What do you think?
Rate this book
Looking for Leon
What would you do to find the one that got away? Andie hadn't gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas - but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down - despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers love it and a local TV station flies her back to Vegas to take up the hunt for the man she can't forget. What starts off as a simple low-budget documentary spirals into a frenzied national media search. With the world's most ambitious PR agent on board, Andie becomes a heroine for those who are looking for love. But does Leon want to be found?
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
284 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 9, 2011
If I'm honest, I wasn't entirely sure whether I was going to like this book very much when I bought it. The blurb on the cover sounded interesting, but deep inside I was afraid I would find myself reading a all to predictable girl meets boy, girl looses boy, girl finds boy after all sort of story. Thankfully, this book turned out to be anything but predictable.
Yes, at the start of the story, Andie is in Las Vegas where she meets and bonds with Leon during a long evening and night only to be separated from him during a fire drill in the hotel. The girl has indeed lost her boy, and despite a frantic search and a few desperate publicity stunts, Andie fails to find Leon before she has to fly back to Dublin.
Back at her job, journalist Andie writes columns about meeting Leon, and her search for him and soon her stories capture the public's imagination. A broadcasting company takes up her story and sends her back to Vegas with a camera man to continue her search for the elusive Leon. When her story is also picked up in America, Andie finds herself with a ruthless publicist stearing her in all sorts of unlikely directions in the search for the man of her dreams. A search that will have consequences that Andie couldn't have predicted or anticipated in a million years.
This is one action packed book. There is never a lull in the story. This is also a funny book with lots of laugh out loud moments as well as a sad and at times deep book. In fact, I don't think there is a human emotion that isn't covered in this book. And while that is definitely one of the strengths of this book, it was at times also a bit too much for me. I think I could have done with one or two moments to come up for breath and reflextion. At times the shifts between fun and serious were a little bit to abrupt for me.
Having said that, as first books go, this was a good read which I enjoyed very much. I had a huge smile on my face when I read the last words on the last page, and that is a very good way to finish reading a book. I will be keeping an eye on Shirley Benton in the future. I've got a feeling things can only get better, if this story is anything to go by.
Yes, at the start of the story, Andie is in Las Vegas where she meets and bonds with Leon during a long evening and night only to be separated from him during a fire drill in the hotel. The girl has indeed lost her boy, and despite a frantic search and a few desperate publicity stunts, Andie fails to find Leon before she has to fly back to Dublin.
Back at her job, journalist Andie writes columns about meeting Leon, and her search for him and soon her stories capture the public's imagination. A broadcasting company takes up her story and sends her back to Vegas with a camera man to continue her search for the elusive Leon. When her story is also picked up in America, Andie finds herself with a ruthless publicist stearing her in all sorts of unlikely directions in the search for the man of her dreams. A search that will have consequences that Andie couldn't have predicted or anticipated in a million years.
This is one action packed book. There is never a lull in the story. This is also a funny book with lots of laugh out loud moments as well as a sad and at times deep book. In fact, I don't think there is a human emotion that isn't covered in this book. And while that is definitely one of the strengths of this book, it was at times also a bit too much for me. I think I could have done with one or two moments to come up for breath and reflextion. At times the shifts between fun and serious were a little bit to abrupt for me.
Having said that, as first books go, this was a good read which I enjoyed very much. I had a huge smile on my face when I read the last words on the last page, and that is a very good way to finish reading a book. I will be keeping an eye on Shirley Benton in the future. I've got a feeling things can only get better, if this story is anything to go by.
October 9, 2018
Just not my cuppa. I didn't care for this story. I will have to remain mute on that subject lest I create a huge spoiler.
October 22, 2018
Skimmed more than read.
I have a hard time seeing why the heroine is so great that men kept falling head over heels for her. She is very much self-centered. It's like everything that happened is to help her deal with her issues. There is a major reveal/twist.
Not my sort of story.
I have a hard time seeing why the heroine is so great that men kept falling head over heels for her. She is very much self-centered. It's like everything that happened is to help her deal with her issues. There is a major reveal/twist.
Not my sort of story.
March 10, 2011
When Andie Appleton goes on holiday to Las Vegas, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. But when she meets Leon, her attraction for him is instant and very much reciprocated. When they’re separated during a fire drill, Andie ends up returning to Ireland alone, having been unable to find Leon. Andie ends up writing a series of columns about her search for Leon before her holiday ended and when Eire TV pick up on it, they send Andie back to Vegas with camera-man Colm to try and find Leon with no expense spared. Andie’s search soon spirals out of control, and soon the entire world is gripped by Andie’s search, everyone except Leon himself that is. Why, though, does Leon not want to be found?
Looking For Leon is Shirley Benton’s debut novel, which first came to my attention in late 2009 when her book deal was announced. I thought her novel sounded very interesting and I was very keen to read it because the premise was so intriguing. It sounded like the ultimate romantic novel, showing the lengths something will go to find someone they had a connection with after one night in Vegas. I finally got my hands on a copy, thanks to Shirley herself and when it finally arrived after two torturous weeks I was eager to get stuck in.
Whenever I read a synopsis of a book, my imagination runs wild with the possibilities of what’s going to happen. There’s no doubt that the synopsis of a novel is what entices the reader in, and the synopsis for Looking For Leon sounded brilliant. I expected a mad-cap Vegas adventure as Andie desperately searches for the mysterious Leon. Unfortunately, my mind was wrong. Yes, there is a search for Leon but it’s much more sedate than that. And to tell you the truth, it wasn’t what I expected. Because despite the numerous interviews Andie does, there’s very little physical ‘searching’ being done. It wasn’t particularly fast-paced either and after a pretty speedy start, I found myself getting a little bored during the middle part of the book.
But like I said, the book starts well, if a little frantically. There’s a funny exchange between Andie and her mother that made me laugh – about what happened to Andie’s car when she was on holiday in Vegas, it ‘met’ some other cars! We then go back to the last night of Andie’s holiday in Vegas when she met Leon, before coming back to the present. Andie’s boss seizes on the idea of Andie’s fruitless search that she concocted for her final day in Vegas and Andie ends up going back to Vegas in her bid to track Leon down. The book does suffer in the middle though because there is a bit of a lull in proceedings, despite Lindy’s (Andie’s PR agent) best efforts to make Andie look peculiar and a bit desperate. While Andie searches for Leon, she also has to put up with camera-man Colm whom she doesn’t particularly like.
While Andie is a very likeable heroine, I wasn’t a fan at all of the way she treats Colm during the novel. She’s very mean to him at the beginning and treats him horribly for no real reason (because he apparently invaded her personal space). It rubbed me up the wrong way but I had a suspicious feeling as to why it was occurring. We don’t know much about Leon, as he isn’t in much of the novel but from what we learn, he’s a man I could have grown to love had we had more of him. As for camera-man Colm, I liked him, despite Andie constantly ripping him to shreds about (gasp!) bringing biscuits from home! He didn’t do anything majorly wrong, besides being a bit of a loner, and he was a wonderful character. Those three make up the bulk of the cast, with a few background characters, Lindy is one whom I didn’t really like, and there’s also Phillipe who works at the MGM in Vegas and whom I adored!
What saved the book from being a total disaster for me was the ending. I was meandering towards the end, thinking that it wasn’t what I expected, wondering why Leon hadn’t turned up, consigning it to the scrap heap, when up popped the exact reason Leon hadn’t been in touch. It shocked me completely and I wasn’t expecting it at all, and after that I was desperate to finish the book, but now because I was fed up, but because I was eager to learn it all and see how it ended. I must admit, I knew early on how the book would end in certain ways, but the curve-ball that came was totally unexpected. So despite being luke-warm for the majority of the novel, I thought the ending really brought it up for me. Shirley Benton is definitely good at the curve-balls, and probably for the rest of the novel as well, I just expected a lot more than we were given, it has to be said. For the ending alone, I would recommend this book, and it does provide a few laughs (none more so that the car meeting other cars… the turn of phrase gets me even as I write this) and it also provides some very touching moments and I will absolutely be looking out for Shirley’s second novel.
Looking For Leon is Shirley Benton’s debut novel, which first came to my attention in late 2009 when her book deal was announced. I thought her novel sounded very interesting and I was very keen to read it because the premise was so intriguing. It sounded like the ultimate romantic novel, showing the lengths something will go to find someone they had a connection with after one night in Vegas. I finally got my hands on a copy, thanks to Shirley herself and when it finally arrived after two torturous weeks I was eager to get stuck in.
Whenever I read a synopsis of a book, my imagination runs wild with the possibilities of what’s going to happen. There’s no doubt that the synopsis of a novel is what entices the reader in, and the synopsis for Looking For Leon sounded brilliant. I expected a mad-cap Vegas adventure as Andie desperately searches for the mysterious Leon. Unfortunately, my mind was wrong. Yes, there is a search for Leon but it’s much more sedate than that. And to tell you the truth, it wasn’t what I expected. Because despite the numerous interviews Andie does, there’s very little physical ‘searching’ being done. It wasn’t particularly fast-paced either and after a pretty speedy start, I found myself getting a little bored during the middle part of the book.
But like I said, the book starts well, if a little frantically. There’s a funny exchange between Andie and her mother that made me laugh – about what happened to Andie’s car when she was on holiday in Vegas, it ‘met’ some other cars! We then go back to the last night of Andie’s holiday in Vegas when she met Leon, before coming back to the present. Andie’s boss seizes on the idea of Andie’s fruitless search that she concocted for her final day in Vegas and Andie ends up going back to Vegas in her bid to track Leon down. The book does suffer in the middle though because there is a bit of a lull in proceedings, despite Lindy’s (Andie’s PR agent) best efforts to make Andie look peculiar and a bit desperate. While Andie searches for Leon, she also has to put up with camera-man Colm whom she doesn’t particularly like.
While Andie is a very likeable heroine, I wasn’t a fan at all of the way she treats Colm during the novel. She’s very mean to him at the beginning and treats him horribly for no real reason (because he apparently invaded her personal space). It rubbed me up the wrong way but I had a suspicious feeling as to why it was occurring. We don’t know much about Leon, as he isn’t in much of the novel but from what we learn, he’s a man I could have grown to love had we had more of him. As for camera-man Colm, I liked him, despite Andie constantly ripping him to shreds about (gasp!) bringing biscuits from home! He didn’t do anything majorly wrong, besides being a bit of a loner, and he was a wonderful character. Those three make up the bulk of the cast, with a few background characters, Lindy is one whom I didn’t really like, and there’s also Phillipe who works at the MGM in Vegas and whom I adored!
What saved the book from being a total disaster for me was the ending. I was meandering towards the end, thinking that it wasn’t what I expected, wondering why Leon hadn’t turned up, consigning it to the scrap heap, when up popped the exact reason Leon hadn’t been in touch. It shocked me completely and I wasn’t expecting it at all, and after that I was desperate to finish the book, but now because I was fed up, but because I was eager to learn it all and see how it ended. I must admit, I knew early on how the book would end in certain ways, but the curve-ball that came was totally unexpected. So despite being luke-warm for the majority of the novel, I thought the ending really brought it up for me. Shirley Benton is definitely good at the curve-balls, and probably for the rest of the novel as well, I just expected a lot more than we were given, it has to be said. For the ending alone, I would recommend this book, and it does provide a few laughs (none more so that the car meeting other cars… the turn of phrase gets me even as I write this) and it also provides some very touching moments and I will absolutely be looking out for Shirley’s second novel.
September 4, 2025
Turned out to have more to it than I initially thought. A fun and interesting read.
March 12, 2011
I loved this book. I really liked Andie, she was a believable and likeable character. Her crazy adventures while trying to find Leon had me laughing out loud. I couldnt wait to read what the next page had in store and as the book went on, the twists and turns left me hungry for more. I thought the relationships between the characters had authenticity, particularly the evolving friendship between Colm and Andie. The ending was just fantastic and I cant wait to read more from this author.
November 13, 2018
Surprisingly Good Read
This book was either a 99p one or even a freebie, can't remember. It did take me a little time to get into it and at one stage I was tempted to give up on it. However I'm glad I didn't. It's a basic girl meets boy, girl loses boy and then finds another who she promptly loses also. I thought I had this book sussed until there was a change turn in it that physically made me gasp! From them on I continued to read. Main character Andie is a little annoying but most heroines are really when you think of it. It's a very thoughtful book with a few great twists to it. If you are looking to save some pennies or you can get it free then download it, you will be glad.
This book was either a 99p one or even a freebie, can't remember. It did take me a little time to get into it and at one stage I was tempted to give up on it. However I'm glad I didn't. It's a basic girl meets boy, girl loses boy and then finds another who she promptly loses also. I thought I had this book sussed until there was a change turn in it that physically made me gasp! From them on I continued to read. Main character Andie is a little annoying but most heroines are really when you think of it. It's a very thoughtful book with a few great twists to it. If you are looking to save some pennies or you can get it free then download it, you will be glad.
January 21, 2022
Looking for Leon was my first Shirley Benton read and I really enjoyed it.
***
*TW for SA mentioned in novel*
Andie visits Las Vegas on holiday and meets Leon. The two spend a few hours together having great conversation and many, many drinks. They end up separated through an uncontrollable circumstance and Andie is unable to find him. When Andie is home in Ireland, her boss overhears the story as Andie tells her coworkers, and makes arrangements for Andie to go back to Vegas, with cameraman Colm, to find him. Will she find her love? Or, will love find her?
***
As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed this book. Andie’s character arc was great, she really grew as a person through her search for Leon. Colm was also an interesting character. The story was told only in Andie’s perspective, but the author did a great job making the side characters whole and three dimensional.
This was “fade to black” love story with a HEA. Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book.
**TW SA**
***
*TW for SA mentioned in novel*
Andie visits Las Vegas on holiday and meets Leon. The two spend a few hours together having great conversation and many, many drinks. They end up separated through an uncontrollable circumstance and Andie is unable to find him. When Andie is home in Ireland, her boss overhears the story as Andie tells her coworkers, and makes arrangements for Andie to go back to Vegas, with cameraman Colm, to find him. Will she find her love? Or, will love find her?
***
As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed this book. Andie’s character arc was great, she really grew as a person through her search for Leon. Colm was also an interesting character. The story was told only in Andie’s perspective, but the author did a great job making the side characters whole and three dimensional.
This was “fade to black” love story with a HEA. Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book.
**TW SA**
October 21, 2018
Fun romance read. The ending was no surprise for me, but it had a sweet HEA ending. It made me laugh out loud and shed tears multiple times, so it must be a 4 star book at least for me to feel those emotions. The characters were mostly engaging, but some parts dragged on a bit. This read was time well spent, but it won't be a book that lingers in my mind for weeks.
Strongly recommend reading on a Kindle device as there are colloquial Irish words interspersed throughout the book that are unfamiliar to US readers. It made the book more entertaining for me and feel more authentic, but some words required a quick lookup.
Strongly recommend reading on a Kindle device as there are colloquial Irish words interspersed throughout the book that are unfamiliar to US readers. It made the book more entertaining for me and feel more authentic, but some words required a quick lookup.
March 13, 2020
Great read!
I really liked this book! Well written and it kept my attention. The ending was great, not an abrupt end like so many books I've read. Or I should say not a ton of events shoved into the last chapter. I really hate when a book is going along at a good pace and then a bunch of stuff is thrown into the last chapter to end it quickly, it feels like. This book had a great pace of events right up until the end! Great story with a great message!
I really liked this book! Well written and it kept my attention. The ending was great, not an abrupt end like so many books I've read. Or I should say not a ton of events shoved into the last chapter. I really hate when a book is going along at a good pace and then a bunch of stuff is thrown into the last chapter to end it quickly, it feels like. This book had a great pace of events right up until the end! Great story with a great message!
July 5, 2021
Lighthearted yet emotional
As the book begins we learn about Andie and all of the many crazy stunts she's pulled and how they follow her into her career as a journalist. It stays relatively lighthearted until about 65% then this becomes a full-on novel and I'm so happy to have continued to read through to the end. Stunning character development and a touching ending.
As the book begins we learn about Andie and all of the many crazy stunts she's pulled and how they follow her into her career as a journalist. It stays relatively lighthearted until about 65% then this becomes a full-on novel and I'm so happy to have continued to read through to the end. Stunning character development and a touching ending.
October 18, 2018
A fun read...
Looking for Leon is a fun story with a whacky but likable protagonist. Like most of the romantic comedy genre it is a bit formulaic, but has well developed and fun characters.
Looking for Leon is a fun story with a whacky but likable protagonist. Like most of the romantic comedy genre it is a bit formulaic, but has well developed and fun characters.
January 15, 2021
Finding the love of my life twice
My favorite part of the book was Leon’s email to Andie, then her email back to him. Andie’s escapades were embarrassing and fun to read about. The book flowed nicely for me!
My favorite part of the book was Leon’s email to Andie, then her email back to him. Andie’s escapades were embarrassing and fun to read about. The book flowed nicely for me!
February 12, 2022
cute even if a bit long
At times this book dragged on but at other times it was funny and other times a bit sad. The main character likes to make a lot of things harder on herself than needed which can make it hard to read a bit. Overall it ends nicely.
At times this book dragged on but at other times it was funny and other times a bit sad. The main character likes to make a lot of things harder on herself than needed which can make it hard to read a bit. Overall it ends nicely.
September 8, 2017
2.5 stars.
October 18, 2018
One of my favorites this year.
October 28, 2018
Heart warming
I laughed, I gasped, and I cried. Loved this book so much I read it in 1 day as I couldn't put it down.
I laughed, I gasped, and I cried. Loved this book so much I read it in 1 day as I couldn't put it down.
November 18, 2018
The perfect book
Impossible to put down, it made me laugh and cry and kept me thoroughly entertained. A great book by a great writer
Impossible to put down, it made me laugh and cry and kept me thoroughly entertained. A great book by a great writer
November 18, 2018
Adorable
I loved this book. The twists and turns of Andie’s adventures made it a fun read. I recommend this book.
I loved this book. The twists and turns of Andie’s adventures made it a fun read. I recommend this book.
November 28, 2018
This was a good book. The author tends to fill in events already past to make a point, otherwise great story
December 14, 2018
Disappointing
The writing was subpar and all over the place. Even though it was a somewhat original premise, I finished the book feeling very disappointed.
The writing was subpar and all over the place. Even though it was a somewhat original premise, I finished the book feeling very disappointed.
Read
March 28, 2020Great story
I liked the surprise ending. It was a tad long though. Great characters and plot. Enjoyed reading the book. Super.
I liked the surprise ending. It was a tad long though. Great characters and plot. Enjoyed reading the book. Super.
June 5, 2021
Fun read
Very fun read, it seemed a bit lost at times, like there were a few different books smashed together, but all in all I enjoyed it.
Very fun read, it seemed a bit lost at times, like there were a few different books smashed together, but all in all I enjoyed it.
June 6, 2021
Started off meh, but improved a bit midway through.
October 29, 2018
Humorous but deep
Well written story that explores finding yourself while looking for love. Has some unexpectedly deep insights. Light writing style with well developed characters who you can’t help but fall for.
Well written story that explores finding yourself while looking for love. Has some unexpectedly deep insights. Light writing style with well developed characters who you can’t help but fall for.
November 4, 2011
http://chicklitaholic.blogspot.com/20...
Looking For Leon is Shirley Benton's debut novel, which I have been excited about reading ever since I first heard about the novel. After reading a large amount of paranormal and horror novels over Halloween, I was more than ready to delve into a chick lit book and Looking For Leon was the one calling to me the most. The premise of going across the world to find someone you have feelings for really had me intrigued and the first line "There I was on the front page, flashing my knickers" had me instantly hooked.
Andie hadn’t gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers . But does Leon want to be found?
When I first read the synopsis of Looking For Leon I was instantly drawn in and once I started reading the idea of the novel was just as good as I thought it would be. I really love when a chick lit book is able to have some element that is unique and Shirely Benton pulled this off perfectly. After all who of us hasnt daydreamed about running off halfway around the world to find someone we love, even if only hypothetically? I find this to be such a romantic and at the same time fun notion. The pace in the beginning and end are fast and I was completly swept away in the plot. While the middle does slow down a little I still enjoyed it. I liked how as the pace slowed we were able to see Andie's character grow as well as her relationship with another character develop. My absolute favourite element of Looking For Leon was the humour that Shirley Benton injected into the novel as well as into the character of Andie. I found myself laughing on more than one occasion, which I think left a few of my fellow travellers on the bus wondering if I was perhaps slightly crazy but I was so involved in the novel that I didn't even care.
I fell in love with the character of Andie, even though she is flawed. I found her to be likeable, funny, confident and able to make fun of herself. Her flaws really bring her to life, after all who doesn't have flaws, no matter how well we may keep them hidden? I like my characters to have some roughness to them rather than being seemingly perfect. I also really liked Colm, the camera man, especially his quirky penchant for biscuits and his love of the 70's, which really made him unique. There are lots of minor characters within Looking For Leon whom I also really enjoyed reading about, including Philppe and Isolde. Every character no matter how small a role they played still made an impact on me as a reader.
What I loved most about Looking For Leon though, was the twist and the events that played out towards the end of the novel. While I don't want to give too much away, I will say that I definatly did not see the twist coming. It completly engulfed me with emotions and I could not read the last few pages fast enough in order to find out what happens. Overall, I loved Looking For Leon and would definatly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun, exciting chick lit book. I cannot wait to read more from Shirley in the future
Looking For Leon is Shirley Benton's debut novel, which I have been excited about reading ever since I first heard about the novel. After reading a large amount of paranormal and horror novels over Halloween, I was more than ready to delve into a chick lit book and Looking For Leon was the one calling to me the most. The premise of going across the world to find someone you have feelings for really had me intrigued and the first line "There I was on the front page, flashing my knickers" had me instantly hooked.
Andie hadn’t gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers . But does Leon want to be found?
When I first read the synopsis of Looking For Leon I was instantly drawn in and once I started reading the idea of the novel was just as good as I thought it would be. I really love when a chick lit book is able to have some element that is unique and Shirely Benton pulled this off perfectly. After all who of us hasnt daydreamed about running off halfway around the world to find someone we love, even if only hypothetically? I find this to be such a romantic and at the same time fun notion. The pace in the beginning and end are fast and I was completly swept away in the plot. While the middle does slow down a little I still enjoyed it. I liked how as the pace slowed we were able to see Andie's character grow as well as her relationship with another character develop. My absolute favourite element of Looking For Leon was the humour that Shirley Benton injected into the novel as well as into the character of Andie. I found myself laughing on more than one occasion, which I think left a few of my fellow travellers on the bus wondering if I was perhaps slightly crazy but I was so involved in the novel that I didn't even care.
I fell in love with the character of Andie, even though she is flawed. I found her to be likeable, funny, confident and able to make fun of herself. Her flaws really bring her to life, after all who doesn't have flaws, no matter how well we may keep them hidden? I like my characters to have some roughness to them rather than being seemingly perfect. I also really liked Colm, the camera man, especially his quirky penchant for biscuits and his love of the 70's, which really made him unique. There are lots of minor characters within Looking For Leon whom I also really enjoyed reading about, including Philppe and Isolde. Every character no matter how small a role they played still made an impact on me as a reader.
What I loved most about Looking For Leon though, was the twist and the events that played out towards the end of the novel. While I don't want to give too much away, I will say that I definatly did not see the twist coming. It completly engulfed me with emotions and I could not read the last few pages fast enough in order to find out what happens. Overall, I loved Looking For Leon and would definatly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun, exciting chick lit book. I cannot wait to read more from Shirley in the future
July 20, 2016
In need of some cheering up, I promoted Looking for Leon from low down in the bookpile (I read in order of acquisition!) to the top and what a good move it was. I haven't enjoyed a fun read so much in a very long time. Shirley Benton feeds the spirit by taking a heroine and giving her the requisite kooky characteristics that just manage to make her lovable without sending her into turn-off Susan Delfino territory, and sending her off on a journey where we're with her, rooting for her, every step of the way.
Andie Appleton, on meeting the man she feels might be the love of her life on holiday in Vegas, loses him again in a fire drill and promptly spends the single day she has left Stateside, trying every trick in the book to track him down to no avail.
On her return to Ireland, Andie heads back to the unwelcome prospect of her job as a journalist and her larger than life, improbably cruel boss, Isolde but the story of trying to find Leon soon gets out and becomes not just A story, but THE story on everyone's lips and Andie is promptly sent back to Vegas to find him for once and for all.
Accompanied by a cast of strongly formed individuals - seventies obsessed cameraman Colm, backstabbing, power hungry TV exec Lindy and pragmatic but romantic french porter, Philippe, Andie's search takes her on an unpredictable adventure through Sin City and beyond and, of course, leads to her finding herself. But will it find her Leon, and most of all will it find her true love?
What do you think? We know that there's going to be a happy ending - that's why popular women's fiction is so treasured because it provides essential escapism and feelgood factor. But the twist in 'Leon', comes completely out of the blue and adds a new layer to the novel, bringing tears as well as laughter, adding an unexpected poignancy to what could have been just another tale of wacky girl finds love, loses love, has a makeover, finds it again, the end. But it isn't. It's an enjoyable, fun romp that tugs at the heart strings but is ultimately satisfying.
Non-Irish readers, bear with some of the phrases you might find unfamiliar. This is a book where Irish people speak pretty much as Irish people actually do - which isn't all 'begorrah' and 'bejakers' (non-Irish readers, if you ever see these phrases in a book which claims to be authentically Irish, then bin it immediately). Nothing is lost in translation, however. You'll still love these characters and root for them all the same.
In short a great, fun read, which is real page turner. Fun and bubbly with some unexpected tears but when you've read it you'll feel ultimately uplifted.
Andie Appleton, on meeting the man she feels might be the love of her life on holiday in Vegas, loses him again in a fire drill and promptly spends the single day she has left Stateside, trying every trick in the book to track him down to no avail.
On her return to Ireland, Andie heads back to the unwelcome prospect of her job as a journalist and her larger than life, improbably cruel boss, Isolde but the story of trying to find Leon soon gets out and becomes not just A story, but THE story on everyone's lips and Andie is promptly sent back to Vegas to find him for once and for all.
Accompanied by a cast of strongly formed individuals - seventies obsessed cameraman Colm, backstabbing, power hungry TV exec Lindy and pragmatic but romantic french porter, Philippe, Andie's search takes her on an unpredictable adventure through Sin City and beyond and, of course, leads to her finding herself. But will it find her Leon, and most of all will it find her true love?
What do you think? We know that there's going to be a happy ending - that's why popular women's fiction is so treasured because it provides essential escapism and feelgood factor. But the twist in 'Leon', comes completely out of the blue and adds a new layer to the novel, bringing tears as well as laughter, adding an unexpected poignancy to what could have been just another tale of wacky girl finds love, loses love, has a makeover, finds it again, the end. But it isn't. It's an enjoyable, fun romp that tugs at the heart strings but is ultimately satisfying.
Non-Irish readers, bear with some of the phrases you might find unfamiliar. This is a book where Irish people speak pretty much as Irish people actually do - which isn't all 'begorrah' and 'bejakers' (non-Irish readers, if you ever see these phrases in a book which claims to be authentically Irish, then bin it immediately). Nothing is lost in translation, however. You'll still love these characters and root for them all the same.
In short a great, fun read, which is real page turner. Fun and bubbly with some unexpected tears but when you've read it you'll feel ultimately uplifted.
May 6, 2011
Andie Appleton goes on holiday to Las Vegas for an escape. The last thing she expected to find was the man of her dreams- the too good to be true Leon. Leon’s zest for life is what attracts Andie immediately to this stranger, but a fire drill rips the two apart. Without getting any information from him, Andie feels desperate to find Leon from Arizona. When she must head back to Ireland and get back to work as a journalist, she figures she will never see Leon again. But when she is retelling her love story gone wrong to her co-workers, her conniving boss overhears and decides to push the story. Soon, Andie is retelling her Looking for Leon tale in columns, which is a hit for readers. A TV station decides to pick up the story and send Andie back to Vegas to continue her hunt for Leon. The search garners nation-wide attention- but no Leon. During the process, Andie gets thrown together with Colm the camera-man, who she immediately despises. But as the search continues and no Leon pops up, Andie begins to wonder if she possibly found the man of her dreams anyways…
Looking For Leon is the debut novel from Shirley Benton, and I found it to be enjoyable. The beginning and the end were both fast-paced and lively, but the middle really slowed the story down. I thought a handful of scenes could have been cut from the novel, I didn’t find that they moved the story or any characters along, and I think that is part of the reason why the middle was lagging. I thought the concept was unique and Benton can definitely write humor, which gave me plenty of laughs throughout the way. The ending was very shocking and quite sad; I shed a few tears during the last chapters. I thought this was a good debut but just a little lacking in a few areas, but I would still recommend Looking For Leon.
Looking For Leon is the debut novel from Shirley Benton, and I found it to be enjoyable. The beginning and the end were both fast-paced and lively, but the middle really slowed the story down. I thought a handful of scenes could have been cut from the novel, I didn’t find that they moved the story or any characters along, and I think that is part of the reason why the middle was lagging. I thought the concept was unique and Benton can definitely write humor, which gave me plenty of laughs throughout the way. The ending was very shocking and quite sad; I shed a few tears during the last chapters. I thought this was a good debut but just a little lacking in a few areas, but I would still recommend Looking For Leon.
November 27, 2011
Andie is our heroine in Looking for Leon, my feelings towards Andie’s character change throughout the book. When we first meet Andie she was a character who I felt I was going to really enjoy reading she seemed to be a bit of a live wire with a great sense of humour. I then felt a bit of a surprising blow when she treats cameraman Colm badly, it just seemed so out of character for her. Luckily she seems to redeem herself later on in the book. Colm’s character was a typical old fashioned gentleman and I loved his character.
The book gets up to a great start at a very fast pace with alot of humour envolved. I mean how many books have you read that starts with “There I was on the front page, flashing my Knickers”! This all ready had me chuckling but also eager to know what on earth was going to happen next! We hear about the brief time Andie has with Leon and how well they connect before they are separated by a fire alarm. This is what sparks Andie into her campaign to try and find Leon again. The beginning of the book really had me turning the pages and eager to know what Andie had up her sleave next, unfortunately I found the middle part of the book took a little down turn and I was worried that the book wasn’t going to pick up again. It was a shame we didn’t hear a little more about Leon during the book but when we do meet him again it is a great twist in the book and in my opinion takes the book in a different direction bringing the book back to the fast pace page turner again.
I loved the twist in this book it was so unexpected. This book really is worth picking up as there is a great mix of humour, suspense and romance a great combination for a perfect read. I will defiantly be LOOKING for Shirley in the future!
The book gets up to a great start at a very fast pace with alot of humour envolved. I mean how many books have you read that starts with “There I was on the front page, flashing my Knickers”! This all ready had me chuckling but also eager to know what on earth was going to happen next! We hear about the brief time Andie has with Leon and how well they connect before they are separated by a fire alarm. This is what sparks Andie into her campaign to try and find Leon again. The beginning of the book really had me turning the pages and eager to know what Andie had up her sleave next, unfortunately I found the middle part of the book took a little down turn and I was worried that the book wasn’t going to pick up again. It was a shame we didn’t hear a little more about Leon during the book but when we do meet him again it is a great twist in the book and in my opinion takes the book in a different direction bringing the book back to the fast pace page turner again.
I loved the twist in this book it was so unexpected. This book really is worth picking up as there is a great mix of humour, suspense and romance a great combination for a perfect read. I will defiantly be LOOKING for Shirley in the future!
Read
April 3, 2011After being extremely unlucky in love, Andie Appleton did not expect to find the love of her life in the bright lights city of Las Vegas. But after meeting the luscious Leon, Andie felt like maybe love was possible for her after all. After only a few short hours together the annoying interruption of a fire drill separated Andie from the man she was sure she was meant to be with.
On returning to Ireland and her every day job as a journalist, Andie finds herself writing about the one that got away. With readers firmly hooked, a low budget TV network get involved and decide that Andie should fly back to Vegas to try and find this man that is constantly on her mind.
Teaming up with a well known PR agent in Las Vegas, Andie finds herself in some very embarrassing situations as she tries to find Leon. Being an ex-model, Andie is not camera shy but she never expected to be thrown into the media circus that was happening all around her. With time moving on and the well of ideas running dry, Andie begins to wonder if Leon wants to be found.
Mix Serendipity with a splash of Bridget Jones and a hint of Sex and the City and you have Looking for Leon. It is one of those books to pick up when your brain needs some laughs and a little vacation from the real world. A little predictable in places but very funny and an enjoyable read, Shirley Benton has done well with this first novel.
On returning to Ireland and her every day job as a journalist, Andie finds herself writing about the one that got away. With readers firmly hooked, a low budget TV network get involved and decide that Andie should fly back to Vegas to try and find this man that is constantly on her mind.
Teaming up with a well known PR agent in Las Vegas, Andie finds herself in some very embarrassing situations as she tries to find Leon. Being an ex-model, Andie is not camera shy but she never expected to be thrown into the media circus that was happening all around her. With time moving on and the well of ideas running dry, Andie begins to wonder if Leon wants to be found.
Mix Serendipity with a splash of Bridget Jones and a hint of Sex and the City and you have Looking for Leon. It is one of those books to pick up when your brain needs some laughs and a little vacation from the real world. A little predictable in places but very funny and an enjoyable read, Shirley Benton has done well with this first novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews