You are here
By David Nichols
Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Another love story from the author of One Day, David Nichols, finds two very unlikely lost souls thrown together on an epic coast to coast walk across the UK. Nichols tells each character’s story with wit, humility and compassion as they walk, talk and ponder about life.

Marnie lives alone in her London pad and feels that life is passing her by after her break up.
Michael is alone after his marriage has failed and so chooses to walk alone to pass the time and to rethink his life.
Both are lonely and in need of an injection of love and life but neither will admit it. As they walk, they worry far too much about how they are perceived by others. Something we can all connect with.

So the story of Micheal and Marnie tells of misread signals, bad timings and misunderstandings whilst the persistently bad weather tries to defeat their resilience.

But it is the epic walk into the unknown with a stranger that creates a new encounter, a new friendship, second chances and a way home.
But can you survive the journey?

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgalley

Now I LOVE a David Nicholls book, who doesn't. He is the master of British humour and banter and has never failed to make me laugh and smile.

BUT.... sadly, this was the first by this author to just not do it for me, and judging other reviews I have glanced over, I'm actually questioning whether we read the same book!

Nothing against the author at all. This one just didn't connect with me (and that's OK), but it won't put me off reading the next one!

I just didn't connect with the characters, I didn't really feel much at all. It all seemed rather 'ploddy', which ended with my mind wandering, and that's never a good sign, is it? Maybe I was expecting too much.

On a positive note, the locations were described brilliantly and made you want to visit, and whilst I couldn't find a connection with the characters, they were all well-rounded and interesting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Staunton for the ARC.

This review only needs two words to describe the author - literary genius and two words to describe his latest novel - utterly sublime.
No one does emotions not everyday life as well as David Nicholls except perhaps Alan Bennett who was brought to mind many times whilst listening to the audio version of this book.

This walking pov romance comedy leaves you with a feel good feeling.iys not just a walking journey but also a journey where 2 people find themselves and each other. It has comedy romance and realism. You can feel the emotion lift off the page. The characters past intertwined and played out. The dialogue between the characters waa very o emotive and really tuned at my heart strings. it was so real and honest . Would love a follow up. Thank you so much netgallery and publisher and author for this heart warming 5 star read.

David Nicholls always writes interesting books, mostly about relationships which show romance from the male point of view as well as from the female perspective. . In “ You are Here” it is about what happens when a relationship breaks down and the possibility of starting over.
Michael and Marnie are brought together by their friend Cleo who arranges a walking holiday across the Lake District going from coast to coast. Cleo is keen to pair Michael with Tessa and Marnie with Conrad but when Tessa doesn’t come and Conrad leaves early, Marnie and Michael strike up a friendship. . Both have been leading solitary lives after breaking up with their partners and realise they need to start socialising more.
Told from alternate viewpoints, the reader gets to know both characters really well, Michael’s nerdy enthusiasm for the walk is endearing- he’s a geography teacher after all and knows a lot about the landscape. Marnie’s humour, hiding a deeper hurt is heartbreaking. Her ex has sapped her confidence and it is only with Michael that she begins to feel like herself again. David Nicholls explores the male and female psyche and is able to elicit sympathy for both.
I liked the titles of the chapters, all part of the route they walk- including maps at some points to explain the direction of travel both of the walk and of their burgeoning relationship.
This was a book that grew on me and as I got to know the characters I couldn’t wait to find out their future, if indeed there was one. I was certainly rooting for them both and hoping that there would be a positive outcome.
There was a lot of humour in the novel as well as melancholy and I think it is one of those books that will stick with me long after I have read the last page.
I really think that David Nicholls has done it again- this book will definitely be a big hit, maybe even the “Beach Read of the Summer”and if you are planning a trip to the Lake District don’t forget to pack it!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Having read One Day during the lockdown, I was taken by the opportunity to read You Are Here - the protagonists are later 30s/early 40s and both, due to circumstances, with little/no social life, living a monotonous life with the same routine, are brought together in this plot. Michael finds peace and a challenge in his hiking trips across England - they are his escape from the family home that reminds him of his memories and broken marriage with his estranged wife. On this trip, Cleo, a common friend/the principal of the school where Michael works, invites Marnie - a copy editor/divorcee, who has found joy in cancelling plans last minute...only this time, she does take up Cleo's offer, a chance at a new adventure, where's the harm?

I struggled and winced when trying to describe the characters above - trying to avoid painting them as a particular demographic/stereotype, however, this is the premise of the life that Marnie and Michael lead - the promise of the journey that awaits them whilst on this hike becomes the foundation of their story. The exploration of their personalities and the bond they form due to the conversations and experiences they share whilst on this trek, they find some areas of commonality, banter that reveals a hidden side that has not shown itself for a long time due to the mundane of everyday life and what life has/had become for them...the result is pleasing, joyful and fun.

Though David Nicholls is, perhaps arguably, writing this story for a particular target audience, it is a credit to his conviction to develop the plot and take it to its conclusion because there is a natural trajectory that shapes in both the character and within the story. There is some truth in a story which suggests that it is/can become harder to make new friends, especially when your love/married life does not go to plan, that for many people, things can become isolating. In that, I do laud David Nicholls attempt to broaden the horizons, both literally and figuratively to articulate a fresh, new story.

Although charming, this read was not particularly moving or entertaining for me and it did miss a certain spark that I have witnessed in other writing by Nicholls. The characters were not very memorable. That said, it is still a lovely, simple, gentle (often in parts slow) read, I did still enjoy it and I know many readers will truly love the writing and story itself.

I am looking forward to reading more from David Nicholls. Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Sceptre for the advanced copy in exchange for an unedited, honest review.

Marnie and Michael are both reeling from failed relationships, isolated from their friends and struggling to get on an even keel. They meet while put together with a small group of friends to walk part of the Coast to Coast footpath.

Both are relatable characters, who seem so real it’s as if they could step off the page. Nicholls has an enviable talent for being able to write both the male and female point of view. I enjoyed Marnie’s sense of humour.

The internal dialogue was very effective in conveying the characters’ anxieties and struggles as they forged a friendship.

The ending was rather inevitable, but I really enjoyed the journey.

You are Here taps into the recent publishing trend of fiction and non-fiction books about journeys on foot: walking for charity, walking because of financial difficulties, grief and health issues and to mediate the fallout from failed relationships.

There are enjoyable facts about the geography of the Coast to Coast path, which particularly interested me since my mother walked The Coast to Coast with a group of friends in a walking group during the early 1990s. I remember being glad that it was a sunny week and talking about her trip with others. Parts of the Coast to Coast are far more challenging than I realised. As a youngster I knew it was 190 miles long, but failed to realise how many strenuous sections it involves!

This is lovely read, really enjoyable from beginning to end. Warm, funny, not at all syrupy sweet, with characters whom you really want to find a happier place to occupy in the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

As if we needed any convincing, David Nicholls has shown once again how he has perfected the recipe for a wholesome, feel-good read. You Are Here is an absolute delight. Funny, poignant and heartwarming, it’s that rare oxymoron: a beautifully grounded, down-to-earth piece of escapism.

Meet London-based, freelance copy editor Marnie. Divorced, childless and still licking her wounds at the unfairness of life, she’s pretty much withdrawn from the world around her.

Geography teacher Michael is in a similar place, drifting aimlessly after separating from his wife and taken to long, solitary hikes to walk off his unhappiness.

Cajoled by a mutual friend, the two are reluctantly thrown together when persuaded to join a group hike from coast to coast across the north of England.

From the beginning, it’s clear where this setup is going. But it’s the knowing that makes it so deliciously compelling. There’s plenty of will they, won’t they; false starts and missteps. A gentle dismantling of defenses, a tentative, blossoming friendship, a stirring of attraction.

Marnie and Michael are so well drawn, so undeniably human, that accompanying them on their joint physical and metaphorical journeys, is like sharing in the experience of dear friends. If I wasn’t egging them on, I was shaking my head in despair, or giving one or the other a metaphorical kick up the backside.

Forced proximity and second chance love are well-worn tropes, but what make this story special is Nicholls’ unerring eye for what makes ordinary people tick, along with the magnificent setting among the hills, lakes and moors of northern England, which he paints with the flair of a landscape artist.

It would have been easy to let this tale run its obvious course and tie everything up neatly with a big pink bow. But Nicholls rightly eschews such sentimentality, keeping the narrative grounded in a reality that is at once both believable and fitting.

The perfect ending to a wonderful book.

David Nicholls definitely has the knack of writing about relationships. Marnie and Michael are both dealing with the emotional impacts of previous relationship breakdowns, there is an equal amount of time getting to know these characters as they start to get to know each other. As they undertake the Coast to Coast walk.
Emotional and funny, I didn’t want to put it down!

You Are Here is an easy read, if a little slow starting off. I enjoyed the interactions between Marnie and Michael, especially later on in the novel when their friends have left the trip and it’s just the two of them. Their opposing personalities bounced off each other really well and made for some humorously awkward moments too. The story has a good mix of romance, comedy, and sad back stories. The more you learn about the characters, the more you root for them to have a hopeful, happy ending.

You Are Here was a disappointment. It was dull and monotonous, with equally boring and uninteresting characters,. It left me completely underwhelmed.

I really enjoyed this story of Michael and Marnie - both lost souls - brought together by their mutual well meaning friend, Cleo. They start to walk the Coast to Coast path and bond over the rain, blisters and general discomfort. Both open up and talk about their real lives and experiences. But Michael has issues to resolve with his estranged life which threaten to overwhelm their new beginnings.

I enjoyed getting to know both main characters and empathised with their struggles to open up and let someone else into their lives.

Poignant, heartwarming and real.

One to be recommended.

Wow, this book felt like a giant hug. It was just lovely. I loved the inane chatter between marnie and Mike and the developing relationship. I devoured this book in 2 days and I did not want it to end. The characters were so relatable and heartwarming. Thank you so much

Ahhhh this is gorgeous. It's so peaceful (in a good way) and is a glorious read. I just wanted to hug both of the characters and, now I've finished the book, I really miss them!

You Are Here by David Nicholls tingles with anticipation and over-delivers on enjoyability!!

The setting is magnificent, the plot is uncomplicated but the end result is a delight. A trek from coast to coast is planned by solo walker, recently-separated Michael at the behest of Chloe, his friend and deputy head teacher who believes he should be meeting more people. Chloe has invited a few other walkers including her London-based friend Marnie who enjoys cancelling plans and being at home.

Marnie is completely out of her comfort zone but decides to join them to spend time with her godson.

The story unfolds alongside the impressive scenery, as the British weather fluctuates testing everyone's resolve.

Nicholls has created a glorious setting for the adventure for the group of walkers and their interactions, dialogue and endurance all make for a compelling read.

You Are Here is so good that I am already planning to read his earlier books!

I enjoy reading David Nicholls, his characters and dialogue are always so believable. This book was enjoyable, the descriptions of the walk were perfect and the way the characters interacted was a pleasure to read,I particularly like Michael. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys walking or would like to give it a go!

Another fantastic triumph from David Nicholls! I enjoyed it a lot but also I am aware that nothing could ever compare to One Day.

Somehow serene and melancholic at the same time. This book left me with a bit of an ache. It's full of the comfort of casual conversation with another person. And walking - the healing nature of walking and walking. It's one of those books that's going to find just the right person at the right time and be incredibly special.

Absolutely glorious journey to love across the width of the country. Hiking has never been so romantic. Zip-off trousers have never been so HOT. Another superb smash by Nicholls.

Another winner from Nicholls...

I am not a romance reader but what I love about Nicholls is that he writes a love story without it being cheesy, cliched or silly. The characters are always normal people who feel like your friends . A lot of this book is the banter between our two main characters Michael and Marnie . It's essentially a story about solitude and finding oneself .
What I loved most though was the setting. I grew up in the English Lakes so it was such a nostalgic read for me , the memories of walking on those hills .... The book is also very 'English' , a lot of references to England and our culture and life in the country compared to that in the city . I can see this now as a BBC adaptation!