Review ~ Hopelessly Devoted to You by Jill Steeples.

Title: Hopelessly Devoted to You.
Author: Jill Steeples.
Publisher: Carina.
Genre: Contemporary Romance.
Publication Date: August 14, 2014.
Source: Netgalley.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Purchase: Amazon UK

Meet Ruby’s fiancé, Finn. He’s gorgeous, thoughtful, successful and adoring – pretty much anyone could ever want in a man.

In fact, he’s perfect. The catch? He’s just not perfect for her. But when Ruby finally plucks up the courage to come clean, Finn’s so furious that he misses his footing as he runs down the stairs – and suddenly, it’s not just his heart that’s broken!

When Finn wakes up, he can’t remember a thing. Not that Ruby dumped him – not even that they were ever engaged! It’s on the tip of Ruby’s tongue to come clean, but somehow, it never seems to be the right time... And as the weeks pass, she sees a new side to Finn. Arrogant and a shameless flirt, he’s irresistibly bad, and the chemistry between them is explosive!

It’s not that Ruby’s lying… she’s just withholding the truth. And seeing as things are going so well, perhaps there’s no need for Finn to have his memory jogged… The trouble is, there’s every chance that Finn might remember for himself!

Hopelessly Devoted to You is quite an original contemporary romance novel, with a beautiful cover and an interesting story to go with. It’s the first Jill Steeples book I’ve read and I loved her fresh, bubbly writing which keeps the story entertaining and the plot here was really fascinating. The main character Ruby’s wedding to her perfect fiancé is quickly approaching and whilst Finn is the guy so many women would consider themselves lucky to marry, Ruby is trying to gain the courage to break it off as she’s not in love with him. As she finally breaks the news to Finn, an argument ensues followed by Finn tripping down the stairs, ending up in a coma which results in a change of personality and the kind of memory loss, when he wakes up, that sees him forgetting all about their last conversation. The author writes some thought-provoking themes in a fairly light-hearted, amusing manner which is the reason why I read this book in less than a day.

I had mixed feelings on this book and even writing this review almost a week after finishing it, I’m still not that sure what I think about it. I really liked the beginning. When we meet Ruby, she’s contemplating breaking up with Finn and her indecisiveness was kind of comical and I thought she’d be a character I’d really connect with. However, I soon began to find her indecisiveness turn to cowardice and though I’m sure she meant no harm, to leave it this late to tell her husband-to-be she has never been in love with him, felt harsh and unfair. Once Finn wakes from his coma, with no knowledge of what Ruby had previously told him, her feelings towards Finn appeared to change and I found her panic at the prospect of him remembering funny to read and whilst I didn’t really like her character, I still found this book a really easy read.

I genuinely liked the sound of the concept, else I wouldn’t have chosen to read it, but I’m just not so sure how I felt about it after I’d read it. Finn seemed purely lovely and okay, that should never be the basis for a marriage if you’re not in love with them, but I couldn’t really buy into Ruby feeling more for Finn after his fall down the stairs, when he was rude and cutting and honestly a bit of an arse. Sure, she liked his new accent but how she could like his personality with an attitude like that, I just didn’t understand. Maybe it’s just me but I didn’t really get it – if I was going to break up with someone and then I kind of caused them to end up in hospital, yes I’d feel guilty but the moment they started acting the way Finn did, I really don’t think I’d stick around, let alone think maybe there is a future there. It’s not that I disliked the author’s writing (actually, I’ve since bought one of her previous books), but I just could not understand either character’s motives or see how a chance at a relationship for them both should even have been considered. I didn’t understand the sudden change in feelings and I much preferred reading nice Finn.

The issue with actually rating and reviewing Hopelessly Devoted to You is that whilst I was not keen on the way the concept worked, I still really enjoyed reading the book. It was an effortless read and a unique story that was difficult to stop reading – I don’t think I ever did, in fact, not until the end. I liked the beginning and in a strange kind of way which doesn’t really make sense considering my feelings on the main story, I enjoyed the end too. It did get better for me, especially when it became a little tense waiting to see if Finn’s memory of that event would come back or if Ruby was going to get the kind of ending she was hoping for. Hopelessly Devoted to You is a fun story filled with twists and a little bit of suspense. The two main characters will leave an impression on you, whether it’s a good or a bad one, and the book provides a charming, captivating turn of events that will ultimately have you questioning what you would do in their position.




Review also posted on Goodreads | Amazon UK