Just what I had expected from the cover and Instagram adverts, easy to read short book with a charming romance. The book gave me total wonderlust. Arches National Park is definitely a new addition to my bucket list which I would not have heard of otherwise. I enjoyed this book overall but to mention the parts which took me out of the story, please see below.

It seems outdated to refer to teenagers using Facebook. It also seems outdated to describe food as dirty (used twice to describe Chinese food and pizza). In general, there was soooo much Italian food in the story. Is this reflective of the Author's own experience of Utah because I would expect it be a spot for Italian.

Some areas of repetition which felt lazy (Abbie sleeping as soon as she gets into bed, how Kyle fills every space he is in, it's about people around you and not where you are, Abbie recieved has more bracelets than she has wrists).

It is worth adding that the book was a very light read because the "drama" wasn't anything worthy of the build up or reaction. For example, it sounds to me that Kitty and Kyle had the same story and it wasn't cause for a big drama. If it was down to him taking her virginity, that is another factor that makes the book seem out dated.

To bring more depth to the book I would like to see more exploration of Abbie's counselling, history of Liverpool as a port for abortions, the coercion she experienced from Josh, the poor poor teenager at the start, Kitty's jealousy and therapy, Abbie being there for Violet as she expects Violet to be there for her (it came off as self centred) and maybe give Kyle a personality beyond catching Abbie when she falls.

Despite my criticisms, this is an enjoyable read and I'm likely to pick up the next book by Rebecca Banks in this genre.

★★★☆☆/5

*First of all, thank you NetGalley for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis:
Abbie lives and breathes sport, when a player from the football team she works for allegedly sexually assaults a girl, she decides she’s had enough and quits. Luckily, her best friends husband has found her the perfect job... small catch, it’s over in the states. Can Abbie move all that distance? Seeing her ex-husband having clearly moved on, she decides to take a leap and accept the job. Now in Salt Lake City, she finds herself growing to love her new life, and potentially a new love interest?

Opinion:
So this book was kind of a cliche romance and was quite cheesy at parts. I do find that some of it was quite rushed, especially the conflict towards the end. The character of Abbie was well developed but I found Kitty unrealistic and Kyle lacked any depth other than being “gorgeous and perfect at everything”. For example the only glimpse of any character development of Kyle was at the very end when he’s trying to win Abbie over.

Abbie’s relationship with Rose was very enjoyable and it was lovely to see the friendship blossoming. I found that some of the dialogue was a bit unnecessary and didn’t really sound realistic, also some of the scenarios didn’t really add to the plot (her dad getting ill felt like it was kind of a chapter filler and wasn’t brought up again until the end).

Overall it was a cute read but I would have loved some more depth in the themes of friendship, grief from abortions and love.

Thank you, NetGalley and author Rebecca Banks for giving me an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would give this book 3.75 stars.
Half The World Away by Rebecca Banks is set in Salt Lake City in Utah. It talks about the lush landscapes that provide a space from her previous life to the lead, Abbie. Abbie feels as if her life has been on a stagnant path since her divorce decides to leave London and move to a city where across the pond to start fresh. (CW: sexual assault) The first chapter does talk about sexual assault in the football world which gets dealt with in a way that resembles a lot how celebrity assaults get pushed under the rug in real life, but we see the lead's character really come through when she decides to leave her job in light of this. She moves, meet this perfect all American man, Kyle and their relationship is nothing less than one out of a film. All the tropes this book has: domestic, friends to lovers, cute banter throughout, sunshine heroine x jock hero and the third act conflict resolution clears up pretty quickly. The book had so many cute moments between the leads and you really just feel so happy after reading this. I would definitely recommend the book for people who want to read this amazing romance between two really great sunshine characters who find their way to each other but also know when they have to work on themselves, a sign of a healthy relationship. So, I hope you enjoy Abbie's new beginnings in life and love as much as I did. All in all a fresh, cute and makes you feel happy from the inside debut by Rebecca Banks.

Romantic, joyful, fun read.

Clever, an easy way to pass the day. I’d recommend to anyone who wants an authentic, entertaining book to read for any occasion. Romcom books don’t always hit it out of the park for me it did this time.

I received an Advanced Review Copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

Abbie needs a change of scenery in the worst way. Her current job in England is stale and is still not over her ex-husband so when a job opportunity in Salt Lake City popped up, it was the perfect push for Abbie to try and move on. Abbie's new job and living situation couldn't be more perfect: she's bringing in fans to the Salt Lake City Saints, enjoying the view of the mountains, and starting a budding romance with her steamy coworker Kyle. Eventually, the honeymoon phase of starting over begins to disappears as some life baggage starts to reappear. Between the truths from the past resurfacing, and some work sabotage Abbie realizes that no matter how far you run away, your past always seems to catch up...

Review

Honestly, this book was fine. Yes, after all the books I have read and reviewed the word I settled upon was "fine". If you're looking for a quick, light-hearted read on the patio, give it a whirl but don't expect a book hangover after this one. The problem for me is that I didn't connect with any of the characters. I felt the flow of the book just flew through everything so even if there was a character revelation or a topic of substance introduced, it felt it was brought up on one page and resolved by the next. I had no time to just reflect on the storyline or feel anything that made me root for our protagonist.

'Half The World Away' is a fantastic debut from Rebecca Banks, focusing on the character of Abbie who makes a bold move across the world when she realises that she isn't truly living her life.

Although initially I was uncertain about how much I would enjoy a story focusing on football, I came to realise that the story was much more than that. An easy-to-read romance, the story also includes lots of lovely descriptions of the scenery and music scene which helped scratch my travel itch. It's good to see Abbie grow and come to terms with her past across the story, as well as having a great happy ending. I was a little uncertain about the celebrity reference right at the end. I'm not sure it was needed!

Overall, this is a nice, easy to pick up story that provides a bit of escapism!

The short version of this review is that it's a typical contemporary romance with nothing exceptionally exciting about it.

It is most definitely a slow burn, which comes down to personal preference. The romance itself is quite believable in its build-up and mostly shows up around the 50% mark.

Sadly the writing came across as cluttered, filled with unnecessary information and detailing, especially when it came to dialogue. A lot of the emotional journey of the characters was described to us word by word by the narrator and not at all observable or shown in actions, thoughts, speech, etc. The few times it was in speech it was in very unrealistic heart to hearts.

The plot was mostly flat, I'm not a cliché admirer, but even if we don't take that into consideration, there did not seem to be a driving force or message to the story. The conflicts, twists, and mysteries were very transparent, obvious and, not to mention, dragged out, which made the last 15% of the book slightly painful to read.

In general f you want an easy read with nothing much to it, go ahead and have some fun, nothing wrong with that. But if you need to make time to read something I would not reccomend this.

I absolutely adored this debut thanks to Rebecca Banks’ beautiful writing and wonderful characters!

Half The World Away tells the story of Abbie Potter, a divorcee with a heart-breaking secret who has well and truly had enough of her publicist job at a London football club. Whilst she’s prepared herself for a fresh start, some shocking news pushes her to take a leap of faith and to accept a new job offer far away from home. On the other side of the world in fact, in Salt Lake City, Utah. On the first morning in her new role she finds herself face to face with Kyle Miller, the man she bumped into (quite literally) when out exploring the park opposite her apartment just the day before. Abbie finds herself more and more intrigued by him as she gets to spend longer in his company. As the weeks pass by, everything seems to be finally falling into place for Abbie; her job, her journey of self-discovery and her blossoming friendship with Kyle. And after she meets and becomes good friends with Rose, Abbie has a renewed passion for music too. Not wanting to lose the life she has built for herself in Utah, can Abbie stop it all from slipping through her fingers, without shattering the mask she’s hiding behind?

Abbie was such a brilliant main character and I really enjoyed learning about her life and past experiences, and being part of her new American adventure. I immediately warmed to and cared about her and loved seeing her grow throughout the course of the story. Her developing friendship with Kyle was so special to read about too and I would smile whenever he used his nickname ‘England’ for her!

I loved all of the beautiful descriptions throughout this book. It made Salt Lake City come alive and I could really visualise all of the scenery and places Abbie visited so clearly. I felt like I was there walking in her footsteps seeing the stunning backdrop of the mountains, the Salt Lake Temple, Park City (home to the Sundance Film Festival) and the mesmerising sandstone structures in Arches National Park. No wonder the sight took Abbie’s breath away! Her apartment was also incredible, the parks so picturesque and ‘The Live Joint’, the bar/small music venue my ideal place for sure! I could really hear the band Memphis Black playing on the night Abbie met Rose and loved the venture the two embarked on after forming such an incredible friendship. I am a huge fan of live music so really liked how this element was brought to life within the pages of the book.

There were some clever surprises and secrets revealed throughout the story too and this added another great element. I am so glad I trusted my suspicions early on about a certain character. Although, I never could have predicted the lengths they would go to for what they felt they were owed!

Half The World Away is such an incredible debut and I am excited to see what Rebecca Banks writes in the future!

A good escape from life for a few hours. I enjoyed the descriptions of Arches and Salt Lake. Overall, predictable but still a nice read with good plot and characters

<i>*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *</i>

<b>3.75 stars</b>

If you're looking for a feel-good rom-com about starting over your life, Half the World Away does a great job at that.

I did enjoy Abbie's self-discovery, and her journey of really finding herself. Although I do feel like Kyle could have been a little more developed as a character, I did really enjoy reading about their relationship, and I did find myself grinning at several passages.

My niggle is that this included the all-too-overused trope of miscommunication, and so much drama that could have been avoided if the characters just talked to each other!

All in all this was a good debut novel!

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is April 1st.
If you are looking for a cute romance with bits of fairy tale, this is for you.
I liked this story, but it was a bit harder to read the first few pages because it was more focused on Abbie and her almost-daily routine. I confess I was a bit bored. But then it finally changed, and I could appreciate better the characters and the story itself.
The author writing was fluid and funny. She knows how to write emotions and delicate situations. I loved the secondary characters and our Prince Charming. Really, where are the Kyles of this world?
We deal with some delicate situations/problems, but its not very deep. It makes us think about things we want and toxic relationships – and friends too.
In the end I gave it 4 stars because it changed for better. It is a book you can read in a couples of hours and with a HEA.

Abbie's had enough of dealing with spoiled football stars and she needs a fresh start. It's a big move to got from London to Salt Lake City- two cities that are vastly different in so many ways-but it's what she needed. She's cool to Kyle when they meet because she's got some healing to do and a secret she's not ready to share but veteran readers of the genre know that this will work out. He's a good guy. This is as much about Abbie healing and growing as it is about the romance, which is a good thing. I liked Abbie, who felt so real. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice debut from Banks, who is a storyteller with promise.

Abbie is living in London in a rut and dissatisfied at work when she is offered a dream work opportunity. There is only one problem, it is in Salt Lake City, Utah...half a world away. Her ex-husband’s Facebook post announcing he and his wife are expecting a baby is the kick in the pants she needs to take the leap.

When she gets to Utah, she thrives in her PR job for the local soccer team, makes a new friend who shares her love for music and creates amazing opportunities through that, and finds a connection with the playbook at work. A female co-worker warns her off, but she can’t quite resist what they have together.

When it all starts to fall apart, she is devastated. Old, unhealed wounds are reopened and she ends up in Liverpool, on her parents couch, devastated. She shares her deepest secret with her parents expecting their disappointment and censure. When they show her their unwavering support (and she learns a little about their rebellious youth), she is able to find someone to help her work through the event and trauma that has been holding her back. As she heals herself, she is able to rebuild what she lost and plan for the future.

This book is about starting over. It is about believing in yourself even while you are leaning on those who love you. This is an amazing, fun, quick, sweet, and empowering five-star read. It comes out the end of this month.

I am thankful for the electronic copy of the book Half The World Away by Rebecca Banks that I received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. 

#bookstagram #booksofinstagram #iamreading #100in2021 #March2021Reads #halfthewordaway #netgalley

A delicious rompy rom com that would be perfect sun-lounger holiday read, although it was very diverting in a wintery lockdown!

The main character Abbie, needing a fresh start and an escape finds a job in the States and runs into Kyle on her first day.
All the characters are well developed which adds a certain breadth to the novel, elevating it beyond a simple rom com.

With a serious subject being touched upon, the story is elevated beyond a syrupy rom com giving it more weight which was enjoyable.

a very entertaining read.
Thank you NetGalley and author Rebecca Banks for a copy of this book in return for my review

Abbie Potter is in a rut, still reeling from her divorce and stuck in a job she hates. The timing is perfect when Abbie quits her job due to a series of unfortunate events, a once in a lifetime career opportunity falls into her lap. Almost immediately after she moves to Utah, Abbie meets Kyle, and despite warnings of his playboy persona by a new friend, Abbie can’t help her feelings growing the more time she spends with him.

Half The World Away is the romantic comedy I didn’t know I needed in my life! I cannot believe this is a debut novel, my thrillers are quickly taking a backseat to romcoms, and this book is a prime example of why! I loved how Abbie was super relatable in her clumsiness and her personality in general. The fact that she moved halfway around the world alone was incredible and reading of her navigating her way around potential romance and the jealousy of a so called friend made me smile and broke my heart at the same time. Just say Yes to reading this when it’s published on April 1st!

*Thanks to NetGalley, Rebecca Banks and Literally PR Ltd. for my advanced copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you NetGalley and author Rebecca Banks for giving me an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
This book was all about new beginnings and how to let go of the past in order to have a brighter future. Abbie is a woman who needed a fresh start. So when she finds a job in the States, she decides to take it and hopes the new job and place are exactly what she is looking for. Kyle is a manager at the local soccer club. He wants to give youth the life skills and drive that will make them better people on and off the field. He literally runs into Abbie and that is where they story begins.
I loved Abbie! She was a sweetheart and really sought out to find the good in people. I was not so much on board with her taking others advice before asking the said person about the situation, but given her past, it made sense. Kyle was a little too "perfect" for my taste. I get how in early days, no one needs to know everything about your past, but given the situation, he should have been more open with Abbie! I loved how balanced and real the development of their relationship felt. I really liked how well the side characters were developed and played important roles in helping the main couple. The ending left me well satisfied and happy that Abbie was able to find the means by which to move on with a terrific man worthy of her. Overall, this was my first book by author Rebecca Banks and it will not be my last. I look forward to reading more books by her.

Great read.
Abbie moves from London to Salt Lake City for a job. She is fed up of her job, but also when she finds her ex and his new wife are expecting their fist child she needs to escpae her past.
She literally bumps in to Kyle and then find that she will be working with her. he makes it clear what he wants, but she is worried he is a player. Will they have a chance or will her jealous colleague Kitty get her way and ruin things for Abbie and Kyle?
Some of the places they visit sound so amazing and make you want to go and visit!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Literally PR for the opportunity to read and review Half A World Away by Rebecca Banks.

The blurb of this book is what really drew me to it as I am one of these weird girls who just happens to love football but I also love romcom books and you don't very often get a combination of both!!

'Divorced and keeping a heart-breaking secret, Abbie Potter is sleep-walking through her life as a publicist at a London football club. She seems to spend more time covering their scandals than celebrating their wins, and has had enough. Though she’s already prepared for a fresh start, some shocking news pushes her to take an opportunity even further from home - in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The first morning of her new life, Abbie bumps into Kyle Miller. He’s persistent, and Abbie’s more than intrigued by him. Everything else seems to fit into place too: she has a fulfilling job, is on a journey of self-rediscovery, and has revived her love of music thanks to a new-found friendship.

She can’t risk losing what she’s built for herself, but how can she stop it from slipping through her fingers without shattering the façade she hides behind?'

I absolutely loved this book. Firstly I can't believe it's Rebecca's debut novel, I felt like I'd been reading her work for years, it was so well written and really drew me in.

Once I started it I found it really hard to stop! Serves me right for reading in my lunch hour. Once I picked it up again in the evening I devoured the rest of it!

I really connected with the main character, Abbie, I felt like I could live her life 😂. The supporting characters were so well thought out and put together. Nothing felt out of place, the characters & storyline fitted so well together.

I loved the fact there were a couple of twists thrown in to keep it away from a predictable storyline. One of them really threw me - Rebecca touched on a really serious subject and covered it extremely well. It took the story in a different direction before pulling it back to a gorgeous ending.

Half The World Away is a fantastic debut novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily recommend it to anyone. In fact I dare anyone who is a fan of romcoms to pick it up and not want to finish it in one sitting.

Hope you've got started on a second novel Rebecca, will definitely be looking out for it!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 - from me.

I am so conflicted about this book. On the surface, I really enjoyed the sweet and cheesy story of Abbie, and all the rom-com adventures she has when she moves from London to Utah. Though the story was predictable, the characters had good enough chemistry to make up for it and keep me engaged the whole time.

However, I have had to lower my rating due to my frustration at a number of things: the use of “OCD” and “bipolar” as descriptors, not denoting the mental health conditions they refer to; the use of the term “American Indian” (especially strange since the terms “native American” and “indigenous” are used later on in the book, so it appears that Banks is aware of the appropriate terms to use); and the way in which the sexual harassment of a 17 year old girl is dealt with at the start of the novel. Pertaining to the last one, although Abbie is obviously uncomfortable with being asked to help cover up an alleged sexual assault at the hands of one of the football players from the club she works for, and this does trigger her to begin thinking about leaving her job, I couldn’t help but feel that Abbie is still complicit in the cover up and I was left feeling uncomfortable overall about it. I know this was not at all the main plot of the novel, but I just think it could’ve been dealt with a little better (although we hear that the footballer in question supposedly gets his comeuppance at the end of the book when he is made to leave the club, I still felt frustrated that he had got away with it, and had not been properly punished for his crime). Sorry for the long rant, these things all just left a bad taste in my mouth unfortunately and tainted what was otherwise a very sweet story.

CW: sexual assault and harassment; abortion

Thank you for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.


This book was a nice little rom com.
It was a light easy read and had a lot of things I enjoy in rom coms like new beginnings.
The plot didn’t really develop too much but was still enough to keep me interested to carry on reading.
It definitely wasn’t the best I’ve read but a nice read in between some of the heavier books I’ve read lately.
I also really liked the main character Abbie, she became more and more relatable as the book went on.