There is just something about Giovanna Fletcher’s books that are truly irresitible and I always find myself looking forward to reading her latest title. I’ve adored absolutely everything that Giovanna has written previously - from novellas to full-length novels - so Always with Love had a lot to live up to. I can honestly say that it did not disappoint me in the slightest, it was a truly stunning read and one of those books that I will keep on my bookshelf and treasure for years to come. It’s certainly confirmed exactly why Giovanna’s novels automatically jump straight to the top of my TBR pile!
In Always with Love we are reunited with Sophie and Billy, two characters who we first met in Billy and Me, at a time when they are on their way to Los Angeles where Sophie will be meeting Billy’s family for the first time. It’s meant to be a holiday, but it doesn’t take long for Billy to be swept back into the movie industry, resulting in Sophie feeling like an outsider once more and travelling back to the UK alone. With an almighty distance between them and both busy with their respective jobs and realising what they truly want in life, can their relationship last despite the distance between them?
I thought Billy and Me was a fantastic read, mainly due to the memorable cast of characters that we were introduced to so it was a pleasure to be immersed in their lives once more - in a way it very much felt like I was meeting up with old friends. This is definitely due to Giovanna’s incredible writing style and the way in which she draws you into the novel and leaves you feeling connected to every single character. Sophie was as likeable in Always with Love as she was in Billy and Me and once again I found that I was feeling her emotions and rooting for her to have the happinesss she so desperately deserved. It was wonderful to witness her blossom as a person as the novel progressed.
Despite being a follow-up to Billy and Me, Always with Love is a book which can very easily be read as a standalone novel as Giovanna has gone to town with her description and really sets the scene, explaining anything that happened in Billy and Me that is impacting the character’s lives now. However, I’d still really recommend reading Billy and Me before Always with Love as it’s a superb book and, I believe, will allow the reader to appreciate the whole story and understand the characters a lot more, particularly Sophie's special friendship with Molly.
I can’t explain how much I loved this story, that was at times emotional but also truly magical and heartwarming. Always with Love, was perfect from the fabulous beginning to the satisfying end and is, yet another, five star novel from Giovanna Fletcher that left me with a smile on my face. I can’t wait to read what Giovanna writes next and would definitely love to find myself back in the world of Billy and Sophie again - where will their lives take them next?
I would like to end this review by thanking the publishers, who kindly approved my NetGalley request to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I still can't wait for my pre-ordered paperback copy to arrive where it will sit proudly on my bookshelf amongst Giovanna's other beautiful novels. If you haven’t already, make sure you order yourselves a copy of this absolute gem today!
