ROMANTIC COMEDY

A few weeks ago, I sent my romcom, Just Like A Movie to quite a big Bookstagrammer who clearly leans towards reading more literary fiction. But I noticed she’d reviewed a couple of lighter books too, so I asked her whether she’d be interested in reading mine, and to my delight she said yes.

Of course, no sooner had I sent her the book that she reviewed something intensely sad and poignant… I began to sweat, my heart pounded and I thought, oh my goodness, what on earth was I thinking?! My book is the polar opposite of what she appreciates! So for the following weeks I began secretly hoping she’d forget all about it, or do the kind thing and simply gift it to someone who enjoys lighter reading. 

And that would be the end of that.

The thing is, a while ago, I was left rather traumatized when a friend who hadn’t even read my book told me to my face that she only read good fiction…which I know (or hope?!) came out wrong, and what she really meant to say was that she simply preferred literary fiction to lighter reads. But as Julia Robert’s says in Pretty Woman, it’s the bad things that we tend to remember the most. So, although it seems as though everyone who has read Just Like A Movie has really enjoyed it, I suddenly wondered whether I hadn’t shot myself in both feet with a bazooka by sending it to someone who clearly reads mostly literary fiction, too!

So, imagine the state of my stomach when I woke up this morning and saw this serious Bookstagrammer had posted something about Just Like A Movie on Instagram before I put my glasses on. I almost didn’t want to look.

And then I put my glasses on and grinned. She’d enjoyed it! My book did what it is supposed to do. It made her laugh. It made her smile. She had a lovely time!

What a relief!

While on the subject of lighter reads, I’ve been listening to one of my favourite podcasts this afternoon (The Shit No One Tells You About Writing) where they were discussing book comps. I always find it terribly difficult to find comps for Just Like A Movie.

While the theme is similar to Robinne Lee’s The Idea Of You (a pop star and an older woman), the flavour is very different, because mine is a comedy, whereas Lee’s is what I would call a romance. Otherwise, there’s Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfeld. Again, a similar theme (the rock star and “normal” woman, whatever normal means), but again I wouldn’t say Sittenfeld’s really is a comedy. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t make me laugh. Older comps I’ve used are How Stella Got Her Groove back, by Terry McMillan, which is a lovely romance between a mature woman and a younger man. But as far as the flavour goes, I truly have a hard time comparing my book. In film there is obviously Notting Hill. I would also mention Mamma Mia, for its colourful, giddy flavour. Or even Crazy Stupid Love, for the romance and the fun factor. 

Does anyone who has read Just Like A Movie have any other suggestions? Or even if you haven’t, what might you suggest?

Let me know!

Thanks! 

Francesca xx