I loved seeing Mara's journey as she moves through heartbreak and changes in her life that test and alter the course of our life's.

Homesick really struck a chord with me. It felt like the author had peered into my own experiences with first love, the sting of heartbreak, the weight of grief, the ever-present struggles with mental health, and the anxieties of growing up. The story doesn't just acknowledge these feelings, it truly explores them with a deft touch.

What really made the book come alive for me were the characters. They weren't perfect, not by a long shot, but their flaws and complexities felt real. Each character, whether they were in a main or supporting role, added something essential to Mara's journey and the overall narrative. The story unfolded at a perfect pace, keeping me engaged from beginning to end.

I especially loved the first-person perspective and Mara as our narrator. Getting inside her head, seeing her thought process, and experiencing the world through her words and mannerisms gave me such a deep understanding of her.

Homesick is more than just a story; it's a witty and insightful commentary on what it means to navigate the often-turbulent waters of adulthood.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Homesick is without a doubt my cup of tea. I'm endlessly fascinated by the complexity of human relationships and the thoughts people hold that we wouldn't normally be privy to.

Mara Mara Mara - I loved her. Her story was so beautifully told. From a woman putting everyone else's needs before her own, always biting her tongue and showing compassion even to those who don't deserve it, to a self-assured and contented soul who I cheered for.

And then there's Tom, her boyfriend. In writing about Tom's battles with his mental health, I veered between thinking he was a self-obsessed narcissist, to believing he was genuinely struggling. And I think mental illness can be a sort of reverse narcissism, where you believe you're the worse person in the world and don't deserve happiness. Refuse to allow anyone close to you for fear of infecting them with your darkness.

The dynamics of their relationship were painful at times, and wonderful at others, and it is this that makes it so hard to say goodbye. The writer captured the push and pull of a relationship so well and I think the outcome was the perfect step for Mara.

I loved everything about this book and immediately want to read it again.

This is one of those books that draws you in, and immerses you, but if you’re asked why? there’s no particular answer you can lay your hands on.
It’s not a fast paced thriller, full of plot twists and energy, but it’s well thought out, well written and draws you in.

We meet Mara, who has recently lost her Dad and has decided it’s time to move forward, so she buys a house.
We follow her as she deals with the day to day issues we’ve all experienced. From feeling alone, cut loose from the world, friendships that were once strong have somehow drifted apart & feelings of inadequacy just to name a few.
The author really brings Mara to life, with her personality, her wit, her flaws and relatability.
We can all find a bit of Mara in each of us, which I think is why I was so invested in her and her life. You can’t help but get caught up in it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will happily recommend it to everyone.

I absolutely loved Homesick. It was such a pleasure to read from beginning to end and I could not put it down. It’s not a book that’s filled with action and drama (which I don’t mean as a negative at all) and yet it is so beautifully written with real wit and sensitivity that the reader becomes completely immersed in Mara’s life. Mara herself is one of my favourite protagonists for a long time. She is immensely relatable, and I found myself rooting for her throughout all the steps of her journey as she began to find herself and realise what the word ‘home’ really means in all its forms. Mara is a young woman who comes into a bit of money and makes the decision to buy her first home. She is in a serious relationship and has a job in a library which she finds satisfying yet missing something at the same time. The story follows her as she moves to her new home and deals with challenging neighbours, it also follows the trajectory of a bump in the road of her long term relationship with a boyfriend who is struggling with his mental health and with living in London. It’s honestly just a fantastic read. Homesick is funny, astute, tender, heart wrenching and immensely genuine. Saunders is phenomenally good at writing characters with a real warmth and that you cannot help but invest in as a reader. She has gone straight onto my list of autobuy authors. Homesick is a perfect book in my opinion and I honestly cannot recommend it highly enough. It is for anyone who has ever felt lost, overwhelmed by life or confused about their life choices. Simply beautiful and a very easy five stars.

This book offers a relatable and insightful glimpse into Mara's life, covering her relationships, family dynamics, and personal growth. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about her, but as the story progressed, I really warmed up to her character. Her flaws made her feel incredibly real and human, and by the end, I couldn't help but root for her. A beautifully crafted exploration of life's messy transitions!

Homesick is a great debut novel that portrays the pressures of becoming an adult. I loved how true to life this felt. The struggles the current generation feel when becoming a homeowner, the spiralling feeling when something changes, the struggle to balance everything in life and I thought the author portrayed the battle with mental health well. I went into this one now knowing what to expect and ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I loved the journey Mara went through and learning to be alone. My only one downfall was I was hoping there would be more of a funny relationship with her housemate Jerry. However, as mentioned a great debut novel and I’m obsessed with the sunflower theme. Thanks to Harper Collins for this arc!

This is a really enjoyable novel, focusing on young people's struggles to get on the housing ladder and young men's mental health in an engaging way. I loved the characters here and would highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I laughed so much with this book- following Mara getting her first flat- this is a hilarious look at becoming an adult and dealing with other people! A fantastic read- I think this will be a big hit

Homesick is a new genre of book for, but I am so glad I got to read Homesick by author Silvia Saunders.

I fell in love with each of the characters in this novel and would love to read something else with them all in. When Maras father dies he leaves her some money she decides to buy instead of renting a place.

The reader is allowed into Maras world and its emotional at times and also very funny which makes for a great read. I loved Mara and would love to read more about her.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a funny, relatable and fantastically written debut. I felt for Mara and her struggle to be the perfect something with their life together, when cracks are forming. I really enjoyed her friendship blossom with Adele and shoutout the East Midlands representation!

This is one of those books that you just love but you can't fully explain why. It covers everyday problems and the typical dramas of a quarter-life crisis (comparison, feeling adrift, growing out of friendships and first loves, buying your first home etc) with such warmth and humour you feel caught up in the beautiful mess of it all. There's some brilliantly real characters, people we're bound to recognise in our own lives and Mara's heart & her own longing for 'home' is what really tied me to this story. I just loved it!

A coming of age story told in a way that really stuck with me after I put the book down. It is such an excellent telling of the complexities of living and how intricate all kinds of relationships can be. The dialectical nature of every relationship from the annoying and slightly controlling neighbour who you can't help but pity and want to befriend (from a distance, still) to the huge romantic relationships that can push and pull us into so many directions and emotions in life.

Saunders writing style really caught me off guard and was quite refreshing. Reading 'homesick' felt like reading a stream of consciousness, every moment was captured and every thought that accompanied it came along into the book too. This lended itself to the book feeling incredibly real and at times arguably too relatable. There wasn't a lot of emphasis on description unless it was experienced through Mara's emotion towards the description which I don't think was necessarily a bad thing at all. I felt strapped along to Mara for the entirety of the novel and sometimes that was overwhelming and depressing but that was exactly how she experienced those events so it was an incredible reading experience despite the ups and downs that came.

Because we followed Mara so intimately and consistently, there were moments that felt a little dire and like time was passing and patches where the outlook of the plot did feel a little depressing. This didn't feel overall like the most uplifting book, it had grit and felt like you lived life through the character without the bells and whistles of any romanticism of life.

Mara and Tom's frankly dysfunctional relationship was painted so well and with so much care. There were soft and endearing moments where I completely understood why they'd chosen each other and equally episodes that were jarring to witness and bits of friction that made me want to honestly slap them both. I think this contributed to the whole ordeal feeling inescapably real. The stickiness and grey areas that accompany romantic relationships were perfectly encapsulated and I loved how Saunders would sit the heartwarming ups right next to the troublesome downs to create not only tension but confusion and almost a moral battlefield of what a 'good' romantic relationship even looks like and is. It was heartbreaking to watch Mara navigate her relationships breakdown especially when her character lead with an equal measure of love and anxiety in her heart.

I did enjoy Mara's sense of humour and the comic relief it brought to the more serious elements of the story. One of my favourite funny moments is when she jokes about sleeping with 'Starey man' but refrains from progressing the thought because she'd 'also like to be able to look' herself 'in the mirror after the fact'.

One aspect of this book that bugged me was the logistical holes that surrounded Mara and Tom's date in Milton Keynes. After going on a date, they end up sleeping overnight in MK in a hotel and then spend the following day together too. But there was no mention of either of them having a toothbrush or a change of clothes for the following day? I think it's a little unrealistic that they'd want to spend the entire day with each other whilst probably smelling? There were also lots of abrupt time jumps and cuts which for the most part I could follow but is always a little disorienting especially once you're focused on the present moment.

Overall, an intriguing depiction of early adulthood and the struggles that navigate it. I loved the ending it, like other aspects of the book, felt painfully real and poignant.

Homesick was the perfect book to cuddle up with over the Christmas break. Mara is a highly relatable main character who you can't help but align yourself with as she navigates struggles many of us who have lived in London in our 20s and 30s will recognise.

The novel was paced well; it didn't feel rushed but also didn't spend too long in one place so the story moved along smoothly. I enjoyed the differing chapter lengths which to my mind served as a sort of marker for how significant for Mara that particular period of time was.

I do think the story would have been better had Mara not been privileged enough to buy a flat. It was quite unrealistic in my eyes and didn't actually seem like the "settled in London" solution the author maybe was going for. If anything, I thought it was a terrible idea and would have preferred Mara to make the choice to stay not because she was now tied to a property but because she actually enjoyed living there.

I very much enjoyed meeting Mara Lynch, the very engaging lead character in Homesick. This is the debut novel from Silvia Saunders and it’s a look at how Mara navigates her life, as a 26 year old woman living in London. The perfect blend of poignant and funny, I found it a delight to read.

Mara has been with her boyfriend, Tom since university. They don’t live together as they have jobs (him a teacher, her a librarian) on opposite sides of the city. When Mara’s mum decides it’s time to give her her inheritance to buy a flat with, Mara hopes this will be a new – more grown up – era for her and Tom. However, Tom is going through a lot and Mara has to navigate this difficult time in her relationship.

We follow Mara as she has a tricky time finding a flat in budget, then developing her relationships with her new neighbours (who form a key part of your life whether you like it or not when in a tight flat space in London) Jerry, Adele and Baz.

Her relationships with her mum, best friend and work colleagues are also explored. I really liked how this is a character-driven novel, there are no huge plot dramas in Homesick but it never feels slow. It’s a celebration of real life, where the drama comes from interactions and relationships.

Ultimately, Homesick is a story of discovering what makes a place home. From buying your first one, to the people you surround yourself with to make you feel truly comfortable. Or seeing how relationships evolve and knowing when to take a step back to remove them from your home-space.

Mara is a highly relatable character and Silvia Saunders’ writing style perfectly blends really funny lines with emotional ones (the last line of the book actually made me cry!) – loved Homesick, highly recommend.

Going to end by giving a moment for the beautiful cover too.

I really loved this story, particularly for how it delves into the complexities of growing up, first love, heartbreak, and grief. The thoughtful exploration of mental health resonated with me, offering heartfelt insights that enriched the narrative. Each character was brimming with depth and authenticity, which captivated me as I immersed myself in their journeys. I felt a powerful emotional connection to their struggles, as if I could truly resonate with what they were experiencing. The storyteller demonstrated an exceptional ability to weave an engaging tale, bringing these experiences to life in a way that was incredibly relatable throughout the reading process. It was a brilliant debut novel, and I’m grateful to Harper Collins for granting me access to this book.

Having inherited a little money, Mara finds herself finally able to move out of her childhood best friend's flat and look for a place of her own, hoping her boyfriend will move in, too.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so easy to get into, and the chapters being so short made it quite literally impossible to put down. It has such a slice of life feel to it that I really find myself gravitating towards, and it's a great portrayal of such a transactional period in someone's life. There's so many themes that are tackled in this novel, — such as love, friendship, loss, grief, depression, heartbreak, and so on — and they are all handled with such tenderness and care. Every single character felt very well fleshed out, which made it that much easier to care about them and their stories, no matter how flawed and irritating they all can be. The writing is so captivating, it almost feels like catching up with an old friend.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

This is such a heartwarming story filled with growing up, first love, hilarious moments, self discovery, heartbreak, grief, and going from variations of emotions. Finding hope and love again. The mental health issues has been addressed well. Author has done big exploration of love, friendship, grief, and life experiences shaping individual.

Thanks to the Publisher.

I just absolutely LOVED this - I ended up caring so deeply for every single character as they were all so fully fleshed out and real. It was a GREAT depiction of what being a teacher is like, and my favourite part was the beautiful tenderness Mara has towards her first home - eating a takeaway on the carpet with nothing else in the house, marvelling at the fact that the four walls are yours, getting used to the new noises and making somewhere a home. Just gorgeous. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!