In a sweltering Roman summer, Laure is trying to start a new life. But can she manage in a city where walls have ears, trees have eyes and even the birds are acting strangely?
It’s been exactly one year since the shit hit the fan and Laure's anxiety exploded into a full-blown burn out. In search of a new start she’s moved to Rome – pasta, Aperol and sunshine should make everything better, right?
But with her 30s around the corner, la bella vita isn’t going to plan.
- Her boyfriend, the dreamy Davide, has disappeared (Either Laure’s been ghosted or he’s accidentally fallen off a cliff – hopefully)
- She wants to murder her neighbours: their arguments are keeping her up all night.
In her local café, Laure meets a handsome stranger and the sparks fly, that is until she finds herself caught in a big lie.
‘Hmmm, it’s not ideal,’ says her best friend Eva, as she puffs on a spliff in the bathtub.
Just as things are heating up, a talking tree enters the fray (as if this Roman summer wasn’t weird enough, just ask the birds).
That tree is Viviano, a dynamic and adventurous street performer who poses around the Eternal City dressed as a tree, well, sometimes a cat too and sometimes a ripe tomato. He could be thriving in life but something is holding him back. One thing is certain though: he wants to meet Laure.
Will Laure find her path? Will she accidentally put pineapple on a pizza? And is there a real love story to be found in the surreal swirls of the Italian capital?
The Starling Dance is a love story full of quirk, humour and heart-warming characters, each trying to overcome their personal obstacles and demons to give themselves a chance at life and love.
What did I think?
The Starling Dance is a fantastic debut novel from Lucy Elena. It may be quite a short book with 184 pages but it is packed with drama, fun and romance.
I empathised with Laure right from the start as both the work burnout and the noisy neighbours are something I have experienced myself. Laure is such a strong character though; it takes real courage to leave your home and start again in a new country. If only her boyfriend hadn't gone radio silent and her neighbours would give the arguing a break for once.
It is very funny when Laure meets a new man in a café and what starts off as a small lie suddenly spirals out of control. The lies just keep on growing and with Laure being so sleep deprived, it's almost certainly going to trip her up at some point.
Interspersed with Laure's story, we are introduced to Viviano who is very observant human statue. Viviano has been watching Laure, not in a creepy way but in a love at first sight kind of way, but he has never had the opportunity to speak to her...until now. Oh I loved Viviano and I was rooting for him to get his girl.
As well as the heartwarming and unusual love story, there are lots of laughs in the book and just thinking of a particular scene in Laure's office is making me laugh out loud now. I'm not going to spoil it but the attempt to get a photo is hilarious.
Beautifully written, incredibly entertaining and completely mesmerising, The Starling Dance is a stunning first novel that makes me very excited to see what Lucy Elena writes next. A very highly recommended read and one that I would like to read again.
I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
About the author:
Lucy Elena is a Londoner with a love of languages and exploring new different cultures. For most of her career she has been a journalist reporting across Europe and Latin America. But she has also experimented with career forays into pasta making (yes, like an Italian nonna) and teaching. Lucy has always loved dreaming up and telling stories and The Starling Dance is her debut novel. When not writing or working, Lucy enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying out new foods and pretending she can play the ukulele.
Social Media Links –
Instagram: lucyelenabooks
Facebook: Lucy Elena
Tiktok: @lucyelenabooks
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