Found more difficult to get into than other David Nicholls books but once invested thought it was great.
Excellent well well-thought-out out characters as always, loved the dialogue and banter between them.

The most beautiful and emotive stories are usually those that are the quietest and in this new classic by David Nicholas, it is done so in the most beautiful way!

I really enjoyed this book, although I have to admit that I wasn’t too sure right at the beginning. If that’s you, persevere, because you are in for a treat. I’m not sure I could walk day after day, but it is pretty inspiring.. Loved reading about the little places they stopped off at. 5 star recommendation.

I really loved this book, I found Marnie and Michael very relatable and likeable characters - they felt like real people, and the situations they were in felt very much like the sort of situations divorced people of 40ish find themselves in in a post-Covid, home working world. I found myself yearning to do what they were doing - going off grid for several days and going on a long walk, a great adventure but not too adventurous to be unachievable. I've read a few of David Nicholls's books and they're warm, funny, and show a real understanding of what makes people tick. I can't rate this book highly enough.

Gorgeous read. Just a beautiful gentle often laugh out loud look at life with a blossoming love story at its heart. I couldn't put it down and loved it from start to finish

This book focuses on two central characters, Marnie and Michael, they both live lonely lives. Since her divorce Marnie has hidden away. Michael is struggling to come to terms with the end of his marriage.

A friend invites them board on a coast-to-coast walking holiday, putting an end to their loneliness.
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Thrown together, will they start to become friends, can it turn into something more??

The book is written so well, you can picture the views in your head.
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As always, David Nicholls I had mastered writing likeable characters.

A must read!

Loved this heartwarming and hilarious new novel from David nicholls.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for an early reading copy.

In the midst of a One Day obsession infusing popular culture once again thanks to the excellent new Netflix series, renowned British author David Nicholls dropped his latest release, You Are Here. This new offering contains much more of the author's signature British banter, authentic characters and frank, honest dialogue.

But, I'm not sure it will appeal to exactly the same market. Our protagonists in You Are Here are approaching middle age; Marnie and Michael are in their late thirties and early forties, respectively. Both recovering from difficult relationships, they find themselves at a lonely crossroads in their lives.

The two protagonists are confident, well-rounded and successful in their own ways - but they're at a point where it's difficult to forge new relationships - whether that's friendship or more - both settled into their routines and comfortable in their way of life. Cue an opportunity to take them out of their comfort zone - as the story opens a mutual friend invites the two on a weekend walking break, hiking the English Lake District.

The majority of the story takes place over the course of around a week. The group meet, and slowly dissipate, until it's just the two who remain. And so they walk, and talk, and that's most of the book.

In this way, it's extremely different to Nicholls' most prevalent work, One Day, as this story covers a short amount of time with protagonists at different points in their lives. But, the author still has the same subtle touch when it comes to bringing a relationship to life, in a slow, awkward manner which makes it feel all too real. This time, it has the bonus of a beautiful backdrop to enjoy the journey.

I really enjoyed reading about these characters both separately and together. Even their relatively mundane jobs are brought to life under the author's steer, from Marnie diligently copy-editing an erotica novel full of unrealistic orgies, to geography teacher Michael's passion for rocks and walls. Their awkward mannerisms and they way they struggled to express their feelings felt authentic, unlike the insta-love often found in romance novels.

"If only there was something humans could do, a system of mutually comprehended sounds and gestures to express thoughts and feelings."

Ultimately, this is a quiet, unassuming and wistful novel with a message of hope for finding love against the odds. It's not unlike the other releases from this author I've read, but without the gut-punching drama of some. Instead, You Are Here is imbued with a quiet melancholy, accompanied by the steady beat of a long walk.

An intimate, awkward post-pandemic romance that occurs with unexpected company on a coast to coast walk as the protagonists are still recovering from their failed marriages.

Just something so touching about falling in love with nothing flashy, but in quiet everyday moments full of conversation that the author has fantastically tapped into.

I found this book hard going and it took me a long time to read. I actually re-read One Day while I was reading this too!
Maybe if you enjoy walking you might like this book more, but I couldn’t really emphasise with any of the characters., Michael was only in his early 40’s but it seemed like he was in his 60’s with his attitude.
Fairly predictable and the ending was poor.
I think that David Nicholls is still dining out on the success of One Day and I have read a few of his other novels based on how much I loved that book and they are very mediocre in comparison.

A gentle story of new friendships and second chances. Once again the author has written a fabulous cast of characters in this gentle story.

Superb novel. A joy to read and enjoy .David Nichols best book yet. Funny, sad, life affirming story and read. One of the most enjoyable novels I have ever read. Brilliant story and characters. Get your boots and rucksack ready. Simple story but with lots of depth and humanity .Buy it read it and you will love it. Will become a classic read and shortlisted for the booker. Brilliant.

I enjoyed this slow burning romance, at times it was very heartwarming and I found the characters believable.

This is an absolutely beautiful read. A character-driven and heartwarming story following Michael and Marnie, two divorced Individuals in their late 30s/early 40s who meet at a hiking spot by their mutual friend Cora to walk coast to coast Northumbria.
This is a slow burn read following two lonely individuals. It’s so poignant. I’m in my mid-30s and single so I found it quite relatable. The setting is charming and the characters are endearing. Nicholls always does a fantastic job balancing the pathos and humour. A stunning, gorgeous read.

A sweet, but very, very slow moving romance. I was excited to read this author, but if I'm honest, it was too slow for me. If I was being kind, Id say it was realistic and relatable - connections take a while to form especially when you have been burned before. But as readers, we have so much choice including social media, and I admit I became impatient.

Marnie is single (divorced). Michael is single (separated) and a mutual friend organises a trek from coast to coast, where a friendship begins to bloom. The characters are well thought out, with lots of backstory so that you feel like you can really understand them. And the descriptions of English countryside paint the most beautiful picture.

But for a long time it felt like nothing was happening, and the romance felt more like a desperate friendship of two lonely souls. A relationship of convenience rather than chemistry. A good read, but nothing Ill be shouting about.

This is another surefire winner for David.
I Iove his style of writing, storyline and the strong characterisation.
This is one of the best books I've read this year and I can't wait for the next one.

I really enjoyed this book. Clearly following on from One Day s going to be hard but this is a very different and refreshing story when two very different people meet through a common friend and proceed to walk coast to coast across the UK. He has a knack for portraying how awkward things can be when you meet and spend time with someone new, and also how people feel when they are falling in love. I found myself creeping off to read this whenever I could as I became so invested in the characters and needed to find out how everything was resolved.

I love David Nicholls books and was really looking forward to this one, I was not disappointed.

The story follows Marnie and Michael both middle aged and a little lost they go on a hike and will their new friendship lead to more?

Easy to read, I loved the characters
Great book

Marnie is stuck, she’s working alone in her London flat, stuck battling long afternoons and a life that increasingly feels like it’s passing her by. Michael is coming undone, reeling from his wife’s departure, becoming increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells. When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship. But can it survive the journey?

This is a beautiful book, yes, David Nicholls has done it again. After One Day I thought I couldn’t love the relationship of two characters more but I was wrong, Marnie and Michael are everything I hoped they would be and more. Their story is told through each character’s POV in alternating chapters, the prose flowing so smoothly that you feel like you are on the walk, in the pubs and restaurants along the way, feeling the emotions at every stage.

The way Nicholls conveys every step of the walk is beautiful, from the inclement weather conditions, the tiredness of the journey, to the elation of achievements and the growth of the characters, moving from feeling lost to the opportunity of a second chance. The perception that life is mapped out for everyone with no deviation is a strange concept to some, stories like this allow eyes to be opened to realise that there is no set route and life can definitely throw some curveballs along the way.

A wonderful book that deserves to be loved and enjoyed by all, and if the idea of wanting to walk the Coast To Coast route doesn’t cross your mind whilst reading, well I won’t believe you! A funny, loveable, nostalgic, honest depiction of two people who come together in the most unlikely situation and discover a lot more than they bargained for. A must-read for sure!

One of the best books I've read this year!!!

I absolutely love books that are centered around conversations between the main characters. This story gave similar vibes as the movie Before Sunrise.

Two lost middle aged people meet and go on a cross country hike. They discover not only each other but themselves along the way against a gorgeous backdrop of nature at its finest.

Can't recommend this enough!