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Book Review
Feb. 1st, 2026 06:01 pmAct Like It
by Lucy Parker
This fun romance was set in the London West End stage and concerns two actors, Richard and Lainie, who are in a period production together. They reluctantly agree to stage a fake romance between the two of them to boost the play and Richard's image, since he is a little on the difficult side. As they get to know each other better, a real relationship springs up.
I quite enjoyed this one. I very much liked the theater setting, especially since Parker shows us both the glamorous and not-so glamorous sides. Plus, having actors for the leads lends itself well to witty banter. Lainie is a very sympathetic character. She's earlier in her career than Richard, and is largely the sunshine to is grumpy. She was kind and caring, and I liked how that manifested not just in her relationship with Richard but also in her involvement with a cancer charity. Richard was indeed grumpy and kind of a pill, but he does allow himself to be vulnerable with Lainie, and we get to see his best qualities. He turns out to have a very sweet side and to genuinely look out for Lainie. I actually liked how he doesn't have a seismic change - he remains grumpy and prickly, his relationship with Lainie just makes his best side come into the foreground.
by Lucy Parker
This fun romance was set in the London West End stage and concerns two actors, Richard and Lainie, who are in a period production together. They reluctantly agree to stage a fake romance between the two of them to boost the play and Richard's image, since he is a little on the difficult side. As they get to know each other better, a real relationship springs up.
I quite enjoyed this one. I very much liked the theater setting, especially since Parker shows us both the glamorous and not-so glamorous sides. Plus, having actors for the leads lends itself well to witty banter. Lainie is a very sympathetic character. She's earlier in her career than Richard, and is largely the sunshine to is grumpy. She was kind and caring, and I liked how that manifested not just in her relationship with Richard but also in her involvement with a cancer charity. Richard was indeed grumpy and kind of a pill, but he does allow himself to be vulnerable with Lainie, and we get to see his best qualities. He turns out to have a very sweet side and to genuinely look out for Lainie. I actually liked how he doesn't have a seismic change - he remains grumpy and prickly, his relationship with Lainie just makes his best side come into the foreground.
