Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Title: Billy and Me
Series: Billy and Me, #1
Author: Giovanna Fletcher
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Date Published: April 5, 2016
Rating: 5 Stars

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:

Billy and Me was such a delightful and unexpected surprise! This is one of the few books that I have just randomly picked up from the library. I didn't know of anyone who had read it and I had not read any reviews prior to diving in. Nevertheless, there was just something about the synopsis called to me, and I had to give it a try. This is kind of an oddity for me, as I have found that I don't really like many Hollywood type of stories that I have read in the past. However,  this one seemed very promising!  

I was pretty frustrated because every time I would pick up Billy and Me, and would start to read, life would get in the way, and I would have to stop. But then I (finally) started reading it yesterday, and I did not stop until I finished it around midnight. 

This has easily become a (new) favorite contemporary for me! I cannot say enough about the main character- Sophie May. There was just a goodness about here. She was so normal and so relatable! She was insecure and fearful of letting people get close to her and to see who she really was. Sophie could be unassertive, but she would also let her frustrations known. However, she was so kind and giving of herself. I could see why others would love her!  

As for Billy...there were times I wanted to hug him and there were times I wanted to just strangle the man. I could truly believe his love for Sophie, yet I would wonder why the heck he acted the way he did at times. He definitely needed to sit down and figure some things out. 

I really liked Giovanna Fletcher's writing style. She is a new author for me and I am eager to read her other books. She had a way of really making me empathize with the characters and to feel all kinds of emotions. When they were experiencing new love, I felt that. When they were sad, I was too. When hearts were getting splintered...well, you get it. So, add this to the short list of books that have manged to make me shed a tear (or two).

If there were any grumblings on my part, it would be that I wanted more at the end. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that Billy and Me was not a standalone, but that there is indeed a short story and another full length book! (Honestly, I wasn't paying much attention when I added this to Goodreads.) I am so happy to have discovered this gem of a series!