Mike Gayle - A Song of Me and You

 

Mike Gayle - A Song of Me and You 

5⭐

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Fiction 

Pages: 350

Format: Digital (Kindle) Netgalley 

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Date Published: 6th July 2023

Book Blurb: 

Helen and Ben parted as heartbroken 18-year-olds and went their very separate ways.

Twenty years later, mother-of-two-teenagers Helen is still in Manchester, a part-time primary teacher, stunned by the behaviour of her love-rat husband. In an old T-shirt and scruffy jeans, she feels at the lowest point in her life.

And suddenly, impossibly, Ben is standing on her doorstep. Tired maybe, lonely even, but clearly still the world-famous, LA-based multi-millionaire rockstar he has become.

Can you ever go back?

For Helen and Ben, so much has happened in the years between. But just to sit in the kitchen for a while and talk - that would be nice.

Before the world comes crashing in.

Friendship, love, heartache and hope collide in this unforgettable emotional journey, from the author of Half A World Away.

My Review: 

Mike Gayle did it again! Another amazing read! This book played with my heartstrings so much, but at the same time, I adored every word that I read. Such beautiful writing, an excellent storyline, and an ending that I didn’t see coming…

The book follows Helen who is a teacher living in Manchester. She has two kids and a crumbling down marriage. Ben on the other hand is a famous musician, who is struggling with his fame and wants to get away from it. Ben and Helen also share some history, they dated almost 20 years ago just as Ben slowly rose to fame. However, they haven’t seen each other in 20 years, not until Ben knocks on Helen's door one day…Will they help each other to find the answers they both are searching for?

Loved how three-dimensional all of the characters in this book are. I adored Helen, as she is so nice and caring, but sadly whole life that she built for herself and her family, is crumbling down. She deserved better. Ben is a lost soul and he realises that he doesn’t have anyone to help him but Helen, as Helen believed in him and was there for him from the very start. I loved how the author portrayed Ben not as a rich and stuck-up musician, but as a real human with flaws and surrounded by loneliness despite the great fame he is living in.

Nothing in this book was sugar-coated. It is raw, full of harsh realities of life, and heartbreak, but it also has brilliant and heart-warming moments of love, support and care. All of this made me feel like I am reading about real people and their real lives.

The ending! OMG! I was not prepared for it…It shocked me as I wasn’t expecting it at all, but at the same time I wanted more closure, and the last chapter to be just a tad longer.

Overall: Another sad, heart-wrenching, and emotional story from Mike Gayle that also has so much warmth and love. I loved it so much and will be recommending this to everyone! Can’t wait to read more from Mike Gayle (hopefully) soon! 

This review was first published on NetGalley: 

https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/283507/review/959200

About the Author:

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology Mike moved to London with ambitions of becoming a music journalist. This didn't happen however and following a slight detour in his five-year plan he ended up as an agony uncle for teenage girls' magazine Bliss before becoming Features Editor on the now much-missed Just Seventeen. Since those early days, Mike has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full-time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by The Independent as 'Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,' and by The Times as 'A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic.'

To date, Mike is the author of twelve novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and Wish You Were Here. His books have been translated into over thirty languages.

http://www.mikegayle.co.uk/

Mike Gayle - The Museum of Ordinary People

Mike Gayle - The Museum of Ordinary People 

5 ⭐

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction 

Pages: 352

Format: eARC on NetGalley 

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Date Published: 7th July 2022 

Big Thank You to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley UK for a copy of eARC to read and review! 

Book Blurb: 

Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Jess is about to do the hardest thing she's ever done: empty her childhood home so that it can be sold.

But when in the process Jess stumbles across the mysterious Alex, together they become custodians of a strange archive of letters, photographs, curios and collections known as The Museum of Ordinary People.

As they begin to delve into the history of the objects in their care, Alex and Jess not only unravel heartbreaking stories that span generations and continents but also unearth long-buried secrets that lie much closer to home.

Inspired by a box of mementos found abandoned in a skip following a house clearance, The Museum of Ordinary People is a thought-provoking and poignant story of memory, grief, loss and the things we leave behind.

My Review: 

I just love Mike Gayle’s writing. Been reading his books for years and he did it again! I was instantly hooked by The Museum of Ordinary People! It is so beautifully written, with well-developed and lovable characters, and with a plot that just plays with all of your heartstrings and feelings.

The story follows Jess, who is dealing with the sudden loss of her mother, whom she was really close to and loves unconditionally. On top of dealing with a spectrum of feelings including grief, she also has to deal with the practicalities, such as trying to sell mum’s house, finding a new home for mum’s belongings and of course saying goodbye to her childhood home.

Whilst trying to rehome some of her mother’s belongings she comes across a Museum of Ordinary People owned by mysterious Alex. This museum is not a very well-known space in London, where people bring very ordinary objects that they can’t bear to throw away because those belongings mean the world to them but they don’t have anywhere to store these possessions. Jess always had a dream to work in a museum, so she takes a step to fulfil this dream by curating and making The Museum of Ordinary People known to a wider public so they can appreciate its beauty, whilst trying to juggle her current job, relationship, friendships and the loss of a loved one.

I really liked that this book explores ordinary experiences and feelings of loss and grief. Jess’s feelings are so raw and so real, as well as her memories of her mother, whilst Jess goes about her everyday life, are so relatable if you lose a loved one. Also, loved how Gayle portrays how different people deal with loss. For example, how Alex is dealing with his loss after a long time has passed in comparison to Jess, whose loss is still fresh. It is really nice to see this being explored.

In terms of characters, I adored Alex's character, as even though he had a fair share of losses in life and his own demons to overcome, he is such a kind, loving and caring person. The way he helps Jess, supports her all the way through with the museum and believes in her every step of the way was so kind and adorable to read. I also loved the respect and love that both of them shared with each other.

Each character was unique in their own way and very well developed, each adding something special to the story. I love the progression and development of Jess, Alex, Guy and even some of the second plan characters throughout this book. It made the story very captivating, uplifting and most of all, real.

Also, this book is not only about dealing with loss and grief. This story also explores themes of not giving up on your dreams, not giving up on your passion, believing in yourself and others, as well as not settling for second best and listening to your gut and heart. I think the main theme is actually finding a purpose in life again when you think your world is crumbling after you lose your loved one.

Overall: Mike Gayle’s books are just masterpieces of exploring human feelings and emotions, and The Museum of Ordinary People is not an exception. Beautifully written, captivating and uplifting story, lovable characters and exploration of such important themes of belonging, loss, grief, dreams and memories of loved ones. Absolutely adored this book and if I could I would give it 1000 stars to it. I could re-read this book over and over again and still find new things and feel all the emotions. A MUST HAVE book on everyone’s bookshelf! 

This review was first published on NetGalley and can be found on:

https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/250612/review/959200

About the Author: 

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology Mike moved to London with ambitions of becoming a music journalist. This didn't happen however and following a slight detour in his five-year plan he ended up as an agony uncle for teenage girls' magazine Bliss before becoming Features Editor on the now much missed Just Seventeen. Since those early days Mike has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by The Independent as 'Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,' and by The Times as 'A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic.'

To date Mike is the author of twelve novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and Wish You Were Here. His books have been translated into over thirty languages.

http://www.mikegayle.co.uk/