”He was a thing of wonder, my boy, with chubby limbs and a perplexed expression as he blinked his eyes and unscrunched his little face as the midwife put him in my arms.”

It took me forever to get to this book. I downloaded it from Libby (https://meet.libbyapp.com/) and then kept renewing it. (This is one of my favorite features of this app. If no one else wants it, I can renew a book over and over.) What I don’t understand is why no one else wanted to read this delightful novel. I should have had to place it on hold and wait for others to finish.

Yes, there is pain in this book. Jessica is rearing her son on her own because Adam, her boyfriend, couldn’t even show up for William’s birth. Jessica’s dad is an alcoholic and, of course that caused some pain. Lastly, her mother is dying of a debilitating disease. All of this may make a reader leery of this story. However, there is pain in living and that is what Jessica, William, Adam and all the other characters are doing. The storyline may seem a bit hard to deal with, but the novel resolves with a mostly happy ending.

Maybe it has to do with the other books I was reading at the time. Or maybe I am just susceptible to a well told melodrama. Whatever, once I sat down with this story, I was able to suspend my disbelief and root for everyone to be happy at the end. I am so glad that Isaac gave me what I was hoping for.

This does not quite fit my definition of a romance novel, but there is love and happiness. If that is what you like to find in your reading, try this book. Maybe it is languishing on your public library’s Libby account, just waiting for you.

Beautiful, emotional story about life and love and never taking anything or anyone for granted.

Enjoyed this book quite a bit. There was underlying sorrow throughout, and the ending was sad but not devastating.

You Me Everything is a sweet and surprisingly down-to-earth story about a single mother, her ten-year-old son, and unexpected second chances.

Jess spent a good part of her relationship with Adam feeling let down by him, and his failure to arrive at the hospital for his son's birth was the last straw. Now, ten years later, Jess travels to France with William to ensure that the distant relationship between father and son has a chance to finally turn into something real. Jess expects little from Adam for herself, having been burned by his thoughtlessness so many times before, but she's adamant that he finally step up and become a real presence in their son's life.

The setting is gorgeous, full of fancy food, beautiful landscapes, endless sun, and great wine. William thrives, and is even willing to put down the IPad once in a while in pursuit of adventure with his dad.

At first glance, I was afraid this would be one of those chick-lit books filled with pretty people in pretty places doing pretty things, but without a whole lot of substance beyond that. Fortunately, my first impressions were wrong.

You Me Everything has deep feeling at its heart. I don't want to reveal too much here, so I'll just share that there's a reason why Jess's parents push her to spend the summer giving Adam a new chance with his son, and a reason why she agrees. The book has some real sorrow in it, but it also manages to be life-affirming and hopeful. Adam and Jess's past is complicated and not without plenty of fault to go around -- mostly, but not exclusively Adam's. There's hurt and miscommunication and some bad times to get past, but as we see through Jess's memories of their earlier years, Adam was not always a selfish jerk, and they did truly love each other at one point.

The writing conveys the characters' emotional states while maintaining a sense of fun and good humor, even in the more serious and difficult moments. Jess is a terrific lead character -- a devoted mother and daughter, a good friend, and a woman who strives to do the smart and sensible thing. While I thought Adam was worthless at the beginning, we grow to learn more about him, his childhood, and what's in his heart, so I couldn't help warming to him over the course of the book. There are some funny scenes that depict parenthood in all its messy, occasionally infuriating, often exhausting glory. And the dynamics between the family members and associated friends who come together throughout the story are priceless.

I ended up really enjoying You Me Everything, and tore my way through the book in about a day and a half. Once I started, I just didn't want to start. This book is the author's US debut -- I'd definitely want to read more of her work.

Very nice settings and story. However it gets a bit bleak in the middle, which makes it hard to keep enjoying. Although, the ending tied all the knots together even though it took some time to get there.

Mostly set in France, this story of a woman and the father of her son gave emotional wallop after wallop. I really liked the way Isaac tells a story, fleshes out her characters, and weaves everything together.

This was a lovely holiday read. Hits on some tough topics while still keeping it on the light side. A wonderful story of determination in a time of struggle, showing that love and family can help you through.

Catching Up...

This is a story about family and relationships.

It's a book about lost love, paternal love, the love between mother and daughter, and the love that runs through the veins of a family.

It is a love story on so many different levels.

This book is just so incredibly gorgeous. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with all of the characters.

I couldn't focus on anything else while I read this book.

And...

That is not typical for me!

This is such a delightful read. The writing is beautiful, lyrical and so very down to earth. You probably can guess that I highly recommend it.