Took a while to warm up, then I couldn’t put it down.
Another hit from Sara - more I have a holiday to go on soon so need more!

Josie is going through a harmonious divorce and with her daughter away at university is finding herself rattling around her big Georgian townhouse so decides it’s time to return to her northern roots

Unfortunately due to the main character’s privileges I found it hard to connect with her in the way I had hoped, but as you’d expect from the lovely Sara there were lots of warm-hearted and funny moments to enjoy in this book

This was a tale of two halves for me. The first 50% took me a while to warm up but once our protagonist, Josie, takes the plunge... I read right through to the end!

Covering heavy topics such as divorce, grief, complicated parent-child dynamics and feelings of 'home', it did at times feel a little chewy but these discussions were important to the depth of the plot and emotional pay off at the end. As a country-gal, I did really enjoy the positive representation of the north, its people and small-village life - Cox's clear love of the place shone through in the writing.

Really great characters and a romance subplot that I was rooting for (yes, even after /that/ reveal), this is a story worth sticking with.

Josie is a privileged middle aged woman going through a divorce and decides to go back to her northern roots.

I really loved Sara's first book Thrown, so was very excited to read this. But I have to say I found it a bit disappointing. You can see from the very beginning what is going to happen, but it takes us half of the book to get there.

The second half of the book was a bit better. Will was the best thing about the book.

A delicious, warm hearted read. Loved the characters, you can easily identify with them. Refreshing to read a divorce well handled. This book had it all friendship, humour, love and sadness and I had Sara’s voice in my head for the narrative which made it even more entertaining. This is the second of her books I have read now and enjoyed them both.

Sara cox is a brilliant witty writer.
This story was a nice easy read and really enjoy it, wouldn't have been a book I would have picked up from a shop but this has changed my mind.

You'd can hear Sara's voice throughout this book, I can imagine the studio book would be fabulous! Based loosely on Sara's experience of growing up on a farm this is a very sweet story with brilliantly written characters and all the warmth you would expect from this author. A lovely cosy read for autumn.

My first book from the lovely Sara Cox, enjoyed listening to her for many years on the radio. This is a lovely second chances book and was a great feel good read.

I quite like the way Sara Cox writes. She writes easily and so it’s easy to read. Good story. Well worth a read.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

An enjoyable read.

My first book by this author and I enjoyed it, a good group of characters, enjoyed the writing style. A good feel good if a bit sad at times. On the whole really good

I didn’t love it, it was an ok read and it if hadn’t been written by Sara Cox I probably wouldn’t have even started it. It felt a bit like it was based on her with the farming background and not much really happened for most of the book.

A heartwarming tale of friends, love and second chances. Loved Josie and following her story from her health retreat visit through her challenges. Cosy drama at its best.

I read Way Back on a flight home from my holiday abroad and it was so good I had finished it by the time I landed.
I'm a big fan of Sara Cox in general and I loved her debut so had high hopes for book number 2 and it didn't disappoint.
It's overall a feel good read with some moments that also played with your emotions.
I feel Sara's personality shone through in the creation of her characters, they all added their own original pernache to the story.
Sara's writing is fabulous and there are some brilliantly funny moments that had me laughing out loud.
Definitely would recommend.

Feel good although quite sad, I did enjoy this.

I’m not usually a fan of ‘celebrities’ moving over to write books but when they’re good then who am I to argue!

I did picture the main character as Sara which is pretty hard not to do but not sure if it’s intentional. An easy read I would recommend, nice holiday book.

A good read
A good story
Few twists and turns
A good group of characters
Looking forward to her next. Book
Thanks NetGalley

When you read a book written by Sara Cox, you can visualise her reading the story to you, as the characters have so much personality and they feel northern (so am I). So you feel you 'know' them as you are reading the story. Also being of a certain age I resonated with how they were feeling.
Its a big step to leave your normal life behind and return to your childhood roots but that is what Josie has chosen to do, but this invloves opening memories that involve your mum and her emotions, and this can lead to many complications.
We learn about the joys and ups and downs of farming, which gives the book warmth and a heart.

Thoroughly enjoyed this with some laugh out loud moments.

For the record I am a fan of Sara Cox, her honesty and humour on the radio is a joy to listen to. This has shone through on not just her autobiography but her first novel too. This we second I was wary of. No need to be, she has peaked!

Josie has everything in London, the lovely house, the lovely husband, a gorgeous daughter at university and the only irritation is her trying mother. But times change, people move on and suddenly Josie has to reassess what she does have.

This takes her back to her childhood home, a Lancashire Farm, where the memories are rose tinted. With the farm empty and nothing to lose, Josie moves back there. Perhaps this will be what she needs in the next stage of her life, her daughter doesn’t need her anymore, neither does her husband and her mother is still particularly difficult and becomes even more so when she finds out Josie plans. What exactly is she hiding?

Josie throws herself into it all, despite this and finds a community of people and a grumpy next door neighbour, a few little piglets and a whole new life.

Emotional and funny in equal measure, I was cheering for Josie as she started to become the person that had clearly been in hiding for a number of years! Great fun and for me the potential of a return visit.

This is my second book by this author and I can honestly say another book I have throughly enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Way Back is a heartfelt and evocative exploration of friendship, family, and the nostalgia that binds us to our roots. Known for her warm and friendly presence on Radio 2 and also television, Sara brings a similar warmth and wit to her storytelling in her second novel, creating a story that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Josie’s life is going well – she has a nice husband; a wonderful best friend and her daughter Chloe has left home for uni. With an empty nest, Josie knows that although everything appears to be great, her husband James isn’t in love with her anymore. She knows that things must change, and so after calling time on her marriage, she returns to the place where she felt truly alive – the old family farm.

Like Sara’s radio show, her writing is engaging, and you honestly believe that your friend is telling you the story. She has a keen eye for detail and a knack for capturing the quirks of small-town life probably from her own experiences of being brought up on a far.

Way Back showcases Sara’s talent for storytelling and her deep understanding of human relationships. It's a touching and memorable read that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.