Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Jane Lambert's The Start of Something Wonderful. It was originally published as Learning to Fly but here is your opportunity to read it under its new title under HQDigital.
It’s never too late to follow your dreams…
Forty-year-old
air stewardess, Emily Forsyth, thought she had everything a woman could
wish for: a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, a designer wardrobe and a
dishy pilot boyfriend.
Until she realises he’s cheating on her…
Catapulted
into a mid-life crisis she wishes she’d had earlier, she decides to
turn her life upside-down, quitting her job and instead beginning to
chase her long-held dreams of becoming an actress!
Leaving the
skies behind her, Emily heads for the bright lights of London’s West End
– but is it too late to reach for the stars?
My Thoughts
When I read the Jane's bio, I realised that she has used so much of her life experience in creating this story. That is probably why it feels credible. So many of the background details will be spot on. In a way both roles of cabin crew and actor involve putting a different face towards the public from your private one. Although it has romance at its core, there is more to the story than that. It deals with taking a leap into the unknown, grasping second chances and being bluntly honest with yourself as to the price that must be paid if you follow your dreams.
I found Emily to be a sympathetic central character. Full of witty and wry comments, she blags her way through her early acting roles and proves herself to be resilient in never giving up. The excrutiating auditions she has to go through provide real humour and there is a warmth in her friendships that makes it a heart-warming read, even if everything does not work out quite as you imagine it will. It would be lovely to find out what happens next- hopefully this is not the last we will see of Emily.
In short: A humorous look at the life of a jobbing actress, which makes you see how important it is to live in the here and now.
About the Author
Jane taught English in Vienna then travelled the world as cabin crew,
before making the life-changing decision to become an actor in her
mid-thirties. She has appeared in "Calendar Girls", "The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" and "Deathtrap" in London's West
End. "Learning to Fly" is her debut novel.
Thanks to Jane Lambert for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Don't forget these other great bloggers!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review The Start of Something Wonderful. I love your blog and feel very privileged to have my book and my personal story featured here x
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