This gentle novel was heartfelt and reflective. Despite its introspective focus, it was never boring. This was thanks to the witty writing style – I literally laughed out loud a number of times – and the goal-orientated plot propelling everything along. The story’s insight into love, loneliness and connection was piercing, sometimes painfully so, yet nothing ever seemed bleak due to the sense of hope threaded through.

The author crafted his characters so well that it felt like I was walking right alongside them. I really liked both Marnie and Michael. They were initially brought together by their mutual friend Cleo. Even though she planned to partner them up with different people, the admirably steadfast Cleo may have actually been the MVP of the novel. Outwardly, Marnie and Michael had their differences, what with Marnie being more outgoing and Michael being more reserved, but their personal circumstances overlapped in significant ways. They had both become quite isolated and had convinced themselves they were okay living that way. However, after spending time in each other’s company, it dawned on them just what they were missing.

Owing to the challenges of the coast-to-coast walk, and the fact that they only had each other, Marnie and Michael quickly developed a genuine friendship. Even though they technically only knew each other for a few days, this connection was believable. Their own brands of humour fell into step and they effortlessly bantered back and forth. They turned what could’ve been a dull slog through the countryside into a transformative journey. Marnie and Michael got to know each other without feeling the need to put up a facade. In doing so, they explored their individual vulnerabilities and some of the most awful parts of their past. It was wonderful to watch two such deserving people find connection and love in each other.

OVERALL: Led by two effortlessly endearing main characters, this was an insightful and heartfelt novel. Its gentle pace didn’t make it any less captivating, as I loved tagging along on their transformative journey.

The first book I read by David Nicholls and it won't surely be the last as I loved this poignant story that made me think about some classic British author and enjoyed the relationship and the changes in the life of the main characters
The setting, the mood and the weather all of them plays a role in this well plotted story.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Marnie and Michael will they make it?
Quite a lot of hype about this title.
Marnie and Michael are both battling their own demons, both involved in unpleasant divorce proceedings.
Cleo a friend of both protagonists, invites them on a walk in the Lake District
They were not intended for one another but both feel a somewhat annoying attraction.
I have to say that both people had a lot of baggage (no pun intended) which did not make them particularly sympathetic characters. The charts between them were disjointed and somewhat difficult to follow.
Thank you NetGalley and David for this ARC.

Oh, David Nicholls. What a gorgeous book! I fell in love with Marnie and Michael straight away; they’re loveable and incredibly real characters who step right off the page. Told from both characters’ perspectives, I laughed out loud with Marnie several times (despite her incredible awkwardness - Nicholls is perfect at writing characters who make me hide behind my hands!) and just absolutely adored their dialogue and ‘watching’ them fall in love in what felt like real time.

A complicated love story set against the backdrop of a coast-to-coast walk in the UK, David Nicholls’ latest novel is a delight to read, as always, and a new favourite for me.

My huge thanks to the publishers for allowing me to read and review You Are Here!

Thanks to the publisher Sceptre/Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was an absolute pleasure to read this novel by David Nicholls, an author whose work I have always admired and enjoyed. In terms of subject matter, it was of great interest to me the blossoming of a connection between two people on a long-distance walk, in this case the Coast to Coast footpath.

The story had resonances for me not least in the age demographic of the experiences of early middle age but as someone who is interested in long distance walking. My partner and I have also walked the width of the country but for us it was the Hadrian’s Wall path a few years ago.

A touching tale of falling in love, loneliness and wistfulness. I would recommend this to anyone interested in contemporary fiction.

Oh my goodness, this book took a little time to get going, but once the characters started to shine, it was like magic! I was completely swept up in the story and totally rooting for Marnie and Michael the whole way through.

The plot has so many layers, and the descriptions of the setting are absolutely dreamy. I just adored every single part of it. This book is seriously brilliant—a definite must-read for anyone who loves a captivating and heartwarming story!

They say loneliness is the new epidemic and it is a constant theme running through David Nicholls’ latest book, You Are Here.
The two central characters, Marnie and Michael, both live lonely lives. Since her divorce Marnie has hidden away in her London flat, her world shrinking as a result. Also struggling to come to terms with the end of his marriage, Michael has withdrawn from friendships and is in danger of becoming a recluse.
Their choice to live isolated lives is blown out of the water when a mutual friend invites them on a coast-to-coast walking holiday.
Thrown together, they tentatively start to become friends. But can it turn into something more?
Along the way there are beautiful descriptions of the countryside and gently humorous observations on the human condition.
One of my favourite (of many) lines in the book was Marnie observing that ‘if you wanted to get a man to talk with real emotion, you should ask him about his father’. So true.
Nicholls is as master at writing characters you can’t help but root for, and as I raced through this book I was hoping for a fairytale ending for our protagonists.
And did they get their happy ending? No spoilers here, I’m afraid. You’ll have to read the book yourself!

How does David Nicholls do it?! He manages to avoid the cheesy, overdramatic writing that I tend to dislike in books which focus on love stories, and not just that, but he creates the most engaging, likeable, brilliant characters. And he's absolutely done it again in You Are Here - a warm, witty, entertaining novel which follows Marnie and Michael, two very different (single) people on a hiking trip...

I loved the characters. They've got flaws, of course, but they're likeable, well-rounded and interesting. I found myself smiling, laughing and a bit emotional at times too! I'm not also one for wanting beautiful descriptions of scenery in books, but in this novel I loved the atmospheric setting, and reading about the characters finding their way together amongst breathtaking views. The plot, of course, was hugely entertaining - though we kind of assume we know what will happen, the journey to get there is heart-achingly funny and entertaining, though there's a moment when I wanted to scream at one of the characters (that's all I'll say here!).

I didn't want this novel to end. You Are Here is satisfyingly brilliant, and I'm thrilled that it's as great to read as his other novels.

Absolutely love David Nicholls work but I couldn't warm to this book, nor to the characters. The writing, particularly in relation to the natural world is extremely accomplished but for some reason I failed to gel with the story as a reader.

After being a huge fan of One Day, by David Nicholls - which I read eons ago, I decided to try You Are Here out.

Lovely story of Michael and Marnie, walking cost to coast across the north of England. Have done a little walking in the Lake District, reading this brought a warm feeling of familiarity (you could almost feel the rain)

The book follows their journey from the west coast to the east coast and the relationship dynamics that follow.

An enjoyable book, and a satisfying read.

Thanks to #NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of this book. #YouAreHere

While this was a little bit of a slow burner to start with the characters really brought it to life and made me truly invested. It became a real page turner and I was routing for Marnie and Michael. It was a really enjoyable read which I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A grown up love story with characters you can't help but root for!

I loved the character development.
Marnie, especially was hilarious. The description of the walk itself was fantastic, I could really picture it.

I could easily see this being made into a film.

I thoroughly enjoyed this utterly charming novel. The witty, fast-paced dialogue and likeable, realistic characters meant that I raced through this, not wanting it to end, but also desperate to see where Marnie and Michael ended up. I've already found myself discussing the ending with friends - with a meet cute so unconventional, I was intrigued to see how Nicholls would close their story and it didn't disappoint. A heart-warming read, get ready to fall in love with Nicholls's characters yet again.

2.5 stars 🌟🌟✨
This was an interesting read, and one I am glad to have finished. I can’t say that I loved it but I didn’t hate it either. It was written well and I enjoyed the third person perspective from each MC as it added insight into both characters. It was a sweet little story and was quite metaphorical in a way…Sadly, didn’t resonate with the characters and it was a struggle to continue at some points - I do have to admit that I was expecting a little more…
Overall, was a cute read but just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book – Yes! Was it an edge of your seat read – No! To be honest, I don’t really know how I feel about this book. The story telling is beautiful – it flows easily and the main characters, Michael & Marnie, are well written and you really find yourself warming to them both. By no means is this a mushy romance – but a romance as in real life. With life and a person’s emotional guard being real. How we don’t let ourselves do what we really want, to say, stopping the repercussions of getting it wrong. The thing with David Nicholls books is they just flow so easily... you want to know what happens but it’s not a rushed read to get to the end.

The story follows Michael and Marnie. Michael a heartbroken Geography Teacher. Who wants to walk to avoid being in the home he shared with his now estranged wife. Marnie the loner, who enjoys her own company but doesn’t want to be navigating life alone. They both meet when their mutual friend arranges a walking weekend in Yorkshire. They enjoy each other’s company, so much so that Marnie decides to continue walking the breadth of the country with Michael. But both are left wondering – is this more than a walking partner – is it friendship or a blossoming romance and who will make the first move.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I love David Nicholls writing and You Are Here is a beautifully written, warm, emotional and funny read. Marnie and Michael meet in the Lake District on a walking trip organised by a mutual friend. The reader follows the ups and downs of their developing relationship over the course of their walk from the west to the east coast. I loved both of the characters; Marnie is stuck in her life and Michael is struggling to adapt after the breakdown of his relationship. I found Marnie hilarious and laughed out loud many times throughout the novel. The landscape is described beautifully and made me want to embark on a similar trip
This is a gorgeous novel that I would highly recommend.. 4.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Blimey the man can do no wrong!! I want to do the walk be her be him, get involved it is a beautiful touching story. Lush and gentle thankyou

I've read a few of David Nicholls’ novels before and I've always been stunned by his ability to get to the heart of his characters and their relationships, capturing their emotions and way of life, indeed their essence, with the vocabulary he uses. It's very rare that I see myself reflected in fiction, but Marnie could be me, and so I was rooting for her all the way through.

The structure of You Are Here is very cleverly done, taking us on a coast to coast walk with Marnie and Michael across the North of England. Although David Nicholls admits that not all the locations in the novel exist, many of them do, and are indeed recognisable. I loved the descriptions of the landscape and they really pulled me into the journey and the story that went with it.

You Are Here is not as fast paced as novels I would normally read; the time and care taken to build the characters so well does mean that the plot moves quite slowly. However, for the most part, this wasn't an issue for me as I was so invested in the lives of the characters and this compelled me to discover what would happen next.

What a lovely, feel-good, delightful novel, but not a surprise after reading David Nicholls' other novels. I particularly loved his choice of older protagonists here, and the wonderful 'coast to coast' setting. I decided to save this to read on my holiday in the Lake District and travelled through Glenridding and Patterdale in sympathy with the pouring rain and blistered feet! Written with characteristic humour and sensitivity, and the necessary ups and downs of a near-romantic journey, this is a gentle, funny and thoroughly enjoyable read. Another winner!

This was an amazing, inspirational read. Could not put it down. Thanks, @netgalley for the recommendation. I will certainly pass it on to friends from a certain age and in similar situations.