This is such a lovely book, which explores loneliness, hope, and human connection. The story centers around Connor, a young man living with learning difficulties, possibly autism, whose life has been marked by the mysterious disappearance of his mother three years ago. Living alone in a council home, Connor is a bit of a loner, spending most of his time playing video games, listening to heavy metal music. He works at a local DIY store, where his only friend is an elderly co-worker named Alan.

When the council threatens to sell the land his childhood home sits on for development Connor is desperate to stay. He clings to the hope that his mother will one day return.

His world collides with that of Lila, a young local newspaper reporter assigned to cover the story of the man refusing to leave his home. Lila soon becomes personally invested in Connor’s story and, as she grows closer to him, she decides to help him search for his long-lost mother.

Mike Gayle’s writing is both heartwarming and heartbreaking and this a heartfelt tale about the power of hope and the unexpected ways in which people can change one another’s lives. It’s a book that will resonate with readers long after they’ve turned the final page, reminding them of the importance of compassion, connection, and never giving up.

Mike Gayle is one of my favourite authors.

His ability to get the reader invested in his characters and the community he builds in his stories is something he does beautifully time and time again.

Another heartwarming and engaging story. The ending was just a little too perfectly wrapped up for me to give it 5 stars but it was still a wonderful book and one I devoured in a day and a half.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy..

Oh my heart, this beautiful story has emotion pouring from every page, the wonderfully written characters tell the story of Bernie, Connor, Lila and Marcus in such a lovely way and I took my time reading so I didn't miss a single thing

Lila is a journalist for the local newspaper the Derby Echo. She is following the footsteps of her grandfather who was also one. But she dreams that one day she will work for one of the National newspapers in London. She is asked by her Boss to cover a news story of the last remaining resident of a housing estate called Cossington Park. Connor lives in Hope Street, and he refuses to move as he thinks his mother will return home. His mother Bernie left home 3 years ago and never returned home. Connor believes that one day she will come home.
When Lila hears of Connor’s plight. She agrees with her investigated skills to help Connor finding his mother and she will also het a great scoop for the front page of the local rag.
When you read a Mike Gayle story you know that it will never disappoint you. I have read several of his books now and ‘Hope Street’ is no exception. This is another beautifully written heartwarming story that will tug at your heartstrings. This is story of hope and friendship and finding love. This is such a beautiful read. I highly recommend. 5 stars from me.

I received Hope Street by Mike Gayle free from Netgalley free for a subjective review.

I really love Mike Gayle's books and especially enjoyed The Museum of Ordinary People so I was looking forward to reading Hope Street. It introduces some very relatable characters who you begin to root for and want to succeed in their quest. As with a lot of books recently, such as Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine and Strange Sally Diamond it has a character who is Neurodivergent and you really feel for their challenges. It has a central mystery within the story which keeps you wanting to read to the end to see what happened.

However, I kind of lost interest half way through the book and it did not seem to move at the same pace as the beginning. It soon picked up towards the end and it was a lovely satisfying feel good ending.

I would definitely recommend this book as it was a lovely read which had some lovely characters which I would like to revisit again.

I look forward to a new Mike Gayle book and this one looked interesting. It didn't pull me in as quickly as his other books and I have some niggles with the characterisation in places. Found myself neither loving nor hating it but it wasn't the 'go to' read that his books have been for me in the past

This is my second book I’ve read from Mike Gayle and whilst I enjoyed the story I wasn’t blown away.

This book is written from 3 different POVs: Bernie’s, Connor’s and Lila’s.

I like that Mike touched on things that happen ie. The council gentrifying areas and forcing residents to move out of their beloved houses. How society treats people who have learning disabilities or need extra support.

I really disliked Marcus in the beginning, but by the end he had grown on me.

Some parts were really heartbreaking to read. Connor not knowing where his mum is and the emotional turmoil he endured right until the end of the book. People taking advantage of him and him slowly but surely throughout the book becoming more certain and sure of himself, what he wants and standing up to people.

All in all, it was an easy read.

Thank you for the ARC!

Firstly thank you for my early access in exchange for a review .
Mike is a beautiful writer who evokes heartfelt emotion and connection to his characters .
I loved this book about friendship , new beginnings , trust and love.
As a mum to Sen children this both warmed my heart and make me emotional.
The characters all have their own voices and stories and the reader goes on a journey with them as they grow and start new chapters .
Mike takes the every day and makes it a beautiful story .
Poignant , life affirming , emotive and inspiring.
It showcases the wonders of being human flaws and all

I was excited to get a netgalley copy to review as Mike Gayle is one of my favourite, auto buy authors.
Of course, I wasn't disappointed.
I was immediately drawn into the warmth and love of Bernie and her son, Connor. Connor had a miserable time at school, but as an adult, he's loved, appreciated and supported by his mum, close friends and work colleagues.
However, Connor and Bernie's home in Hope Street is part of a council redevelopment area, however they want to stay in their close knit community.
But then Bernie just vanishes? This makes no sense as her son is her life.
Can local journalist Lila help Connor save his home and find his mum? Can she bring hope back into his life and indeed her own?
Mike Gayle works his magic yet again.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read quite a few from this author and the characterisation is always so well done. You really get a sense of the characters.
This one was funny in places and heartbreaking in others, bittersweet at times. I would definitely recommend this book.

This was a brilliant book- it really made me think about how vulnerable some families and people are, how if you are a small family of two, like Connor and his mum, Bernie, where is the safety net? Connor was immediately likeable and the mystery of what had happened to Bernie and how he had ended up living in the only occupied house on Hope street was so sad and also so heartwarming; his determination that she would come home eventually and he needed to be there... Lila was a great character too, and Marcus had shown absolutely incredible friendship to Connor over the years. I won't ruin the story but suffice to say I was kept gripped throughout the novel, throughout the ups and downs and a number of wonderful friendships are demonstrated- from Jean who saved a life by being aware of those around her, to Alan, to Lizzie. It was just a great book- highly recommend!

3.5 stars.

Let's start with what I loved. I've read a few of his books now and, again, Mike Gayle has created incredibly loveable characters in Hope Street. Connor is a character I think everyone will root for and I loved his friendship with Marcus, in particular. I also really enjoyed the thread of mystery which ran through the book surrounding Bernie. However, at times, I felt the plot (especially in regards to the housing development) dragged at times. This being said, the ending was beautiful. It didn't give me the same emotional reaction I've had to some of Gayle's other books, but lovely and heartwarming nonetheless.

Good concept. I found the dialogue difficult, I couldn't convince myself people actually spoke the way they did in the book, very longwinded explanations which were helpful to understand the story but felt unnatural.

I couldn’t wait to dive in and read this as I feel like I have grown up with this authors novels as have followed them from the beginning. Once I had picked this one up I knew that I wouldn’t be able to put it down and devoured it in one sitting.

Wow what can I say another brilliant book from this author writes from the heart and with lots of empathy and feeling that came across both in the characters and the storyline.

A poignant and heartwarming read of love and friendship and of community spirit and how anything is possible with the help of others and the community coming together.

I would love a sequel to see how the characters lives continue to evolve and develop.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot or the publisher's blurb...

I've read several novels by Mike Gayle, so was looking forward to reading this. I was not disappointed!

The characters were very well-written and believable. I liked the "flashbacks" in the plot, which gave tantalising clues but didn't reveal what had actually happened - until close to the end of the book!

I was very pleased with the eventual outcome for all my favourite characters - and hope that the budding romances continue. It would be interesting to find out what happened next in some of their stories...

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

You know when you pick up a Mike Gayle novel you're in for a treat. This latest offering is no exception, an uplifting, heart warming story telling the story of Lila, a journalist who's sent to the last remaining house on Hope Street to meet Connor. Hope Street is due to be demolished to make way for a new development, Connor refuses to move and when Lila discovers the reason why she sets out to help Connor.
Connor struggles with some aspects of life, and he's waiting for his beloved mum to come home, Bernie went out one day 3 years earlier and has not been since, but Connor is convinced she will return and if he moves then how will she know where he is?
The novel has some fabulous characters, I loved the friendship between Connor and Marcus.
A must read for 2025

Connor is a man in his late 20s with an unspecified learning disability. He has a job and lives alone with small input from family friends. A local journalist wants to speak to him about his refusal to move out of his council home which is to be demolished. She quickly learns that he’s staying put because his mother disappeared a few years earlier and he’s waiting for her to come back. This is such an incredible book and I honestly wept. The characters are so engaging and it’s such a gripping story. Can’t recommend enough.

Brilliant! I really enjoyed it. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Mike Gayle books. The characters were well-written, the plot was absorbing, the romance was just the right level. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hope Street
Connor has lived in Hope Street for his 20+ years with his mother who disappeared 3 years ago. Due for demolition Conner remains the only resident left on the street refusing to move as he is worried his mother won’t know where to find him when she returns. Lila a news reporter for the local paper takes up the story and tells Connor she will do all she can to investigate what has happened to his mum and also to take the local council to task for the forceful way they have handled the residents removal.

This is a warm emotional beautifully written story with a great depth, whilst really sad at times the personality of the characters stands out with their humour and caring attitudes to Connors concerns.
An absolutely wonderful read from an author whose writing tugs at your heartstrings but always manages to leave you with a big smile and feeling of contentment at the finale.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Lila works as a journalist on the local newspaper, following in the steps of her grandfather, but has dreams of being on one of the national papers. She covers local interest stories and that is how's she met Connor.

Connor lives in the last occupied house on Hope Street waiting for the return of his mum who left one morning and hasn't yet returned. Lila agrees to help him in the search by raising awareness.

This is a lovely story of friendship, loss and hope. It steps back to give some of the history of Connor and his Mum and why he is so convinced she will return.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.