Still Me

Leicht zu lesen, tolle Protagonistin. Gute Lektüre für den Strand oder wenn man in einem „reading slump“ ist.

This book was full of so many twists and turns. Louisa's life is absolutely crazy. It was amazing seeing her navigate all of these challenges and how much she grew from all of them. The ending filled me with such happiness, seeing everything work out so amazingly for her. I think this book was much more worth the second one, that I would totally recommend finishing this series, just for this perfectly well-rounded ending.

Louisa Clarke is still trying to keep her promise to Will Traynor (”Live boldly. Push yourself. Don't settle. Just live well. Just live.”). Ready for her next big, bold adventure, Louisa takes to the beautiful chaos of New York City, where she works as the personal assistant for social pariah socialite Agnes. As Louisa tries to balance her new life in New York alongside her long-distance relationship with ambulance Sam, she comes to realize that it’s about time she discover who she wants to be. “I thought about how you’re shaped so much by the people who surround you, and how careful you have to be in choosing them for this exact reason, and then I thought, despite all that, in the end maybe you have to lose them all in order to truly find yourself.“ Like many readers, I didn’t think we needed a third (or truly, second) installment to Lou’s story. Regardless, I gave Still Me an open mind, pushing aside what I knew of the first and second novels of the trilogy to see Still Me for what it was. However, the novel proves to be long-winding, stretching Lou’s character development as thin as possible to it takes as long as possible to build. The real essence of this story doesn’t appear until long into the third act, when there are a few thin pages remaining. Lou’s self-realization is the real drive for this story, but the pacing drags for so long that it takes some time to get there. “The key was making sure that anyone you allowed to walk beside you didn’t get to decide which you were, and pin you down like a butterfly in a case. The key was to know that you could always somehow find a way to reinvent yourself again.“

‘This one had more thought’ - that was the comment made to me by the lovely woman in Waterstones when I nervously picked this up. Me Before You hit me so hard in the feels. After You I enjoyed reading, but it didn’t have the same long lasting impact as the first, and I was worried this was going to drop again. Instead I feel like this was the perfect ending (and in a way I really do hope it is an ending!) and it does redeem from after you. Great book about finding who you are and staying true to it

Este libro fue súper innecesario para la trama. No recomiendo leerlo a menos que te gane la curiosidad de saber el final de Louisa Clark.

1st book was fantastic. 2nd book was dry and this book was no different. Not sure if there would be anymore but I won’t be reading anymore in this series.

Jojo Moyes has brought so much happiness in my life! I love Lou, Will, and everything else! The book was really well written. The change of events is just marvelous! One of the best books I've ever read so far.

🐝 'Live Boldly'

"One thing is 100% for certain, I need a bumblebee tattoo! Though I sobbed uncontrollably at MBY; AY & SM definitely made me tear up a bit ngl . I'm hoping, begging 🙏 really, for AY and SM to made into movies. MBY as a movie makes me cry, every. single. time.."

I truly missed walking around NY while reading this. Check out my bookgram for the full series review (@thebooknookgram on Instagram)

"The key was to know that you could always somehow find a way to reinvent yourself." If I could sum up the book in one line, it would be the one above. That is the message I took from this book and the growth and reinvention that Louisa Clark went through. Sometimes you have an amazing support system in your life and other times you have to learn to pick yourself up. I thoroughly enjoyed the bits of Will throughout the book. I choked up a bit every time his advice made its way to Louisa in times of doubt. Many times when our loved ones leave us, they somehow find their way back to us - through pictures, memories, new places we travel to, letters - and I'm so happy that Jojo Moyes highlights that. Although not a tearjerker, I shed a few tears at the end of this book because the message is absolutely clear - although circumstances may prevent us at times, it is never too late to pursue what makes you feel alive. "Live boldly." I intend to carry that with me always. Side note: This book also reminded me why I enjoy writing letters and cards to my friends! They make the best keepsakes. <3

** spoiler alert ** I had been holding off on really getting into this book. I loved Me Before You. I enjoyed After You but didn’t connect to Lou as I did in the first book. It felt like a completely different book. So, I started Still Me, earlier this year and ended up putting it to side. I set a goal to finish all the books I started this year and put aside, by the end of the year. It forced me to pick this book back up and actually get into the story. And I have to say, I really enjoyed this installment, much more than the second. I’m not sure that this needed to be a 3 book series. I loved the ending of the first book. On the other hand, I’ve experienced the loss of a loved one and grief and picking yourself back up and finding the pieces of yourself, or thinking you’ve found the pieces of yourself only to realize you haven’t really been you all along. And that maybe you are not sure who you are anymore. I feel like I really, again, connected with Louisa in that arena during Still Me. This had such a great ending. I do hope this is the end of Louisa’s journey for us. I feel like she really finally found herself and what Will had wanted for her. This is how I want to leave Louisa, just as this book ended.

3.75 highly predictable yet enjoyable return.

It was nice to continue the story of Louisa Clark in another predictable romance novel, but it was nothing to write home about.

Amazing! The best ending for this trilogy. One I didn't expect to have. Me Before You was a wonderful combination of romance and tragedy. Heartbreaking, but one of the few books that made me cry. Then After You was the closure I think everyone needed, as we were left wondering what happens with Lou. And Still Me was everything the previous books were and more. (view spoiler)[It's a journey, pieces of a puzzle coming together, new opportunities, taking changes, the old Lou, and the new one. A girl finally understanding how we learn something from every person we meet, how they can help us discover more about us, if we have the courage to accept the changes and be who we were meant to be. This book is more than a simple love story. It's a story of how we should learn to love ourselves first, live boldly and enjoy every day as we never know when it would end. Once upon a time there was a small-town girl who lived in a small world. She was perfectly happy, or at least she told herself she was. Like many girls, she loved to try different looks, to be someone she wasn’t. But, like too many girls, life had chipped away at her until, instead of finding what truly suited her, she camouflaged herself, hid the bits that made her different. For a while she let the world bruise her until she decided it was safer not to be herself at all. I had a choice. I was Louisa Clark from New York or Louisa Clark from Stortfold. Or there might be a whole other Louisa I hadn’t yet met. The key was making sure that anyone you allowed to walk beside you didn’t get to decide which you were, and pin you down like a butterfly in a case. The key was to know that you could always somehow find a way to reinvent yourself again. (hide spoiler)]

I was so skeptical of the third installment in the life of Louisa Clark. After You just didn’t grab me in the same way as Before You. I missed the original Lou. This book brought her back to me. And I cried tears of joy in the last 20 pages (that’s right, me!), because she found herself and was living the life she was meant to live. And her relationships felt authentic in the most satisfying way. It reminded me so much of my own journey to pursue what I wanted and deserved. So kudos to Moyes for giving us a third installment and bringing Lou’s story to the conclusion us fans needed.

I wouldn’t be upset if this series had another book! I found all three to be sweet, delightful love stories!

The first book is ridiculous. The second is a telenovela with zero ties to reality. The third one is simply cringe-worthy from beginning to end. Unfortunately there's nothing lower than one star. This author needs to stop and find herself a real job, this is clearly not for her.

I loved this book and already want to read it again. The story touched my heart and I felt like I was living in New York with Louisa myself. There are twists and turns, and my opinion changes throughout the book but it had a satisfying ending and hilarious tones. A laugh-out-loud read for sure.

** spoiler alert ** I'm glad and disappointed to close out this series. It almost feels like a chapter in my life. Its been a busy few weeks so the last two books in this series took a while to get through. I don't quite understand why everyone liked this book so much more than the second. I think neither had the same impact as the first, but these continuations were a good conclusion to Lou's story. Some feel like they were not needed, but I am glad that we got to see Clark move past her grief and find happiness. Not just in finding love again, but in figuring out what she was passionate about. I love that she didn't change who she was and she found herself in New York, starting fresh. I don't like the Gopnik's. Illaria and Margot was awesome. And Ashok and his family were the best. Nathan cracked me up, I'm glad he's back. I wish there was more Lily in this book. I am glad that Lily and Jake are dating, I called it in book 2 when they first met. I will ALWAYS consider Will as the best mate for Clark. (Nathan's Australian accent is coming through.) In the following two books all her major life decisions and pushing herself to improve and be who she is came from what he had told her. I may have been ok with Josh in the beginning but I knew that wouldn't work out. (I cannot believe he dumped her over her outfit - I really wanted her to break up with him) I really liked Sam in book two. He was what Lou needed. And the fact that she saved him and unlike Will she was enough for him to want to keep living, that was were I felt like they would work. Will and Sam book accepted her the way she was. Sam bugged me for most of book three. He was the one who wanted her to go and now he's upset that she actually left? I don't think so. I don't understand what really happened with Katie, I might have to reread that part. I liked the ending. I wish she could have been a little stronger about her resolve to be fine if he wasn't there. But I like that she finally asked someone to make a grand gesture for her to prove that she was enough. It was overall a good end to the series.

I finished this series because I have this internal need to finish series I start.... It was entertaining I guess 😂I didn't hate it but also didn't love it Idk it just didn't hold the magic for me

This series really surprised me. I only really read Me Before You just because I felt left out of the hype that surrounded it, and even though I didn't particularly want to read it, I forced myself to anyway just so that I would know what anyone was talking about. To my surprise, it became one of the best books I had read in a really long time. Even though I was reading a library copy, I immediately had to go out and purchase my own (and the next book as well). Even though After You, in my opinion, was a bit of a letdown and frankly a bit unnecessary, Still Me brings back the Lou we all know and love, but this time in the most exciting city in the world. This is the sequel to Me Before You that we deserved. It's got the same quips, the same personality, and the growth that Lou has acquired after Will's death, but without the mopey and dreariness of mourning him. The only clue that remains that After You ever happened is the presence of Ambulance Sam, and even he isn't in it that much. I am a little skeptical on how realistic it was that she managed to stay in New York so long after leaving her position, but it lead to so many Lou-like adventures that I couldn't possibly bring it to myself to care about that little detail. In fact, the better half of the story happens after she gets fired. Perhaps this book doesn't have the same heart-jerking moments that the first one does, but I think it's a wonderful conclusion to Lou's story, one that makes the absolute most sense but also gives her a life that she deserves to live, and we deserve to read.

This book was cute! It started out a bit slow but picked up. I think Louisa/this story has been dragged out a bit long but this was a feel-good ending to a series I have loved reading.