is wary at first of starting something with someone who works for him and is younger (she is 26). I liked their interactions, the warmth in their relationship. No unneccessary drama for the sake of drama. I loved this book and label it my first favorite of 2017.

When I started this book, I was vaguely worried. "Act Like It" was such a fabulous book, would Parker be able to follow it with a book that was as wonderful? Short answer -- Yes. Yes she can.
Luc Savage is used to being in the spotlight. His longtime girlfriend just broke up with him and then married another man less than three months later. Luc isn't worried about that, he just wants to get his next play on the books. But to do that, he needs to find his Elizabeth I. The too-appealing, breathy soap actress, Lily Lamprey is not exactly his first choice. Or even on his list. But her godfather and Luc's friend/casting director are both insistent that Lily could work.
Lily wants to be on the stage. She knows that her voice will need work but she wants to act. She's used to people dismissing her because of her pretty face and large boobs but when Luc Savage does it, she's ready to fight back. Even if he does set off flutters in her belly.
There is a 13 year age gap between the two but I feel like Parker handled it well, addressing it but not making it the main premise of their relationship hurdles. I really enjoyed that Luc and Lily had grown-up conversations about how to deal with their problems. And they took their relationship slow rather than just hopping into bed. There are some rough spots but those may be ironed out by the time the final version comes out.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out February 20

4.5 stars. I loved Lucy Parker's first romance, Act LIke It, and her second contemporary rom-com lives up to the first -- utterly charming and fun. The story is fresh and witty, and full of banter and warmth. The characters are relatable and interesting, and I loved the slow-burn development of their relationship. The West End theatre setting shines here, too. Highly entertaining and romantic.

Worth the wait! After Lucy Parker's amazing Act Like It her newest book knocks it out of the park. Pretty Face sets us up with two characters who try their hardest not to want each other. Watching them fall for each other and deal with the consequences was both hilarious and sweet.

This is by far one of my favorite romance books in a while. It's so fresh and romantic as heck. The main characters are so fun and fit together so well that you love them and ship them since the start. I couldn't stop reading tbh. If you enjoyed ACT LIKE IT by this author, I am sure you will love this more.

✓ The heroine has 26 years old and the hero has 40 years old
✓ He is the director of a play in London and she is the new actress
✓ It's kinda forbidden shrugs it's so good
✓ DON'T YOU JUST LOVE WHEN THEY HAVE LOTS OF BODY CONTACT like they need to be touching each other (example: holding hands, touching their hair, their back, their neck)

Lucy Parker has blessed us all with this story, thank you so much.

I don't know if the word LOVE is strong enough to sum up my feelings. So perfectly executed, everything about this book made me happy. The characters were dynamic, interesting, and relatable. There romance developed in a way that totally made sense. Every minute was such a joy and I can't recommend this enough.

This has been one of the most entertaining, funny and romantic stories I've read in a long time. This is exactly what I want (and what is so hard to find) when I choose to read a contemporary romance.

Before we get down to business, I would like to explain a thing or two:
1.- I live in Spain, where - I think- there is serious problem of lack of scruples and responsibility in the media called “tabloids”, so that´s why this story has seem so realistic to me. I say it in case someone (more fortunate) thinks that some of the situations described in the book are a bit exaggerated.

2.- There are also mild swearing. It didn´t bother me because people talk like that in the real world, there is not an excessive use, but I warn just in case, since I know that there are people who are bothered by it.


To call Luc Savage, theater director extraordinaire, curmudgeon is the understatement of the year. The guy is almost a tyrant. Strict. Serious. Workaholic. Luckily he's attractive, thank you, if not he would be an ogre ;)
And you can imagine how the poor thing feels when his casting director gives him no choice but to interview Lily Lamprey, soap opera actress extraordinaire, for one of the main roles in the play. Lily, blonde, with curves and whose role in the soap opera is the sexy airhead…


"It was the last straw when she seduced the vicar.”


Luc can´t believe it. And he does what the next guy would do: judge without knowing her and found her lacking.

But everything changes as soon as Lily, wanting to get rid of the role in which she has been pigeonholed for four years, does her very best and leaves a blinded-by-prejudices Luc stunned. Oh, and she also puts him in his place while she is at it. :))


“She studied him thoughtfully. “It´s a lost art, condescension. Most workplaces are so PC these days that you don´t get patronized in quite the same way.” ”


And so begins Luc and Lily´s journey in which they will have to balance their personal relationship with work and deal with the tabloids. Add some action and drama behind the scenes, a touch of theatrical culture, some very English relatives and people who knows what they want but not how to get it and you´ll have an entertaining, fresh and well written story.
The only fault I´d found is, and this is beginning to sounds like a personal quirk, that the epilogue has been a bit cheesy. But it has not made me enjoy the story less.

This author has a very convincing way of getting you involved in the story, making you connect with the characters, with what is happening to them and their actions. Lucy Parker has been my “Pier Piper from Hamelin”: she played the melody and I followed her. She has managed to convince and win me over. I loved it. :)


***

Esta ha sido una de las historias más entretenida, divertida y romántica que he leído en mucho tiempo. Esto es exactamente lo que quiero (y que es tan difícil de encontrar) cuando elijo leer un romance contemporáneo.

Antes de entrar de lleno en la reseña comentaré dos cosas:
1.- Vivo en España, donde -a mi parecer- hay un grave problema de falta de escrúpulos y de responsabilidad en los medios llamados “prensa rosa”, con lo cual esta historia me ha parecido tremendamente realista. Lo digo por si alguien (afortunado) piensa que es un poco exagerada alguna situación descrita en el libro.

2.- También hay algunas palabrotas. A mí no me ha importado porque en el mundo real la gente habla así, no hay un uso excesivo, pero como sé que hay gente a la que le afecta, dicho está.


Llamar a Luc Savage, director de teatro extraordinario, cascarrabias es quedarse muuuy corto. El tío es casi un tirano. Estricto. Serio. Adicto al trabajo. Menos mal que es atractivo, que si no sería un ogro ;)
Y ya te puedes imaginar cómo se pone la criatura cuando su directora de casting no le da otra opción que la de entrevistar a Lily Lamprey, actriz de telenovela extraordinaria, para uno de los papeles principales de la obra. Lily, rubia, con curvas y cuyo papel en la telenovela es la de sexy cabeza hueca.


“It was the last straw when she seduced the vicar.”

Luc no se lo puede creer. Y hace lo que todo hijo de vecino haría: juzgarla sin conocerla y declararla culpable.

Pero todo cambia en cuanto Lily, deseando de quitarse de encima el papel en el que lleva 4 años encasillada, pone toda la carne en el asador y deja atónito a un Luc que estaba cegado por los prejuicios. Ah, y además aprovecha para ponerlo en su sitio. :))

“She estudied him thoughtfully.” It´s a lost art, condescension. Most workplaces are so PC these days that you don´t get patronished in quite the same way”.”

A partir de este punto empieza el viaje de Luc y Lily en el cual tendrán que equilibrar su relación personal con el trabajo y lidiar con los medios sensacionalistas. Añade algo de acción y drama entre bambalinas, una pizca de cultura teatral, familiares muy ingleses y gente que sabe lo que quiere pero no cómo conseguirlo y tienes una comedia entretenida, fresca y bien escrita.
La única pega que le voy a poner es, y esto empieza a ser una manía personal, que el epílogo ha sido un pelín empalagoso. Pero no me ha hecho disfrutarla menos.

Esta autora tiene una manera muy convincente de involucrarte en la historia, de hacerte conectar con los personajes, con lo que les está pasando y con sus actos. Lucy Parker ha sido como mi “flautista de Hamelín”: ella tocaba la melodía y yo la seguía. Ha conseguido convencerme y conquistarme. Me ha encantado. :)

This is a very charming read.
It was my first encounter with Lucy Parker's writing, but it won't be my last. I like her style, the dialogues are amazing; but the characters are what won me over, they're interesting, well-developed, they feel realistic.
I am pretty sure that I'll be coming back to this book often in the future. A certain warmth oozes from it, it's irresistible.

Lucy Parker's ACT LIKE IT is one of my favorite rom-coms ever, to the point where I read it 3 times (!!!) last year, because it immediately became such a comfort book for me. (It's one of the few books I own as both an ebook and a paper book, because I want it always available!) So I couldn't wait to read PRETTY FACE, I was really excited to get an e-ARC of it...

...and it is actually even better than ACT LIKE IT - even smarter, even more mature, and oh, just *achingly* romantic in the best possible way. It's still fun and funny, but once the hero and heroine actually meet, after their initial bad impressions of each other, it trades some of the sheer comedy of ALI for an even more intense romance.

Lily and Luc are both incredibly smart, ambitious people who are both excruciatingly well-aware of just HOW bad an idea it would be for them to get romantically involved, for SO many excellent and undeniable reasons...but have such an intense and unmistakable emotional connection - a feeling of emotional *recognition* with each other, on a genuinely soul-deep level - that their relationship is utterly breathtaking to follow. I read the last 60% of the book in one intense 3-hour gulp because I COULD NOT STOP READING, even though it meant skipping a large chunk of my own scheduling writing session to do so. (And I'm a fairly driven, ambitious person myself! So I do NOT skip writing sessions lightly.)

And oh, the characters - ! Every character in this book feels real, down to the smallest side-characters. I loved the richness and complexity of ALL the relationships in this book, including family and friends as well as the central romance. And it's because they feel SO real that I cared so intensely about all of their fates.

In other words: this book is highly, highly recommended. I have my copy of the final ebook pre-ordered, and I really hope that Carina will issue a paperback edition of this one, too, so that I can have copies in both forms! I really, really loved this one.

Lucy Parker is so, so good at what she does. When reading her books, you always know that you are in safe hands, that the author knows exactly what she is doing. Her characters have such great chemistry, their interactions are always so full of wit and humour -- I finished this book with a smile on my face, and want to tell everyone I know about it. So lovely.

Pretty Face,  Lucy Parker

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  romance,

I loved this, so much so that I’m off to look for the previous novel, Act Like It. Its a story that’s such fun, full of humour, snappy sharp dialogue, real characters and problems and kept me reading “ just a bit more “ til I finished! Definitely one I’d re-read.

So I mentioned sharp dialogue, and that’s such a treat to find an author who doesn’t feel every word has to be simplified, brought down to lowest common denominator, have three syllables or less. There seems to be a real trend to “dumb down” language in so many books, and it turns stories from potentially good reads into meh-just-like-any-other read :-(
I want to enjoy the richness of language, to see  authors use it to really set free plots, to let me really feel I’m there, seeing what the characters see, feeling what they feel. I want to read words that make me think “not sure exactly what that is” and look it up – of course context provides an educated guess, but its fun learning new to me words. As I read a lot that’s a bit of a challenge but this book gave me a few new ones :-)

The characters were wonderful, I loved how Luc and Lily went from a bad start to a can’t keep hands off situation. I adored the clever and witty humour, which kept me sniggering. Wish I could think of things like that when I need instead of coming out with the mundane and conventional, and only thinking long after of things I could have said....
Lily’s speech issues reminded me so much of UK actress Sandra Dickinson ( think that’s her name), a gorgeous lady with a voice that really just comes out as a kind of breathy squeak. Our voices are so individual, and not everyone is blessed with a beautiful speaking one, some have ones that just make people snigger.
I remember some friends of ours from years back, sadly died now but back then one of the men was a very masculine type, but when the poor guy opened his mouth this high pitched squeak came out. People who didn’t know him would think he was taking the pi ss, and it must be very hard to deal with.

Its a very genuine kind of premise too, stage shows are hard work, illness, family issues, accidents all play a huge part and it must be a real nightmare getting a show to fruition.
I loved the way we saw it play out, understanding the minds of everyday pressures shows cause.
The characters were a good mix, and felt very true to type, and of course there’s the media, and they way everything gets exaggerated, a simple lunch together becomes a secret romantic assignation, catching someone as they trip turns into a passionate embrace, and of course the eternal “friends of ....said that....”
I have a real hatred of media hype – well, the truth twisting part - and yet clearly its what people want or they wouldn’t sell.

Its a great story, perfectly paced, loved the way Luc went from dismissing Lily as an airhead to not being able to keep his hands off. I enjoyed the fact that the characters were older – hurrah, romance isn’t confined to the younger generation!
I really liked the bit where everything falls apart, understood exactly how Lily felt, despite Luc not intending his actions to have that interpretation. That’s was so very believable, and made the drama perfect for me.

Overall a really fun read, with some solid drama and terrific humour.

Stars: Five, a great read when you need some decent romance with something extra that will make you smile.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

loved this book. Lily and Luc great couple

Lucy Parker’s début novel, Act Like It was – it seems – an instant hit, one of those books you suddenly see all over your Goodreads feed because all your friends are reading it. I’m confidently predicting the same for her follow up, Pretty Face, because it’s every bit as vibrant, funny, sexy and poignant as the first book – quite possibly even more so, on all counts. I finished the last page with a smile on my face and feeling uplifted - and wondering if I had the time to go back and read it all over again, which doesn’t happen very often, I can tell you.

Like its predecessor, Pretty Face is set amid the chaotic world of London’s West End, shedding light on all the behind the scenes activity that has to happen in order to mount a theatre production, and taking a good look at the impact of celebrity culture and media intrusion on the lives of those who work in that particular field.

Luc Savage is an extremely successful and respected director. He has the reputation of being something of a martinet – a stickler for discipline and professionalism and a hard task master, although not unfair or mean. The theatre is in his blood; his father is an actor, his mother an opera singer and over the past few years he has invested heavily – both in terms of money and time and effort – in renovating the Queen Anne Theatre, which has been owned and run by his family for generations, but which fell into disrepair some twenty-five years earlier. It’s a massive task for him both professionally and personally, but it’s nearing fruition and he has chosen to open with a production of 1553 a play by a multi-award winning young playwright and in which the three principal characters are Queen Mary I, Elizabeth Tudor and Lady Jane Grey. Having had to recast the role of Mary due to the fact that his long-time girlfriend, actress Margot Roy, recently left him to get married to an Italian opera singer, Luc now faces the prospect of having to re-cast Elizabeth, too, because the actress originally chosen has broken her leg. One of the young actresses on the list of potential replacements is Lily Lamprey, twenty-six, blonde, beautiful and the star of the hit historical drama-cum-soap opera, Knightsbridge, in which she plays the part of Gloria, a scheming man-stealer that viewers love to hate.

Luc knows that casting a popular TV star could be good publicity and increase ticket sales, but no way is he interested in bringing on board some Marilyn Monroe look-alike with a porn-star voice who probably needs direction to tie her own shoes. But his casting director – whom he trusts – thinks Lily has potential and eventually Luc is persuaded to give her an audition. And when he does, he’s surprised to discover that Lily definitely does have a certain something –

Under the soap-opera shit, an actor

- even though her voice is going to need work.

Lily landed the gig on Knightsbridge when she was fresh out of drama school, and now wishes she hadn’t been so quick to sign up for four years and wants to move on to something else. Her public persona has very much been shaped by the character she plays, and she is frequently depicted as being a blonde bimbo who will shag anything in trousers. It’s unkind and it’s upsetting, and she tries to ignore it – but there’s no doubt that it’s an image that’s going to be hard to shake, and has almost certainly counted against her when looking for other work. So to audition for Luc Savage is an amazing opportunity to change direction and make her name for something other than getting her kit off on a regular basis.

When Luc and Lily meet, their first impressions of each other are not good. Yet there’s something about Lily that slowly disarms Luc and before long he’s well and truly smitten; and when Lily starts to get to know the funny, charming man behind the persona, she is equally so. But with almost their every move under the microscope of the gossip columns – especially London Celebrity, whose editor has a grudge against Luc – there is no possibility of there being anything more between them than a working relationship. It’s a business in which image sticks and first impressions count, and Lily can’t afford to acquire a reputation for getting jobs via the casting couch – not like her mother, a well-known torch-singer who has never made a secret of using any means necessary in order to advance her career.

To say I loved this book is an understatement – I adored it. The romance is beautifully written and developed and the chemistry between Luc and Lily is explosive – their first kiss is one of the sexiest, most romantic I think I’ve ever read, and Ms. Parker has upped the heat level a little compared with Act Like It, writing a couple of sex scenes which are imbued with a gorgeous, tender sensuality that sends shivers up and down the spine.

One of the biggest draws, though, is the dialogue, which zings and sparkles with humour and wit in a way that left me slack-jawed with admiration – after I’d finished laughing, that is. Honestly, if I’d highlighted every brilliant one-liner, my Kindle copy would have one or more notes on almost every page; I’ve rarely read a book where the humour is so unforced and consistently funny, and that’s not easy to do. I also can’t deny that the book’s overall ‘Britishness’ made a really refreshing change. I read many, many books set in 19th Century England, and not infrequently find myself complaining about the number of words and expressions used that are not naturally English (i.e, Ye Olde Americanisms). But here, Ms. Parker - a New Zealander – is absolutely spot-on with British idioms and speech patterns and it’s both noticeable and noticeably different.

Luc and Lily are an extremely likeable pair who strike sparks off each other from the get go and are clearly perfect for each other. They click on every level, and I really loved the way in which their growing feelings for each other just … creep up on them. There’s no lightning strike or knocking sideways in the best dramatic tradition – it’s just a moment of gentle recognition:

And her pathetic, perverse, masochistic little heart went oh – it’s you.

Lily is beautiful and talented, but she has trust issues relating to the fact that she is the result of an affair between her career-minded mother and a married man, neither of whom have ever had a great deal of time for her. And everything she knows about Luc tells her he’s a workaholic who never prioritises his personal life, so she is just waiting for him to put work first and her second, even though it’s clear to the reader from his every word and action regarding her that he’s head-over-heels and in it for the long haul.

As for Luc, well he’s my first book-boyfriend of 2017. I mean, honestly, this?

Luc Savage looked like Gregory Peck, circa some dapper time between Roman Holiday and To Kill a Mockingbird. There was more bulk in the shoulders, silver in the hair and darkness in the soul; otherwise the resemblance was uncanny.

*swoon*.

But beneath the good looks is a genuine, caring man; a perfect mix of warm, funny, and irresistibly attractive, he’s a tough, determined professional but also someone who will move mountains for those he cares about.

Pretty Face is a terrific read and one I’m recommending wholeheartedly. Along with the funny, the romantic and the sexy, the author also makes some great points about sexism and celebrity culture, and writes moments of true poignancy that will have you reaching for the Kleenex. Act Like It put Lucy Parker on my auto-read list; Pretty Face has put her damn near the top of it, and I’m eager for more.

review by AAR's Caz

This is my first book by the author and I really enjoyed it. It stars Luc, a high profile director of the stage who wis putting together a production and Lily, who has a famous father, and is a soap actress. The story starts out when Luc's former girl friend and star of his show takes off with her new husband and he is forced to recast.

Lily wants to be on the stage though she has no experience and has a sexy voice but one not ready for the stage. The two meet and Luc hires her even though she needs work. This is an enjoyable story if you really enjoy a stage type of story.

Its heavily on the backstage workings or putting on a stage production. At times it almost seemed narrated and very cut and dried and less about each characters emotions. It was enjoyable and I really enjoyed the story but it was a very different writing style than I am used to.