Follow Me Follow You

Chesil #2

by Laura E. James

Victoria Noble has pulled the plug on romance. As director of the number one social networking site, EweSpeak, and single mother to four-year-old Seth, she wrestles with the work-life balance.

Enter Chris Frampton, Hollywood action hero and Victoria's first love. His return from LA has sparked a powder keg of media attention, and with secrets threatening to fuel the fire, he's desperate to escape. But finding a way forward is never simple. Although his connection with Victoria has lasted the test of time, has he been adrift too long to know how to move on? With the risk of them breaking, will either #follow their heart?

Follow Me Follow You
You save me and I'll save you

Genres: Romance, Second Chance

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2014

About the author

Laura E James is married with two adult children and lives in the inspirational county of Dorset.
A writer with disabilities and chronic health conditions, Laura is a graduate of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, and previously a Director of the RNA, and for five years, its Industry Awards Organiser.
Truth or Dare?, Laura’s debut novel, was shortlisted for the 2014 Joan Hessayon New Writers’ Award, and the Festival of Romance Best Ebook award. Her first paperback, Follow Me Follow You, was a Lovereading editorial choice, and What Doesn’t Kill You, the third in her Chesil Series, spearheaded Choc Lit’s Dark imprint.
Laura’s short story Bitter Sweet appears in the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s anthology, Truly, Madly, Deeply.

For further information, go to:

www.lauraejames.co.uk
www.facebook.com/LauraE.JamesWriter
Instagram: laura_e_james
Threads: @laura_e_james
TikTok: @laura_e_james
Bluesky: @lauraejames.bsky.social

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crushing grief, dysfunctional families, guilt, treachery and the hope for a second chance at love, quite a feat for author Laura E. James to pull of all in one novel, but she does it with an elegance and delicate hand in Follow Me Follow You. Two young lovers, separated by deceit and lies, as well as thousands of miles reconnect after almost seventeen years and tons of emotional baggage, life-altering events and a volcano of inner issues threatening to erupt at any moment. Victoria is no longer the sweet ten who gave herself to her one true love, only to have him abandon her, forever locking her heart away, crippling her emotionally. She has failed to bond with her four-year-old son and they both suffer for it. Leaving her high profile, successful business behind, Victoria is determined to start fresh and discover the key to Seth’s young heart.

Chris Frampton has returned home after seventeen years in the States as a famous stunt man, returning to help open a door of communication with his teenaged son, after the violent death of his wife and other son. Will the years and shared pain help these two to form a strong bond, once again, or will ghosts and events from the past sit between them like a ticking time bomb? Will deceit and uncertainty once again rear its ugly head? Two damaged adults, two damaged children, will they make it through the darkness whole and ready to tackle the future?

Prepare to be struck through the heart as Laura E. James unfolds her tale and uncovers every dark corner, pain and memory, while allowing her characters to wage the battle over their demons for the best reason ever, love. Not only has Ms. James put the raw romance front and center, but she has tackled extreme issues that could happen in any family, which is why it is so easy to connect and feel for her characters. Before she has finished with her tale, her characters will learn to love life, themselves and those around them for who and what they are, no matter if the main characters find their own HEA. Ms. James has touched every nerve and emotion in my body, mind and heart with her words and her world.

I received this copy as part of the FOLLOW ME FOLLOW YOU TOUR stopping at Tome Tender, September 17, 2014.

Publication Date: August 7, 2014
Publisher: Choc Lit
ISBN-13: 9781781891872
Genre: Adult Romance/Intrigue
Print Length: 267 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of a book tour.

Wow. This book had a lot going on, but somehow it all worked and came to a satisfying and believable conclusion. There is even a little bit of a mystery going on to make it more exciting. Victoria Noble is the founder of EweSpeak, which seems similar to Twitter. She remains haunted by the memory of her first love, Chris- the boy who she believes used her and left her. She blames Chris for her failed marriage and distant relationship with her son.

Victoria realizes just how dysfunctional her relationship with her son, 4 year old Seth, is, due to her being a workaholic and him being raised by nannies. She decides to take a break from work and move to another town with Seth so they can reconnect. I LOVED this aspect of the book. I found Seth's issues very realistic and think this serious topic was a great thing to bring awareness to.

While Victoria is reconnecting with Seth, Chris is trying to reconnect with his son after the death of his wife and other son. He, too, quit working and moved away with his son to his old hometown- the same place Victoria happens to be in. So of course, they end up seeing each other again.

I loved the character of Victoria. She was incredibly intelligent, clever, and driven. She was also flawed, but she grew so much in the book. Some of this growth brought guilt with it, but Victoria moved past that guilt to actually improve her life. I also loved how her faith was restored. Victoria's father's girlfriend helped to play a role in this growth and she had such amazing insight into the thoughts and feelings of these around her. I enjoyed the scenes with her a lot and felt like I was learning, too!

So why 4 stars instead of 5? For some reason, I didn't connect that much with Chris' half (third?) of the story. There were also some scenes between Victoria and Chris that I found cheesy and/or over-the-top dramatic. Very minimal complaints, but I always like to explain why a book doesn't get a full 5 stars.

Fast-paced plot. Romance. Mystery. Realistic character relations. Loads of character growth. Believable characters. A main character that you love, cheer for, and believe in. I was really sucked into Victoria's world and would highly recommend this book.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are times when you find yourself part of a blog tour for a book that hasn't really won your heart. But I should know by now that a good read - and a gorgeous hero - is guaranteed in any book published by Choc Lit, and I really enjoyed this lovely book by Laura E James.

The Ewespeak concept is really, really clever - kind of Twitter, with sheep and flocks - and each chapter is headed by a "bleat" that moves on the story. The central story sees Victoria walking away from her high-powered life, running the Ewespeak corporation, to try and mend her relationship with four year old Seth. Because of her commitments and a lot of personal baggage Victoria carries, he's far more attached to nanny Carys than he is to her - there's real pain when you see him unable to call her "mum", and shouting that he hates her. Against a backdrop of Dorset's Chesil Beach, Victoria re-encounters Chris, her first love: he's had a career a film action hero, but has returned to Dorset to rebuild the lives of himself and his young teenage son after a personal tragedy.

This is a beautiful romantic read, very emotionally affecting, but it also addresses some real issues around family relationships and recovery. It also has the best cast of supporting characters I've come across in a while - including the two children, Victoria's dad and his wonderful girlfriend Olivia, the straight-talking Annabel who steps into the breach at Ewespeak, and the horrendous boo-hiss villain who tries to destroy everything.

I loved it - a cleverly created world, a beautiful love story, and enough dark and light to make it a really original read.

[Shani Struthers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous read, Follow Me Follow You is a mature romance with it's feet set firmly in reality. Set in and around Chesil Beach - a beautiful part of the world - it follows the lives of Victoria and Chris, teenage sweethearts who split up and reconnect in their thirties. A lot of water has passed under the bridge during that time, some of it distinctly muddy and they are far from the young innocents they once were. Told from both points of view, we are able to get inside each character's mind and learn what it is they are truly feeling and just how hard it is to let of of the past. There are children involved too and these sub-characters add another poignant strand to the story. A great read that flows very nicely, there is nothing 'fluffy' about this romance, it's gritty at times, by times hopeful and heartbreaking - ultimately it shows that life does go on and obstacles can be overcome, leading perhaps to even greater happiness.

[Kate’s Book Spot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at the Choc Lit on Tour event in Southampton. Laura was talking about social media and how it featured in her book, I loved the sound of it so I just couldn't resist!

At the beginning I was introduced to Victoria's life and immediately connected to her struggles with her little one (although I must admit her son Seth behaved far worse towards her than mine ever have towards me) - it always amazes me how small people can cause so much chaos and bring even the strongest grown-up to their knees. The moment Victoria decided to do something about his behaviour had me punching the air, I was rooting for her.

Bringing a touch of Hollywood glamour to the storyline was Chris Frampton, a classic book heartthrob who apparently had something to hide. It turned out that Victoria knew his secret and I couldn't wait to find out what it was, my mind was whirling with possible theories! Chris was also having a few parenting problems and was trying to reconnect with his son who had clearly been through a tough time.

We've holidayed in Weymouth many times so I was excited when Victoria announced her plans to visit. It was everything I expected, the author's words transported me back to some of my favourite places and this made me feel involved. Another part of the storyline I enjoyed was getting behind the scenes of a social media network - it was interesting to see a different side to it all.

I'm not sure why (because they never do) but I kind of expected things to run smoothly on the romance front. Obviously I was mistaken and there were lots of bumps in the road, great entertainment for me as the reader but not so great for the characters. I enjoyed every drama-filled moment that followed and finished the book with a smile on my face.

Follow Me Follow You was a heart-warming tale of love lost and found again.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a romance novel that covers lost love, personnel tragedy and broken relationships. I must admit that after reading the first few chapters, I knew how the story was going to end. However, that did not stop me from enjoying how the author skillfully developed the characters and the threads of the story. I liked this book so much, I started reading another by the same author. Laura E James is an imaginative and skillful writer and well-worth reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance novels and wants to sit in a comfortable chair, put up their feet and lose themselves in a lovely story.

[Carol Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read by Laura E James and it won't be my last. I finished it in two days, I was so hooked. I enjoyed the characters, their different relationships and the journeys they each took as the novel progressed. The story is clever, very well written and a real page-turner, add Chris Frampton into the mix and there is a whole lot to like about Follow Me Follow You!

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really enjoy this book at all. It really, really dragged for me.

The story was lacklustre, nothing exciting happened, all very predictable. It’s a shame when you just wish a book would end.

It wasn’t awful, just wasn’t great. No wow factor.

[Ailsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow oh wow. Thought I would do some light reading before bed next thing I know I'm finished the book and its two thirty in the morning. Oops.

[Sheryl Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who likes to read about the fragility of love, life and relationships; relatable-to people trying to deal with life’s traumas, this was the perfect book for me. Even if you are not a parent, you can’t fail to identify with Victoria’s estranged relationship with her four year old son, Seth, whose attachment issues with his mother are heart-breaking. You literally feel Victoria’s bewilderment when faced with this angry little boy who wishes her dead. I have to say this was handled really well, allowing us a glimpse of the vulnerable, hurting child beneath the hatred. Ultimately, realising her son is emotionally lost Victoria has to choose between him and her high-powered career. Desperate to gain his trust and heal their relationship, she obviously chooses her son.

Victoria also has ghosts to deal with, demons to slay in order to free herself of emotional baggage and reach out to Seth. Past relationships haunt her: action film hero and first-love Chris, who stole her tender teenage heart and seemingly threw it away, has returned home, bringing with him his teenage son, a twin, whose brother, along with the boy’s mother, was lost in a tragic accident. Heartbreakingly, just prior to the accident, Chris and his wife had made tender-sweet love. I could give a massive spoiler here, but I won’t. The bit about relatable-to people I mentioned, though, real people dealing with life’s traumas? The author has a heart-wrenching twist in here that again is handled beautifully and sensitively. I applaud her for that.

Chris then, is also carrying baggage. He is grieving the double loss of his wife and his son, struggling with the guilt around the accident, and also the heavy guilt of a secret he’s kept from his remaining son about his wife. An action hero on the outside, Chris is vulnerable and hurting on the inside, and he, too, needs to deal with his past. Follow Me Follow You is a truly touching story of love triumphing over tragedy, as Chris and Victoria rediscover each other and attempt to mend their broken relationships with their children. Original, uplifting, poignant, it’s a must read.

[J.B (Debbie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow me, Follow You by Laura E James is one of those fantastic books that has you engrossed in the story from page 1! This was one book I simply could not put down. Immediately I felt drawn into the main characters lives. Although Victoria is hiding behind the facade of being a successful business woman who does not need anyone or anything, at some point those defenses she has put up have got to come down. Victoria's son Seth seems to have done a fairly good job at making Victoria realise that something has got to give. I think that every woman who has juggled career and parenthood will understand just what it is that Victoria will have to sacrifice. I could empathise with Victoria and her difficulties with her child and throughout the story I just wanted to reach into the book and hug her! She has spent so long trying to make sure that her heart doesn't get broken again that she has shut everyone out. With the return of her first love Chris from Hollywood to England, Victoria is forced to deal with her demons - past and present! I absolutely adored Chris and think I may have a new book boyfriend. Sexy and dynamic, Chris is also vulnerable and broken. Trying to fix himself and help his son with his own grief, we have a new hero in Chris. A hero that makes us want to hug away all the hurt he has suffered.

There are some great back stories going on in this book and I promise that at no point will you be bored! Family relationships are explored throughout and although there is a lot of sadness in the book there are equal measures of hope, love and joy. It is impossible to read this book without it leaving an impression on you and tugging at your heart strings. Its a great romance with an interesting and engrossing story to it and full of some amazing characters. One of my favourite characters is Olivia! I think she is a fantastically interesting character who is very entertaining. Its a great read and I cannot recommend it highly enough! I will definitely be reading more from Laura E James.

[Silvana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What kind of life would be when son hates his mother?!
Victoria is strong woman she builds and leads the most successful social networking site,together with her sister.She is strong in her career, concerning her motherhood she is so weak and couldn't deals with her four years old son,Seth.Trying to find the way to deals with her son she will goes to her father, in that place where in the past she experienced her first true love with Chris Frampton.That is in the past.
Chris Frampton famous actor is back from LA to deals with big tragedy in his family.He has teenage son and didn't know how to communicate with him,besides he must keeps his dead wife's secret safe from people and media.
It's interesting story about two people which was together in their youth and keep with their lives in different ways,but destiny will play with them again.
Victoria is very strong character,despite her weakness to her son she is very strong woman.I like her and I felt connected with her like she is my friend,so I wanted to help her somehow and till I read I keep my fingers crossed for her.Chris is so lonely without his wife and with her secret he seams even more lonely as he is.The other characters are well described I like very much Olivia,she is wise old lady,I like the way she advised Victoria.
This book is not ordinary romance book,but despite romance there is other topics as parenting,Victoria and Chris also are single parents,we see how they manage to upbringing their children.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you expect some kind of contemporary romance where there is love, loving, drama and then HEA. Then this is not that. This is more real and heartbreaking.

First we have Victoria who has problems with her son. That was the heart breaking part, how he lashed out at her. It broke me. So she leaves everything behind, even the company she built, to start a new life. To be a new her. To get to know her son.

Chris is a megastar who comes back home with his son. He has lost another son and his wife, and years after he still deals with the tragedy. His son is suffering too.

They all need to find peace and quiet, acceptance and forgiveness. But it does not make it easier that Chris ad Victoria used to date and got their hearts broken cos of it.

So yes we got issues, working through the and slowly (I mean slowly!) getting to know each other again. Slowly even talking to each other, slowly becoming friends and slowly wanting more. You do not rush love.

But that HEA I talked about earlier, of course there is still a HEA. Everyone will get to live happily ever after.

Love, loss and a new life.

[Lorraine Shorter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable tale of putting your past to rest. Forgiving and forgetting; letting go of baggage so you can move forward.

Victoria was hurt in the worst way when she was young and she has allowed it to colour every moment of her life since then, with equally awesome and devastating consequences.

So when the source of hurt comes back into her life, it difficult for Victoria not to let her past colour her present and get caught up in the emotion of the moment; this time it's more than Victoria's heart that's at stake and she can't afford to get it wrong.

I loved the fact that this booked family can come in all shapes and sizes, but as long as there's love things will be okay.

However, I found some of the writing about Victoria's son, Seth, early on in the book to be quite far-fetched, and often felt he was painted as being much older and more advanced than his four years. I also felt the climax toward the end of the book just suddenly happened; sometimes it was all a bit too convenient.

That said, it didn't stop me enjoying this story, which had a very satisfactory ending. It's very likely that I'll pick up other titles by Laura E. James.

[Robyn Koshel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Follow me follow you” is an enchanting read with rich characters. Truly rooted in reality, it is a romance of modern times with modern problems but Laura James still manages to add fairy tale charm.

Victoria runs the most delightful social media company, Ewespeak and I wished it was real. Being a single mother, Victoria just about gives up on romance and focuses on her son Seth and work, until a blast from the past arrives.

Suave Chris arrives from Hollywood and puts a spanner in the works. Chris and Victoria wonder if they can rekindle their old flame, as they battle the obstacles of real life.

Laura E. James, does it again and creates a heart warming, humorous story that everyone can relate to but adds her own magical hallmark to make every character so real and life-like.

“Follow me follow you”, will make you sigh as you close the book and keep you smiling for days after.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Me Follow You is another superb novel by Laura James. This novel has a lot going on and will pull you in from the very beginning. Lies, deceit, guilt, family relationships as well as love brings this novel to life.

Victoria, who is juggling a successful career and single parent is clever, driven and at a loss with her relationship with her young boy. He hates her. Trying to build a relationship leads her to step away from her work dig deep to be the mom she feels he deserves.

Chris, a former stuntman, is dealing with demons of his own. After the loss of his wife and son, Chris moves to England with his other son to heal. What he doesn't plan on is being the neighbor to the girl he left there long ago.

Wounded but well rounded characters, there were times I would have liked to grab Chris and shout 'OPEN YOUR EYES MAN!"

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic story, with so much emotion – on so many levels – it leaves you almost gasping for breath! A young divorcée with a four-year old son who claims to hate her - she’s fighting to regain his trust and earn his love. A former Hollywood stuntman who’s lost his wife and one of his twin teenage sons, trying to reach his remaining child, who is shutting him out, while battling feelings of guilt, grief and depression himself. These two have history, which they have to set aside in order to try and help their children. And somewhere along the way, perhaps try to find their way back to each other and heal old wounds. I sat up reading this until 4am because I just had to continue until the end, and I wasn’t disappointed. Buy it, is all I can say!

[Scarlett Barnhill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could take it or leave it. There are sweet moments, but it doesn't really come off like a romance novel to me. The hero and heroine don't actually interact until 1/3 into the book, and I think the biggest plotline is the heroine's struggle with raising her son. That's not a bad thing, but it does lead me to believe that this is more of a general fiction book than a romance. Fortunately, every time I thought a misunderstanding was going to be drawn out unnecessarily, it wasn't, and conclusions to problems came in reasonable amounts of time. In places the emotions seemed heavy-handed to me, very much like the reader was being told to feel a certain way when the situations could have spoken for themselves without clarification.

I didn't dislike it, but I wouldn't recommend it either.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic title, I totally loved the whole idea of Ewespeak social media network and the ‘bleats’, it’s all a very clever idea. However, the story of Victoria and Chris is about connecting in a different way and this is what Laura does so well.

Follow Me, Follow You really digs deep into the heads and hearts of all the characters, taking each of them on a journey of recovery. The book has sub-plots expertly woven in, dealing with deeper issues of the human nature; the relationship between two unrelated sons, I found particularly touching and moving.

I would very much recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about love, relationships, families and their complexities.

[Kathy Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first of Laura's books I have read and I really enjoyed it, so will be searching out the other two once I join the C21st!
I particularly enjoyed the development of a couple of the characters both in themselves and within their relationship (won't say any more, you can read it for yourself), and the businesses Laura invented are genius.
My copy is currently out with a member of my local reading group.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about relationships, love and families. It digs deep into the minds and hearts of all the characters in this book. The sub-plots that are brilliantly woven into this story are brilliantly written and I found them very moving. The idea of EweSpeak and the Bleats had me in stitches, what a fantastic idea. Very interesting story one i would definitely recommend.

[Mina Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book - sad, but still hopeful. All the characters were great and they showed development throughout the book.

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent read from Laura James.

[John New]

Good read, enjoyed despite being not my usual genre choice. Captures spirit of the area well.

[Samantha E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a story very close to my heart. I could relate to many things described about 4 year old Seth (although mine is a little diva).

It got me reading up about child attachment disorders and feeling guilty about working and wishing I could give it all up to get more cuddles. But then the logical side woke up and I woke up from that lovely daydream to continue reading.

So, we have Victoria (professional and hard working Mummy to young Seth). She runs a successful business with her equally lovely sister (and professional working Mummy of 4 children) to be brought down to earth with a bang when she realises her son shows little emotion and enjoys the company of his childminder rather than his Mummy's.

After another round of abuse hurled at her by her son, and objects hurled at her, Victoria can no longer hide it from her sister and needs to come up with another olan. With some gentle persuasion and coaxing from Joo, Victoria decides she needs time to bond with her Seth. This leads to an impromptu visit to her Dad's, where she decides to stay for a few weeks.

This is an emotional trip in itself as it brings back all sorts of memories and heartache over Chris - her first love - who at the same time, broke her heart and left her to fulfil his dream in the US.

When she is back home, she notices everything has changed as well. Nothing is the same - it's not how it used to be. Even her Dad has moved on and found love again with local artist, Olivia.

It all gets a tad cramped at her Dad's and after some heart to hearts with the lovely and very wise Olivia, she starts thinking about the cottage she inherited and how she might be able to renovate it for her and Seth to live in.

Meanwhile, little does Victoria know, that Chris is also back in town, along with his son, Rick. Chris has a great deal of sadness surrounding him too, as he lost his wife and son in a horrific accident, which he cannot come to terms with and blames himself for it.

It is Seth and Rick who bring Chris and Victoria together again. It takes a sheer act of heroism from Chris' part, in rescuing Seth from the cottage, when the ceiling collapses, to make Victoria see a different side to Chris. (Although she does a very good job at trying to talk herself out of it as well.)

I couldn't put this down. I laughed out loud , cringed, felt sorry for Chris, felt sorry for Victoria a number of times. Yes there were sad parts and thoughtful parts, but there were lots of thoughtful moments and funny times too.

I loved the company name Ewe Speak that and the little "bleats" instead of tweets. Very cleverly done and very entertaining.

I also learned something ... little did I know the words Follow You, Follow Me were from a Genesis track, which you may find odd, but it reminded me instantly of my Dad and the years we spent listening to and watching him play his air drums .... but for the younger generation reading this ... you will probably need to You Tube Genesis to find out who they even are ...... 😂