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Synopsis
Three friends. Two summers. One chance to find the way back to you . . .
When Simon reconnects with his first love Sylvie - the French pen pal he never met - he is determined to not let her go again.
However, life isn't so straightforward at sixty as it was at sixteen. His daughter's getting married, he's got a B&B to run, and his larger-than-life school friend, Ian, has abruptly waltzed back into his life.
Deciding to seize this second chance, Simon sets off on a bike ride from Bristol to Bordeaux with Ian in tow, on the very same route they covered as teenagers in pursuit of love.
But although they now have better bikes, more acceptable haircuts, and Google Maps, some things never change, and it soon becomes clear that this trip will have even more bumps in the road than the first . . .
Review
I could not put this one down! I am a huge lover of a rom-com, however, I always lean towards female authors who tend to write from the perspective of the female protagonist. James Bailey writes from the male perspective which I actually really enjoy!
This is my second book by James Bailey - I really enjoyed the first (The Flip Side*) I actually listened to it as an audiobook during a long drive to Devon and couldn't get enough, I might re-read it one day! But The Way Back to You is definitely my favourite!
It must be quite daunting releasing a second book but this is exactly what I wanted it to be! It is funny, sweet and moving - I even teared up towards the end! I loved how the different characters were brought to life, everyone was three dimensional regardless of how small their part was in the narrative. I particularly enjoyed Simon's relationship with his daughter Anna as well as the different difficult characters we meet throughout!
I flew through this because I was enjoying it so much, it's the perfect easy summer read! I 100% recommend picking this up for your holiday!
[originally posted Jun 1, 22]