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You, Me and Other Stuff
A funny, heart warming story that will put a smile on your face. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes and David Nicholls.
Declan's a tad annoyed. Not only has the love of his life run off with 'Superman' but she's also unwittingly caused his current hostage situation.
This is the story between two childhood friends and the 'stuff' that always gets in the way of their relationship. Mostly the fact that Sarah is engaged to another man and Declan is being held prisoner.
Find out what Sarah did to cause Declan's current situation and if Declan will ever forgive her. Can things ever go back to the way they were?
Read now to find out.
- A fabulous read! I've smiled, I've laughed, I've empathised, I've found myself rather emotional and I've loved every single sentence...
- Wonderful writing, hooks you in from page one...
394 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2019
17 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
L.M. Barrett
13 books17 followersWelcome, and thanks for stopping by!
I’m a writer living in the beautiful city of Bath, along with my husband, two kids, and our mischievous dog, Bobby. My writing journey began while living in sunny Spain, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I love to explore a variety of genres, from lighthearted romantic comedies that’ll make you laugh and swoon, to deeper, more mysterious tales that might just give you chills. Whether you're looking for a heartwarming escape or something with a twist, you’ll find it all in my collection—available on Kindle Unlimited.
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out at lmbarrett.author@gmail.com with any thoughts, comments, or questions.
I’m a writer living in the beautiful city of Bath, along with my husband, two kids, and our mischievous dog, Bobby. My writing journey began while living in sunny Spain, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I love to explore a variety of genres, from lighthearted romantic comedies that’ll make you laugh and swoon, to deeper, more mysterious tales that might just give you chills. Whether you're looking for a heartwarming escape or something with a twist, you’ll find it all in my collection—available on Kindle Unlimited.
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out at lmbarrett.author@gmail.com with any thoughts, comments, or questions.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 19, 2023
I quickly fell into this charming narrative. It is an easy story to immerse yourself into and although it is a little bit predictable, I really enjoyed the light-heartedness of this romantic tale.
At first I was sceptical about Declan’s hostage situation and thought this was an indication of Barrett pushing the narrative too far. However, it was worth reading on to find out why Declan was hostage and the consequences of this impactful event. The narrative strictly alternates between Sarah and Declan’s perspective and the first half of the novel is them relating their history to two different strangers. After this point, the story moves into the present and I found it just as interesting as ever.
I liked the first part of the tale because it showed a bit of self-reflection from each character. Before the flashback into the past, both Sarah and Declan review their actions and admit their feelings years later. I thought this added another depth to the story as I liked travelling back in time to see how Sarah and Declan’s friendship developed. There’s a lot of “will they? Won’t they?” in this book and I enjoyed seeing how the different life obstacles obstructed their path to happiness.
Even when Sarah and Declan are adults, I found their tale just as charming. I didn’t really like Sarah to begin with and I think the writer deliberately wants readers to view her as selfish and careless about others. However, she becomes a nicer person in the latter half of the story and I was pleased to see her taking more selfless reactions to those around her. On the other hand, I grew frustrated by how much was put in the way of Sarah and Declan, stopping them from being the couple they clearly are meant to be in.
The romance between Sarah and Declan is denied for most of the story, meaning I appreciated the conclusion even more. I loved Declan’s protectiveness of Sarah right from the beginning and his moral standards. He is definitely the hero of this tale and completely juxtaposes Sarah’s behaviour. Although life doesn’t always through the right opportunities at him, I loved his perseverance and thought his overall happiness was well deserved.
This was a lovely romance and I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it. The chapters are incredibly short so I think this is easily something you could dip in and out of, whilst still getting a feel for plot development. True, some of the writing was a bit basic, but this didn’t really put me off from reading it and I think I needed this easy-going narrative at this point.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
At first I was sceptical about Declan’s hostage situation and thought this was an indication of Barrett pushing the narrative too far. However, it was worth reading on to find out why Declan was hostage and the consequences of this impactful event. The narrative strictly alternates between Sarah and Declan’s perspective and the first half of the novel is them relating their history to two different strangers. After this point, the story moves into the present and I found it just as interesting as ever.
I liked the first part of the tale because it showed a bit of self-reflection from each character. Before the flashback into the past, both Sarah and Declan review their actions and admit their feelings years later. I thought this added another depth to the story as I liked travelling back in time to see how Sarah and Declan’s friendship developed. There’s a lot of “will they? Won’t they?” in this book and I enjoyed seeing how the different life obstacles obstructed their path to happiness.
Even when Sarah and Declan are adults, I found their tale just as charming. I didn’t really like Sarah to begin with and I think the writer deliberately wants readers to view her as selfish and careless about others. However, she becomes a nicer person in the latter half of the story and I was pleased to see her taking more selfless reactions to those around her. On the other hand, I grew frustrated by how much was put in the way of Sarah and Declan, stopping them from being the couple they clearly are meant to be in.
The romance between Sarah and Declan is denied for most of the story, meaning I appreciated the conclusion even more. I loved Declan’s protectiveness of Sarah right from the beginning and his moral standards. He is definitely the hero of this tale and completely juxtaposes Sarah’s behaviour. Although life doesn’t always through the right opportunities at him, I loved his perseverance and thought his overall happiness was well deserved.
This was a lovely romance and I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it. The chapters are incredibly short so I think this is easily something you could dip in and out of, whilst still getting a feel for plot development. True, some of the writing was a bit basic, but this didn’t really put me off from reading it and I think I needed this easy-going narrative at this point.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2020
Sometimes childhood friendships are meant to last, and sometimes they’re not. Figuring out the difference maybe lies in the “other stuff” of L.M. Barret’s title, You, Me and Other Stuff. There are hints of Jojo Moyes and Maeve Binchey in this story of starcrossed lovers, one telling his tale to a fellow hostage, and the other telling hers to the guy at the bar.
It doesn’t help that Declan clearly sees more in Sarah than readers will—she’s selfish, self-absorbed, and given to foolish decisions. But she’s redeemable surely, unless he really gives up on her. And by the time he’s close to giving up, readers will finally find her revealing she might be worth waiting for. But by then…
By turns romantic, frustrating, astonishing, scary, sweet or just plain fun, You, Me and Other Stuff is a good read in an intriguing class of its own.
Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I enjoyed it… and I offer my honest review.
It doesn’t help that Declan clearly sees more in Sarah than readers will—she’s selfish, self-absorbed, and given to foolish decisions. But she’s redeemable surely, unless he really gives up on her. And by the time he’s close to giving up, readers will finally find her revealing she might be worth waiting for. But by then…
By turns romantic, frustrating, astonishing, scary, sweet or just plain fun, You, Me and Other Stuff is a good read in an intriguing class of its own.
Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I enjoyed it… and I offer my honest review.
September 2, 2019
A fabulous read! I've smiled, I've laughed, I've empathised, I've found myself rather emotional and I've loved every single sentence!
This is the story of Sarah and Declan; they first met as children and develop a relationship best described as rocky. With chapters told alternatively by each of them, we find out where they go from there; through childhood, puberty, school days, teenage years and, finally, adulthood.
As we find out more about both of these characters, there is always a new question popping up for each answer given. This is a beautifully written, flowing story which pulled me in and didn't let me go until the very final page. It's such fun - and yet, at the same time it is a serious tale about life and all it encompasses of two very different personalities. There is a fantastic cast of characters, all entirely believable and wonderfully drawn with their own traits and foibles. This is a feel-good read with lots to raise your spirits and put a smile on your face, and it's one I fully recommend to lovers of good fiction. Definitely a five star read.
This is the story of Sarah and Declan; they first met as children and develop a relationship best described as rocky. With chapters told alternatively by each of them, we find out where they go from there; through childhood, puberty, school days, teenage years and, finally, adulthood.
As we find out more about both of these characters, there is always a new question popping up for each answer given. This is a beautifully written, flowing story which pulled me in and didn't let me go until the very final page. It's such fun - and yet, at the same time it is a serious tale about life and all it encompasses of two very different personalities. There is a fantastic cast of characters, all entirely believable and wonderfully drawn with their own traits and foibles. This is a feel-good read with lots to raise your spirits and put a smile on your face, and it's one I fully recommend to lovers of good fiction. Definitely a five star read.
August 29, 2020
I was lucky to be asked to read and review this book ‘You, Me and Other Stuff’ The story focuses on Declan and Sarah’s friendship throughout their childhood and also adult life, we get to read both sides as the chapters switch between the two characters.. I love this in a book! Right from the beginning this really reminded me of the David Nicholls book ‘One Day’ so I knew I would enjoy this. After reading the synopsis I just had to know why Declan was in a hostage situation and why Sarah was the cause of it all so any chance I had to read I would pick it up. Their story had me feeling all the emotions, it made me mad.. at times I wanted to step into the book and knock their heads together! This kept me guessing all the way through and at one point I even used the F word as I couldn’t believe what I was reading! 🙈 Love it when a book does that! This is an enjoyable read, full of friendship, families and love and pretty much like the title suggests, all the other stuff in between!!
September 8, 2019
I could not resist picking this up and reading it! I enjoyed a previous book by this author and this just sounded so good.
The story follows Declan and Sarah. They have been friends for years and have been in love but didn't really know it. Years pass and now Declan is held hostage and it is Sarah's fault. Will they get it figured out and finally end up together?
Oooooo Declan and Sarah. I wanted to shake them and kick them. You love each other! But they don't realize it and make stupid, stupid decisions that end up blowing up in each others' faces. Especially Sarah's. Girl! NO!
I did really enjoy this even though the two drove me bananas. There was some humor and sadness. It was a nice balance of those things. Wonderful writing! Hooks you in from page one.
The format of telling the story was fun and I didn't expect it. It worked well for these characters to tell others about their sides of their story. They needed to talk it out with others I think in order to get some perspective.
My only issue was the bits with Lisa near the end there. I didn't hate her but I sure didn't like her. I also feel like her part made the story go a bit longer then I wanted. I could be biased because I just wanted the two knuckleheads to FINALLY get it and be together, but yea...not a fan of Lisa and her part.
Besides that, I really enjoyed this story. I wanted to shake our main characters, but shake them with love. And I didn't really care about the Lisa bits. I'll give this 4 stars. Really good and a fun story. Humor and sadness all mixed in.
The story follows Declan and Sarah. They have been friends for years and have been in love but didn't really know it. Years pass and now Declan is held hostage and it is Sarah's fault. Will they get it figured out and finally end up together?
Oooooo Declan and Sarah. I wanted to shake them and kick them. You love each other! But they don't realize it and make stupid, stupid decisions that end up blowing up in each others' faces. Especially Sarah's. Girl! NO!
I did really enjoy this even though the two drove me bananas. There was some humor and sadness. It was a nice balance of those things. Wonderful writing! Hooks you in from page one.
The format of telling the story was fun and I didn't expect it. It worked well for these characters to tell others about their sides of their story. They needed to talk it out with others I think in order to get some perspective.
My only issue was the bits with Lisa near the end there. I didn't hate her but I sure didn't like her. I also feel like her part made the story go a bit longer then I wanted. I could be biased because I just wanted the two knuckleheads to FINALLY get it and be together, but yea...not a fan of Lisa and her part.
Besides that, I really enjoyed this story. I wanted to shake our main characters, but shake them with love. And I didn't really care about the Lisa bits. I'll give this 4 stars. Really good and a fun story. Humor and sadness all mixed in.
November 8, 2019
https://clavie.co/2019/11/08/book-rev...
Look at the cover. It’s dark, vibrant and colourful all at the same time.
This is the story of Sarah and Declan who do not realise they are meant for each other.
Warm, light romantic comedy read.
I loved it from the beginning.
Through love and hate, empathy and hurt moments. This novel keeps pulling you in every time you have finished a chapter to do other things. There’s always a hook, which is the best type of novel.
When the author originally sent me the plot to review in exchange I thought I am going to love this because why wouldn’t you? The plot is interesting and it reminds me of One Day which I adore.
Getting to see these characters grow and develop into young adults and seeing all the big moments that define who you are.
Look at the cover. It’s dark, vibrant and colourful all at the same time.
This is the story of Sarah and Declan who do not realise they are meant for each other.
Warm, light romantic comedy read.
I loved it from the beginning.
Through love and hate, empathy and hurt moments. This novel keeps pulling you in every time you have finished a chapter to do other things. There’s always a hook, which is the best type of novel.
When the author originally sent me the plot to review in exchange I thought I am going to love this because why wouldn’t you? The plot is interesting and it reminds me of One Day which I adore.
Getting to see these characters grow and develop into young adults and seeing all the big moments that define who you are.
October 2, 2019
A lighthearted romantic comedy...
You, Me and Other Stuff is the story of Sarah and Declan who needed their heads banged together to realize that they were meant to be together. The characters are wonderfully developed from childhood through to the present day. The storyline catches your interest from the beginning and keeps it until the very end. A very entertaining read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
You, Me and Other Stuff is the story of Sarah and Declan who needed their heads banged together to realize that they were meant to be together. The characters are wonderfully developed from childhood through to the present day. The storyline catches your interest from the beginning and keeps it until the very end. A very entertaining read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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September 24, 2023Obviously I have to give myself five stars.
I think readers who are looking for a fun, light-hearted read will enjoy this. Hopefully readers will be routing for the two main characters. Please give it a chance and let me know what you think.
I think readers who are looking for a fun, light-hearted read will enjoy this. Hopefully readers will be routing for the two main characters. Please give it a chance and let me know what you think.
January 13, 2020
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
You, Me and Other Stuff is a light-hearted romcom with a unique hook: the main characters tell their stories in alternating chapter flashbacks, each to a different stranger.
We join Sarah at a bar, as she recounts the history of her friendship with Declan to a sympathetic businessman she has only just met. Then we skip over to Declan who is being held hostage and pouring his woes into the flirtatious ear of a co-hostage co-worker.
The story flashes back to when Sarah and Declan first meet as children, and shows them forming a wobbly friendship that is shaken and, on more than one occasion, smashed to pieces by various poor decisions and misunderstandings over the years. The one that leads to Declan’s hostage situation is a real doozy – I’m not sure I would be able to come back from that one!
Both Sarah and Declan make their share of mistakes, and they both have their fair share of flaws, which makes them more believable and easier to empathise with. Well, most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I just wanted to scream at them!
The only aspect that didn’t ring true for me was a sudden change in one of the side characters, from sympathetic to monstrous in the blink of an eye. It felt like the change was used to excuse Sarah’s behaviour and how she treats the people she is supposed to care about – like it’s okay to treat someone poorly if they turn out to be awful after all.
That minor quibble aside, this is a fun will-they-won’t-they romance, with plenty of surprises along the way. The storytelling format really worked to get across the two very different perspectives in a clever way, and it was interesting to see the characters develop from children to adults, falling in and out of friendship along the way. Definitely one for romcom fans!
“So Declan was a childhood sweetheart?” asked Mark.
No, never. We became friends but stuff always happened which often led us to fall out over the years. Our first falling out was when we were thirteen…”
– L.M. Barrett, You, Me and Other Stuff
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
You, Me and Other Stuff is a light-hearted romcom with a unique hook: the main characters tell their stories in alternating chapter flashbacks, each to a different stranger.
We join Sarah at a bar, as she recounts the history of her friendship with Declan to a sympathetic businessman she has only just met. Then we skip over to Declan who is being held hostage and pouring his woes into the flirtatious ear of a co-hostage co-worker.
The story flashes back to when Sarah and Declan first meet as children, and shows them forming a wobbly friendship that is shaken and, on more than one occasion, smashed to pieces by various poor decisions and misunderstandings over the years. The one that leads to Declan’s hostage situation is a real doozy – I’m not sure I would be able to come back from that one!
Both Sarah and Declan make their share of mistakes, and they both have their fair share of flaws, which makes them more believable and easier to empathise with. Well, most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I just wanted to scream at them!
The only aspect that didn’t ring true for me was a sudden change in one of the side characters, from sympathetic to monstrous in the blink of an eye. It felt like the change was used to excuse Sarah’s behaviour and how she treats the people she is supposed to care about – like it’s okay to treat someone poorly if they turn out to be awful after all.
That minor quibble aside, this is a fun will-they-won’t-they romance, with plenty of surprises along the way. The storytelling format really worked to get across the two very different perspectives in a clever way, and it was interesting to see the characters develop from children to adults, falling in and out of friendship along the way. Definitely one for romcom fans!
“So Declan was a childhood sweetheart?” asked Mark.
No, never. We became friends but stuff always happened which often led us to fall out over the years. Our first falling out was when we were thirteen…”
– L.M. Barrett, You, Me and Other Stuff
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
January 16, 2020
There’s an interesting idea at the heart of this story and two potentially compelling characters. Sarah and Declan are childhood friends, growing up together and falling in and out of friendship.
They argue, they ignore each other, they look out for each other, but then Sarah really lets Declan down, and neither are sure if this is a situation they can come back from.
There’s romance here, and heartbreak and the awkwardness and anxieties of growing up and finding out about yourself – all the ingredients for a great story.
Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t really do the story justice. The structure, with Sarah telling her story to a man she meets in a bar, and Declan telling his to a fellow hostage, Lisa, doesn’t really work. And some of the situations don’t ring true. The hostage situation is treated very lightly (perhaps it’s not a suitable situation for this genre) and Declan is hardly affected by it at all. Secondary characters are treated horribly by the two main characters which makes it hard to root for them. And the writing itself does need some tidying up.
There’s a great idea here, but it needs a bit of a polish.
They argue, they ignore each other, they look out for each other, but then Sarah really lets Declan down, and neither are sure if this is a situation they can come back from.
There’s romance here, and heartbreak and the awkwardness and anxieties of growing up and finding out about yourself – all the ingredients for a great story.
Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t really do the story justice. The structure, with Sarah telling her story to a man she meets in a bar, and Declan telling his to a fellow hostage, Lisa, doesn’t really work. And some of the situations don’t ring true. The hostage situation is treated very lightly (perhaps it’s not a suitable situation for this genre) and Declan is hardly affected by it at all. Secondary characters are treated horribly by the two main characters which makes it hard to root for them. And the writing itself does need some tidying up.
There’s a great idea here, but it needs a bit of a polish.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews