While I dabble in YA books, it has been a while since I've read a book in this genre. I am glad I gave this story a chance, but it was not at all what I was expecting based on the provided synopsis. I appreciate that Gill Stewart incorporated some topics that have been more recently making their way into mainstream literature. Bringing to light not only the issue of mental illness and how it is not only visible was nice to read. Also, the integration of the characters challenging norms and empowering others by pushing for the integration of the LGBT community in the gala was included. My only hope was that there was more of an emphasis on the inclusion of the LGBT community instead of the relationship between Lily and Tom.

I didn't finish reading this book as the audience for it was aimed a little younger than I was anticipating. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem but I wasn't captivated enough to read through the entire thing. That said, it was a really cute read and I think for younger girls this would be an empowering story and one I would certainly share with my niece.

I didn’t really enjoy this, there was nothing wrong with the writing at all I just think it was aimed at a much younger target audience, although I enjoy YA this just felt far too young

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This was a cute YA book. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed reading it. I liked the writing style. I felt that there was so much going on with some of the minor characters, and some of that kind of came out of the blue and seemed random or that the author felt the need to get too many themes into this book. Thank you Netgalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for an arc of this title.

I wanted to read this book, because the title just really caught my attention. Also the cover seemed to be with a lot of summer vibes, so a perfect holiday read!
The writing style was a little bit unusual at first, but by the time I had read a few pages I also had get used to it. Lily was a character that was sympathic at first but then really changed to the negative side, because often she just was way too much and there were a few situations in which her behavior really annoyed me. Tom was the exact opposite of Lily. He was sometimes very cute and understandable but sometimes I just couldn't really follow his thoughts and the descisions he made.
The story was a little bit slow at first and then way too fast, because so many things happened in so less time and sometimes the author skipped some days without me realizing it at first.
But there is an important message in book, which was very suitable because I read this book during Pride Month.
All in all it's a book I expected more from and something different also, but maybe it's just me and some people will get along with Lily just fine (see what I did here???).
For me the characteres were just not my type of characters that I enjoy in books.
When you get along with the characters very well & like books with a summerish vibe, then I can definetly recommend this book to you, but I didn't quiet enjoy it.

DNF AT 37%

I am so sorry to say that I couldn't get into this book.

Lily was too enthusiastic of a character for me to relate to while Tom was too melancholic.
This book felt filled with a lot of extremes and so, I just couldn't read more than 40%.
The characters could have balanced each other out if written better but they seemed opposite in an unattractive way.

The writing style was pretty good but it couldn't keep me hooked and I sadly had to give up on this book.

DNFed I just could not get into this book. The writing was not for me. I tried on multiple occasions to pick this up and I seem to only get 20ish pages in before I have to put it down.

*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a quite a quick and easy read. There was some depiction of mental illness, as alluded to in the synopsis by the mention of Lily's mother's 'apathy' and the conservative nature of many small towns especially in regards to LGBTQI rights. The small-minded nature of the town was represented well however I felt that Lily's mother's diagnosis was quite obvious as she had classical symptoms and there is a lot more awareness about mental health issues in this day and age. The depiction of Sarah and her illness was quite good and she was a well developed character. On the other hand however, I feel like Tom's character was underdeveloped with much of the book focused on developing Lily's and Sarah's characters. Although Lily's character did develop somewhat, I found that she was sometimes hard to connect to as a main character and in some points I was reading to find out more about Sarah rather than caring about Lily.

I enjoyed Tom and Lily's relationship and how it unfolded. I particularly liked how Tom was supportive and respectful of Lily but also wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

Overall, This was quite a light read that dealt with some important issues including mental illness and acceptance of the LGBQTI community.

It's a cute read for summer. Lily's life is not perfect, far from this, but she doesn't complain much about it.
For those wanting to read it because it's in the lgbt category, it's not a major part of the book and not the main character so yeah don't read it for this.

I was able to make it a few chapters in, unfortunately I couldn't get into the book and haven't picked it up again. I will definitely give it another try at a later time.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review. All of my opinions are of my own personal views, and do not reflect on the talented author at all, but unfortunately for me, I just could not finish the book.

I struggled to connect with any of the characters on any level at all, and I actually disliked the main character in the book, Lily.

For me the story needed more angst, as it just felt that the storyline wasn’t actually going anywhere fast. I would get exited at some points during the read thinking that there would finally get to be something to sink my teeth into, yet it would never happen.

Again, my opinion in no way reflects upon the story or the author at all, as I feel that this book would be perfect for a younger teen/younger audience than my 37 years. This is why I did not think that the story deserved a lower rating than three.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A fluffy YA book that touched on important topics such as mental and physical health, and inclusivity.

It not only includes romance, but touches on friendship and family too. The main character, Lily, is strong-minded, which is something that isn't seen in a lot of YA contemporaries! The characters made this story grow on me, whilst keeping the plot light enough for a light read.

Rating: 4/5

(This review will feature on my blog on July 4!)

I was given this ARC by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinions. I read this ARC pretty quickly as it was an easy and enjoyable read. The first thing which brought my attention to this book was its colourful and eye-grabbing cover. Sometimes it pays off to read a book based on a cover! I rated this book 4/5 stars Iver all as it was a great read, had a very thought out plot and likable characters. However I did find it predictable and from around the first fifty pages of the book I had a good idea what may in happen. This book does deal with some strong issues in society today such as mental health and chronic illness, showing the reader just how tough and debilitating a life with either of these issues reallyy can be. I feel like it is a book most people would resonate with in some way and therefore I would strongly recommend for anyone to read “Lily’s Just Fine”.

“Lily’s like a force of nature isn’t she?” This quote from the book really sums up the main protagonist Lily. She is yout perfect girl. She has the perfect life, perfect boyfriend and what may be considered a very desirable life. However, that is only to the outsider looking in. Lily has major issues of her own to deal with, such as a mother with severe depresssion, a father who Is too busy with work to spend time at home and two siblings who she only sees as holidays or when something goes wrong. Lily is left to combat life on her own. However, Lily does love to have control over situations and when that grip on control seems ot loosen, so does Lily’s idea of what she is going to do in life. Early in the book, Lily’s somewhat perfect boyfriend dumps her at Prom. But, Lily is not one to show her emotions. So, she agrees that it is best and throws herself into some new work at home, planning a regatta ball. Enlisting the help of her friend Gemma and her neighbour, Tom.

Lily, Gemma and Tom work together through the summer ot plan the perfect event to be held in August. There is just one small problem, Tom’s sister Sarah has a chronic illness and Tom has to be there for her as much a she can. He even allows Sarah to help with the preparing of the event. Tom is your typical shy, quiet but good guy. One of the few it may be argued. Throughout the summer he warms tot he idea of socialising and helping Lily with the event. He continues to balance this with looking after his little sister. However, the more time the pair spend together, the harder it gets to ignore the igniting flame between them. The story develops into a feel good summer romance alongside a thickening plot line including downfalls for Sarah’s illness and Lily’s mother.

Overall this book is an enjoyable, heart pulling and thought provoking read. It is suitable for a lot of people as I feel we all can relate to it in one way or another. It does deal with mental illness and chronic illness. If you’re looking for a new book, I suggest you look at this. Again, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Excellently written novel.
The characters, their progression, the plot, the emotions, the whole novel was very absorbing.
Funny and absolutely endearing to the reader. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.

A beautiful feel good book, it’s wonderfully written.
I enjoyed this book so much,
Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

This is a teen “beach read” with some depth to it. It discusses topics such as depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. I think teens will be able to connect with these characters and some serious issues, while also escaping into a sweet, heartwarming story.

This book would be ideal for teenagers aged 13+, wanting a light and easy read for over the summer. But where I am at currently with my reading preferences, this just didn't hit the mark for me and I'm DNFing at 50%. This was something that I thought about for over a week. If this was 13 year old me, I probably would have enjoyed this and can see how it would be enjoyable.

There were main issues that have led me to DNF are:
1. Lily.
2. The building of the 'relationship'.

Lily.
She's a super controlling character to the point where she micro-manages every little last detail. Sure, she's strong, independent, likes to get stuff done - but it was taken to a whole new level. Coercing school mates to join this event. Then takes over the event. Then gives those school mates jobs for the entirety of the summer without ever asking if it's okay, when they're available, do they even want to do it... She's also super oblivious to her mothers depression (whether this is the author making a statement about ignoring other's illnesses, etc, I don't know) it just annoyed me.
Of course, with all this I was super intrigued to see her character arc and how she'd change over the course of the novel, but... yeah.

My other issue is the 'romance' between Lily and Tom. It's a given they were going to have something. I wished there had been a build up. They're still part ignoring each other, still getting annoyed by each other when they kiss. And then right after their kiss they are both like, "I've liked him/her for so long now, she/he is so cute, I love her/his eyes." My favourite part about any romance is watching those initial steps form, but there was nothing, and then all of a sudden everything shifted. But after the kiss. It just didn't work for me.

Whether anything changes throughout the rest of the book, I don't know. I can see how this would be enjoyable to others, but it got too much for me and I had to DNF.

Lily's Just Fine by Gill Stewart
Rating: 5/5
Queer: not the main characters, but there are queer characters!

Summary: Lily is a planner who likes to keep busy. She’s the girl who knows it all and can fix it all. Well, until she can’t. Tom’s just trying to keep afloat with his current responsibilities and his sick sister. But he can’t predict that Lily Hildebrand is about to bulldoze into his life. (And heart).

Content Warnings: depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, absent family, water accident, hospital/doctor mention. (All handled well.)

Review:

I had a major issue with this book: IT ENDED. Oh maaaaan, oh man. I loved it. I loved Lily. I am Lily, Lily is me. I understood Lily, her desire to keep moving, her need to fix everything, to include everyone, to continuously push forward. Watching her struggle was extremely difficult for me, because I’ve been there. I know what it’s like. Lily was incredibly real, frustrating, brave, admirable, and inspiring. I’ll definitely come back to this book to read her again, because she felt safe.

Tom was fun. I loved his point of view, I love how he grew to love Lily for her ‘flaws.’ That he voiced his opinion, but he never asked her to change who she was. That he understood she’s always going to have the need to keep moving forward, and he’ll continue to set up boundaries. I also liked that Lily respected his boundary of not wanting to participate in the raft race, even if she went against his wishes to cancel it to begin with.

Let’s discuss how this fun book discusses and explores more serious matters, regarding Sarah (Tom’s sister) and her Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Gemma (Lily & Tom’s mutual bestie) and her anxiety, and Lily’s mother with her depression. Because I’ll be damned if I didn’t feel seen in each of them.

This book hit a lot of personal struggles for me: last summer (2018), I got mono, and it’s almost exactly a year later, and I’m still struggling with my energy levels. Like Sarah, I spend a lot of time in bed, struggling to do normal things, and I want to be out and about. It’s gotten a lot better, but I’m no where like I used to be. I used to be Lily. Now, I’m Sarah and Lily’s mother. Struggling, but not ready to give up.

Gemma’s anxiety is so, so easy to relate to, but I’m so proud of her for pushing forward. It reminds me that there’s hope. Lily’s mother’s depression is a very real reality for me - and for so many people - and with Lily being young and taking on the world, I can completely understand how she didn’t know how to handle it. I was so relieved when the family came together again to help. That the weight would be lifted off Lily’s shoulders. I was relieved that they talked about how getting her mother onto meds isn’t a fix-all and that it could take some time.

This book hit so close to home. I saw myself in Lily. I saw myself in Tom. I saw myself in Gemma, Sarah, and Lily’s mom. I also saw myself in Lily’s queer sister. It was so believable, so real, so touching. It was fun, it was engaging, and it was sweet.

I’m so grateful I had the chance to read this story, and seeing that it’s Galloway Girls, #1 makes me excited for any other books that follow!

Thank you for letting me escape my reality into this one; it was a heartwarming read.

i admired lily's dedication to everything. gemma was such a good friend. sarah was adorable. tom was so cute. i really liked this book despite it taking me ages to finish.

it broke my heart that lily was always left to deal with her mom... she's only 16 she shouldn't have to be worrying about her mother it should be the other way around.

A cute and fluffy story about a take-charge girl who wants to reinvent her town's gala, and a boy who is just trying to not be caught up in her mission, Lily's Just Fine delivers a romance that balances itself well with the plot. Lily is the most capable girl in her town, and brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. Her mission to get over her breakup and keep busy this summer means she goes all in with the prep for her town's traditional gala. Tom, neighbor and friend to Lily's best friend, gets roped into joining because he doesn't know how to say no; he also feels exasperated with Lily because she has a strong bulldozer like personality. As they progress with the prep, so does their romance, subtly.In terms of a central conflict, this book doesn't really have one, aside from the grumpy gala committee staff who just want to keep things traditional. Lily's exciting new ideas don't always go down well, so she figures out new ways to get things done. Her personality is bossy, but she is also quite capable, and honest in her enthusiasm; qualities that draw Tom to her. Her attraction towards Tom is sudden to her, because she never really tried to get to know him, and now she does and she likes that he challenges her. In fact, they have a nice dynamic going: cute romance but also the occasional friction because of the newness of it. The romance keeps itself apart from the main plot, that is, Lily putting on an engaging and inclusive town celebration, while also sorta-not-dealing with her mom's depression, while Tom tries to involve his younger sister without making her illness flare up. It touches on topics like LGBT inclusivity, mental illness and chronic illness; I should also mention that these are discussed from external points of view, and not from the individuals affected by these issues themselves.