wow! another wonderful book by Jenny Colgan!!! I absolutely loved reading this one, i had such a good time with this book! It's very well written, I loved the settings (in Scotland and in London), I loved how the chapters were divided, I loved the storyline and I loved the romance part of the book. Everything was perfect! Yes this book is very very good! I can only recommend it!!!!

An enjoyable chic lit read with good characterisation and a nice and easy storyline. Not the best chic lit book that I’ve ever read but none the less still worth a read.

I absolutely loved this book. I didn’t want it to end! I loved the fact that familiar friends were interwoven throughout the story. I really want to go and visit Scotland! I hope Jenny revisits these characters again because I really want to hear more of their stories.

Really enjoyed this book only complaint I had being Scottish was some of the Scottish references were a bit cringe. A heart warming feel good read that I flew through.

Any book by Jenny Colgan is on my must read list and she never disappoints. I loved being back with the people of Kirrinfief and catching up on their lives and I really loved Cormac and Lissa's story. It will definitely be a book I re-read in the future

After witnessing a traumatic incident at work, Lissa swaps her job in London to work in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands. She trades jobs with Cormac, a former soldier who is dealing with his own trauma.
I didn't realise this book was part of a series until I started reading it but I don't feel that not having read the earlier books took away my enjoyment. That being said, I would like to read the rest of the series as I really enjoyed the characters of Kirrinfief as they brought a much needed light-heartedness to the story. Lissa was occasionally annoying but I was won over by Cormac's charm and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have yet to find a book by Jenny Colgan that I have not loved and Five Hundred Miles From You was no exception. I loved this book and devoured it in a day. Two people Lissa and Cormac having suffered traumatic events in their lives are given the opportunity to swap jobs for three months, they then email back and forth to each other with patient updates as they try to adapt to their new areas and ways of working. In the background there’s a very emotional storyline on the importance of transplants. Have a read you will not be disappointed.

As a huge fan of Jenny Colgan’s I was so excited to get my hands on her latest release and oh boy it didn’t disappoint. I loved the little storyline in this and the characters are so lovable it makes the whole book so easy to read. A fabulous read!

I missed out downloading this one so I bought it instead! I adore Jenny Colgan and this new book was no exception. Heartwarming, funny and as cute as always. I can't wait for the next one.

Five Hundred Miles From You is the 3rd of Jenny Colgan's books to be set in Kirrinfief in the Scottish Highlands. Lissa is a nurse in London who loves her job. Cormac is a nurse in Kirrinfief who's just out of the army and looking for a distraction and a change of scenery. When Lissa witnesses a traumatic event at work that leaves her more shook than usual, a suggestion is made that she swaps places with Cormac for 3 months. This will give Lissa a chance to slow down and recover, while still staying active with work. And give Cormac a chance to try something new and exciting. But even though they are 500 miles apart, Lissa and Cormac's lives begin to collide in many new ways.

The book had some fun, heartwarming elements to it. I have read the other two books set in Kirrinfief and liked them, Colgan does such a wonderful job of painting the scene and immersing you into this idyllic location. And this book is no different. It makes me want to run away to the Scottish Highlands at once! And I love the sense of community in the village, it's very cosy and friendly.

The book fell a bit flat for me though, I thought it was a bit heavy handed with the 'fish out of water' elements of the stories. This is often occurs in Colgan's books but it felt excessive this time around, possibly because there were 2 characters not in their home environment so it was double the descriptions. A lot of them being overly cliched. I just found it hard to believe that either character would be that ignorant about how life is in the country or in the city once they swapped. The book felt a bit disjointed, like it was trying too hard to do too much. There's a lot of focus on how Lissa and Cormac are adjusting to their new life, but I think in doing that it meant that the parts where their relationship was developing suffered a bit, as there wasn't a lot of focus on that and it made it a bit hard to believe that they would fall for each other over text. It reminded me of The Flatshare in that regard, two people getting to know each other through messages rather than in person but while The Flatshare was successful in us believing that could happen, in this book it isn't that believable. Probably because the it takes so long for the main characters to eventually meet that it doesn't feel like the chemistry is there.

There's other bits and pieces that made things feel disjointed, like the focus on the blooming relationship with Kim-Ange, Lissa's friend who lives next door, that seemed a bit out of place and just thrown in there. Developing a plot for a side character, even though it was small, just wasn't needed, it didn't add to the story and that time would have been better used on the main couple. And I was a bit confused by that character anyway. I picked up that she's a trans woman but it was never said that she was, just hinted at. Unless I missed the reference, which is entirely possible. The narration is 3rd person but at some stages there's this omnipresent narrator commenting in a wistful way which just felt out of place and took me out of the story. I think this book had some good intentions and while there were things I did enjoy, overall I was disappointed. Especially as I have loved so many of Jenny Colgan's previous books

Follow job-swap nurses Lissa and Cormac as they adjust to a new way of life and heal emotionally in Jenny Colgan’s new novel

500 Miles From You* follows Lissa as she tries to adjust to a community where everyone knows your business, while Cormac struggles with the insular nature of city life. As they swap notes and advice over email, they start to grow closer – but can they really be falling for each other?

Lissa and Cormac have both got their own problems, and it takes them a while to settle into their new locations. They are supported by a fascinating cast of characters, and Jenny Colgan paints a vivid picture of each one of them. You’ll love the friendly inhabitants of Kirrinfief with their super-efficient village grapevine, and Lissa’s fabulous London-based colleague Kim-Ange.

I read this book when the UK was under lockdown, at a time when all but essential travel was forbidden. And you, like me, may be looking for a book that will distract you and whisk you away from the current situation.

Reading 500 Miles from You at home in Shropshire, Jenny Colgan’s writing transported me to both the city and the countryside in turn. I could picture the tiny Scottish village of Kirrinfief and the close knit rural community that Lissa finds herself living in. I could hear the buzz and energy of the streets of London, that seem so far away at the moment. It made me feel so nostalgic for trips to Scotland and for days spent in art galleries in London.

And there are a few references to the Proclaimers along the way, which made me smile!

But as the story builds to its conclusion and Lissa takes the stand at the hit and run trial, I found myself almost holding my breath. I so badly wanted Lissa and Cormac to have the happy ending that they both deserved.

I loved this book, and have to admit to shedding a few tears over the final chapter. If you fancy a little escapism mixed with a very modern romance, this is the book for you!

The story of Lissa and Cormac.

I liked the premise of the story and how it was told from both of their points of view.

I did think that towards the end of the book it missed the explanation as to what had happend in London.

I have a Jenny Colgan shelf. There’s no blue plaque or anything but it’s 100% there, stuffed with stacked books on one side whilst the hardback editions yawn for space opposite them. Jenny Colgan is one of those authors I will always watch out for and this book is a prime example of why. 500 Miles From You is a wonderful story about loss and re-finding yourself; without going too much into the plot, it delves into organ donation and its importance. The last time I read a book around this topic that touched me as much as this I lean it to my Mum and she joined the donor list. So I will never stop talking about how important books like this are. Especially when they’re this good. I adored it — that’s it. I sobbed through the first part and then lost myself in the joy of simple human connection in the rest. There’s something so special about chatting to people that lockdown has made me miss more than I ever thought I would. It’s worth mentioning that this book is the third part of a series — although you could read this on its own terms if you wanted to — but my advice would be to pick up all three (if you haven’t already!) and spend some time getting lost in them. You deserve it. This was a nice, easy five-star read, obviously. It was a stunning yet heartbreaking novel and I’d be mad not to recommend.

Jenny Colgan has done it again with yet another brilliant book full of wonderful characters. I always find Jenny writes such loveable characters in some of the most beautiful and idilic locations, that I can just picture myself moving there and becoming best friends with them all! The story includes some serious topics such as death, organ donation and PTSD/mental health which are dealt with sensitively. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it is a definite must-read this summer!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Five Hundred Miles From You

I’ve absolutely love Jenny Colgan’s books, and always look forward to her next release. I was fortunate to get an advance copy of her latest novel ‘Five Hundred Miles From You’ through NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK. Once again, as with all of Jenny Colgan’s books, it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Instantly, I liked the two main characters, Lissa and Cormac, and was highly invested in both their stories. The story includes many issues that the author has written about in a sensitive way. A box of tissues is definitely needed!
I thoroughly enjoyed returing to Kirrinfeif in the Scottish Highlands and catching up with characters from some of Jenny Colgan’s other books. Her books set in Scotland are definitely my favourites.
A wonderful read with interesting and loveable characters. A definite must read this summer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jenny has done it again another great book with good characters.

It tells the story of Lissa a nurse who works in London and witnesses an accident and is having a hard time getting over it and impending court case as a witness, so it is suggested she does a job swap with Cormac from Scotland 500 miles away. They both take over their jobs and accommodation and it is a bit of a culture shock for them both as one is used to a small community with everyone knowing your business and the other used to a big city. They correspond by email and messages and are finally due to meet when Lissa has to return to London for the court case, will they get to meet or will they get through their job swap without ever meeting?

I LOVE a Colgan book and this did not disappoint. Really enjoyed this book. Steady paced, great characters, I was absorbed throughout. Will be reading more books by the author in the future!

Be warned - this is a very bad book to buy if you want something you can just pick up to read a chapter or two. I don’t believe that is possible to do so. It is so bad that I had to download the audio book too so I could continue with the story when walking my dogs. Seriously, another brilliant read from Jenny Colgan. It was lovely to catch up with characters from previous books as well as meeting new ones. A romance conducted online between London and northern Scotland, with a very good storyline and plenty of humour as well as serious themes. Jenny Colgan never lets her readers down.

Colgan's best yet!

I utterly adored this book, it gave me all the feels... It let me escapism from my world, made me laugh, it had me sobbing and it left me feeling uplifted!

I was immediately drawn into the lives of Lissa & Cormac, they are so real and relatable I found myself instantly rooting for them. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow and those little illustrations were the perfect extra touch.

I also loved the cameo's we had from Nina and Zoe, it is always lovely to see what characters from previous books are up to and how they are doing now.

This beautifully written novel tackles some serious topics: organ donation & mental health with careful consideration and incredible thoughtfulness.

A huge thank you to Little Brown Books & Netgalley for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Set in London and Scotland it is a lovely story joining two very different part of the country together through two nurses, Great and interesting characters and very detailed descriptions of the two places. Just a nice well rounded story, Thoroughly enjoyed. This has been the first book I have read by Jenny Colgan and will definitely be taking a look back at her other books.