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It's Not You, It's Me
She's heard all the lines. Now it's time for the truth! Charlie has to keep pinching herself to believe she's leaving Australia for a trip to Europe - a generous gift from her family, who know how tough her life has been lately.
But the last person Charlie expects to bump into on the plane is Jasper Ash, international celebrity, rock-star sex-god - and Charlie's former best friend, flatmate and... almost-lover!
It's been three years since Charlie impulsively jumped into bed with Jas, then a struggling student. But their nearly-one-night stand had just been warming up when Jas began the male "backing off" ritual, practically sprinting out the door with the classic excuse, "It's not you, it's me." Yeah, right. Everyone knows what that means - It is you! Not pretty enough, not successful enough - just not enough.
Charlie has dealt with it - and a whole lot more - but the unanswered questions still niggle. Acting on impulse once again, she invites Jas to join her own European tour! And as they share hotel rooms, play at being tourists and dodge Jas's determined groupies, it becomes clear they're both at a crossroads in life. Before they can move on, they finally have to deal with the unfinished business between them - starting with a serious conversation about that night.
Former journalist Allison Rushby lives in Brisbane, Australia, where she writes full-time, usually with her cat Violet on her lap. It's Not You It's Me is her debut novel for Red Dress Ink.
But the last person Charlie expects to bump into on the plane is Jasper Ash, international celebrity, rock-star sex-god - and Charlie's former best friend, flatmate and... almost-lover!
It's been three years since Charlie impulsively jumped into bed with Jas, then a struggling student. But their nearly-one-night stand had just been warming up when Jas began the male "backing off" ritual, practically sprinting out the door with the classic excuse, "It's not you, it's me." Yeah, right. Everyone knows what that means - It is you! Not pretty enough, not successful enough - just not enough.
Charlie has dealt with it - and a whole lot more - but the unanswered questions still niggle. Acting on impulse once again, she invites Jas to join her own European tour! And as they share hotel rooms, play at being tourists and dodge Jas's determined groupies, it becomes clear they're both at a crossroads in life. Before they can move on, they finally have to deal with the unfinished business between them - starting with a serious conversation about that night.
Former journalist Allison Rushby lives in Brisbane, Australia, where she writes full-time, usually with her cat Violet on her lap. It's Not You It's Me is her debut novel for Red Dress Ink.
Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
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About the author
Allison Rushby
44 books289 followersAllison Rushby adores cities with long, winding histories; wild, overgrown cemeteries; redbrick Victorian museums; foxes; tea; and ivy. She lives in Queensland, Australia.
http://www.allisonrushby.com.
http://www.allisonrushby.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 21, 2018
3.5 ★s
I found this novel to be a thoroughly enjoyable bit of chick lit. The tone of the book is warm, witty and fun.
Good-natured 20-something Charlie realises she has fallen in love with her handsome, talented music student flatmate. Only one problem - despite the appearance of several beautiful young women in the flat, Charlie is unsure of Jasper's sexual interests. When the lease expires on the flat, they go their separate ways, and don't have contact for some years.
A chance encounter reunites them, by which time Jasper has become an internationally successful rock star. His professional persona has a distinctly gay orientation. Taking time out from his gruelling tour schedule, the two travel to Germany to attend Oktoberfest.
Lots of alcohol is consumed, lots of funny things happen, lots of words get said on the road. Eventually Charlie and Jasper work out what has been bugging both of them for years.
I found this novel to be a thoroughly enjoyable bit of chick lit. The tone of the book is warm, witty and fun.
Good-natured 20-something Charlie realises she has fallen in love with her handsome, talented music student flatmate. Only one problem - despite the appearance of several beautiful young women in the flat, Charlie is unsure of Jasper's sexual interests. When the lease expires on the flat, they go their separate ways, and don't have contact for some years.
A chance encounter reunites them, by which time Jasper has become an internationally successful rock star. His professional persona has a distinctly gay orientation. Taking time out from his gruelling tour schedule, the two travel to Germany to attend Oktoberfest.
Lots of alcohol is consumed, lots of funny things happen, lots of words get said on the road. Eventually Charlie and Jasper work out what has been bugging both of them for years.
August 3, 2009
I thought this was great. The reason for the hero/heroine's misunderstanding is original, and I really enjoyed the camaraderie between the two. Love isn't about just sex, y'all. :)
May 4, 2017
I thought I would like it more than I actually did. I like the premise and parts of the trip to Oktoberfest were quite funny. But it left me wanting more.
July 2, 2017
It was okay I thought it would be better.
February 27, 2022
Boring start. Too lengthy boring. Nothing creative
April 16, 2024
Loved it! A light easy read.
July 12, 2024
I love this book it is great for people that like romance and a bit of comedy. It is really well written.
May 24, 2016
This book is so FUN! It's got some seriously laugh-out-loud moments and dialogue (the banter between Jas and Charlie, in particular) and what's not to like about a romance set mostly during Oktoberfest and then a CASTLE in Germany?
When Jas and Charlie first meet, you immediately fall in love with the two of them, both separately and together. And they only get better as you go! Their romance is a slow build, but really starts while they are both roommates living with a bunch of elderly people. The eccentricities of their neighbors and the way that both Jas and Charlie embrace those quirks endears you to them from the start. These two characters are built basically from the ground up and are just so darn likeable!
When you meet them again 3 years and one awkward (but sexy!) situation later, they are older, wiser, and a little more hardened versions of themselves. Jas as the Marilyn Manson-esque rock star and Charlie as the girl who has been dealing with some hard times are still a great pair.
The sexual chemistry and tension between them is awesome and sexy as hell, once they finally get their act together!
The misunderstandings and their one big fight are believable and not overly dramatic. I love that they don't have to make grand declarations of love for you to know they are in love. Their bond is just so well built throughout the book.
The Oktoberfest setting is also a lot of fun, as is the castle. You can really see and feel it all like you're there. And the descriptions of Zamiel (Jas rock star alter ego) are just as vivid, as well as entertaining.
There is a bit of action 2/3rds through that has some great tension and isn't necessarily what you would expect.
Overall, a seriously fun best friends to lovers romance.
When Jas and Charlie first meet, you immediately fall in love with the two of them, both separately and together. And they only get better as you go! Their romance is a slow build, but really starts while they are both roommates living with a bunch of elderly people. The eccentricities of their neighbors and the way that both Jas and Charlie embrace those quirks endears you to them from the start. These two characters are built basically from the ground up and are just so darn likeable!
When you meet them again 3 years and one awkward (but sexy!) situation later, they are older, wiser, and a little more hardened versions of themselves. Jas as the Marilyn Manson-esque rock star and Charlie as the girl who has been dealing with some hard times are still a great pair.
The sexual chemistry and tension between them is awesome and sexy as hell, once they finally get their act together!
The misunderstandings and their one big fight are believable and not overly dramatic. I love that they don't have to make grand declarations of love for you to know they are in love. Their bond is just so well built throughout the book.
The Oktoberfest setting is also a lot of fun, as is the castle. You can really see and feel it all like you're there. And the descriptions of Zamiel (Jas rock star alter ego) are just as vivid, as well as entertaining.
There is a bit of action 2/3rds through that has some great tension and isn't necessarily what you would expect.
Overall, a seriously fun best friends to lovers romance.
June 10, 2011
Allison Rushby's book "It's Not You, It's Me" is i guess you could say a chick lit book. It has an interesting story line though in my opinion. But it does have a love story in it like of course, most chick lit's do. Boy and girl meet, date for a while. the boy starts to get iffy and we all know the rest. The fact that they met while Charlie was going on vacation to Australia, which i would definitely love to do one day, was pretty random. And running into each other about three years later. "We met- it must be almost three years ago now- because he was looking for a new place to live. He was going steadily crazy where he was at the time. The guys he'd been living with- all engineering students- were too noisy for him and constantly gave him ten kinds of crap about studying voice and piano at the Conservation.(p.10)" Jasper was a big shot musician. That's something many people wish they could have, something that would happen to them. I'm not sure that it happens that often, but at the same time, it mainly happens in movies or books. Those things make our minds think that our lives should be like what happens in movies or books but that rarely ever happens. Life doesn't always have a happy ending. "I push his hands off one at a time. 'That's pretty rich,' I (Charlie) say, 'I'm keeping things from you? Keeping things from people is your line of expertise, if i remember correctly.(p.221)" Everyone keeps things from each other at some point in time, that part is something anyone can relate to. Overall, this book was pretty good.
August 4, 2008
Chick lit at it's most banal - almost. Charlotte fell in love with Jas years ago when they roomed together but mysterious circumstances squashed their romance. Since that time Ash has become an international rock superstar. Many bad plot contrivances are used to bring the estranged couple back together, including, but not limited to, a beer festival in Germany, the death of Charlotte's mother who just happened to be a famous sculptor, a chance meeting on an international flight, way too many shots of schnapps, a death-defying race in a yellow Porsche, some gender issues involving the fella in question, several pairs of leather pants and one dirdl, the outing of the rock star to the press, and finally, a passionate night in a remote castle. Spoiler altert (yeah, right) follows: Did you guess that Jas gives up life on the road and the perks of stardom to be with Charlotte? You did? You win the washer-dryer set!
August 20, 2012
I first read this book eight years ago when it was first published, and I simply fell in love. I've probably read it five times since then, and each time I remember why it's one of my favorites. There is a great friendship that turns into more, but there's also the inside scoop into being a celebrity and why it's not all it's cracked up to be, and on top of that, the majority of the book takes place in Germany during Oktoberfest. You simply can't beat that. I adore Charlie and Jas, and their story is really cute. plus there are a lot of funny parts in the book, in addition to some adorable ones in which you see Jas's endearing side come out. This book is definitely on my all-time favorites list :)
December 28, 2008
Charlotte (Charlie) and Jasper (Jas) are the perfect roommates until wierdness happens when they almost sleep together. Instead of talking through the almost that happened, they drift apart. Charlie has to take care of her dying mother and then she gets cancer. Jas, on the other hand, lands a gig in a heavy metal band and is known as a demon loving, pig eating, homosexual singer. While it's all an act, the world - include Charlie -believe it. When they run into each other in the airport by accident they both head off to Oktoberfest. In the process they end up finding themselves and (of course) each other.
An okay read. Mindless enough for the beach!
An okay read. Mindless enough for the beach!
February 25, 2009
It's been forever since I read anything! I took a little reading break after Breaking Dawn and got too busy with life to get back into it. Fortunately, a client gave me a few paperbacks she was done with and this was one of them. A decent, predictable chick-lit. I enjoyed it, it was perfect for when Matt's on 24 hour call at the hospital. :) Very light and fun. I liked the interaction of the main characters and enjoyed her style of writing...a little bit of stream of consciousness without being too William Faulkner. :)
January 19, 2011
i dont know why but always keep comming back to this book. its light and funny but predicable and yet you find yourself reading it over and over and over again. Every year theres a huge German Festival - Beer, Cider, Kranksey, pretzels and hocks. Love it - never miss a year. and Its seems that every year i go i need to pick up this book and read it again. And Everytime you find yourself Falling in love Jas. SIGH! lol
April 24, 2013
I almost didn't read this book after seeing that it only received an average of 3 stars and because some of the reviews didn't seem to keen on this book. This is a perfect example of why I should not put too much value in other people's opinions. This book was great! I enjoyed the fact that it was different from so many other books I've read as of late. I mean seriously part of the setting is Oktoberfest...how do you not love that?!
June 14, 2007
Former roommates reunite while on holiday and see if they are able to rekindle the flame that ruined their friendship originally. It was refreshing to read a book by an Australian author since so many chick lit books are written by American or British authors, however, very little of the book is actually set in Australia. There is a little bit of a shocking revelation near the end.
September 12, 2013
It's not you, it's me...haven't we all wondered what that means? This book gives you one interpretation...a really cute one at that. Sure it's slightly predictable, but in other ways the twists the author throws your way keep you reading, wanting to finish to see what happens. It's a quick, feel good read.
February 14, 2014
This was your basic chick lit fluff romance. The story idea was a little unique but it never really panned out, IMO...could have used more humor and depths to both characters. There were twists but they were just not all that interesting and the writing style wasn't my favorite. Still, it was a fun enough fast read...just not great, IM0. It felt very Australian which was fun though..
June 26, 2014
Really not that good of a book. It just drug on. You knew where it was going to end (well of course, don't you always with these books). But, all of the middle fluff in this book just seemed like it wasn't really a plot or anything. It truly seemed like little incidents thrown together to get to the end of a book. Not good!
November 10, 2012
Funny and romantic. An easy read.
This is the only book who gave me the feel of Europe and German's Oktoberfest. Whenever I read this book, it never fail to bring me from Australia to Europe. :D It's one of my fave, my very first chic lit fave!
This is the only book who gave me the feel of Europe and German's Oktoberfest. Whenever I read this book, it never fail to bring me from Australia to Europe. :D It's one of my fave, my very first chic lit fave!
January 16, 2008
Quick read, cute story. I couldn't put it down.
January 30, 2008
Loved the quirky characters. Better than most chick lit.
February 6, 2008
Hadn't read a girly book in years and just wound up picking this up. Quick read, nothing fantastic.
April 9, 2010
Don't bother.
April 27, 2010
Interesting and funny chick lit book. I really enjoyed it!
July 5, 2010
I borrowed this one from a friend and I really enjoyed it. I have to be in the mood for chick lit, but I was and this hit the spot.
August 31, 2010
was ok, a little unbelievable, but it's a lazy read I guess
September 5, 2010
It was ok...It could have been a great plot...lacked humor and giddy moments that will hook a reader.
November 17, 2018
I absolutely love this book!! I love the characters, the storyline and the author!!! There's a mixture of humor, wit, drama. I love it!!
November 15, 2011
Sometime only a chick-lit will do. This one did the trick for me. Read in two days, unlikely plot and characters, decently written, instantly forgettable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews