| Title | : | Meet Clara Andrews (Clara Andrews, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published November 8, 2014 |
With a love of cocktails and wine, a fantastic job in the fashion industry and the world’s greatest best friends, Clara Andrews thought she had it all.
That is until a chance meeting introduces her to Oliver, a devastatingly handsome American designer. Trying to keep the focus on her work, Clara finds her heart stolen by lavish restaurants and luxury hotels.
As things get flirty, Clara reminds herself that inter-office relationships are against the rules, so when a sudden recollection of a work’s night out leads her to a gorgeous barman, she decides to see where it goes.
Clara soon finds out that dating two men isn't as easy as it seems...
Will she be able to play the field without getting played herself?
Join Clara, as she finds herself landing in and out of trouble, re-affirming friendships, discovering truths and uncovering secrets.
Meet Clara Andrews (Clara Andrews, #1) Reviews
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Meet Clara Andrews does just that. This is the introductory novella that acquaints the reader with Clara and her friends, her job as an assistant fashion designer, her love for shoes, alcohol and carbohydrates, and her romantic escapades.
Whilst I enjoyed the actual writing of this, I found the story infuriating and the characters vapid and shallow. This is a passive and predictable read, but what really distanced me from the story line was the snobbish behavior portrayed by the characters and their inability to care for anything other than their own trivial concerns.
We see little of Clara's job and her passion for it and instead this is primarily set in an endless sea of restaurants and bars and focuses on Clara's endless wish for alcohol and dessert whilst there. There is nothing wrong with calorie counting, but I don't wish to read 100 odd pages of someone doing so!
Some of the characters' comments concerning other professions they deemed as lowly were totally unacceptable but my biggest gripe with this book was that the one LGBTQIA character was termed a "butch lesbian", demeaned and displayed in a totally stereotypical way. Unacceptable!
The romantic relationships were sweet, if predictable, but again the focus of wealth and good looks rather than personality and actual chemistry incensed me and distanced me from feeling any empathy with the characters.
This is a good beach read but, for me, the focal points were directed too much on appearance and shallow behavior. -
Cute rom-com with shades of Bridget Jones’ Diary. Gotta admit I liked Clara but neither of the two dudes were nearly as deserving of my affection.
Ended on a bit of a cliffhanger— the real cliffhanger for me is whether I read the next installment.
(Reviewed 11/17/19) -
Not sure where I can shelve this? Chick lit, not really? Romance, maybe? But, even that category doesn't quite work here.
This was definitely not my cuppa. Heroine spent the entire book, eating, drinking and dating two men. That's about it. And, I should care, why? -
Release Date: November 8, 2014
Genre: Chick Lit
I thought this book was a cute but predictable read. Having never read a book by Lacey London before I wanted to give it a try because I was in the mood for a chick lit read and I saw that it was free within kindle unlimited. In all honesty, I did enjoy it quite a bit despite the fact that everything is very quick and too the point. There may not have been a lot of growth in the story or layers to the characters, but it was a fun read and I will be grabbing the next book in the series. I do hope to see a bit more growth in the characters though because I fear that if I don't that I won't continue the series.
ABOUT THE BOOK
As the title states, readers will meet Clara Andrews in this novel. You will get to know her (although admittedly, not on a deep level) and learn a lot about her job and dating habits. Clara is a designer- or, becoming one, thanks to her best friend Marc who owns a design company. But she isn't on her own yet and needs to work with the new designer that is coming in from America. Unbeknownst to Clara, this designer who flies in to work for their company is no other than a man that she eyed at the bar... When she had vomit in her hair and pepto-bism0l on her dress.
From there a relationship begins to blossom between both Clara and Oliver. Of course, there is another man who she happens to be dating as well, but she needs to let him down gently (and in person) because her feelings for Oliver had grown exponentially in the last few weeks. But problems arise when these two meet in person, and her whole world is tilting on its axis..
What will happen with Clara and Oliver? If you want to know, give this book a try!
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS OF THIS BOOK
If you're looking for a book with incredible character depth and development you won't find it in this book. But, if you want light and fun reading with the chance to follow the characters throughout a big series then I recommend this book to you. I personally DID like it, I just didn't love it. I am hoping this changes as the series progresses. We shall see!!
PURCHASE A COPY
>> Amazon Kindle:
http://amzn.to/2DnemDP (only $0.99 and FREE with Kindle Unlimited)
>> Amazon Print:
http://amzn.to/2CW8O2g
Want more book reviews, recommendations, sales, upcoming releases, and more? You can find all of this on my blog >>
http://bit.ly/2zWy7QJ -
Clara has it all. She is based in London with a fantastic job she loves as a fashion designer, her own (small) apartment, a best friend like everyone wishes they had, and a great night life to boot.
She's happily single with no real desire to change that.
That is, until...handsome American fashion designer Oliver is hired by the agency Clara works for to help her design for the upcoming season. There is an immediate attraction, but Clara is determined to keep it professional.
However, Oliver sweeps her off her feet, taking her to luxury restaurants, and accompanying her to fashion shows in two of Europe's biggest fashion capitals. Not only that, he will not be caught staying in the hotels that Clara's agency will pay for, nor will he travel in regular class on a train. He pays for a super luxury hotel and first class tickets on the train. He is greeted by name wherever they go, drives a luxury vehicle - all of it. And yet, he is still a gentleman, appears to not even realize how wide-eyed Clara is with all the perks that he takes for granted.
There was only one thing in this book that left me blinking in confusion. Clara sees Oliver with a co-worker, Gina - who has a less than stellar reputation. The first time she sees them together, Oliver had picked up Gina, who was walking to work in the rain. That was fine. But the second time - she sees Gina give Oliver a kiss and is devastated. Once you get through that day at the office - with her not saying anything about what she saw - the incident is completely dropped and never mentioned again. However, when Clara, who had two dates with another gentleman whom she met before Oliver and who wants to keep dating her and is texting her invitations - all hell breaks loose when Oliver finds out. Not only is George texting Clara - and she accepted with the intention of letting him know she wasn't interested - but - spoiler alert - he knows Oliver. When the poop hits the proverbial fan and she is accused of sleeping with George (which she didn't), she never throws that kiss she witnessed in Oliver's face. WHAT???
It's a good, light read with a few funny moments. -
Light, fun, and fast moving, Clara’s surprise infatuation-turned-love-affair with American Oliver Morgan highlights some of the cultural differences between Brits and us Rebels across the pond.
Is it even possible for a proper lady to resist a deep Southern drawl . . . didn’t think so . . . ;-) -
Non-review rant
Review
The plot
The characters
Clara Andrews: A woman who likes to eat and drink. I like the eating part.
Lionna: The BFF girl.
Marc: The BFF guy.
Oliver Morgan: The super talented, super handsome date-partner#1.
George: The super cute and fun date-partner#2.
The good
The food. There are a lot of scenes where the characters are eating. It reminded me of Famous Five series, which is my favourite for that very reason - assortment of mouth watering eatables.
The trip to Manchester and how he treats Clara. It will make you scream, 'I want that too'.
They get intimate, but only one sentence to hint on it, and then later on confesses it to Lionna. I like that in a book. Great job!
The bad
There was nothing horribly bad. Just that the story was plain and average. And a working lady two timing, followed by 'I wanted to meet him to break things up', was just STUPID. Could've used something else as a forced-foreseeable-twist.
General observations about story and writer
I may consider reading you again. I didn't anything about this book.
Verdict
Go for it when you feel like reading a chicklit. -
I liked the protagonist and was looking forward to her escapades as a 'player'. But it didn't quite work out that way. The book ended abruptly just when things were beginning to get interesting...sigh!
-
A short novella, this story focused on a young fashion designer who falls for a rich, established fashion designer as they start working together.
However, we see very little to no fashion in the book at all, besides the main character choosing an outfit to wear every day. Instead, the book focuses on what has been eaten (large quantities of junky takeout food), what has been drunk (even larger quantities of alcoholic beverages), and how rich and handsome the American fashion designer is.
If the incessant whining about, "Oh, I ate and drank too much today. I never want to feel this gross again," followed by another day (and another, and another) of the same eating/drinking habits didn't turn me off, the "romance" definitely did.
Besides eating and drinking, the couple of interest did virtually nothing else together. Sure, they were supposedly designing a line of...shoes, I think? But as we never got to see any of that, the relationship felt incredibly superficial and shallow. I did not care if they made it or not, because the book made them out to be dinner partners who thought the other attractive. There were no conversations, no getting to know the other person.
Ugh. If it hadn't been a novella, I would not have finished. I'm so glad it was a free Kindle book. I'd have hated to waste my money on it. It came in a bundle with novella #2, which I will be avoiding! -
When I first saw on Twitter that Lacey London was giving away the first two books in the Clara Andrews series for free on Amazon, I could not resist. I love books and free books are just a dream. Now I am hooked and will most definitely be buying the rest of the books in the series.
Lacey London's writing style is very relaxed, easy to read and a complete joy. The book is very well written, realistic and at times hilarious!
Everyone knows a Clara, or can relate to her. Clara is a typical female, one who keeps getting herself into awkward situations. In fact, all the characters are relatable. The characters in this book are people you will know if your own personal life. This, along with Clara's wonderful point of view, made the book so much more life like for me.
The chapters were very short, which is something I enjoy because you can always fit in another chapter before you put the book down. Or at least that's the plan. In reality I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is an easy going yet fun book to read and I've given it a very well deserved 5 star rating.
Find my interview with Lacey London here:
https://peacelovencoconutoil.wordpres... -
Light fluff
I wanted to like this book, because the author has a fun turn of phrase when she chooses to employ it, but the story was flat and disappointing. While the story is light and vaguely entertaining, the constant description of the bland protagonist's every move (the line that killed me began, 'after peeing and flushing...') became grating. There was no tension and most scenes were centred around meals in restaurants. The characters had next to no personality. I really think some writing craft study could help this author make the best of her talent. -
This is one of those light, romantic comedy reads (clean romance) that you'll want to do in one sitting because it's short but sweet. I'd say save it for a rainy day or a day at the beach. :) I got the "good feels" while reading it and it just made me smile.
I vacillated between a 3 and 3.5 so I first gave it 3 stars and then changed it to 3.5 thus rounded up to a 4. It wasn't earth shattering or super unique or anything, but I don't often read romantic comedy and it was just what I think I needed after reading another very dark novel. Perhaps that's one reason I enjoyed it so much. -
As a reader of mostly crime, I read this romantic, funny story in one sitting. It's been a real treat, snuggled up on a rainy day with just this book for company. I kept saying just one more chapter and before I knew it, it was finished but it won't be the end of me reading more on the life of Clara Andrews. Definitely left with the feel-good factor. Perfect!
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A lovely beach read
This is the perfect book if you are heading off to the beach or just want to put your feet up and chill for the afternoon. -
It is no mistake when you find a really good book. We are pulled towards it for so many reasons, my reason for choosing this book was because of the author Lacey London, and I am so glad I did. So there I was with MEET CLARA ANDREWS and it's beautiful cover, under my favourite blanket with a cup of my favourite tea, laughing my a** off at the very first paragraph. It is a short book, so I read it in one sitting, but honestly it was so engaging that I could not put it down. Lacey London created a brilliant character, her writing is flawless, fun and humorous, just a wonderful read.
Anyone that enjoys a good chick-lit, a funny page turner, get up and get this book it makes for a fun afternoon! -
I sat down this evening and read this book. While it is a fun, cute(?) book it really isnt my typical read. But I can see where plenty of people would really enjoy it and probably the rest of the series.
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nothing extraordinary but very relatable. I love how Clara's character was portrayed and shows that every woman has their own "Clara" deep down. And i actually loved how it made me feel while reading it. Its like i know the characters personally! Enjoyed it so much ❤️
-
Not really for me I'm afraid. I didn't hate it, it was mildly amusing and I like the fact that it was a clean romance. However, both story and characters felt shallow and contrived and every other sentence was to tell us what they were eating or drinking.
-
Unfortunately turned out to be a romance novel pretending to be more rather than the chick lit I hoped for. Characters were flat and lifeless and motivations unexplored.
-
Amazing book from Lacey London I couldn't put it down and loved the character of Clara and Lianna, can't wait to read more
-
Book Review
Basic Details:
Book Title: Meet Clara Andrews
Subtitle: (Clara Andrews #1)
Author: Lacey London
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Part of a series? Yes
Order in series: 1
Best read after earlier books in series?
Available:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Overall score:
I scored this book 4/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
In this book we meet Clara Andrews, a young career woman who designs shoes. While on a night out, she meets a young American and hits it off with him. The next day she is shocked to find this man is an American she needs to work on a project on. Clara attempts to forget about Oscar by dating a young barman. From thereon a lot of things go awry and right at the same time.
What I liked about the book:
I loved the way everything went from awkward to running smoothly to completely out of control within the book. The book was hilarious in places and emotional in others.
What I didn’t like about the book:
For me the book was over too soon, I wanted to know what was next.
My favourite bits in the book:
When Clara looks up from a dropped building pass to meet the eyes of Oscar looking back at her at the beginning of the book.
My least favourite bits in the book:
When Clara meets Oscar’s friends and things get extremely awkward.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
This book is the first in the series and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens with Clara and Oscar next.
What books could this be compared to and why?
The book has certain elements of ‘Love actually’ and ‘4 weddings and a funeral’ in it.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Yes
Adult Yes
If you like romance and humour this book may be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Meet Clara Andrews... Your new best friend.
With a love of designer brands, a fantastic job at Suave, the latest big name to rock the shoe industry and the world’s greatest best friend, she thought she had it all.
That is until a chance meeting introduces her to the most handsome man alive. Trying to keep the focus on her work, she finds her heart stolen by Michelin starred restaurants and luxury hotels.
Clara reminds herself that inter office relationships are against the rules, so when a sudden recollection of a work’s night out leads her to a cheeky, charming and downright gorgeous barman, she decides to see where it goes.
Join Clara as she attempts to flirt her way through the dangers of dating two men. Landing in and out of trouble, re-affirming friendships, discovering truths and uncovering secrets along the way.
About the Author:
Lacey London is the bestselling author of the hugely popular CLARA series, ANXIETY GIRL series, and MOLLIE MCQUEEN series.
Lacey lives in Cheshire, England with her husband and their Yorkshire Terrier. When she is not writing, she can usually be found enjoying the countryside or with her nose in a book. Failing that, she is probably sleeping. Lacey loves fairy-tales and hates numbers, except the ones in her bank account.
Books in the Clara Series:
MEET CLARA ANDREWS
CLARA MEETS THE PARENTS
MEET CLARA MORGAN
CLARA AT CHRISTMAS
MEET BABY MORGAN
CLARA IN THE CARIBBEAN
CLARA IN AMERICA
CLARA IN THE MIDDLE
CLARA'S LAST CHRISTMAS
CLARA BOUNCES BACK
CLARA'S GREEK ADVENTURE
Books in the Anxiety Girl series:
ANXIETY GIRL
ANXIETY GIRL FALLS AGAIN
ANXIETY GIRL BREAKS FREE
Books in the Mollie McQueen series:
MOLLIE MCQUEEN IS NOT GETTING DIVORCED
MOLLIE MCQUEEN IS NOT HAVING A BABY
All are available to download worldwide on Amazon Kindle. -
I don't often read romantic comedies.
Truthfully, I'm more inclined to read mysteries, adventure novels, sci-fi, and Steampunk.
But now and then I like to explore other genres. When I do I generally find some unique characters, new ways of storytelling, and different narrative techniques. In "Meet Clara Andrews" I also found myself thrust into a world I know little - if anything - about: The world of Millennial working women.
I have to admit that it was pretty interesting. Cellphones, workplace romances (they've always been around but not quite the same way they are now, apparently,) friendships that can stand the test of broken relationships... fascinating reading for an old dinosaur like me because it gave me a glimpse into the people I see all around me on a daily basis but know so little about.
I liked the protagonist - Clara Andrews, a London-based designer who finds out she must partner with a hotshot American male designer to produce a new fashion line on a pretty tight deadline. I would have liked to know more about her and some of her friends but I don't deduct too many points for that because I realize this is the first book in a series about Clara and her friends.
I was a little less sure about the American and another man in Clara's life. They seemed - pardon me for saying this - a little too chauvinistic to me to be real. Still, no big point deductions because this is a novel written by a woman about how a woman and her friends see the world.
The plot was pretty straightforward - boy meets girl, boy and girl like each other, and then the usual chaos ensues. (Again, not something unique to Millennials.) I did like author Lacey London's quick narrative style. She gets in and gets out, telling her story with a minimum of fuss and bother.
The novel did end a little abruptly for me but then this is a new world we're living in and this is the first book in a series so no serious complaints for that.
The verdict: A good read for rom-com fans. -
“Meet Clara Andrews” by Lacey London is an endearing, witty, and lovable story about a single woman caught between two sexy and available men. Surrounded by loyal friends and a killer job, Clara navigates the pit falls of dating with undeniable humor and heart-felt honesty. Best of all, the boy gets to kiss the girl and the girl kisses back which is sure to satisfy every hopelessly romantic heart out there!
Light and fun, this first novel in the Clara Andrews series is a perfect travel companion to the beach or even your favorite chair on a rainy afternoon. I would highly recommend it for those readers looking to step away from reality for a while and laugh a bit.
Rating Comments
I gave this book 3 STARS.
A few critiques: I felt like the writing wasn’t as consistent as it could be. More specifically, the beginning was a bit clunky with the chapters ending abruptly and the plot line seeming directionless. Eventually everything evened out which made the book pleasurable to read overall. The ending also came on a bit fast, but I loved it anyway! Very swoon worthy.
For some readers, the characters might be a bit flat and the plot one dimensional. However, I felt like this worked for the type of novel it was trying to be: a light, quick, and quirky read. Not every novel needs to dive in deep and I was thankful London stayed true to this. Sometimes I just want to be entertained and this novel certainly did that.
Overall, I look forward to seeing how the story unfolds in the next book in the series.
Formatting note: In the Kindle version I received, there were a few grammatical and formatting errors that didn’t detract from the story but rather annoyed my inner editor. -
This is not a book I would normally choose and I wasn’t sure what to expect knowing it was about a woman in her late twenties dealing with work, love, life, fashion, and hangovers. I am so glad I took the chance to Meet Clara Andrews!
I wasn’t sure how much I would like Clara – she is into fashion and making sure her make up is perfect – which is about as far from me as you can get. But, I found her very endearing. I couldn’t help but care for her as she went through the ups and downs of her life. I could relate to her in terms of being single in my late twenties too! Dating! The jerks, the nice blokes, the ones you just can’t be sure of. Despite the differences between Clara and me, it was like a nostalgic trip back to my twenties – I don’t mind mentioning that I am in my early forties now.
The present tense of the book and the scenes that seemed to cut off earlier than the “rules of writing” perhaps say they should worked so well in keeping the story moving at a perfect pace.
I loved all the little sayings which I presume are English and the descriptions of the various events that happened through the story – which I can’t share because I don’t want to give anything away! Although one of my favourites was “make a litter of babies”…
It’s not highbrow literature – but who wants to read that all the time? For me – if highbrow literature is caviar, then “Meet Clara Andrews” is a bowl of warm pumpkin soup. Comforting in being a familiar (although not copycat) story line.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series – and I didn’t think I’d say that before I read this book. -
2.75/5 Stars (liked it).
Spoilers Ahead!
Brief Review:
I liked the writing style, made me smirk at times. Descriptions of infatuation felt genuine.
Story-wise, it started off good but it felt a little too cliché. I knew who is going to open the door when she was asked to open the door at a stranger's house (who does that?). Not a huge fan of super fancy rich American guy swooning over ladies with his money. Not a huge fan of the guys blaming Clara for dating two guys at once (there wasn't anything bad she really did) and the guys treated her like an object. I felt that this wasn't due to the characters themselves, but the author's perspective (which is a bit disappointing, especially for protagonist to fall into that guilt/shame trap).
Too much alcohol and food (some new interesting settings without expensive champagne please). More queer characters. The fashion industry and no queer individuals? Too heteronormative, somewhat sexist. Characters lacked depth and lost me half-way through the story. Oversped relationships.
However, I cannot give it a 2 because I feel it had really good writing and decent potential, and it was nice to enjoy during the bus rides. For a book I got for free, it was worth. Should have been better.
