Remember My Name – Abbey Clancy

I've made my opinions quite clear on this blog before how I’m not overly keen on books written by celebrities as frankly a lot of them are a little rubbish. Remember My Name however got my attention from the cover alone and then once I read the blurb I knew it would be exactly the kind of book that I would love to read. 

Jess is a completely normal person from Liverpool except for the fact she’s determined to be a star. At 22, the only stardom her life has brought her is a child’s entertainer where she dresses up as Disney princesses. Then one day everything changes when she meets Jack, the birthday girl’s uncle at one of the princess parties, he also just happens to work at a record label and spots potential in Jess. Jess uproots from Liverpool to London and life as a star just isn’t as she imagined when she’s spending her days as the office tea maker.

When reading this book I did on many occasion wonder if Clancy wrote exaggerated truths about what happened to her when she was in the early stages of her career. It’s hard not to perhaps draw parallels between Jess and Abbey as they’re both from Liverpool. It was very tough on Jess to begin with when she initially moved to London and as you’re reading you can slowly see her start to change. Ultimately the strong message of staying grounded to your roots is portrayed wonderfully in this book. 

I loved the settings in the book too, from Jess’s dingy flat above a kebab shop to the showbiz parties she was invited to. They’re all fantastically described and it was interesting to see a glimpse into the world of the rich and famous. The places Jess goes are also filled with highly realistic characters that you can easily imagine to be real people, from the bitchy girls in PR to her family members to the friendly owners of the kebab shop. Toss in a few potential love interests and I’d say Remember My Name has everything you want from this kind of book.  

Honestly, I really enjoyed Remember My Name and for a celebrity debut novel I thought it was a great read. Regardless of if you like Abbey Clancy or not if you love romantic comedies that are set in the world of showbiz you will absolutely adore this book. 

Synopsis -

Model and TV presenter Abbey Clancy’s debut novel is a romantic comedy about a girl from Liverpool who dreams of hitting the big time….

From the moment Liverpool teenager Jess stars in the school musical, she knows that she’s GOT to be a star. Fast forward a few years and the closest the now 22 year old Jessica has got to stardom is as a children’s entertainer – which is where she meets Jack , uncle to the spoiled 5 year old birthday princess who spots Jessica’s talent and offers her a job with a record label. But that means that she’ll have to leave her family and her home and move to London – where she quickly finds that the streets aren’t quite paved with gold. And as she spends her days making tea for bitchy PR girls and her night in a mouldy studio flat, Jessica wonders if leaving Liverpool for London has been a terrible mistake.

Attending an industry party – unfortunately only to serve canapes – Jessica’s fortunes suddenly change when Vogue, the singer due to perform at the event drops out. Before she knows it, Jessica volunteers to stand in and takes centre stage. After a dazzling performance, she is surrounded by people wondering who this amazing new talent is. What’s more, her star turn has been captured by the press and she has become an overnight sensation.

Plunged into the crazy world of glitz and glamour, Jessica’s life is transformed but as her star rises, she loses touch with her roots. Jessica’s teenage dreams of stardom may have come true, but at what cost?