Name: Becky's review of Billy and me by Giovanna Fletcher
Item: Billy and me
Rating: 4
Author: Becky

Giovanna Fletcher

"In this utterly sweet and moving women's fiction novel, a celebrity comes to town and sweeps a young woman - who is used to being overlooked - off her feet. Sophie May is content with her life in her small English village, working in the local coffee shop and living with her mom. But when famous actor Billy comes to town to play Mr. Darcy in a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Sophie's quiet life is quickly turned on its head. Billy is adored by women around the world, but he only wants Sophie on his arm. But being with Billy comes at a price, and Sophie is thrown in the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? Brimming with humor, wit, and genuine warmth, Billy and Me is a book about taking a chance on life and on love"--

Billy and me

Becky

Molly Davies

A celebrity comes to town and sweeps a young woman - who is used to being overlooked - off her feet. Sophie May is content with her life in her small English village, working in the local coffee shop and living with her mom. But when famous actor Billy comes to town to play Mr. Darcy in a new film adaptation of" Pride and Prejudice," Sophie's quiet life is quickly turned on its head. Billy is adored by women around the world, but he only wants Sophie on his arm. But being with Billy comes at a price, and Sophie is thrown in the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? Brimming with humor, wit, and genuine warmth, "Billy and Me "is a book about taking a chance on life and on love.

Isadora Cal

This book is a fanfiction. Actually, the first half of it. And that's why I read half of it actually enjoying it - I love fanfics. But even for a fanfic it was boring. Then I forced myself to read the other half and ugh. It is such a sexist and moralist book!
So this is basically how it goes: Sophie (who does not have a secret. Really. I guess this was just marketing, because when you find out what it is - actually you already knew from chapter 1 - you get so freaking disappointed) is a very normal boring girl who choses to be completely not interesting (she works at a tea shop and she reads. that's all!). Somehow a very famous and good looking actor falls in love with her. They start dating. Then she gives up on HER normal boring life to live at his house. There she just bakes and waits for him to come home. From day one Sophie knows he is AN ACTOR. I can only assume it's because she doesn't watch movies or tv at all that she has no idea what being an actor means. So Sophie doesn't like when Billy acts/works. Sophie is a very chaste lady too! She has a fit when she is on set and watches Billy working on a scene where he ir almost having sex. You think Billy will freak out because she is overly jealous and insecure at the point of not understanding what he does for a living! But no. Billy considers giving up on acting so Sophie can be happy, because she needs to feel she is his entire world (both of them actually say this more than once).

Well, I've read a lot of great fanfictions and this was not one. And the way it ended got me so pissed... there were some stupid lines screaming sexism and stereotypes! Like, Sophie wanted her teashop to be a haven for women, so it had to be all cute and pink and full of florwers. And stupid things for teens and chaste and "feminine" things for elder women. And through the 402 pages Sophie was always a spoilt selfish brat. Every single thing that happened around her was her fault or was meant to get to her. Geez.

Ashley J Brown

To start it off I love Gi. I've been a Mcfly fan forever now. That's what brought me to her book...
With that said this book is not for everyone. It's a romantic read there isn't a huge plot or a villain. When I first started it I had a hard time getting into it. Because of my love for the Fletcher family and just being curious I kept reading. The more I read the more attached to the characters I became. I started to relate to Sophie and thought of what I would do in her situations. I can't say I'd do everything the way she did she was too easy going in my opinion she just took everything and never said anything to Billy when it bothered her. I feel because of that I grew to dislike Billy's character. I couldn't stand him and the way the was, but on the other hand I wanted them to stay together. By the time I finished the book and got to the ending I wanted to know what's next for everyone. I do believe I will keep up with Giovanna's books and the Billy/Sophie saga. Had you asked me that in the beginning you wouldn't have got the answer. So if you're struggling I'd say keep going.

Lulu

** spoiler alert **
           I don't usually write reviews, but for this book, I felt compelled to. My thoughts basically boil down to: it was an okay read that lacked depth. The story was too fast paced, the characters were under developed and, quite honestly, it just got a bit frustrating after she moves in with him, due to both characters tbh. 

Sophie for her extreme jealousy and clinginess, and her obvious codependency on Billy, which meant she basically refused to go out and do things/meet new people and instead waited around for him. And Billy for his insistence that she stay home and let him "take care of her", and his lack of tact when it came to realising his manager was being rude/insensitive, not to mention how little effort he made of generally making Sophie feel included for most of the beginning of his relationship. It was obvious people were only interested in what he had to say, and both characters did nothing to change that. Look, I don't mind a girl who wants to stay home and depend on her husband/boyfriend/etc and take care of their family, but the key word here is WANT, which Sophie clearly didn't. 

Basically, I was reading a story I've read over and over again: the insecure girl who falls for a guy who is oh so out of her league and then spends the entire book crying about it while he keeps apologising for things that sometimes aren't even his fault without them both realising neither of them is making an effort to CHANGE the whole situation. It's already boring when done half well (half because, personally, I will never find this narrative good or compelling) and this book did nothing to make it better.

And that's not even touching the fact that her mother shunned herself when she had an eleven year old that needed her, at a time where they both needed help, and not only made her feel like she didn't love her, but also allowed that whole role reversal that ultimately kept her daughter from going out into the world until she was in her mid twenties. I have a mother that has suffered with depression, but even on her lowest times she always put my brother and me first, so tin this regard, Sophie's mum also drove me insane. I get suffering, pain, loss, all of that, but I don't get a mother who was obviously present and caring not even trying to make an effort (and she was diagnosed, so it's not like she was unaware that she had a problem). 

Now, I have to say that I really like Gi and think she's generally a really great person, and I am also well aware this is her first novel, but to be completely honest, the only reason I bothered finishing this book was because I had some downtime during a four day convention I attended and it was there. Had I been home, I'd have quit half way. I really hope her second novel is better, but Billy and Me gets two stars, and barely so.

Shirley Jones 

I read this a couple of years ago and remember loving it so decided to reread. It is wholesome, loving, warm, fuzzy and emotional all in one. It is your classic romance and it did its job so well! 

Eleanor Luhar

This is a very, very different genre than I usually read. It was romantic and contemporary and kind of cliche and gross. But I will admit that it was written well.

Despite the gooey topics, this book was easy to sit and read through. The writing was good, though some of the speech didn't feel particularly authentic. My main problem was how cliche this was. A young woman who loves classic literature andworks in a tea shop meets a movie star without realising who he is and falls in love... Yeah, it's kind of a stereotypical romance. I hate this sort of thing. It's tacky and just ugh. But there was more to it than just the romance, which was very good. Sophie had her own issues to deal with, stemming from childhood grief and caring for her mother. It even had a really tragic moment toward the end, that didn't involve the actor - Billy - much at all.

As I mentioned above, the language wasn't always particularly fluid. It sometimes felt like Fletcher was trying too hard to make it more romantic and emotional. Billy was pretty much 'perfect' and extremely romantic, probably extremely unrealistically so. He was likeable, still, just not very realistic.

Sophie herself was a bit... not annoying, but she's not my favourite protagonist ever. She was trying too hard to be unique and strong and independent and it just irritated me. I get what Fletcher was going for (I think) but I just didn't love Sophie that much at all.

Like most other contemporary novels (not that I've actually read many of them), Sophie's life comes together perfectly at the end. Well, not quite perfectly, but the ending was sickly sweet. But I'm a bit of a cynic. You might like this more than me.

Despite the genre and gross cutesy lovey stuff, I think this deserves 3.5 stars. The writing was good and I did actually enjoy reading it.

mary

This book was recommended to me by my family member, and it's absolutely amazing. It's light-hearted and sweet, the perfect read for if you're on holiday. Definitely recommend if you want something light and fluffy to read.

Sarah Willhite

I can not express how much I loved this. It was unlike anything I have read and on top of that I have a cute journal spread for it!!! It was so quick, cute, enjoyable, and romantic. I had to put this on pause for a week long read-a-thon but I regret that because it was so enjoyable. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I highly recommend this. If you want a quick read you will love this. If you love a cute contemporary, you will love this. If you love a romantic book, you will love this. If you want to be torn apart and mended, you will love this. If you want enjoyable, relatable characters you will love this. I could go on ans on for reasons to read this but I don't wan't to write 5,000 words right now. Just do it! Pick it up and read it ASAP!!!

A gloriously romantic novel about fame, friendship and falling in love, from the No. 1 bestselling author and Queen of the Castle - perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Sophie Kinsella & Cecelia Ahern 'Gloriously romantic' JILL MANSELL 'Warm and romantic, this will brighten up your day' CLOSER 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 Sophie unexpectedly meets the gorgeous Billy Buskin - a famous actor with ambitions to make it to the top. As they begin to grow closer, Sophie finds herself whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world. After years of shying away from attention, can Sophie handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? How much is she prepared to give up along the way? And is their love strong enough to keep them together against the odds? Charming, heart-warming and utterly romantic, Billy and Me is an unforgettable story that will completely capture your heart. ___________ 'Wonderfully warm and cosy. The perfect comfort read to curl-up with and enjoy' Ali McNamara 'Tons of charm and genuine warmth' Star Magazine 'A sweet and sparkling debut from a lovely lady. Sure to be a hit' Carole Matthews Only the most hard-hearted could fail to root for Sophie as she falls for A-lister Billy and must take on the mad, bad world of showbiz. This sweet debut reminded me of Last Night at Chateau Marmont' Louise Candlish 'If you're looking for a romantic read and a summer treat that'll take you on a journey and leave you feeling like you've made a new friend, you'll love Billy and Me' Vanessa Greene 'This is one juicy read' Now 'Must read' Sunday Mirror

Billy and Me

Katie Thyer

Leah 

anna

Jane Keal

Saoirse Mannion

Molly Mason

Claudia Madden

In this utterly sweet and moving women's fiction novel, a celebrity comes to town and sweeps a young woman - who is used to being overlooked - off her feet. Sophie May is content with her life in her small English village, working in the local coffee shop and living with her mom. But when famous actor Billy comes to town to play Mr. Darcy in a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Sophie's quiet life is quickly turned on its head. Billy is adored by women around the world, but he only wants Sophie on his arm. But being with Billy comes at a price, and Sophie is thrown in the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? Brimming with humor, wit, and genuine warmth, Billy and Me is a book about taking a chance on life and on love.

Becky &
Billy and me by Giovanna Fletcher

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