The View Was Exhausting, Mikaella Clements
The View Was Exhausting, Mikaella Clements
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

The View Was Exhausting

Author: Mikaella Clements, Onjuli Datta

Narrator: Tania Rodrigues

Unabridged: 12 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/06/2021


Synopsis

“A pure delight! Effortlessly cool, razor sharp, and crazy fun—I couldn’t put it down.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling authors of Daisy Jones & the Six 

"The complex, Hollywood love story we've all been waiting for—I couldn't get enough."—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read
 
Faking a love story is a whole lot easier than being in love . . .

The world can see that international A-list actress Whitman ("Win") Tagore and jet-setting playboy Leo Milanowski are made for each other. Their kisses start Twitter trends and their fights break the internet. From red carpet appearances to Met Gala mishaps, their on-again, off-again romance has titillated the public and the press for almost a decade. But it's all a lie.

As a woman of color, Win knows the Hollywood deck is stacked against her, so she's perfected the art of controlling her public persona. Whenever she nears scandal, she calls in Leo, with his endearingly reckless attitude, for a staged date. Each public display of affection shifts the headlines back in Win's favor, and Leo uses the good press to draw attention away from his dysfunctional family.

Pretending to be in a passionate romance is one thing, but Win knows that a real relationship would lead to nothing but trouble. So instead they settle for friendship, with a side of sky-rocketing chemistry. Except this time, on the French Riviera, something is off. A shocking secret in Leo's past sets Win's personal and professional lives on a catastrophic collision course. Behind the scenes of their yacht-trips and PDA, the world's favorite couple is at each other's throats. Now they must finally confront the many truths and lies of their relationship, and Win is forced to consider what is more important: a rising career, or a risky shot at real love?

The View Was Exhausting is a funny, wickedly observant modern love story set against the backdrop of exotic locales and the realities of being a woman of color in a world run by men.

About Mikaella Clements

Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta are the co-authors of The View Was Exhausting, a Goop and Good Housekeeping book club pick and named ‘a perfect summer read’ by Vogue. Between them, their writing has been published in the New York Times, Guardian, Washington Post, White Review, Slate and more. They are married and live in Berlin.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Olivie on August 22, 2021

There were times while reading that I felt things were moving quite slowly, almost at a literary pace, and while I didn't really mind it—the writing quality is very, very high, not just for a contemporary romance debut but in general—I did find myself surprised by the pacing. The cover and pitch sel......more

Goodreads review by winnie on January 03, 2024

A 5-star rating isn't enough for this book. “It’s just that I spent all that time pretending I was in love with you, and now I have to pretend that I'm not.” The View Was Exhausting is the story of a famous British Indian actress named Whitman (Win) who is still trying for big roles even against al......more

Goodreads review by Geena on November 05, 2021

2/5 I didn't care for celebrities and their relationships before this book, and I cared even less afterwards I think we all have differing opinions on what fake dating constitutes... whatever this book was, it was not the fake dating that I've envisioned.... I think it's a lot more interesting when th......more

Goodreads review by Katy O. on July 24, 2021

Sigh. Sometimes this BOOK was exhausting. When I keep speeding up an audiobook so it will just end, that means I’m getting bored ~ and I got this one up to 1.5x which is super fast for me. The narration however was excellent and the reason why I stuck with it. I was frustrated with Win for the entir......more


Quotes

"An absolutely stellar debut with tension that crackles and prose that sings, The View Was Exhausting is the complex, Hollywood love story we've all been waiting for. Clements and Datta have crafted a book that's as heartfelt and earnest as it is sharp and surprising--I couldn't get enough."

Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

"Married couple Clements and Datta use a playful trope to confront weighty issues in their excellent debut, a romance that's as timely as it is heartfelt.  Readers will come for the swoon-worthy romance and stay for the beautiful prose."

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The View Was Exhausting sweeps you up into the tilt-a-whirl of Hollywood relationships. This richly drawn romance is, crucially, also a journey through the unjust rules forced upon women—especially women of color— who dare to play the fame game. It's timely, touching, and a tantalizing love story."—Jessica Morgan & Heather Cocks, bestselling authors of The Royal We and The Heir Affair