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!
Available from Amazon here: BUY ME!
for just £3.85! Bargain!
What would your #billyandme
cupcake look like? Tweet me it, @thislittlemell!