Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Blurb:

"Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time."


My Review:

I literally still come close to crying when I think about this story. I've owned the book for years but for some reason never picked it up - not even when the movie came out. And to be honest, I didn't even know what it was about - something with a wheel chair? So when I was digging through my bookshelf one early weekend morning, I thought, well, why not. Let's see what all the hype is about. Plus I figured I could get my husband to watch the movie with me afterwards since Emilia Clarke is in it and who doesn't love Game of Thrones. And Sam Claflin - hello Hunger Games. It had to be a good story with these two starring in the movie.

Let me just say I don't remember the last time I cried this much due to fictional story. I probably haven't. The story was just beautiful in every way. I sat down to read it on a Sunday, finished it the same day, then grabbed the remote from my husband while hysterically crying and screaming "I HAVE TO WATCH IT!!!!" Ugh. I cried like a baby. Many pages were soaked with tears. My poor puppy kept staring at me trying to figure out what was wrong but I just couldn't stop - big, heaving, uncontrollable sobs. I was shaking - I cried so hard I was shaking and I couldn't stop. Like...75% of the book.

It was so good, you guys. If you haven't read it yet, you absolutely should. I loved Lou and Will. I loved the story. I loved everything. It was so beautifully-written. The next day at work I walked in with puffy eyes and a red nose and talked about the story non-freaking-stop. I brought it up in meetings and to all my coworkers. It seriously affected me and has stayed in my heart ever since I finished it.

I'm the kind of person who has to read book, watch movies and TV shows in sequential order, back to back. But for the first time, I can't read After You yet. I need some time. Every time I think of reading about Lou's life I just can't - I need more time to process the story and recover from how it made me feel. I do own Still Me as well.

Thank you, Jojo Moyes, for bringing this story into my life. Best book I've read in 2018 and probably even longer.


My Rating:

The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart by Anna Bell

Blurb:

Abseiling, wind-surfing, climbing a mountain - the things the terrified Abi Martin will do for love . . .

"Romantic and refreshing" Mhairi McFarlane. A hilarious new romantic comedy for fans of Lindsey Kelk, Sophie Kinsella or A Year Of Being Single Abi's barely left her bed since Joseph, the love of her life, dumped her, saying they were incompatible. When Joseph leaves a box of her possessions on her doorstep, she finds a bucket list of ten things she never knew he wanted to do. Will completing the action-packed list - no easy challenge for the naturally timid Abi - be the way to win back her man? Or might Abi just have a surprise in store...? SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SAYING ABOUT THIS BRILLIANT ROMANTIC COMEDY 'A fun, bouncy, brilliant tale' Heat 'Funny, relatable and fabulously written, it's even inspired us to come up with a bucket list of our own!' Daily Express ''A wonderfully warm romantic comedy . . . the perfect read' Daily Record  

My Review:

This was so. freaking. cute.

Seriously, as soon as I finished I pulled out a notebook (yes, a real notebook, not the note app on my iPhone), and made a bucket list with my husband. We talked about travel, interests/hobbies, life accomplishments and so on. Of course by now I may or may not have misplaced the notebook, but it's the thought that counts, right? I mean, it has to turn up.

Anyway, I liked Abi a lot. She was at times the stereotypical chick lit heroine - but let's be honest, I love that and sometimes I just need it in a story. I felt like all the characters were pretty well-rounded and I got to know most of them. I loved her group of friends and often felt like I was hanging out with them too while reading.

This is a feel-good, heart-warming story. I guess that's really the best way to describe it. I liked it a lot and finished with a goofy smile on my face.

My Rating:

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

Blurb:

A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple in this taut psychological thriller debut--for readers of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Shari Lapena.

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman's enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we're tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

My Review:

UMM OKAY. This book was so much better than I expected. I was initially drawn in when I discovered that Erin and Mark were going to the Four Seasons in Bora Bora - exactly where my husband and I spent half of our honeymoon two years ago. I miss it every day. What's funny is that for me, the "something in the water" that freaked me out were the fish - I used to have a huuuuuge phobia. Seriously, I wouldn't even snorkel. And when I did, I refused to look down for fear of seeing any fish. I did overcome that fear on the second resort we went to during this trip when we did an intro to scuba session, which I LOVED. I seriously want to become scuba certified.

 

ANYWAY. I loved this story. I started reading thanks to Netgalley because I had not heard of it before. Then I told some friends about it and found out it's on Reese Witherspoon's book club pick for that month. So I had a handful of people to discuss with. I loved it. I didn't see any of it coming - it was a slow burn while the story built up but when it picked up it didn't let you go. I didn't see any of the twists coming. It was amazing. Go read it. Go.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for an honest review. 

My Rating: