Just The Way You Are

by Lynsey James

‘If you can’t wait for a little more warmth this summer, get reading Just The Way You Are, and you’ll have all the sunshine you need.' – Lisa Dickenson, author of The Twelve Dates of Christmas, You Had Me at Merlot and Catch Me If You Cannes

A laugh-out-loud treat for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Lindsey Kelk and Giovanna Fletcher

Dear Ava,
How do you start writing a letter to someone, six years after breaking their heart?

Ava is unlucky in love as well as in life. The new office bitch has landed the dating column Ava wanted, and she can't remember the last time she had a second date. It's a good thing she has best friends Max and Gwen to pick up the pieces.

Deep down, Ava knows the reason why one date never turns into two – she's in love with someone else. Someone she's never even met.

It all started six years ago, with a letter from a secret admirer, Mr Writer… but then they suddenly stopped and Ava was heartbroken.

Now the letters have started again and Ava knows it could mean winning back the dating column at work. This time she's determined to unmask Mr Writer… and find out once and for all if he's Mr Right or Mr Very Definitely Wrong!

Don’t miss the new unforgettable romance from Lynsey James – The Broken Hearts Book Club – out now!

Praise for Lynsey James

'… I loved that Lynsey made me so invested in the characters – not just Ava, all of them. They all have their quirks and their flaws; they made me laugh, they made me cry and they made me want to scream at my Kindle. That marks the sign of fantastically real characters.' – Jenny in Neverland

‘A feel-good…contemporary romance with a difference. Lynsey’s writing style kept me captivated, right to the very end.’ – Reviewed the Book

‘Just the Way You Are is one of those books which shows if you find love, or are secretly in love then shout it out loud, fight for it, and never let it go… It's a beautiful little story with an ending that was sublime.’ – Book Addict Shaun

‘a breath of fresh air. Lynsey James has a flare for writing captivating characters, and has produced a wonderful debut novel.’ – Into the Bookcase

• ISBN13: 9781474033596
• Publish Date: 8 May 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HQ Digital
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[Leah]

My love of Chick Lit has been waning in recent months, but every now and then, I like to pick up a Chick Lit read and remind myself of some of the good times. After all, some of my favourite authors still write Chick Lit novels and as long as I don’t overdose on Chick Lit, I’m good. One novel that caught my eye was Just The Way You Are by Lynsey James. I heard about it a little while ago and it sounded fantastic, and just a teensy little bit like Lucy Robinson’s outstanding A Passionate Love Affair With A Total Stranger.

I love books with real letters in them, especially love letters! And Ava is a girl who’s received a lot of love letters, all from the mysterious Mr Writer (who, actually, wasn’t all the mysterious and whose identity I guessed pretty darn quick). I actually didn’t mind that I knew who Mr Writer was. I mean, it’s actually blindingly, glaringly obvious, and there was a small part of me that wondered just how Ava was so oblivious (but, then again, she did think it was Bradley Cooper ;)). The letters were actually one of my favourite parts of the novel, because they were just so fun and romantic, and I just knew that if Mr Writer ever did get up the nerve to reveal himself, it would be the start to one of the greatest love stories ever told. And considering there’s ANOTHER pretty epic love story (that of Leo and Ivy, sigh) in Just The Way You Are, that’s saying something.

Lynsey is such a talented writer. I really, really enjoyed getting to know Ava. She’s the kinda girl I could be friends with. And that’s what I love in a heroine, I want someone I could imagine myself having a drink and a chat with. I loved her best friend, Max, too. Though is it wrong I initially thought he was gay? I’ve read too much Chick Lit; thankfully, he wasn’t, he had a girlfriend Amira, and he was just lovely. And I really, really want him to cook me one of his chicken stir fries, please?

Probably my only issue in the novel was the flip-flopping of Gwen, Ava’s “best friend”, who made me cover my eyes at times at her harsh, brutal words. Words I’d expect to have heard from Ava’s enemy, whose name escapes me, but who also flip-flopped from awful to kind. I’m never a fan of characters who’s personalities wildly change within seconds and both Gwen and enemy-with-the-name-M were culpable of that. Missy? Megan? Jesus, I literally just finished the book *holds head in hands*

Overall, I really enjoyed Just The Way You Are. It was such a cute, delightful read, and after seeing Lynsey’s love letter to Miranda Dickinson over on Novelicious a week or so ago, they do write in a very similar (delightful!) way. I can’t wait to see what she does next, as this one will have tons of fans with it’s delightful plot and charming characters!