REVIEW: Giovanna Fletcher - Billy and Me

This is a repost from my other blog but I thought I'd put it on here as a) it's a fantastic book, and b) this is my book blog now. ENJOY!

Blurb:

Sophie May has a secret.

One that she’s successfully kept for years. It’s meant that she’s had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy – an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy’s glamorous – but ruthless – world.

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

My thoughts:

There is so much I want to say about this book but, if I did that, I’d ruin the secret so here’s what I can tell you… It’s an emotional rollercoaster and it’s a bloody superb debut novel from Giovanna Fletcher.

Unlike most other chick-lit stories, you know pretty soon that Sophie May and Billy are an item… The question is; will they stay that way? Y’know when you watch a movie and you’re so utterly engrossed in the storyline that you’d rather risk your bladder exploding than running to the toilet and missing something..? ‘Billy and Me’ is like that but in book form – I can easily see this becoming a movie. It got to the point that I was reading it and shouting at the book. Thankfully, I wasn’t in public or that could have been slightly awkward. I did, however, nearly cry on the DLR so be prepared!

Sophie May is a young lady who’s sacrificed certain things in her life and it all comes back to her past. Then along comes love, in the form of Billy. A love so strong and powerful that she starts to leave her comforts behind and face up to the things from her past (not necessarily through choice) that she’s kept hidden for far too long.

I always have my head in a book so, in my head, I’m bound to relate to some of them but none of them have touched me in the same way Sophie May does. There’s been no other story I’ve related to more than hers. Minus the actor boyfriend, of course. It’s more than just because of her past, it’s the way she’s been affected by it. That’s what makes the story so great – no matter what your story, you will, in some way, be able to relate to Sophie.

When I finished the book, I was in floods of tears. I was red, puffy, and snotty, but I was happy. I’d been touched by a book, I felt like I’d gone through everything with Sophie and that’s a testament to Giovanna’s writing ability. I’m a sucker for a book so they do make me shed the occasional tear here and there but this one had me sobbing.

For anyone who thinks that this is about Gi and Tom, I’d tell them to read the book and strip it to its core: it’s about a couple who have to adjust to a big change in their life that threatens to break down the foundation of their relationship. I don’t know about you but that sounds like most relationships to me, not just theirs.

When Giovanna did her book tour, she drew everyone a cupcake based on a word they used to describe the book so I’m going to do the same in the back of my book so that, should I ever lend anyone the book, they can see what I thought of it and maybe add their own cupcake to it too.

(It was supposed to represent all the layers and emotions of the book!)

This book is incredible. I didn't want to put it down and I think this could easily be a series so, with that being said, bring on the next book!

*paid for by myself*

REVIEW: Rosie Blake - How To Get A (Love) Life

"Some people book last-minute holidays, walk barefoot in the grass or party on a week night. Not Nicola Brown. Nicola is the kind of girl who double-locks the front door, leaves the plastic covering on new furniture, sticks to a super-strict diet and definitely, absolutely Does Not Date.
Her colleague Caroline – loopy, warm and exasperated by her, knows that Nicola's reluctance to lose control means she's living only half a life. And so she lays down the gauntlet: Nicola must cast aside her hang ups and go on as many dates as it takes to find true love in time for Valentine's Day.
The pick of local men is, quite frankly, a bit rubbish. And there are only three months until February 14th. Surely it's an impossible task? But, as Nicola is about to find out on her dodgy dates, letting go isn't quite as scary as she imagined. In fact, it's rather a lot of fun..."

There is very little I love better than a book that makes me laugh aloud, question certain aspects of my life, makes me cry, gasp, and make me become so involved with the characters and the story that I miss my stop on the tube. This book does them all except one but, let's face it, crying isn't exactly my (nor anyone else's) favourite thing to do.

I knew when I read snippets of this book on Twitter thanks to @RosieBBooks that I HAD to get my hands on it, especially considering all the reviews I saw of people raving about how good it was. So I'm proud to say this was one of my first Kindle purchases and I hope they're all as spectacular as this in the future.

It follows the story of Nicola Brown, a twenty-something who is stuck in a bit of a rut, not that she's fully aware of it. Now, I'm a fan of routine so I could relate to Nicola's clockwork life but it was also this story that made me realise things need to change, something Nicola slowly realises too. For years, Nicola has been alone, eating certain meals at certain times, doing the same thing day in, day out. Until, that is, her co-worker and friend, Caroline, dares her to get a date by Valentine's Day. This is where the fun starts.

We follow Nicola as she steps so far out of her comfort zone and embarks on her dating mission. We're with her as she meets some genuinely awful men and goes on some shocking dates. In fact, the most shocking date in the book (you'll know the one I mean when you read it) actually sounds like fun to me... Does that mean I'm crazy!?

There's something special about watching someone grow as a person but even more so when you know the things they've gone through and Nicola's past is enough to put anyone off dating! She starts the book as a quiet, slightly weird (it's all the strict routines!), and wary young lady who seems scared of life and ends it as a spontaneous woman who takes risks and grabs life by the danglies. It's a slightly inspiring for anyone who, like Nicola, has been hurt and messed around in the past - it proves there's hope out there, something she realises herself throughout the book.

The title may sound like a self-help book but it isn't, something I hastened to point out to friends whenever they asked what I was reading, ha. That being said, it is the kind of book that will leave you feeling somewhat enlightened, whether that's about daring or life in general. I always find these books the most special - they leave an impact on your life and that can stay with you for a long time.

I love the close knit group that Nicola surrounds herself with; her work friends and brother. It's this friendship group that helps to accentuate how lonely she must have been before the dare and how sheltered her life was. Thankfully, instead of pitying her, you end up spurring her on and feeling like you wanna shake sense into her when she behaves a certain way with a certain someone.

I couldn't stop reading this book and that wasn't just because I was so excited to read it; it's just written so gosh darn well! I laughed, I cringed, I gasped, I wondered how things were going to play out but the one thing I didn't, and couldn't, do was put the book down.

This book would be great for those who like lighthearted 'chick-lit'. It's more than just a great love story, it's like a mini-life lesson we all have to go through.

*bought by myself*

REVIEW: Heather Wardell - Fifty Million Reasons

"Angela has typical lottery player plans: help friends and family, give more to charity, and escape her rut. But when she wins big, she faces angry relatives, her own unexpected greed, and a lawsuit from the person who put her in that rut. Almost nobody treats her normally, and now they’ve got fifty million reasons not to. She can buy anything she wants now, but can she buy the life she needs?”

NOTE: Includes significant references to “Good to Myself” and “Pink Is A Four-Letter Word” – the author suggests reading those first however I didn’t and the book was still a fantastic read.

It’s easy to assume that if you won the lottery, all your problems would be solved but Angela’s story proves that, maybe, that wouldn’t be the case. In fact, winning might be the cause of the majority of your problems. Set in Canada (part of the reason I loved this book so much – I WILL move there one day), we follow the life of Angela – a regular woman who helps those less fortunate and has a small tight knit group of friends – after she wins big on the lottery. It looks at how money affects not just herself but also those around her, including those she thought she could rely on.

As a character, Angela is very relatable and it’s exceptionally easy to get caught up in her world – proof that it’s a fantastic book but also testament to Wardell’s writing style. There were plenty of times I found myself wondering how I’d react to winning and the truth is, it would be just as Angela (I hope. I think I hope anyway) but, more than that, I found myself questioning whether people would react to my (imaginary) win as those in the book did with Angela.

Angela is kind, generous, and pretty cool – something that doesn’t change too much throughout the book. We learn about her ex, Shane, before he’s fully introduced but only by fleeting comments. Her past isn’t mentioned much and, when it is, it’s not explained in a way that brings you entirely up to speed. At least, that’s how I felt when I read it. That being said, there was advance warning from the author and it’s genuinely the only little niggle I have with this book.

The writing style is a dream to read. As I mentioned previously, I would often find myself living in Angela’s world only to be brought back to reality when it was my tube stop or time to finally accept that my ‘one more chapter’ before bed had come. More than that, though, I would find myself thinking about the characters and the story when I was at work or watching TV – how would I spend the money? Would I follow the same suit as Angela? How was she going to react to certain events? The questions are endless. The writing style helps you to empathise with Angela and it’s this that makes the book strike a chord; we’d all like to think we’d be generous with our winnings but seeing things through Angela’s eyes has made me realise that I wouldn’t play it the way I initially thought I would and, maybe, that’s not a bad thing.

If I could take one thing away from this book, it’s that money can’t, and never will, make you happy. Not fully. When Shane reappears in Angela’s life, she thinks she’ll finally be able to have the life she’d been dreaming of since their split and it was her winnings she had to thank for reconnecting them (wait until you read that part – it’s amazing!) but it turns out that John (her friend that lives with his son in the same block as Angela, who she often visits) was right to be wary of the situation. Both Shane and Angela have changed in the 9 years since they were last together and no matter how much money she has, she can’t change that. So will they be able to make it work this time?

John is Angela’s, dare I say it, best friend and one of the few people that doesn’t treat her differently – at least not for the wrong reasons. He doesn’t accept handouts from Angela, despite how much he needs them and that ends up being both frustrating and endearing for Angela. Maybe what she needs is a friend who will be there, regardless of her bank balance?

I can’t rate this book highly enough – it’s superb. I love that it captures you so completely that you think about it even when you’re not reading it and when you are, you get lost in a whole other world that makes you think about reality. That sounds far more confusing than it is. The characters are well padded out, they’re likeable (in most cases) and things don’t necessarily go as you might think or hope.

*Received from NetGalley*