It’s an absolute pleasure to share my review of Mike Gayle’s latest book A Song of Me & You today. My enormous thanks to Alainna Hadjigeorgiou for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

You’ll find my review of Mike’s The Museum of Ordinary People here and of All the Lonely People here. As part of the celebrations of Mike’s writing, I also have a paperback copy of The Museum of Ordinary People to send to a lucky UK reader. See below for details.

A Song of Me & You was published on 6th July 2023 by Hodder and Stoughton and is available for purchase through the links here.

A Song of Me & You

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

Twenty years later, mother-of-two-teenagersHelen 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 of A Song of Me & You

Helen has an unexpected visitor.

I usually love Mike Gayle’s writing, but my reaction to A Song Of Me & You exceeds that descriptor. It’s an utterly wonderful book, being both uplifting and heartbreaking. 

A Song Of Me & You is an effortless read because Mike Gayle has such a natural and engaging style that it doesn’t feel as if you’re reading at all. It’s more like being in the room as action takes place. Indeed, I put life on hold for a couple of days to devour this story.

As I was reading, I cheered aloud. I gave the characters my unheard advice and I cried, as I was so caught up in what was happening to them, completely forgetting I was reading a story and not real events. I had the plot all sorted out and knew just how this gorgeous story would end. Except, of course, I didn’t because Mike Gayle had other plans for the people here, but you’ll need to read A Song Of Me & You to find out what they are.

There’s deep seated emotion in this story that portrays a startling reality. Life isn’t a simple linear path and Helen, Ben and Adam epitomise modern relationships, family ties and difficulties, and the pressures of simply living, in a sensitive and heartfelt story that gets under the reader’s skin and affects them profoundly. Ben’s privileged rockstar lifestyle belies an unhappiness and a reality far removed from how the media portrays it so that A Song Of Me & You not only entertains the reader beautifully, it shows them what is important in life. This makes A Song Of Me & You important as well as a gorgeous read.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my taste of a lavish lifestyle so clearly depicted here. It gave me an experience I’d never normally have and with reference to real people like Elton John, for example, there’s a sensation of genuineness in the narrative.

The characters feel realistic and layered – even Adam, whom I loathed for much of the story. Helen is a triumph. She’s older than the usual 30 somethings of the genre which makes her all the more appealing and her insecurities and strengths make her hugely relatable. 

I love Mike Gayle books for their sensitive portrayal of humanity, its vulnerability and its strength in adversity, and A Song Of Me & You is simply lovely. It’s Mike Gayle at his best and a story I recommend without hesitation. Just wonderful! 

Giveaway

A Paperback copy of The Museum of Ordinary People

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.

****

If you live in the UK, click here to enter for a chance to win a copy of The Museum of Ordinary People.

I’ll need a UK address to send the book to the winner, but I won’t retain your details after that and the giveaway closes at midnight on Sunday 16th July.

About Mike Gayle

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 sixteen 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.

For more information, find Mike on Instagram or Facebook, visit his website or follow him on Twitter @mikegayle.

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