Maddy, dressed in white, stands at the back of the church. At the end of the aisle is Rob – the man she’s about to marry. Next to Rob is Ben – best man and the best friend any two people ever had.
And that’s the problem.
Because if it wasn’t Rob waiting for her at the altar, there’s a strong chance it would be Ben. Loyal and sensitive Ben has always kept his feelings to himself, but if he turned round and told Maddy she was making a mistake, would she listen? And would he be right?
Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob thought their bond was unbreakable. But love changes everything. Maddy has a choice to make but will she choose wisely? Her heart, and the hearts of the two best men she knows, depend on it…
I think it’s probably fair to say that when Giovanna Fletcher was sitting at her keyboard, finishing this one off, she wouldn’t have anticipated one of her early reviews being from someone in their late 50s. I think it’s also fair to say that this is a book aimed quite firmly at the younger end of the market, and for the first few pages I wondered how on earth I was going to identify with the three central characters who age from nine to 27 during the course of the book. But I really needn’t have worried – the author writes quite beautifully, the narrative flows and I had no difficulty at all identifying with those difficult first days at a new school or the growing pains of love.
This is a book that focuses totally on three main characters – Maddy, Robert and Ben. Growing up they are inseparable – known as “The Tripod”, the very closest of friends. Told from all three viewpoints, we see them progress through school, on to university and into young adulthood: it’s a wonderful story of friendship, love and support, until adult relationships come into play and everything gets thrown into turmoil. The dynamics between the three characters are superbly drawn, working in that difficult area between friendship and love, and my heart ached for each of them in turn as we saw developments through their eyes and felt all their fears, hurt, longing and the pain and joy of love. Don’t be put off if you’re not in the first flush of youth – this was a really lovely read that brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion.
You’re The One That I Want will be published by Penguin on 22 May in paperback and kindle editions. My thanks to netgalley and Penguin Books UK for my advance reading e-copy.
Giovanna Fletcher grew up in Essex with her Italian dad Mario, mum Kim, big sister Giorgina and little brother Mario, and spent most of her childhood talking to herself (it seems no one wanted to listen) or reading books. At thirteen she left Essex behind to attend the full-time Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she met her husband Tom Fletcher. Following SYTS she completed an acting BA (hons) at Rose Bruford – since then she’s been acting, chaperoning mini actors and dabbling in a spot of freelance journalism.
Giovanna is a firm believer in the power of magpies and positive energy. To see what makes Giovanna smile, view her blog or her Twitter page.
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Sounds like one to look out for!