March’s book | You’re the One that I Want

*Warning: may contain spoilers*

Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob were always a tripod and never thought their friendship would break. You’re the One that I Want is written from the points of view of each of the characters, following their escapades and personal lives from the beginning of the friendship aged nine, to the age of 26 and the current day.

Growing up, Maddy was a tomboy and she was never overly friendly with groups of girls at school, but that didn’t matter as she had her two best friends – Ben and Rob – and they did everything together. From primary school days and climbing trees, to high school and the dramas that teenagers have, they were inseparable. But when university came calling, they soon went their separate ways and that’s when the secrets came. Maddy and Ben were together, while Rob was miles away. Well they do say love changes everything.

Maddy is left with one the toughest decisions – head or heart – when she falls for one of her best friends, only to eventually find out in dramatic fashion, the other has wanted her for a long time. Ben is a sensitive soul, too afraid to speak his mind, but has always loved Maddy – more than a friend and he even has a code for telling her so. But Maddy is none-the-wiser, so when she falls for Rob, Ben is crushed. Unfortunately, relationships are never easy, so of course the couple have their ups and downs. Being a long distance relationship while at uni, is the turning point, but they manage to get through those three years and Maddy agrees to marry him – with Ben as their best man. It wasn’t an easy decision to make and even on the day (where the novel begins and ends), she has mixed feelings – should she really go with it? Or will she change her mind? And will Ben really speak up about how he feels and put a stop to it?

The storyline had me hooked straight away and it’s one of those books impossible to put down. I loved how it jumped from one character to the next, so you’re constantly in their heads, but at the same time, almost feel like a fourth member of their group, finding out their secrets, thoughts and emotions. Parts of the plot even had me reminiscing; particularly the uni years and I found that I could even relate to the situations.

At the back of the book, there’s even a mini quiz so you can see which of the two boys you’re most suited to. Even though I definitely preferred Ben, I am apparently ‘Team Rob’. If you love chick lit and trashy romance novels, I’d thoroughly recommend You’re the one that I want. In fact, I loved Giovanna’s style of writing so much, I’m going to buy her debut Billy and Me and anticipate the release of her next novel!