A real feel-good novel about two men, one Danny is from a council housing estate and won a scholarship to Kings Scrivenor school. The other is James who comes from a wealthy family and was sent to the same school.
Years later, after James has suffered a brain injury, they meet when Danny is working as a care assistant in a care home. James is staying there whilst his Mum and Dad have a little holiday. At first Danny denies knowing James, but eventually they pal up, and move into James modern flat, with Danny in a caring role.
Their trials and tribulations with women, parents and friends is documented with humour, and more than a tinge of sadness, and James becomes more able to deal with his day to day care, and Danny decides to retrain as a teacher.
The characters in this book are very true to life, and the plot leads you on and on. The author is to be recognized as dealing sympathetically with disabled people. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

I had just finished reading a wonderful story, and I was feeling sorry for the book to follow it because I didn't think it could possibly match up. And then I started reading 'The man I think I know'. What a nice surprise. It's a fantastic story - alternately poignant and humorous. There is a romance, but overall the story is about the friendship between James and Danny, and their recovery (I won't say from what). I do feel the ending was a bit rushed; I would have liked to hear a bit more from James, but it didn't spoil the book. I think it was a case of I didn't want it to end! With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely heartwarming book written by an author that writes such amazing male characters that you can totally visualise! It is the story of two men who under different circumstances reunite and the story around that. A fabulous read

Danny has had bad luck in life. Unemployed, he has just been given an ultimatum from his girlfriend- he has to find a job or she’ll leave him. When he spots a job at a respite home, he’s sure he’s not cut out for it. He has no choice- if he doesn’t want to end up alone, he has to take the job.

James was living a privileged life as an MP and property developer. He had it all. This is, until “the Incident” that left him with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). His world from then on is reduced to his overprotective parents and sister.

When his sister books their parents on a cruise for their wedding anniversary, there’s nowhere James can go apart from the respite home, as his disabilities mean he cannot do things for, or look after, himself and depends on the help of others.

The past catches up with the present when James, is sure he recognises Danny at the respite home. Danny is not that welcoming at the start, but when James is put into a situation where he just wants independence from his parents, Danny seems the perfect choice as a carer….
The two begin a friendship where they look out for eachother and where Danny is James’s carer. The book is so powerfully written and I got through it in a matter of hours.

Mike Gayle represents the world of disability with great accuracy. I do not know people with ABI, but do know many people with different disabilities. I was born with neurological disabilities myself and so know all too well the discrimination that James faced, as I experienced, and experience it, first-hand.

For that reason, I could immediately identify with James and his fight to be accepted by everyone around him. I admire both him and Danny after having listened to the book.

The thing that really stood out for me, though, was that James fought for what HE wanted for HIS life, and was not dictated to by his parents.
Having had vastly different experiences with carers in my own life, I personally agree with his decision to trust his judgement and as soon as he said he wanted Danny as his carer, I was cheering him on and was right behind him with his decision. I much prefer having someone I know as a caregiver.

To anyone who is sceptical of employing someone they know as a caregiver, I know from personal experience that it works.

To sum up, The Man I Think I Know is an extremely well-written novel about new opportunities and second chances at life and friendship. I was gripped by it and finished it in a matter of hours. This is the first book by Mike Gayle I have had the pleasure of reviewing and I am honoured to be a part of the blog tour for this title.

It’s an outstanding 5 star novel for me, not only because of the representation of disability and life issues, but because of the realistic and occasionally humorous way that James and Danny interact. The family and other characters are very well portrayed, too. The pace is quick but natural and I was captivated!

I felt more aware of Acquired Brain Injury after finishing this. It really is an astounding novel! I really appreciate storylines like this where there is a deeply moving story that also helps raise awareness.

I recommend this book 100%!

Thanks to Mike Gayle and Hodder and Stoughton for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

James de Witt and Danny Allen should be kings of the world. Although they come from very different backgrounds, both excelled at a school that breeds statesmen, champions of industry, thought-leaders. But, years later, we meet two men in their thirties who are vanquished by life; James survived a violent attack that left him with a brain injury, and Danny has committed himself to a downward spiral of self-destruction after a mysterious incident that killed his sister.

In a last-ditch attempt to sort himself out, Danny accepts a job as a carer for James. A touching bond emerges between the two men as they help one another. Their loyalty is the strongest element of this feel-good story - and the easy humour between them means we are never in the doldrums even when James and Danny are at their lowest ebb.

The narrative pace slows in the final part - the magic lost when our charming pair separate to face their own challenges - and there are moments when the underlying structure shows too much on the surface (I didn't need James to keep telling me that by saving Danny he will save himself, and vice versa). But overall this is a sensitive and uplifting read that will appeal to fans of JoJoMoyes.

I have been a fan of mike Gayle since his debut novel my legendary girlfriend.
The narrative Gayle uses is easy to read and allows you to really engage with the characters. I devour them.
The man I think I know is no different. Having gone to a private school together James and Danny’s lives through no fault of their own go down completely different paths to those that were expected.The voices of both James and Danny are almost as if you are in their heads. The characters are well thought out and you are really rooting for them. Gayle knows how to tell a good story that you get fully engaged in. I would recommend his books to anyone!

I have written before about how much I love Mike Gayle’s books and how I am a fully paid up member of his Fan Club. I read and enjoyed The Hope Family Calendar last year and was over the moon when I spotted that he had a new book, The Man I Think I Know (out today!) coming out. I had that slight worry that all bookworms have when one of their favourite authors have a new book on the way, “will it be as good as…” but I needn’t have worried as The Man I Think I Know is compelling, warm-hearted, touching and beautiful.

In this book we meet Danny who is a bit of a failure. He is on the dole, lives with his girlfriend but things in their relationship are less than rosy and he has a teenage daughter that he never sees. He had a promising start in life attending a prestigious private school and being fortunate enough to receive an excellent education which should have opened many doors for him. His former classmates are some of the most influential businessmen, politicians, sportsmen and celebrities around, yet he hasn’t worked for some time. We don’t immediately know why life has turned out for him like this – things only start to become clearer when he manages to get himself a job at a care home and meets James who is having respite care whilst his parents go on holiday. James has a brain injury as a result of an ‘Incident’ which has made his world an unrecognisable place.

I loved The Man I Think I Know, really, really loved it. It is a sweet, sentimental exploration of life in the face of adversity. At first glance James and Danny are very different but scratch the surface and both men are in turmoil and struggling with the hands they have been dealt with in life. This is an examination of a life lived, what defines success and what is important to make us feel fulfilled. It is written with a skilled hand – it doesn’t fall into the usual tropes and is sweet without being saccharine.

This is a brave book which is unafraid to explore difficult subject matters and tackles important issues head on. There are some heartbreaking and difficult moments that are handled incredibly well with a deftness of touch that communicates real feeling and emotion. So much so that I fell in love with James and Danny, their relationship and growth was compelling and entirely believable.

The Man I Think I Know is a unputdownable and easily devoured book. It would make an ideal holiday read – it isn’t light and fluffy by any means, it is just accessible great fiction from a brilliant writer. What more could you want?

I really loved this book! James and Danny knew each other at their prestigious public school. Now James has suffered a brain injury, and Danny is working as a carer. Fate brings them back together and the story tells how their friendship enriches both their lives. Told from the viewpoint of each of them, this is a funny, moving and ultimately uplifting book, which I thoroughly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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Now I love a Mike Gayle novel but I knew as soon as I started this one that I was in for something different, this was something extra special! This books lured me in right from the word go by being structured as a dual narrative. Both of our narrators are Male which is unusual for me, but I loved both of them and wanted to know everything about them as soon as they started telling their story. The title of this novel is so clever because it is them talking about themselves as much as it is them talking about each other, just mind-blowing!

I loved both of these characters because they are both such strong characters but they both have their flaws. I loved reading about people who aren't perfect because we aren't perfect and I love an author that tells the truth like that. James is a fabulous character because he had a life changing event and so her is very much starting again and forming a new life for himself. Danny is pretty much doing the same thing although for completely different reasons. They are connected in so many ways and on so many levels that I'm not even sure I have discovered all of them yet! They have both made questionable decisions and sometimes not been 'nice' to other people but it's who they are now that matters and boy are they learning that as well!

The story takes place as these two men become involved in each others lives but we get to know their individual lives as much as we get to know their lives together and so this storyline can get fairly complicated. It also deals with some difficult issues which may prove to be triggers for some readers so make sure you read the synopsis before digging in. I went in blind but I felt that the more troubling and difficult of the issues that these men have to deal with were dealt with incredibly well. I loved the narrative and I left this novel feeling totally uplifted and like I had gone through this journey with them. I loved this book and I now feel like there is some hope in the world!

Brilliant. Funny, happy and sad in places and totally uplifting. This is a must read book. I will be talking about this book for a long time. James and Danny are wonderful likeable characters and their story is beautiful and touching in so many ways. James and Danny change each other's lives in so many ways.

The Man I Think I Know is a very special story which follows two main characters, James and Danny. Both characters attended the same boarding school as boys and were both high fliers in their youth, destined for greatness. Now, years on, as young men, the characters both find themselves in situations which they couldn't have imagined in the past. Without giving spoilers, James' and Danny's situations are completely different and yet both hold a complexity and an emotional storyline. As a reader, I found myself immersed in this story and these characters and in Mike Gayle's writing. The plot was simple, and yet there was not a moment that I was bored during this read, and in fact I read it in one sitting, completely entranced throughout. The characterisation and character development in this story is FLAWLESS, especially in James' character, where I often felt I was with him and was experiencing his experiences in life. It was quite amazing.

This story revolves around the theme of relationships, between lovers, family and mostly friendship. The Man I Think I Know tells a beautiful story of the friendship between two men who are both in difficult life situations, but find fun, laughter and ease with each other. In fact this focus on a male-male friendship is something so rare in books that I fell in love with the story and I dare you to try not to fall in love with these characters. I absolutely adored the writing, and both main characters.

Overall, I was completely blown away by this story. This was my first Mike Gayle book and I will no doubt be reading a lot more from him in the future! In fact, if his next book is anything like this release I will be hunting it down!

I really enjoyed this, interesting characters with a heartwarming take on friendship, personal growth and overcoming life's obstacles.
Hard to say too much as part of the charm of this book is discovering the characters for yourself with no preconceptions.

An absolutely fantastic book of friendship and how two boys with a seemingly perfect life ahead of them grew into men having to face many challenges. The book is very well written. I absolutely adored the narrative by James in his very unique and literal voice. Fantastic.

This is a truly wonderful book! James and Danny attended public school together but when they they meet up in later life, it is in a totally unexpected situation. After initially denying they had ever met, the two go on to build up a wonderful, quirky friendship that none of them could ever have imagined.
I could totally empathise with James's parents, they were so heartbroken for their son and found it hard to let him lead his own life. Danny was just what James needed, and they both helped each other to to grow and find peace in their lives. This is very hard to review without giving away the main thrust of the storyline! This book is sad, funny, quirky, touching, heartbreaking but - and this is going to sound totally cliched and corny - life affirming. No matter what crap people go through in their lives, and this book throws plenty in the way of the characters, there is nothing else for it but to go on and forge your way through it the best way you can. Brilliant book, I have read a few from this author, and this one is an absolute cracker.

Oh man did this utterly tug at my heart strings. I’ve been a fan of Mike Gayle for years now, but this book utterly blew me away.

James was once on the path to brilliance. He had just been elected a Labour MP after a huge successful career in property development. Then a violent attack left him brain damaged and unable to function on his own. He is utterly dependant on his parents.

When his sister sends James’ mum and dad on a cruise for their anniversary, James is put into a respite home as he is unable to be left on his own. It is here that he meets Danny, a boy he went to a very prestigious school with. James recognises Danny straight away, but Danny pretends not to know him at first. He is ashamed that he has fallen so far from his academic pedestal that he fears he will be judged for being 'only a carer' when he was destined for other things. This story is about friendship in the most hard to find places and the curve balls that life can throw at you in the most brutal an unexpected ways.

To start with Danny irritated the heck out of me. Fallen on hard times due to his own bad choices and failures he is utterly uninterested in finding employment or even trying to become a better man. He’s content in being lazy and openly admits to not wanting to work just because he doesn’t want to. Grr! This got my back up. Gayle's brilliant writing and fleshing out of Danny's back story completely changed my perspective. My irritation grew into admiration for a very flawed and real man who turns a corner and works hard to make something of himself and support someone who he once knew years ago and ends up becoming his greatest friend and biggest champion.

James, oh how my heart broke for him and his family. His sister, mother and father treats him like a small boy and whilst you can completely understand that they want to wrap him in cotton wool and protect him from the world having nearly lost him, reading from James' point of view, you can see why he is utterly frustrated. He is a grown man with adult thoughts and cannot always express how he feels articulately. It is food for thought thinking of those living with acquired brain injury (ABI) and those supporting them.

Gayle really has written something very different from his previous books. This is not light-hearted, it is the opposite and yet so very powerful that long after finishing James and Danny will stay with you. I laughed and cried whilst reading this book. The dynamic between two very differently damaged and flawed men really do stop and make you appreciate what you have whilst you have it. It also shows that friendship and love can help heal scars so deep you didn't realise you needed healing. 

A brilliant 5 star read for me.

I have been a fan of Mike Gayle for many years so I was excited to read this book. However as I began reading I noticed a change in his writing, I can’t really describe what it is that made me think that but this book really grabbed me early on and made me realise it would be one that would stay with me long after turning the last page.

James and Danny are introduced gradually from each of their point of view. This is really cleverly done as the initial perceptions you have of them both develop in really interesting ways. These guys have been written so well you feel you know them, and there is something beautiful about their relationship both with each other and with the other people in the book.

This book has gone straight onto my “favourites read in 2018” list and I am already looking forward to the next book by Mike Gayle.

Mike Gayle is a really good author whose books I have enjoyed in the past. I thought this was an excellent read and quite thought provoking. 2 men, who were once the brightest and the best, had their lives changed by a random act and this explores how they each come to terms with their past and move on into their future

This is a beautiful, thought provoking book. about male friendship
The two males in question are James, who had it all, and Danny who had nothing.
They both went to one of the best schools in the country and left with accolades and dreams for the future.
James has his own company, a beautiful girlfriend and had just been elected to MP when he was attacked on a night out and left in a coma. He recovered but was never the same again and lost everything..
Danny lost his sister and everything went wrong from then. He has a daughter who he never sees, parents who he not seen for years and is a recovering alcoholic..
Their paths cross when Danny is forced to take a job as a carer and James goes into respite at the same home.
They both need each other and this the story about how they each change their lives around with help from each other.

This is an excellent read that had me engrossed from the first chapter. I've read many of this author's previous books and he never fails to deliver. This one is a gem!
It tells the story of 2 men, James and Danny, both of whose lives intersected at school and then again in adulthood. I don't want to say anymore as it would spoil the read, but, it's a gripping tale about relationships, the tenuous thread of life and health and the ripple effect of actions.
I loved it and would highly recommend.

Many thanks to net galley, Hodder and Stoughton and Mike Gayle for the opportunity to preview this excellent, 5* read!

Really no idea about to review this as the specifics that make James and Danny such special characters are best discovered by the reader. I truly believe going into this book with no preconceptions or thoughts as to what greatness would lie between its pages was the best way forward as anything else would have spoilt the surprise.

I have always enjoyed Mike Gayle's writing but although this does feature male friendship this a book that is sweet, heartwarming, and talks of new chances and two characters who really do experience huge personal growth as the story progresses.

Although they don't realise it at first both Danny and James really need each other in their lives, and they both think they are helping the other. It is not the most likely of fledgling friendships how it begins, especially once you know both mens startin circumstances,

What I am delighted to be able to say was that I was gripped and moved by the story, I just wanted more and more of these two remarkable young men and their stories. The book alternates viewpoints between James and Danny and I loved getting to know both of them on many levels.

This book felt very different to the majority of the others I've read by Mike Gayle and if this is the new direction he is taking his writing, then I can only applaud him. The Man I Think I Know is a remarkable book that I wish could have continued for longer.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.