Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Publication: April 5th, 2016 (first published 2013)

by: Thomas Dunne Books

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Chick-Lit

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publisher

My Rating: 3 Stars

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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.

 

My Thoughts

I received a copy of this book for free, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Billy and Me is exactly the type of book you’d want to take to the beach with you. Although you may scare your fellow beach goers when you start screaming at Sophie, I think it’s a good fluffy read to keep your mind occupied. I wanted to love this more, but I just can’t give it more than three stars. That being said, I may read the next book to see if the writing is more developed. I think this one reads more like some of the fan fiction that I’ve read; but I’ve also read some amazing fan fiction that I find better than some published books. 

Sophie is one of those characters that are comfortable not leaving the small town they’ve grown up in. She loves working at the coffee shop and seeing the same people everyday. However, she wasn’t always so dull. She was once a bubbly, outgoing person, until something happened. Wait for it; it’s not as dramatic as I thought, but whatever. Then, the actors and actresses come to film Pride and Prejudice, and everything changes. I would say that it’s rather cliche that she falls for Billy, who plays Mr. Darcy. The heart wants what the heart wants. I thought the story was moving along smoothly, until I spend more time with Sophie and Billy. 

Some of this was really cute, but then Billy would say something lame and it would just get cheesy. Then, Sophie starts becoming irritated with Billy’s profession. More importantly, the romantic scenes with characters of the opposite sex. It kind of made me mad that he was willing to give up his passion for her. Even though there’s some good times with them as a couple, that particular aspect rubbed me the wrong way. I understand why it was added to the story, but I was still too mad to really care about this being fiction. I think that Sophie is likable, but she’s not a character that I could just absolutely adore. I love her uncomplicated life choices, but she also realizes a lot of things and she grows some. Billy is charming in some ways, but then he has the ability to act like he has to be the guy who has every quality in the book that women look for in a man. 

Overall, I think if you enjoy reading something fluffy, with a little bit of fuss, then this is a good book to read. The writing isn’t all that great, but it’s not terrible. Again, I’ve read fan fiction that’s written better. Recommended.