I’ll Give You The Sun

By Jandy Nelson

4.5/5

This book. Wow. I finished this book about 20 minutes ago and I am still speechless. I can’t stop thinking about it and I don’t think I’ll be able to stop for a very long time.

I was a bit unsure of this book when I first began reading and for a good 100 pages I wasn’t sure if I was going to like which is the reason I gave it 4.5/5. There’s lots of imagery and flowery language and if you’ve read some of my other reviews you will know this isn’t really my thing. However, when the story got going I could not put this book down. This story is breath-taking and relatable and so incredibly wonderful. Jude and Noah are so gorgeous and though I hated them both at different times, I still love them both wholeheartedly. I really liked how Noah’s chapters are from his younger perspective and Jude’s from their present age because it really enables you to see how they have grown and developed. Their relationship is so heart-breaking but is what makes the book so special. Noah and Jude will forever be in my heart.

The romance in this book is incredible. Noah and Brian made me laugh and cry and I felt every emotion they went through. Jude and Oscar are so perfect and their relationship is so special. I adore all of the characters in this book and it was wonderful to see how they all intertwine.

I could go on about this book forever but I don’t want to spoil its magic. You really must go and pick up this book – it’s one of a kind and a story that will stay with me for a very long time.

Always With Love

By Giovanna Fletcher

3.5/5

Always With Love is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved Billy and Me, Giovanna’s first book. Billy and Me follows Sophie who works at a little tea shop in the village of Rosefont Hill as she meets world famous actor, Billy Buskin, and discovers the highs and lows of dating an actor. Always With Love begins with a trip to LA for the pair to meet Billy’s family, but shortly after the couple face many bumps and struggles as Sophie travels back to England alone.

I really enjoy Giovanna’s work; she has a very honest style of writing that is both humorous and sensitive. I really enjoyed Billy and Me when I first read it though it wasn’t my favourite of hers so I was really excited when I learned there would be a sequel. However, I didn’t love Always With Love as much as I loved Billy and Me. I feel the book could have been considerably longer and gone into a bit more depth in some areas. I did like Sophie’s character development as we often caught her alone and not attached to boyfriend Billy. She really questioned her choices and made some decisions for herself which was nice to see. I wasn’t as keen on Billy in this book; I thought he was rather selfish at times and was purposely trying to cause tension and make things harder for the pair. It was lovely to be introduced to Billy’s family as we got to know Sophie’s family quite well in Billy and Me. I really loved Lauren’s character, she is the sort of person I would love to be friends with and I enjoyed how much she admired Sophie despite only knowing her a short while.

I would really recommend Giovanna Fletcher’s book, especially Dream A Little Dream! They’re really fun, romantic reads with a slight edge as they are Adult Fiction not YA. Her characters are relatable and as Giovanna is an English writer, her books are set in the UK which I really like.

Lola and the Boy Next Door

By Stephanie Perkins

4.5/5

Although Anna and the French Kiss can be read as a standalone novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door is its sequel. Set in San Francisco, the story follows Lola as a boy from her past comes back to complicate her life (in the best possible way). Anna and St Clair also appear in this book, though they do not have a prominent role in the story.

I gave this book a 4.5 purely because I didn’t like it as much as Anna and the French Kiss. However, that isn’t to say I didn’t like, I loved it but not as much. I found Lola to be rather irritating and immature at times and I really didn’t like how she led Cricket on. Yet she was a fun character, very different from Anna but also similar in some aspects too. Speaking of Anna, I loved how she and St Clair made an appearance in this book and I really enjoyed seeing how their relationship had developed and how it was developing. Cricket was utterly adorable and the complete opposite of his twin sister, Calliope, a character I really did not like. I loved Lola’s dads and her relationship with them, and also her relationship with her biological mother as this answered some questions about Lola’s personality and why she thinks the way she does. Again, the writing was honest and simple, portraying the story beautifully.

I am a huge fan of this trilogy and I only wish that the books were a little longer as I read each one in only a few hours.