Meet Ruby’s fiancé, Finn. He’s gorgeous, thoughtful, successful and adoring – pretty much everything anyone could ever want in a man. In fact, he’s perfect. The catch? He’s just not perfect for her. But when Ruby finally plucks up the courage to come clean, Finn’s so furious that he misses his footing as he runs down the stairs – and suddenly, it’s not just his heart that’s broken!
When Finn wakes up, he can’t remember a thing. Not that Ruby dumped him – not even that they were ever engaged! It’s on the tip of Ruby’s tongue to come clean, but somehow, it never seems to be the right time... And as the weeks pass, she sees a new side to Finn. Arrogant and a shameless flirt, he’s irresistibly bad, and the chemistry between them is explosive!
It’s not that Ruby’s lying… she’s just withholding the truth. And seeing as things are going so well, perhaps there’s no need for Finn to have his memory jogged… The trouble is, there’s every chance that Finn might remember for himself!
Jill Steeples lives in a small market town in Bedfordshire with her husband. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, crocheting, musical theatre, baking cakes, eating them and the occasional tipple.
From an early age she fell in love with the fabulously funny romances of Jilly Cooper, and vowed, one day, she would have a go at writing one of her own.
Jill started her career writing short stories, particularly those with a twist in the tail, and her work has appeared in popular women’s magazines around the world and in a number of charity anthologies.
Now she writes feel-good, uplifting fiction for Boldwood Books and her works include The Dog & Duck series and The Primrose Woods series.
This was a cute, quick and mostly fun read. I admit now that I really liked Finn, pre and post injury (in fact, I took some perverse glee in his lack of a filter after his accident and how it put Ruby off kilter). Ruby I liked initially, then didn't much, then did quite a lot. Ruby's voice was clear but in the beginning she was so down on herself that I began to wonder why Finn was with her and why I should care about her myself. Then there was the problem of her never having been in love with her fiancee for the ten years their relationship spanned. I'd truly have thought it would be difficult for me to pull for things to work out for Ruby and Finn but alas, I did and I cared lots.
I loved how Ruby was resolute in standing by Finn after his accident and how she expressed often that though she may not have been passionately in love with him, she loved him dearly. I also liked her affinity for his parents. For Finn's part, he was a genuinely nice guy to start and that never changed. Ruby always had his heart and that was endearing. Finn voiced my favorite quote of the book So. Much. Aw.
Consequently, this was a page-turner and I found myself wanting to read the last chapter just to satisfy my curiosity. I'm not telling what happens so go read it for yourself and enjoy the ride. I'm rooting for Laura and Hugo.
Many thanks to Carina UK for giving me a copy to read via Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.
Hopelessly Devoted to You is quite an original contemporary romance novel, with a beautiful cover and an interesting story to go with. It’s the first Jill Steeples book I’ve read and I loved her fresh, bubbly writing which keeps the story entertaining and the plot here was really fascinating. The main character Ruby’s wedding to her perfect fiancé is quickly approaching and whilst Finn is the guy so many women would consider themselves lucky to marry, Ruby is trying to gain the courage to break it off as she’s not in love with him. As she finally breaks the news to Finn, an argument ensues followed by Finn tripping down the stairs, ending up in a coma which results in a change of personality and the kind of memory loss, when he wakes up, that sees him forgetting all about their last conversation. The author writes some thought-provoking themes in a fairly light-hearted, amusing manner which is the reason why I read this book in less than a day.
I had mixed feelings on this book and even writing this review almost a week after finishing it, I’m still not that sure what I think about it. I really liked the beginning. When we meet Ruby, she’s contemplating breaking up with Finn and her indecisiveness was kind of comical and I thought she’d be a character I’d really connect with. However, I soon began to find her indecisiveness turn to cowardice and though I’m sure she meant no harm, to leave it this late to tell her husband-to-be she has never been in love with him, felt harsh and unfair. Once Finn wakes from his coma, with no knowledge of what Ruby had previously told him, her feelings towards Finn appeared to change and I found her panic at the prospect of him remembering funny to read and whilst I didn’t really like her character, I still found this book a really easy read.
I genuinely liked the sound of the concept, else I wouldn’t have chosen to read it, but I’m just not so sure how I felt about it after I’d read it. Finn seemed purely lovely and okay, that should never be the basis for a marriage if you’re not in love with them, but I couldn’t really buy into Ruby feeling more for Finn after his fall down the stairs, when he was rude and cutting and honestly a bit of an arse. Sure, she liked his new accent but how she could like his personality with an attitude like that, I just didn’t understand. Maybe it’s just me but I didn’t really get it – if I was going to break up with someone and then I kind of caused them to end up in hospital, yes I’d feel guilty but the moment they started acting the way Finn did, I really don’t think I’d stick around, let alone think maybe there is a future there. It’s not that I disliked the author’s writing (actually, I’ve since bought one of her previous books), but I just could not understand either character’s motives or see how a chance at a relationship for them both should even have been considered. I didn’t understand the sudden change in feelings and I much preferred reading nice Finn.
The issue with actually rating and reviewing Hopelessly Devoted to You is that whilst I was not keen on the way the concept worked, I still really enjoyed reading the book. It was an effortless read and a unique story that was difficult to stop reading – I don’t think I ever did, in fact, not until the end. I liked the beginning and in a strange kind of way which doesn’t really make sense considering my feelings on the main story, I enjoyed the end too. It did get better for me, especially when it became a little tense waiting to see if Finn’s memory of that event would come back or if Ruby was going to get the kind of ending she was hoping for. Hopelessly Devoted to You is a fun story filled with twists and a little bit of suspense. The two main characters will leave an impression on you, whether it’s a good or a bad one, and the book provides a charming, captivating turn of events that will ultimately have you questioning what you would do in their position.
*Book received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
YES! The fabulous Jill Steeples has done it again! After reading and reviewing Jill's previous title Let's Call The Whole Thing Off, I could not wait to get my hands on another one of her brilliant stories, so when I spotted Hopelessly Devoted to You on NetGalley, I clicked the crap out of the request button and held my breath until it was safely downloaded onto my Kindle, leaving me in the safe knowledge that it was ready and waiting for me. Ahh, bliss!
I ADORE Jill's writing style. It's fresh, it's girly, it's feminine, and it's also comical. It's everything that you expect to find when reading a good, solid chick-lit book, and Hopelessly Devoted to You was everything that I hoped for. Jill writes so fluidly and it just makes the whole experience of reading it completely effortless. Within the story itself, there's the fabulous heroine Ruby, her hunky Lawyer fiancé Finn, and a colourful, entertaining cast of other characters that keep you smiling all the way through.
Ruby's character was one that I loved immediately. From the get-go, she was incredibly likeable, and I just couldn't help but to cover my face with my hands and groan when her plan to admit the truth to her perfect fiancé went completely down the pan. I freaking LOVED the terrible turn of events that Jill added to her plot, and it was such a spanner in the works to Ruby's plans! I felt so damn sorry for the girl and I was constantly kept wondering about what the hell she was going to do next. Ruby wasn't a bad person, not at all. I think she was just scared about telling Finn the truth, and I thought it was completely understandable. What I adored was that Finn hadn't actually done anything wrong. He was pretty much perfect! He hadn't cheated on her, lied to her, broken her trust... She just kinda' fell out of love with him and was waiting for the right time to tell him. But of course, with their wedding looming and Ruby questioning whether what she felt for Finn was enough to ahead with marrying the guy? Well, I just couldn't put it down.
Finn, Ruby's fiancé, was lovely. A lawyer, polite, loving, caring... Everything that you could ever want in your future husband, except Ruby of course. That is until his accident, and he returns to reality almost as a different man entirely. Jill must have had so much bloody fun writing Hopelessly Devoted to You because I found constant satisfaction when reading it! Finn begins as a rather safe and normal character, and then all at once, is replaced by a flirty, gobby male who suddenly decides that he's changing the direction of his life completely. What made it even MORE interesting was the fact that Finn lost his memory, and it's only a matter of waiting for Finn to regain his memories of that night and remember what Ruby's last words were before he tumbled.
I felt like I was constantly waiting, alongside Ruby, for Finn to snap back to reality and remember Ruby's words. It was a waiting game; tension, lip chewing and a million and one worries about what Ruby was going to do IF that happened.
It was just BRILLIANT. A gorgeous story about falling out of love, and then falling straight back in. I loved the characters, the plot, the constant humming of the truth lying just beneath the surface, bubbling it's way to eruption! This truly was a fabulous read and I would recommend it to any chick-lit lovers out there who are in need of a pick-me-up! Hopelessly Devoted to You by Jill Steeples is the one! Four yummy cupcakes from me Jill!
Hopelessly Devoted To You by new to me author Jill Steeples is a cute and entertaining story about a woman named Ruby who is at a cross-roads in her life. She and her long-term boyfriend, Finn, are due to get married in a few months and Ruby has come to the realization that she doesn’t love him the way a woman marrying a man should. She decides to tell Finn the truth and as one can expect, he does not take the news well. As he is leaving Ruby’s flat, he mis-steps and plunges down the stairs. After several weeks in a coma, Finn awakens but does not remember anything; especially that Ruby and he broke up or were even getting married in the first place. That’s not all that’s changed. Finn now speaks with an Australian accent and his personality has undergone a change as well. He is like a whole new man and one that Ruby finds herself drawn to in and out of the bedroom. Ruby fully intends to tell Finn the truth but the timing never seems right and she is constantly worried that his memory will come back suddenly before she has had the chance to tell him what happened that night and that she was wrong and that she is hopelessly, head-over-heels, in love with him.
I believe honesty is the best policy in any relationship and without it, the relationship cannot survive. I felt bad for Ruby for the predicament she finds herself in though, for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why she let it go on so long. The writer does a wonderful job conveying the fear and anxiety Ruby feels after Finn’s accident, I felt like I was on pins and needles with her. Will Finn’s memory come back? If so, how will he react to what happened? Does their relationship stand a chance of weathering this storm? I was plagued with my own anxiety while reading this. I had a little difficulty warming up to the new Finn that emerged when he woke up. He was more arrogant than before and seemed more moody and insensitive towards his parents, which rubbed me the wrong way. My first thought was that Ruby made the right decision and should just tell him right then that the wedding was off and be done with it. Like Ruby, the more time spent it Finn’s company, the more interesting he seemed. He demonstrated more life and passion for things he hadn’t before. He didn’t seem to be so consumed with work and showed no interest in rushing back to the law firm, where he had made partner. He lost his “neat-freak” tendencies and brought a scraggly, dirty mutt home, much to Ruby’s shock and dismay. The more of the new Finn I saw, the more intrigued I was and couldn’t put the book down because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next, though it may not be happy. I really like this author’s voice and the life she breathes into the characters and their lives. Her writing style is fun and flirty and tugs on the feminine heart-strings. This book will provide many hours of entertainment and delight.
My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book if you enjoy chick-lit or women’s fiction or enjoy fun stories that deliver many unexpected twists. I don’t know how this author and her writing slipped by me, but I will be on the hunt for more by Ms. Steeples. If you are a book hoarder, like me, and you have any of her titles buried in your to be read pile or on your Kindle, dig those babies out and get them read!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Hopelessly Devoted To You from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
'Hopelessly Devoted to You' is an insider's perspective on Finn and Ruby's outwardly wonderful relationship. The perfect facade hides a maelstrom of angst and poor self esteem from Ruby's point of view.
Ruby is an interesting character; her poor self image and lack of confidence are immediately obvious. This makes her hard to warm to initially but this changes as you appreciate how much emotional baggage she is carrying. Finn seen through Ruby's eyes appears to be the 'perfect' man for a 'Stepford Wife', which she will never be.
Ruby's and Finn's imminent marriage is the 'Elephant' in the room'. Ruby's fears about her happy ever after with Finn force her to act. Pushed by Laura her BFF she finally tells Finn what's on her mind. He is devastated and leaving in a red mist he has an accident, which changes their lives forever.
Ruby's true character shines through after the accident. Finn is sexier and less driven when he awakes, as if he was doing what was expected before the accident but now he can be his true self. Elements of Finn's amnesia are extreme but acceptable in a fictional world. Ruby falls in love with Finn again but she is on borrowed time. What happens if he remembers she dumped him? Ruby finds out you don't appreciate what you have until you lose it.
The imagery in this story is lovely and there's plenty of heat when Finn and Ruby rediscover their passion. I liked how Ruby's career developed through the story once she found the right motivation. The plot twists are clever and the pacing perfect. It's easy to lose yourself in this story where real love shines through in adversity.
I received a copy of this book from Carina UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Firstly I would like to thank Carina UK for allowing me to read this via NetGalley.
To be totally honest I knew nothing about this book or its author before I requested it, I just saw that beautiful cover and was instantly drawn to it. I'm so glad I read it because I devoured it in one sitting, which doesn't happen often. The story really drew me in and I just couldn't put it down.
At first I didn't warm to the character of Ruby, she has this perfect boyfriend in Finn who is sexy, polite, considerate and even brings her flowers when its not her birthday but Ruby feels she can't marry him because she doesn't love him. The first couple of chapters are just about Ruby trying to work out how to get rid of Finn and I just found Ruby to by whiny and annoying at this point, luckily after Finn has his accident she changes and becomes a lovely caring person who I would actually like to be friends with.
I loved that this book had a couple of unexpected twists so wasn't as predictable as I thought it might be, this made for a story which I wanted to keep reading as I wanted to know if things would happen in the way I expected or not. Jill's style of writing flows really well and with a few unexpected plot twists and characters which became really quite loveable it makes reading this book a joy.
I will definitely be reading more of her work as her writing suits me perfectly when I just want a heart warming tale to curl up with. If you enjoy Milly Johnson or Katie Fforde then I'm sure you will enjoy this book. I give this book 5/5
Ruby is engaged to Finn, who is a highly successful lawyer, good looking, thoughtful. On paper the perfect boyfriend. They have been together since their school days, so why is Ruby wanting to call off their wedding.
On the night she tells him, he has a terrible accident falling down her stairs and they don't know if he will survive. Ruby feels that she has to be there for him- when he finally comes round he is like a totally different man. Is the new man more exciting than the one she wanted to split from, is it his family life that draws her to him, can she still call off the wedding without alienating everyone and risking a severe set back for Finn. Finn has lost his memory and doesn't remember their final night together. He is short with his parents- but the only thing that he really wants in his life is Ruby.
You feel Ruby's turmoil. There are some very charming scenes. I love the narrowboat story and her burgeoning career taking off when she gets commissions to paint the waterside scenes. You are really drawn into the magic of the boat and why it feels so special.
Will Finn remember everything? You will have to read and find out where this story leads them. I was totally absorbed with this book and can't wait to read more by this author.
With many thanks to Carina Uk the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read such a wonderful book.
Short and to the point which our main leads seemed to lack when communicating with each other..
1st star - first book I've read from this author and maybe her writing style was promising enough that I have a second work of her's lined up in my TBR, other than that, I wished this book was longer just so we could have delved a little deeper into Ruby and Finn's relationship and not just dropped in the middle of her just wanting to break up after 10 years of being together, or well just some alternate chapters in Finn's POV could have helped too..
2nd star - after reading through several chick-lits this past week that had unnecessarily long chapters, I was surprised at how short this book was and was quite disappointed at it being short in the first place because of the fact that I didn't exactly get the gist of either one of the main leads being "hopelessly devoted" to each other despite them being in a 10-year relationship at the start of this book-- their relationship lacked depth due to the fact that we, readers were more rather told than shown of what their relationship was like in the first place-- starting this book felt like a sequel with an additional obstacle to our main leads' romance.
3rd star - just because I could have seen the potential in Finn's character prior to his accident (I didn't like the post-accident Finn), and I would have appreciated this book more if it only had his POVs thrown in there but noooo, we get this book entirely in Ruby's self-pitying POV. Alright, I get it, she lost herself somewhere in the 10-years of her relationship with perfect, charming Finn, but if it was as cookie-cutter as she told us Finn was, couldn't she have had a heartfelt conversation with her golden boyfriend??? I mean, Ruby as a character felt unreliable at best and if she really fell in love with post-accident Finn then all the more worrisome for her..
I kindly received Hopelessly Devoted to You in exchange of an honest review by the author via Netgalley.
Carina has done another outstanding job with designing this beautiful cover. I was actually blown away by this wonderful design. This is pretty much my favourite Carina cover ever. Jill can be so proud to have such a beautiful cover for her book.
Let's get going with the story. Ruby seems to have a perfect relationship with her boyfriend Finn. Finn is every womens dream. He is gorgeous, romantic, sensitive, and also a successful, good money earning lawyer. Just a few weeks from now on, they are getting married. Finn is doing everything to make Ruby happy but all this seems like not to be good enough for her, she wants to call the wedding off. When she finally spits the news to Finn he is shattered. Completely lost in his thoughts he misses the first step and runs down the stairs.
Finn woke up in the hospital after a few weeks in a coma. He remembers everything about his life. His parents, his friends, his work, just not Ruby, his fiance who he has been together with for more then ten years. Of course Finn also couldn't remember the events of the nights accident. Ruby sees no reason to fill him in what happend that night because she notice that things after the accident are going pretty well between them but Ruby lives every day with the fear he might remember it all by himself....
I was eagerly waiting for Jill Steeples new novel. She is an fantastic author and one of the kindest people I have met on Twitter too! When a copy finally landed on my kindle I was very excited to start reading Hopelessly Devoted to You. When I turned the very first pages it made me extremely happy to see that I was quoted of my review for Let's Call The Whole Thing Off. Could it get any better? Unfortunately not. Things already ran pretty much downhill from here for me.
In my opinion a character is realsitic and believeable when you can relate to them. This was neither the case with Ruby nor with Finn. Meeting book characters for the first time is like meeting people in real life. You have your first impression, a feeling if you like them or not. Sometimes the first impression can be wrong but after reading more and more about Ruby and Finn it turned out I didn't like them. Rubys behaviour was unbelievable for me. How can you be together with someone for ten years and tell them just a few weeks before the wedding that you never loved them and it's over? I just wanted to shake her for her dishonesty, drove me insane with her indecisiveness. Also that she had not the guts to tell Finn the truth after the accident. He had the right to know it. Ruby has never loved Finn during the ten years they had been together and now all of the sudden she fells in love with him after the coma changed his character? This just not workes for me.
Finn was actually not too bad. He had his good moments. The sounded like a lovely guy and also like an keeper with his wonderful features before the accident. I couldn't understand why Ruby declined to walk down the aisle with him. I heard about poeple who fell into a coma, had a personality change after an heavy brain injury but Finns behaviour afer the accident was over the top for my liking.
An author cannot please every reader. No matter how much you love the author these things can happen. Sadly I was one of these readers with this book. If this had been the first novel I picked up by Steeples I wound't bother to pick up another one by her. Luckily I know what a wonderful and talented writer she is because her other novels are just fantastic and I loved them. Hopelessly Devoted to You was just not for me, sorry.
The book was not for me but I doesn't mean it's not for you. It's a gripping, page turner, a fast paced story a whirlwind releationship, falling in love and a discovery what is important in life.
Jill Steeples has rapidly become one of my favourite authors to look forward to! I have devoured her two previous novels Let's Call The Whole Thing Off, and Desperately Seeking Heaven, and I was stoked when she announced details of her third novel Hopelessly Devoted To You. I expected more of the same from her, as she rarely disappoints with the feels, and the laughs, and the warm characters, I was even more excited when I saw the absolutely stunning cover - probably my favourite of all of Jill's covers and she's had some pretty amazing covers so far! The novel sounded a bit like Forget About It by Caprice Crane mixed with the Sandra Bullock movie When You Were Sleeping and I love books about memory loss, so I was all-in...
Hopelessly Devoted To You is an interesting read. It skips along at a marvellous pace, and Steeples' writing is as fantastic as ever - she's one of the rare authors who can write in the third person and still seem warm and delightful, rather than cold and uninviting. But I had a bit of a moral dilemma regarding Ruby. She seems lovely, don't get me wrong, but I just thought it was so wrong of her to not tell a soul about the fact she had called off her wedding to Finn, the night of his accident, and the night he conveniently doesn't remember when he awakens. Especially when she then starts to fall back in love with the 'new', improved Finn, with his Aussie accent and bad boy ways. It just didn't sit right with me, because it's a pretty big lie to keep to yourself, when it affects more than just you.
The novel was super cute, and part of me wanted to devour it (which I did) but because Ruby was keeping the night of the accident a secret (and still dilly-dallying in the process - after ten years you either know or you don't if you love a person, I feel) I felt the secret was holding her back, and a bit of honesty wouldn't have gone amiss with a guy who didn't remember the night in question (nor did he remember his girlfriend, which made it quite interesting a few days later when he critiques her weight; as how did he know how much she weighed if he didn't know her?). Finn seemed like SUCH a lovely guy. Warm, romantic, and not at all the cold-hearted lawyer you normally see on telly. I couldn't quite understand Ruby's reticence to marry him. If he's that much better looking than you (Ruby refers to herself as 'average', I'm not being mean), brings you flowers and champagne, and doesn't cheat on you and loves you unconditionally, you march him down that aisle! There was nothing wrong with Finn where I could nod my head and totally understand Ruby's decision to not want to go ahead with the wedding. Ruby herself couldn't really explain it, either.
If I could forget the stuff that drove me insane (Ruby's indecisiveness, and how shallow she was) this would have been the perfect read. It's cute, it's a super quick read that flows like champagne - I lapped the pages up, completing the book in just over a couple of hours, and it's once again a solid read from Steeples. I still love her books, I just wanted to bash Ruby over the head for being so silly. Finn was gorgeous, and if anything it was the 'new' him that was quite overbearing, and not exactly gentlemanly, which is clearly what Ruby likes! Hopelessly Devoted To You did, however, make me (once again) want to go and live on a river boat, with a dog called Roxie. Though I'll need maybe 5 riverboats for all my books and other crap. Jill Steeples is a fantastic writer, and I'm just so sad that this book is now over! Because now I have to start my wait for the next one. *Sits patiently* *Fiddles* *Wonders if it's time for a new Jill Steeples book yet...*This review was originally posted on Girls Love To Read
Thank you to Carina UK for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.
Finn is the perfect boyfriend. Handsome, smart, successful, devoted. He's everything a girl could dream of. Problem is, Ruby just doesn't think he's perfect for her. With their wedding day looming ever closer, she wonders when exactly might be the right time to tell her fiancé that she doesn't love him, and actually, she never has?
With time running out before it's too late to turn back, and relentless nudging from her best friend Laura, Ruby bites the bullet and breaks the news to Finn. She can't marry him. In shock and enraged, Finn storms out of her flat, but when he pauses at the top of the stares with a resentful look back at the women who's just broken his heart, he misses his footing, takes one hell of a tumble, and ends up with a broken head too!
After a pain-staking time in hospital, Finn eventually comes round, but with no recollection of the events prior to the accident, and Ruby finds herself back at square one. Thing is, it's not just Finn's memory that's a bit funny, in fact, he seems like a completely different - and incredibly sexy - version of Finn. With a new spontaneous attitude, sex-drive on full blast and a Hugh Jackson-esque accent, Ruby suddenly finds herself lusting for him like she hasn't for years. Maybe she doesn't need to come clean after all? As long as she keeps her fingers crossed he doesn't remember for himself!
I loved this book. Loved it. It's fun, it's easy, it's got delicious plot twists and a hilariously wonderful main character. Every chick lit lovers dream.
Ruby is brilliant. I found it so easy to relate to her; the way she can't help but imagine the worst-case scenarios, her obvious wrestle with her emotions and the way she tries to reason with herself over things she knows are wrong. Jill has done a wonderful job at creating someone I wanted to go out for a drink and a natter with.
As for Finn, I'll put my hands up - new Finn is pretty sexy. He's kind of arrogant, rough around the edges and unpredictable in a really hot way. Old Finn seemed lovely, but I think that's just the whole thing about love isn't it - it doesn't matter how good someone looks on paper, it's all about the way they make you feel. And with this new side to Finn, Ruby may finally be falling in love with her fiancé - and I can't say I blame her!
It's a really charming story, and I found myself crossing my own fingers for Ruby, hoping Finn didn't suddenly remember her secret!
Ruby and Finn have been together for years and they're planning their wedding. Finn is perfect. He's a gentleman, he's kind, he's smart and he's handsome. Ruby thinks he's the nicest person there is, but she's missing something. When she tells him after a celebratory dinner she can't marry him, Finn is devastated and unfortunately that leads to a bad accident. He has a severe head injury and is in a coma for days. When he wakes up he can't remember anything about that night. Ruby thinks it's best that he doesn't know and stays by his side to take care of him. In the weeks that he's recovering she gets to see a completely different side of Finn. He now has a sexy accent, he finds her much more desirable and he's unpredictable and too honest. Ruby is falling in love with him and decides she will tell him the truth after the wedding. However, of course there's always the chance Finn will remember again...
Hopelessly Devoted To You is a great read. I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Ruby doesn't have a lot of self confidence and having the perfect boyfriend doesn't really help. Finn has an amazing career and she's starting a business that isn't going that well yet, so she has to have a job on the side. Because of the accident she finally has the chance to spend more time with Finn. Before that he was always working long hours. Ruby's starts to create a lot more and bit by bit she's developing herself. I liked the changes she and Finn went through together. Finn is the perfect gentleman until the accident. Then he becomes a bit more rough and he shows a lot of character. Slowly Finn is on his way to recovery. The question is if life can go back to the way it was before the accident. There's an important message in this book and I think you should find out for yourself what it is.
Ruby is engaged to Finn, but is afraid to tell him that she wants to call the wedding off. After 10 years, she has fallen out of love with him and feels nothing for him anymore. When she tells him, he gets annoyed and storms out - he loses his footing and has a bad fall.
When he wakes from a coma, he has undergone a complete personality transformation - down to acquiring a different accent. He doesn't remember Ruby breaking up with him, but how can she leave him now?
Wracked by guilt, Ruby sticks by Finn as he recovers, and discovers that she is attracted to the "new" Finn. But what will happen if he ever remembers that she wanted to call the wedding off?
Sigh. I don't want to be insulting, I really don't. But this wasn't my cup of tea at all. It was a quick read, but I didn't really take to the characters. I was suspicious of Laura from the start, even though she wasn't really a major part of the story. I thought there were too many mentions of how sexy his new accent was, and how "Hugh Jackman" it was - it did sound a little like fanfic in some parts. The other thing that annoyed me was the fact that during 3 sex scenes, Ruby says No at the start but Finn talks her round. That's a no-no for me with books. This line, in particular: It'll be fine. We'll be quick. God, you are so beautiful, Ruby. How the hell am I supposed to resist you? - that doesn't sit well with me.
Anyway - it wasn't the worst book I've ever read, and the cover is stunning - it just wasn't for me. It was a quick read, so it would be ideal to pass an hour or two if you want something that doesn't require too much brain power. Thanks to Carina UK and Netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
*Book provided by the author in exchange for honest review*
Thank you so much Jill for sending me your newest novel, you really made me smile with a quote of my review for Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.
Now, I can’t talk about the story yet… It has to be this gorgeous cover first, it’s just absolutely stunning <3.
Ruby is engaged to this wonderful, successful and very attractive man called Finn, the problem: She doesn’t love him. But how is she going to tell him that? It seems to be hard to find the right moment and then it’s the night he tells her about his promotion. What happens when he wants to leave after that, changes everything.
He cannot remember a thing and she can’t tell him now, can she? To her surprise she gets to know a whole new side of him, he’s different. Suddenly their chemistry is there and Ruby is falling for him, hard…
But what if he remembers? Will they still have a chance?!
I loved the way she discovered all these new sides to him, a real journey of love, passion and so much more…
Jill’s writing makes the whole story seem so real and alive, I enjoyed every second of reading it. I felt that at times the story moved a bit fast and him being so different didn’t make sense for me. It’s still a great read with some sparkly scenes, especially them discovering each other again and some scenes in the end.
Ruby has second thoughts about getting married to her fiancé Finn and decides to tell him after a romantic meal - which gets a lot harder to do once he announces he has some good news to tell her. Ruby finally tells Finn and he storms out, but as he does he falls and is in a coma for a few days. Finn wakes up with no recollection of how the accident happened or why he was leaving that night. After the accident Finn's personality completes changes and Ruby begins to love the new person that he has turned into.
Really enjoyed this book and was interested to see the outcome and if Finn would ever discover the truth behind the accident.
A classic bit of chick-lit - an element of the unreal, a romance gone askew, and some very compelling chemistry. Hopelessly Devoted to You is a quick and easy read, a nice bit of escapism that won't cause any heartache and will make you smile. It's sweet and charming, and although it all concluded a bit quickly, Ruby is a lovely character and a pleasure to read.
I loved the last Jill Steeples book I read, but this one just wasn't up to the same standards. I felt so much more could have been done with it, but it really just fell flat. Now, yes, I did enjoy the beginning and the end, but the middle just dragged. It was mainly like a daily play by play of usual tasks. There was no excitement to it, and it just dragged on.