A Song of Me and You
a heartfelt and romantic novel of first love and second chances, picked for the Richard & Judy Book Club
Published on 6. July 2023
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-5293-4481-3 (ISBN)
Description
Mike Gayle: emotions you'll never forget, stories you'll want to share
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.
'The escapist pageturner of the summer' The Sunday Times
Your favourite writers are already falling in love with this story . . .
'Moving, uplifting, unforgettable. Mike always writes from the heart and creates stories we fall in love with' Lisa Jewell
'Full of relatable characters and as Mike takes us on a journey through all their high and lows and we're with them every step of the way . . . A wonderful story' Ruth Hogan
'Poignant. Powerful. Beautiful' Milly Johnson
'Funny, real and unexpected, a story that will keep you hooked to the very last page' Alexandra Potter
Fans love this new story . . .
'I've always been a fan of Mike's books BUT this one is my absolute favourite'?????
'Mike writes so well and creates the best, most memorable characters'?????
'Had me absolutely gripped'?????
'Outstanding. Loved it and devoured every page'?????
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.
'The escapist pageturner of the summer' The Sunday Times
Your favourite writers are already falling in love with this story . . .
'Moving, uplifting, unforgettable. Mike always writes from the heart and creates stories we fall in love with' Lisa Jewell
'Full of relatable characters and as Mike takes us on a journey through all their high and lows and we're with them every step of the way . . . A wonderful story' Ruth Hogan
'Poignant. Powerful. Beautiful' Milly Johnson
'Funny, real and unexpected, a story that will keep you hooked to the very last page' Alexandra Potter
Fans love this new story . . .
'I've always been a fan of Mike's books BUT this one is my absolute favourite'?????
'Mike writes so well and creates the best, most memorable characters'?????
'Had me absolutely gripped'?????
'Outstanding. Loved it and devoured every page'?????
Reviews / Votes
Mike Gayle creates real, warm characters you will recognise. Amid real human dilemmas, the heart and goodwill always shines through * Jojo Moyes * A Song of Me and You is vintage Mike Gayle! It's full of relatable characters and as Mike takes us on a journey through all their high and lows and we're with them every step of the way. A Song of Me and You is a wonderful story about the things that really matter in life - family, friendship and falling in love - and a poignant reminder to cherish them while we can. It's the perfect book to celebrate Mike's 25 years as an author! * Ruth Hogan * Poignant and powerful. Gorgeous! * Milly Johnson * Poignant, uplifting and utterly charming, I was swept away by Ben and Helen's story, equal parts relatable and fantastic but always, always pulling on my heart strings. Mike Gayle, then, now and forever one of the best * Lindsey Kelk * Moving, uplifting, unforgettable. Mike always writes from the heart and creates stories we fall in love with * Lisa Jewell * Funny, real and unexpected, a story that will keep you hooked to the very last page * Alexandra Potter * A Song of Me & You is a heartbreaking and utterly compelling second-chance love story. Brimming with emotion, it has much to say about loss, loyalty, and the power of self-belief. An unforgettable read * Holly Miller * This second-chance romance comes from the sure hands of Mike Gayle, known for his ability to pluck the heartstrings * Daily Mail * Public service announcement: Mike Gayle's latest is going to toy with your emotions, churn you up, and spit you out - but it's totally worth it . . . powerful storytelling and well-drawn characters * Heat * Gayle's 19th novel is a rollercoaster of emotion - wise, insightful and bittersweet in the best of ways * CultureFly * A joyful celebration of life, it's also a study in grief, second chances, and what can happen when you truly believe in yourself. * Heat * Tender and unforgettable * Woman and Home * A wonderful story about first love and second chances * Good Housekeeping * A glorious story about the power of love, friendship and roots * Sun * Wonderful * Prima * Emotional and engrossing, do not miss this top read * Fabulous * With Gayle's ability to illustrate how people are thinking and feeling, this is a story of love and friendship, heartache and hope * My Weekly * Mike Gayle's stunning novel takes the reader on a journey of joyful highs and heartbreaking lows * Sunday Express * Touching, funny, beautifully characterised and undeniably romantic, this may be the escapist pageturner of the summer * The Sunday Times * Mike Gayle is a natural storyteller, he gifts us these fully rounded, painfully honest characters and allows us to live with them for a short period of time but that's enough to care about them and to almost grieve when we reach the end of the novel and have to say goodbye to them, hoping things will be OK. His books may be fiction, but the themes he writes about are real and the issues and questions raised are those that we face day to day. * The Leader * An absolutely wonderful read - a gorgeous, touching story with characters you root for fervently * Tracy Rees * This was wonderful, and a testament to true friendship. * Prima (Book of the Year 2023 roundup) * Mike Gayle creates real, warm characters you will recognise. Amid real human dilemmas, the heart and goodwill always shines through * Jojo Moyes *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
570 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5293-4481-3 (9781529344813)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
MIKE GAYLE was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a features editor and agony uncle. He 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'. Since then he has written eighteen novels, including The Man I Think I Know, selected as a World Book Night title, and Half A World Away, selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages. In 2021, Mike was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association.
He lives in Birmingham with his wife, kids and greyhound.
You can find him online at mikegayle.co.uk and on Twitter @mikegayle.
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'. Since then he has written eighteen novels, including The Man I Think I Know, selected as a World Book Night title, and Half A World Away, selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages. In 2021, Mike was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association.
He lives in Birmingham with his wife, kids and greyhound.
You can find him online at mikegayle.co.uk and on Twitter @mikegayle.