The Idea of You: A Novel

Solène Marchand, a thirty-nine-year-old art gallery owner in Los Angeles, reluctantly attends a boy band concert with her daughter Isabelle following her divorce. She unexpectedly forms a connection with Hayes Campbell, a twenty-year-old member of the world-famous August Moon. Despite their age difference, Hayes is clever, confident, and charming, and the attraction is immediate. What starts as secret meetings develops into a passionate relationship that spans continents. Solène and Hayes navigate their different worlds—from stadium tours to international art fairs to locations in Paris and Miami. For Solène, the relationship becomes a way to reclaim herself and rediscover happiness and love. When their romance becomes public and goes viral, both Solène and Isabelle face attention from devoted fans and media scrutiny. Solène must confront how her romantic choices have affected those closest to her.