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Galloway Girls #1
Lily's Just Fine
Lily couldn’t have planned life better herself. She lives in the best house in town and she’s dating the most popular boy in school. Everything else she can fix. Mum’s apathy? On it! The stuffy gala committee? Watch this space!
Tom has enough on his plate without trying to drag Newton St Cuthbert into the 21st Century. His sister is sick and there’s nothing anyone can do. Not doctors, not his parents, and certainly not Lily Hildebrand.
Sail away this summer with the unexpected romance of Scotland's most determined teenager.
Tom has enough on his plate without trying to drag Newton St Cuthbert into the 21st Century. His sister is sick and there’s nothing anyone can do. Not doctors, not his parents, and certainly not Lily Hildebrand.
Sail away this summer with the unexpected romance of Scotland's most determined teenager.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2019
6 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
September 12, 2020
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Finally a fluffy YA I've been craving for so long. Thank you Sweet cherry Publishing.
Sometimes judging a book by its cover has its merits!
Lily is the girl who's got it all. Or at least that's what everyone thinks. But she has a depressed mother, a dad too busy for family affairs and siblings she sees only during holidays or when someone is sick or goes missing. With her need to control everything, life is not going as planned. But she is fine. She will be.
Tom Owen has enough on his plate without having to deal with Lily Hildebrand, the firebrand. But try as he might, he's not able to ignore the force of nature that Lily is, or resist her, constant worries about his always sick sister not withstanding.
With a town gala backdrop, this seemingly happy YA romance deals with serious issues like depression and inclusion. And the way it is handled is commendable. The small town and its conservative crowd are not ready for Lily and her grand plans for the LGBTQ community. But damned if she'd let it slow her down. Her plans are crazy, irresistible and inexorable. Just like the girl herself. Would Tom be able to string along without losing his head or would his stand on Lily's bossiness wreck their budding romance. Just read this awesome book to find out.
Such a feel good summer romance!
Finally a fluffy YA I've been craving for so long. Thank you Sweet cherry Publishing.
Sometimes judging a book by its cover has its merits!
Lily is the girl who's got it all. Or at least that's what everyone thinks. But she has a depressed mother, a dad too busy for family affairs and siblings she sees only during holidays or when someone is sick or goes missing. With her need to control everything, life is not going as planned. But she is fine. She will be.
Tom Owen has enough on his plate without having to deal with Lily Hildebrand, the firebrand. But try as he might, he's not able to ignore the force of nature that Lily is, or resist her, constant worries about his always sick sister not withstanding.
With a town gala backdrop, this seemingly happy YA romance deals with serious issues like depression and inclusion. And the way it is handled is commendable. The small town and its conservative crowd are not ready for Lily and her grand plans for the LGBTQ community. But damned if she'd let it slow her down. Her plans are crazy, irresistible and inexorable. Just like the girl herself. Would Tom be able to string along without losing his head or would his stand on Lily's bossiness wreck their budding romance. Just read this awesome book to find out.
Such a feel good summer romance!
July 11, 2019
5 Words: Summer, friendship, attraction, control, inclusion.
Content warnings: Depression, anxiety, homophobia.
Book Review: Lily's Just Fine by Gill Stewart
This book was all at once fun fluff and serious issues - and I loved it.
At times Lily can be a rather difficult characters. I definitely didn't always a agree with her, she can be rather selfish and single minded, but she grows and changes. When she learns something, she adjust to it. She is pretty damn firey, but she can also empathise with others. And become a bit too caught up in fighting for what she thinks is right, even if it might harm people.
I loved the LGBT+ themes, the way mental health was explored, how changing family dynamics were picked apart. I loved how a side character had chronic fatigue syndrome, the gripes about chronic illnesses and how even now so little is known about it. I also loved the soft, slowly building romance.
Unusually, the setting is a seaside town in Scotland. It had some colloquialisms, I felt that the voices were authentic, and it was a bit of a joy to read. I felt like the accent came through in the writing.
Lily's Just Fine is perhaps a little bit of an issue book, but that's not the whole of it. I found the story perfectly balanced, with enough drive from the characters themselves (rather than their issues) to keep me reading.
This book is perfect for summer, and I'd definitely recommend. I can't wait read more of the Galloway Girls series!
Content warnings: Depression, anxiety, homophobia.
Book Review: Lily's Just Fine by Gill Stewart
This book was all at once fun fluff and serious issues - and I loved it.
At times Lily can be a rather difficult characters. I definitely didn't always a agree with her, she can be rather selfish and single minded, but she grows and changes. When she learns something, she adjust to it. She is pretty damn firey, but she can also empathise with others. And become a bit too caught up in fighting for what she thinks is right, even if it might harm people.
I loved the LGBT+ themes, the way mental health was explored, how changing family dynamics were picked apart. I loved how a side character had chronic fatigue syndrome, the gripes about chronic illnesses and how even now so little is known about it. I also loved the soft, slowly building romance.
Unusually, the setting is a seaside town in Scotland. It had some colloquialisms, I felt that the voices were authentic, and it was a bit of a joy to read. I felt like the accent came through in the writing.
Lily's Just Fine is perhaps a little bit of an issue book, but that's not the whole of it. I found the story perfectly balanced, with enough drive from the characters themselves (rather than their issues) to keep me reading.
This book is perfect for summer, and I'd definitely recommend. I can't wait read more of the Galloway Girls series!
January 2, 2020
I received a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars
I definitely enjoyed reading this book, but the plot wasn’t anything special. I must say that the mental health rep and the fight for inclusivity earned the book half a star. Overall, I just found Lily to be a tad bit on the annoying side but I can definitely see why she was acting the way she did. I think the ending was satisfying, as the loose strands have been tied up well.
3.5 stars
I definitely enjoyed reading this book, but the plot wasn’t anything special. I must say that the mental health rep and the fight for inclusivity earned the book half a star. Overall, I just found Lily to be a tad bit on the annoying side but I can definitely see why she was acting the way she did. I think the ending was satisfying, as the loose strands have been tied up well.
April 10, 2019
A really cute book with voices for important topics such as mental health that need to be spoken about more often, definitely will recommend to others. I’m looking forward to see what else Gill Stewart creates.
August 3, 2020
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Lily is expecting her summer to be perfect, but when her boyfriend dumps her after prom, and she's left alone with her inattentive mother, she needs to find something to do. When it's revealed that the town gala needs some more volunteers, and there's no one under the age of 50 on the committee, Lily joins up, along with best friend, Gemma, and Gemma's neighbour, Tom. Lily wants to change it up, adding a regatta for the youngsters, a raft building competition, and making the parade much more inclusive, rather than there only being a Gala Queen. Tom has never really spoken to Lily, and except for her being Gemma's best friend, thought her to be a busybody, and annoying. He's dealing with his sister's diagnosed illness, and would rather spend his summer before sixth form relaxing and going out on the river. Lily won't expect no for an answer though, and it soon becomes obvious that there's an attraction between the two. Will their close proximity lead to romance, or is that too much to ask?
I can't even remember where I first saw this book, but decided to request a copy on NG when it became available. I've hardly ever read any YA books set in Scotland, and loved the setting for this book. Lily and Tom were alright main characters, both with their own flaws and difficulties, but real and exactly what I'd expect for two 16 years olds. The plot line of the town gala and it's many additions - courtesy of Lily's input - was definitely enjoyable, and I loved how it showed a different side of Lily to us. Because of the way her family were, she was basically left to her own devices at all times, and what others might see as her interfering was a coping mechanism for her to keep herself busy. Her mam is depressed, and I understand the way she was, but I sort of hated the way Lily's whole family left her. She's only 16, and is the only one who doesn't know about her mam's mental health history, but is expected to keep her safe while her dad and siblings are living away. Tom, too, has difficulties, as he tends to be ignored a lot in favour of his sister, who they think has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but it's never been fully diagnosed. Sarah wants to do as much as she can, but her parents really coddle her, and I wish they were a little more understanding of a 15 year old who wants to do things, even if it makes her tired.
The relationships in the both, both romantic and platonic, were wonderful. I liked Tom and Lily together, and seeing their ups and downs as they navigated their relationship was perfect! Gemma was a fantastic friend to them both, and I'm definitely intrigued about her, as she seems like she may have anxiety, or something, and I can't wait to read her book, Gemma's Not Sure.
Lily is expecting her summer to be perfect, but when her boyfriend dumps her after prom, and she's left alone with her inattentive mother, she needs to find something to do. When it's revealed that the town gala needs some more volunteers, and there's no one under the age of 50 on the committee, Lily joins up, along with best friend, Gemma, and Gemma's neighbour, Tom. Lily wants to change it up, adding a regatta for the youngsters, a raft building competition, and making the parade much more inclusive, rather than there only being a Gala Queen. Tom has never really spoken to Lily, and except for her being Gemma's best friend, thought her to be a busybody, and annoying. He's dealing with his sister's diagnosed illness, and would rather spend his summer before sixth form relaxing and going out on the river. Lily won't expect no for an answer though, and it soon becomes obvious that there's an attraction between the two. Will their close proximity lead to romance, or is that too much to ask?
I can't even remember where I first saw this book, but decided to request a copy on NG when it became available. I've hardly ever read any YA books set in Scotland, and loved the setting for this book. Lily and Tom were alright main characters, both with their own flaws and difficulties, but real and exactly what I'd expect for two 16 years olds. The plot line of the town gala and it's many additions - courtesy of Lily's input - was definitely enjoyable, and I loved how it showed a different side of Lily to us. Because of the way her family were, she was basically left to her own devices at all times, and what others might see as her interfering was a coping mechanism for her to keep herself busy. Her mam is depressed, and I understand the way she was, but I sort of hated the way Lily's whole family left her. She's only 16, and is the only one who doesn't know about her mam's mental health history, but is expected to keep her safe while her dad and siblings are living away. Tom, too, has difficulties, as he tends to be ignored a lot in favour of his sister, who they think has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but it's never been fully diagnosed. Sarah wants to do as much as she can, but her parents really coddle her, and I wish they were a little more understanding of a 15 year old who wants to do things, even if it makes her tired.
The relationships in the both, both romantic and platonic, were wonderful. I liked Tom and Lily together, and seeing their ups and downs as they navigated their relationship was perfect! Gemma was a fantastic friend to them both, and I'm definitely intrigued about her, as she seems like she may have anxiety, or something, and I can't wait to read her book, Gemma's Not Sure.
April 30, 2019
Thank you to Sweet Cherry Publishing and Netgalley for an Arc in an exchange for an honest review.
This book has a freshness about it that stands out in a field of novels touching upon similar themes and issues. Lily faded into the background for me a bit, but that's only because Stewart writes multi-faceted scenes and characters so well. The confusion soon unravels, and we get a comfortable path through some important issues, blended with natural character motivation. This is a worthy read, at times frothy, at times funny, at times a nicely-grounded experiential through illness that fosters the reader's empathy. Very engaging, and an excellent devotion of time to a thoroughly enjoyable read.
This book has a freshness about it that stands out in a field of novels touching upon similar themes and issues. Lily faded into the background for me a bit, but that's only because Stewart writes multi-faceted scenes and characters so well. The confusion soon unravels, and we get a comfortable path through some important issues, blended with natural character motivation. This is a worthy read, at times frothy, at times funny, at times a nicely-grounded experiential through illness that fosters the reader's empathy. Very engaging, and an excellent devotion of time to a thoroughly enjoyable read.
September 21, 2019
*3,5 Stars
I got this book on NetGalley for a review.
First of all I love the cover. It's so cute and it really fits the book.
Lily's Just Fine was a quick and fun read, but predictable.
The first chapters weren't that interesting, but after a few chapters it became more interesting.
If you are searching for a cute romance with drama, this book is perfect for you!
I got this book on NetGalley for a review.
First of all I love the cover. It's so cute and it really fits the book.
Lily's Just Fine was a quick and fun read, but predictable.
The first chapters weren't that interesting, but after a few chapters it became more interesting.
If you are searching for a cute romance with drama, this book is perfect for you!
August 13, 2019
First of all, I would like to thank Gill Stewart and the publishing company for sending me this arc for my honest review. My review reflects my opinion on the book, not the talented author that wrote this.
Although I wasn't a big fan of this book, I did find the writing brilliant though. I know for a fact if I was still in highschool I would've enjoyed this a lot more since I think it's more so targeted for the younger teen audience.
Definitely some amazing themes that are shown throughout this book as well which is definirely a plus!
I did find the progression in the relationship a little slow at first and found it hard to push through in the beginning.
But I did like the character development throughout the book! Lily is definitely my favourite out of the lot.
The cover was also eye-catching which is such a plus, one of the many reasons I wanted to read this book!!
Although I wasn't a big fan of this book, I did find the writing brilliant though. I know for a fact if I was still in highschool I would've enjoyed this a lot more since I think it's more so targeted for the younger teen audience.
Definitely some amazing themes that are shown throughout this book as well which is definirely a plus!
I did find the progression in the relationship a little slow at first and found it hard to push through in the beginning.
But I did like the character development throughout the book! Lily is definitely my favourite out of the lot.
The cover was also eye-catching which is such a plus, one of the many reasons I wanted to read this book!!
April 2, 2019
I real liked how this book wasn’t about a girl hung up on some boy. While Lily’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems she doesn’t go on complaining about it.
May 15, 2019
Warnings: ableism, homophobia, medical emergency
Rep: secondary characters with mental illness (depression), chronic illness; queer secondary characters
A cute and fluffy story about a take-charge girl who wants to reinvent her town's gala, and a boy who is just trying to not be caught up in her mission, Lily's Just Fine delivers a romance that balances itself well with the plot. Lily is the most capable girl in her town, and brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. Her mission to get over her breakup and keep busy this summer means she goes all in with the prep for her town's traditional gala. Tom, neighbor and friend to Lily's best friend, gets roped into joining because he doesn't know how to say no; he also feels exasperated with Lily because she has a strong bulldozer like personality. As they progress with the prep, so does their romance, subtly.
In terms of a central conflict, this book doesn't really have one, aside from the grumpy gala committee staff who just want to keep things traditional. Lily's exciting new ideas don't always go down well, so she figures out new ways to get things done. Her personality is bossy, but she is also quite capable, and honest in her enthusiasm; qualities that draw Tom to her. Her attraction towards Tom is sudden to her, because she never really tried to get to know him, and now she does and she likes that he challenges her. In fact, they have a nice dynamic going: cute romance but also the occasional friction because of the newness of it. The romance keeps itself apart from the main plot, that is, Lily putting on an engaging and inclusive town celebration, while also sorta-not-dealing with her mom's depression, while Tom tries to involve his younger sister without making her illness flare up. It touches on topics like LGBT inclusivity, mental illness and chronic illness; I should also mention that these are discussed from external points of view, and not from the individuals affected by these issues themselves.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Sweet Cherry Publishing , via Netgalley.
Rep: secondary characters with mental illness (depression), chronic illness; queer secondary characters
A cute and fluffy story about a take-charge girl who wants to reinvent her town's gala, and a boy who is just trying to not be caught up in her mission, Lily's Just Fine delivers a romance that balances itself well with the plot. Lily is the most capable girl in her town, and brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. Her mission to get over her breakup and keep busy this summer means she goes all in with the prep for her town's traditional gala. Tom, neighbor and friend to Lily's best friend, gets roped into joining because he doesn't know how to say no; he also feels exasperated with Lily because she has a strong bulldozer like personality. As they progress with the prep, so does their romance, subtly.
In terms of a central conflict, this book doesn't really have one, aside from the grumpy gala committee staff who just want to keep things traditional. Lily's exciting new ideas don't always go down well, so she figures out new ways to get things done. Her personality is bossy, but she is also quite capable, and honest in her enthusiasm; qualities that draw Tom to her. Her attraction towards Tom is sudden to her, because she never really tried to get to know him, and now she does and she likes that he challenges her. In fact, they have a nice dynamic going: cute romance but also the occasional friction because of the newness of it. The romance keeps itself apart from the main plot, that is, Lily putting on an engaging and inclusive town celebration, while also sorta-not-dealing with her mom's depression, while Tom tries to involve his younger sister without making her illness flare up. It touches on topics like LGBT inclusivity, mental illness and chronic illness; I should also mention that these are discussed from external points of view, and not from the individuals affected by these issues themselves.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Sweet Cherry Publishing , via Netgalley.
June 15, 2020
Title: Lily's Just Fine
Author: Gill Stewart
Series: The Galloway Girls #1
Source: Thank you to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.
Lily is one of the most popular girls in school: energetic, involved and always in control, it's easy to see why Tom Owens isn't a fan. From a distance she seems to be incredibly annoying despite what their mutual best friend Gemma insists. When they wind up organising the village's gala together, they find out that the other isn't as hard to get to know as they seem to be. Both dealing with problems at home, they find a type of solace and comfort in one another as they prepare the biggest shake up their small village has ever seen.
This book was good, it won't be a favourite on my list as I feel like I'm growing out of YA books in a way. But this book was well written and easy to read, it had main characters I felt I could connect too. Even Lily. And the romance aspect was well done. It didn't feel overly forced and I found it nice that even the characters were kind of hesitant about it at first. This book challenges the lack of acknowledgment for queer identities in small villages in the UK and I think that was one of the most important factors of the book. It looks at the pressures of living with a mentally ill parent and a physically ill sibling and the frustrations that can come along side all of that. Overall, this was a nice, light hearted read that allowed me to break up some heavier stuff that I'm reading right now.
Author: Gill Stewart
Series: The Galloway Girls #1
Source: Thank you to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.
Lily is one of the most popular girls in school: energetic, involved and always in control, it's easy to see why Tom Owens isn't a fan. From a distance she seems to be incredibly annoying despite what their mutual best friend Gemma insists. When they wind up organising the village's gala together, they find out that the other isn't as hard to get to know as they seem to be. Both dealing with problems at home, they find a type of solace and comfort in one another as they prepare the biggest shake up their small village has ever seen.
This book was good, it won't be a favourite on my list as I feel like I'm growing out of YA books in a way. But this book was well written and easy to read, it had main characters I felt I could connect too. Even Lily. And the romance aspect was well done. It didn't feel overly forced and I found it nice that even the characters were kind of hesitant about it at first. This book challenges the lack of acknowledgment for queer identities in small villages in the UK and I think that was one of the most important factors of the book. It looks at the pressures of living with a mentally ill parent and a physically ill sibling and the frustrations that can come along side all of that. Overall, this was a nice, light hearted read that allowed me to break up some heavier stuff that I'm reading right now.
July 3, 2019
*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was a quite a quick and easy read. There was some depiction of mental illness, as alluded to in the synopsis by the mention of Lily's mother's 'apathy' and the conservative nature of many small towns especially in regards to LGBTQI rights. The small-minded nature of the town was represented well however I felt that Lily's mother's diagnosis was quite obvious as she had classical symptoms and there is a lot more awareness about mental health issues in this day and age. The depiction of Sarah and her illness was quite good and she was a well developed character. On the other hand however, I feel like Tom's character was underdeveloped with much of the book focused on developing Lily's and Sarah's characters. Although Lily's character did develop somewhat, I found that she was sometimes hard to connect to as a main character and in some points I was reading to find out more about Sarah rather than caring about Lily.
I enjoyed Tom and Lily's relationship and how it unfolded. I particularly liked how Tom was supportive and respectful of Lily but also wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
Overall, This was quite a light read that dealt with some important issues including mental illness and acceptance of the LGBQTI community.
This was a quite a quick and easy read. There was some depiction of mental illness, as alluded to in the synopsis by the mention of Lily's mother's 'apathy' and the conservative nature of many small towns especially in regards to LGBTQI rights. The small-minded nature of the town was represented well however I felt that Lily's mother's diagnosis was quite obvious as she had classical symptoms and there is a lot more awareness about mental health issues in this day and age. The depiction of Sarah and her illness was quite good and she was a well developed character. On the other hand however, I feel like Tom's character was underdeveloped with much of the book focused on developing Lily's and Sarah's characters. Although Lily's character did develop somewhat, I found that she was sometimes hard to connect to as a main character and in some points I was reading to find out more about Sarah rather than caring about Lily.
I enjoyed Tom and Lily's relationship and how it unfolded. I particularly liked how Tom was supportive and respectful of Lily but also wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
Overall, This was quite a light read that dealt with some important issues including mental illness and acceptance of the LGBQTI community.
July 12, 2019
This is just okay. As a teen romance, it's got its fair share of twists and an extra bit of drama that only a high school romance can bring. It did bug me because Lily is extremely out there, but her co-lead is not, he's more into saving his sister than the world. It was almost as if Gill Stewart thought, "what if we had a story that saw through a manic pixie dream girl's eyes?" There was some depth here, because, while Tom learns a lot from Lily, he's still the more grounded of the two. He's the one who reminds Lily to stop being so extra, to learn to chill out. Lily, does teach Tom to care a little bit more about the world around him, but she still had a tendency to treat people as if they were game pieces.
I can see where teens would enjoy this story, and there were some highs, but it is just an okay romance, with some small lessons mixed in.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I can see where teens would enjoy this story, and there were some highs, but it is just an okay romance, with some small lessons mixed in.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 19, 2019
I, unfortunately, had to DNF it after a couple of pages (I read 20% of the book)
It's not that it's bad, I just think the book targets people that are younger and not as old as me; I think 13 years old me would probably have loved this book while adult me couldn't finish it.
My first problem was that I didn't like the way it was written, I'm not a fan of like long, pompous, metaphorical descriptions, but in this book they were almost none of if they were they were written very matter-of-factly. Judging a writing style is very subjective, while one might love it, the other not so much, and in this case I belong to the latter. I just couldn't get engrossed with the story, I had the feeling I was like watching a scene from far away instead of being engulfed in it.
The second problem was the characters and how they are depicted. I felt like the author stayed on the surface and never went too deep into the characters life, history or emotions. Because of that, I couldn't really identify to either one of the characters and was left pretty much indifferent to their fate the whole time.
The themes she tackled are important and need more representation in YA literature but the end result was disappointing, not depicted well enough, not detailed or "emotional" (in a way that I felt like the writing was too cold or to matter of factly) enough.
I couldn't relate to any of these characters. While I adore strong female characters that take shit from nobody, I found Lily to be extremely tiring. She was controlling, manipulative (especially with Gemma, like I just didn't understand their friendship, they were supposedly best friends, but I felt like Gemma was closer to Tom and that Lily exasperated her most of the time) and overall just sometimes infuriating? To me she was cold, she was not someone I could relate to. Like Tom, I just didn't care for him. Like their romance was shoved in the middle of this whole gala thing, and I was just ? Hm no thank you.
All in all, I believe the story was rushed, the way it was written was to me only scratching the surface and not going enough into the details. I felt detached and not invested in the story, and that's why i had to drop it. Like I said it's not necessarily a bad book, I just think I'm too old for it at this point.
It's not that it's bad, I just think the book targets people that are younger and not as old as me; I think 13 years old me would probably have loved this book while adult me couldn't finish it.
My first problem was that I didn't like the way it was written, I'm not a fan of like long, pompous, metaphorical descriptions, but in this book they were almost none of if they were they were written very matter-of-factly. Judging a writing style is very subjective, while one might love it, the other not so much, and in this case I belong to the latter. I just couldn't get engrossed with the story, I had the feeling I was like watching a scene from far away instead of being engulfed in it.
The second problem was the characters and how they are depicted. I felt like the author stayed on the surface and never went too deep into the characters life, history or emotions. Because of that, I couldn't really identify to either one of the characters and was left pretty much indifferent to their fate the whole time.
The themes she tackled are important and need more representation in YA literature but the end result was disappointing, not depicted well enough, not detailed or "emotional" (in a way that I felt like the writing was too cold or to matter of factly) enough.
I couldn't relate to any of these characters. While I adore strong female characters that take shit from nobody, I found Lily to be extremely tiring. She was controlling, manipulative (especially with Gemma, like I just didn't understand their friendship, they were supposedly best friends, but I felt like Gemma was closer to Tom and that Lily exasperated her most of the time) and overall just sometimes infuriating? To me she was cold, she was not someone I could relate to. Like Tom, I just didn't care for him. Like their romance was shoved in the middle of this whole gala thing, and I was just ? Hm no thank you.
All in all, I believe the story was rushed, the way it was written was to me only scratching the surface and not going enough into the details. I felt detached and not invested in the story, and that's why i had to drop it. Like I said it's not necessarily a bad book, I just think I'm too old for it at this point.
August 1, 2020
the things i liked about this book:
-the setting in general
-the conversation about mental health that needs to be talked about.
-the character growth
it was a fun, quick read. enjoyable, but not quite outstanding. a bit predictable, but fun however.
-the setting in general
-the conversation about mental health that needs to be talked about.
-the character growth
it was a fun, quick read. enjoyable, but not quite outstanding. a bit predictable, but fun however.
June 6, 2019
I really enjoyed myself with reading this one! I can't say I loved the characters at first, but they really grew on me! It felt a little sad to say goodbye at the end.
August 13, 2025
I really wanted to love this book but it was slow and I did not feel the chemistry between the two protragonists.
April 2, 2019
I really liked this book.
Lily was such a strong minded, opinionated girl and I actually loved that! In normal YA books, most girls are presented as being "quiet-and-pretty" with no clear basis. In this book, she was such a spirited character, bringing it more alive than others.
Tom seemed so sweet and I loved how serene he seemed to be. I also liked how the attraction slowly built up, not being insta-love.
Thanks for this ARC, I really liked this one :)
Lily was such a strong minded, opinionated girl and I actually loved that! In normal YA books, most girls are presented as being "quiet-and-pretty" with no clear basis. In this book, she was such a spirited character, bringing it more alive than others.
Tom seemed so sweet and I loved how serene he seemed to be. I also liked how the attraction slowly built up, not being insta-love.
Thanks for this ARC, I really liked this one :)
June 8, 2019
In this lovely, light romance set in Scotland, we are introduced to Lily and Tom- two teenagers facing different difficult family situations- who learn that they aren`t as different to each other as they`ve always thought and begin to fall for each other. I loved both characters individually even though they sometimes make mistakes and don`t do quite the right thing, and the fact that the dual narrative allowed you to see both sides of the story, especially as their feelings towards each other started to shift from annoyance to attraction- it was so well paced and it was so fun seeing their romance unfold. I also liked the more serious side to the book and how Tom and Lily were so supportive of each other`s issue most of the time, as it made me realise even more how much they cared for each other and it made them seem like such a realistic, well-matched couple. With the fantastic supporting cast, I`m absolutely sure this series is only going to get better as we`ll hopefully get to see their own stories- I`d especially love Gemma or Sarah to get to be protagonists. 4.5/5
June 13, 2020
This book was received from the publisher in return for an honest review
Summer is just getting underway in Newton St Cuthbert; exams are done, and Lily Hildebrand is off to the ball she planned. The ending isn’t quite as she expected though when her boyfriend breaks up with her so now, she needs to find something to fill her summer with so that everyone else will know she’s just fine. The book moves relatively quickly throughout the summer as Lily decides on her plans and takes steps to make them happen, whether everyone else wants them to or not! For me it was a quick read, but at the same time despite the amount of time that’s covered in the story it didn’t feel rushed, just nicely paced. I got all the information I needed without it feeling either bloated or as if I were missing something.
Lily’s Just Fine is told from the point of view of Lily herself and Tom a boy from school who manages to find himself right in the middle of Lily’s plans for the summer. I generally quite like stories told from multiple viewpoints and this was no exception. I feel like I got to know the characters a bit better than if it had been told only from one. Both point of views being written in the first person means that we see the other characters through the eyes of Lily and Tom, and naturally there is some bias there, but at least as we have the two viewpoints some of that bias is balanced out. We get introduced to a wide range of characters, some I liked more than others, Jamie definitely falls into the ugh category but I’m going to talk a little bit more about four characters I felt were central to the story.
I’m going to be honest I’m not sure I could be friends with Lily in real life. She’s not a horrible person by any stretch of the imagination but she is full on! I strongly suspect that we’d clash fairly dramatically the moment I decided I wasn’t really up for whatever she had planned. That said as the storyline with her mum developed, I did feel some of my irritation with her easing off, for me she defiantly became more likeable towards the end of the book.
I warmed to Tom much more quickly, I think due to some personal experiences I was probably more empathetic to him from the beginning, when I was maybe 15 or 16 my mum developed Post Viral Fatigue and although she’s more or less absolutely fine now there was a good period of time where she was just too exhausted to do much of anything at all, and that was tough both on her and the rest of the family. I liked the way he stood up to Lily, he didn’t always get his own way, but he didn’t let her walk all over him either. I think that was a bit of a different experience for Lily, so I’m not entirely surprised she ended up falling for him a little bit…
Gemma intrigued me, she’s definitely a worrier, to almost quite extreme lengths. As Gemma wasn’t the focus of this story, we didn’t really go into much detail about why she worries so much. I wonder if there’s something in her past that makes her worry about even some quite small decisions. I know the second book in the series focuses more on her, so I’m intrigued to see if we discover more about her.
I want to give a special mention to Sarah too, she’s possibly my favourite character within the book, and not just because we share a name! I think she has a really interesting story to tell, from what it’s like to have your friends begin to desert you when they realise you can’t come out and do the things you’ve always done, but also the other side of it, what her life is like as she begins to regain some energy and manage to do more. I’m not sure what the rest of the plans for the series are but I’d love to see a book focusing on Sarah.
I want to take a moment to talk about the setting briefly. I admit that since I moved to Scotland back in 2009, I’ve been an east coast girl, first studying at the University of Dundee and more recently living in Fife and working in Edinburgh. My trips to the west have mainly consisted of the odd trip to the Glasgow offices. That said Dumfries does actually have a special place in my heart, it’s where my dad and I stopped off for the night when he took on the mammoth drive from Devon to Dundee to get me to uni, and I was also part of the procurement team that worked on the new Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, I even took a trip down their to see everything in place before services transferred across from the old hospital. This book really made me want to take another trip back down and explore more of the coastline. Although I’m not sure I’d trust myself out in a sailing boat!
Final Thoughts…
This was such a cute read! For me it was a little bit of escapism during some difficult times. It’s not that the book doesn’t deal with some more difficult subjects, both long term illness and depression feature in the book, as well as intolerance from some members of the community but it wasn’t a difficult read. Now don’t get me wrong I definitely appreciate a hard-hitting book but right now I’m not in the right headspace for that. I gelled with some characters more than others but I’m looking forward to catching up with them this weekend.
Find more reviews at Sarah Withers Blogs
Summer is just getting underway in Newton St Cuthbert; exams are done, and Lily Hildebrand is off to the ball she planned. The ending isn’t quite as she expected though when her boyfriend breaks up with her so now, she needs to find something to fill her summer with so that everyone else will know she’s just fine. The book moves relatively quickly throughout the summer as Lily decides on her plans and takes steps to make them happen, whether everyone else wants them to or not! For me it was a quick read, but at the same time despite the amount of time that’s covered in the story it didn’t feel rushed, just nicely paced. I got all the information I needed without it feeling either bloated or as if I were missing something.
Lily’s Just Fine is told from the point of view of Lily herself and Tom a boy from school who manages to find himself right in the middle of Lily’s plans for the summer. I generally quite like stories told from multiple viewpoints and this was no exception. I feel like I got to know the characters a bit better than if it had been told only from one. Both point of views being written in the first person means that we see the other characters through the eyes of Lily and Tom, and naturally there is some bias there, but at least as we have the two viewpoints some of that bias is balanced out. We get introduced to a wide range of characters, some I liked more than others, Jamie definitely falls into the ugh category but I’m going to talk a little bit more about four characters I felt were central to the story.
I’m going to be honest I’m not sure I could be friends with Lily in real life. She’s not a horrible person by any stretch of the imagination but she is full on! I strongly suspect that we’d clash fairly dramatically the moment I decided I wasn’t really up for whatever she had planned. That said as the storyline with her mum developed, I did feel some of my irritation with her easing off, for me she defiantly became more likeable towards the end of the book.
I warmed to Tom much more quickly, I think due to some personal experiences I was probably more empathetic to him from the beginning, when I was maybe 15 or 16 my mum developed Post Viral Fatigue and although she’s more or less absolutely fine now there was a good period of time where she was just too exhausted to do much of anything at all, and that was tough both on her and the rest of the family. I liked the way he stood up to Lily, he didn’t always get his own way, but he didn’t let her walk all over him either. I think that was a bit of a different experience for Lily, so I’m not entirely surprised she ended up falling for him a little bit…
Gemma intrigued me, she’s definitely a worrier, to almost quite extreme lengths. As Gemma wasn’t the focus of this story, we didn’t really go into much detail about why she worries so much. I wonder if there’s something in her past that makes her worry about even some quite small decisions. I know the second book in the series focuses more on her, so I’m intrigued to see if we discover more about her.
I want to give a special mention to Sarah too, she’s possibly my favourite character within the book, and not just because we share a name! I think she has a really interesting story to tell, from what it’s like to have your friends begin to desert you when they realise you can’t come out and do the things you’ve always done, but also the other side of it, what her life is like as she begins to regain some energy and manage to do more. I’m not sure what the rest of the plans for the series are but I’d love to see a book focusing on Sarah.
I want to take a moment to talk about the setting briefly. I admit that since I moved to Scotland back in 2009, I’ve been an east coast girl, first studying at the University of Dundee and more recently living in Fife and working in Edinburgh. My trips to the west have mainly consisted of the odd trip to the Glasgow offices. That said Dumfries does actually have a special place in my heart, it’s where my dad and I stopped off for the night when he took on the mammoth drive from Devon to Dundee to get me to uni, and I was also part of the procurement team that worked on the new Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, I even took a trip down their to see everything in place before services transferred across from the old hospital. This book really made me want to take another trip back down and explore more of the coastline. Although I’m not sure I’d trust myself out in a sailing boat!
Final Thoughts…
This was such a cute read! For me it was a little bit of escapism during some difficult times. It’s not that the book doesn’t deal with some more difficult subjects, both long term illness and depression feature in the book, as well as intolerance from some members of the community but it wasn’t a difficult read. Now don’t get me wrong I definitely appreciate a hard-hitting book but right now I’m not in the right headspace for that. I gelled with some characters more than others but I’m looking forward to catching up with them this weekend.
Find more reviews at Sarah Withers Blogs
June 18, 2019
I was given this ARC by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinions. I read this ARC pretty quickly as it was an easy and enjoyable read. The first thing which brought my attention to this book was its colourful and eye-grabbing cover. Sometimes it pays off to read a book based on a cover! I rated this book 4/5 stars Iver all as it was a great read, had a very thought out plot and likable characters. However I did find it predictable and from around the first fifty pages of the book I had a good idea what may in happen. This book does deal with some strong issues in society today such as mental health and chronic illness, showing the reader just how tough and debilitating a life with either of these issues reallyy can be. I feel like it is a book most people would resonate with in some way and therefore I would strongly recommend for anyone to read “Lily’s Just Fine”.
“Lily’s like a force of nature isn’t she?” This quote from the book really sums up the main protagonist Lily. She is yout perfect girl. She has the perfect life, perfect boyfriend and what may be considered a very desirable life. However, that is only to the outsider looking in. Lily has major issues of her own to deal with, such as a mother with severe depresssion, a father who Is too busy with work to spend time at home and two siblings who she only sees as holidays or when something goes wrong. Lily is left to combat life on her own. However, Lily does love to have control over situations and when that grip on control seems ot loosen, so does Lily’s idea of what she is going to do in life. Early in the book, Lily’s somewhat perfect boyfriend dumps her at Prom. But, Lily is not one to show her emotions. So, she agrees that it is best and throws herself into some new work at home, planning a regatta ball. Enlisting the help of her friend Gemma and her neighbour, Tom.
Lily, Gemma and Tom work together through the summer ot plan the perfect event to be held in August. There is just one small problem, Tom’s sister Sarah has a chronic illness and Tom has to be there for her as much a she can. He even allows Sarah to help with the preparing of the event. Tom is your typical shy, quiet but good guy. One of the few it may be argued. Throughout the summer he warms tot he idea of socialising and helping Lily with the event. He continues to balance this with looking after his little sister. However, the more time the pair spend together, the harder it gets to ignore the igniting flame between them. The story develops into a feel good summer romance alongside a thickening plot line including downfalls for Sarah’s illness and Lily’s mother.
Overall this book is an enjoyable, heart pulling and thought provoking read. It is suitable for a lot of people as I feel we all can relate to it in one way or another. It does deal with mental illness and chronic illness. If you’re looking for a new book, I suggest you look at this. Again, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC
“Lily’s like a force of nature isn’t she?” This quote from the book really sums up the main protagonist Lily. She is yout perfect girl. She has the perfect life, perfect boyfriend and what may be considered a very desirable life. However, that is only to the outsider looking in. Lily has major issues of her own to deal with, such as a mother with severe depresssion, a father who Is too busy with work to spend time at home and two siblings who she only sees as holidays or when something goes wrong. Lily is left to combat life on her own. However, Lily does love to have control over situations and when that grip on control seems ot loosen, so does Lily’s idea of what she is going to do in life. Early in the book, Lily’s somewhat perfect boyfriend dumps her at Prom. But, Lily is not one to show her emotions. So, she agrees that it is best and throws herself into some new work at home, planning a regatta ball. Enlisting the help of her friend Gemma and her neighbour, Tom.
Lily, Gemma and Tom work together through the summer ot plan the perfect event to be held in August. There is just one small problem, Tom’s sister Sarah has a chronic illness and Tom has to be there for her as much a she can. He even allows Sarah to help with the preparing of the event. Tom is your typical shy, quiet but good guy. One of the few it may be argued. Throughout the summer he warms tot he idea of socialising and helping Lily with the event. He continues to balance this with looking after his little sister. However, the more time the pair spend together, the harder it gets to ignore the igniting flame between them. The story develops into a feel good summer romance alongside a thickening plot line including downfalls for Sarah’s illness and Lily’s mother.
Overall this book is an enjoyable, heart pulling and thought provoking read. It is suitable for a lot of people as I feel we all can relate to it in one way or another. It does deal with mental illness and chronic illness. If you’re looking for a new book, I suggest you look at this. Again, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC
April 30, 2019
There’s just so much to like about this book. It’s an easy reading YA novel, it’s based in my home country of Scotland (Always a bonus when I’m picking my next read!) and it touches on a variety of tough topics. From various mental health issues and chronic illnesses to LGBT rights. All taking place in a sleepy little town in Dumfries & Galloway on the Scottish west coast.
Lily is a complete busy body; she’s involved in anything and everything, whether others want her there or not. Taking the leap from prom committee to gala committee, she pushes her way in with big dreams of turning the towns usual dull gala into the most exciting event the residents have ever seen. All the while dragging her friends into the mess with her: Gemma, who is riddled with anxiety over everything life throws at her, and Tom, who is so caught up with his sisters mystery illness that he’s keen to keep away from Lily and all her grand plans if he can.
The book was entertaining to read, following this mismatched group of friends through part of their summer. I could see a bit of myself in a lot of the characters. Lily’s need to keep eternally busy, if she’s worrying about a dozen little projects she has on the go, then she won’t have time to worry about the big issue that is staring her in the face. Lily’s Mum, who’s depression sinks her so low that she can’t even bring herself to talk or get out of bed. Gemma with her anxiety, even over things that seem so simple to others – Such as Tom suggesting at one point that the two of them stop by Lily’s house as she isn’t answering her phone, this stresses Gemma out as they ‘Never go round unannounced, we always prearrange our visits’.
And lastly, Sarah, Toms sister. I would have loved to have seen more of her in the book, from her illness point of view. As someone who’s been there, with the constant doctors appointments with no answers, I can really empathise with Sarah and her family as they struggle with hr illness and lack of diagnosis. It was interesting to read the parts that were there, though, as they were from both sides of the coin; Sarah herself getting frustrated at her both her illness and her family being overprotective because of it, but also seeing her family cope with her being sick, worrying if she’ll ever get better, worrying about everything, worrying every day. It gives a small but accurate view into the world of living with a chronic illness.
Overall I do wish there had been more content in regards to both the chronic illness and the mental health issues, as I feel they were fairly important to the plot and could have been brought to the foreground more. That being said, I did enjoy the read, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for book two!
Lily is a complete busy body; she’s involved in anything and everything, whether others want her there or not. Taking the leap from prom committee to gala committee, she pushes her way in with big dreams of turning the towns usual dull gala into the most exciting event the residents have ever seen. All the while dragging her friends into the mess with her: Gemma, who is riddled with anxiety over everything life throws at her, and Tom, who is so caught up with his sisters mystery illness that he’s keen to keep away from Lily and all her grand plans if he can.
The book was entertaining to read, following this mismatched group of friends through part of their summer. I could see a bit of myself in a lot of the characters. Lily’s need to keep eternally busy, if she’s worrying about a dozen little projects she has on the go, then she won’t have time to worry about the big issue that is staring her in the face. Lily’s Mum, who’s depression sinks her so low that she can’t even bring herself to talk or get out of bed. Gemma with her anxiety, even over things that seem so simple to others – Such as Tom suggesting at one point that the two of them stop by Lily’s house as she isn’t answering her phone, this stresses Gemma out as they ‘Never go round unannounced, we always prearrange our visits’.
And lastly, Sarah, Toms sister. I would have loved to have seen more of her in the book, from her illness point of view. As someone who’s been there, with the constant doctors appointments with no answers, I can really empathise with Sarah and her family as they struggle with hr illness and lack of diagnosis. It was interesting to read the parts that were there, though, as they were from both sides of the coin; Sarah herself getting frustrated at her both her illness and her family being overprotective because of it, but also seeing her family cope with her being sick, worrying if she’ll ever get better, worrying about everything, worrying every day. It gives a small but accurate view into the world of living with a chronic illness.
Overall I do wish there had been more content in regards to both the chronic illness and the mental health issues, as I feel they were fairly important to the plot and could have been brought to the foreground more. That being said, I did enjoy the read, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for book two!
August 20, 2019
Maybe internalized misogyny has lead me to believe women who try hard are irritating instead of leaders. It's not as if Lily imposes on others. She has a self image of impenetrability but the more she opens up, the more I like her earnestness. She recognizes the potential in others and rather than turning a blind eye, she encourages them to simply do what makes them happy. She's a facilitator organizing and mobilizing action. Her straightforwardness side steps the awkward, "Does he like me enough for me to like myself?" dance. Lily showcases why sometimes the popular girl is also well liked.
In comparison to Lily, Tom (the obligatory, replacement love interest and "better guy") is just a hateful person. He's super judgmental and fearful of his attraction to Lily? In the beginning, he leers at Lily's curves and then resents her for making him feel that way. However, Lily is a force to be reckon with and convinces Tom that acting like he doesn't care about anything is not something to be proud. Tom is such a coward, he would rather keep bigots happy. His privileged self is content to not stir the pot because he's not the one being discriminated against. He even argues that the LGBTQ+ community doesn't want to participate in city affairs, but there's a big difference between not wanting to participate because you have the option vs you're not even allowed to choose. The only redeeming quality he has is the empathy to recognize unseen pain and mental illness. Other than that, he seems below average.
Actually, I wouldn't mind if this was just the Lily Show. I'm also happy that inclusion is no longer groundbreaking but the norm. Lily grows as a person to admit that she can't fix every problem. That some problems take an enormous amount of time to address and there isn't a solid solution. In the end, Lily enforces the idea of doing the right thing as opposed to the easy thing. What a surprising book, flipping the usual dynamics and involving a whole host of characters to do something more than go to prom and make fun of the cool/mean kids. I recommend this for a good addition to your YA collection.
I can totally see this as Lily's desk. I think the lighting in the background flattens the image and would benefit from sunlight casting in or some type of wall texture. The hand lettering fits but the black looks too harsh with the teal. Maybe a nice gold or orange would integrate the title. It could use some touch ups and I think it's missing some memorable element.
In comparison to Lily, Tom (the obligatory, replacement love interest and "better guy") is just a hateful person. He's super judgmental and fearful of his attraction to Lily? In the beginning, he leers at Lily's curves and then resents her for making him feel that way. However, Lily is a force to be reckon with and convinces Tom that acting like he doesn't care about anything is not something to be proud. Tom is such a coward, he would rather keep bigots happy. His privileged self is content to not stir the pot because he's not the one being discriminated against. He even argues that the LGBTQ+ community doesn't want to participate in city affairs, but there's a big difference between not wanting to participate because you have the option vs you're not even allowed to choose. The only redeeming quality he has is the empathy to recognize unseen pain and mental illness. Other than that, he seems below average.
Actually, I wouldn't mind if this was just the Lily Show. I'm also happy that inclusion is no longer groundbreaking but the norm. Lily grows as a person to admit that she can't fix every problem. That some problems take an enormous amount of time to address and there isn't a solid solution. In the end, Lily enforces the idea of doing the right thing as opposed to the easy thing. What a surprising book, flipping the usual dynamics and involving a whole host of characters to do something more than go to prom and make fun of the cool/mean kids. I recommend this for a good addition to your YA collection.
I can totally see this as Lily's desk. I think the lighting in the background flattens the image and would benefit from sunlight casting in or some type of wall texture. The hand lettering fits but the black looks too harsh with the teal. Maybe a nice gold or orange would integrate the title. It could use some touch ups and I think it's missing some memorable element.
January 16, 2025
First of all, a HUGE apology to the publisher and author for taking almost 6 years to read this.
I got this eARC back in March 2019, met the author and bought a physical copy in July 2019, pulled it out of my TBR jar in 2020, took it down from the shelf to read in 2023, and I never actually did. And boy did I wish I had.
One of the main side characters has CFS, like me, and there was even a mention of purple hair for her, and guess who has purple hair! How amazing it would have been to be able to talk to the author about this, and to thank her for giving this chronic disease some exposure. Gill Stewart, if you ever read this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As for the book, since we're now 6 years on, I worried about it. I pretty much gave up YA so how was I going to feel about this?
Well, I ended up really enjoying it! It's a quick, easy read. It's nothing groundbreaking, but not every book has to be. Sometimes you just want to cozy up with a cozy read, and for me this definitely qualified. Set in Scotland, which is an instant plus for me, with a cast with actual different personalities, I couldn't really put it down.
Lily herself is not a person I like, actually. Her views on things (always being right, thinking others are at fault for not living up to her expectations etc) and barrelling on absolutely goes against everything I am, and have become due to the chronic fatigue. I could relate to her struggles with her mom, however. I kept saying, out loud, "it's not your responsibility, stop blaming yourself, stop feeling guilty for wanting your mom to be your mom instead of you being her mom", and realizing the irony of it.
Tom I did like. Of course the romance aspect was predictable and rushed, and both of their emotions sometimes felt disproportionate, but alas, that is the way of teenagers!
Gemma felt a bit flat, defined by her fears and anxieties only, but I hope she'll be fleshed out more given that she seems to be the main character of book 2.
Sarah was of course a favorite, due to complete bias. It just proves that representation absolutely matters.
Very glad to have finally read this!
I got this eARC back in March 2019, met the author and bought a physical copy in July 2019, pulled it out of my TBR jar in 2020, took it down from the shelf to read in 2023, and I never actually did. And boy did I wish I had.
One of the main side characters has CFS, like me, and there was even a mention of purple hair for her, and guess who has purple hair! How amazing it would have been to be able to talk to the author about this, and to thank her for giving this chronic disease some exposure. Gill Stewart, if you ever read this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As for the book, since we're now 6 years on, I worried about it. I pretty much gave up YA so how was I going to feel about this?
Well, I ended up really enjoying it! It's a quick, easy read. It's nothing groundbreaking, but not every book has to be. Sometimes you just want to cozy up with a cozy read, and for me this definitely qualified. Set in Scotland, which is an instant plus for me, with a cast with actual different personalities, I couldn't really put it down.
Lily herself is not a person I like, actually. Her views on things (always being right, thinking others are at fault for not living up to her expectations etc) and barrelling on absolutely goes against everything I am, and have become due to the chronic fatigue. I could relate to her struggles with her mom, however. I kept saying, out loud, "it's not your responsibility, stop blaming yourself, stop feeling guilty for wanting your mom to be your mom instead of you being her mom", and realizing the irony of it.
Tom I did like. Of course the romance aspect was predictable and rushed, and both of their emotions sometimes felt disproportionate, but alas, that is the way of teenagers!
Gemma felt a bit flat, defined by her fears and anxieties only, but I hope she'll be fleshed out more given that she seems to be the main character of book 2.
Sarah was of course a favorite, due to complete bias. It just proves that representation absolutely matters.
Very glad to have finally read this!
May 10, 2019
Living in Dumfries and Galloway, I couldn’t resist requesting this book on NetGalley, so thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me to read Lily’s Just Fine in exchange for an honest review! I don’t think I’ve ever read a contemporary YA novel set in Scotland before, never mind one actually set in my region.
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great summery read (even if it’s not technically summer yet, but hey it was sunny while I was reading and that still counts!) and genuinely entertaining. I did have a few issues with the story - mainly, I would have liked for the characters to have been a little more developed. There were a lot of them, in a relatively short book, with a lot going on, so some I liked more than others and wished we had seen more of them in the story.
I thought Lily made a great main character, but everyone else fell a bit flat for me. A lot of the time I didn’t really understand why Lily and Gemma were friends, and I would have liked to have seen more of them together and known more about their history. I really appreciated Lily’s struggle with her mum, which was so relatable for me, but her family overall was something I also felt could have used a bit more development.
Generally, I find dual narratives to be very hit or miss, but I did think it worked here and I enjoyed reading the chapters from Tom’s perspective. I really liked Tom’s sister, Sarah, sometimes felt she overshadowed him and would have liked to have been able to get to know Tom more because I didn’t necessarily always get what he and Lily saw in each other. Sometimes I felt like they were just put together for the sake of it.
I loved the gala storyline, with Lily trying to commandeer the committee and put more of a modern spin on it, even if things didn’t quite go to plan - although, it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun if it had! I’ve rounded my rating up to four stars, but really it’s more of a 3.5 for me. Overall, this was a truly entertaining read and I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes!
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great summery read (even if it’s not technically summer yet, but hey it was sunny while I was reading and that still counts!) and genuinely entertaining. I did have a few issues with the story - mainly, I would have liked for the characters to have been a little more developed. There were a lot of them, in a relatively short book, with a lot going on, so some I liked more than others and wished we had seen more of them in the story.
I thought Lily made a great main character, but everyone else fell a bit flat for me. A lot of the time I didn’t really understand why Lily and Gemma were friends, and I would have liked to have seen more of them together and known more about their history. I really appreciated Lily’s struggle with her mum, which was so relatable for me, but her family overall was something I also felt could have used a bit more development.
Generally, I find dual narratives to be very hit or miss, but I did think it worked here and I enjoyed reading the chapters from Tom’s perspective. I really liked Tom’s sister, Sarah, sometimes felt she overshadowed him and would have liked to have been able to get to know Tom more because I didn’t necessarily always get what he and Lily saw in each other. Sometimes I felt like they were just put together for the sake of it.
I loved the gala storyline, with Lily trying to commandeer the committee and put more of a modern spin on it, even if things didn’t quite go to plan - although, it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun if it had! I’ve rounded my rating up to four stars, but really it’s more of a 3.5 for me. Overall, this was a truly entertaining read and I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes!
May 24, 2019
I received this as an e-arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book would be ideal for teenagers aged 13+, wanting a light and easy read for over the summer. But where I am at currently with my reading preferences, this just didn't hit the mark for me and I'm DNFing at 50%. This was something that I thought about for over a week. If this was 13 year old me, I probably would have enjoyed this and can see how it would be enjoyable.
There were main issues that have led me to DNF are:
1. Lily.
2. The building of the 'relationship'.
Lily.
She's a super controlling character to the point where she micro-manages every little last detail. Sure, she's strong, independent, likes to get stuff done - but it was taken to a whole new level. Coercing school mates to join this event. Then takes over the event. Then gives those school mates jobs for the entirety of the summer without ever asking if it's okay, when they're available, do they even want to do it... She's also super oblivious to her mothers depression (whether this is the author making a statement about ignoring other's illnesses, etc, I don't know) it just annoyed me.
Of course, with all this I was super intrigued to see her character arc and how she'd change over the course of the novel, but... yeah.
My other issue is the 'romance' between Lily and Tom. It's a given they were going to have something. I wished there had been a build up. They're still part ignoring each other, still getting annoyed by each other when they kiss. And then right after their kiss they are both like, "I've liked him/her for so long now, she/he is so cute, I love her/his eyes." My favourite part about any romance is watching those initial steps form, but there was nothing, and then all of a sudden everything shifted. But after the kiss. It just didn't work for me.
Whether anything changes throughout the rest of the book, I don't know. I can see how this would be enjoyable to others, but it got too much for me and I had to DNF.
This book would be ideal for teenagers aged 13+, wanting a light and easy read for over the summer. But where I am at currently with my reading preferences, this just didn't hit the mark for me and I'm DNFing at 50%. This was something that I thought about for over a week. If this was 13 year old me, I probably would have enjoyed this and can see how it would be enjoyable.
There were main issues that have led me to DNF are:
1. Lily.
2. The building of the 'relationship'.
Lily.
She's a super controlling character to the point where she micro-manages every little last detail. Sure, she's strong, independent, likes to get stuff done - but it was taken to a whole new level. Coercing school mates to join this event. Then takes over the event. Then gives those school mates jobs for the entirety of the summer without ever asking if it's okay, when they're available, do they even want to do it... She's also super oblivious to her mothers depression (whether this is the author making a statement about ignoring other's illnesses, etc, I don't know) it just annoyed me.
Of course, with all this I was super intrigued to see her character arc and how she'd change over the course of the novel, but... yeah.
My other issue is the 'romance' between Lily and Tom. It's a given they were going to have something. I wished there had been a build up. They're still part ignoring each other, still getting annoyed by each other when they kiss. And then right after their kiss they are both like, "I've liked him/her for so long now, she/he is so cute, I love her/his eyes." My favourite part about any romance is watching those initial steps form, but there was nothing, and then all of a sudden everything shifted. But after the kiss. It just didn't work for me.
Whether anything changes throughout the rest of the book, I don't know. I can see how this would be enjoyable to others, but it got too much for me and I had to DNF.
May 7, 2019
Disclaimer: Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I am so grateful to NetGalley and the Publishers, Sweet Cherry Publishing, for providing me with a copy of Lily's Just Fine by Gill Stewart.
This oh so fluffy and sweet book was a great read with hidden depths. Lily is the girl who on the surface has it all, she is involved with everything and knows how to improve any event. However under the surface she has a mother who spends all day sleeping, a father who is too busy working to see his family, and siblings who only come home for the holidays. But she is fine.
Tom Owen on the other hand has enough on his plate, without being roped into Lily Hildebrand's schemes, what with his sister and her mysterious condition.
This book does deal with serious issues such as depression and LGBTQ rights in small communities. Although how the issues dealt with by the characters is sometimes negative, that is part of the reason that this book is realistic because the author didn't glaze over the issues and make them a fairytale - she also showed then negative ways that people can react as well as the positive.
The character development was done very well and in a way that you don't notice it all at once. Until the end and you realize how much the characters have changed and developed over the course of the book.
There is obviously romance in this book! But the relationship had ups and downs, there was no insta happy relationship here! Which was so refreshingly real and I really loved it.
So overall, I really enjoyed this book, Lily has so much energy and so many ideas - I envy her in that way. But the plot was easy and fun to read, I flew through the book and I really enjoyed it.
I am so grateful to NetGalley and the Publishers, Sweet Cherry Publishing, for providing me with a copy of Lily's Just Fine by Gill Stewart.
This oh so fluffy and sweet book was a great read with hidden depths. Lily is the girl who on the surface has it all, she is involved with everything and knows how to improve any event. However under the surface she has a mother who spends all day sleeping, a father who is too busy working to see his family, and siblings who only come home for the holidays. But she is fine.
Tom Owen on the other hand has enough on his plate, without being roped into Lily Hildebrand's schemes, what with his sister and her mysterious condition.
This book does deal with serious issues such as depression and LGBTQ rights in small communities. Although how the issues dealt with by the characters is sometimes negative, that is part of the reason that this book is realistic because the author didn't glaze over the issues and make them a fairytale - she also showed then negative ways that people can react as well as the positive.
The character development was done very well and in a way that you don't notice it all at once. Until the end and you realize how much the characters have changed and developed over the course of the book.
There is obviously romance in this book! But the relationship had ups and downs, there was no insta happy relationship here! Which was so refreshingly real and I really loved it.
So overall, I really enjoyed this book, Lily has so much energy and so many ideas - I envy her in that way. But the plot was easy and fun to read, I flew through the book and I really enjoyed it.
May 13, 2019
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a perfect book to put me in the Summer mood.
I picked up this book mostly because of the cover and the title, because I was very intrigued by them. The synopsis promises an unexpected romance set in Scotland but it was more than that in the end.
I enjoyed the dual narrative - even though I don't, most of the time - and I liked both of the main characters more than I thought I will initially. Surprisingly Lily wasn't an annoying helpless teenager that was obsessed with boys She knows what she wants and gets it, even though she definitely was bossy. She is creative and is not afraid to speak her mind and I appreciate that. I loved the fact that she wasn't in the spotlight and we got to meet other characters because the book didn't focus entirely on her. Of course, her need to control everything was taken a little bit too far sometimes, but it didn't bother me too much. Tom was an amazing love interest and their relationship was very cute and nicely developed. Tom's sister was one of the characters that stood out to me and I enjoyed her character a lot.
The story also deals with topics such as LGBTQ+ and mental health (without romanticizing it, and I liked that) but I think the author could have done more to portray them.
I loved the Gala part of the story and everything that came with it, it was overall a fun experience.
All in all, the plot offered me everything I wanted from a cute summer read and I enjoyed everything about it.
I'm still not 100% sure about my rating, but it is at least worth 3,5☆ . So 4☆ it is.
I can't wait to read the sequel and see what it has in store for us.
This was a perfect book to put me in the Summer mood.
I picked up this book mostly because of the cover and the title, because I was very intrigued by them. The synopsis promises an unexpected romance set in Scotland but it was more than that in the end.
I enjoyed the dual narrative - even though I don't, most of the time - and I liked both of the main characters more than I thought I will initially. Surprisingly Lily wasn't an annoying helpless teenager that was obsessed with boys She knows what she wants and gets it, even though she definitely was bossy. She is creative and is not afraid to speak her mind and I appreciate that. I loved the fact that she wasn't in the spotlight and we got to meet other characters because the book didn't focus entirely on her. Of course, her need to control everything was taken a little bit too far sometimes, but it didn't bother me too much. Tom was an amazing love interest and their relationship was very cute and nicely developed. Tom's sister was one of the characters that stood out to me and I enjoyed her character a lot.
The story also deals with topics such as LGBTQ+ and mental health (without romanticizing it, and I liked that) but I think the author could have done more to portray them.
I loved the Gala part of the story and everything that came with it, it was overall a fun experience.
All in all, the plot offered me everything I wanted from a cute summer read and I enjoyed everything about it.
I'm still not 100% sure about my rating, but it is at least worth 3,5☆ . So 4☆ it is.
I can't wait to read the sequel and see what it has in store for us.
September 8, 2019
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review!
Lily is someone who likes to keep busy. She's the girl who knows it all and knows how to fix it all. Until she can't. Tom is just trying to get on with life and trying to look after his sister who is sick. But what happens when Lily bulldozes into his life (and maybe heart?)
Rep: secondary characters with mental illness (depression), chronic illness; queer secondary characters
Lilys just fine delivers a sweet romance that also doesn't take away from the main plot of the story. Lily is all enthusiasm and ideas (some good and some not so good) and yet she has the publics interests in heart. Tom is the opposite and gets roped into Lily's plans for the summer because he can't say no.
I think this book really showed a slice of life, in the sense that the 'conflict' in this book wasn't over dramatic. It was something that would and most likely happened in any small towns. The conflict is when Lily tries to bring all inclusivity to the traditional Gala the town holds every year. The romance between her and Tom is sudden or so it seems for her because she never tries to know Tom. But i felt the whole newness of the relationship was genuine and lovely to read.
I like that the relationship wasn't the main plot and didn't overtake the book and make the characters act different. I also love how much REP this book included and how well it dealt with all the topics it covered, it didn't shame any and it was a lovely book to read.
Lily is someone who likes to keep busy. She's the girl who knows it all and knows how to fix it all. Until she can't. Tom is just trying to get on with life and trying to look after his sister who is sick. But what happens when Lily bulldozes into his life (and maybe heart?)
Rep: secondary characters with mental illness (depression), chronic illness; queer secondary characters
Lilys just fine delivers a sweet romance that also doesn't take away from the main plot of the story. Lily is all enthusiasm and ideas (some good and some not so good) and yet she has the publics interests in heart. Tom is the opposite and gets roped into Lily's plans for the summer because he can't say no.
I think this book really showed a slice of life, in the sense that the 'conflict' in this book wasn't over dramatic. It was something that would and most likely happened in any small towns. The conflict is when Lily tries to bring all inclusivity to the traditional Gala the town holds every year. The romance between her and Tom is sudden or so it seems for her because she never tries to know Tom. But i felt the whole newness of the relationship was genuine and lovely to read.
I like that the relationship wasn't the main plot and didn't overtake the book and make the characters act different. I also love how much REP this book included and how well it dealt with all the topics it covered, it didn't shame any and it was a lovely book to read.
June 5, 2019
Thank you to Sweet Cherry Publishing for sending me a proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. My main issue is that most of the characters felt flat and underdeveloped so I didn't really care what was happening to them. At the start of the book I also got really confused between the two different perspectives because the narration just blended together.
I have to say that Lily's character really irritated me. She felt so controlling and then acknowledged what she was doing wrong, then continued to do it anyway? She made some reckless decisions which just didn't seem right at all. Tom's character was fine, but I do think the romance seemed to come out of nowhere so it was kind of insta love, which I don't like. I had no problem with the general plot - it just didn't interest me that much. I spent most of the first half bored, although it did get better.
I will say that I really enjoyed the mental health/mental illness representation. I liked seeing Sarah's character and I wish Lily's mum's story had been explored more - I feel like all of the issues were brushed over at the end. However, although neither of the main characters are LGBT+ I enjoyed the inclusion of queer characters. I also think it's great to recognise Scottish YA! Sadly this book just wasn't for me, but I know a lot of people thought it was a fun summer contemporary.
2/5 stars ⭐️⭐️
Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. My main issue is that most of the characters felt flat and underdeveloped so I didn't really care what was happening to them. At the start of the book I also got really confused between the two different perspectives because the narration just blended together.
I have to say that Lily's character really irritated me. She felt so controlling and then acknowledged what she was doing wrong, then continued to do it anyway? She made some reckless decisions which just didn't seem right at all. Tom's character was fine, but I do think the romance seemed to come out of nowhere so it was kind of insta love, which I don't like. I had no problem with the general plot - it just didn't interest me that much. I spent most of the first half bored, although it did get better.
I will say that I really enjoyed the mental health/mental illness representation. I liked seeing Sarah's character and I wish Lily's mum's story had been explored more - I feel like all of the issues were brushed over at the end. However, although neither of the main characters are LGBT+ I enjoyed the inclusion of queer characters. I also think it's great to recognise Scottish YA! Sadly this book just wasn't for me, but I know a lot of people thought it was a fun summer contemporary.
2/5 stars ⭐️⭐️
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