Title: Still Me
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series/Standalone: Me Before You Series (Book #3)
Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 402
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year Published: 2018
Format: Audiobook
"Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She steps into the world of the superrich, working for Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her new job and New York life.
As she begins to mix in New York high society, Lou meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. Before long, Lou finds herself torn between Fifth Avenue where she works and the treasure-filled vintage clothing store where she actually feels at home. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself: Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you find the courage to follow your heart-- wherever that may lead?
Funny, romantic and poignant, Still Me follows Lou as she discovers who she is and who she was always meant to be-- and to live boldly in her brave new world."
My Rating: 4/5
What a conclusion. I love how each book in this series has a different setting and a different idea of our main character. I loved this conclusion and was happy to see how the author took care of Louisa. I also enjoyed the fact that this story focused less on romance and more on other contemporary aspects. I loved the setting the most, just due to the excitement surrounding New York and the idea of further exploring high society. I would highly recommend this as an audiobook because the story isn't super action driven but is very character focused and you get so much more of that in the audiobook. If you are looking for a story where you get the enjoyment of watching someone find out who they are this is for you.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: After You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series/Standalone: Me Before You (Book #2)
Genre: Adult Fiction, Chicklit, Contemporary
Pages: 353
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Year Published: 2015
Format: Audiobook
"How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?
Louisa CLark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can't help but feel she's right back where she started.
Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding- the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will's past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future...
For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await."
My Rating: 3.75/5
I am so unsure whether this is a 4 star or a lower rating read. The audiobook made me so happy and made me happy that I had chosen to continue on with the series, but the physical copy (I just finished the last 100 pages in a physical book) was just as addicting. That being said there are some flaws with this book, I found that the family dynamic was interesting but also chaotic to a point that wasn't necessary. I also found that some things were very dramatic, so if you're ok with those aspects you would probably enjoy this story. That being said, I loved seeing Lou grow and change in ways that we didn't get to see in the first book. Especially learning to live with Will's loss.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
I was really glad that I continued this series with an audiobook. It helped me to get through the first half of the story but by the second half of the story picked up and sucked me in. In the best possible way, I needed to know what Lou would do, where life would take and what choices she would make based on those in her life. The family antics where also entertaining but there were points where they got a little overdramatic to say the least.
Characters:
Lou: I think that she had a whole lot to overcome in this second book. I'm sure people are quick to judge about how she used the money that Will left her. But to an extent, I understand what she did and why she did it. I also am kind of glad that she took time to feel what she was feeling, and to take time for herself to heal. I'm curious to see how her next endeavour goes in the final book (as far as I know it's the final book... right?).
Sam: I loved his character especially the way he treats Lou. I respect his job and the crap he probably has to deal with. That being said, the shooting was more than a little overdramatic. I think that the fact that Lou was the one who had to hold in his blood was a little much for me. That being said, I'm curious to see how they'll do with distance due to their relationship being so physically based.
Lily: She was possibly my least favourite character in this whole book. I understand that she had a lot going on, but that again was very dramatic and seemed to be blown up repeatedly. I do wonder what she will do with her Granny now that they are getting closer.
Bernard: His final hope to win back his wife made me laugh so hard. The fact that he sat through having his legs waxed to prove a point was fantastic. Also, the fact that he didn't act like he was the man through it all was hilarious.
Josie: Good on her for making a change and seeing that she needed to take time for herself and explore her future. I think it was also important to point out that no matter your age your relationship will go through struggles.
Richard: I wish that he hadn't smartened up in the end. It was kind of nice to have a jerk to pin something on.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series/Standalone: Me Before You (Book #1)
Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction
Pages: 369
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year Published: 2012
Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)
First Line: "When he emerges from the bathroom she is awake, propped up against the pillows and flicking through th travel brochures that were beside his bed."
"Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life- steady boyfriend, close family- who has barely been farther afield than her tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life- big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel- and he is not interested in exploring a new one.
Will is acerbic, moody, bossy- but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own. Lou sets out to show him that life is still worth lving.
Me Before You bring to life two people who couldn't have less in common- a heartbreaking romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?"
My Rating: 3.5/5
I've been interested in reading this book since I heard about it, but after hearing so many troubling reviews I had put it off. I decided that I wanted to form my own opinion. Overall romance is not usually a genre I enjoy strictly, but I do enjoy watching the odd Rom Com. movie. I wasn't surprised that overall I enjoyed this book. But that's not to say that this book isn't problematic because it certainly is. But I think its ok to have books that you read for entertainment that are problematic as long as you realize that they are problematic. I can see how this book was very popular when it came out and I do plan on continuing with the series and seeing where Lou's adventures take us.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
This book has been debated in both the film community and the book community for being a problematic story. But I think that the story hits a little too close to home for many people. The idea of how your life would change if your life changed so much in a moment. I understand that this book is problematic but it does deal with the idea of assisted suicide which has been a changing law in the past years for many societies. That being said I don't agree with some of the ways things in this novel were portrayed. I do plan on continuing the series, but don't have plans to do so immediately.
Characters:
Will: I think that while it would be extremely depressing, this story would have been more enjoyable for me if it had been written from Will's point of view. At least some times. I wonder about how he felt so close to the end and if he was scared of what he was going into. I also wonder about his life before his accident and immediately after.
Nathan: I think that Nathan made many good points throughout the story. It showed the way he felt about Will being given his own choices. I think that he was also one of Will's best friends. Someone who understanded him and who Will didn't have to hide from.
Lou: I liked Lou, but I found at times that she was an irrtating character. Maybe because she, like so many others has become content with what she has instead of daring to dream to be bigger.
Treena: I was glad that she began to realize that she wasn't the most important person on earth. Thank goodness for that.
Camilla: I wish that she would have spent more time with her son in the 6 months that she had. I understand that she had to work, but if you knew that you son was losing a battle wouldn't you want to spend some time with him.
Patrick: I think that he deserves everything he got. He was rude, and I think he was just with Lou out of convinience at this point. I do wonder if he will be there in future books.
Moments to Remember:
Final Line: " And stepping out from behind the table, I straighted my bag on my shoulder and set off down the street toward the parfumerie and the whole of Paris beyond."
