#JojoMoyes – Rosepoint Publishing

After You: A Novel by Jojo Moyes #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog #contemporarywomensfiction

Me Before You Trilogy Book 2

Award nominee

Book Blurb:

“You’re going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. But I hope you feel a bit exhilarated too. Live boldly. Push yourself. Don’t settle. Just live well. Just live. Love, Will.”

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 Review:

Okay, I’ll say it: I’m grudgingly become a Moyes fan, though I have to say I wasn’t thrilled when she immediately followed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek with her own version she called The Giver of Stars.

After You by Jojo Moyes — After You-UK cover

Louisa manages to fall off a multi-story building and survive with the help of hunky, single Sam. (I don’t think that’s a spoiler here as this is an aging trilogy and I’m obviously the last to read it.) She’s survived the death of Will, barely, but now lives a mundane life in a sad job with a crappie boss and stupid dress code.

“Surprise, surprise. It’s only us girls who have to work looking like porno Munchkins.”

Her family feels she didn’t do enough to rally against Will’s suicide. She can’t stop mourning and is trying to move on by going to a support group of others who’ve experienced a catastrophic loss.

“…recalling the words of the Moving On Circle. Allow yourself moments of happiness.”

Then Lily appears at her door. She presents as the daughter of Will of whom he was unaware. Estranged from her mother and the family she created after the college affair that resulted in a baby, Lily is sixteen and the epitome of a teenager. (Gees, don’t those descriptions cause flashbacks!!)

The problem is: Lou is a mess. She’s not really handling her own situation, much less caring for a petulant, difficult teenager, alienated from her mother and most everyone else in her circle. (Reminds me of another book I just read with somewhat the same plot, except it’s a boy, not a girl teenager.)

Throw in a lip-licking offer of a job in New York, something to truly salivate over, and she definitely wrestled with a few sleepless nights. How would she take care of Lily and go to NY? She couldn’t. What about Sam—where was their relationship going? Can she truly chill the mourning over Will and be ready to proceed into the next chapter of her life?

So, anyway…given the circumstances, she does the best she can—which isn’t bad really having no experience with a child of her own and in the meantime, gets a little closer to Sam. Sam is an additional problem for her as her feelings have grown stronger for him and her fears multipled with conflict regarding Will and a possible new loss.

I enjoyed the dialogue, frequently including odd bits of humor dropped in to lighten the mood: “Oh, my God,” I said. “You’re like the ultimate female fantasy. “
“Shelves,” he said, deadpan. “You need shelves.”
”Oh, baby. Keep talking.”
”And home-cooked food.”
“That’s it. I just came.”

I was beginning to love how I perceived Book 2 would close. But no, wrong again. Seems like that also happened in Book 3 for me. Not into the whole rooftop scene, trying to imagine all ages climbing those fire stairs. And then the ending? I loved the Lily thing—nice compromise, but the job and Sam thing. Kind of a let-down for me.

Was it also for you?

In typical fashion around here, I read Still Me, the third in the trilogy, before I read either the first or second. I’m thinking I still preferred Someone Else’s Shoes, released in 2023, but this book, and the two parts I read of the trilogy is sadly, oddly compelling.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Contemporary Women Fiction, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Women’s Domestic Life Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books
ISBN: 978-0698152045
ASIN: B00TY3ZKG8
Print Length: 353 pages
Publication Date: September 29, 2015
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Jojo Moyes is a novelist and journalist. Her books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me, The Girl You Left Behind, The One Plus One and her short story collection Paris for One and Other Stories. The Giver of Stars is her most recent bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. Her novels have been translated into forty-six languages, have hit the number one spot in twelve countries and have sold over thirty-eight million copies worldwide.

Me Before You has now sold over fourteen million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Jojo lives in Essex with her family.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Still Me: A Novel by Jojo Moyes #BookReview

Me Before You Trilogy Book 3

Best Literature & Fiction

Winner for Readers’ Favorite Fiction 2018

Book Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me.

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 learns to live boldly in her brave new world.

My Review:

I had to eat some crow in February when I read Someone Else’s Shoes having formed an opinion of the author when she immediately followed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson with her own version of the same story she called The Giver of Stars. (Someone Else’s Shoes is just plain fun and if you missed it, I’d definitely recommend.)

This book, the third in the Me Before You trilogy, is an interesting final installment. I can’t comment regarding the episode I preferred as I neither read Book 1 nor Book 2 and it might have worked better if I had.

This novel finds the MC, Louisa Clark, in New York following Nathan, her line into the home of ridiculously wealthy Leonard Gopnik. She is to be Gopnik’s wife’s assistant. His much younger wife Agnes, an immigrant, is finding it very hard to settle into the role of supportive eye candy on the arm of a rich and powerful man where she is expected to accompany him to an endless schedule of society gimmies. The ladies have tuned her out and not accepted her into their hierarchy.

She does manage to find some locals who are happy to accept her at face value, which is good when she suddenly finds herself out of a job and shelter. Where I groaned just a bit was with the local society-climbing boyfriend thing balancing act with the London-based hot paramedic guy.

While some (most?) may find the conclusion satisfying, I was less than impressed. Didn’t we all see that coming? (Including being busted for something she didn’t do?) Predictable.

What I did enjoy was the description of Manhattan, her first person view of New York, her short but unhappy reunions with Sam both here and abroad. Dialogue (including self-talk) is so believable, relationships so palpable, support characters well developed, and enjoyed the writing style. I sputtered a few times with the caustic old woman, but it certainly added spicy interest to the storyline.

Not a new one, but a favorite author of many and I’m sure fans of Jojo enjoyed this one. Yes, and I’ll continue to look for another by her as well.

I received a digital copy of this book from my local library that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Mothers & Children Fiction, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Women’s Domestic Life Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books
ASIN: B073YTMMQS
Print Length: 400 pages
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Me Before You has now sold over fourteen million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Jojo lives in Essex with her family.

Happy Holidays--Have a great Sunday!

Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes – #AudiobookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Literature & Fiction

Nominee for Best Fiction (2023)

Book Blurb:

Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?

Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope–she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.

That’s because Sam Kemp—in the bleakest point of her life—has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag—she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.

Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything.

My Review:

Well, gee, I do hate eating crow.

Guess I’d formed an opinion of the author back when I read The Giver of Stars after having read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. I read the latter for a book club at the time and given that Book Woman was published first, the former was wallowing in controversy. Still, no denying the wildly different writing style.

Well, different here is the theme. The women couldn’t be at more opposite ends of the spectrum of living. Sam is married with a daughter and the sole breadwinner as her husband lost his job and his father about the same time.

The depression that hit him has been a one-two punch he’s not moved beyond since. He spends his time as a couch potato. Sam is exhausted, both at home and at work where her supervisor picks at everything she does even though she appears to be quite effective at her position.

Nisha, an American, on the other hand, is living with an extremely wealthy and powerful husband, frequent fliers, while their son is living in an American boarding school. So it’s with a shock that she discovers her gym bag with her clothes and her husband’s favorite red Louboutin shoes were switched with someone else’s.

Sam, however, was in a hurry rushing to meetings and without time to return them immediately, simply wears what she finds in the bag to each successive meeting where she totally kills it. In the shoes and the clothes, she is transformed. She looks good. Feels good. Projects confidence and power.

So, yeah, Nisha comes off as wholly unsympathetic, a narcissist and spoiled. She is shocked when she is not allowed back into their posh apartment and then in succession discovers that along with her clothes, has no money, no bank cards that will be accepted, nothing. Her husband has completely cut her off—no explanation.

It’s a multi-layered, complex novel. The main characters are remarkable opposites, well-developed and believable. As the plot line progresses, Nisha’s character softens and Sam’s character begins to push her boundaries. There are interesting support characters who particularly near the conclusion create a bonded sisterhood. That part was fun, if not pushing disbelief.

Which brings me to the star rating. First, I had difficulty believing a wealthy woman would be working out, rubbing elbows, with the ordinary middle class. I loved the surprise Nisha saved for Carl but also had difficulty thinking he wouldn’t have known immediately who was the snitch. Also, while I savored that part, there were epilogues and the first was appreciated. The third…possibly TMI?

Otherwise, on the whole, I enjoyed the book and will now have to admit I’ll be looking for other books by this author. The narrator in this audiobook did an incredible job.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B0B7XWYTCH
Listening Length: 12 hrs 21 mins
Narrator: Daisy Ridley
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Someone Else’s Shoes [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Me Before You has now sold over fourteen million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Jojo lives in Essex with her family.