Apparently 300,000 people make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela every year, two steps forward is the story of Martin taking the Camino to escape his failed marriage and test out a cart he has invented, and Zoe a recently widowed American trying to make sense of all that has happened in her life..
Each chapter alternates between the two describing their walk and all they see and encounter. Slowly a relationship builds between these two with a few humorous moments.
Although enjoyable and well researched with excellent descriptions of the scenery and their stops on their walk I was at times a little bored, it did seem to just move along too slowly.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book.

This had me reaching for my walking boots and french dictionary.

Two entirely different approaches to the same journey and yet I was compelled to accompany both. Some soul-searching, hints of a romance, blisters and struggles with a wooden cart – I shared them all and was disappointed when the journey had to end.

I loved the writing style of 'The Rosie Project', a warm and witty tale which moved at a keen pace and treated the reader with respect by not spelling out every little thing yet managing to convey the characters beautifully. So I approached this jointly written novel with both apprehension and enthusiasm.

There was no need for the former. You would never know that this is written by two authors, admittedly partners but still, an amazing accomplishment of seamless prose, either that or they have the most amazing editor(s)!

The story is full of unexpected events and revelations, just like life itself, and I found the hairs standing up on my arms and neck on several occasions by the time it started to resolve all the loose ends and my love for the protagonists had been firmly established.

It is also quite a pleasant travelogue and does awaken a curiosity of the pilgrim's route in both France and Spain. Perhaps even more the French section, being less crowded (although the time of year had a lot to do with that) and less known.

I was glad to read in the Authors' Notes at the conclusion of the story that they had walked the chemin/camino themselves, twice in fact, and that those first-hand experiences had been percolating for several years before the final novel was published.

A really enjoyable read which I would happily recommend to anyone and especially to those who have ever harboured secret ambitions to go for a very long walk.

Zoe's husband has died suddenly in LA, Martin has recently gone through an acrimonious divorce in England. They both find themselves on the Camino de Santiago, a 2,000km pilgrimage, in order to find themselves (or in Martins case, to see a walking cart!). They meet a lot of new friends and, of course, each other. I rally didn't think I'd like this, but I was hooked after the first couple of chapters. I think the details about the walking and accommodation at the start rally helped to set the scene. The scenery was beautifully described, and I really liked all of the characters (even the seemingly unlikeable ones).
There's loads of humour, I laughed a lot, and near the end I found myself becoming quite emotional.
The start may have been slow, but it gathered momentum, and I really felt as though the pace drew me in to the story.
A thoroughly enjoyable book!
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this!

‘Two Steps Forward’, a very apt title considering the subject matter (a walk) and the two main characters who are constantly taking that one step back. However, anyone mathematically inclined will realise they are making progress. Zoe and Martin make the monumental decision to walk the Chemin/Camino for very differing reasons. They walk in a path worn by pilgrims over the centuries and although neither are particularly religious, they both understand the walk can be a life changing experience. That’s the outline, what it doesn’t describe is the absolute charm of the book. The anecdotes, the observations, the vistas, the wit, the romance and the many other walkers they meet along the way, all make for a fascinating read.

A gorgeous story. When I chose to read it I was drawn by the fact that these are the people behind The Rosie Project, a fact I had completely forgotten by the time I opened the book. I didn't realise again until after it was finished and then simply nodded - writing of this quality, with this degree of insight into the motives and morals of average human beings, is a rarity, but when you find it, you're sucked into the story whatever the theme.

Here, we meet a disparate collection of people all attempting the same challenge, to walk the ancient pilgrim route that runs through France to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. Some walk it for religious reasons, some for spiritual, some for the challenge, some for practical aims, but all have something vital to learn about themselves as they go and this happens both through time spent in solitude and time spent with each other. It's also a love story, but this is absolutely not the heart and soul of the book. (Though is deeply satisfying!)

Again, an uplifting read where we learn as much about ourselves as we do the characters, where the human flaws revealed are as much our own as theirs and where the many layered happy endings deliver complete contentment.

It was interesting to read this book at the same time as the reality show featuring celebrities walking parts of the camino was showing on BBC2. The characters in the story seemed to be capable of walking much greater distances than the celebs, even those who weren't experienced walkers. There seem to be an interesting mix of people and reasons for walking to St James and they are well described. The idea of creating cartoons of walkers and back stories for them was lovely and I wondered if this has been done in real life. A great book and well worth reading even if you are not thinking of walking all or part of the camino.

Having read and enjoyed Graeme Simsion's previous books, I was rather disappointed with this one.

it seemed to take a long time to get into the swing of the story, and the cast was rather vast - and pretty interchangeable.

I didn't really connect with either Zoe or Martin, and a lot of the really interesting stuff seemed to be rushed at the end.

I would like to thank John Murray Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Two Steps Forward’ by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Simsion, the author of several well-regarded novels including ‘The Rosie Project’, together with his wife Anne Buist, have written a gentle and thoughtful novel based on their own ex-periences of walking the Camino from Cluny in France to Santiago, Spain. They’ve used the characters of Martin, an engineer from Yorkshire who’s trialling a cart he’s invented for use instead of a backpack, and Zoe a talented cartoonist from America. Told in alternate chapters we read about their experiences and the people they get to meet along the way. They start out alone, Zoe getting over the recent death of her husband, and Martin embittered by an un-pleasant divorce, and we discover how they get to know each other as their journey progress-es.
‘Two Steps Forward’ commences with Zoe in a hunting store where she sees Martin who she thinks is a shoplifter. Both characters need time and solitude to get away from their problems at home and find themselves, and the atmosphere of the Camino gives them the spiritual strength they’re looking for. Martin and Zoe are such lovely gentle people I couldn’t help liking them and at times felt as if I was there in person walking alongside them. The novel is heart-warming and inspiring, it has humorous interludes and is a joy to read. This is one of those novels that will stay with me for a long time.

This was the not very interesting account of a long walk with a story tagged on to it - the authors may as well have written a travelogue. The description of the journey which professes to be life-changing, did not inspire me at all, and the story attached to it was so dull I have forgotten it already.

Loved it! A Story told in two perspectives by Two People trekking the Camino Way, which I had never even heard of, but now I want to do, and their personal journeys along the way. They both start fairly broken and directionless, but the adventures and People they meet, including each other, along the way repair old wounds and give them back the direction they both needed. Told with humour and sensitivity, it brings in the history of the Camino Way and how it is still relevent today.

An enjoyable book, the descriptions of the Camino were interesting to read as I am walking the Portuguese one in a couple of weeks but I felt frustrated by the continual fallings out and running away of the main characters. Maybe I'm just not good at reading love stories, and the walk may work its magic and I will want to re-read the tale!

This isn’t my usual genre of book but I loved every minute of it! Such a fabulous story of love, friendship and helping others along the way. I actually felt I was with them all as they walked into Santiago. I’ve already recommended it to several friends. Will be posting my review on Amazon as soon as the book is released.

Arresting characterisation and an absorbing theme of self-redemption and self-discovery, mixed with humour and evocative descriptive prose. Most enjoyable and a treat to learn so much about the Camino: the physical fortitude required, the camaraderie of the pilgrims and the beauty of the landscape, all so vividly conveyed.

Martin, an Englishman, and Zoe, a Californian happen on each other while walking the Santiago de Compostela pilgrims walk. It does not get off to a good start. There is an element of mature relationship story here but the main stage is the walk itself, the people's stories, and the vagaries of life. I loved the journey. In fact, it made me think I would love to take on the challenge!

What a wonderful book. It piqued my interest because I had read Graeme Simsion's "The Rosie Project" and "The Rosie Effect" with much joy. This is a very different story, however it is just an enjoyable.

I have never read a co-written book before, but I loved the dynamic of it. With each author writing the perspective of a different character you get a truly unique voice for each..

This is a story about personal journey, and it truly intrigued me. There are a great set of characters, all of whom are completely believable and likable. I didn't relate with any one particular character. but their life experiences were very different to mine. I still cared greatly for the characters though.

Well worth a read, if you want something heart-warming, interesting and with beautiful descriptions.

I read this book because I loved ‘The Rosie Project ‘ by Graeme Simsion and was keen to read more by this author. It is quite different from that series of books, however I really enjoyed it. It is a combination of midlife romance and travel book.
It took me a little while to get used to the alternating viewpoints and I found Zoe, the female character a bit irritating. I’m not sure if it was just me or if I was meant to feel like that but she did grow on me. I found Martin much more believable but maybe I just identified with him more.
I loved the description of El Camino -so much so I’m thinking of making the pilgrimage myself! It was no surprise to find that the authors had walked it twice - they really made it come alive.
I have already started to recommend the book to friends.

A very enjoyable read, the descriptions on the Camino were interesting and gave a flavour of what to expect. The stories of Martin and Zoe were well told and both were believable and rounded characters. The story was never entirely predictable and kept me interested all the way to Santiago.

The premise is simple, two strangers walking the Camino, their lives thrown together through little more than fate. In some respects the finished product is simple, a fast paced, easy-read novel that leads the reader on a voyeuristic journey. That’s where the simplicity ends though.

This work is clearly well-researched by husband and wife authors, Simsion and Buist, and the detail used adds to the credibility of the tale. Like “The Rosie Project” by Simison, this is a book that will make you think and I found myself exhibiting empathy with the characters and situations resulting in my own “journey” through the text.

The minor characters are used to add colour, and counsel, to the tale and whilst stereotyping abounds it seems not to interfere with the authenticity of story rather it enables the reader to be drawn in.

The short, interwoven chapters, told in turn by the two main characters, lend themselves to an ideal beach or bedtime read where one can lose oneself in the Camino and, perhaps, find a few answers along the way. You, the reader, are left free to chose what you keep, what you discard, and what you take up – just as characters Zoe and Martin do – perhaps discovering what is really important.

This is a new novel by the creator of Rosie's Project. I was pleasantly surprised, since Simsion's last book fell very short of the standard raised by Rosie's Project, and even Rosie's Effect was nowhere near as good. This is a book about two middle aged people who start their walk of the Camino in Cluny for ostensibly different reasons, but who discover that the luggage they carry (the proverbial, at least) is not as different as they assume. It is the story of two journeys on geographically the same trail, but very individual to each character, and the journey is bent on bringing them together, even though they would rather rather not having to deal with each other - or more importantly the parts of themselves that are stirred by the presence of the other. It is a book about relationships, grief, new beginnings and letting go, and the fact that our lives do not have to effectively end at middle age.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and while I knew only very little about the Camino previously, I feel that I have made this journey with the characters, and maybe one day will do it myself. But probably not with the buggy.