#BlogTour #Extract #Review

Release Date: 1st December 2017

Format: Kindle

Pages: 375

Win a signed copy of You, Me and Us (Open to UK only)

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Amazon UK

“F*** you for breaking my f***ing heart…”

This is the heart-breaking yet hilarious story of Jimmy Rowland and Erin Poppet.

Jimmy Rowland has the perfect life. He works in his favourite bar by day, and by night he lives his dream with his two best friends in his band.

Erin Poppet crashes into Jimmy’s life like a beautiful storm. He falls in love with her as quickly and as deeply as possible. The intensity of their relationship leaves Jimmy with a broken heart, a useless vacuum and a demon inside him.

Jimmy’s dream life quickly becomes a nightmare when he loses his dream job and destroys his musical career live on stage.
When he hits rock bottom, he decides he only has one choice, to rebuild his life from scratch. He has to get back the life he had before Erin.

This is her story. This is his story. This is their story.

Or as Jimmy would say…

“… this is the story of You, Me and Us.”

This is a double treat for you today! Not only do I have the pleasure of being on the Blog Tour for this great book, but I also have an extract from the book for you to enjoy! Below you’ll find the extract and don’t forget to keep reading to check out my review!

In the below extract Jimmy Rowland has just left a nightclub to go for a cigarette, he has had a minor argument with the caveman-like bouncer on his way out. He has just taken his cigarettes out after spotting a girl stood alone. He has stood near her as she looks the least likely of the crowded smoking area to speak to him…

It was after I noticed my lighter was missing that I also came to the realisation that I was stood directly on your right leaning over the rail in the same way you were. I was mirroring you. Eventually you figured out why the moon had suddenly been blocked out and tilted your head my way. Obviously, it kills me to say it now but you were beautiful. Seriously stunning. Those big green eyes stared at me as my mouth began to droop open as if someone had spiked me. My cigarette nearly fell from my open swinging face hole. Your wondrous eyes were just the start of my sudden inability to move or talk. Your warm jet-black hair fell elegantly from the top of your head to a tantalising conclusion around your chest area. The long smile splattered across your face showed off the wideness of your face. I liked that. Your lips were stained red with bright lipstick and your teeth were blinging out at me from the underneath the smile.

“Do you need a lighter?”

The first words you ever spoke to me. And I was so mesmerised I didn’t even understand them.

“Huh?”

“Do you need a lighter?” you asked me again.

“No, it’s okay the bouncer and his mates should be due to discover fire any moment now so I’ll light it off that.”

You laughed but looked confused.

“Sorry, what?”

“Never mind, yes that would be great please.”

You pulled your lighter from your handbag and passed it towards me. Your fingers brushed the inside of my palm as I clasped the lighter. Electric. I could feel the tension between us, but then again maybe that was just hope. I lifted the lighter to the cigarette hanging from my lips and clicked it down, inhaling as the spark appeared between us.

“Thank you.” I said with a nod.

I handed the lighter back to you and made sure to once again allow our digits to connect. Another zap of electric.

“No problem.”

You were about to turn away from me. I think that 99% of the time I would’ve just left it at that. I had a nice chat with a good-looking girl, and I hadn’t freaked her out. It was a win. But for some reason this time was one of the only times that a win wasn’t enough. I needed more, even if I could end up losing.

“So, big night tonight?” I asked. I silently cursed myself for my inability to be suave or cool or anything but bland.

“Just out with some friends, you?”

“Same. I’ve got rare night off so thought I’d take advantage.”

“Cool.” You smiled.

The silence hung between us for a moment. I knew I’d have to try and press the conversation somehow.

“So, er, do you like music?”

“What?” you laughed. “Do I like music?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t do this often, do you?” you said.

“Speak to people? No, not really.” I said.

You laughed again. I felt my chest tighten each time you did that.

“What’s your name?”

“Jimmy.”

“Erin.”

“No, Jimmy.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” I said. “You never answered me anyway, do you like music?”

“Why are you asking me that? Are you in a band or something?” You said.

I felt my face grow hot but luckily it was night time so you couldn’t see the redness erupt onto my cheeks.

“I am actually.” I said.

“Fuck off! I was only joking.”

“No genuinely, I’m a singer.”

“Amazing!” you chimed. “What are you called?”

“Jimmy.”

“The band!” you pushed me. I’m pretty sure that was flirting, that was flirting, right?

“Ha, we’re called Who’s That Band?”

“Why?”

“So, when people ask, oh who’s that band from the other night? People can just say ‘yes’.”

“Catchy.”

“Like warts. That was the back-up name.”

We laughed together again. More electric, and this time I’m sure you felt it too, your eyes had lit up. Plus, we both stopped smoking some time ago and you were still stood talking with me.

“Sing for me then.”

“Pay me and I will.” That was my standard reply. “If I did gynaecology in my spare time you wouldn’t ask to give you the once over right here, would you?”

“Ah well you’d have to pay me for that.”

It was my turn to laugh now. I was already beginning to love the way you could go toe-to-toe with me.

“We’ve got a gig next week, come see us play.”

The words had left my mouth before I could even think about them. Why the fuck had I done that I thought? I’d spoken to you for all of ten minutes and now I was trying to arrange a second meeting. I was about to say something and backtrack, but you actually looked like you were thinking about it.

“What do you sing?”

“Mostly cheesey songs, guilty pleasure music. TV themes. It’s always fun, but this gig is a nineties night in town so be mostly nineties stuff this time around”

“Amazing. Well, where is it? And when?”

A plan had formed in my mind. It was time to shift gears.

“I’ll invite you on Facebook, hang on.” I pulled out my phone. After unlocking it with my magical thumbprint I loaded Facebook up. You still hadn’t spoken yet so I assumed you were on board. “Erin…?”

I looked to you.

“Erin Poppet.”

“Poppet?”

“Don’t”

I laughed again as I found your profile and hit the ‘add friend’ button. Your profile picture at the time was the one in the glittery dress. Amazing. I stood transfixed at the image for a second too long. You interrupted.

“Okay I’ve accepted now you can invite me.”

I gormlessly looked up to you and completed your request. You were still looking at your phone.

“Ooooh it’s at Ronnie’s? I love it there!”

“Ha, yeah I work there. That’s how we got the gig.”

“Do you really? How have I never seen you there?”

“Because I hide from pretty girls.” I said.

“Fair enough.” You leaned back slightly on your ankle and began to turn back inside. “Anyway, I best get back in, my friends will be worrying.”

“Yeah, I best do the same, my friends won’t be at all.”

Laughter again. It was getting dangerous. We began to walk back into the club together, it was going to be loud again any moment and you would disappear for the night, I needed one last word.

“So, Poppet yeah? Like the sweet?”

We stepped inside together; thankfully the bouncer had seen us coming this time and made way for us. I turned to the left and you to the right; we were about the go in different directions. You looked back at me just before heading into the big gay crowd.

“Oh no, much sweeter.”

And you were gone. Into the crowd leaving me once more dumfounded. I was amazed. Transfixed. I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

Thank you to the author, the Publishers and Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for this review copy in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Rachel for organising the blog tour.

This is the story of Jimmy. He works in a bar by day and sings in a band at night. One day he meets Erin Poppet and he falls head over heels hopelessly in love with her. She breaks his heart though, and this also brings his perfect life crashing down. The only way to get back from rock bottom is to get back the life he had before he met her.

My first book by the author. A word of warning, from page one (possibly even word one!) there is bad language. There is quite a lot of bad language if I’m being honest, so if you are easily offended or don’t like to read it, then perhaps this isn’t the book for you.

Jimmy is a barman by day, a singer by night. His band tends to get booked at 90’s nights, but for some reason they don’t understand this concept and end up singing songs by The Beatles! Meeting Erin Poppet one night he gets reeled in so fast he doesn’t know what is happening. The story is a heart-breaking one with lots of love and loss, but how it was written it didn’t feel like that! The whole style of writing felt like it was just teetering on the border of being very funny, and you wanted to laugh at Jimmy when really you should have been crying for him.

The book was really cleverly written. It’s not usually the type of book that I would appeal to me but the blurb pulled me in and I’m glad I did read it! I did enjoy this one although I do feel that a young adult audience may relate to it more than I did! Unfortunately, I’m not that young anymore! Will definitely look out for more by this author!

Four stars!

My name is Liam; I am an author from Manchester, UK. I love three things in this world, writing, reading and the viral video of the Irish family trying to catch a bat. (My girlfriend, family, friends and cats may be unhappy with this).

My hobbies include listening to podcasts, watching grown men fight and trying every possible type of ground coffee in the world. Here are my Top Ten reasons to read my book or spend the night with me…

1. It won’t cost you much.

2. It will be over relatively quickly.

3. I will be very grateful.

4. You can tell other people about it if you enjoyed it.

5. If not, don’t bother.

6. It’s always fun to have something in your hands to flick through.

7. You can review it online.

8. It will leave a mark on you.

9. You won’t want to put it down.

10. It’ll make you laugh.