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!!

I really tried, but gave up at 54%. I appreciate this book for the theme of mental health problems and Mara clinging to her mother when she is about to buy a house and doesn't exactly have the confidence to feel like an adult.

But apart from that, Mara was a confusing character. Lots of things she did (buying blue boots, buying a house, going to the pub) seemed to be because others wanted her to do just that. She wasn't particularly warm and I had no idea she loved to read until it was mentioned when she visited her downstairs neighbor at his home.

On top of that it was quite flat when it comes to diversity. In a city like London, surely there are more flavors of the human kind? It doesn't have to be a theme, but it would have been nice to have characters included who are worth mentioning when it comes to skin color, sexual orientation, religion, history, cultural background, or chronically ill or disabled people, you name it. Unfortunately, I keep adding that to a lot of reviews on books I've read recently...

An emotionally packed debut that follows a woman who is discovering what's important to her in her current stage of life. And that's not to say that some things in her life aren't important at all, but maybe more that she's finding out the order she needs to put them in. It's a heartbreaking journey to read at times, funny at others. Saunders explores love, friendship, family, grief, loneliness, mental illness, work, and city life, in such a way that feels important and relevant. You may read that list and think...it's doing too much, but Saunders handles it all convincingly and masterfully. Mara's life is completely and wholly believable and relatable. This book really opened my eyes to how much we humans struggle with so many different layers on a day to day basis...and we have no idea the extent of it for one person or another. Through Mara's life and challenges, Saunders paints a truly emotional portrait of a life in transit from one season to another, with all the pain and hope it requires.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an proof of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I was so surprised when I realised this was a debut! It reads like it was written by a seasoned author.

I didn’t really know how to feel about Mara at the beginning but really warmed to her over the course of the novel.

I also think that Silvia Saunders tackled more sensitive themes, such as mental health and grief, in such a sensitive but stunning way. The writing was also just gorgeous.

I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc. 🫶🏻

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book..

This is a quick and enjoyable read. I liked Mara and Tom from the start and felt invested in their lives. All the characters had a truth to them, no stereotypes, nothing overwritten. In other books, for example, Derek would have been a sinister baddy instead of just an annoying man. I am past the age where I would have the same issues and life problems as Mara but I would think that the book, which seems so honestly written, will resonate with people at the same stage of life as Mara.

I liked how Tom was portrayed, a decent man in touch with his emotions and not ashamed to cry. His mental health issues were very well described. I would say, however, that I am of the same opinion as the Birmingham barman - why do people move to London with all its expenses, inconveniences and difficulties to do a job, such as teacher or librarian, that they could easily do somewhere more congenial with a much better quality of life?

The pacing of the book was generally very good although I felt it dragged just slightly after the wedding and the end was possibly a bit abrupt although fairly satisfying. I would have liked to know more about Jerry the neighbour, he has potential I think. I loved his cross notes and parking wars and the humming of Eye of the Tiger as he emerged triumphant.

An enchantingly written book about a relationships and what ‘home’ really means. I loved the protagonist and became very invested in her story very early on in the novel. A great read.

Firstly wow. This book was seriously impressive, particularly for a debut! Honestly this book was both heartbreaking and a warm hug at the same time. It follows a woman in her mid twenties who is essentially going through a transitional period. It tackles first love, grief, mental illness, heartbreak and learning how to be alone. The writing was gorgeous and to a point where it almost was like catching up with a friend and you forgot you were reading at all.

I think this is a must read for anyone struggling to figure out their place in the world. A story of heartbreak and hope! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. 4.5 stars ✨

This feels like you just drop into Mara's life for a bit. Her relationship, family, friends and job are all covered.
I wasn't sure how much I liked the character of Mara. But, as I read more I came to warm to her. She is flawed but that makes her seem very real.

This book is fast paced and treats its characters delicately and empathically. I would recommend it to anyone who feels in a transitional period of their life.

The book cover caught my attention straight away and once I had read the book description I knew I had to read it.
Fresh and dynamic... Fast-paced and spellbinding...a book you will have a hard time putting down.