Monday 14 May 2018

Book Review - You, Me Everything by Catherine Isaac - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #98

Amazon UK
Title: You Me Everything
Author: Catherine Isaac
Format reviewed: Paperback
Source: Publisher supplied copy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 19th April 2018
Rating: 5 Stars


Set in the French countryside over one hot summer, You Me Everything is a tender novel about finding joy and love even in the most unexpected places. 

Jess and her ten-year-old son William set off to spend the summer at Château de Roussignol, deep in the rich, sunlit hills of the Dordogne. There, Jess’s ex-boyfriend and William’s father, Adam, runs a beautiful hotel in a restored castle. Jess is bowled over by what Adam has accomplished, but she’s in France for a much more urgent reason: to make Adam connect with his own son. Jess can’t allow Adam to let their son down because she is tormented by a secret of her own, one that nobody - especially William - must discover.

By turns life-affirming, heart-wrenching and joyful, You Me Everything is a novel about one woman's fierce determination to grab hold of the family she has and never let go, and a romantic story as heady as a crisp Sancerre on a summer day.

I had been looking forward to starting this book for ages, but equally slightly apprehensive as I know the author is Jane Costello writing under a new name, Being a huge fan of Jane Costello, I had no idea what to expect from this new change of direction, and was scared it may not be for me.  

Well I need not have worried as the book was fabulous, and I completely understand the need for a new identity!   This is story written with a lot of love, heart and knowledge.  It is eye opening, it is charming, it will make you think and above all its amazing.  Easily one of the best books I've read this year. 

Depending on how emotion affects you, having a box of tissues on hand at some points may be advisable, and there was one section I was reading on the tube where I had to pause for breathe, for fear of turning into a crying mess on public transport, the writing was getting to me that much. 

Yet I found the first 100 pages or so a bit tricky to get into, I wasn't really sure where the book was going or why I had heart such hype about it, and then I got to the chapter which changed everything.  From that moment I was hooked and everything made sense.  So if you are feeling the same as me as you start this, just continue, and you will be rewarded! 

This is a story of relationships and love.  The love between Jess and her 10 year old son William who is a gifted child.  The relationship or lack of one between William and his dad Adam, whose Chateau they are stay at in France for a few weeks.  The relationship between Jes and her mother, who is rather key to the whole book, despite being a woman of very few words.  The friendship between Jess and her best friends  and the potential new romances that appear over their long stay in France. 

You Me Everything is a book that will give you the feels, the writing is fabulous, its a great story and so many hidden depths to it, that are slowly revealed throughout which keeps you completely hooked. 

This is  a a very special book and its been a pleasure to have been able to read it. 

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly and 
voluntarily. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for this book this week. 

The Rachel Reads Randomly vote feature is now on a few months break, due to my currently not having time to read anything longer than a few pages at a time.  Followed by a holiday, and then my big Bookish World Cup feature.    I currently have this feature to return on 16th July, fingers crossed. 

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