Giovanna Fletcher - Billy and Me

I'm not going to say my next book I'm reviewing is weird but it's different for me because it's just a normal romance novel that goes through general relationship problems.

Billy and Me is the debut book from Giovanna Fletcher; I think the initial appeal for me was because I knew who was the author was because she had married Tom from McFly and they were my favourite band growing up so this sparked my curiosity.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Those that like romance books, though focuses on the less physical side of the relationship

Favourite Characters: Molly - I love her; Sophie - relatable

Favourite Part: You've got to make the most of life and not let these little opportunities pass you by.  Before you know it you'll be old and wrinkly like me and wishing you'd done more. Just make sure you're happy. - Page 168

Good Points: The relationship between Sophie and Molly; the contrasts of the two settings; the story

Bad Points: What happened to her dad should have been told sooner

Billy and Me is told from the point of view of Sophie May, a twenty-something year old woman who works in the local tea shop, serving tea and cake to the old ladies who come in during the day and school kids when they are released from school.  One day when she's working, she meets Billy who is new to the village; they talk and flirt before Billy goes on his way.  Billy and Sophie continue to talk the following day until some of the local school girls that regularly come into the shop notice Billy and reveal him to be THE Billy Buskin, Hollywood heartthrob.  Sophie is then thrown into the whirlwind that is Billy's life after they start a relationship and Sophie is forced to go into a world which she would have normally shied away from.

One thing I really connected with in this book was Sophie's relationship with Molly because it just amazed me and was so relatable.  I connected with this part so well because it kind of reminded me of my relationship with my grandmother from the baking to the very end of the book.  I understood what Sophie was going through when she returned to Rosefront Hill later on in the book and visited her so I empathised with her and even brought some memories of my own life.  I love how Molly has watched Sophie come out of her shell, acting as a surrogate mother to Sophie, and you can see how close they both are to each other and even Billy can see that after only knowing them both for a few weeks.  When he and Sophie are in London and he sees she is homesick, he encourages her to talk to Molly because he knows how much her relationship with Molly means to her.  This suggests to me that Molly is extremely important in this book and was an important character, or the person who inspired for the character, was to the author.

Another great thing about this book is how vivid descriptions of the two main settings, Rosefront Hill and London.  The descriptions really painted a picture in my head and I became completely immersed in the book, not wanting to pat it down as I imagined myself as Sophie as she went through her world.  I also loved how these settings contrasted one another, embodying the two metaphorical worlds that Sophie comes to live in, her world and Billy's world.  For Sophie, London is unfriendly as well as loud and chaotic while Rosefront Hill is like a safety net for Sophie as it's friendly, quiet and peaceful as well as familiar.  This is relatable as it is common to grow up in one place, or at least stay in one place while they're in their teens, and when you reach a certain age, it can be hard to leave because you used to this place you've made home and if you move to somewhere new and different, it can be unnerving and overwhelming.

While they story is a common theme in a romance novel, a young woman falls for a famous man and when she enters their world, she is overwhelmed by the attention, there is an authentic feel to Fletcher's prose because she has first-hand experience of being connected to someone with a well-known public profile.  I love how the story follows primarily Sophie's relationship with Billy, her relationship with Molly is integral, this suggests that these two relationships are probably the most important ones for Sophie who seems to require some kind of stability in her adulthood after a shaky adolescence.

Molly won my heart immediately because she was lovely to Sophie and clearly cared for her despite the fact they're not related.  She has witnessed Sophie as she goes through something incredibly difficult and has tried to guide her so that Sophie can build her confidence back up.  This can be suggested when Sophie describes how she came to find the Tea-on-the-Hill, Molly's tea shop and part of me immediately wanted to go there to soak in the homeliness of Molly's shop.  Another great thing about Molly is that she sees how much Billy cares for, and loves, Sophie; this is suggested when she tells Sophie to grasp at every opportunity she is offered.  She makes Sophie see what she can't see by herself.  Molly is also one of the kindest characters in any book ever and is one of the most thoughtful I've come across as well and she wouldn't mean to hurt a fly and this can be implied when an article is brought out about Sophie and it's partially Molly's fault; I would have forgiven her instantly because there seems to be a sense of honesty behind her words.

I found Sophie a really relatable character as well as warm and loveable.  With this book being written in the first person, the reader can be more engaged as they read her inner monologue about how she is feeling at a certain moment which makes her relatable for me and the reader can become completely enveloped in Sophie's emotions and can empathised with her.  For me, she grew over the course of the book as she was a semi-shy young woman who had never really been in a proper relationship to a strong, independent woman following a relationship with Billy Buskin.  She knows what she wants and how she is going to get there which makes her a good, strong character at the end.  One thing that would be great is if Fletcher continues this book into a series and the reader could see Sophie grow more.

One thing that could have been improved for me was when Sophie revealed what happened to her dad to Billy, and the reader; we know she blames herself for what happened, whatever it was that happened to him, but we go on for ages not knowing what.  While it's good to know what happened eventually, I think it should have been told sooner as it is quite significant to what makes Sophie the way she is now when she says she used to be bubbly as a child.

You've got to make the most of life and not let these little opportunities pass you by.  Before you know it you'll be old and wrinkly like me and wishing you'd done more. Just make sure you're happy. - Page 168

I love Molly; this part says to me that she truly loves Sophie and wants her to embrace life instead of shying away as she usually does.  Later when Billy tells Sophie that Molly said something similar to him too, this implies that she feels the same way about Billy despite knowing for a shorter amount of time and wants them both to embrace one another so they don't regret anything later in life.

This was an amazing debut, with a story of love and friendship, and Fletcher has become one of my favourite authors; I can't wait to read more of her books.  I know this won't happen but part of me wishes to read more about Sophie and Billy.

I don't normally make predictions for standalone books such as this but this time, it was different for me so if it was to be continued here's what I think would happen.

Predictions

1. Sophie is extremely successful while Billy struggles to deal with completely normal so decides that he's going to go back to work as an actor

2. Sophie's mum remarries

3. Sophie ends up pregnant and freaks out and hides it from Billy because she knows he wants to go back to work

Other Books by Giovanna Fletcher