book cover of The Budapest Breakfast Club
 

The Budapest Breakfast Club

(2011)
A novel by

 
 
"It's a fast-paced, modern indie-rom with a gritty edge that will appeal to both men and women... Lots of fun and delivers several emotional punches... "

This summer: Go to Budapest... Make a movie... Have an affair.

Ten years ago, a group of students fell in love with each other and had their perfect moment. Now screenwriter Nathan Beck is back in Budapest to shoot a movie about it.

But his return stirs up memories for the old Breakfast Club survivors trying to cope in this city now their perfect moment is over:

Gabor lives to make films but writes bubble bath ad copy to live. Virag is the hotshot career woman, with a different man in her bed each night and a bottle of vodka in her handbag. Luca (Gabor's girlfriend and Nathan's ex) hides away in her home town because she's scared of love.

And then there's Judy Carter, movie star: seduced by the story of the Breakfast Club, she embarks on an affair with Nathan, risking the happy marriage that everyone but her believes in.

It's a only a matter of time before the story breaks and the press and her fans turn on her .... and two muckraking Hungarian journalists are digging up all the dirt they can find.

The Budapest Breakfast Club plays like a mash-up of Judd Apatow, Richard Linklater and Woody Allen: a comedy with laughs, heart and brains.

"Introducing every character through their life's one perfect moment is a beautiful technique... "

This ebook INTERACTIVE SOUNDTRACK EDITION contains hotlinks to over 70 old swing tunes that feature in the story, so you can listen to a sample of each tune and buy any individual tracks you choose to make up your very own soundtrack album.

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Nathan and Judy strolled along a silent boulevard. Despite the bodyguards following at a discreet distance, the atmosphere was undeniably romantic. They walked apart, not touching, Judy humming to herself. Nathan recognised it and laughed.

- What?

- Al Bowlly again.

- Oh, she said. I hum him all the time, especially when I'm away from... home.

They fell silent as they walked. Awkward. Her husband a silent ghost walking with them.

- What's the matter? she asked.

- Nothing. Just a painful thought.

- Just the one? I'm having dozens of the buggers.

They smiled and walked on.

- I'd really like to listen to some Al Bowlly when we get back, she said. That would be just divine right now.

He wondered what she was getting at. Should he offer her his iPod dock, take it round for her, plug it in, let her borrow it for the night? It seemed ridiculous, but he almost blurted it out of his stupid mouth.

- Um, you could...

- Sorry?

No, of course not. She didn't want to borrow his stupid iPod dock, she wanted to come to his room, to listen to the music, with him. He mentally punched himself in the face for almost being such a colossal idiot.

- Well, you could come and listen to some... if you like.

- That would be nice, she said, like she'd only just thought of the possibility.

They walked in silence for a few moments.

- I'll chuck you out if you try any funny stuff, though, he said.

She laughed and nudged him with her elbow.

- Cheeky sod. You wish.

They reached the hotel and walked inside, both trying not to grin, nodding goodnight to the bodyguards, who were already on their phone to Ildi.

On the top floor, the elevator doors opened and they stepped out. Neither spoke as they walked down the corridor to his door. She stood behind him as he fumbled with the lock. The corridor empty. She stared at the floor. An ecstacy of fumbling. The door opened at last. She rushed in. He looked back down the corridor. No one.


Genre: Romance

Used availability for Andy Conway's The Budapest Breakfast Club


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