Tuesday 29 November 2016

Review ~ Learning to Fly by Jane Lambert




Some things happen for a reason...



CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
2016




A bit of book blurb..

Forty-year-old air stewardess Emily Forsyth has everything a woman could wish for: a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, a designer wardrobe and a dishy pilot of a husband-in-waiting to match. But when he leaves her to ‘find himself’ (forgetting to mention the bit about ‘…a younger girlfriend’), Emily’s perfect world comes crashing down. Catapulted into a mid-life crisis, she is forced to take stock and make some major changes. She ditches her job and enrols on a drama course in pursuit of her childhood dream, positive that, in no time at all, she’ll be sexily sporting a stethoscope on 'Holby City', and her ex will rue the day he dumped her. Wrong! Her chosen path proves to be an obstacle course littered with rejection and financial insecurity. If she is to survive, she must learn to be happy with less, and develop a selective memory to cope with more than her fair share of humiliating auditions. She tells herself her big break is just around the corner. But is it too late to be chasing dreams?


My thoughts..

Some things happen for a reason and that's the theme which runs through this delightful story of one woman's survival against all the odds. Emily Forsyth gives up her successful career and a philandering husband-to-be in what must be one of the bravest moves ever. Now in her early forties Emily knows that if she wants to make it as an actress it's literally got to be now, or never.

What then follows is the charming, and, it must be said, often angst ridden, story of how Emily tries her darnedest to get her acting career to take off but along the way she encounters rejection, insecurity and constant self-doubt. It's all very well thinking that success is just a stage role away, but for Emily, the reality is far more complicated.

What I enjoyed about this story was the way the author obviously shared her own experiences of the acting world and speaks with authority on what it's like to be up against another actor for an acting job which may or may not hurtle you into the big time. The fickleness of the acting world is brought to life in a way that only someone who has experienced it can relate with any degree of authenticity. I found myself laughing out loud in places, especially the Pattie Pineapple debacle, which stretches even Emily's enthusiasm to its limit.

Overall, Learning to Fly kept my attention from beginning to end. It's the story of ambition, and determination, of good times and bad, of learning to take chances when the odds are stacked against you, and most importantly, it’s the story of good friendship and having people around you who will always stand your corner.

 Written with gentle humour and great insight into the acting world, the author brings the story alive with great story telling technique. I felt like I connected with Emily and wanted everything to work out for her, whether it does, or not, is for you to find out for yourselves.

This is one debut novel which will, definitely, sit on my bookshelves just waiting for the sequel to arrive, hopefully sooner rather than later.



Best read with …A large caramel cream Frappuccino and a generous portion of Nonna Maria’s Arancini di Riso..



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.




Find  Jane on Facebook

Follow her on Twitter @janelambert22
  
Read a guest post by Jane by clicking here



Huge thanks to Jane for sharing her novel with us. Jaffa and I wish you continued success with both your writing ...and acting career.

Come back and see us again soon.











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