You and Me, Always by Jill Mansell

On the morning of Lily’s twenty-fifth birthday, it’s time to open the very last letter written to her by her beloved mother, who died when she was eight.

Learning more about the first and only real love of her mum’s life is a revelation. On the same day, Lily also meets Eddie Tessler, a man fleeing fame who just might have the ability to change her world in unimaginable ways. But her childhood friend Dan has his own reasons for not wanting Lily to get too carried away by Eddie’s attentions.

Before long, secrets begin to emerge and Lily’s friends and family become involved. In the beautiful Cotswold village of Stanton Langley, nothing will ever be the same again…

Thank you to Headline Review for sending me a copy of this book. I've been a fan of Jill Mansell's books for a long time, so I am always excited when a new one arrives. Every book I have read of hers is brilliantly written and even after so many books she still has the ability to get better and suck you in more and more with each one.

From reading the blurb I thought this book would be mainly based on the sadness surrounding Lily's mother's death and the last letter she was ever going to receive from her, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Of course it does have glimpses of sadness when we hear memories of Lily's mother, but the whole book has such a romance about it, it never makes us feel like we should be upset. Lily's mother died when she was eight years old and left her letters, one to open on her birthday each year, until she was 25, which she turns this year. On the same day, Lily meets famous actor Eddie Tessler who is hiding out in her best friends cottage. Straight away we get to learn about the main characters and a hint of which way the story might go. From this point, I was hooked.

All of the characters are perfect for the story. Lily is a kind, caring down to earth girl with a big heart. We learn how although not with her, Lily's mother plays a big part in her life and how the memory of her has shaped Lily into the woman she is today.
After learning more about Patsy and Coral I wished they were my best friends, their relationship with Lily is so heart-warming and the fact that they both took her under their wing after the loss of her mother, shows that family can be found anywhere.
Eddie is charming, kind and the perfect way for Lily to experience life differently, which is something she needs. Is something developing between her and Eddie? And why is her best friend, Dan, determined that she doesn't get in too deep with him?

This book is perfect for a warm summers day or a cold winter night. It is the kind of book that you can use to escape reality, wind down or if you need a bit of a pick me up. Full of laughs and romance, whether you have read a lot or none of Jill's books I can guarantee you will love this. If you haven't read a Jill Mansell book, I think this is the perfect one to start with as it will get you hooked and make you want to seek out more of her writing.

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