Recently Read...

I'm falling behind with my reviews at the moment, mainly because I'm pretty busy at the moment with my own books!  Most of you probably know the first three stories in my Meet Cute series have been released in the last month, and with the fourth instalment due out on December 17th there's been little let up!  You can find out more about my writing exploits at my author blog.

Rather than miss a huge chunk of my reading off the blog, I thought I'd do a quick round up of recent reads.


I borrowed All my Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman from a work colleague.  She didn't exactly sell it to me, saying she hadn't been a big fan, but I wanted to give it a go because I'd heard Carrie Hope Fletcher talking about how much she loved it. It'd be fair to say I fell somewhere in the middle.  Whilst I thought it was a really clever concept, using attributes to name characters such as 'the Perfectionist', 'the Hypnotist' and 'the Broken Heart', I found it quite difficult to engage with and at times found it bordered on the pretentious.  There were, however, some really sweet lines which kept me reading, and as it was only a short read (around 100 pages) I'm glad I persevered.  Fans of quirky fiction will no doubt love it, but for me it fell a bit short.


Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher had been on my wishlist for a while, but I finally started reading it this month.  I've enjoyed Giovanna's other books and this one was no exception.  When Sarah starts dreaming about old friend Brett, she doesn't expect him to turn up as the new member of staff at the company she works for!  The Brett of her dreams isn't the same as real-life Brett, but as he and Sarah work together to plan an innovative TV show, their relationship blossoms.  With a fabulous supporting cast of friends, this is a fast-paced book with lots of laughs.  There were heart felt moments and realistic portrayals of friendship through the ups and downs of life and Fletcher's writing style is highly readable reminding me of one of my other favourite contemporary novelists, Erin Lawless.  I enjoyed it so much that I went straight on to the companion novella!






Dream a Little Christmas Dream is the follow-up novella to Dream a little Dream and tells the story of Sarah and Brett's Christmas.  With the same supporting characters and the familiar pub quiz backdrop, this was an enjoyable short read.  There were times in this one where Sarah seemed blind to what I felt was obvious, but overall it was a sweet and romantic follow up with a sprinkling of humour.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Giovanna Fletcher comes up with next!






The Art of Being Normal has been one of the big hitting YA reads of the year.  Nominated for awards left, right and centre, it follows David Piper, a girl born in a boy's body.  In many ways this can be classed as a coming of age novel, a story of self-discovery and self-acceptance.  But Lisa Williamson has made David so utterly relatable, and in giving him Leo as a friend has created a unique bond which leaps off the page and into the reader's heart.  There is wonderful imagery throughout, particularly during the seaside scenes, and this touching novel deserved every ounce of the acclaim it's receiving.  I know I'll be coming back to it again, and my copy is proudly stood on the shelf of 'keepers' - books I want to reread and recommend and lend to anyone who'll listen.  Brilliant.


I'm hoping to do one more round up post before the end of the month to catch up! 

Waiting on Wednesday...Dream A Little Dream- Giovanna Fletcher

It's that time again- Waiting on Wednesday, the meme created by Breaking the Spine where bloggers share their excitement for forthcoming releases!

 

Today I'm shouting about Giovanna Fletcher's summer release Dream a Little Dream.  Last year I devoured You're The One That I Want and Billy and Me- both were engaging, romantic reads that made me fall just a little bit in love with Giovanna Fletcher's writing.  Her summer release sounds like a perfect summer novel for whiling away the days, and I'm likely to be reading this as soon as my preorder flashes up on my kindle!

 

Even the cover is beautifully summery and cheery!

 

 

 

The Blurb

The new gorgeously romantic novel from bestselling author of Billy and Me and You're the One That I Want, Giovanna Fletcher.

Sarah is doing just fine. Sure she's been single for the last five years, and has to spend an uncomfortable amount of time around her ex-boyfriend, his perfect new girlfriend and all their mutual friends. And yes, her job as a PA to one of the most disgusting men in London is mind-numbingly tedious and her career is a constant disappointment to her mother. But it's really okay. She's happy (ish).

But it's not surprising that when Sarah starts dreaming about a handsome stranger, she begins to look forward to falling asleep every night. Reality isn't nearly as exciting. That is until her dream-stranger makes an unexpected real-life appearance, leaving Sarah questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Because no one ever really finds the person of their dreams... do they?

Dream a little Dream is released on June 18th 2015, published by Penguin.

You're The One That I Want- Giovanna Fletcher

 

I read Giovanna Fletcher's debut novel Billy and Me earlier this year (you can read my review here) and knew that I'd be in amongst the crowds clamouring to get my hands on her summer 2014 release You're The One That I Want.  Part angst-ridden love triangle, part friendship beyond measure, this is an emotional read which left me with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

 

I read this book in a day whilst travelling to and from Niall Horan's charity football match.  I was totally sucked into the story and would have carried on reading it at the ground, but was distracted when Liam Payne's thighs came into the picture (sorry Gi, you're storytelling is hugely entertaining but still can't compete with the Payno).  However, I was straight back into it on the coach home, desperate to find out how the story would pan out.

 

Maddy, Rob, Ben- this trio of friends have grown up together.  Climbing trees, dancing to Hanson, sexual awakening, going to university...seventeen years of friendship are chronicled in You're The One That I Want.  The friends are a tripod, reliant on each other to remain standing firm.  But is one person always left out when you are part of a three?

It's obvious that You're The One That I Want is a story of friendship and love, but its message runs deeper than that.  It demonstrates how certain people become so engrained in your life that you can't imagine you could ever live without them.  People who you compromise yourself for.  People who you truly want to be happy.  Maddy, Rob and Ben have the tightest of friendships and that is what stood out most about this book to me.  There were times I wanted to scream at them to realise how lucky they were to have each other, because as a reader looking in I could see just how much they all relied on each other.

Of course, over a seventeen year period they inevitably hit a few bumps in the road.  This is where my heartstrings were tugged and I was torn in two- team Ben or team Rob?  I wanted happiness for all of them, but ultimately it was Ben that I related to the most throughout the book.

I absolutely loved the nostalgic element, being transported back to school trips to France (and it seems they always leave at stupid O'clock in the morning, even in fiction), Cotton Eye Joe (Ok, I could have done without reliving that) and exam results day.  I felt like I was stepping back to these points in my own life, and although not always happy moments there is much in You're The One That I Want that I found relatable.

As in Billy and Me I did find there were a lot of unnecessary exclamation marks, but that was only a minor irritation in what was a cute and engaging story.  Other than that, I loved it.

You're The One That I Want could be viewed as 'just another chick lit book', froth and candyfloss to read on the beach.  Don't dismiss it as that.  It's a charming and touching novel which touched my heart, and, in the words of Giovanna's lovely husband Tom...

 

With thanks to Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review. 

You're The One That I Want is out now. 

Billy and Me- Giovanna Fletcher

 

I bought this book pretty much as soon as it came out.  I hadn't heard anything about it but I loved the cover (yes, totally lured in by the overwhelming pinkness and girliness) and the blurb made it sound like the kind of book I'd enjoy.

I'm a bit ashamed to write this next bit, as it is judgmental and full of preconceived ideas that are totally wrong.  When I found out that the author was someone in the public eye (Giovanna is the sister of TOWIE's Marco Falcone, wife of Tom from McFly and an actress/columnist in her own right) I was put off.  I don't tend to like books written by celebrities and so Billy and Me languished unread for seven months.  I kept seeing it there, goading me, but I'd already written it off.  It was only when fellow bloggers were compiling their books of the year and Billy and Me kept recurring in the lists that I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did-it has been a lovely book to start the year with.  Touching, sweet and romantic, Billy and Me pulled me in from the start. So I'd like to say a heartfelt sorry to Giovanna and that I have well and truly learnt my lesson not to judge a book before reading!

The Blurb
Billy and Me is a gorgeously romantic debut novel about the redemptive power of love by actress, journalist and blogger Giovanna Fletcher.

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?

Charming, heartwarming and utterly romantic, Billy and Me will completely capture your heart.

The Review
Well, as I said earlier, I really enjoyed this book.

Firstly, the characters were well constructed.  Sophie was immediately likeable and easy to empathise with, whilst Billy is the big name star.  They balanced each other out beautifully and gave the book depth.  However, Sophie's friend Molly and the other minor characters, such as Sophie's Mum and Colin, were also easy to relate to.

The locations were great too-a simple country lifestyle in Kent juxtaposed with the pace and glamour of London highlife.

The plot itself could have been out and out fluff and glamour given the subject matter, but actually Billy and Me is as much a book about bereavement, self esteem and realising what is important in life as it is about celebrity relationships.  Ultimately, it is about seeking what makes you happy.  Reading this book over new year was especially poignant as I was already in that mode of reassessing hopes and dreams and this book pushed me on to think about exactly what I want out of life.

There was only one minor point that irritated me slightly whilst reading, and that was the abundance of exclamation marks.  I tend to read with quite a lot of emphasis and intonation and found myself wishing there weren't so many as it disturbed the flow.  That said, I am aware this is purely personal preference and it definitely didn't deter me from reading on.

If you love chicklit, romance and dreaming of celebrity heartthrobs, this is an absolute must-read for you. 

I'm looking forward to Giovanna Fletcher's next offering and won't be leaving it unread, languishing on my bookshelf for months, that's for sure!

Billy and Me is out now, published by Penguin.

9/10