Lovestruck in London by Rachel Schurig

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley.)

about book:

Lizzie Medina went to London to reinvent herself. Tired of being the quiet baby sister, and in no hurry to settle into a boring existence in suburbia, she escapes from home at the first opportunity. When she settles in London for a year of post-graduate studies, Lizzie is sure she’ll be able to start a whole new life. Immerse herself in the books she loves. Explore a new country. Work on her dream of writing a novel. She might even be able to find a little bit of excitement for once.
But falling unexpectedly in love with up-and-coming actor Thomas Harper causes Lizzie to re-think… everything. Just as she’s convinced herself this small-town girl from the Midwest can handle this great adventure, Thomas’s career suddenly explodes to superstar levels, and Lizzie finds herself forced to navigate the fame game of red carpets, catty co-stars, gossip magazines, and paparazzi. When she wished for a new life, she had no idea it would be anything like this!

Lizzie must now determine if her love—and her confidence—are strong enough to get her through the complications of dating a movie star. Even if she and Thomas are able to pull through before she has to leave London, how will she deal with the inevitability of returning to a life at home that no longer feels like her own? Will she follow her family’s wishes or follow her heart? Will the Lizzie she discovered in London be strong enough to help her pursue her dreams?

my thoughts:

I was lovestruck with Lovestruck in London!  This fun, lovely story about a young woman pursuing her dreams was fantastic.  It was the perfect summer read - it had romance, friendship, family, and self-discovery.  Plus, it was all set in London - one of the best cities in the world.  Oh, and it just so happened to read like my life story at times, which was one of the main reasons that I loved the book.  I'm serious - I couldn't believe how similar to Lizzie I was (it was crazy!)  Of course, I never fell in love with a movie star, so that part of the story was just fun to read about.

Lizzie Medina is twenty-three and supposed to be a teacher, but she's not ready to face that world just yet.  So, she convinces one of her friends to head with her to England so that they can get an MA in literature.  Because where else should you go when you want to study Brit Lit, right?  Of course, her large overly-opinionated family is not happy with her decision, but they support her nonetheless and are convinced that after Lizzie's year away she will come home and start working.  Once in London, Lizzie finds herself falling in love with a city that is filled with so much possibility, adventure, and excitement.  Lizzie even finds herself a boyfriend and winds up falling in love for the first time.  Life is perfect in London (except for the paparazzi - her boyfriend's a movie star after all), but Lizzie is homesick.  She misses her family like crazy.  So, to cheer her up, Thom (Lizzie's bf) books two tickets to Detroit for Christmas - he wants Lizzie to spend the holidays with her family (and he wants to go with her).  Being at home is heaven for Lizzie, except for her father's dour demeanor and her sister Maria's mean comments (they both don't like her boyfriend and can't understand these life choices Lizzie seems to be making).  Anyhow, Lizzie continues to enjoy her London life, until it is time to go home.  Thom doesn't want to her to leave and offers her a home and a job to get her to stay.  But Lizzie is set on returning to the States and start her job search - she can't let her family down.  She wants to be with Thom, she wants to make her family happy, and she can't seem to figure out what will make her happy - so life in Detroit is not a happy one.  And that is all I will say, because I want you to read this one for yourself.  You just have to find out what life Lizzie chooses.

Okay, so what about this book was similar to my life that made me think I was reading about my own life?  Well, for one thing, I'm of Mexican descent - just like Lizzie's family!  Another huge thing was that I went to England to study for my MA in literature (except I was 22 not 23), and my best friend went with me.  No, I didn't fall in love with a movie star, but I had my share of crushes whilst there.  Plus, I could understand Lizzie's desire to please her family and choose them over herself.  I've done the same and still do. This book really made me look at myself and where I'm at now.  It made me think about those years I lived in England (yeah, I went back and lived there for a few years and got another degree) and I couldn't help but marvel at the carefree, adventurous side of myself that truly enjoyed experiencing a foreign country with my best friend.  Plus, I enjoyed how this book focused on a character that came from a Mexican family, it was refreshing and so familiar to me.  This book made me feel like my culture was the norm and I loved that about it.  Lovestruck in London is now one of my favorite summer reads.

So, yes I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is a fan of chick lit, women's fiction, and fiction in general.  You will love this book!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley.