Arden Hall is recently divorced, finding her job rather mundane and lives a rather quiet live. When visiting a friend in hospital Arden recognises another face, a face from her past, 30 years ago whilst at University - a former love.

I really thought this a me kind of book, but unfortunately I just felt really disconnected with the characters - I think this was because I'm not a movie buff, not even from the recent films, never mind the older classics, in fact it made me realise how many I haven't seen. It was well written and for someone who is up to date their big screen then I can imagine this to be a really nostalgic and warm novel, but unfortunately that was lost on me.

this is a feel good romance book. you dont have to have watch the movies that it mentions in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book focuses on the life of Arden Hall. She’s recently divorced, doing a job she’s now finds boring and lives a very quiet life. One day while visiting a friend in hospital Arden stumbles across her former lover from thirty years ago when she was in university.

Mac Barley-Thomas was a charismatic Film Studies Lecturer who Arden found herself falling hopeless in love with but now he lays in a hospital bed suffering from a brain injury that has left him unable to converse. All he manages to mutter are small references from the movies they watched together during their affair.
Arden finds herself visiting Mac as much as she can and remembering the good times she spent with him and the hot and steamy affair the two participated in.

This book transitions from present day to the past with the help of the movie references that Mac managed to whisper to Arden and I found myself really liking this. It felt real. While to book relies heavily on movie references it isn’t too much of an issue if you haven’t seen the films. I had only seen a couple of them and felt that I could still understand the story.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted romance, then I don’t think this book is one you should pick up. This is a redemption story which at times felt long-winded and one you would need to put a chunk of time into.
There are a lot of up and downs in this book and whilst I am happy that it reflects a lot of taboo topics I felt like there were too many in this book and it made it slightly unrealistic in my eyes. Another thing I found myself struggling with was the affair. I was very much aware that this was a large part of the book unfortunately it made it hard for me to feel sorry for either of the characters in some parts. That’s a personal preference though and overall I still really enjoyed the book.

The characters were well written, and I found myself being sucked into this world, wanting to know how it ended which in turn made it hard for me to put it down. This is my first book of Fiona Collins and I after reading You, Me and the Movies I will be picking up some of her other books!

I’ve always been a bit sniffy about picking up a Fiona Collins book. The covers all look so twee and pink and girly – the worst kind of chick lit! – that I’ve never actually read one until now. When I read the synopsis of this book the cover hadn’t been finalised and I was so drawn in by the description that I don’t think it would have mattered anyway. I was hooked.

Arden is in her late forties and just finding her feet again following a divorce from her emotionally abusive husband. When her college friend encourages her to go with her to visit a friend in hospital she recognises a face from the past. Badly injured and hardly able to communicate, Mac was Arden’s first love.

Through the hospital visits we re-live the passionate love affair between an eighteen year old student Arden and Mac her Film Studies lecturer at Warwick University in the late Eighties. Her memories and feelings are underpinned by a series of films that she watched with Mac as part of his lectures on women in film. The movies they discuss, the music, the clothes are all so evocative of the period that you can forgive a little melodrama here and there. It feels like you are right there with them skulking around the campus, hiding their relationship.

Ultimately this is a story that makes a connection. Don’t be afraid to let yourself slip into the bubble between Mac and Arden and the new life that she is tentatively forging for herself. Our flawed leading man and lady will have you laughing along with their exploits and weeping at what could never be.

Supplied by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The ebook is available now with a paperback launch planned for 14 Nov 2019.

Really enjoyed this. Flawed but interesting characters with a good dose of heart and depth. It won’t matter if you haven’t seen all the movies.

Arden (named for a Marilyn Monroe character) is living an empty life in London as a middle aged woman having survived an abusive marriage and neglected childhood. Arden's quiet existence is thrown into turmoil one day when she chances upon her first and great love, Mac. Arden and Mac had a great love affair in her first years of university where he, a film lecturer, taught. The problem is that Mac has been in a serious accident, and he can't talk. Can Arden help Mac and reconnect? Can Mac help Arden re-find her fire and have an enchanted life?

This was just the kind of book I had hoped it to be. I was in the mood for a light romance, but I wanted one with heart, and one that was written well. You, Me and the Movies is exactly that. There were a few plot points that I had a little issue with their believability, but generally I thought this was a really well put together book. The characters are a bit flawed, and sometimes not likable, but it's a good redemption story. It's written well and funny at times. There are other themes of friendship, childhood trauma, forgiveness and letting go. It packed a powerful emotional punch at times.

I will recommend!

This is the perfect book for movie buffs. Alternating between present day and 30 years ago at university, this book tells the love story between Arden and her professor Mac through the old movies they used to watch when they were together.

I found myself disconnected from these characters and struggled to get drawn in by the characters. Maybe it's because I haven't seen many of the movies. Having read some of Fiona's other books, I was slightly disappointed by this one but will definitely keep reading her novels in the future!

Previously published on TBGWP.

My Thoughts: You know me by now and I will always tell you the truth with my reviews. Blog tour or not. The truth is the truth.

You, me and the movies is unfortunately not my favourite. I see it being an absolute smash and a book most readers will have on their TBR. It’s beautiful, it’s fun, it’s sensitive and poignant. It’s a clear winner for people who want a clever and original love story with well thought out characters. I do in all honestly want you to read this book! Seriously pre-order it or grab the ebook now and see for yourself.

Obviously you’re going to want to know my issues with it after that aren’t you?

So, for me it is not a book you can just casually pick up and read. It’s one you really have to give time and effort too. I wouldn’t say it’s long winded, but you do have to give it time. When it comes to this genre that is just not for me. I don’t want to have to try if you get me. I just want easy, none thinking reading.

I am also seriously no movie buff! Especially with the classics and basically any movie, so I did get lost a bit with some of the movie details and references.

I also couldn’t fully connect with Arden and for me I need that connection.

See, it’s not even bad. It’s just me being me. But I can’t not tell you that because it’s a blog tour post and review.

Anyway, read the other reviews they are hot shit! And one of the best things about it for me is that it has given me reason to have one super massive movie marathon. I do intent to watch the ten films from the book! Oh, and for sure in Arden and Mac’s order. I also will re-read You, Me and the Movies again after that movie marathon and when the paperback is released. Who knows I might eat my words. I’ve done it before haven’t I?

Right now it’s a 3/5 star book for me and that in itself is brilliant!

So if you’re wanting a nostalgic, intense, original, tearfully funny read with a dramatic love story and a huge slice of movie pie then this is definitely your book. Make sure you have your popcorn, tissues and wine ready, you’re going to need them all.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5

Arden Hall is a single mother having finally escaped her emotionally abusive marriage. Her grown son has moved out, she's stuck in a job she doesn't really like, her mother is quite frankly an awful person and her friends are now few and far between thanks to her manipulative husband. But one fatal day, Arden is visiting someone in hospital when she sees that an old University love is in the next bed having suffered a head injury. And so it begins.

What I really liked about this book is that it takes you on a journey without confusing you. Mac can only speak from his memory and each line triggers a part of Arden's story which she then tells you. Through this time, the Arden of old gradually starts to appear and while she remains flawed in my opinion, its easy to see why.

The book flows through the narrative, easily interlacing between Arden now and her university days dealing with parents who were all kinds of bad in different ways. Yes, this book is a love story, but its a story with a twist because its already happened and it shows you how it defined Arden's life into the woman she is today.

I congratulate Fiona Collins for approaching some difficult subjects with tact and grace and narrating them with the delicacy that they deserved.

And of course, the movies. They make this book for me. Teenage me was reliving my days of watching Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing on repeat and I had to find myself agreeing with Arden on her views. Its nostalgic and lovely and just leaves you with a warm feeling.

Now, this book would have been a five star but... that ending! You know the rules guys, tear my heart out and you get a point knocked off.

In all seriousness though, I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you Fiona Collins, Random House and NetGally for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Fiona Collins books so obviously I jumped at the chance to request her latest book ‘You, Me and the Movies’ when it appeared on Netgalley. Huge thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Fiona Collins for allowing me an early read.

Wow! No other words but wow what a story! Firstly this is a completely different genre to Fiona’s other books but I must admit this is my most favourite book of Fiona’s to date. I love that this book took me by surprise, I wasn’t expecting to feel such emotion for the characters and the plot. Long story short this book is simply about two souls connected through their love of movies and proving that it never matters how much time can pass between people, simple references or quotes can bring memories back that was once forgotten.

The story jumps between the ‘then’ and the ‘now’, which Fiona managed perfectly; I never once was lost or felt I had missed anything. The book is written through the eyes of the main character Arden who living in London, separated from her partner with a grown up son and working as an assistant to the locations manager in the Production office of a long running police series called Coppers. During a hospital visit to a friend she comes across her first love Mac Bartley-Thomas who she hasn’t seen for thirty years, here we are transported back to Arden’s University days when she first meets film studies lecturer Mac and they embark on an all consuming romantic relationship.

Fast forward to the present and Mac, badly injured following an accident and no visitors coming by, Arden struggles to walk away so she begins to visit Mac in hospital. Mac’s injuries result in him being unable to communicate, however seeing Arden sparks Mac to reference quotes from classic films that they watched together during their relationship. Quotes that Arden thought had been buried deep down but brings all the emotions crashing back like it was yesterday.

Of course Pretty Woman is one of the classics featured! I will admit I haven’t seen any of the other films mentioned throughout the story which I know is shocking and I will be rectifying that situation soon however it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book as Fiona gives detailed snippets from the films to understand why the quotes were chosen.

These film references are the link that brings the then and the now together within the story. On the whole Arden's memories are positive and happy but with them also comes painful reminders of an unhappy childhood and a strained relationship with her mother.

Mac being back in her life helps her to remember the Arden she used to be, helping her to reconnect with the world and opening new doors to opportunities she may have hid away from before now.

Overall an emotional read from start to finish, I couldn’t call where Arden’s story was going to take me but it really showed how people and situations can really make an effect and leave their mark on your life.

Firstly, I really enjoyed the movie references in this book and felt like Fiona did a fantastic job in linking them to the story, from the way they were projected into Arden and Mac's real life, to the way Arden dressed like her favourite characters. It was a really cool element and one I applauded Fiona for, as it was so detailed and specific. It also made me feel like I need to get my butt in gear and watch some of the classics - it took my sisters and I years to finally watch 'Dirty Dancing' and now it's one of our favourites. Although, Arden and Mac seemed to watch a few scary ones, if i'm correct with the titles, so I don't know how many I could tick off their list.

Now, I'll be honest, I did struggle with this book a little bit, not for the story or the writing, I thought it was very well written and it did keep me turning the pages and wanting to keep reading. I guess after reading Fiona's last few books, I was expecting something light-hearted, which I don't think this book really is and once I realized that it wasn't a romantic, comedy, I started to appreciate it a bit more. In understanding that what Arden had been through was very serious, I appreciated there were reasons behind her grey outlook on life, which at first took me by surprise and made me feel like it was a bit doom and gloom. The story is about how everything that happens in life has an impact on who you are and how you choose to respond to it. I wanted Arden to shake it off and be happy, but again, I had to be patient and realize that it wasn't that easy. It took Mac to come back and help Arden re-evaluate how she was living and for that I was grateful, because she needed it.

The biggest issue I had a hard time with in 'You, Me and the Movies,' was the affair. It made it really difficult for me to like Arden and Mac, as I just couldn't get past it. I grew to care about Arden in certain ways, but I just couldn't admire Mac like she and everyone else seemed to. He didn't come across great to me, no matter how enigmatic he was. I didn't connect with him at all.

My favourite character had to be James, I was intrigued by his quiet, yet straight-forward nature and enjoyed his dialogue. He made me smile and I wanted to see him find someone and not be so lonely. I looked forward to his scenes, as he was just a nice person.

If you're looking for quite a gritty book, that is a bit raw around the edges and celebrates the good old days of cinema. 'You, Me and the Movies,' is the book for you.

When I was contacted by Transworld Books and asked if I wanted to read this book and be a part of the blog tour, I was intrigued. The premise of the book sounded right up my street, as I love movies almost as much as I love books. Here is the blurb:

After a marriage which threatened her entire sense of self, Arden Hall is divorced, doing a lacklustre job and living a quiet, rather unexciting life. But one day, visiting a friend in a London hospital, she suddenly re-encounters her former lover from thirty years ago, charismatic Film Studies lecturer, Mac Bartley-Thomas, who is lying in a bed on the same ward.

Suffering from a brain injury and unable to converse, all Mac can utter is short references to the famous films he and Arden once watched together, back when she was a student and they conducted their affair: Casablanca, Bonnie and Clyde, Some Like It Hot and more…

These movies spark both bittersweet memories of their passionate relationship and the potential for a more reflective Arden to finally fulfil the promise of her younger self. And in the course of her visits to Mac, she starts to reconnect with the world in a way that she didn’t think was possible…

I think I am probably at an advantage because I have seen all of the movies that Arden watched with Mac throughout their relationship, but I don’t think it is a major disadvantage if you have not seen them because it’s entirely likely that once you have read the book you will want to seek out these classic films.

I loved the way the movies were the link between the present and the past, and the way in which seeing Mac again prompted Arden to think about the connection they had made thirty years ago, and how those actions, plus subsequent ones, had shaped the person she became. I loved the structure within the story, the way in which each movie was a map to a specific point in their relationship from the beginning of the affair, to its’ conclusion. Being a similar age, and being able to identify with the timeline of Arden’s past, from the music, to how she dressed, really resonated with me.

I enjoyed the additional characters in the storyline, the way in which Arden interacted with them, and the way in which they all helped her to reconnect with the world in their individual ways. This is a wonderful book that shows how our past shapes what comes in our future, and I found it charming and incredibly poignant. I did not anticipate reading the last few chapters of the book with tears streaming down my face. What can I say? I’m a crier! Anyway, tears aside, this beautiful story really touched my soul.

It is out now on ebook, and due to be published in paperback on 22 August 2019.

When we first meet Arden Hall, she is living a shell of her former existence, having had most of her life, relationships and sense of self chipped away at through an abusive ten year marriage. When, by chance, she stumbles across an old flame, Mac, who is in the hospital recovering from a car accident, memories of her old life begin to flood back. Back in the day, Mac Bartley-Thomas was a film professor at Warwick university and to his students was the classic enigmatic heart throb - right out of a film himself. He catches Arden’s eye right away when she starts university, and they begin a dramatic, tempestuous and all consuming affair.

This book has a quirky structure, which drew me in right away. Unable to speak after being badly injured in the accident, Mac can only utter brief phrases, which turn out to be references to films that Arden and Mac watched together in the years of their whirlwind romance all those years ago. Each new reference to one of the ten films from ‘The List’ leads to a flashback chapter, as Arden journeys through memories long forgotten. These are classic gems of films: The Birds, Bonnie and Clyde, An Officer and a Gentleman to name just a few - I was left feeling the huge gap in my film knowledge (too many years with my nose in a book). While it didn’t necessarily hinder my enjoyment of the book that I didn’t know and love these films as I now believe I should, I did get the impression that film buffs would get even more out of these nostalgic cinematic glimpses.

But more than anything this is a book calling out to all film buffs - I think you’ll get a huge amount of enjoyment from the backdrop these films provide, and Mac and Arden’s discussions of them. It’s certainly made me want to watch them - I think I’ll be working my way through ‘The List’!

“You’ve got a bigger love to come”

I’m an absolute mess. This is a beautiful slow burn novel. Completely unexpected and completely beguiling. I was captured by the now and then aspect of the story and really enjoyed the film aspect. I’m off now to re-watch The Way We Were.

This is one for movie obsessives and film fans, Fiona Collins writes a story of Arden Hall, with a narrative that goes back and forth in time, from when as a university student she embarked on an emotionally intense and passionate relationship that was everything, revolving around the classic movies she loved and watched with her lover, Film Studies lecturer, Mac Bartley-Thomas, a man who was the centre of her world. As is often the case, this all consuming youthful love affair was destined to not last and Arden's life trajectory through the years shaped her into a very different woman from who she used to be. The trials and tribulations of the life she faced, included a troubled marriage, she is now thirty years later divorced, lonely, doing an uninspiring job, and to all intents and purposes, a broken woman.

On visiting a friend in hospital, the present day Arden coincidentally encounters her former lover, Mac, left with serious brain damage after an accident. Mac can only make short references to the great movie classics they watched all those years ago, such as Pretty Woman, and Casablanca. However, these references takes Arden vibrantly back to a time that meant so much to her and the woman full of life that she used to be, a life force to be reckoned to be. We are given a picture of how her life then began to take its toll on her. There is humour in this entertaining story of movies, love and of an Arden who slowly begins to find herself again to begin to live again. This an enjoyable read overall, but the storytelling at times made for a rather uneven reading experience. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

I think there's a certain kind of romance book that I enjoy and unfortunately, this was not it. The selection is so small that I'm more often disappointed than surprised. I'm sure there is an audience out there for this one, but it's not me.

Loved this book, so much to offer with a great story through 2 different points in life. Each chapter leaves you wanting that bit more

I really enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. It tells the story through flashbacks and references to movies about the relationship between the two main characters Arden and Mac who meet while at college. Each movie reference describes a point in their relationship and how it evolves and changes over time. There is comedy and pathos in equal measure and the author deals with serious issues - domestic abuse and loneliness sensitively and weaves them into the story. Overall a charming read and a well told story which I would highly recommend.

I can’t begin to say how much I LOVED this book. It had me laughing, falling in love and ultimately crying. The agony that is first love was very convincingly written and I was there with them in their private screening room, watching the classic movies that I too love so much. Life doesn’t end with the happily ever after drive off into the sunset of movies, and this story explores the ‘what next’ aspect of storytelling.

You me and the Movies by Fiona Collins is the first book that I have read by the author.
The story is about Arden Hall who in her university days had an affair with a Film Studies lecturer. Thirty years later, she finds him in a hospital bed and the only words that he can say are quotes from the films that they used to watch together. The story than alternates between present day and the pass and describes relationship between them both. And the life Arden has now. Divorced and alone.
I really wanted to like this book after reading the burb, but I am afraid this wasn’t for me. I found it very slow. The references about films at first was interesting but found it a bit repetitive after a while. The main character I found very shallow and selfish. She didn’t care about anyone but herself. So because of the I did not finish it and stop reading at 40%.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this book.