Still Me: A Novel (Me Before You Trilogy)

She's back! Both Lou and the author. After a lackluster second book in this series (really disappointing), we've got the old Louisa back with a new cast of memorable characters. I read this book in just three days. The second day (thank heavens it was a Saturday!) I read until 5:00 am that night/next morning because I just couldn't put the book down. Surprising, funny, poignant and endearing. This is the book I wanted after Me Before You. Louisa as a fish out of water is charming and her adventures are compelling. I don't find Sam to be an equal love interest to Will from the first book, he's kind of boring, but he does counter balance Louisa's more zany personality. As the book drew to a close, I grew to understand why Louisa was so fond of him. I truly hope there is a fourth installment in this series. There is so much more to explore with Lou in New York City. If you are looking for an absorbing read that will suck you in for hours at a time - don't hesitate - dive in to the further adventures of Louisa Clark. I'm so glad I did!

“Still Me” by Jojo Moyes is the continuing story of Louisa Clark. 3 ½ stars. We first meet Louisa in “Me Before You” when she takes a job working for Will Traynor, a young man that is wheelchair bound after a serious accident; a heartbreaking love story that will leave you in tears. “After You” is the next chapter of Louisa Clark’s story, of her discovering how you move on after losing the person you loved and finding love once again. “I think at some point, dear, you’re going to have to work out who Louisa Clark really is.” I think is one of my favorite lines from this book and embodies what “Still Me” is about. It is the final chapter (I hope) of Louisa Clark’s story as she embarks on a new life in NYC while still trying to maintain a relationship with Sam across the pond. Louisa learns that working for the superrich, Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes is demanding. She finds herself keeping secrets for Agnes, secrets that cause Louisa to be accused of thievery and the knowledge that Agnes is not going to come to her rescue. She also finds it is not easy to be in love with someone that lives thousands of miles away especially when you meet a young man that looks exactly like the 1st love of your life. I was a little apprehensive when I saw that Jojo Moyes doing a 3rd installment of this series. You Before Me just blew me away whereas After You felt disappointing. Still Me starts a little slow and at times a little frustrating to reading. Thankfully the last 1/3 of the book was delightful to read and see that Louisa Clark was back.

I should have known that I was going to ugly cry while reading Still Me since this makes the 8th Jojo Moyes book that I’ve read, and I’ve never been able to read one of her books without being an emotional mess! Moyes is so wonderful at tugging on her reader’s heartstrings, and no character does it better than lovely, sweet Louisa Clark! Lou is back for a 3rd time in Still Me, and I for one was thrilled to read about a character who I had grown to love so much in the first two books. I was also glad to reconnect with past characters, like her family (her parents always make me laugh) and the Traynors, that I’ve grown to love too! While I agree with many that After You was not as good as Me Before You (I did thoroughly enjoy book 2 even if I didn’t love it like I did book 1), I can’t say that about Still Me since I felt it was almost as good as the first (honestly, nothing can top Me Before You)! In Still Me, Lou is finally living up to the promise she made to Will to live boldly and say yes to new experiences. She’s left her family and her boyfriend, ambulance Sam, in England and moved to New York City to be an assistant…and secret keeper…to Agnes, the younger, second wife of the extremely wealthy Mr. Gopnik. “You always have one foot in two places. You can never be truly happy because, from the moment you leave, you are two selves, and wherever you are one half of you is always calling to the other. This is our price, Louisa. This is the cost of who we are.” Lou quickly finds out that it can be very lonely trying to figure out who you really are in a new place while the people you know and love the most are continuing to live their lives. She feels torn between what she wants in England, with Sam, and the life that she is making for herself in NYC. Who is Louisa Clark? It was so wonderful to see Lou grow and blossom in this book. Her journey to discover just who she really is and what she wants is poignant, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. She meets some unexpected people along the way who help her remember that she is still Lou but better and that remaining true to herself is the only path she knows how to take. Moyes writing, as usual, is superb and she brilliantly shows us the scenery of NYC, the parties, the crowded streets, and more. She is an author who makes me laugh and cry, and I did so much of both with Still Me since Moyes always seems to get Lou in the wildest situations! Moyes has definitely become an auto-buy author for me, so I can’t wait to see what she writes next! I love Lou, I truly do, and I hated saying goodbye to her, but I felt that Moyes gave her a happy ending, on her own terms which is all that I’ve ever wanted her to have. It was an utter joy to spend time with Lou one more time…Highly, highly recommended!

I just finished the Trilogy set and enjoyed each book in different ways. I recommend these books and must say I found the characters witty sometimes laughing out loud. Except for a few times I wished to be a fly on the wall.

Oh this book, like its two predecessors, gave me all of the feels. I was going to wait a bit to read this, but my life is in such a slump right now that I needed something redeeming and happy to read. I had hoped Still Me would deliver and I was not wrong at all. I laughed and cried throughout the entire book and I stayed in bed most of a Sunday morning to finish the last half. That’s been unheard of around my house here lately. I now have the worst of book hangovers. I loved Me Before You. I was so so on After You; I didn’t feel the same spark as Me Before You but still enjoyed it. Still Me has rekindled the flame I had for book one. I couldn’t put it down and I kept falling in love over and over with Lou and her chaotic adventures in New York City. Our Lou is as madcap as ever in this one! Like Lou, I fell in love with New York when I was there for a long weekend over a year ago now. There was something about it that leaves me aching to go back. I can’t put my finger on what it was exactly, but New York just hooks its claws inside of you and refuses to let go. Moyes’s New York was well drawn and, having stayed in a flat near Central Park myself, I can almost picture the Lavery and its rich, eccentric inhabitants. Moyes, as ever, does an amazing job with not just character development but with minor characters too. People like Ashok and his wife and the girls running the vintage clothes shop were so vivid and so well done without a lot of description or a ton of page time. Their personalities shined through and I almost felt as if I knew them. And I couldn’t help but be totally in love with Dean Martin (ha ha) by the end! This conclusion to Lou’s story was perfect, not to mention downright cinematic. I haven’t seen Me Before You yet (I don’t think I need the ugly tears right now) but I genuinely hope they turn Still Me into a film. The setting, people and moments would translate so well for the screen. I know Moyes isn’t planning for anymore novels about Lou, but even so I’m excited to see what she comes out with next.

Her books are fabulous! I love them and have read many. My only criticism is the over use of the phrase "you see". Unnecessary and a little irritating.

I really loved the continuation of Lou’s story and moving her to NYC. Was simply brilliant! It was so easy to identify with the dichotomy of coming from a working class family and navigating the rigorous high society world of NYC. The characters were richly drawn and it was wonderful to see how Lou navigated her way through this journey that Will had started her on, and how she finally came into her own!

I picked this book up while in the hospital recovering from a toe amputation. I knew I liked Jojo Moyes after having read The Girl You Left Behind, but for some reason I just couldn't get interested in it and chose binge-watching stupid TV instead. When I came home, I was in a much better place, both physically and mentally, and picked the book up again. At that point I started kicking myself in the butt for ever having put it down! Starting with the 3rd book in the trilogy wasn't the best way to acquaint myself with the characters , but the author made it as easy as possible for me to get to know them. And what wonderful characters they are! At the beginning I was terribly anti- Margot DeWitt and her yippy, yappy pug Dean Martin, but by the end she was my very favorite character. I loved running the gamut of emotions in this book, laughing out loud one page and wiping tears and snot the next. I think even a man might enjoy Still Me, and that says something about this book! I highly recommend it.