Legendary actor Finn Forrester and his wife philosopher Ella Sinclair Forrester met on the location shoot for Jean Mercier’s film Celebration. The world has been captivated by their fairy-tale romance since Finn famously proposed on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. As the couple now prepares to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary, they wonder if their children will ever find love.
Eldest daughter Betty is excelling in a medical residency program in New York City—and has convinced herself that distancing herself from emotions is the path to success. Youngest son Albert, a recent college graduate, is trying to find his footing in Boston as he struggles with his identity. Free-spirited Georgia, her mother’s spitting image and an actress following in her father’s footsteps, has been cast in Jean Mercier’s final film, mysteriously titled Beauty. When she arrives on set in Iceland and meets her costar, sparks fly. Is history repeating itself? How has growing up in the shadow of the world’s most iconic love story affected each of the Forrester children? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
I found it interesting that the love affair between Finn and Ella had polarizing effects on their three children. It could be assumed that given they’d seen how much in love their parents had been when they were children and even now as adults, they’d embrace love. But Betty doesn’t want to fall for fairy tales. She wants to be a realist at all cost, even if it means letting a potential relationship slip through her fingers. Albert is afraid of letting his father know who he really is, which only forces his relationship into the shadows, a tough place to be in for Albert’s partner. And Georgia doesn’t want to be captured. She wants to remain free. I liked that none of the children fall into their parents’ footsteps, because it added a nice contrast to the sweetness provided by the elder Forresters.
Told in four perspectives–The Forresters, Betty, Albert, and Georgia–it was a great way to allow the reader into deep, internal thoughts for each character. Out of all of them, I felt I identified with Georgia the most. When I was a young adult, I also didn’t want to be “tied down” or have my freedom infringed upon. It was a nice parallel of what she experiences with one of her costars, Roo, and the same experience her parents had decades ago when they also met during filming. I think that really added depth to why Georgia feels the way she does. Despite her parents and their happiness, do they regret dropping their own individual independence to become a couple?
Out of everyone’s perspectives, I liked Albert’s and Betty’s viewpoints the most. It seemed Georgia’s experiences were the most highlighted, with several chapters devoted to her, but I felt it was a bit of a disservice, because I was more invested in what Albert and Betty are going through. Betty has to open up more to feel, and Albert has to trust more in who he is. Feeling those struggles really tied me to their situations and I wanted to see resolution and growth. I felt like that was shown and warranted as the chapters progressed. Maybe there is something to the great love affair Finn and Ella have, and maybe everyone else learns to find what that sort of relationship means to them. It doesn’t have to look the same.
Jean was a bonus character, and much appreciated. I liked the scenes with him in it, because he tosses in acerbic lines and grouchy sensations that helped to break up the saccharine sweetness of newfound love between Georgia and Roo. He’s like the anchor keeping them grounded, preventing anyone from floating into chaotic bliss. Cinematic Destinies was a great romantic experience!
Thanks to BookSparks for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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