This book.is such a perfect beach read for the summer. I just like to say the mental health rep and LGBTQ Rep is spot on. I love Lily she is such a go getter always wants to be involved with everything and get things done in an relate to that. This book is such a fast paced read I liked the POV from Lily and Tom but i would loved the POV from Gemma and the Other Chractures. I did get annoyed with Tom and Lily using surnames all the time that irritated me. I loved the mental health rep with Lilys mum and Tom if made Lily more vaunrable and with Tom's sister Sarha as well made Tom vaunrable as well. Plot was interesting trying to get a small town to accept differences was refreshing the adults were a bit mean and not very nice. I felt the book did need fleshing out. All in all a enjoyable read 4 stars.

#LilysJustFine from @GillStewart2 is a deceptively deep #UKYA romance about a girl who seemingly has it all & a boy with a chronically ill sister. Beginning of the #GallowayGirls series, I'm really enjoying it so far! Thanks @SweetCherryPub for the proof (out now!) https://t.co/34TTZxFXwt

A cute read that covers some serious topics most teens experience. Definitely recommend this to teenagers.

Sadly, I didn't manage to finish this one. I made it to the 15% mark and had to stop. I know that characters develop over time but Lily was such an abrasive, bossy, and bullying character that I couldn't stand it. Also, there's a real lack of depth in this book. We just seem to be flitting from plot point to plot point which drives me up the wall. There's no background and no time given for us to see who the characters are outside of plot points.

To be fair, I'm a Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Dystopian reader about 75% of the time with the remaining 25% being YA Contemporary so I don't spend a lot of time in this genre as a whole. So, maybe it's me more than the actual book itself. I'm very thankful that the publisher let me have an ARC of the book and don't want to seem unappreciative. I just couldn't manage to force myself through the book. Which is disappointing considering how short it is.

Again, I understand that the character I have such a problem with is probably going to develop during the story and become a much kinder and more relaxed person. I just don't want to spend my team reading something I won't enjoy when there are so many books out there.

Such an adorable and lighthearted YA book. Really loved the characters and the way the story was written from the perspective of two different characters. Also thought it was great that this book touched upon important subjects such as mental health and LGBT.

Good choice for a summer read. An interesting mix - it's a fluffy romance with some fire in its belly and doesn't shy away from tackling some important issues.

Lily's Just Fine is a fluffy summer romance starring Lily Hildebrand, the event orchestrator, and Tom Owen, the reluctant follower. At first I loved their banter and I thought I would become invested in the slow-burn romance, but eventually I began to think that if they spoke constantly of how annoying the other was, I would never believe the romance. I think the main storyline suffered from a lack of chemistry between Tom and Lily, and therefore the emotional stakes fell short of expectations.

Where the book shone was its side characters. Gemma, Lily and Tom's best friend, was relatable in her anxiety, and I loved her support of Lily and Tom. I think my favorite character was Sarah, Tom's little sister. She has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and I liked that she was included in the group regardless and that she got to be a person outside of her illness. (I would have loved to see representations of the art she drew for the gala as an extra in the back of the book!) Sarah was probably the most well-rounded character, and I read mostly for her scenes. Because she was supposed to be a secondary character, that actually becomes a problem.

The second most developed character was Lily, and I appreciated her can-do attitude and relentless energy, but I also felt that some plot points suffered because of her steam-roller personality, and that some of her actions should realistically have had more consequences, especially when other people had problems with her opinions. I struggled to believe some of the scenes.

Tom felt a bit two-dimensional at times, despite the fact that the POV was split between him and Lily. Many of his chapters were filled with his annoyance at Lily, which wasn't a great start to their romance.

I did like how the book featured mental health and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Lily's mom has depression, and despite how much Lily takes on outside her house, she still wants to help her mom get better. She also campaigns to add a Pride Parade to the gala parade to help her town be more inclusive. I liked the addition of the Gala King and the Queer Gala King and Queen as well as the town's more traditional solo Gala Queen that she proposed.
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Despite some of my issues with the romance, Lily's Just Fine is still a fun beach read for those seeking a light summer book. 3/5 stars.

I enjoyed reading this book, however it wasn’t something memorable. I found this to be another regular contemporary about teen problems. All the characters seemed to be regular with nothing special to make them stand out in my mind. Overall I liked the writing style and the story did talk about certain topics that are important and I really enjoyed that.

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.

While I dabble in YA books, it has been a while since I've read a book in this genre. I am glad I gave this story a chance, but it was not at all what I was expecting based on the provided synopsis. I appreciate that Gill Stewart incorporated some topics that have been more recently making their way into mainstream literature. Bringing to light not only the issue of mental illness and how it is not only visible was nice to read. Also, the integration of the characters challenging norms and empowering others by pushing for the integration of the LGBT community in the gala was included. My only hope was that there was more of an emphasis on the inclusion of the LGBT community instead of the relationship between Lily and Tom.

I didn’t really enjoy this, there was nothing wrong with the writing at all I just think it was aimed at a much younger target audience, although I enjoy YA this just felt far too young

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This was a cute YA book. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed reading it. I liked the writing style. I felt that there was so much going on with some of the minor characters, and some of that kind of came out of the blue and seemed random or that the author felt the need to get too many themes into this book. Thank you Netgalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for an arc of this title.

I wanted to read this book, because the title just really caught my attention. Also the cover seemed to be with a lot of summer vibes, so a perfect holiday read!
The writing style was a little bit unusual at first, but by the time I had read a few pages I also had get used to it. Lily was a character that was sympathic at first but then really changed to the negative side, because often she just was way too much and there were a few situations in which her behavior really annoyed me. Tom was the exact opposite of Lily. He was sometimes very cute and understandable but sometimes I just couldn't really follow his thoughts and the descisions he made.
The story was a little bit slow at first and then way too fast, because so many things happened in so less time and sometimes the author skipped some days without me realizing it at first.
But there is an important message in book, which was very suitable because I read this book during Pride Month.
All in all it's a book I expected more from and something different also, but maybe it's just me and some people will get along with Lily just fine (see what I did here???).
For me the characteres were just not my type of characters that I enjoy in books.
When you get along with the characters very well & like books with a summerish vibe, then I can definetly recommend this book to you, but I didn't quiet enjoy it.

DNF AT 37%

I am so sorry to say that I couldn't get into this book.

Lily was too enthusiastic of a character for me to relate to while Tom was too melancholic.
This book felt filled with a lot of extremes and so, I just couldn't read more than 40%.
The characters could have balanced each other out if written better but they seemed opposite in an unattractive way.

The writing style was pretty good but it couldn't keep me hooked and I sadly had to give up on this book.

I was able to make it a few chapters in, unfortunately I couldn't get into the book and haven't picked it up again. I will definitely give it another try at a later time.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review. All of my opinions are of my own personal views, and do not reflect on the talented author at all, but unfortunately for me, I just could not finish the book.

I struggled to connect with any of the characters on any level at all, and I actually disliked the main character in the book, Lily.

For me the story needed more angst, as it just felt that the storyline wasn’t actually going anywhere fast. I would get exited at some points during the read thinking that there would finally get to be something to sink my teeth into, yet it would never happen.

Again, my opinion in no way reflects upon the story or the author at all, as I feel that this book would be perfect for a younger teen/younger audience than my 37 years. This is why I did not think that the story deserved a lower rating than three.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A fluffy YA book that touched on important topics such as mental and physical health, and inclusivity.

It not only includes romance, but touches on friendship and family too. The main character, Lily, is strong-minded, which is something that isn't seen in a lot of YA contemporaries! The characters made this story grow on me, whilst keeping the plot light enough for a light read.

Rating: 4/5

(This review will feature on my blog on July 4!)

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.

Excellently written novel.
The characters, their progression, the plot, the emotions, the whole novel was very absorbing.
Funny and absolutely endearing to the reader. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.

A beautiful feel good book, it’s wonderfully written.
I enjoyed this book so much,
Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review