Still me

I will admit to being a sucker for this series, even though I usually consider myself a bit of a hater when it comes to chick-lit. Yes, there's romance. Yes, there's virtue. Yes, it's predictable. And yet... I can't help but root for a character who isn't embarrassed to be a domestic aid, who isn't too cool to show her enthusiasm when seeing NYC for the first time, and who ultimately (through the help, wisdom and perspective of others, it must be noted) wrestles with who she is and what she wants. Yeah, there's still plenty in here I could tear apart, but I'm just going to take this as the beach read it was intended to be and enjoy it.

It starts with a moustache. No, it's not a new love interest but a U.S. Immigration officer. Lou is in New York! Returning to these books is like seeing an old friend again; nothing’s going to match Me Before You but I always enjoy revisiting Lou. I was a little teary eyed in places, I will admit.

Jojo Moyes is so good at creating characters to really care about, and there’s a whole range of new ones in this follow up. Lou has taken Nathan’s advice and accepted the job as a companion to a rich wife. This life is a little more luxurious than her job in the airport but she still ends up living in a cupboard sized room.

The story shows the strains a long-distance relationship can cause. She is still with Ambulance Sam but their brief time together always seems to end in disaster. Sam is struggling with being alone and Lou just wants him to write her letters.

The Gopniks are part of Manhattan high society, and the second Mrs Gopnik is shunned by the ladies who lunch (or charity dinner as the case may be). She is Polish and a former masseuse, so she just doesn’t fit in, however much she tries. She starts to bond with Lou though, and they start to think they might be friends. But everyone has secrets, and secrets never end well do they?

I loved all the side characters, like the housekeeper and the doorman... Even Dean Martin the grumpy pug. Lou might be invited to posh dinners but she doesn’t lose touch with who she is. In fact the main theme of this book is being true to yourself and not trying to be someone you’re not.

There were some things that happened which were a bit too convenient. I wasn’t too keen on Lou meeting a man that looked like Will, but Josh serves the purpose of being a stand-in for the type of person Will was before the accident. The person that probably would have had little to do with Lou and her weird outfits. And yes, the bumblebee tights make an appearance again.