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.

A novel about finding what we really want and see that it can be different from what we have.
Heartwarming and poignant, well plotted and compelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this story and you can tell Sara knows what she's talking about, coming from a farming background herself. There are a few twists and turns along the way, a good cast of characters who are a likeable bunch and an interesting book which keeps you turning the pages. There is a good use of similies and nice descriptions too. A satisfying ending and just the right length. Would recommend!

I was sent a copy of Way Back by Sara Cox to read and review by NetGalley. This is definitely a ‘Feel good read’ as advertised and I enjoyed it very much. It was actually a bit predictable at times, quite often in fact, but this really didn’t stop my enjoyment of it as it was so easy to read and so friendly and romantic! I think we all would like to step into an idealised life just as protagonist Josie did, even bearing in mind all the grief and hard times she had to go through when growing up, and I think this is one of the reasons that I liked this bit of escapism so much! A great holiday read!

I enjoyed Thrown, Sara’s previous book, but I loved this latest novel.

The story is not full of twists and turns, it’s not complicated and demanding but it’s full of heart and humour. I feel that Sara’s personality is very present in her writing, and that’s a good thing, as she comes over as a woman that, in spite of being a ‘celebrity’, keeps her feet very firmly on the (Northern) ground.

Josie is a likeable character, funny and quick witted. She shows strength and resilience in some difficult situations and as the reader you are very much willing her to succeed. I can imagine her clearly in her ‘manky bobble hat’as she goes about her chores on the farm.

 She has some fabulous one liners which made me laugh, followed very rapidly by wondering why I hadn’t come up with such a witty apposite description. Maybe part of her attraction is that she is just so relatable to many of us.

Sara obviously loves books and I hope she continues to entertain us with her tv book show, radio programme and her writing.

A feel good read, with Sara’s trademark wit and warmth, I really enjoyed this! A quick read, I loved the characters - Josie was a firm favourite and I didn’t want the book to end

I have been a fan of Sara Cox for many many years, I have read her previous novel and enjoyed it so was excited to get my hands on this ARC, We meet Josie, her husband, her best friend and her daughter Chloe. James and Josie's relationship is stale, her daughter is away at uni, her mother is a character. As we delve deeper into Josie's life we gain a heartwarming perspective. its a warm and envelloping novel.

I just love Sara's books....and when her latest came out I had to rearrange my day to sit and relax with her new book Way Back by Sara Cox. WoW this book was so good it was refreshing, heartwarming story about starting all over again after a divorce. It just took my breath away and gave me hope if it ever happened to me or one of my friends., as you never know! It was a book that would make a great pressie to give someone hope!

Josie's life is fine. Absolutely, completely fine. She has a nice husband called James, a brilliant best friend, and a gorgeous daughter who is at uni called Chloe. Josie and James live in a big house of her dreams and it's on its leafy London street is a lifetime away from the Lancashire farm of her childhood.

But, James isn't in love with Josie any more, and maybe she's not in love with him either?

It's just a habit living together, Getting up in the morning, going to work, shopping, going to bed etc! and it's great to have time to herself now Chloe's flown the nest . . . isn't it?
This is the life Josie never believed possible, in all the years they have been married.
But, things seems to be different between them and they decide to split.

Josie is now excited in starting a new life and is not sure what to do with herself. Everything will change quickly around her, but can she do this? and at her age!?

WoW! this book was a page turner and a great holiday read or a read to lift your spirits!

Thanks Sara, you have done it again............Love you

I quite enjoyed reading this book, I felt the main character Josie was great and I liked the perspective of an middle aged perimenopausal woman! I must admit to being a bit bored with some of the farm storyline but the pace was good and the overall story development was good, I would certainly read more by Sara Cox x

In “Way Back”, we meet Josie as she is preparing to divorce her husband James. While still friends with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, their separation marks a shift for Josie, who has found herself single in her fifties, with her daughter at Uni and her best friend about to move away. On a weekend retreat with her best friend, she realises she is close to the farm where she grew up but had to leave all too soon, following the death of her father when she was twelve, and a quick visit leads to Josie deciding to up sticks and move back.

Josie is a wonderful protagonist, and the plot licks along at a nice pace. The supporting cast of characters are hilarious in their own ways, and I particularly liked the complex relationship between Josie and her mother.

“Way Back” is the first novel by Sara Cox I have read, and I loved it! Sara’s humour sings off the page, and her knowledge of – and love for – the farming life is evident throughout. I would recommend to anyone looking for a nice, easy read, and look forward to reading more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sara Cox’s novel way back. I loved all the details about farming and I loved Josie, the main character. Her story was brilliant and it turned in directions I didn’t fully expect. I’d highly recommend

Easy to read and nicely written. Sara Cox writes warmly and sympathetically about a middle aged woman facing crisis.A perfect read for holiday.

I love listening to Sara Cox on the radio so was interested to see what her book was like. At first it was ok but not gripping but it soon took off and I loved it!

The characters are all wonderful, flawed and layered as good characters should be. There were enough twists to keep you gripped. I loved the pigs, the quirky retreat and all the brilliant side characters.

Definitely worth reading!

I had read Sara’s previous novel and enjoyed it very much so was keen to read this latest one.

They say to write about what you know and I feel that she did this as the book is set in the north west on a farm. That’s probably where fact ends and fiction begins, though!

I particularly appreciated the characterisation and sense of place in this book. All the characters are well written as are the descriptions of life in a small northern village. I found the depiction of the mother to be particularly interesting.

I very much enjoyed Way Back and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy of Way Back in exchange for an honest review.

Way Back by Sara Cox is the story of Josie, who is married to James and has a daughter Chloe who is at university. James and Josie are no longer I love with each other so they decide to divorce whilst they are friends.
Josie decides to go back to the farm that she can remember from her childhood, when her father was alive and they were all happy, or were they?
An interesting look back at a childhood remembered, not necessarily as realistic as it was. Parents with flaws and mistakes made.
Maybe Josie has a chance at happiness with someone else?
Highly recommended

When her father died Josie had to grow up fast. Her mother was an alcoholic and Josie escaped first to University, then to a successful career in banking and finally to marriage and motherhood. Now her marriage is over and Josie has a charmed life living in luxury in London, her relationship with her mother is still tense. A trip to a retreat in Lancashire leads to Josie visiting her former home and she decides that she is going to give farming a go, to go back to what she had as a child.
I have a very low tolerance for what I deem to be 'chick-lit' books and very few authors pass my benchmark but Cox is certainly there with this story. It's massively cliched, the mid-life crisis, the dysfunctional family, the local love interest, but it is also very life affirming and obviously written from the heart. As a piece of escapist nonsense it is absolutely brilliant!

Another thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining novel by Sara Cox, establishing her as a very talented author in addition to her dj and presenting skills.

Josie and her childhood sweetheart husband amicably divorce and she is drawn to her farmyard roots back up north and the dad who died when she was a child. After years of a difficult relationship with her mum Josie is finding she has skills as a farmer and developing a good relationship with neighbouring farmer Will. The party to celebrate her new life and welcome old friends and family causes fireworks that none of them expected.

A joy to read and so well written and characterised. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends who enjoy this style of book. I look forward to reading more from this fledgling author.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A warm easy read. Quite a heartwarming book in general although there are some spiky moments between Josie and her mum both now and in the past. The main character is very likeable and her various friends and acquaintances are well described and brought to life.
I'm not too sure how realistic her plans would be in practice but don't let that spoil an entertaining story. It was a pleasure to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC of ‘Way Back’ by Sara Cox.

After some pretty heavy books this was exactly what I needed. It was such a nice read with really likeable characters. I really enjoyed the style of writing and can’t fault it. Definitely recommend giving this a read.

After a great debut with Thrown I had fairly high expectations. Sara Cox you did yourself proud. Well researched witty novel. I could imagine her reading it to me.

Josie had it all. Until it all fell apart. What better than to go back to the start. Back to the countryside. Back to where her life began. With the bonus of finding out some answers to questions she has been waiting for.

Great read. Would recommend