Review: You're the One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher

Title: You're the One That I Want
Author: Giovanna Fletcher
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: 22nd May 2014
Source: Purchased
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781405909976
Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Maddy, Ben and Robert have been inseparable since they met in the school playground. They've stuck together through thick and thin, feeling safe in the knowledge that they have each other.

So when Ben falls hopelessly in love with Maddy, he decides to keep it quiet for the sake of their friendship. Until Robert swoops in and kisses Maddy - irrevocably fracturing things between the three of them, as a kiss turns to love.

But when Robert and Maddy's love turns sour, can Ben continue to say nothing? And can Maddy choose between her two best friends?

You're the One That I Want is another book that has been sitting on my Kindle since I bought it upon release after seeing my fellow bloggers writing about how good it was. I saw it staring at me on my Kindle a few hours ago, started reading and didn't look back until the end. I went into this book thinking I would like it, I loved it. Stories where there's a love triangle aren't the most original, and are in actual fact quite commonplace in this genre, but the way in which the love triangle is told in this book was original and I could totally relate to it and was reminded of my own life many times when I started reading.

The book opens with Maddy about to get married to her best friend Robert. Robert's best man is Ben who just so happens to also be best friends with Maddy and Robert. Maddy experiences doubts, and finds herself wishing that Ben would speak up and stop the wedding. When he doesn't however the vows are about to begin.... and we go back in time to when Robert and Ben first met Maddy which was almost like reading about my own life as Maddy's introduction to the pair was like when me and my best friend at the time first met a certain new girl at school. Robert is the more confident of the two, and the type of boy that girls almost always choose with Ben being the boy girls usually choose to cry on the shoulder of, which is so believable as these two types of boys are often friends! I loved following their friendship in the beginning, which was playful and innocent and just, 'nice'. Well, then puberty hits and the story really gets going. Following the best friends throughout their teenage years was scarily like my own relationship with my best friend that I became totally consumed by the book, and had no intention of putting it down until I reached its conclusion.

It has been a long time since a book played with my emotions as much as this one. In the beginning I was totally on Ben's side, and hoping he would get the happy ever after he wanted (despite wishing he would at times man up, and speak up). Just when he is about to however, Robert - not knowing about Ben's love for Maddy - swoops in and kisses her in Paris, and so their friendship becomes a lot more, much to the dismay of Ben. I think it was easier for me to be on Ben's side as we don't actually hear from Robert, just Ben and Maddy so despite Robert at times being painted as the bad guy, and me not liking him at times, it would have been interesting to read his side of things. Maddy was also a strange one, and a character that did annoy me at times with the way she almost began playing the two of them off against each other. I wanted Ben to find a partner of his own, making Maddy extremely jealous in the process (it's the evil in me). The one thing that always shined through though was the friendship of the three characters, it was believable, heartwarming and realistic, causing further debate about whether men and women can ever just be friends. Giovanna is a fantastic storyteller in the way that one minute she had me convinced something was going to happen, only for the opposite to then go and happen!

Being on Team Ben for the majority of the book meant I wasn't prepared to actually become confused partway through the book when I couldn't decide between the two. I almost wished Maddy could become two people, thus allowing them all to have their happy ever after. Robert does something totally unexpected which really endeared me to him, and again left me torn over who I wanted Maddy to end up with. Despite at times finding certain parts of the story a little contrived and predictable, for the most part I couldn't read quick enough as I was desperate to find out how the story would end. Towards the end of the book I knew exactly where I wanted it to go, and how I wanted the story to end, and I can't really say whether I got that ending without ruining it for people reading this review but, oh I'm going to have to don't keep reading unless you've read the book: I loved the ending, even though it wasn't the one that I wanted or expected, I completely understood the message that it was sending and loved that the three characters did find happiness, and remained friends in the end. I did feel though that after a wonderful build-up, it was all a little bit rushed towards the end. As for the final line, I do love a book that leaves us guessing about the future. I truly, truly loved this book and can't recommend it enough. Giovanna is definitely an author I'll be reading more of in the future.

My fellow bloggers loved this book, and some of my favourite reviews came from Jess Hearts Books, Becca's Books and of course the King of Chick Lit (Kev), I Heart... Chick Lit. 

4.5/5