Hopelessly Devoted To You by new to me author Jill Steeples is a cute and entertaining story about a woman named Ruby who is at a cross-roads in her life. She and her long-term boyfriend, Finn, are due to get married in a few months and Ruby has come to the realization that she doesn’t love him the way a woman marrying a man should. She decides to tell Finn the truth and as one can expect, he does not take the news well. As he is leaving Ruby’s flat, he mis-steps and plunges down the stairs. After several weeks in a coma, Finn awakens but does not remember anything; especially that Ruby and he broke up or were even getting married in the first place. That’s not all that’s changed. Finn now speaks with an Australian accent and his personality has undergone a change as well. He is like a whole new man and one that Ruby finds herself drawn to in and out of the bedroom. Ruby fully intends to tell Finn the truth but the timing never seems right and she is constantly worried that his memory will come back suddenly before she has had the chance to tell him what happened that night and that she was wrong and that she is hopelessly, head-over-heels, in love with him.

I believe honesty is the best policy in any relationship and without it, the relationship cannot survive. I felt bad for Ruby for the predicament she finds herself in though, for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why she let it go on so long. The writer does a wonderful job conveying the fear and anxiety Ruby feels after Finn’s accident, I felt like I was on pins and needles with her. Will Finn’s memory come back? If so, how will he react to what happened? Does their relationship stand a chance of weathering this storm? I was plagued with my own anxiety while reading this. I had a little difficulty warming up to the new Finn that emerged when he woke up. He was more arrogant than before and seemed more moody and insensitive towards his parents, which rubbed me the wrong way. My first thought was that Ruby made the right decision and should just tell him right then that the wedding was off and be done with it. Like Ruby, the more time spent it Finn’s company, the more interesting he seemed. He demonstrated more life and passion for things he hadn’t before. He didn’t seem to be so consumed with work and showed no interest in rushing back to the law firm, where he had made partner. He lost his “neat-freak” tendencies and brought a scraggly, dirty mutt home, much to Ruby’s shock and dismay. The more of the new Finn I saw, the more intrigued I was and couldn’t put the book down because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next, though it may not be happy. I really like this author’s voice and the life she breathes into the characters and their lives. Her writing style is fun and flirty and tugs on the feminine heart-strings. This book will provide many hours of entertainment and delight.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book if you enjoy chick-lit or women’s fiction or enjoy fun stories that deliver many unexpected twists. I don’t know how this author and her writing slipped by me, but I will be on the hunt for more by Ms. Steeples. If you are a book hoarder, like me, and you have any of her titles buried in your to be read pile or on your Kindle, dig those babies out and get them read!