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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I have read my fair share of chick lit books, mainly the ones written by Sophie Kinsella. This is a debut from Giovanna Fletcher and I loved it, great characters, fun plot and addictive! Chick lit will never change lives but it's damn fun to read
When Giovanna announced she was releasing a book, I knew I had to get it!
I knew I would love her writing style due to the authors she reads, she is very similar to Jill Mansell (who I also adore!), so if you like any of her books, you'll more than likely enjoy Billy and Me.
The book is split into four parts, but the only thing I didn't like about it was that I thought part two seemed a little rushed compared to the other parts, but besides that, loved it!
I thought the characters were great, and oh my gosh, can I please have a Billy in my life?! He is a new actor and is absolutely adorable towards Sophie (minus a couple of times where he is being typically clueless and you just wanna shake him and make him see sense!)
I could write a whole lot about Billy and Me, but then I would be giving away a lot of spoilers! So, all I'm gonna say, is this is a must read!
I knew I would love her writing style due to the authors she reads, she is very similar to Jill Mansell (who I also adore!), so if you like any of her books, you'll more than likely enjoy Billy and Me.
The book is split into four parts, but the only thing I didn't like about it was that I thought part two seemed a little rushed compared to the other parts, but besides that, loved it!
I thought the characters were great, and oh my gosh, can I please have a Billy in my life?! He is a new actor and is absolutely adorable towards Sophie (minus a couple of times where he is being typically clueless and you just wanna shake him and make him see sense!)
I could write a whole lot about Billy and Me, but then I would be giving away a lot of spoilers! So, all I'm gonna say, is this is a must read!
emotional
lighthearted
Unfortunately, this book was so disappointing. I love Gi and Tom and the whole McFly family so I was excited to read one of Gi's books. However, I'm afraid I should not have chosen her debut. It read like fanfiction (the typical bad parts of fanfiction I mean - not hating on fanfic writers), from the plot and romance to the writing style. A lot of feelings explained over and over again and not much actually happening. And certainly lacking in plot. Don't forget about the insta love! I found it so hard to get through this - in fact, I DNF'd it then picked it up again because I'd already read 200 pages and felt like it was a waste of time if I didn't at least finish it.
I feel bad writing this, I'm sure Gi has improved a ton. I finished Eve of Man before finishing this one and it's leagues better! But sadly, this has not given me the desire to pick up another of her romances for fear of them again being cheesy, boring and lacking character depth.
I feel bad writing this, I'm sure Gi has improved a ton. I finished Eve of Man before finishing this one and it's leagues better! But sadly, this has not given me the desire to pick up another of her romances for fear of them again being cheesy, boring and lacking character depth.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Billy and Me is about an ordinary woman, called Sophie, who works in a tea shop. Molly owns the shop and the two of them have a beautiful friendship. Life is pretty mundane for Sophie, that is until, talk spreads through the village about a new film being filmed in the area. Enter Billy, the lead in the film. From the moment he first sees Sophie he is captivated. The story of Billy and Me is a delight.
This book has my heart; it may well be one of my favourite ever reads. Giovanna created something special when she wrote this. Sophie is so relatable and lovely, I really felt all of the emotions she felt, joy, love, grief, jealousy. Billy was a dream, he was just ahh, even when he did wrong he made it oh so perfectly right. I adored Molly, as well as her Mum and her Dad. Everything about this book screamed perfection and romance. For those of you who have read it, please tell me I’m not the only one who blubbed like a baby? Billy and Me will stay with me forever, I look forward to reading the sequel, Always With Love. A round of applause to Giovanna Fletcher, 5 stars
This book has my heart; it may well be one of my favourite ever reads. Giovanna created something special when she wrote this. Sophie is so relatable and lovely, I really felt all of the emotions she felt, joy, love, grief, jealousy. Billy was a dream, he was just ahh, even when he did wrong he made it oh so perfectly right. I adored Molly, as well as her Mum and her Dad. Everything about this book screamed perfection and romance. For those of you who have read it, please tell me I’m not the only one who blubbed like a baby? Billy and Me will stay with me forever, I look forward to reading the sequel, Always With Love. A round of applause to Giovanna Fletcher, 5 stars
I don't usually write reviews, but for this book, I felt compelled to. My thoughts basically boil down to: it was an okay read that lacked depth. The story was too fast paced, the characters were under developed and, quite honestly, it just got a bit frustrating after she moves in with him, due to both characters tbh.
Sophie for her extreme jealousy and clinginess, and her obvious codependency on Billy, which meant she basically refused to go out and do things/meet new people and instead waited around for him. And Billy for his insistence that she stay home and let him "take care of her", and his lack of tact when it came to realising his manager was being rude/insensitive, not to mention how little effort he made of generally making Sophie feel included for most of the beginning of his relationship. It was obvious people were only interested in what he had to say, and both characters did nothing to change that. Look, I don't mind a girl who wants to stay home and depend on her husband/boyfriend/etc and take care of their family, but the key word here is WANT, which Sophie clearly didn't.
Basically, I was reading a story I've read over and over again: the insecure girl who falls for a guy who is oh so out of her league and then spends the entire book crying about it while he keeps apologising for things that sometimes aren't even his fault without them both realising neither of them is making an effort to CHANGE the whole situation. It's already boring when done half well (half because, personally, I will never find this narrative good or compelling) and this book did nothing to make it better.
And that's not even touching the fact that her mother shunned herself when she had an eleven year old that needed her, at a time where they both needed help, and not only made her feel like she didn't love her, but also allowed that whole role reversal that ultimately kept her daughter from going out into the world until she was in her mid twenties. I have a mother that has suffered with depression, but even on her lowest times she always put my brother and me first, so tin this regard, Sophie's mum also drove me insane. I get suffering, pain, loss, all of that, but I don't get a mother who was obviously present and caring not even trying to make an effort (and she was diagnosed, so it's not like she was unaware that she had a problem).
Now, I have to say that I really like Gi and think she's generally a really great person, and I am also well aware this is her first novel, but to be completely honest, the only reason I bothered finishing this book was because I had some downtime during a four day convention I attended and it was there. Had I been home, I'd have quit half way. I really hope her second novel is better, but Billy and Me gets two stars, and barely so.
Sophie for her extreme jealousy and clinginess, and her obvious codependency on Billy, which meant she basically refused to go out and do things/meet new people and instead waited around for him. And Billy for his insistence that she stay home and let him "take care of her", and his lack of tact when it came to realising his manager was being rude/insensitive, not to mention how little effort he made of generally making Sophie feel included for most of the beginning of his relationship. It was obvious people were only interested in what he had to say, and both characters did nothing to change that. Look, I don't mind a girl who wants to stay home and depend on her husband/boyfriend/etc and take care of their family, but the key word here is WANT, which Sophie clearly didn't.
Basically, I was reading a story I've read over and over again: the insecure girl who falls for a guy who is oh so out of her league and then spends the entire book crying about it while he keeps apologising for things that sometimes aren't even his fault without them both realising neither of them is making an effort to CHANGE the whole situation. It's already boring when done half well (half because, personally, I will never find this narrative good or compelling) and this book did nothing to make it better.
And that's not even touching the fact that her mother shunned herself when she had an eleven year old that needed her, at a time where they both needed help, and not only made her feel like she didn't love her, but also allowed that whole role reversal that ultimately kept her daughter from going out into the world until she was in her mid twenties. I have a mother that has suffered with depression, but even on her lowest times she always put my brother and me first, so tin this regard, Sophie's mum also drove me insane. I get suffering, pain, loss, all of that, but I don't get a mother who was obviously present and caring not even trying to make an effort (and she was diagnosed, so it's not like she was unaware that she had a problem).
Now, I have to say that I really like Gi and think she's generally a really great person, and I am also well aware this is her first novel, but to be completely honest, the only reason I bothered finishing this book was because I had some downtime during a four day convention I attended and it was there. Had I been home, I'd have quit half way. I really hope her second novel is better, but Billy and Me gets two stars, and barely so.