From Notting Hill to New York . . . Actually (The Notting Hill)

by Ali McNamara

[Leah]

When I read Ali McNamara’s debut novel From Notting Hill With Love… Actually a few years ago, it quickly became a firm favourite. It had everything that I love about the genre, all in one book, with characters you adore, and the best bit? It featured some of the most amazing movie scenes you could dream of. But when I heard about the sequel From Notting Hill To New York… Actually, I was a bit surprised and worried. See, I love books. I love books in a series, but sometimes a sequel can completely ruin the previous book (if you don’t believe me, go read my review for It Happened In Paris & It Happened In Venice) and I didn’t really like the idea of McNamara messing with Scarlett and Sean’s relationship. I like my characters happy, and I don’t want them put through extra angst or pain just for a sequel. So I’ve been putting off reading it. Until book three was announced, and I couldn’t put it off any longer…

If there’s one thing that’s been proven to me after finishing From Notting Hill To New York… Actually, it’s that I must eat my words. I’ve been sitting here for a good 20 minutes, with a dreamy smile on my face, because if I thought the ending of From Notting Hill With Love… Actually was good, the ending of From Notting Hill To New York… Actually was a million times better. The type of soppy ending I adore. That gives me butterflies in my belly, and should absolutely be a film scene, because it’s just that good. Even if I had hated the rest of the book (which I didn’t), those last twenty pages would still have had me giddy as a goose. I actually think it’s my favourite ever book ending, ever. Ever, ever, ever. I literally have no idea how Ali is going to top that ending in From Notting Hill With Four Weddings… Actually. No idea. I wish her luck and I hope for the best (she’s actually already written it, and it’s sitting on my Kindle so we’ll see fairly shortly how it fairs).

From Notting Hill To New York… Actually sees us meeting up with Sean and Scarlett again as they’ve settled into their relationship and although it is settled, Scarlett’s feeling antsy (which made me anxious) and so, because Sean is the most perfect boyfriend ever, he suggests Scarlett takes a trip to see her dad in New York, and because Scarlett is incapable of going anywhere with Oscar, he tags along for the ride, too. Scarlett is also a magnet for trouble (thankfully not in an annoying way, in an endearing can-y0u-believe-it eye-roll kinda way) and New York turns into more of a trip than she expected, with sailors (yay for fleet week), and ends up making friends with a TV pair – Jamie and cameraman Max (who I totally pictured as Max from Catfish, OBVS). Despite my worries, From Notting Hill To New York… Actually was an absolute riot from start to finish. Scarlett gets herself into all kinds of scrapes, but it’s in a Becky Bloomwood way which I love and lap up (though not as silly as Becky, nor as shoppy).

What I probably liked most of all was that despite the massive Sean-shaped hole (seriously, we don’t even see phone calles between the pair – I was missing Sean), McNamara didn’t go where I expected her to. In other words, I quite expected Scarlett to fall in love with someone else, or similar, and that’s what I was most terrified about when thinking of reading the book, but McNamara stays true to her couple, and while Jamie does offer an intriguing connection, it never goes too far, which made me a VERY happy bunny. I loved seeing all of the sights from Scarlett’s perspective – the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Tiffany’s, Central Park…. It was delightful. I dream of visiting New York, and getting to read about it in a book is most definitely the next best thing, particularly when it’s written by such a fantastic writer. The celebrity cameos were amusing, and it thankfully was not Gosling, because McNamara much prefers a bit of Bradley Cooper ;)

There were a couple of instances where I was a bit annoyed at Scarlett this time around – her life is great, and she still complains, which is irritating, like when her Dad isn’t in NY to greet her, because he’s away on business; or when Oscar decides to go see his sister while he can. It just showed a different side to Scarlett, and it was unexpected, and quite unpleasant. But for the most part she was just as loveable as was first time around. I was so glad I loved the novel so much. From Notting Hill To New York… Actually was just as good, if not slightly better than From Notting Hill With Love… Actually. The ending, I just can’t get over that ending! It’s left my starry-eyed, and wishing for my very own ending like that. Sigh. I’d recommend you read it just for the ending, but there’s also a lot of other great stuff in there too. Plenty of new twists and turns for Scarlett to navigate, and some nice surprises (it’s always nice when a surprise is something nice…). My love for Ali McNamara continues, and I can’t wait to dive headfirst into From Notting Hill With Four Weddings… Actually. I can’t wait to see what kind of ending she has in store with us for that one, to see if it can top this one…