I absolutely devoured this book from the start to the finish. It is a delightful, well written story with characters you can relate to. The authors have done the Camino walk themselves, twice, so were well informed and wrote about what they knew.

It has made me want to go there.

"Two Steps Forward" is a part travelogue, part fictional romance written by authors Graeme Simsion and his wife Anne Buist.

In this book you can tell that the authors love the Camino and have both walked the route and researched the history of the pilgrims. To begin with it is a little heavy on the travelogue side with a lot of emphasis on detail about the journey from France to Spain - some of which is relevant and interesting, some less so. There was a lot of time dedicated to the meals, accommodation, walking routes and so on at the beginning, however as the story gains momentum, it becomes more of a novel and less of a faithful recording of the Camino and I then began to feel more invested in the two main characters, Zoe and Martin.

The plot flows well across the chapters which alternate from Zoe's viewpoint to Martin's. They are clear and each have a distinct voice to them. Along their way there are (sometimes comedic) misunderstandings, problems to resolve and spiritual journeys to undertake before the great conclusion once they reach Santiago. I found all the characters (however minor in their appearance in the book) to be well written, different and realistic in their background stories and reasons why they are undertaking their pilgrimage.

3/5 - An enjoyable, well-written book which gives a sense of the Camino interspersed with a hint of romance, warmth, humour. with moments that will make you smile once past the travelogue detailing. Recommended for readers who enjoy Rachel Joyce, J. B. Morrison and Jonas Jonasson.

Thank-you to NatGalley for providing me with an Advance Readers e-proof copy from publishers HarperCollins.

Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist.
Reading this book left me feeling like I’d had the day off work at a spa!
Throughly enjoyed this book. It is indeed part travel journal, history lesson and novel, all rolled into one. A book about having been dealt life’s blows, doing something you’ve never done before, on your own and giving it a go. I loved the way the book concentrated as much on The Camino as it did on the story of Martin and Zoe and although I have never been on such a walk or had not in fact heard of this one, I could really feel the therapeutic value of what they were doing coming through the book.

A wonderfully calming novel to read yet also kept me turning the pages to find out how the relationships between the characters evolved.

I would recommend this book to everyone.

Did not expect to like this but ended up loving it! Sometimes sad, sometimes funny but unfailingly entertaining. The two central characters are so realistic (even if they do need their heads banging together at times!). I cannot wait for this to be filmed

I requested this book simply because I'd loved reading The Rosie Project so I knew I loved at least one of the authors. It certainly didn't disappoint and I enjoyed the alternating chapters written from Martin's and Zoe's perspective. The book is very much a romance and travel book. The details of walking the camino were so real I felt I was walking it too. I now intend to do at least 100 kms of the trail next year. Very enjoyable, easy, quick read which I highly recommend.

Gentle feel-good story of 2 unlikely pilgrims who make spur of the moment decisions to trek from France to Santiago. English engineer Martin is still trying to come to terms with his divorce and hoping his trek with a luggage cart of his own design will reverse his fortunes and kick-start a new career. Meanwhile recently bereaved American Zoe has headed to France to meet an old friend she hasn’t seen for 20 years where she hears about the pilgrimage and how it can give new meaning to your life and sets off with little idea of what she’s up against but the determination to see it through. Of course they bump into each other along the way but will they succumb to their attraction or will they see the pilgrimage through to its conclusion instead? Lovely holiday read.

I loved this book,a cross between a novel and a travel book,about two people doing the Camino de Santiago walk.The authors had done this walk and described all the emotions and hardships that it provokes very movingly but also with a lot of humour.They also describe locations,food and wine in such a way that I wanted to get on a plane and head off to France( but not to do the walk)
A great read for anyone thinking to do this walk or anyone who likes travel.

Husband and wife team Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist teamed up to write this novel drawing heavily on their own experiences of walking The Chemin. It’s classed as a mature love story and does have a Rom Com feel to it, however there is also particular attention taken to ensure the accuracy of the practicalities surrounding the pilgrimage.

The journey is important in Two Steps Forward, ultimately that’s the journey of the hearts and souls of the two main characters but day to day this journey is played out through the literal challenges of walking over 2,000 kilometres of The Camino Way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I shared in the daily physical strains, felt thrilled by the overall achievement and the love story was charming. Nothing is hurried in this book, it’s not supposed to be, it’s all about the journey, settle in and enjoy it.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of the many and varied characters walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. It is so descriptive, I felt as though I was suffering the blisters and enjoying the camaraderie along with the two main characters Zoe and Martin. It was not only about progress made on the walk and its challenges, but about people contemplating their lives and changing views and behaviours. It wasn't religious but there was a spiritual element which I appreciated.

I'd read this one again as I was enjoying it so much, I sort of rushed it. Every bit as good as The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect (maybe even better).

Two contrasting people conspire to be on the Camino – the pedestrian pilgrimage to Santiago in NW Spain – at the same time. They both have baggage, as the phrase goes, and neither may be fully aware of it. But ahead of them is twelve hundred miles of terrain to be walked over, so surely they have time to open their bags, see what's what, and repackage their mentality if necessary – whether apart or together? I can see that people can easily point out the huge number of contrivances and coincidences forcing these people to keep crossing paths, but for once I actually didn't mind that. In giving us such rich characters and certainly a heightened setting, the authors don't overburden their leads with plot points. And besides, you're pretty much guaranteed nothing too serious to stop them both getting to the end of the walk – or are you…?

You're also guaranteed that shtick where one character's authorial voice negates what the previous has just told us, but again that is not belaboured. In the end you get a really good spirit from these pages – it might not feel like heart-warming stuff at certain times, but… I know from this and other sources that the length, the weather, the doubt over accommodation and the very practicalities of it all will prevent me from ever doing the Camino, but this is the first novel I've read based on the full length of it, and I have to say it energises you almost to the extent you want to follow in their footsteps. I wasn't sure about this book at all, having found copious faults with his "Adam Sharp" nonsense, but I really did enjoy it. A four-and-a-half star read that's worth walking to the bookstore for...

I was so looking forward to reading this novel set in Spain by the author of the Rosie Project, which I loved. Sadly it had none of the warmth or gentle humour that Rosie had and I found it frankly boring and struggled to finish it.

Sorry.

While this is far from a ground breaking or soul shattering read, it is solidly entertaining. The characters and the setting are interesting and the dual narrative is nicely done. The romance is low-key, non-slushy and if romance is not your thing, there's plenty more going on to keep you page turning. It is a little convoluted in parts and over relies on coincidences, but as an easy beach read with a little bit more to it than most this is perfect.

I'll start by saying that ultimately I did enjoy this book, it's a classic tale of boy meets girl, they have hardships along the way, and ... well I'll leave you to read the ending.

The setting of the Camino was wonderful, I have known many friends that have walked in, looking for something that they couldn't find elsewhere, and from what they've explained to me and the stories they told, they seemed to be captured beautifully in this book. Like others some of the depth of detail regarding the walk were often a little bit laborious. I like scereny, and there was great descriptive language, but it also happened extensively. I felt at times I was reading a guide book on where to go and where to stay and the routes and it took away from some of the story.

The best part of this book is clearly the characters, wonderful and fully developed. I think having read previous Graeme Simsion books that this is clearly one of his strengths. Initially I wasn't a huge fan of Zoe, but as you learn more about her she really grew on me.

This was a really nice and sweet book. If you want something easy to read and light hearted then it's definitely the right book for you. I think I probably just wanted a little bit more from it.

This is a really enjoyable read, Zoe and Martin are both walking the Camino de Santiago. This book tells of their adventure and also the stories of the people they meet along the way. Both Zoe and Martin have had a lot of pain in their lives and they have a lot of time to reflect on this whilst walking. This is a beautifully told story which I would definitely recommend.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two Steps Forward is about Zoe and Martin, who are walking the Camino separately. They meet each other on their first day, with Martin not making a good impression. Each chapter alternates between Zoe and Martin's POV. Each are middle aged running away from their problems.. Zoe is running away from dealing with her grief of her husband dying. Martin is running away from his ex wife who cheated on him. 

I really enjoyed The Rosie Project and went into this novel expecting the same humour, which wasn't really there. So I think my rating is due to my disappointment. Maybe the rating would've been better if I hadn't had such expectations.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this novel. But it's just not on the same level as The Rosie Project.
The novel can also be very slow at times what with all the explanations about the Camino and the walking.
What I can take from this novel is knowing that you can learn new things about yourself and learn how to be a better person at any time in your life.

I enjoyed some of Two Steps Forward, but I had some pretty serious reservations.

This is an older-person's love story, set on the Camino, the pilgrims' way to Santiago de Compostella. It read to me a little like Bill Bryson's A Walk In The Woods with a somewhat cloying Richard Curtis film script imposed on it. Two middle-aged characters with recently ended marriages coincidentally begin the 2000km walk at the same time and for very different reasons. She is a Californian, he is a buttoned-up English engineer; the first time they meet there is hostility, and as things progress…you get the idea. And as they walk they both learn Important Life Lessons.

It's better than I make it sound; the writing is good, I found both the central characters pretty believable and reasonably interesting, and for the first half of the book I was quite enjoyably involved in an OK-I'll-go-along-with-this sort of way. I found the second half an increasing struggle as the plot relied on more and more unlikely coincidences, implausible misunderstandings and sudden interruptions at critical moments which prevented people saying something important. One or two of these are inevitable in a book like this, but it really did get absurd. I did find the final section of the walk quite touching (it would be a spoiler to say why), but overall the Important Life Lessons which every single character learns seemed rather pat and trite in the end.

Like everyone else, I thought The Rosie Project was brilliant and tried Two Steps Forward on the strength of it; this isn't in the same league, I'm afraid. I've rounded 3.5 stars up to 4 (just) because I did enjoy aspects of this, but I can only give it a qualified recommendation.

(My thanks to Two Roads for an ARC via NetGalley.)

This book about a journey along the Pilgrims' Route from France to Spain was well written in the main. Although a bit repetitive in places, as it's written from two aspects and flits back and forth between Martin and Zoe's stories., it gives more insight into different views and opinions and also the importance of timings in life and its journeys. I enjoyed the gentle descriptions of the countryside and the views which contrasted well with often less than gentle relationships between cohort of travellers who make up the rest of the story. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about the outdoors, second chance love and working through life's issues.

After hearing many rave reviews of Graeme Simsion’s ‘The Rosie Project’, I was very keen to read his latest offering, ‘Two Steps Forward’, a joint writing project with his wife, Anne Buist and which Fox Searchlight have already optioned the film rights to.
I found this a refreshingly different romance novel in a non-formulaic sense about two people who independently and spontaneously decide to attempt the Camino de Santiago, a 2000 km walk from Cluny in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a route which has been taken by pilgrims for religious and spiritual reasons over the centuries. Neither have met before, but both are bearing much emotional baggage. Zoe, a self-deprecating artist from California, has very recently lost her husband and Martin, an engineer from Yorkshire, is licking his wounds after his wife took him to the cleaners in a messy divorce.
When the two meet, they don’t get off to a very good start, but throughout their journey, their paths keep crossing and when they’re not crossing, they’re almost running in parallel, coincidental ways. These subtle fateful strands and coincidences recur throughout the story, sometimes serendipitously, more often in a thwarting capacity, echoing the book’s theme of the capriciousness of fate and the special power of the Camino.
A good deal of the walk is solitary, which gives Zoe and Martin headspace and time-out to reflect on their personal issues. The beauty of the landscape, the physical challenges of inclement weather, the terrain and not getting lost act as a form of penance that little by little seems to strip away the mental detritus to what’s important in life. The Camino introduces them to new and interesting characters from different parts of the globe and chronicles the villages, accommodation, meals and camaraderie along the way. All of this make it feel like a true story and in fact our authors mention in their annotated bibliography that they took the pilgrimage in 2011 and 2016.
The love story is in fact secondary to our two protagonists’ journey of midlife self-discovery and second chances, but adds a touching and slightly maddening (in a good way!) unpredictability to the plot. I found it both absorbing and uplifting and just an absolute pleasure to read. It made me want to walk the Camino de Santiago, as I have recently discovered the joys of countryside walks, and it certainly makes me want to catch up with other books written by Graeme Simsion.
Many thanks to Netgalley, John Murray Press and to Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist for the opportunity to read and review the aptly named Two Steps Forward.

A rewarding journey for this reader
Having enjoyed Graham Simsion's earlier work I was pleased to find that the high standard had continued but perhaps in a more straightforward approach. Misunderstandings still abound and it is fun to have the opposing viewpoints, each quite rational in their own way. Family and career threads are well woven in and the author successfully manages to depict the growing camaraderie of such a testing journey as the Camino de Santiago.

This review will be added to amazon.co.uk on release of the book on 5 April 2018

Zoe, an artist of no particular fame, is from California. Martin, an engineer, is from Engineer recently divorced from his erring wife. . Both have ended up in picturesque Cluny, in central France. Both are struggling to come to terms with their recent past - for Zoe, the death of her husband; for Martin a chance to renew his his friendship with his daughter who was caught in the middle of warring parents. and for finding himself.

They both set out alone to walk the 2000 kilometres from Cluny to Santiago de Compostela, in NW Spain, in the footsteps of pilgrims who have walked the Camino Way for centuries. The walk has the ability to change people., Its somewhere to renew and begin something. .These two people are very different but the challenges they face along the way are heart rendering and it was a delight to read. The book had some very funny moments in it with Martin and Zoe together with eclectic mixture of people they encounter along the Camino Way.