Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher.

Penguin, 2013.

Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher. 

Penguin, May 2013. 

Sophie May has been keeping a secret – one that she’s managed to keep for years. With her dreams of going to university and travelling the world given up, Sophie is satisfied to live in her little village, living with her mother and working in the local teashop where she’s worked since she was a teenager. 

When the gorgeous Billy arrives in the village, Sophie’s world is turned upside down. An actor with ambitions, Billy wants to make it to the top but it’s not long before he sweeps Sophie off her feet and whisks her away into Billy’s glamorous and ruthless world. 

After shying away from attention for so long, can Sophie handle the scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? Also, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be shared with the nation? 

Billy and Me is the kind of debut novel that I some day want to write. It’s warm, charming, engaging, grounded and funny. 

Sophie a likeable character. I sometimes found her childlike in her reactions – she’s quick to judge a situation on face value but when you eventually find out about Sophie’s past experiences, you can see why she has become wary of the world outside of her comfortable life in small Kent village. 

Billy is the perfect hero. He was very quick to win me over – a gentleman. He was still likeable when his behaviour wasn’t so great. Above all, both Sophie and Billy seemed real – with real issues and insecurities. They are flawed which makes them relatable characters.

There is a well plotted story and a wonderful group of supporting characters, (I need a Molly in my life.) I liked the fact that the relationship between Billy and Sophie begins fairly quickly, (i don’t think too quickly. Falling in love can happen in an instant and will make you behave in a way that’s against all your rational thought.) The book explores what happens once the characters have fallen in love and it made it different from many of the ‘boy meets girl’ stories. 

Many people at some point wonder what it would be like to date a celebrity and this book effortlessly shows us what it could possibly be like, written by someone who has experience of the celebrity world and the craziness surrounding it. 

This story made me laugh, cry and in some parts it was simply heartbreaking. I couldn’t stop reading and finished it in a couple of sessions (I couldn’t put it down but I didn’t want it to end – it ending was the one thing I didn’t like.) 

Giovanna has written a wonderful book and I am looking forward to reading her next one. Billy and Me was a perfect escape and full of romance – two of my favourite things. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.