Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, a new book featuring her iconic heroine of Me Before You and After You, Louisa Clark

Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She steps into the world of the superrich, working for Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her new job and New York life.

As she begins to mix in New York high society, Lou meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. Before long, Lou finds herself torn between Fifth Avenue where she works and the treasure-filled vintage clothing store where she actually feels at home. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself: Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you reconcile a heart that lives in two places?

Funny, romantic, and poignant, Still Me follows Lou as she navigates how to stay true to herself, while pushing to live boldly in her brave new world. 

Source: advance copy received in exchange for an honest review


It becomes an extra special experience to crack open a book and revisit characters you've come to love. Something about them has grabbed onto you and made a little bit of space for themselves in your heart and that's exactly how I feel about Louisa Clark. Lou, the chirpy, looks-on-the-bright side kind of girl in Me Before You who filled the last few months of Will's life with joy that he hadn't experienced in years. Lou, whose grief stricken soul was so lost before finding love again in After You. But you knew that we weren't quite done joining her on her adventures. In Still Me, our Lou is as colourful and lively as ever as she makes her way to America. 

Lou is now an assistant to the very young wife of a very rich older man and she has a front row seat to the peculiarities of the New York upper crust. The thing I adore about Lou is that she doesn't seem to be too flummoxed by awkward situations. She takes those moments in stride and uses her humour to deflect any possible discomfort. The several new characters introduced vary from welcoming to kooky. Seriously, would we expect any less from Lou's interactions? They all add flavour to her New York adventure and ensure that there's not one moment of boredom. 

Everything about Still Me feels authentically Lou from her concerns for her family, her friends, her erratic employer and even the curmudgeonly neighbour because it's Lou, and Lou cares about everyone. As she settles in New York she still has ties that bring her back to her past, meaning Will. His loss doesn't hurt as badly but I was impressed by how Moyes demonstrates how grief can strike out of nowhere and catch you off guard. There'll always be a twinge of sadness for Will that'll stay with Lou. He'll just always be a part of her, his voice echoing in the background and I like that he isn't forgotten.

Me Before You devastated me. After You had me in anguish for most of it but calm by the end knowing that Lou was rebounding. Still Me is a mixture of both its predecessors, this time with a rosier outlook at its finish. I absolutely loved this story that was a sweet balance of pain and humour. This is Lou growing up and growing up in hard. Now at a crossroads in her life, she has to finally answer the question she hasn't yet contemplated: who is Lou? 

~ Bel

Paris For One & Other Stories Jojo Moyes

Nell is twenty-six and has never been to Paris. She's never even been on a romantic weekend away--to anywhere--before. Traveling abroad isn't really her thing. But when Nell's boyfriend fails to show up for their mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone--including herself--wrong. Alone in Paris, Nell finds a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life? Funny, charming, and irresistible, Paris for One is quintessential Jojo Moyes--as are the other stories that round out the collection.

Source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Paris For One & Other Stories is a wonderful compilation of a novella and, well, a few short stories. I read these in the week leading up to Christmas and it was exactly what I needed to get me in a good mood through the busy holiday season.

Paris For One

"The thing about growing up in a small town -- everyone though they knew exactly what you were." 

~ Paris For One, p. 8

Nell likes routine and to have a plan in advance. She's not usually one for spontaneity but after the startling realization that she's viewed as predictable, she decides to shake things up by booking a weekend trip to Paris for her and her boyfriend. He doesn't show up the day they're supposed to leave he stands her up. Feeling deflated she considers returning to England but then changes her mind. On one of her outings she meets Fabien, a waiter and aspiring writer, who shows her around the city. Told with sweetness and humour, Paris For One shows Nell overcoming her discomfort and disappointment, turning what could have been a disaster of a weekend into a trip of her lifetime. I absolutely adored this story and pumped a fist in the air for Nell because she just plain rocks!

And Other Stories  ... 

I've never really been one for short stories but I seem to have read more of them lately. Reading these at Christmas was perfect for me as my attention span was spotty. More importantly is that I've begun to appreciate how an author has to build just enough of the backstory in order to let the reader comfortably dive in.

Between the Tweets

Bella is a digital manager at a publicity firm who's called upon to help a client facing a publicity crisis over an alleged affair. I was bowled over by this one because for a short story, it had room to develop and Moyes even threw in some twists.

Love in the Afternoon

In one of the more relatable stories included in this compilation, Sarah and Doug are a married couple with children who have simply lost the spark in their marriage. They go away for an overnight stay and between the stilted conversation and awkward attempts at intimacy, getting in sync again to bring back the romance will require some effort. 

A Bird in the Hand

Beth and her husband, Simon are invited to a dinner party where she runs into Ben, a guy she used to work with and as it turns out, she also had an affair with him. He's with someone else now but being seated together at dinner, he and Beth wind up hashing it out over the debacle of their affair. Though I find stories about cheating uncomfortable, I was intrigued by this one because there's a huge "what if" moment thanks to a surprising realization about the way their liaison ended.

Crocodile Shoes

Sam's done working out at the gym and when she's ready to leave she finds that someone else has mistakenly taken her gym bag. In it is a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes that are totally impractical for her but she has no choice but to wear them at work since she can't go home. The shoes have a kind of magical effect, influencing people's perception of her. Noticing how they're responding to her differently she uses that to her advantage during her several meetings throughout the day. It's a cute fantasy though not at the top of the list for me.

Hold Ups

This off-beat one takes place at a jewelers where a robbery is in progress and Alice is most definitely not behaving as most people do when there's a masked stranger pointing at weapon at them. Alice and the thief even seem to be flirting with each other. Bizarre but funny.

Last Year's Coat

Evie and her husband Greg have been pinching pennies since hours have been cut at work meaning they have to stick to a tight budget. While Evie diligently puts family before frivolous needs, she can't help but envy how easily her workmates seem to spend money. She has her eye on a coat that before she wouldn't have had any qualms about buying but under current circumstances, she can't justify the expense. The story that contrasts those who live within their means and those that in the long run add to their problems will squeeze at your heart.

Thirteen Days with John C

Miranda comes across a phone on the ground while walking home one night. Several text messages come through making it appear that the phone's owner and the sender of those texts are having an affair. Curiosity getting the better of her, she starts texting back, getting a bit of a thrill by pretending to be this other person. My least favourite of the short stories because it's disturbing to me ends up with a twist that I think is deserved. 

The Christmas List

We're all familiar with the hellish spectacle of shopping at Christmas time, right? And we all have some experience shopping for people who are difficult to find gifts for in the first place. Poor Chrissie has to finish her shopping for her mother-in-law who doesn't like her to begin with. Yet she keeps breaking her back hoping to find something to win her over. She hops into a cab and strikes up a lovely conversation with the driver who is full of the Christmas spirit. Not only does he go out of his way to help her get her, as they're talking he helps her put things in perspective and it comes down to this: would she rather be happy or miserable at Christmas, stuck with people who don't like her? You'll have to read it to find out what happens. 


I enjoyed reading all of these stories, each one with their own vibe. My favourite of the entire book is Paris For One. Of the short stories, I do wish there was a follow up for The Christmas List because I so want to know what Chrissie is up to. Paris For One & Other Stories is a great pick if you want a quick dose of good feels but are short on time.  

~ Bel

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

* * * *

One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You.

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your maths 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 Maths Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever.

One Plus One is told from four POVs – Jess, Ed, Tanzie and Nicky. Entrepreneur Ed is in legal hell due to allegations of insider trading. Jess is a single mom, trying to make ends meet for her daughter and stepson by cleaning houses. Tanzie is a very gifted student and an incredible mathematician who has the opportunity to go to a swanky private school that would nurture her brain if only she can scrounge up the money for it. Nicky is her older half-brother who would love to see her escape their neighbourhood and public school where he’s often picked on and beaten up by the neighbourhood bully. The only connection that Jess has to Ed is that she cleans his house.  One day, as he’s driving he sees Jess and her family by the roadside talking to the police. Jess was pulled over (see she’s not supposed to be driving and that car she was driving was a bit of a disaster.) Ed jumps in to offer them a ride to Edinburgh so that Tanzie can make the maths competition. Jess accepts out of sheer desperation and lack of a better option. Ed does it for no other reason than to just do something good in his already messed up life.

It's hard not to love this story that’s paced so well allowing the characters to develop and open up. Everyone starts out with an idea about themselves, what they’ve done with their lives so far and how they fit into the scheme of things. Throughout the course of the book, each character’s perspective is altered. Previous preconceptions are slowly stripped away as they learn about what the other’s reality is. Being with Jess’ family gives Ed a glimpse of what life’s like for a family on a very limited income. One particularly enlightening conversation takes place when Tanzie recounts a list of what a certain amount of money can buy them at the store. Ed is by no means a millionaire but he lives comfortably. The point of that conversation being that he doesn’t have to worry about money every day whereas Jess has to account for every bit of it daily, and choose between which bill takes precedence over the other. Same goes for Jess when she learns of the legal troubles he’s facing. Just goes to show you that you can’t make assumptions about people. Tanzie and Nicky are quieter, offering introspective but illuminating views of the world through their inner monologue.

This is a motley crew of awkward people who come together through fate or coincidence – whatever you’d like to call it. It’s a big risk for these strangers to trust one another and along the journey, they discover more about themselves as they do about each other. There are laughs, tears, ridiculous scenarios and also triumphant moments that’ll warm your heart. One Plus One made a fan out of me, so much so that I immediately bought Moyes’ other book, Me Before You as soon as I was done with it. I really enjoy her writing and how she allows her characters to tell their stories without feeling rushed. If you’re looking for an entertaining summer read that leaves you feeling very content, then add One Plus One to your list.

 ~ Bel