Book Review #31: Christmas With Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

 

I reviewed 'Billy and Me' here, so check it out before reading this review if you haven't already! I am so glad that Giovanna decided to write a sequel to Billy and Me because I was really curious to see what would happen after the first book ended! As well as this, because it is a short story (60 pages long) it was really quick and easy to read, but still gave me a lot of detail from Sophie and Billy. If you haven't read the first book, I'll try really hard not to give any spoilers for it, but I'm really sorry if I do! The book carries on from the first so I think it's kind of expected that the person reading has also read the first book.

 

Sophie May is in a completely different place to where she was in the first novel. Mentally. Physically, she still works at Tea-On-The-Hill, appropriately re-named 'Molly's-on-the-hill', but her mental attitude has completely changed. Quiet, anxious Sophie is now confident and standing on her own two feet. With Billy by her side, life is great. Christmas is a magical time of year, particularly on Rosefront Hill, where Sophie lives. But a mystery person is trying to make it even more special. Sophie gets a mysterious email from someone asking her to propose in her shop. Being the romantic that she is, she jumps at the chance. But who is the mystery man who is making Christmas on Rosefront Hill so special? And who is he making it special for?

 

I don't think I've read many Christmas books, but I completely will after reading this! I have never been a huge fan of Christmas, which sounds really weird, but books like this really make me see how amazing and magical Christmas actually is!

 

Sophie's personality has really changed between the books. She is now so much more confident and self-assured, which is great to see. I've loved Sophie from the first book, but seeing her character change is kind of like watching her grow up, which I loved seeing. I also loved the fact that, rather than the romance of the story and  the characters being highlighted in a big way, like in the first book, this book is much more focused on the intricate detail, which I think made it really special, and a fantastic read!

 

What was good?

I find it amazing that, although the book is so small, the detail in it is amazing. While reading it, I really feel like I'm on Rosefront Hill with Sophie and the rest of the characters. As well as this, Giovanna really has managed to capture the magic of Christmas in her novel, which I found interesting because I have never really been able to see the magic of Christmas before.

 

What was bad?

Well, first of all, I wanted more! I know this isn't necessarily a criticism, but I really want Gi to turn this into a trilogy or maybe even a series because Sophie May is a character that I am completely obsessed with. As well as this, I have to admit that I did guess the ending of the book, but it was really enjoyable nonetheless.

 

Overall

If you need to get excited for Christmas, this book is the perfect book to read. But seriously, you can read this book in the middle of April and be really excited for Christmas, because it's just that magical. I would recommend this to anyone, as long as you read the first one first!

 

Thank you for reading.

 

Comment below your favourite Christmas book!