Fans of Jojo Moyes, rejoice! Louisa Clark, the plucky heroine from Me Before You and After You, returns in Still Me. Following up from the plot in After You, Louisa has been contacted by her friend and former colleague Nathan, who also worked with Will in Me Before You, about the possibility of working for a wealthy family in New York.

Despite her newfound love with Ambulance Sam, Louisa needs a fresh perspective and an opportunity to let go of the past, so she agrees to the offer and proceeds to move from London to New York. And not just anywhere in New York, but to 5th Avenue, as the live-in assistant to Agnes, the immigrant (younger, second) wife of an American millionaire businessman.

There are fun parallels to The Devil Wears Prada as Louisa transitions to being a girl about the city, learning how to anticipate Agnes’ needs and helping her navigate obligations inherent with her posh lifestyle. But as her personal assistant, Louisa is also privy to family secrets and when her loyalty causes Agnes’ wealthy husband to question Louisa’s actions, the predictability of the book’s plot becomes less so. Louisa is now faced with the opportunity to reinvent herself again and have the opportunity to embrace her true love: vintage fashion.

As she explores New York City, it becomes a supporting character all on its own – Central Park, the neighborhoods, libraries, and diners she visits all enhance the overall atmosphere of the book.

The character of Louisa is entirely relatable to me with her desires of putting others ahead of herself, living a full and passionate life, and embracing her creative and quirky tendencies. She would definitely be the kind of gal I would want to befriend in real life.

As is typical of Moyes’ writing, she infuses “all the feels” into Still Me: sweetness, humor, longing, sadness, grief, courage, living life to the full, and, of course, love. For those who have loved this ongoing story line, Still Me is not to be missed.

My thanks to NetGalley for access to the digital ARC. https://www.netgalley.com/

Like checking in with an old friend to find out she's doing just fine. Great characters, a library story line that was pretty awesome, a dog, and Lou, figuring things out (finally, perhaps). Some of it was a little predictable, even bordering on sappy, ([ like the ending - a Hallmark movie moment for sure (hide spoiler)]) but as I teared up through those moments I realized they didn't bother me, they were lovely, as was this entire book.

Still Me by JoJo Moyes is the 3rd book in her Me Before You series. We once again get to follow Louisa (Lou) on a new adventure that takes her to New York. Her friend, Nathan, gets her a job being the assistant to the wife of a wealthy family (Gropniks). From the start, Lou is excited to arrive in New York City, and at is very bubbly and talkative when she is at the customs check point. Nothing changes for Lou, as she is as sweet and adorable as ever. Though she leaves her boyfriend, Sam behind in England for a year, she is very much looking forward to enjoying the sights and fun of NY.

Lou begins her job working for Agnes Gropnik, who wants Lou to go with her everywhere, even pretending to others that she is a friend. Agnes is a polish immigrant who marries the very rich, and lives in the world of high society; with Lou helping her to be more confident. Agnes will have Lou do things for her that will come back and haunt her later.

When given the chance to go home for a short visit, she catches Sam with another lady, and is destroyed by his betrayal. She refuses to talk to him, and goes back to NY quickly. Lou will meet a handsome young man (Joshua), who resembles Will (her ex who died), and together they form a friendship, that will eventually lead to an affair. Just when she makes friends, and is happy on the job, she is fired for something she did not do.
Luckily, she goes to the aid of an older woman next door to the Gropniks, who was rushed to the hospital after a fall. Lou will accept the lady’s request to stay at her house, and take care of the dog (Dean Martin lol), and in time the woman will come home and Lou will remain to take care of her too.

What follows is a story that has Lou going through various different emotions throughout. Her contentment with the first job, then the betrayal of Agnes and loss of job, then happiness working for the older woman, which also opens the door to learn more about fashion. We also get to see her relationship take a turn with Joshua, that make her realize that intermingling with the rich is not her; she does need to discover the real Louisa Clark.

Through her ups and downs, she will come to realize that she still truly loves Sam. Will Lou allow Sam back into her life and trust him? Will Lou stay in New York or go back home to England?

I did enjoy Still Me by JoJo Moyes, as it was a refreshing and continuous look at a wonderful heroine, who won our hearts way back in Me Before You. I do suggest that if you have not read this series, to start with the first book.

Still Me, by Jo Jo Moyes is a book that can be read on its own and loved. Not realizing this to be the third book in the Me Before You series, I had simply requested it though Net Galley because I like this Author and the book sounded good. I was not disappointed! I have not read the previous two books, but did love the Movie...now I must go back and read, Me Before You and After You.
Louisa Clark, still wanting to live life to the fullest, moves to NYC, to become an assistant to the second wife, Agnes Gopnik. They form a bond of friendship that breaks when Louisa is accused of stealing. Befriended by the other staff members and the grouchy neighbor across the hall, Louisa Clark finds a refuge and a true friend in Margot De Witt.
In her personal life Louisa has Sam, a paramedic. She and Sam met though a horrible accident. (Must read After You) Their relationship suffers long distance pains that are heartbreaking. When Louisa returns home for a funeral, Sam comes to gives his respects. After Lou returns to NYC Sam reaches out.
I don't want to give any more away, but ,be prepared to be swept away into this adventure.

I'll start this off by saying that I thought this series could have ended with Me Before You and I would have been OK. With that being said, it didn't end and we get to learn more about Louisa Clarke and how she is moving forward with her life. I'm happy where this went and feel like I can finally close the book on her.

In Still Me, Louisa has moved to New York City to embrace a new part of her life. She's thrown into the life of the elite, donned with upscale events and many elaborate things. It's easy to see that she is changing a bit. Being in a different country for any amount of time could do that to anyone. But she has Sam back in England and the two of them are finding out just how hard long distance relationships are.

There's a bit of angst in this story, which I always enjoy. My heart was constantly conflicted because all I wanted was for her to be happy. My favorite part, however, was watching Louisa finally discover who she is and who she's always meant to be. It's taken a long time for her to get to this point and it was much deserved.

Still Me provides the closure we needed along with some laughs, heartache and healing. There are also several interesting characters in this story that really help make it. I'm very happy I read it and I urge anyone that has read this series to make sure they don't miss this one.

I loved the first book about Louisa Clark, "Me Before You," I laughed, I cried and it was wonderful. Unfortunately I felt that "Still Me" did not contain the same magic as "Me Before You." I enjoyed reading about Louisa moving to New York and discovering a new city. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Louisa, her new employer and the other residents of the building. I ended up being more intrigued by the secondary characters (Mrs. DeWitt and Ashok) than I was about Louisa. These new characters had so much personality and untold stories that are only hinted at. I wish there was a book dedicated to Mrs. DeWitt and her fashion career! The whole story is about Louisa discovering herself and taking steps towards her new future. I enjoyed seeing how Louisa evolved and that is why I was bothered by the ending. The ending felt like a huge step backwards for Louisa. I felt that it lagged in some places and some of the plot line was predictable. While I didn't love the book, I did enjoy it.  Die hard fans of Jojo Moyes and Louisa Clark will enjoy this book.

*SPOILERS* aka My Rants

I really disliked that Louisa dates a Will lookalike. It came as no surprise when she discovered that he only looks like Will and does not have the same personality. Dating the wrong man can sometimes lead you to learn more about yourself. While Josh did help Louisa on her journey I felt that she could have gotten there another way.
I also hated the fact that Sam cheated on Louisa (even if it was more emotionally than anything else). I love the character Sam, he seemed so sweet and cheating seemed out of his character. It was also difficult to understand the explanation behind it (aka I was lonely, you opened something up in me). I felt it was a huge cop out to get Louisa to be single. I also don't like the fact that she ends up with him in the end, she's made so much progress on herself and that seems like a step backwards.
My last rant: Why does Agnes get to live happily ever after? Agnes she gets Louisa fired, has a secret daughter, has an affair and yet somehow gets everything she wants in the end.

Still Me is the third book in the Me Before You series by Jojo Moyes.

I did not like the second book of this series titled After You. Frankly, it was because I didn't care about Louisa Clark's life after losing her true love. But once I saw the movie adaptation of Me Before You, it brought the character to life. I anticipated reading this new release hoping it would renew my interest in the series.

Hmmm, not so much. Lou is still quirky and fun as ever. She is also still indecisive and sometimes flighty. Mixing in with New York high society has her torn between two worlds. Her boyfriend, Ambulance Sam, is still thousands of miles away. Then she meets Joshua Ryan who reminds her of the past. Where exactly does Lou and her heart belong?

Well before the end, I knew what the likely outcome would be. But my goodness it dragged getting there. It solidifies my original thought that there is no need for this to be a series. We were fine with just Me Before You. But for those like me who feel obligated to finish out a series, borrow it from your local public library when it is available.

Happy Early Pub Day, Jojo Moyes! Still Me will be available Tuesday, January 30.

LiteraryMarie

Continuing the story of Louisa Clark from Me Before You and After You, she is now living in New York City as the personal assistant to a billionaire's wife named Agatha while continuing her relationship with Sam the paramedic she met in After You who is still living in England. With everything going well it seems that Louisa is quite content but you know it won't last or else there wouldn't be any story. Moyes does a good job at creating tension for Louisa and how she balances the various threads of her life together. By now readers should know Louisa but Moyes also does an excellent job at developing the other characters. We get to learn about the different characters as story goes along. Readers who haven't read the two previous books learn just enough about what happened that they won't get lost. Louisa is a good natured protagonist whose upbeat optimism radiates the page. We get to see her fall in and out of love with New York City throughout the book. However, New York City does not feel like the real New York City. It seems like Moyes got her portrayal of the city from reading a few tourist guides and left it at that. She got the names right but the feel is totally wrong. There is one subplot in particular where it is obvious that she does not know New York. As a librarian who works in one of New York's library systems and was a user for much longer, the NYC library budget battle does not work the way it is depicted in the book. Overall, Still Me is an enjoyable story, with less romantic elements than its predecessors but Louisa Clark is still the same likeable character.

This is the third book in a series that started with Me Before You and then After You. Louisa is the heroine in all three books starting with her ill-fated romance with quadriplegic Will Treynor and then finding love with Sam the Ambulance man and in this book she throws herself into the NYC scene by taking a job as an assistant to a very wealthy NY socialite. She is finding it difficult to maintain her own identity when there are so many forces that seem to want her to reinvent herself. Through the ups and downs can her love affair with Sam survive?

Another page turner from Jojo Moyes. Louisa is every woman who has suffered tragedy and the determination to move forward. You will laugh and cry at the curves life throws at her but you will admire her fortitude. I highly recommend this standalone book but you will enjoy it more if you read the previous two books first.

This was a very enjoyable read. Louisa Clark is as engaging as ever. It is great to see her story evolve and to catch up with her family and friends back in England while she takes on a job in NYC. The modern NYC upstairs downstairs theme was fun and believable. Is your socialite boss really your new bestie?? Huh!

When I read the second book in this series, I was a little sad. When I found there was a third, I was thrilled and could not wait to read more about Louisa. Lou is like someone you want to be friends with. You care about her and want only the best for her after the bad things that have happened in her life. I loved this book and felt it was even better than the second. From the very beginning you are hooked and find yourself reading every chance you can get. I was so happy to hear about Lou in New York, and what her life was like in her new environment. She was a happier version of herself than last I saw her, and for that I was very pleased. Like I said, she is like a friend, and you want good things for her. Now that I have read the third, I hope for a fourth. I want to see what happens from here and how she grows even more. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

At the end of After You, Louisa decided to take a temporary job in New York with the wealthy Gopnik family. Now she is finally in there and ready for adventure but her new job isn't quite what she expected and neither is life in New York. She is sort of an assistant to Agnes who is lonely and rejected by the other society wives who hate her for replacing the first Mrs. Gopnik. Louisa's friend Nathan reminds her that the Gopniks are not like Will and his family. Agnes may call Louisa her friend but she really isn't. It is quite an adjustment for Lou to get used to both a new job and a new city. She also really misses Sam and it is so hard connecting with him across the miles.

I really enjoyed this sequel to After You. I liked it more than that book in fact. It doesn't have the same kind of emotional impact as Me Before You but I liked how Lou continued to grow as a character and really try to figure out who she is instead of being what others needed or wanted her to be. While she still misses Will so much it is nice to see her find happiness and future possibilities. There are some great secondary characters too and some unexpected friendships that developed. I was glad we got to see more of Lou's family as well. They can be such a hoot!

If you haven't read the first two books in the trilogy, I really recommend that you do so the story makes sense. I don't know if this is the last book about Louisa but if it is, I think the author left things in a great place.

This was not my favourite Louisa Clark book. I found it dragged in the middle and picked up only near the end.

Just finished "Still Me", the third installment by JoJo Moyes. "You and Me" first was fantastic while "Me after You" was average. "Still Me" was a fantastic follow-up! Continue the saga if you read the first!!

First line: It was the mustache that reminded me I was no longer in England: a solid, gray millipede firmly obscuring the man’s upper lip; a Village People mustache, a cowboy mustache, the miniature head of a broom that means business.

Summary: Louisa Clark is starting a new adventure. She is travelling to New York City to work as a personal assistant. However, the new job is not exactly what she had pictured. With a busy schedule of appointments and society events, she tries to balance work and her new relationship with Ambulance Sam, who is back in England. At one such social event, she runs into someone that reminds her of her past and changes her future.

Highlights: Jojo Moyes is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I have read several of her novels and enjoyed them all. She has a way of writing that makes you feel everything. I laughed at Louisa Skyping with Sam. I nearly cried at the end when she is deciding who she wants to be. I love the character of Louisa Clark. She is quirky. She is funny without always meaning to be. She is not afraid to be herself. She is kind, honest, and loyal. I loved her interactions with all the different people in the apartment building. She is a person I would like to be. A complete optimist. She may have a few sad times but she is always looking at the bright side. In addition, getting to know more about her family. This book gave so much more to the other two. It filled in spaces and brought closure to many of the plotlines.

Lowlights: The more I think about this while writing the more I realize how much I liked it. Nothing to complain about at all.

FYI: Must read Me Before You and After You before reading in order to understand the background and characters.

Fabulous book. Thoroughly loved. Highly recommend!

Review: Still Me by Jojo Moyes
This book is so good. As expected, parts of it made me laugh, made me furious, and made me cry.

I love Lou, so glad to return to her world and find out how she's doing, but part of this story infuriated me. I found myself thinking, all this time and she's learned nothing, she still lets people walk all over her, won't fight for what matters to her. This wasn't the life Will wanted for her, always putting other people's lives before her own. She's too nice, like pathetically self-destructively nice at one point. There were several times when bad things happened to her with regard to her relationship and her job and she just let them, did nothing to protect herself. I can't relate to that level of niceness, but, in the end, maybe her being nice is why things work out for her. Takes a very well written story and characters to make me feel so strongly about a book.

Things do eventually work out for her with regard to her relationship and her job.

In this story, Lou has taken a job in New York City, working as a personal assistant for a very wealthy man's new wife. (The wife reminded me of a rather well-known rich wife, and that bothered me because this was the last place where I wanted to be thinking about those people, but anyway. I imagine the description would apply to a lot of wealthy New York wives.) The couple is pretty awful and it upset me to see Lou in this position.

Also, Lou is still trying to maintain her relationship with "Ambulance Sam" and as you can imagine, that proves somewhat difficult. But this is Lou, and she makes things fun and interesting and sweet.

Overall, I loved the book. I imagine this is the last we'll hear of Lou, but I would gladly read more about it, because she really is a wonderful character.

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.

Be careful what you say yes to. Better advice is seldom given. This book starts out with Louisa on her journey to America. A new life. A new job. Leaving her boyfriend, her home, her family. As the story progresses, we are reunited with our favorite characters as well as invested in a new batch. Louisa is typical meddling Louisa, with her fashion sense and her open heart. Much like the other two books in this series, we follow her ups and downs, her victories and her losses and we wonder “now what has she gotten herself into?” All in all, an amazing book that once it got going, was extremely hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a reminder to enjoy life to its fullest and be thankful for the little things.

While I enjoy seeing Louisa Clark again, this one just felt strange. The letters from Will's time in New York feel awkwardly shoehorned in and the story almost felt like someone else's charmed life. Hopefully this will be the last chapter.