Griffin Harvey lives his life in the spotlight. Reluctantly. The brooding famous singer-songwriter is on the cusp of composing his sophomore album . . . if only he could find the notes. But after gaining custody of his two-year-old daughter, the only music he’s writing is about shapes and counting to ten.
Enter Beverly, who lives her life in the background producing children’s television and laughter. Except joy is hard to find when her nonprofit loses funding. She sinks all of her savings to revive the children’s show by herself, but when her variety show appearance collides with Griffin’s, their banter and chemistry is caught on live television.
Suddenly, Griffin is singing a new tune. He needs a muse, and Beverly needs all the help she can get. With his secret daughter in tow, they hide out in her cozy mountain hometown, attempting to script, compose, and revive television magic. Their dynamic shouldn’t work. He’s all harsh tattoos and rough hands while she’s bright colors and gentle touches. Once their three months of work are done, they’ll return to their separate worlds. But what happens when it seems the true magic might be found in each other? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)
Love Felt Like This is such a quirky, feel-good experience! I loved the dynamic between Griffin and Beverly, or “B” as she’s known by him and his daughter. Griffin is this larger-than-life contemplative man who fills a room, while B is a spritely ball of light who tends to stick to the wallflower lifestyle, completely by choice. Where she comes alive is when she can engage with children, a master of puppetry. Everyone knows the children’s television show she’s been part of for years, in many ways a family business that she takes great pride in. It reminded me of Sesame Street. Even Griffin knows of B’s alter ego. It felt so true to life when the children’s television show lost its funding, very reminiscent of the types of experiences witnessed by society today. When a moment between Griffin and B goes viral, potentially bringing back her beloved show, it sets the stage for possible romance between two unlikely characters.
I loved that Griffin did everything he could to get out of the celebrity lifestyle, in an effort to work with B and to give his daughter a different life. As time slowly progresses forward, the two learn more about the other, discovering that there is depth behind Griffin’s gruff exterior, and B is a lot more than the puppet she controls. I thought his take on the influences he wants to have around his daughter was very realistic, too. What isn’t realistic had been Griffin’s idea of total seclusion in B’s hometown. Even in the smallest of places, opportunists exist, which he discovers too late. There is a lot of fallout when Griffin and B are seen together, exploding the social media universe.
They both come from completely different worlds. As much as B appreciates what reviving her beloved show could mean for her, not to mention the children whose lives she’s touched, she doesn’t want to live in a world where she can’t drive to the local grocery store without a camera shoved in her face. Griffin is used to it all, but he doesn’t want to drag B or his daughter through it. The question ultimately focuses on whether this unlikely couple can make anything work, when they both want ultimate success within their respective careers, knowing it might mean having to let love go.
It was all portrayed in a realistic light. I can imagine plenty of real-life celebrity couples have had to deal with similar situations and circumstances. I appreciated the direction the story went in and how compromises needed to be made on both sides, making the experience I had while reading Love Felt Like This enjoyable and sweet. It was a definite five-star read!
Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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