And that's the problem.
Because if it wasn't Rob waiting for her at the altar, there's a strong chance it would be Ben. Loyal and sensitive Ben has always kept his feelings to himself, but if he turned round and told Maddy she was making a mistake, would she listen? And would he be right?
Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob thought their bond was unbreakable. But love changes everything. Maddy has a choice to make but will she choose wisely? Her heart, and the hearts of the two best men she knows, depend on it..."
Rating: 4.5/5
You can buy You're the One That I Want as a paperback or an eBook now.
Giovanna Fletcher is very quickly making a big name for herself in the chick lit world. Her debut novel Billy and Me, which was released last year, was a massive success, and I have to confess I was one of its biggest fans! The warm and realistic characters, the love story and Giovanna's writing came together to create a perfect book. Therefore, I was super excited to receive a review copy of Giovanna's second book called You're the One That I Want, with its absolutely gorgeous cover! It's definitely one of my favourite book covers of the year so far, and I was hoping that the story would match up to those expectations too, and luckily it did! But what you really need to know is... was I on #teamBen or #teamRobert?!
Maddy grew up feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. She had Ben and Robert in her life, the two best friends that any girl could ask for, and they knew they'd always all be there for each. Through school, they were a team, no-one could come between them. But as they grow older, feelings started to change and it sent the friends on very different. Before she knows it, it's the day of Maddy's wedding. She's all set to marry Rob, the man she loves, but standing there in the pews, staring at her is her other best friend, Ben. Maddy starts to wonder if she's chosen the right man, and whether Ben is going to say anything at the pivotal moment or not. As the big moment approaches, Maddy knows she has to make a choice... but will she make the right one?
The interesting thing about this book is that it begins with the wedding, but that's pretty much as far as it goes! The rest of the book is actually made up of flashback stories from the childhood of Maddy, Rob and Ben. When the book started, I have to admit I had a few reservations, because it started narration as children and it was a little odd to read for me. However, once I got into the stride of the book, I found it easy to read and I loved getting to know these character almost from the beginning of their lives, right up until the wedding of Rob and Maddy.
The book is about friendship, and the story revolves around the changing relationships between the three characters. When Maddy, Ben and Rob are little, they are purely friends, as you are at that age, not seeing them as a male or a female, but rather as your best friend. But as they get older, and hormones start to make themselves known, things begin to change, and we can sense the awkwardness between them all, as they struggle to deal with their feelings. I really did like Maddy, she wasn't trying to mess the boys about or play them off against each other, I think she genuinely loved them both so much, she struggled when she started to feel a different way towards one of them.
Ben and Rob were written as very different people. Rob's quite outgoing, knows he's handsome and a hit with the ladies, and much more a confident person. Ben, on the other hand, is quieter, a bit more reserved and less likely to put himself out there, even though he has no lack of female attention. I think quite early on, as a reader, you make your mind up as to whether you are #teamBen or #teamRob. For me, though, the twist is that Ben is quite open (to us through his narrative) about being in love with Maddy. He has been for years but kept it bottled up so as not to hurt anyone else. I mean, how can you not love him for that? He was just lovely, and I was certainly rooting for Maddy to choose Ben all the way through the book. He was the one for me without a doubt, and I hoped he would for Maddy too!
The narrative is split between Ben and Maddy, we don't actually get to hear from Rob much which felt a bit strange in parts - it would have been nice to hear from him, rather than just seeing him through the eyes of his friends, perhaps in a biased way. Their narratives are brilliant, very easy to read, and I liked how they changed as they grew up as well, you got to see them mature and I felt Giovanna perfectly pinpointed each of the stages of their lives perfectly, as well as the emotional turmoil they go through. There is some ups, some downs, laughs and tears, you really go through it all in these as you read the book. Although it's a love story, it's also a beautiful look at a special friendship between three people, and I almost wish love didn't have to get in the way of it all! A truly special book, and one I really did love reading!
I really enjoyed this one too, good story and likeable characters.
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