Book ~ "Me Before You" (2012) Jojo Moyes

From Goodreads ~ Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane. 

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that. 

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Lou is 26-years-old, lives at home with her parents in a small town and happily works in a tea shop.  She's been dating fitness-obsessed Patrick for seven years and it's going nowhere but she's okay with that.  She's out of a job when her boss decides to close down the shop.

Lou gets a six month contract taking care of Will.  Two years ago Will was a successful 33-year-old businessman who had it all until he was in an accident and became a quadriplegic.  Now he bitterly lives his life in a wheelchair being taken care of by others.

Lou is like a busy bee coming into Will's life and he initially resists.  Eventually as she's adding life to his, he is showing Lou all the potential she could have with her life and encouraging her to live life to the fullest.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style and thought it moved at a good pace.  It's written in first person perspective, mainly from Lou's point of voice but at times it is from Will's parents and Lou's sister's point of view (these chapters are marked at the beginning so you know).  I thought the shift in perspectives worked so you can understand exactly how they are feeling.  As a head's up, there is some swearing (the "F-bomb").

I liked Lou and Will.  Lou feels she has no other options other than living at home so she can help contribute to the household because her parents don't make enough money and they are supporting Katrina, her sister, who is going to school and her sister's young son.  Will's frustration and pain are obvious.  He used to have an active life that he has no chance of ever having again.  I thought Lou and Will interacted well.  Rather than being intimidated by Will, Lou stands up to him and their banters are amusing.  I didn't like Katrina ... I thought she was very selfish in assuming that everyone would put their lives on hold to accommodate her ... providing for her financially, babysitting her son and even giving up a bedroom for her.  Nathan, Will's medical care provider, was a good guy.

I would recommend this book.