Jojo Moyes - After You

Lou Clark has lots of questions.
Like how it is she's ended up working in an airport bar, spending every shift watching other people jet off to new places.
Or why the flat she's owned for a year still doesn't feel like home.
Whether her close-knit family can forgive her for what she did eighteen months ago.
And will she ever get over the love of her life.
What Lou does know for certain is that something has to change.
Then, one night, it does.
But does the stranger on her doorstep hold the answers Lou is searching for - or just more questions?
Close the door and life continues: simple, ordered, safe.
Open it and she risks everything.
But Lou once made a promise to live. And if she's going to keep it, she has to invite them in . . .

Comment: As many other readers, I've had quite an experience reading Me Before You, a successful novel by this author and probably what gave her more recognition. The theme was hard, the story richly developed but with many sad layers and readers liked it.

Considering the way it ends, it was no surprise to know readers dreamed about what would happen next to one character and although I can't really say, this story was probably the result of a lot pressure because the other book was well sold. However, now that I read it, I must say I agree with those readers who have the opinion this book was not necessary.

In this sequel, Lou is found working in a bar at the airport and after a long time, she still hasn't moved on completely. Her life is pretty much a depressing one, she still hears the whispers of people who know what she was a part of and she still mourns. 

Everything changes the day Will's daughter Lily shows up at her door and somehow invades her life. Lou can't help but feel protective of Lily, even if she - and Will - have never heard of her existence. But nothing is simple and Lou isn't certain she feels ready to take on such a responsibility even if lily's mother claims her daughter isn't trustworthy. 

Lou also tries to move by joining a group where people discuss their mourning and their feelings and that's how she also comes to know Sam, the uncle of a teenager there. With so much to think about, can Lou really be ready to deal with so many new things?

To be honest, the best element of this novel has to be the mourning process. It's not the same for everyone and in this case, especially after a strong and heavily emotional first story, this sequel had to mention certain issues. 

I liked some passages where Lou talks about or even thinks about it. I think my favorite passage is when she is talking on the phone with Nathan, who was also in the first book, and she asks him if this whole situation is out of proportion in her head, if she only imagined her feelings were that real. This did touch me because it felt very realistic, very well thought and something anyone suffering would think about, only to make it easy to go another day.

However, apart from some passages, some original situations, most of the book is a collection of unnecessary things and annoying ones.

I can understand the need for closure that readers (and even the publisher's coffers) needed to get over the intensity of the first book but...I don't think it was necessary, no. In fact, this story almost felt like the characters weren't the same and I don't think the change was positive. It just would be highly unlikely that this would delivery the same impact as the other and, frankly, that wouldn't be something I'd personally like. The other story was perfect on its own.

I suppose the biggest issue here was how the author chose to keep up with Lou and Will's storyline by bringing up a daughter he didn't know he had. Lily wasn't very appealing to read about even if one can understand her dilemmas. I just think Lily didn't have to be as needy nor as rebellious. I see how the plot moved along in a certain way because of this but I didn't like Lily and that made reading this a little annoying for me. Plus Lou is a great character but she does take on things not her responsibility and the plot felt rather over the top.

I still liked Lou for the most part. She isn't the same as she was in the first book, it's impossible not to compare, and one can understand: who doesn't change if in mourning? I just think the situations she saw herself in were very unbalanced, from her series of doubts on accepting a job, to her dealings with Lily, to how she starts a new relationship... all this is meant to show her face things but I wasn't a fan of her throughout this process even if empathizing with her feelings.

The story ends on a new adventure, but not before Lou faces a very complicated situation with boyfriend Sam (it felt like just a way to increase drama) and a goodbye party to her mourning group which was cute but too sugary to fit the overall story.

I'm not certain about reading the third book... I do feel curious - that's why I also got this one - but I fear I'll loose my likeness for this and I don't want to let go of the emotional high Me Before You left...although i don't think I can read that one again in the near future.

Grade: 6/10

Jojo Moyes - The Last Letter From Your Lover

When journalist Ellie looks through her newspaper's archives for a story, she doesn't think she'll find anything of interest. Instead she discovers a letter from 1960, written by a man asking his lover to leave her husband - and Ellie is caught up in the intrigue of a past love affair. Despite, or perhaps because of her own romantic entanglements with a married man.
In 1960, Jennifer wakes up in hospital after a car accident. She can't remember anything - her husband, her friends, who she used to be. And then, when she returns home, she uncovers a hidden letter, and begins to remember the lover she was willing to risk everything for.
Ellie and Jennifer's stories of passion, adultery and loss are wound together in this richly emotive novel - interspersed with real 'last letters'.

Comment: Although Jojo Moyes isn't an author I immediately jump into reading, I've enjoyed enough of her writing style to buy and add more of her books to my reading lists. This month I picked this book even though the blurb wasn't one I felt very compelled by.

In this book we follow two stories, Ellie's and Jennifer's.

Jennifer is a woman living in the early 60s and her life has everything to be perfect but after an accident she forgets things and her steps to discover what happen before the accident reveal she had another man she was in love with, someone not her husband.

In 2003, we have Ellie, a young woman working in a newspaper whose career seems to go more and more wrong because she can't get her head out of her relationship with a writer she met while working, a married man.

The parallel between these two women's lives and the secret that will bring them together is powerfully emotional but will it prove love is really the biggest strength of all?

In terms of story line, there is a lot to be appreciated in this book because the content is certainly emotional and poignant. For me, the problems happen because of that same content and some narrative choices I think are a bit too confusing when one reads about.

The book is divided into three parts, parts which explore mostly Jennifer's path in life and how she deals with what is happening to her, how she dealt with being in love with a man not her husband and their letter exchanging.

Therefore, the book is the story of Jennifer and the story of Ellie, each one in their own time, living their lives. They eventually meet face to face in the third part of the book and that is when the final twist starts to be shaped.

 

Personally, I found it too confusing because although we are talking about different stages in the character's lives, that change isn't as obvious as years' gaps. Meaning, each part isn't set in a different year or moment in time. We get, in each part (maybe not as much the third part) text about Jennifer before she had her accident (the reason why there's a story after all), so that we, the reader, can understand why she acted weird later on and why that mattered. 

Then, we also have texts about Jennifer after the accident while she tries to cope with a reality she forgot and while she fits the pieces together about what happened.

The problem is these two different timelines only are separated by a blank hole in the page, there's no indication where we are unless we keep reading. When it comes to narrative style, fascinating. But to be easy to follow things, not as much.

Ellie's story isn't as developed. She works in a newspaper and her finding one of Jennifer's letters from when she exchanged them with her lover and from then on, things happen quickly. Ellie isn't a character I liked much, to be honest. In the first chapter we learn she has an affair with a married man and I must say I hated her then. She is not a misled woman, being deceived. She embarked on the affair knowing he is married and knowing their relationship isn't one that can solved easily. People make choices, why would someone knowingly be with a married person? I absolutely hate cheaters and in such a modern age, Ellie letting herself be with a man who was taken seems stupid and mean. I'm not excusing him, he is even worse, cheating on his wife, but Ellie is a smart, modern woman, what kind of message is this women should do whatever they want just because...I was really angry at this.

So, both plots are similar, things start to shape up towards the last part, the emotional content is quite strong, especially when we read about the loss of timing that sometimes can make everything go wrong when just a random chance could have changed it all.

I didn't like Jennifer had an affair but her reasons still feel more explained and understandable because she lived in the 60s.

There's a twist I didn't expect in the end and that is certainly a positive aspect.

Although every situation somehow solves itself in the end, I was still feeling a bit annoyed at some of the character's choices. I just didn't enjoy this as much as if some elements had been done differently. But yes, there are HEAs to wonder about in the end of the story.

Grade: 5/10

Read once and read often

Two books to briefly talk about this time around.
The first is a book I've read for the first time days ago and the other is one of those so called comfort reads I often re-read, or I try to re-read my favorite parts.

The Spanish House is known to locals as an architectural folly, and it is now nearly derelict to boot. When its reclusive owner dies intestate the Spanish House is left to his city-dwelling niece. For the recently-widowed Isabel, the house is a potential lifeline. For her neighbour Matt McCarthy, the house is revenge.

Comment: I liked this book but that's it. I can't say I'll remember it very fondly in the future because, to be honest, the characters didn't win me over. I think I can consider myself a fan of the author, I've liked all her books to some extend but I've come to realize the more contemporary work of Jojo Moyes appeal the most to me, unlike her older titles which seem (the three I've tried) more cynical and whose characters feel less interesting.

In this book we have Isabel as a key character and although I enjoyed seeing she goes from an almost self centered person to a more attentive and responsible one, the plot about an old house and the sleazy male character that wants it at any cost just didn't win me over. I disliked some of the character's behavior as well so it was difficult for me to empathize or to want to see them succeed. I was glad when the last page was turned.

Grade: 5/10

-//-

It wasn't the best time for Karen to visit her elderly friend. With a burning fever and a broken down

car, she shuddered to think what could have happened if Brice hadn't pulled her from the drifts. As a doctor, his healing instincts took over. But being snowbound with the man who once tried to have her jailed was dangerous territory. Sometimes fate offers the chance to heal, forgive, and understand that things happen for a reason.

Comment: I can't remember anymore when was the first time I've read this book. Somewhere along 2006 or 2007, meaning after I've learned to do online shopping and after my binging on Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown. Then I got to Barbara Delinsky but I can say her more recent work isn't as appealing to me.

This book is the definition of perfection to my romance reader's eyes. Yes, many others don't agree but it's amazing for me because the plot makes sense and the romance too. I can see the flaws too but they are almost pointless to me.

I loved this story of a young woman trying to make ends' meet and a man who helps her without second intentions but while he takes care of her health, they discuss their previous antagonism and they fall in love. Yes, I'd change one detail here, another there but overall this is the perfect comfort read and I read this often just because.  Love it!

Grade: 10/10

TBR Challenge: Jojo Moyes - The One Plus One

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever. 

Comment: This was my choice for this month's installment of the TBR Challenge. March would be a month dedicated to a Comfort Read. As Wendy has said, a comfort read can be open to interpretation and in this specific case, I looked at it as in a book that I knew would be entertaining and I'd want to spend time with, feeling comfortable. By opinions and and other comments I knew this would be something along my tastes so I felt pretty content with picking this one and, joyfully, I was proved right and comforted.

In this book we meet a British family which includes a single working mother, a math's genius child, a eyeliner user teenager and a not always good smelling dog. This family isn't at its best but when the opportunity to gain some money appears in the form of an Maths' Olympiad in Scotland, the family goes there with the help of mr Ed Nicholls, one of the patrons the single mom Jess works for. But the journey isn't easy and all characters must learn something from it, even if the lesson isn't easy to accept. In a both humorous but deep style, we learn that first impressions aren't always the most trustful and everyone can hide a better person inside.

I was very expectant of reading this book, especially because I've read other books by the author and liked the style (if not always the content) and I saw good opinions and people mentioning things I know I'd like.

This book is told from everyone's POV, one chapter at a time, always alternating between Ed, Jess, teenager Nicky and little Tanzie. It's not always easy to keep the flow using this writing tactic but in this case, it worked out pretty well.

What truly made me eager to get to this book was Jess. She is a single mom and she works two jobs to support her family. Her situation with her husband, trying to deal with a depression at his mother's is part of the plot, so I won't say much about it, but Jess herself was fascinating. She is the epitome of so many women, women who work, who have bills to pay, who feel the weight of their actions on their shoulders, who can't always meet ends meet, who love and defend their children but don't always have the power to change things. Reading about this type of character could be depressing and sad but the author has an optimistic Jess, someone who tries to see the best of everyone. And I like when a working woman, even facing adversity, can find someone to trust in, like Ed and can be her own person even when things don't go as easy as she wanted but at the end, all goes well, because hope always moves us.

I really liked Jess, not because she is perfect - she isn't! - but because she tries her best.

The plot isn't too complicated but in every page we learn something new, we see something more in each character's development and the situations that seemed easy to deal with have more layers we didn't anticipate, even if we did wonder about them at times.

It was great to see how each character was changed by getting to know the others better, especially Jess and her kids knowing Ed and vice versa. Every day's feelings we don't always think about were portrayed here quite well, especially when it came to deal with family and expectations others have of us.

There's a subtle romance  between Jess and Ed which I liked to see develop but their lusting after one another isn't the focus and it never feels cheap. They bond somehow and their feelings just happen. The evolution of their romance is in sync with the plot development and this now only makes everything seem well structured but also reveals how the author has thought about how to insert every detail at the right moment. It just seemed flawless for me.

The character's themselves are amazing. None is perfect, all have a bit of introspectiveness in them, but who hasn't at our weakest moments?

Jess I liked a lot, Ed was a good surprise because he faced a bad situation and he acted very realistically. Nicky is the bullied teenager just because he is different but he is a wonderful person and Tanzie is a genius but still a little girl. All these characters interactions with one another and other people show us always a little bit more about them and how they change to become better somehow. I really liked the sense of hope we get from the end of the book.

After finishing this book, I realized I had gone through the major emotions, from laughing to crying, from feeling sad to very happy and this book feels very good. I think that, in terms of enjoying the read and getting some comfort, this was quite the success for me. Sometimes, things align themselves in a way with books and they just make sense and feel right for us. I really liked this one a lot and I think this is now my favorite by the author. I'm curious to see if the ones I haven't read yet (but that I have in my TBR) will be as amazing.

This one I really recommend!

Grade: 9/10

Jojo Moyes - Sheltering Rain

Estranged from her mother since she ran away from her rural Irish home as a young woman, Kate swore an oath that she'd always be a friend to her daughter, Sabine. But history has a way of repeating itself, and Kate now faces an ever-widening chasm between herself and her daughter. With Sabine about to make her own journey to Ireland to see her grandmother, Kate is left wondering how they ever made it here, and what she can do to close the gap between them.
For Joy, seeing her granddaughter is a dream come true. After the painful separation from Kate, she's looking forward to having time with Sabine. Yet almost as soon as the young woman arrives, the lack of common ground between them deflates her enthusiasm. And when Sabine's impetuous, inquisitive nature forces Joy to face long-buried secrets from her past, she realizes that perhaps it's time to finally heal old wounds.

Comment: I got this book in Portuguese in a book fair last year and because I've read the author before and liked her, I went ahead and got this book. According to reviews it's not the author's best and I wanted to check for myself if I'd share that opinion.

In this book we follow the lives of three generations of women during a short period of time. The grandmother Joy, daughter Kate and teenager Sabine. Although we don't spend a lot of time with each, we learn some family secrets while we get to see them in their daily routines and dealing with grandfather's Edward poor health and illness. But could the three women, who don't have such strong bonds as one may think, come to terms with all the new things they find and how that affects them?

I liked this book and it was certainly easy to read. The author's style is easy to follow and interesting and, as I've come to realize, objective and a trademark, as I found it the same I've read before in her other books. So, overall, I can't say this is badly done, but then I have to confess it was slightly less striking when one thinks about the plot and one or two characters. I really think the author missed her mark with those elements. I suppose the fact this is the first boom she wrote has something to do with it, considering the style and not as much polish when comparing to the later books, but...still.

What I liked best was how this book showed some interesting ideas about different cultures like the

life of British people in Hong Kong, where Joy lived in her youth and also the taking care of horses and the respect for animals in the propriety Joy has as a grown up back in England. The details of Joy's life, the choices she did to have a good life, the details of that and of the people around her were things I felt enthusiastic about. I also liked some secondary characters such as Thom and Annie, who went through challenging things in their lives but life helped and even surprised them, Annie more at the end of the book.

The plot, however, wasn't a cohesive element in my opinion. There are some interesting details but I wasn't fond of the jumping scenes back and forth in time. And the author picked too many themes to explore which means we didn't see much of all and instead of making the characters seem mysterious and with more depth, they just looked superficial because each things wasn't' explored as well as it could.

Obviously the plot revolves around the characters. I sort of liked Joy, I feel ambivalent towards Sabine because she's a teenager so I didn't like to spend too much time with her and I didn't like Kate that much.

Joy is a strong woman, the oldest in the family and her life seems to be based on a certain idea but later on, the biggest surprise comes out of her past and, despite not being something directly related to her actions, it affected her personality. I understand but it's not always something that can be explained in her actions or maybe I think she should just have dealt with things differently. I liked her passion for horses.

Kate is intriguing, a challenging character to develop but honestly I disliked her a bit precisely because she has a way of looking at relationships and romantic interests that I don't agree with. Her scenes with her family are always emotional because of that and I understand why and even recognize the beauty of the romantic interest being focused on her, but she's my least favorite character.

Sabine acts like any angry teenager, I don't have patience for those, I much prefer characters with some maturity and she acts so closer to the end out of jealousy which annoyed me. I do agree with some of her opinions here and there but overall, I liked when I wasn't following her steps and ideas...

All in all, a trademark emotional story by Moyes but I think it's clear this is a first novel type of book. The Portuguese translation of the title reads like "family portrait" which I think it's more appropriate because the rain only makes sense for one or two characters. Still, an interesting way to compare an author's evolution in writing.

Grade: 6/10

Jojo Moyes - Silver Bay

When Mike Dormer heads out from London to a small seaside town in Australia to kick-start a hotel development, he expects just another deal. But Silver Bay is not just any seaside town, and the inhabitants of the eccentric ramshackle Silver Bay Hotel - the enigmatic skipper Liza McCullen, her ten-year-old daughter, and her legendary shark-catching aunt Kathleen, as well as the crews of the local whale-watching boats - swiftly begin to temper his own shark-like tendencies. He is left wondering who really has the greater right to the bay's waters. 
As the development begins to take on a momentum of its own, and the effect on the whales that migrate past the bay begins to reveal itself, Mike's and Liza's worlds collide, with dramatic results. New, unforeseen hazards emerge to confront both the creatures and the McCullen women. How close can you get, before you end up destroying what you love? 

Comment: I purchased this book in the beginning of the year in Portuguese. I've heard about it since I read and liked Me Before You by the author too. This book has a very different theme and it had been in my radar for a while so when I saw the paperback edition, I got it right away.

I leave the Portuguese cover and one of the UK ones, so pretty.

In this story we meet Mike Dormer, he works fr a big company in London that is about to close a deal to build a new hotel and the location chosen is Silver Bay, Australia. Mike travels there to investigate the place, how the locals would welcome the new hotel and the environmental impact. He didn't think he would see his life change.

Liza McCullen is a woman with secrets and she hides away her shame and fears in work and in overprotecting her young daughter. Liza only thinks of work and safety and her personal time isn't dedicated to many people. 

But Mike brings change and possibilities and not even Liza could imagine how much that would touch her too.

Overall, this is a great story. We have secrets, lives changing, an idyllic place and interesting characters we get to know because there are several POVs in this book and the protagonists aren't the only ones "telling" the story. 

The end is happy, cute, hopeful for anyone who dreams of something good and unexpected (maybe...) happening to them. The story delivers all the ingredients to be successful. I liked it and despite not being as heartbreaking emotional as the other book I've read by her, it has its moments. Still, I admit that the writing seemed slightly less polished, not as seductive and that influenced my final appreciation of it.

I wonder at my reaction about it because I read it in Portuguese. It shouldn't affect me and it's not a "bad" translation, but I have the feeling when I read in English things sound better. But this doesn't happen always when I read in Portuguese so I wonder, is it me, is it the book, is it that translation? Something interesting to think about...

Anyway, back to the story. Like I said, I liked it and it was very interesting to read about Australia, and those seemingly amazing places with beaches and boats and dolphins and whales and people who live in such a place, even if with hard times. Authors really can make you travel and I did like the image that popped my head while I was reading.

But. Yes, but.

There are a couple things I really think were key to not make this a perfect read for me.

Apart from my global feelings about how the story is told, there are two things that really decreased what could be a higher opinion about the book.

One thing pertains the hero, Mike. He's driven and has an apparent successful life, he's working at a place that challenges him, he has a fiancé and a great house. But now that his marriage is close, he's been feeling something's wrong. Traveling to Australia saves his life and his happiness but there's something about him that really irritated me because it's something I hate seeing in romances. Sure it can be realistic but it's sad and unfair. It happened before he travels and he is regrets it but it happened. It did influence my opinion of him a bit...

The other thing was more of a annoyance. This is a romance. The relationship between Mike and Liza doesn't happen fast and it's not the central point in the book but it's there. I liked they reached their HEA but from the point of physical attraction to HEA I didn't feel there were many reasons why they had to be together. They barely talked and when they did share intimate thoughts and wishes I wasn't convinced of their commitment to each other, plot devices apart.

I think there was a bit too much of inference and guessing and subtleness to make me, the reader, convinced they were a good couple.

Much has to do with Liza's secrets and choices, but still...not perfect.

In the end, like I said, I'm glad there was a HEA but some things didn't make this as unforgettable as the other one in the long term.

I'm curious about other titles by ms Moyes and will try them one day.

Grade: 7/10

Jojo Moyes - Me Before You

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Comment: This book was offered to me on my birthday last month. My friend told me not to read anything about it before starting it and she was also afraid of my reaction (don't know why I read almost anything) because of its theme. I was so curious and did try to stay away from reviews...but sometimes a comment here and there can jump in front of our eyes without us knowing so...I didn't know what would happen but I saw a word and had a pretty good idea about what it was anyway...

This is the story of Lou and Will. Lou is a young woman living a very conformed life, always the same things and without many expectations in life.
Will has suffered an accident and is now a quadriplegic and his days are also always the same, except he can't be on his own and depends on others for everything, for the rest of his life. These two are in different stages in life but their friendship will prove to be timeless.

This is a book to make you cry, have no doubts about it. But it also has funny moments and I saw myself laughing about a joke and some situations here and there.
This is such a powerful story...it touches some emotions within ourselves we thought we could deal with easily and in a decisive manner but the biggest lesson we can be taught in this book is there is no black and white in everything...there are too many grey areas and even the things we were sure of, even when we think our choices are simple, there's a lot to think about.

Lou has a simple life but she has things to deal with in her past. She lived with it and change her way of life over that even if others don't see it. When she becomes Will's carer he'll learn so many things, live so many experiences and see so many points of views I think many people will think it was Lou's job to be changed but I think when it comes to what each person feels can be a whole different world apart from the norm and Lou showed things aren't easy and always what we think we might get. I liked her character and her will to fight and to try and how she gave everything in her to make things happen, to prove and share things so Will could see through her eyes as well. The story is told from her perspective, except four chapters spread through the book, which are told from secondary characters.
We can have a very easy access to her feelings this way and it does enhance the emotion in the book.

Will is a man who lives with the knowledge he changed. His life isn't his own anymore. But he still keeps his personality although the challenges weak him more and more and he can't live with the idea he'll be like that until he dies. When he meets Lou he thinks she'll just be another person and nothing more but the same way he teaches her things about life's expectations and experiences and living every day like it's the last and enjoying life and making life worth it all, he also learns things from Lou and sees in her a feeling he no longer felt worthy of. It's an emotional roller coaster for him too.

I won't tell spoilers like I said before. This is the kind of book to read without any other thought in the way. The advice to read it without clues is a sound one. Just be prepared to cry and laugh and to be judge and executioner. It's not easy and although at some point you imagine you know the end, there's still things in the journey that will strike you fast and heavily in the chest. It's not easy, no.
I don't give this a perfect ten because if it were me, I'd have the end done in another way. Not different completely, just in a different way.

I hope you can read it and please, do not read spoilers or reviews or anything else before. Just order the book or buy it and close yourself at home until you finish it.
I get my friend now...maybe it's a book that will make you point the finger at that person and say, "what were you thinking"...but I don't regret it personally, so...
Grade: 9/10