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. 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'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author
I was born in the 70s—the 70s were great. I would recommend them to anyone. I was also born in Birmingham—in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too. I used to live in London—a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side. I also used to live in Manchester—another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs). Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker—I have no idea why. It didn’t last long. After I left university I wanted to write for the NME—I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense. My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.) I used to write a music fanzine—it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
