I was really looking forward to reading this as I love David Nicholls' novels. You Are Here was very enjoyable but not one of my favourites. Cleo is a mutual friend of Michael and Marnie and decides to do a bit of matchmaking by organising a walking break and pairing Michael with Tessa and Marnie with Conrad. When things don't go to plan Marnie ends up walking with Michael who is upset after the recent break up of his marriage and would rather be on his own. Michael plans to walk from the Lakes to the Yorkshire coast while the rest of the group only plan to walk part way. Terrible weather conditions mean most of the group abandon the walk quite quickly, but Marnie, who is not an outdoor person perseveres and becomes quite close to Michael as they share their pasts. The characters were interesting, Marnie does not have many friends with her job as a proof reader meaning work is done in isolation so interacting with a group takes her out of her comfort zone. Michael has shut himself off from others since the break up of his marriage so both are finding their feet when being part of a group. I loved the description of their journeys both physically and emotionally and although this is not my favourite David Nicholls book I would still recommend it to others to read. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me and ARC of this book.

In ‘You Are Here’, singles Michael and Marnie are coerced onto a walking trip by a mutual friend, Cleo. As the number of walkers dwindle, Michael and Marnie endeavour to continue the walk together, finding solace in each other’s company, leading to realisations about themselves as well as each other.

I have been a big fan of David Nicholls for some time now, and if I had to sum up why, it’s because of how he writes his characters. To be honest, I found the start quite slow moving, as it is very caught up in explaining the back stories of the characters and providing context for the trip. It took me a while to see the rapport between Michael and Marnie, especially with their lack of interaction for the first twenty to thirty percent of the novel. I was starting to doubt, and found myself wondering if this was just going to be a nice novel about relationships without caring too much for the actual characters. If anything, it is a testament to Nicholls’s writing that at the end I feel the opposite.

I felt like the slow natural progress of the two main characters’ relationship matched the pace of the novel’s walking theme. The complexity of their relationship seems to appear out of nowhere because it has been developed so subtly. I love how the author talks about loneliness and manages to attribute emotion towards characters who are hardly featured; I.e. their former partners. I love how the description of the areas where they walk is told more through the interaction between them, where it could easily have been more visually descriptive. I like the role of the weather but appreciate that it is not too heavily relied on, as it could have been.

I highly recommend ‘You Are Here’: if you are a David Nicholls fan, or just want a well-written novel where character development is at the centre.

INCREDIBLE. I’m such a huge fan of David Nicholls writing so I was grateful to read this early on Netgalley.

He’s got a special way with characters and relationships, and I adored every step of the journey of the two main characters finding themselves and each other.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

You Are Here follows the lives of Marnie, a freelance editor feeling isolated in her London flat, and Michael, a reclusive geography teacher using hiking as an escape from his failed marriage.

Their paths collide when a mutual friend brings them together for an epic walk across England, from the west coast to the east coast, leading to a heart-warming, humorous journey of friendship.

The author effectively portrays the characters’ relatable struggles and differing personalities, with Marnie’s wit and geography teacher Michael’s passion for nature adding depth to their developing friendship.

I felt a strong connection with Marnie as we are close in age and both work as freelancers in the publishing industry. While I may not be as funny as her, I found her wit charming and felt a genuine desire to befriend her.

Michael can be witty too, but also comes across a little too much at times, with his passion for nature as a geography teacher. The chemistry between them is subtly woven throughout the story, creating a realistic and engaging narrative. Both are slightly older than the usual protagonists (late thirties for Marnie, forty-something for Michael) than you find in will-they-won’t-they novel, which makes them more relatable and captivating.

I’m not an active/outdoorsy person, but I loved the vivid descriptions of the coast-to-coast walk, which evoked a sense of adventure, even for non-outdoorsy readers.

You Are Here is a compelling read that I highly recommend for its engaging storytelling and relatable characters.

An immediate classic, I can already see who will be cast in the British comedy tv / film adaptation. Really relatable, such believable characters and very funny.

Warm and witty, I loved You Are Here, I felt as though I was walking alongside Michael and Cleo, so much so I even baulked at the itineries for the next day, feeling sure I wouldn't be up to it! Nicholls has an amazing knack of letting you get to the heart of his characters with what seems like very little effort, such an amazing talent.
My favourite David Nicholls to date and I am sad to have finished it.

I really love David Nicholl’s books, he’s the master of very British, warm, believable but captivating stories, and his latest one certainly does not disappoint. His dialogue is so perfect, I found myself going back to re-read sections, just to enjoy them in slow motion replay. If I told you that this is a romantic tale of two lonely people being thrown together by a mutual friend, you might groan and be a little wary, but please believe me when I say this story expertly avoids the usual clichés. The characters and conversations are so believable, and the descriptions of the settings are so good, that you’ll almost feel you’re going along for the coast to coast walk with them. I loved this gentle, warm and funny book. With thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

I will forever be a fan of David Nicholls, he is one of those authors where I don't even read the blurb I just dive straight in. You Are Here is a beautiful, quiet book with moments of wry humour and a clever way of getting to the heart of humanity. I loved it so, so, much. His ability to write people and complex emotions with seeming ease is something else and very quickly I felt that I knew Marnie and Michael and was walking through the rain and cold across England. There is a particular plot point which was very personal to me, that was handled in a sensitive and contemplative way, and was one of the rare occasions where I have seen it represented as eloquently and contemplatively in literature.

What an absolute delight to read, with plenty of laugh out loud moments. David Nicholls is just so good at helping you immerse yourself fully in the characters and really understand them. Marnie and Michael meet on a walking holiday, arranged by a mutual friend. It was fairly easy to see how the story was going to end, but the journey was almost as good as the ending. Thoroughly recommended.

Absolutely loved the new @davidnichollswriter 💙
A story about second chances.
Marnie and Michael, both joining a walking trip organised by a mutual friend from different reasons, but they discover they enjoy each other companies.
A beautiful story to read

I love this book, which is what I would expect from a David Nicholls book. Great romance and I loved the characters.

Loved it! The story of Michael and Marnie, who meet at a walk planned by mutual friend Cleo.


I say planned, hijacked is probably more accurate. Michael and his wife have separated following some challenging times and Michael has retreated into himself, choosing solitude and his beloved walking as a substitute for building relationships.

Marnie works from home as a copy-editor and keeps herself to herself, preferring her own company. Her dear friend Cleo really wants Marnie to get out more… so persuades her to join Cleo, her son (Cleo’s godson) and some other people on the walk of Michael’s that she’s gatecrashed.

Michael is doing the coast to coast walk, across the width of Britain, starting on the Cumbrian coast and ending over on the Yorkshire coast.

The walk follows Wainright’s route across the Lakes and Pennines, with only a couple of inventions from Nicholls, so it’s really enjoyable to read about real places.

Once Michael gets used to not being alone, he slowly begins to enjoy Marnie’s company - and who wouldn’t? She’s hilarious. Witty, intelligent and once she gets into the idea, absolutely game for giving the wall a few more days than planned.

A brief flirtation with another walker keeps her entertained until she starts to see past Michael’s gruff exterior and begins to get to know the man underneath the beard.

This is a lovely, warm, witty, engaging tale of two people who slowly allow themselves to open up and engage a little more with people around them.

I enjoyed it from the first sentence to the last and it’s joyful to read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an early copy.

This has all the hallmarks of a David Nicholls book. The humorous observations of the minutiae of life, the heartfelt emotion and a death! Taking a journey and allowing it to develop alongside a relationship seems such a simple idea, however in the hands of a lesser writer it could become clunky and strained, here though the lightness of touch and pace are perfectly judged. The characters are well rounded and believable, to the point you may start to think of them as friends. As with the best books the end leaves you wanting more.

Well this was just gorgeous. Made me laugh out loud and root for the characters. It didn’t make me want to go walking in the Lakes, but I did enjoy the description. A proper grown-up romance.

This is a lovely, but quite predicable, love story. Nicholls writes so well about human nature and sees deep into his characters, their flaws and strengths.
From early on you know where this one going but the journey is one you enjoy taking with the characters.

https://lynns-books.com/2024/05/06/you-are-here-by-david-nicholls/
4 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Michael and Marnie go Walking

You Are Here by David Nicholls is a step away from my usual reading. I read One Day a long time ago by this author and it always stayed with me so on a whim I decided to request this one and to be honest, it didn’t disappoint.

This is a story about two individuals that seem to be living in the shadow of life. Time is passing by and both feel like their chances have come and gone. However, one very persistent friend, is absolutely determined to work her magic and throw a few of her friends together and see what happens.

So Marnie and Michael meet on a walk. From the start things seem to go wrong. The weather is unkind. One of the friends doesn’t turn up and Marnie is attracted to someone who also dashes off in a hurry.

A bit of background. Michael is a teacher with a love for geography. He and his wife were struggling in their relationship and have now separated and Michael is struggling to come to terms with this often taking himself off on long solitary walks.

Marnie rushed into a marriage that always seemed a little ill fated only for her husband to leave her for another woman. She now spends most of her time working from home, editing books and living a fairly quiet existence. Neither of them want to be cajoled into socialising so being thrown together on a rather challenging walk definitely leads to some funny situations.

To be fair there isn’t too much I can tell you about this. It does exactly as you would expect. It’s a charming and well told story of second chances and finding love in places you’d least expect. The writing is enjoyable and there’s a consistent pacing as we travel from place to place, climbing peaks, suffering sore feet, being drenched by torrential rainfall and gradually spending some time unwinding together at the end of a day having achieved a rather strenuous hike.

I liked Marnie and Michael. They’re both a little grumpy at first – well, Marnie makes an attempt at a little dressing up and light flirting but when this goes wrong she is absolutely determined to prove that she can do this challenging walk. She has a good sense of humour that I enjoyed and the banter between the two is good fun. Michael is curmudgeonly and ill kempt at first appearance, he likes to wax lyrical about rocks and really doesn’t put too much effort into anything, but to be honest, he’s simply got used to keeping his own company and not really having to try and please others. He simply wants to walk – by himself. Is it really too much to ask?

Overall this is a lovely read. Light and amusing. If you’re looking for that perfect beach read I highly recommend this. It’s a heartwarming read with characters that have become hurt by life and have shied away only to find out that love is still a possibility – which isn’t to say everything goes swimmingly of course – you’ve been warned.

I received a copy through Netgalley. courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

What a Cracker!

I so enjoyed You are Here by David Nicholls. A book full of humour, humility and romance. The characters jumped out of the page and I was totally emersed in their life. A grown-up book, beautifully written and a joy to read.
Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity of reading it.

A beautiful, gentle, normal story about two ordinary people who’ve been hurt and are vulnerable because of it.
This story is so normal, I can’t believe how unputdownable it was. It’s charming, quirky, awkward, sad, embarrassing and lovely.
Watching Michael and Marnie slowly fall in love is like curling up on the sofa with your favourite beverage and a cosy blanket.
It’s easy to lose yourself in this story, and to lose track of time. Who’d have thought a book about walking would be so enchanting.
Five stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read an ARC.

This gentle novel was heartfelt and reflective. Despite its introspective focus, it was never boring. This was thanks to the witty writing style – I literally laughed out loud a number of times – and the goal-orientated plot propelling everything along. The story’s insight into love, loneliness and connection was piercing, sometimes painfully so, yet nothing ever seemed bleak due to the sense of hope threaded through.

The author crafted his characters so well that it felt like I was walking right alongside them. I really liked both Marnie and Michael. They were initially brought together by their mutual friend Cleo. Even though she planned to partner them up with different people, the admirably steadfast Cleo may have actually been the MVP of the novel. Outwardly, Marnie and Michael had their differences, what with Marnie being more outgoing and Michael being more reserved, but their personal circumstances overlapped in significant ways. They had both become quite isolated and had convinced themselves they were okay living that way. However, after spending time in each other’s company, it dawned on them just what they were missing.

Owing to the challenges of the coast-to-coast walk, and the fact that they only had each other, Marnie and Michael quickly developed a genuine friendship. Even though they technically only knew each other for a few days, this connection was believable. Their own brands of humour fell into step and they effortlessly bantered back and forth. They turned what could’ve been a dull slog through the countryside into a transformative journey. Marnie and Michael got to know each other without feeling the need to put up a facade. In doing so, they explored their individual vulnerabilities and some of the most awful parts of their past. It was wonderful to watch two such deserving people find connection and love in each other.

OVERALL: Led by two effortlessly endearing main characters, this was an insightful and heartfelt novel. Its gentle pace didn’t make it any less captivating, as I loved tagging along on their transformative journey.

The first book I read by David Nicholls and it won't surely be the last as I loved this poignant story that made me think about some classic British author and enjoyed the relationship and the changes in the life of the main characters
The setting, the mood and the weather all of them plays a role in this well plotted story.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine