3, stars

I adore Jo Watson´s stories so much that this book has been a bit of a disappointment. I´ve enjoyed it, but I´ve missed the hillarious situations that lead to laughter and her particular sense of humor. I´ve also lacked more emotionality in the love story, which begins to develop a little late. The ending has been quite touching, solving all the fronts with which Frankie begins her journey in the story.
If I like something about Jo Watson's stories, it is that underneath the lightness of a romcom there are some situations that invite us to reflect on. In this case, about the importance of social media and the role they play in our lives.
I have enjoyed the journey that Frankie embarks on, the development of her character, how she discovers herself, and how she finally achieves all that she notices is missing in her life. Highly recommended.

A fun romantic read with a nice message about living life in the present and not behind your phone and your social media accounts. I have never read anything set in SA and found the descriptions of the small town Frankie ends up in very interesting and quaint. Frankie is a character you really grow to love, alongside her faithful dog Huran.

Full of laughs and thoroughly enjoyable I would definitely look out for future reads by this author.

Thanks to NetGally for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I struggled to get into this book. I found all the hashtags and insta comments at the beginning a bit irritating to be honest. Maybe it is because I am not interested in Twitter, Facebook etc. However once Frankie settled more into the Town the story really grew on me.
Jo Watson is a really good writer. Her skills of description both of the characters and places are really detailed without becoming boring and the development of Frankie as a person was a joy to read.
I really enjoyed this novel after my initial reservations about Frankie and as is always the sign of a good book didn’t want her story to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

My review is based solely on the fact that Jo Watson is an amazing author. Sadly, I was unable to read this ARC due to formatting issues but I look forward to buying myself a copy when it's released!

Truly, Madly, Like Me by Jo Watson a Truly lovely five-star read. I have enjoyed this author previously, and was looking forward to this one, but I wasn’t overly expecting to be blown away as the last couple have been good but not blow you away good, this one blew the cobwebs away and possibly half my head!! It was just that good, it took me away with it and I didn’t want to come back. What a fantastic journey Jo Watson takes us on as she allows us to follow Frankie on her own personal journey, watch her hide and meet people and watch the chemistry bubble. I found myself identifying with Frankie in odd ways, and she made me smile so much, even as I sit and write this I am smiling like a loon, she has that affect on people. If you pick up one read this summer, make it this one.

In another amazing hit from comedy queen Jo Watson, social media-obsessed Frankie has a rude awakening when her carefully crafted online persona comes crashing down. The book takes us on a stellar journey of self discovery and not just for Frankie but for all of us.

Jo Watson takes on the world of online presence and likes and sponsored posts with a satirical spin, not neglecting the signature LOL moments that only she can do best. Truly, Madly, Like Me is #awesome.

It was everything and more that I could have wanted, a great female lead character, a whole host of side characters who were wonderful, a hunky swoon-worthy heartthrob and of course a  trusty dog!

Firstly I love that this was so up to date and modern, as Frankie is a social media influencer who shares her whole life on Instagram. There are some great moments where Frankie would use hashtags throughout the book and it made me laugh as we've all been there (for those on Instagram), we've all seen those hashtags and I think everyone has craved the thrill of getting likes and shares. So it was very relatable, but this book was about her forgetting all that and learning to live without the internet!

In true Watson style her settings were described beautifully, I was once again transported to the gorgeous landscape of South Africa and her hilarious encounters / romantic scenes were all there.

I just loved Frankie, thought she was brilliantly funny and the moments between her and Mark made me feel like I was watching a rom-com.

There was some nice little secrets throughout the book too which I enjoyed. Many references about how Mark looked familiar and I was constantly thinking how could she know him so when she found out I loved that part as I had been guessing for a while. I couldn't also not mention a rather important character, Harun the dog, who was every bit adorable and again a nice little twist at the end involving him and a few tears shed by me.

I can't heap anymore praise on this book, it just made me feel so happy and definitely made me think that maybe we could all do with taking a break from the internet once in a while!

Frankie is an Instagrammer whose life turns upside down after a rant she made about her ex boyfriend goes viral. She loses her collaborations, her followers and her friends don't respond to her messages.

This drives her into a small town without a signal or wifi. She need distance between her and the internet. After being dependent on her phone and internet she must learn to live within them. 

On her way there she finds a dog, or the dog finds her, he becomes her friend when she most needs one.

In the town she meets people that she can connect with, such as Mark, the man that helps her with movie recommendations and with whom the chemistry is off the charts.

As all the books from this author you can expect a delightful romance as well as hillarious situations that you can't help but laugh.

The ending is emotional and so very fitting to the story.

*I received an arc from Headline through Netgalley.

Frankie has always wanted to be noticed and to be liked. Especially after feeling pushed out when her younger sister was born, Turning to food to suppress her emotions, leading to comments from family friends and onlookers.

After losing weight, she became an Instagram influencer sharing her journey to a healthier, fitter life. Even bagging herself an influencer boyfriend too. Setting up photos, ensuring that they utilise the right hashtags etc. Sounds perfect, right? It was until she gets stuck in a lift and misses a photoshoot and gets dumped via IGTV! A barrage of comments follows alongside losing followers. She opts to run away and hide it out in a town with no phone signal or WiFi - surely she can live without her phone for a few days or a couple of weeks? Not quite as easy as it seems when your whole life is lead via various apps on your phone - from tracking calories, steps, weather, social media and good old Google.

She embarks on a life journey discovering the other side of life and questioning whether anything in her other life was real or was it all for the 'gram? Forming friendships, relationships and discovering real-life jobs.

It took me a while to get into this story, feeling that Frankie was so self-absorbed and addicted to her phone, apps and hashtags. As she started to interact with the town she retreated to, she began to grow on me and made the story a more enjoyable read.

3.5 half stars.

What I liked:
The story was amazing, Jo beautifully captured the reality of influencers who just like Frankie lose all sense of self while chasing likes and followers on multiple social media platforms.
The story begins with Frankie having an emotional meltdown after her boyfriend breaks up with her on IGTV., and as a consequence, she ends up losing lots of followers and "friends". We get a backstory of her childhood and the events (traumas) led her craving external validation and becoming a social media influencer,

The book gives you something to ponder on because I imagine most of us are all guilty of spending too much time on social media and perhaps like Frankie chasing likes and followers.
The relationship between Frankie and Harun (dog) who led and supported her through her personal and spiritual journey.
Finding her tribe and her happy ever after with Mark.

What I did not like:
On a few occasions, I struggled to continue reading the book because the formatting of the book was all over the place and some of the social media terminology took away from the story rather than making it sound funny. Despite Frankie's sad childhood back story and her life falling apart, I still was unable to emotionally connect to Frankie....I was missing all the feels and laughing out loud moments.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book and would recommend it.

Whenever I see that Jo Watson has written a new book I find myself willing the days until I can read it. She has this knack for writing that really appeals to me; descriptive writing that doesn’t edge into boring, heated chemistry between characters that isn’t forced, steamy sex scenes that aren’t too timid or too full on and content that is genuinely emotive.

Truly, Madly, Like Me was no exception. This book hooked me very quickly, as all of Jo Watson’s books do. Frankie was so annoying at the start of the book, but she was written in such a great way that her character was incredibly likeable. She was written in a way that you knew she would see the error of her ways. Mark was a great male lead, perfect for Frankie and with his own backstory.

I loved Harun and genuinely shed a few tears at the end of the book. The thing with Jo Watson’s writing is that it is so emotional - one minute you’re laughing, the next the tears are forming!

I loved this book and can not wait for the third instalment. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

Truly, Madly, Like You by Jo Watson.

When her life as a social media influencer and one half of the #powercouple falls down around her, it seems like everything is going wrong for Frankie. But, after accidentally picking up a hitchhiking dog on the way to wi-fi dead zone, she begins to think that maybe fate had planned this all along.

The dog becomes a key part of Frankie's story and their relationship was very special to see grow.

It took me so long to get into this book but I am so glad I persevered. It wasn't that the story wasn't great, it was more the text speak and hashtags throughout the writing made me feel frustrated and actually, uncomfortable.

But, this book is a masterclass in character development and I loved how Watson used the style of writing to reflect the development of Frankie's character.

I found myself sympathising with Frankie as she works through her demons. The weight problems from her youth, the bullying, feeling inferior to a sibling and the the vapid, false world of influencing...they all added to the depth of her character.

It made me cringe when I reflected on how I have chased likes and styled photos too closely all in the hope of gaining more followers etc. And it was a mirror that was sometimes a bit hard to hold up. This is truly a novel for the times we live in.

I would highly recommend this...particularly for any 'tweens' who may need a reality check about the life of an influencer.

I thought this might be a nice light read during trying times and it definitely was! Frankie is a social media influencer along with her boyfriend- their lives revolve around instagrammable breakfasts and likes. When he leaves her for someone with more followers, her status plummets and she heads to a town where there is no phone signal or internet. It's quite a predictable book but its a lovely warm hug of a book. The perfect easy read!

Truly, Madly, Like Me is a hilarious laugh out loud romance that is breath of fresh air, Great read for summer.

The Modern World or More Quaint Way of Life, Which To Choose 🤔

Frankie makes a living through vlogging has many followers, with her boyfriend @TheKyleWhite101, until she gets stuck in a lift on her way to a photo shoot and everything changes...

After a childhood of being on the receiving end of bullies, Frankie's striving for perfection, trying to reinvent herself for the sake of followers/being liked. She then takes herself on a trip to a place where there is no internet/mobile use, for a Social media detox. For Frankie this is a very different way of life, one which for her feels alien.

Truly Madly Like Me is a good read, whilst lighthearted I did find it took a while for me to really get into the book and enjoy it, as at times, certainly earlier on, I found the book too silly rather than humerous. Overall worth a read, just a bit different.

Loved this book!

The story of Frankie. After a social media meltdown, she runs from her life in the city, to a town that has no internet connection. There she can escape what has happened in her life.

Along the way she meets some interesting characters, including a large stray dog!

An entertaining read. Can't wait for Zoe's story!

Another absolutely gorgeous read by one of my favourite authors. I have loved this book, it has been completely impossible to put down.
The characters in this one are just brilliant, they are real and likeable.

I loved this book. It was so funny and I really wish a movie could be made of it as I'm sure it'd be hilarious and a blockbuster. The characters were all really likable and although the whole situation was completely absurd, it didn't seem like that and was written as though it was the most normal situation. I'm going to look out for other books by this author as I enjoyed this one so much