Blog Tour Book Review: Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

"Sophie May has a secret.

One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy - an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world.

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

Charming, heartwarming and utterly romantic, Billy and Me will completely capture your heart.."

Rating: 5/5

You can buy Billy and Me as a paperback or an eBook now.

There are only a few debut novels in a year that I ever really look forward, and one of those for 2013 definitely had to be Giovanna Fletcher's debut novel Billy and Me. Giovanna is the wife of McFly singer Tom Fletcher, but is a journalist and now published author in her own right. I hadn't read anything from Giovanna previously, but I had a feeling that I was really going to enjoy this one. After reading the blurb, it sounded like it was perhaps going to draw on Giovanna's own experiences of being married to a famous man herself, and I was so excited to read more about the story of Sophie May and Billy Buskin.

Sophie May always thought she was a normal girl. She's content working in her best friend Molly's teashop, staying around to look after her mum and save up ready to take over the tea shop if the opportunity ever arises. But when a handsome stranger starts coming into the teashop and flirting with Sophie, she wonders if she could have finally found someone worth taking a chance on. Then she discovers that man is none other than Hollywood actor Billy, and the pair quickly fall in love. Sophie is thrust into the media spotlight, her worst nightmare after years of keeping her head down and living a very quiet life. Will Sophie be able to handle the pressure of a high-profile relationship with Billy, and can their love survive the limits their relationship is pushed to?

I do love a good old fashioned romance story, and as you can see, this one seems to fit the bill perfectly. I loved Sophie from the start, and there is simply nothing to dislike about her. You can tell she's affected by something that happened in her past, something that she is keeping secret from everyone bar those who are very close to her, and I was intrigued to find out what it was. Sophie is a very quiet woman, very kind-hearted and treasures her close friendship with Molly, who was another of my favourite characters. The relationship between the pair is wonderful to read, and I loved how the age gap between them wasn't ever an issue, and you could feel the love between them, Fletcher has written this relationship perfectly.

Billy, too, was a perfect character in so many ways. Yes, he's a famous actor but from the way he is generally and the way he is with Sophie, you would never guess it. He and Sophie really did seem like a perfect match, and I was really invested in their story and wanted them to make it and get the happy-ever-after that Sophie deserved. The book doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of having a relationship in the spotlight, especially poor Sophie who hates the media attention. The emotions of Sophie feel very real as you're reading, and I felt so sorry for her, certain things that happened were her worst nightmare (and mine!) and you can understand why she struggled so much. As the book hurtles towards its conclusion, I was hoping above hope that Billy and Sophie would make it through and be happy, but Fletcher left it so that you aren't sure what's going to happen!

Fletcher's writing is so warm and inviting, I was looking forward to picking the book up at the end of a hard day at work, and immersing myself in Sophie and Billy's story once more. I was both rooting for them and eager to see what secret Sophie is hiding, even from Billy. It was a very emotional book, from the highs to Sophie's real lows, and are swept into the story so easily. I never wanted to put the book down, I wanted to keep reading until the final page but at the same time, I didn't want the story to end because it was such a joy to read. Heart-warming, heart-breaking and full of love, Billy and Me is a dazzling debut that will leave you with a warm feeling inside, and eager to read more from the lovely Giovanna Fletcher. Her writing was so easy to read, sweeping me up into Sophie's world, and taking me on a journey of love and life with her. I really felt like Fletcher had drawn on her own experiences for this book, and it definitely comes across that way when you're reading it. I loved every page, and shall be adding this one to my special 'Keeper's' shelf. A beautiful story.