Jackie’s Reading Corner

SYNOPSIS

June Bloom is twenty-nine, broke, and an aspiring comedy writer.

Hugo Best is a beloved late-night chat show host – and notorious womaniser – who invites her to his mansion for Memorial Day Weekend.

This is the story of their four days together.

Charting the four days June and TV icon Hugo Best spend together, Stay Up With Hugo Best is both smart and timely exploration of sexual politics in the #MeToo age, and the hilarious and poignant story of one young woman’s stumble into adulthood.

MY REVIEW

I was looking forward to reading this book, as it was something different, out of my comfort zone. Unfortunately I just found it hard to engage with the characters or the plot. Something light hearted, fun.

A young female, struggling to make it meets older iconic TV star, I just couldn’t find anything funny in it, I really hate to say that, maybe it’s me, maybe being older I just didn’t get it.

June wants to be a comedian, she wants to make it big, in an industry which is probably one of the hardest for both men and women. She is doing a stand up routine in a bit of a dive. Her comedy wasn’t even funny, would have been ok if what we actually read had been funny. It was more vulgar, again maybe me and my age. She comes across as if she feels entitled, but no one makes it with that attitude, it comes down to a good routine in a tough world. She is skint, and clearly isn’t going anywhere, and doesn’t even seem to have a back up plan.

After the open mic session, she meets celebrity Hugo Best, she has previously worked as a writers assistant for his late night show, she also had a crush on him when she was growing up. But his show has been cancelled so both of them are basically washed up, out of work.

Hugo claims he is 65, but has knocked a few years off his real age! He invites June to his home in Connecticut, for Memorial Day holiday, despite already having a date with her current boyfriend she goes.

June is impressed with all his material things, that he has got from being successful. Initially the dialogue between them is full of sarcasm, moaning until they seem to build a tentative bond over the four days. June manages to boost his ego, which has been shattered by the loss of his job, becoming a has been.

There is this will they won’t they sort of expectation, but I just found it a little cringeworthy, it just didn’t work, there was no romance, no connection,describing his skin sagging as he removes his girdle just nope, nope, nope. You just get the whole impression that it’s a quick way for June to become a wealthy young woman, if she gets pregnant her life is made. So much for wanting to make a career.

This could have worked, if it had been written differently, if the plot went a different way, the writing itself is good, it’s the characters and plot for me just didn’t work.

I give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to thank #TinderPress and #rosie.margesson for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.