You And Me, Always

5 - <b>"Boyfriends come and go, but friends are forever."</b> Stars!<br><br>Another absolutely outstanding read from Jill Mansell. I think the one thing that always encourages me to read a book by this author is that no matter how things turn out for the characters, I am always left with a smile on my face by the end of the book.<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1453974536i/17897455._SY540_.png" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><i>You And Me, Always</i> features a diverse and colorful cast of characters, mainly living in and around Stanton Langley, a small village in the English countryside. You are given an insight into their day to day lives and a little look into a few of their pasts to give you the basis as to how their previous experiences have shaped them. <br><br><b> <i>Funny how fate worked, sometimes.</i> </b><br><br>I suppose you could say the book is mainly based around Lily, and the letter she receives on her 25th Birthday. The contents enclosed, start a chain of events that in a sense cause a <i>’ripple effect’</i> having far reaching consequences on her friends and acquaintances as the book progresses. <br><br>• Patsy; and her desperation to find a man and start a family. <br>• Dan; the ladies’ man, and the case of unrequited love he has been nursing for years.<br>• Coral; still grieving for the unexpected loss of her husband, but looking to start living again.<br><br>These are just the tip of the iceberg character wise, but I love the way that every character Jill introduces has a big impact in the overall progression of the book as the story progresses. As you would expect with such a plethora of characters a lot happens, most of which I don’t really want to talk about, to avoid giving away spoilers.<br><br><b>"I didn’t plan for it to happen quite like this, but I’m saying it now…<br>I’d still love you. <br>I just would.<br>Because… I already do."</b><br><br><i>You And Me Always</i> reminded me of a Richard Curtis film, and if you are a fan of those then I think you will absolutely adore this book.<br><br>ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.

I found this book entertaining and an easy read. <i>You And Me, Always</i> involves several characters which keeps the story multi-layered yet unified. This is the perfect book if you're looking for an easy, enjoyable read. 3.75 stars rounding up to 4.

Did you ever watch the movie <u>Win a Date with Tad Hamilton?</u> This movie will cure a bad mood like nobody's business and it happens to be my priority chick-flick when I'm home sick. <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/25501939.You_And_Me__Always" title="You And Me, Always by Jill Mansell" rel="noopener">You And Me, Always</a> reminded me of that movie so much. Of course, there are huge differences in the details and themes but it's basically about an A-list movie star whose presence in a small town shakes things up, specifically with one ordinary girl and her friends. The author <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/23625.Jill_Mansell" title="Jill Mansell" rel="noopener">Jill Mansell</a> incorporates several additional plot lines in this book that weighed it down and created more length than necessary in my opinion, but overall, I enjoyed <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/25501939.You_And_Me__Always" title="You And Me, Always by Jill Mansell" rel="noopener">You And Me, Always</a> and would recommend it to fans of the chick-lit genre. <br><br><b>My favorite quote:</b><br><i>"There were so many what-ifs; life was like a ball of string with three hundred ends."</i><br><br>P.S. Remember to keep this movie in mind the next time you're having a bad day!<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1478716072i/21104771.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

Sweet and lovely - but not too sweet, nor too lovely. Just the perfect level of loveliness to make this a great read, without being overly dramatic or cheesy. <br /><br />The two storylines converge in a very interesting way, and while the plot is slightly predictable, the journey is so good. <br /><br />Likable characters and funny dialogue make for a great, light and happy beach read. My first Jill Mansell book, but I will undoubtedly be back for more.<br /><br />Thank you Netgalley, Sourcebooks and Jill Mansell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one just felt a bit off to me. Probably because I realized going in after being introduced to everyone, I knew who was going to pair off together. So I felt annoyed waiting through the whole book for the characters to figure it out themselves. It didn't help though that we get a random wrench thrown in this one (a character who makes a terrible mistake that impacts another) that didn't seem atypical for this character at all. The book was too fast in wrapping things up I thought. <br /><br />"You and Me, Always" deals with characters living and visiting Stanton Langley. Lily has been raised by a friend of her mother's Coral and her husband since her mother died when she was 8. Lily's two best friends, Patsy and Dan (brother and sister) have all known each other since they were babies. When Lily receives the last letter from her mother on her 25th birthday, it seems to be the kick she needed to get in contact with a man that her mother tells her was the love of her life (Declan). Lily also meets movie star Eddie (hiding out in Stanton Langley) and wonders if this is the man to get her over her decades long crush of Dan. <br /><br />Usually I think Mansell can juggle multiple characters well, but not in this one. I think it's because the stories were sometimes opposed to each other and it felt like we should just be reading stand-alones. We have Coral dealing with being a widow and starting to have feelings for Declan. I found it interesting, but it didn't gel well when we would bounce back to Lily and Patsy. The three women are not really in the same age group so it didn't feel right they were on top of each other so much and didn't seem to have other friends besides each other.<br /><br />Patsy's marriage and bad dating woes were pretty hilarious, but I think Mansell jumped at her getting a HEA and didn't put in enough work for us to be rooting for her or her love interest.<br /><br />I didn't really care about Lily and Eddie, they never did work for me.<br /><br />The writing was typical Mansell, the flow could have been improved though. <br /><br />The setting of this village felt even tinier than I can imagine. Usually Mansell can have me imagine a place and I feel there, this just felt blah to me.

<br><b> <u>Originally posted on <a href="http://beautybooksandbabble.co.uk" rel="nofollow noopener">Beauty, Books and Babble</a>.</u> </b><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1456225740i/18205284._SX540_.jpg" width="420" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>After losing her mum at the age of eight, Lily has always looked forward to her birthdays. Each and every year, a new letter from her late mother is waiting for her. On her twenty-fifth birthday, however, Lily receives her very last one, <b>and it's the one that changes everything</b>.<br><br>Reading the letter, Lily learns all about the only real love of her mum's life, and she is determined to find out more. On the very same day, Lily meets Eddie Tessler, a man hiding from fame who could totally spin Lily's life around. But when old time friend, Dan, has his own reasons for wanting the relationship to fail, <b>and secrets start to emerge</b>, <i>the lives of Lily and the friends and family surrounding her will never be the same again</i>...<br><br><blockquote> <br>" 'If they hadn't done that, everything would have been different,' Lily marvelled. There were so many what-ifs; life was like a ball of string with three hundred ends." </blockquote><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1391583882ra/8414810.gif" width="420" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Book lovers around the world are going to gasp in horror as I admit this: <i>I've never read a Jill Mansell book before this one.</i> <b>Argh</b>. I know. <b>Slap my wrist.</b>  But don't worry; her wonderful writing style and perfectly flowing words have definitely added Jill Mansell to my go-to authors list... <i>I have plenty of catching up to do!</i><br><br><i>You and Me, Always*</i> takes place in the idyllic village of Stanton Langley in the Cotswolds, and Jill Mansell has done a fabulous job of creating <b>a charming setting with an endearing community</b>. I could have happily jumped into the book to stroll past the scenery, spend time at Star Inn, and become one of the locals.<br><br>At the start of the book, we are immediately thrown into laughs as we first meet the characters and come across Mr Turquoise-Lycra-Leggings, and then we move on to the tender moment of Lily opening and reading the letter from her mum. Before the story even truly begins, we get an insight into the characters lives, <b>and I found myself liking each and every one of them</b>.<br><br><blockquote> <br>" 'I didn't plan for it to happen quite like this, but I'm saying it now... I'd still love you. I just would. Because... I already do.' "</blockquote><br><br>The diverse and vibrant characters throughout <i>You and Me, Always*</i> are all incredibly well developed and realistic,<b> and my heart truly warmed to them all</b>, from the village ladies' man Dan, to lonely and grieving Coral, who is determined to start living again. Every time we met someone new in this wonderful tale of loss, love and friendship,<i> they left footprints on both the story and on me </i>as we realise just how their past experiences in life have shaped them.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1456225740ra/18205285.gif" width="420" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Although primarily a story focussed on Lily finding her way in life, we as readers get to witness so many other dynamics and relationships. Observing the world through different eyes and minds throughout the book, <b>we begin to see the paths of each heart-warming character intertwine time and time again until their relationships and feelings emanate from the pages and into our hearts</b>. Although I predicted some of the relationships that were yet to form, I enjoyed watching them unfold page by page nonetheless, and I<i> became sincerely invested in everybody's outcome</i>.<br><br>Filled with laughter and tears, friendship and love, <i>You and Me, Always*</i> is an uplifting tale filled with soul stirring characters that is perfect for travelling the countryside, all whilst sat on your sofa.<br><br>

This is a box of chocolates on the sofa read – one that you can just curl up with and shut the outside world out. On Lily’s 25th birthday she opens an extra special letter from her mother. Before her mother Jo died she wrote letters to Lily, one to be opened every year on her birthday and this is the last one. The contents of this letter are going to bring change not only to Lily’s life but also ultimately to her friends Patsy and Coral who have supported her over the years since Jo died.<br /><br />It is a wonderful feel good story, set in a chocolate box village in the Cotswolds. The characters are beautifully written – they feel very real and are just fun to read about. Lily is a heroine who has immediate attraction and you just cannot help liking her and Patsy and Coral are women whose stories may well strike a chord with a lot of readers.<br /><br />It is funny and moving at the same time with oodles of romance and also glamour. There are times when you feel as if you are reading a sequel, as each character does have quite a lot of history. I don’t know if that is the case or not but if it is, then it doesn’t make any difference to this read, because you do find out what you need to know anyway.<br /><br />A thoroughly good read. Many thanks to the publishers via Netgalley for the review copy.<br />

This was a dream of a read. I love Jill Mansell's books and this one more than lived up to my expectations.<br /><br />Lily was left some letters to open on her birthday- up until she was 25. She lost her mum as a child and her mum left a present and messages to open to remain a part of her life. In the last letter she revealed the name of her first love and she's desperate to find him to hear more about her mum.<br /><br />Every character was so well drawn that you feel you have just moved into a new neighbourhood- but amongst old friends. With a mix of ages and different relationships there is something for everyone.<br />Add in the world of A list celebrities and you have a real mix of the Cornish village life and the glitz of red carpet events.<br /><br />I want to hear more about all the characters- I was so sad to leave them!<br /><br />With many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read this wonderful book.<br />

Sejak baca Three Amazing Things about You jadi penasaran sama buku Jill Mansell lain. Ceritanya "sederhana". Tipe-tipe slice of life. Cerita tentang orang biasa, kehidupan biasa. Saya pribadi lebih suka Three Amazing Things sih, walaupun ini sama heartwarmingnya. Mungkin karena Three Amazing Things lebih dramatis kali ya (ternyata anaknya drama queen).<br /><br />Tapi You and Me juga bagus bangeett. Masih sama-sama cerita dengan banyak tokoh utama, dengan cerita masing-masing. Tapi problemnya lebih kompleks, lebih saling berhubungan satu sama lain, dan penyelesainnya ga dibuat-buat. Semua tokohnya juga lovable. Sukaa!!<br />

Reading the book blurb, I expected this to be fun, engaging read. Plus I am a sucker for best friends-turned-romance chick lit. It gives you enough feels, keeps you engaged and entertained enough. That’s what I expected. Sadly this one didn’t meet the criteria. <br /><br /><b>Narrative</b><br /><br />It’s a third person narrative. I started the book and it seemed harmless enough. But... the plot was such a mixture, like a badly made salad, if you will. I wanted to enjoy it, but I really couldn’t.<br /><br /><b>The story and plot</b><br /><br />Oh boy how I despised the story was turning out to be. I was so mislead about the whole damn blurb! It suggested two long-life friends turning into more, the movie star as the third wheel and Lily’s backstory right? You are so wrong! As you can already see it’s too much of a plot for one book. But hey there’s more. The story includes 10 other point of views, yay!! * If looks could kill, my e-reader would be on fire*. You know when you decide to go for a movie with your close friends, and annoyingly there are some new faces tagging along with you. This book felt like that!<br />Here’s the thing, the many characters in a novel is not a problem. It’s their off-point story telling like this that kills a decent idea. What the author has done is squeeze at least three more love stories into the novel. So the leads as per the blurb just end up being a joke. They are in the background. <br />Plus the big “conflict” that every romance novel has? It’s hardly convincing, it is as an afterthought and gets resolved in three pages. The author can surely write well, but in this one read like she didn’t bother. <br /><br /><b>Pace </b><br /><br />Pace is okay, was engaging. I kept reading on in hopes to find a meaty interaction between the main leads. Sadly that didn’t happen. How do you like book that is an engaging read but with terrible plot? I feel tricked!<br /><br /><b>The characters</b><br /><br />The main leads are immature. The appeal of quirky characters finding the “one” is appealing but this novel made a caricature of that.<br />I didn’t like any of them. In fact most of the characters seemed similar; they were just an extension of the other characters. Plus with multiple characters and their point of view, you didn’t even get to know them really well. <br />So okay maybe their mannerisms are similar, happens. The physicality too? All the females look the same in the novel, as per description. Same goes for the guys. So many characters and all same. <br /><br /><b>Last Thoughts </b><br /><br />There were some funny moments but they weren’t enough to float my boat. I regret reading this. It wasn’t horrible writing, in fact it was good in certain parts. However, the book really was a hodgepodge , a terrific mess. So many plots and unnecessary side stories. The only reason I completed is coz I hate leaving a book unfinished.<br />The thing is I was expecting a keep-your-brains-aside but fun to read experience and this didn’t even match that. If you like the best friend-romance thing, you’d be better off reading <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/2884065.Just_One_of_the_Guys" title="Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins" rel="noopener">Just One of the Guys</a> .<br /><br /><br />#bookreviews #novels #romance