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Half the World Away
Divorced and keeping a heart-breaking secret, Abbie Potter is sleep-walking through her life as a publicist at a London football club. She seems to spend more time covering their scandals than celebrating their wins, and has had enough. Though she’s already prepared for a fresh start, some shocking news pushes her to take an opportunity even further from home - in Salt Lake City.
The first morning of her new life, Abbie bumps into Kyle Miller. He’s persistent, and Abbie’s more than intrigued by him. Everything else seems to fit into place too: she has a fulfilling job, is on a journey of self-rediscovery, and has revived her love of music thanks to a new-found friendship.
She can’t risk losing what she’s built for herself, but how can she stop it from slipping through her fingers without shattering the façade she hides behind?
The first morning of her new life, Abbie bumps into Kyle Miller. He’s persistent, and Abbie’s more than intrigued by him. Everything else seems to fit into place too: she has a fulfilling job, is on a journey of self-rediscovery, and has revived her love of music thanks to a new-found friendship.
She can’t risk losing what she’s built for herself, but how can she stop it from slipping through her fingers without shattering the façade she hides behind?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2021
20 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Banks
1 book9 followersRebecca Banks owns a boutique public relations agency specialising in sports and entertainment, and has 20 years of experience in PR and events.
She is also a freelance journalist. For over a decade she has written features from celebrity interviews and human profile pieces to motoring and travel reviews. Half the World Away is her debut novel.
Follow her on Instagram: @rebecca_banks
She is also a freelance journalist. For over a decade she has written features from celebrity interviews and human profile pieces to motoring and travel reviews. Half the World Away is her debut novel.
Follow her on Instagram: @rebecca_banks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
September 15, 2021
Yes to new beginnings!
Yes to new places!
Yes to new people!
Yes to new relationships!
Yes to new jobs!
Yes to new food!
Yes to be less afraid and live life to the fullest!
I needed this rom-com!
I love Abbie so much! And her family and friends and colleagues. I say she's amazing!
I love the first half of the book so much. The romance is slow burn, comes in the later half and it's realistic in most ways!
I can relate to Abbie so much. This is the kind of book which makes me want to live more.
Well written and well represented, this one sure deserves all the attention when it comes out.
I liked this book more for its genuineness and the honesty with which the story has been told. The main character is so real and convincing. With all her thoughts and actions which reflect what follows in the story.
I just wish the other main character was more involved and defined in their part.
Otherwise everything clicked well.
I am glad I picked up this book today! Perfect weekend read.
Thank you, publisher and the author for the advance reading copy.
Yes to new places!
Yes to new people!
Yes to new relationships!
Yes to new jobs!
Yes to new food!
Yes to be less afraid and live life to the fullest!
I needed this rom-com!
I love Abbie so much! And her family and friends and colleagues. I say she's amazing!
I love the first half of the book so much. The romance is slow burn, comes in the later half and it's realistic in most ways!
I can relate to Abbie so much. This is the kind of book which makes me want to live more.
Well written and well represented, this one sure deserves all the attention when it comes out.
I liked this book more for its genuineness and the honesty with which the story has been told. The main character is so real and convincing. With all her thoughts and actions which reflect what follows in the story.
I just wish the other main character was more involved and defined in their part.
Otherwise everything clicked well.
I am glad I picked up this book today! Perfect weekend read.
Thank you, publisher and the author for the advance reading copy.
April 9, 2021
This is a sweet read where music merges with sport in a tale of love and new starts.
I really liked the setting of this story. I felt that Banks vividly portrays the American setting of Salt Lake City, especially when Abbie explores the surrounding areas. Despite the weather not always being the brightest, I could not help but picture the glorious sunshine – perfect escapism! In addition to the landscape, Banks adds to the American vibe with so many references to food. The characters seem to eat most of the time, so take warning if reading brings on the munchies – because this book will seriously get you craving!
Abbie’s transition to the States marks a new start. I liked her confidence at leaving behind familiarity and starting in a place where she knows nobody. I think it was really important to demonstrate Abbie’s character as being able to strike out independently and I particularly liked the scenes where Abbie takes it upon herself to explore her new surroundings. It was refreshing not to see a female character being so dependent on males.
I thought the fusion between music and sport was rather surprising. Abbie’s family are involved in the music industry yet, Abbie has moved into sports and sport management. However, despite now working for the Utah Saints football team, Abbie also begins working on a music review blog. With her new friend, Rose, the couple attend gigs and promote tickets for local nights out. I wasn’t expecting this turn of events, especially as it is clear that this hobby turns into something far more successful than they ever imagined. Bearing this in mind, I think it would have been great if the writer had developed this sub-plot in further detail.
This was the main reason why I could not award this book the full five stars. Despite enjoying the story, I thought there were plenty of opportunities to expand on the plot. At just over 200 pages, it felt like a short novel and I wanted more detail. For example, Abbie’s time in the States passes incredibly quickly and, aside from detailing a few dates with Kyle, I felt like readers do not get a true taste of Abbie’s American experience. All too soon, Abbie is facing her one-year review with management; I had not realised this time had passed so soon. Furthermore, I wanted to see Abbie’s interaction with her family. In my opinion, as soon as Abbie had boarded the plane, her friends and family in England are completely erased from the plot and did not feature until the anticipated crisis in the story. It would have added depth to the story to see her previous life make connections with the new.
Despite these criticisms, I still enjoyed the story, even if I thought some aspects were lacking. It is a hopeful, warm, romantic story and I really liked the mixture of music and sport. It was pleasing to see Abbie develop as a character, especially after readers learn about her emotional past. She is a likeable character and I was happy to see her succeed in America.
This is a pleasant read and a good candidate to “dip in and out” of. The plot is not complex and there are not too many characters, making this ideal to read when faced with many interruptions.
With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the setting of this story. I felt that Banks vividly portrays the American setting of Salt Lake City, especially when Abbie explores the surrounding areas. Despite the weather not always being the brightest, I could not help but picture the glorious sunshine – perfect escapism! In addition to the landscape, Banks adds to the American vibe with so many references to food. The characters seem to eat most of the time, so take warning if reading brings on the munchies – because this book will seriously get you craving!
Abbie’s transition to the States marks a new start. I liked her confidence at leaving behind familiarity and starting in a place where she knows nobody. I think it was really important to demonstrate Abbie’s character as being able to strike out independently and I particularly liked the scenes where Abbie takes it upon herself to explore her new surroundings. It was refreshing not to see a female character being so dependent on males.
I thought the fusion between music and sport was rather surprising. Abbie’s family are involved in the music industry yet, Abbie has moved into sports and sport management. However, despite now working for the Utah Saints football team, Abbie also begins working on a music review blog. With her new friend, Rose, the couple attend gigs and promote tickets for local nights out. I wasn’t expecting this turn of events, especially as it is clear that this hobby turns into something far more successful than they ever imagined. Bearing this in mind, I think it would have been great if the writer had developed this sub-plot in further detail.
This was the main reason why I could not award this book the full five stars. Despite enjoying the story, I thought there were plenty of opportunities to expand on the plot. At just over 200 pages, it felt like a short novel and I wanted more detail. For example, Abbie’s time in the States passes incredibly quickly and, aside from detailing a few dates with Kyle, I felt like readers do not get a true taste of Abbie’s American experience. All too soon, Abbie is facing her one-year review with management; I had not realised this time had passed so soon. Furthermore, I wanted to see Abbie’s interaction with her family. In my opinion, as soon as Abbie had boarded the plane, her friends and family in England are completely erased from the plot and did not feature until the anticipated crisis in the story. It would have added depth to the story to see her previous life make connections with the new.
Despite these criticisms, I still enjoyed the story, even if I thought some aspects were lacking. It is a hopeful, warm, romantic story and I really liked the mixture of music and sport. It was pleasing to see Abbie develop as a character, especially after readers learn about her emotional past. She is a likeable character and I was happy to see her succeed in America.
This is a pleasant read and a good candidate to “dip in and out” of. The plot is not complex and there are not too many characters, making this ideal to read when faced with many interruptions.
With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2021
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *
3.75 stars
If you're looking for a feel-good rom-com about starting over your life, Half the World Away does a great job at that.
I did enjoy Abbie's self-discovery, and her journey of really finding herself. Although I do feel like Kyle could have been a little more developed as a character, I did really enjoy reading about their relationship, and I did find myself grinning at several passages.
My niggle is that this included the all-too-overused trope of miscommunication, and so much drama that could have been avoided if the characters just talked to each other!
All in all this was a good debut novel!
3.75 stars
If you're looking for a feel-good rom-com about starting over your life, Half the World Away does a great job at that.
I did enjoy Abbie's self-discovery, and her journey of really finding herself. Although I do feel like Kyle could have been a little more developed as a character, I did really enjoy reading about their relationship, and I did find myself grinning at several passages.
My niggle is that this included the all-too-overused trope of miscommunication, and so much drama that could have been avoided if the characters just talked to each other!
All in all this was a good debut novel!
April 21, 2021
This book was a total miss for me.
I found the story to be very predictable. You can see what's coming and who the antagonist is immediately, although it's supposed to be a surprise twist.
The characters are all very one dimensional. The good guy. The tattooed lesbian best friend. The mean girl pretending to be nice. The leads had no chemistry at all. I didn't feel their connection was genuine.
And, the hardest part of reading this book for me, personally, was the serious lack of research or knowledge of how American's speak. This book is set primarily in the U.S. Literally every single time an American has dialog in this book there are glaring errors. It's clear this author must be British. I find it surprising that an author wouldn't have an awareness of these speech differences. Americans don't say "Brilliant" in the same context that Brits do. They don't use the term "fit" when describing someone who is attractive (unless they were specifically talking about their fitness level and even then it would be very rare). They don't ever say, "You didn't see the best bit". Nor do they know the term "Dungarees". I could go on and on. This book is SO OVERRUN with these cultural speech mistakes that it's completely distracting.
Also, and this may seem nit-picky, but I live in Salt Lake City, Utah where this book is set and I was left curious as to whether the author has actually visited here. There is an all day date written into the book in which the male lead picks up the female lead at 3:30 am and drive from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park to watch the sunrise. Besides me just knowing this from experience, a 15 second google map search shows it takes 4 hours to drive that. No way is the sunrise as late as 7:30 a.m. I mention this because this entire book feels like a hastily written first draft that never had a Beta Reader, was never checked for accuracy, and was poorly researched.
It's also very important to state that there is a storyline surrounding Abortion in this book that I personally felt was not handled well at all. It felt to me as if the author wasn't quite sure how to approach and explore this topic.
Overall I think this book needed an editor, some research, some beta readers, and a few more drafts to write a story that felt genuine and complete. There are a lot of good ideas here, but none of them felt realized.
I found the story to be very predictable. You can see what's coming and who the antagonist is immediately, although it's supposed to be a surprise twist.
The characters are all very one dimensional. The good guy. The tattooed lesbian best friend. The mean girl pretending to be nice. The leads had no chemistry at all. I didn't feel their connection was genuine.
And, the hardest part of reading this book for me, personally, was the serious lack of research or knowledge of how American's speak. This book is set primarily in the U.S. Literally every single time an American has dialog in this book there are glaring errors. It's clear this author must be British. I find it surprising that an author wouldn't have an awareness of these speech differences. Americans don't say "Brilliant" in the same context that Brits do. They don't use the term "fit" when describing someone who is attractive (unless they were specifically talking about their fitness level and even then it would be very rare). They don't ever say, "You didn't see the best bit". Nor do they know the term "Dungarees". I could go on and on. This book is SO OVERRUN with these cultural speech mistakes that it's completely distracting.
Also, and this may seem nit-picky, but I live in Salt Lake City, Utah where this book is set and I was left curious as to whether the author has actually visited here. There is an all day date written into the book in which the male lead picks up the female lead at 3:30 am and drive from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park to watch the sunrise. Besides me just knowing this from experience, a 15 second google map search shows it takes 4 hours to drive that. No way is the sunrise as late as 7:30 a.m. I mention this because this entire book feels like a hastily written first draft that never had a Beta Reader, was never checked for accuracy, and was poorly researched.
It's also very important to state that there is a storyline surrounding Abortion in this book that I personally felt was not handled well at all. It felt to me as if the author wasn't quite sure how to approach and explore this topic.
Overall I think this book needed an editor, some research, some beta readers, and a few more drafts to write a story that felt genuine and complete. There are a lot of good ideas here, but none of them felt realized.
March 19, 2021
I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is April 1st.
If you are looking for a cute romance with bits of fairy tale, this is for you.
I liked this story, but it was a bit harder to read the first few pages because it was more focused on Abbie and her almost-daily routine. I confess I was a bit bored. But then it finally changed, and I could appreciate better the characters and the story itself.
The author writing was fluid and funny. She knows how to write emotions and delicate situations. I loved the secondary characters and our Prince Charming. Really, where are the Kyles of this world?
We deal with some delicate situations/problems, but its not very deep. It makes us think about things we want and toxic relationships – and friends too.
In the end I gave it 4 stars because it changed for better. It is a book you can read in a couples of hours and with a HEA.
If you are looking for a cute romance with bits of fairy tale, this is for you.
I liked this story, but it was a bit harder to read the first few pages because it was more focused on Abbie and her almost-daily routine. I confess I was a bit bored. But then it finally changed, and I could appreciate better the characters and the story itself.
The author writing was fluid and funny. She knows how to write emotions and delicate situations. I loved the secondary characters and our Prince Charming. Really, where are the Kyles of this world?
We deal with some delicate situations/problems, but its not very deep. It makes us think about things we want and toxic relationships – and friends too.
In the end I gave it 4 stars because it changed for better. It is a book you can read in a couples of hours and with a HEA.
June 22, 2021
I was so uninterested in characters or story.
April 27, 2025
*The ARC copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
My Rating - 3.25/5
Abbie was a divorced single woman who currently hated her job. A little nudge from here and there, she finally decided to change the way she was living now. So when she got a job to Utah, she accepted it even though it meant moving halfway across the world from London. Her job was going so good. She loved the place. Had some new friends and finally had a perfect new boyfriend, Kyle after her ex-husband. Everything was going pretty smoothly until it wasn't. Her world fell apart so out of the blue that she didn't really have quite the time to grasp what's happening. She had to deal with the secret she had been holding onto since forever. But then, when she found the source of her downfall and messed up life, she confronted the person. Had her life back like the way it should've been.
Overall, it was an okay read. It had potential to be much better though!
My Rating - 3.25/5
Abbie was a divorced single woman who currently hated her job. A little nudge from here and there, she finally decided to change the way she was living now. So when she got a job to Utah, she accepted it even though it meant moving halfway across the world from London. Her job was going so good. She loved the place. Had some new friends and finally had a perfect new boyfriend, Kyle after her ex-husband. Everything was going pretty smoothly until it wasn't. Her world fell apart so out of the blue that she didn't really have quite the time to grasp what's happening. She had to deal with the secret she had been holding onto since forever. But then, when she found the source of her downfall and messed up life, she confronted the person. Had her life back like the way it should've been.
Overall, it was an okay read. It had potential to be much better though!
March 27, 2021
|Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!|
I was really excited about this book but I did fall a bit flat in my opinion.
The whole plot got me so on board and I wanted everything to go well for Abbie but the thing that really hurt the story was that there was not room for breathing. Either paragraphs felt too short or scenes felt cut off. Moments were not explored in depth and the dialogue felt like exposition being dumped on you.
I liked parts of the story but I really couldn’t with the way too perfect male interest either. Kyle was fine but I liked my characters flawed -so maybe that’s a very personal taste but it does create an unbalance when all he had going for is supporting Abbie. That man had little agency and even the one thing he did wrong was because he thought it was the best for Abbie.
So, yeah, it was very forgettable and I wish it weren’t because the potential was there. I liked all the characters, the setting was gorgeous and I could really feel the author wanted to do justice to the story but I didn’t like it.
I was really excited about this book but I did fall a bit flat in my opinion.
The whole plot got me so on board and I wanted everything to go well for Abbie but the thing that really hurt the story was that there was not room for breathing. Either paragraphs felt too short or scenes felt cut off. Moments were not explored in depth and the dialogue felt like exposition being dumped on you.
I liked parts of the story but I really couldn’t with the way too perfect male interest either. Kyle was fine but I liked my characters flawed -so maybe that’s a very personal taste but it does create an unbalance when all he had going for is supporting Abbie. That man had little agency and even the one thing he did wrong was because he thought it was the best for Abbie.
So, yeah, it was very forgettable and I wish it weren’t because the potential was there. I liked all the characters, the setting was gorgeous and I could really feel the author wanted to do justice to the story but I didn’t like it.
March 27, 2021
"Half The World Away" - Rebecca Banks
Publishing date: April 1st, 2021
CW: abortion
Thank you to NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd. for a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Abbie is working for the Premier League in London, but she wants out. After one final push, she decides to make a life change, and an opportunity arises for her to move to America and work for the Utah Saints, an MLS team working to popularize the sport in the USA with the help of someone with Premier League experience (cue Abbie). But what could be waiting for her in her new life, half the world away?
What a beautiful romance! There was lots of banter, interesting conflicts, and just enough emotion to be intriguing without feeling like it was over the top. My only complaint is that steam was kept very low, but I know that some people prefer this, in which case, this is the perfect romance for you. This book also made me reflect on my own life, as I am from Bermuda, with a boyfriend from Canada, who I only met through a series of circumstances that all had to line up to make us happen. Abbie is right - home is more about the people you love and the way you feel with them, than it is a place.
Publishing date: April 1st, 2021
CW: abortion
Thank you to NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd. for a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Abbie is working for the Premier League in London, but she wants out. After one final push, she decides to make a life change, and an opportunity arises for her to move to America and work for the Utah Saints, an MLS team working to popularize the sport in the USA with the help of someone with Premier League experience (cue Abbie). But what could be waiting for her in her new life, half the world away?
What a beautiful romance! There was lots of banter, interesting conflicts, and just enough emotion to be intriguing without feeling like it was over the top. My only complaint is that steam was kept very low, but I know that some people prefer this, in which case, this is the perfect romance for you. This book also made me reflect on my own life, as I am from Bermuda, with a boyfriend from Canada, who I only met through a series of circumstances that all had to line up to make us happen. Abbie is right - home is more about the people you love and the way you feel with them, than it is a place.
March 25, 2021
First of all, I would like to say thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
What I loved about this book is that the main character is open to trying new things. Even when she’s feeling down, she gets up and says ‘yes’ to new beginnings, which I found very empowering.
So, I have to admit the first half of this book was a bit slow for me, but in the second half, the pace definitely got better and I was reading whenever I had free time.
I do recommend this book for anyone who likes to read Paige Toon’s books, they have very similar feels to them and I definitely enjoyed that.
I loved the romance, they had beautiful scenes! The only thing that I didn’t enjoy was the stereotypical guy, but once I saw past it, I didn’t mind him at all.
What I loved about this book is that the main character is open to trying new things. Even when she’s feeling down, she gets up and says ‘yes’ to new beginnings, which I found very empowering.
So, I have to admit the first half of this book was a bit slow for me, but in the second half, the pace definitely got better and I was reading whenever I had free time.
I do recommend this book for anyone who likes to read Paige Toon’s books, they have very similar feels to them and I definitely enjoyed that.
I loved the romance, they had beautiful scenes! The only thing that I didn’t enjoy was the stereotypical guy, but once I saw past it, I didn’t mind him at all.
April 4, 2021
Everything in this book was so flat. Interaction between both main characters was so boring to read, uninteresting storyline for chapter to chapter.
April 8, 2021
Review
Loved, loved, loved.
This book was right up my street. It was romantic, adventurous and beautiful. I loved the descriptions of the hikes and really want to visit Salt Lake City at some point.
I felt like I was there with Abbie living out these experiences which was just brilliant and I loved hers and Kyle's relationship. I really wasnt a fan of Kitty, you can pick the wronguns out a mile away.
I flew through this book, it was such an easy read. Cant wait to read more of Rebecca's writing. Fab debut novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved, loved, loved.
This book was right up my street. It was romantic, adventurous and beautiful. I loved the descriptions of the hikes and really want to visit Salt Lake City at some point.
I felt like I was there with Abbie living out these experiences which was just brilliant and I loved hers and Kyle's relationship. I really wasnt a fan of Kitty, you can pick the wronguns out a mile away.
I flew through this book, it was such an easy read. Cant wait to read more of Rebecca's writing. Fab debut novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 19, 2021
Firstly thank you so much to netgalley for this beautiful ARC!
This was just the read I needed right now,
A fun gripping read, all in all amazing!!
I loved the character development and I was fascinated by Abbie's character.
Who could say no to a fresh start in America?
If you enjoy authors like Paige Toon and Beth O'Learly I highly recommend this fun easy read!
I'm super excited to see what this author comes up with next!
This was just the read I needed right now,
A fun gripping read, all in all amazing!!
I loved the character development and I was fascinated by Abbie's character.
Who could say no to a fresh start in America?
If you enjoy authors like Paige Toon and Beth O'Learly I highly recommend this fun easy read!
I'm super excited to see what this author comes up with next!
April 8, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review! 3.5 ⭐️
I am so impressed by Rebecca Banks’s debut Half the World Away! I did not realize this was a debut until reading the acknowledgments! (Basically, don’t sleep on this one, pick it up! I can not wait to see what else this author does!!!)
HtWA follows our main character Abbie, an English PR rep for the London Town Football Club (aka big deal soccer in the UK). Her experience with the Premier team is not all good though, and when a team member gets away with a slap on the wrist after sexually assaulting a minor, Abbie has had enough. She packs her bags and travels *cough cough* half the world away to beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah to start over.
Once there, the love interest is introduced pretty quickly with a meet-cute although their relationship is somewhat slow to form. Kyle seems like the perfect man to be honest, besides jumping to conclusions later on in the story. For the majority of the book, he is so perfect that I question whether he was a realistic love interest but I had fun along the way!
For all the romance readers out there (myself included), know that this a closed door romance that is very tastefully done. I prefer a bit more *spice* in my romance but that is somewhat hard to find in traditionally published romances. I think that often times a relationship is strengthened by the physical aspect and it is an important step for our characters to experience, but I also want to see the emotional growth on the page during those intimate scenes.
One of the things I most enjoyed about this story was Abbie herself! She was such a lovely protagonist to follow and has several moments where I completely connected with her pretty early on in the book.
First she called me out on bad spending habits -“What was it about airports that made it seem like you had monopoly money in your purse and you weren’t spending real cash?”
Then she reacted like a real human to being given extremely privileged circumstances that were outside of her norm- “‘Holy shit.’ After a moment of stillness she screamed, ran and launched herself into the middle of the bed. This whole thing had to be a dream. There was no way she could be living here. She’d find out it was all a horrible mistake later on and they’d move her to a studio flat above a kebab shop or something.”
And finally, my personal favorite quote of this entire book, she captures what it is to have the travel bug- “She’d never seen anything quite like it. Standing by the water she felt like she’d made one of the biggest discoveries in humankind, yet this was something that the people who lived here must see every day. She felt like a very lucky girl at that moment. She wasn’t sure why the gods were shining down on her”
Now for a few things I didn’t think were all that great... (SPOILERS AHEAD)
Trigger warnings for this novel include sexual assault of a minor (off page), sudden family illness, and abortion/abortion guilt.
The first issue I had with this book was how the sexual assault case was handled. There was definite questioning of validity of claims made by the minor in this situation. It is pointed out that this is a “he said, she said” case with no solid proof, but as a woman in 2021 I would hope that the author would have made her stance (and Abbie’s stance) a bit clearer. The minor is not responsible in this situation. It is not her fault she was sexually assaulted by a man with an over inflated ego and sense of self worth. The minor’s claims of assault should have been accepted as truth, not questioned whether she had “asked for it” or perpetuated the situation. He was an adult taking advantage of his position of power (as a professional athlete/as a white man in high social standing) to sexually assault a minor.
If this had been the only hard topic touched on, I may have forgiven Banks a bit more, but later on in the story abortion is talked about pretty extensively. Again, another high profile issue that I do not think was handled in the best way. I almost DNF’ed at around the 85% mark because of this. This is issue is very quickly resolved in the next couple chapters and basically once everyone around Abbie tells her she should not be guilty and feel as though she doesn’t deserve to be happy, she just accepts them at their word, goes to counseling for a week or two, and then is all better. I don’t think that after years of gaslighting herself this would have been so easy- this emotional forgiveness/growth should have been worked on throughout the novel in my opinion.
I am so impressed by Rebecca Banks’s debut Half the World Away! I did not realize this was a debut until reading the acknowledgments! (Basically, don’t sleep on this one, pick it up! I can not wait to see what else this author does!!!)
HtWA follows our main character Abbie, an English PR rep for the London Town Football Club (aka big deal soccer in the UK). Her experience with the Premier team is not all good though, and when a team member gets away with a slap on the wrist after sexually assaulting a minor, Abbie has had enough. She packs her bags and travels *cough cough* half the world away to beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah to start over.
Once there, the love interest is introduced pretty quickly with a meet-cute although their relationship is somewhat slow to form. Kyle seems like the perfect man to be honest, besides jumping to conclusions later on in the story. For the majority of the book, he is so perfect that I question whether he was a realistic love interest but I had fun along the way!
For all the romance readers out there (myself included), know that this a closed door romance that is very tastefully done. I prefer a bit more *spice* in my romance but that is somewhat hard to find in traditionally published romances. I think that often times a relationship is strengthened by the physical aspect and it is an important step for our characters to experience, but I also want to see the emotional growth on the page during those intimate scenes.
One of the things I most enjoyed about this story was Abbie herself! She was such a lovely protagonist to follow and has several moments where I completely connected with her pretty early on in the book.
First she called me out on bad spending habits -“What was it about airports that made it seem like you had monopoly money in your purse and you weren’t spending real cash?”
Then she reacted like a real human to being given extremely privileged circumstances that were outside of her norm- “‘Holy shit.’ After a moment of stillness she screamed, ran and launched herself into the middle of the bed. This whole thing had to be a dream. There was no way she could be living here. She’d find out it was all a horrible mistake later on and they’d move her to a studio flat above a kebab shop or something.”
And finally, my personal favorite quote of this entire book, she captures what it is to have the travel bug- “She’d never seen anything quite like it. Standing by the water she felt like she’d made one of the biggest discoveries in humankind, yet this was something that the people who lived here must see every day. She felt like a very lucky girl at that moment. She wasn’t sure why the gods were shining down on her”
Now for a few things I didn’t think were all that great... (SPOILERS AHEAD)
Trigger warnings for this novel include sexual assault of a minor (off page), sudden family illness, and abortion/abortion guilt.
The first issue I had with this book was how the sexual assault case was handled. There was definite questioning of validity of claims made by the minor in this situation. It is pointed out that this is a “he said, she said” case with no solid proof, but as a woman in 2021 I would hope that the author would have made her stance (and Abbie’s stance) a bit clearer. The minor is not responsible in this situation. It is not her fault she was sexually assaulted by a man with an over inflated ego and sense of self worth. The minor’s claims of assault should have been accepted as truth, not questioned whether she had “asked for it” or perpetuated the situation. He was an adult taking advantage of his position of power (as a professional athlete/as a white man in high social standing) to sexually assault a minor.
If this had been the only hard topic touched on, I may have forgiven Banks a bit more, but later on in the story abortion is talked about pretty extensively. Again, another high profile issue that I do not think was handled in the best way. I almost DNF’ed at around the 85% mark because of this. This is issue is very quickly resolved in the next couple chapters and basically once everyone around Abbie tells her she should not be guilty and feel as though she doesn’t deserve to be happy, she just accepts them at their word, goes to counseling for a week or two, and then is all better. I don’t think that after years of gaslighting herself this would have been so easy- this emotional forgiveness/growth should have been worked on throughout the novel in my opinion.
March 27, 2021
*This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review! Thank you for the opportunity!*
"Half the World Away" is a Contemporary Romance, and the debut novel of the author Rebecca Banks. It was an entertaining read, a good story. A 3 stars book for me - with some very positive points, and others in need of improvement.
The main character, our MC, is great. She gives us so many amazing strong woman vibes: A self-discovery journey! The independency! The bravery! Her feeling good by herself, being lone but not lonely, with that not implying that she didn't care or value her loved ones. Much on the contrary. Meaning simply that she is someone who knows when it is finally time to put herself and her needs first. I really liked Abbie!
The friendships between girls/women are very positive. The one that wasn't so good doesn't even classify as friendship, in my opinion, but it wasn't toxic as well, it was just fueled by insecurities.
The slow-burn romance! Ahhh, my favourite trope. It is something else to get to see the characters getting to know each other, taking time to understand their feelings - it is so much more realistic, even if there are sprinkles of rom-com funny and/or dramatic moments in the mix.
We are also introduced to beautiful landscapes, amazingly described. The author's writing isn't very descriptive throught the story, yet, when the scenes ask for more detailed descriptions, the writer aces it! The beautiful places the characters go to and talk about almost feel like a whole other character. I just wanted to visit all the places they discovered.
In this book, the author approaches a more serious theme, and I think it was well portrayed in the main character's thoughts, sense of guilt, feeling of unworthiness, in the way it is explained, what led to the outcome, approaching the impact of toxic relationships in one's self-esteem, independence and way of relating to others presently and in future relationships. However, I think it wasn't talked about all that much, or better, it wasn't more deeply dealt with - we know the main character is thinking and talking to others about it, but the dialogues, the feelings and thoughts don't pass to the reader, they always appear like a recap of conversations in the past tense. For one side, this may be a better approach to not trigger the reader, or to keep it a light book. For the other side, it shows lack of depth and makes me wonder if the author wanted to insert the topic in the story (which is very good and makes sense in the storyline) but didn't want to explore it further.
Some of the more negative points were the lack of depth and backstory of the love interest, the twist was a bit obvious from the beginning, the misuse of mental health terms bothered me, it is uncalled for.
The writing is a bit all over the place at first. The transitions between scenes didn't seem natural to me, and the first scenes don't give us much of an introduction. It gets better though.
This might be a positive for some, but it disappointed me. When I read contemporary romances, just like this one is advertised, I expect some smutty scenes, not just swoony lines. So I was expecting it. But then the scenes when characters are kissing come, and you know what will follow, yet the narrative goes like "They were kissing and it never felt so good bla bla....... AFTERWARDS they laid in bed..." Excuse me what? Afterwards? After what exactly? Because you didn't show me anything. And I wanted to read/see it! I was here, partly, for the smut and you gave me nothing?... Do you know that frustrating feeling? Yeap, happens in this book. I guess for people who prefer swoony over steamy love stories this would be great.
Overall, a good book, acing the descriptions and swoony feelings, and needing improvements in the more heavy themes. I read almost all of it in one evening, so if you're looking for a book to get your mind off things and that lets you travel to new places and landscapes, then this is for you!
"Half the World Away" is a Contemporary Romance, and the debut novel of the author Rebecca Banks. It was an entertaining read, a good story. A 3 stars book for me - with some very positive points, and others in need of improvement.
The main character, our MC, is great. She gives us so many amazing strong woman vibes: A self-discovery journey! The independency! The bravery! Her feeling good by herself, being lone but not lonely, with that not implying that she didn't care or value her loved ones. Much on the contrary. Meaning simply that she is someone who knows when it is finally time to put herself and her needs first. I really liked Abbie!
The friendships between girls/women are very positive. The one that wasn't so good doesn't even classify as friendship, in my opinion, but it wasn't toxic as well, it was just fueled by insecurities.
The slow-burn romance! Ahhh, my favourite trope. It is something else to get to see the characters getting to know each other, taking time to understand their feelings - it is so much more realistic, even if there are sprinkles of rom-com funny and/or dramatic moments in the mix.
We are also introduced to beautiful landscapes, amazingly described. The author's writing isn't very descriptive throught the story, yet, when the scenes ask for more detailed descriptions, the writer aces it! The beautiful places the characters go to and talk about almost feel like a whole other character. I just wanted to visit all the places they discovered.
In this book, the author approaches a more serious theme, and I think it was well portrayed in the main character's thoughts, sense of guilt, feeling of unworthiness, in the way it is explained, what led to the outcome, approaching the impact of toxic relationships in one's self-esteem, independence and way of relating to others presently and in future relationships. However, I think it wasn't talked about all that much, or better, it wasn't more deeply dealt with - we know the main character is thinking and talking to others about it, but the dialogues, the feelings and thoughts don't pass to the reader, they always appear like a recap of conversations in the past tense. For one side, this may be a better approach to not trigger the reader, or to keep it a light book. For the other side, it shows lack of depth and makes me wonder if the author wanted to insert the topic in the story (which is very good and makes sense in the storyline) but didn't want to explore it further.
Some of the more negative points were the lack of depth and backstory of the love interest, the twist was a bit obvious from the beginning, the misuse of mental health terms bothered me, it is uncalled for.
The writing is a bit all over the place at first. The transitions between scenes didn't seem natural to me, and the first scenes don't give us much of an introduction. It gets better though.
This might be a positive for some, but it disappointed me. When I read contemporary romances, just like this one is advertised, I expect some smutty scenes, not just swoony lines. So I was expecting it. But then the scenes when characters are kissing come, and you know what will follow, yet the narrative goes like "They were kissing and it never felt so good bla bla....... AFTERWARDS they laid in bed..." Excuse me what? Afterwards? After what exactly? Because you didn't show me anything. And I wanted to read/see it! I was here, partly, for the smut and you gave me nothing?... Do you know that frustrating feeling? Yeap, happens in this book. I guess for people who prefer swoony over steamy love stories this would be great.
Overall, a good book, acing the descriptions and swoony feelings, and needing improvements in the more heavy themes. I read almost all of it in one evening, so if you're looking for a book to get your mind off things and that lets you travel to new places and landscapes, then this is for you!
March 17, 2021
*Disclaimer* s/o to Netgalley and Literally PR Ltd. for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!* I think I liked this! First and foremost, it was really nice to read a book that dealt with one topic in particular (I don't want to spoil, but those who have read it will know exactly what I mean) in a way that is nuanced and complicated and addresses how different people experience that event. I also loved the cast of side characters, I thought they were so wonderful and I'm always really happy when authors create a strong group of women around the MC. The plot was predictable, but it's a rom com and it still managed to be cute and fun, so points for that.
That said, this is definitely a closed door romance (which isn't at all a bad thing, just not my usual read!) and I do wish that the main man had a bit more personality. Given that Kyle's main personality trait was just "being perfect," I think there was a little more than could have happened there. I also wish that things with Kitty had resolved themselves differently, I know you need a villian but I also love redemption arks for female characters. Finally, I wish the author would have been more consistent in her use of Native American/Indigenous (not American Indian, not really a thing other than in federal law over here) and not used mental health descriptors to talk about non-mental health related behavior.
Overall, this was a cute read that addressed some real life challenges of women and while I wish it had a little more depth, I thought it was good!
That said, this is definitely a closed door romance (which isn't at all a bad thing, just not my usual read!) and I do wish that the main man had a bit more personality. Given that Kyle's main personality trait was just "being perfect," I think there was a little more than could have happened there. I also wish that things with Kitty had resolved themselves differently, I know you need a villian but I also love redemption arks for female characters. Finally, I wish the author would have been more consistent in her use of Native American/Indigenous (not American Indian, not really a thing other than in federal law over here) and not used mental health descriptors to talk about non-mental health related behavior.
Overall, this was a cute read that addressed some real life challenges of women and while I wish it had a little more depth, I thought it was good!
March 24, 2021
A special thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Abbie needs a fresh start. After spending years as a workaholic, trying to forget her painful divorce, she's had enough. Always bailing out the entitled football players from trouble, she's fed up working PR for the London Football Club. When a new opportunity presents itself halfway around the world in Utah, Abbie jumps at the chance. Arriving in Salt Lake, Abbie soon finds a new crew of friends, a handsome co-worker, and hopefully, her real self.
I really enjoyed this debut novel! Not only do I love football (or soccer for Americans), I also loved the music angle of this book. Abbie was such a down to Earth character and I felt like I could be friends with her. Not only does she take charge at the Utah Saints, she also doesn't take no for an answer ever. Her friendship with Rose, the bartender at the Live Joint, made me smile and made me long for seeing live music again (ugh COVID).
Kyle was an adorable love interest that brought the heat, even in a closed-door romance. His planned outings were amazing and perfectly captured the wonders and wilderness that Utah has to offer. And his endearing nickname of "England" for Abbie totally grabbed my heart strings. My only complaint about his is that some of his dialogue came off sounding more British than American, but it was definitely something I could look past.
There was great chemistry with the characters and some surprises that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed reading this book!
Abbie needs a fresh start. After spending years as a workaholic, trying to forget her painful divorce, she's had enough. Always bailing out the entitled football players from trouble, she's fed up working PR for the London Football Club. When a new opportunity presents itself halfway around the world in Utah, Abbie jumps at the chance. Arriving in Salt Lake, Abbie soon finds a new crew of friends, a handsome co-worker, and hopefully, her real self.
I really enjoyed this debut novel! Not only do I love football (or soccer for Americans), I also loved the music angle of this book. Abbie was such a down to Earth character and I felt like I could be friends with her. Not only does she take charge at the Utah Saints, she also doesn't take no for an answer ever. Her friendship with Rose, the bartender at the Live Joint, made me smile and made me long for seeing live music again (ugh COVID).
Kyle was an adorable love interest that brought the heat, even in a closed-door romance. His planned outings were amazing and perfectly captured the wonders and wilderness that Utah has to offer. And his endearing nickname of "England" for Abbie totally grabbed my heart strings. My only complaint about his is that some of his dialogue came off sounding more British than American, but it was definitely something I could look past.
There was great chemistry with the characters and some surprises that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed reading this book!
April 19, 2021
*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Rebecca banks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
What a debut!! I did not realize this was Rebecca Banks' first novel. I am so blown away by how good it is!!
"Half The World Away" is about Abbie Potter, who is a British PR rep for The London Football Club. The book opens with a scandal regarding one player who has been arrested for sexual assault of a minor. When the player gets released with no consequences, Abbie decides she has had enough and turns in her resignation. Almost immediately, she is offered a job in Salt Lake City, Utah. With many reservations about leaving London, she accepts the job and moves half a world away. Abbie thrives in Utah with new friends, a new boyfriend, and many successes at her new job. But as her life seems TOO perfect, it appears someone is trying to sabotage her and everything falls apart.
This book is a romance but very clean. Everything is behind a closed door which works for some readers and not for others. Abbie is a wonderful character who is extremely relatable to anyone who has tried to change their life for the better. I enjoyed every moment of her journey to find herself. The author does an amazing job describing various locations in Utah, and I definitely am imagining a visit there soon!
There are some triggers in this book including abortion, sexual assault and depression.
What a debut!! I did not realize this was Rebecca Banks' first novel. I am so blown away by how good it is!!
"Half The World Away" is about Abbie Potter, who is a British PR rep for The London Football Club. The book opens with a scandal regarding one player who has been arrested for sexual assault of a minor. When the player gets released with no consequences, Abbie decides she has had enough and turns in her resignation. Almost immediately, she is offered a job in Salt Lake City, Utah. With many reservations about leaving London, she accepts the job and moves half a world away. Abbie thrives in Utah with new friends, a new boyfriend, and many successes at her new job. But as her life seems TOO perfect, it appears someone is trying to sabotage her and everything falls apart.
This book is a romance but very clean. Everything is behind a closed door which works for some readers and not for others. Abbie is a wonderful character who is extremely relatable to anyone who has tried to change their life for the better. I enjoyed every moment of her journey to find herself. The author does an amazing job describing various locations in Utah, and I definitely am imagining a visit there soon!
There are some triggers in this book including abortion, sexual assault and depression.
September 5, 2021
You get to leave London to move to America for a job of a lifetime, the company gives you everything you need to start out, and on top of that you find love, AGAIN, and this time hes perfect???? SAY WHAT?????????????
Abbie is newly divorced, going through the motions of her breakup, shes still not fully over why her marriage ended, and then on top of that shes working at a job she hates. This woman needed a damn BREAK!!!! I loved her best friend Violet, she reminds me of my best friend, that she smacks sense into you, and then helps you in the best ways.
I am all for the drama, and there was some here but the drama was soft, it wasn't intense, but it was pretty obvious where the drama was coming from, which is fine. I loved reading about Kyle and Abbie in this book, their love and support was soooo SWEET!
Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Abbie is newly divorced, going through the motions of her breakup, shes still not fully over why her marriage ended, and then on top of that shes working at a job she hates. This woman needed a damn BREAK!!!! I loved her best friend Violet, she reminds me of my best friend, that she smacks sense into you, and then helps you in the best ways.
I am all for the drama, and there was some here but the drama was soft, it wasn't intense, but it was pretty obvious where the drama was coming from, which is fine. I loved reading about Kyle and Abbie in this book, their love and support was soooo SWEET!
Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
April 16, 2021
Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much. I was done with a big assignment and needed to read a book to get me relaxed and this was the perfect fit for it. I didn’t even have to put an effort into reading it, because I felt like the story just flowed through me. It was wonderful. Once I picked it up, I had a hard time putting it down. I read in the author’s acknowledgments, a line thanking the readers for reading this in their free time. That was not correct in my case. I made time for the book because I liked it that much. I loved Rebecca Banks’s writing and would definitely be keeping an eye out for any future works of her!
January 10, 2022
As Rebeccas Bank's debut novel I found this rom-com absolutely charming. Abbie Potter is way over cleaning up the messes of overgrown professional footballers, in London. Her passion was music, finding the new and unknown, how did she end up fixing emergencies that entitled grown men got themselves into? As for her personal life, she is still repairing the damage of a loss of marriage and heartbreak. So what better way to start over? Quit her job at the Leave England for Utah. Yes. Salt Lake City Utah. She found a new adventure working with the Utah Saints, an American League Soccer team.
Abbie finds herself in Salt Lake City full of nervous energy or jetlag she hasn't really worked that out. While out enjoying the beautiful scenery on her morning run she is literally run over by a freight train, he goes by the name of Kyle Miller. Abbie was more than mortified and prayed she wouldn't see him again. Upon her arrival to her new job she meets Kitty, she is the personal assistant to the president of the Utah Saints.
Kitty is a smiling face that has set up Abbie in her studio apartment downtown and provided her with a company car. Abbie already feels at ease in her new job.
Everything isn't perfect at Abbie's new job. She has been handed one of the toughest jobs, to get fans into the stands. Not only that it seems like someone or something is always a step ahead of her and plans have fallen through too many times to be a coincidence. As the soccer season goes along Abbie finds herself at "The Live Joint" a local bar and starts up a friendship of music. Rose becomes a lifeline to Abbie's first passion, music. With worries about work, Abbie finds out that Kyle isn't so bad. Kyle shows Abbie all of that Salt Lake City has to offer. The description of Salt City and the nook and crannies that make Salt Lake City so beautiful and unique are richly detailed.
As with all rom-com's, there is always friendship, love, fight, makeup or not. Half The World Away does have some of it, but there were rich characters and backdrops to blend the story of Abbie Potter. This is exactly what I wanted when I read a sweet airy romantic book, what better way to escape? If you enjoy a good second chance love story look here.
Thank you Netgalley and Rebecca Banks for giving me an E- ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Abbie finds herself in Salt Lake City full of nervous energy or jetlag she hasn't really worked that out. While out enjoying the beautiful scenery on her morning run she is literally run over by a freight train, he goes by the name of Kyle Miller. Abbie was more than mortified and prayed she wouldn't see him again. Upon her arrival to her new job she meets Kitty, she is the personal assistant to the president of the Utah Saints.
Kitty is a smiling face that has set up Abbie in her studio apartment downtown and provided her with a company car. Abbie already feels at ease in her new job.
Everything isn't perfect at Abbie's new job. She has been handed one of the toughest jobs, to get fans into the stands. Not only that it seems like someone or something is always a step ahead of her and plans have fallen through too many times to be a coincidence. As the soccer season goes along Abbie finds herself at "The Live Joint" a local bar and starts up a friendship of music. Rose becomes a lifeline to Abbie's first passion, music. With worries about work, Abbie finds out that Kyle isn't so bad. Kyle shows Abbie all of that Salt Lake City has to offer. The description of Salt City and the nook and crannies that make Salt Lake City so beautiful and unique are richly detailed.
As with all rom-com's, there is always friendship, love, fight, makeup or not. Half The World Away does have some of it, but there were rich characters and backdrops to blend the story of Abbie Potter. This is exactly what I wanted when I read a sweet airy romantic book, what better way to escape? If you enjoy a good second chance love story look here.
Thank you Netgalley and Rebecca Banks for giving me an E- ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 7, 2021
It's some time since I read a sports-themed novel and Half the World Away has whetted my appetite for more.
Abbie Potter's offered a dream job, only it's in Salt Lake City, Utah! A divorcee, she's ready to move away from the scandal-ridden football team she works for. So, she packs up her life in London and flies across the pond, to a new life and opportunities. Her first impressions seem too good to be true and as she settles into her new job and life. Over time she discovers someone isn't who she thinks they are, whilst others like Rose and Kyle are people to keep in her life.
New beginnings and coming to terms with the past, Abbie's life-changing decision to move thousands of miles from family and friends is an opportunity to rebuild her life and meet new people. Kyle Miller comes across as an all-American guy. He's handsome and charismatic and it's easy to understand how Abbie eventually fell for his charms. However, romance isn't the main theme of this novel. Relationships in all shapes and forms are the focus whether working, friendship or more. Therefore we don't get many details about the man who eventually becomes significant in Abbie life.
As a heroine, Abbie is someone to aspire to. She's ambitious and independent and a person willing to take a chance with her life. She's not perfect and has made mistakes too, which makes her very likeable and relatable.
This début novel is entertaining with fun, likeable and diverse characters, yet it also covers some tough topics too. The romance is slow burn, a favourite trope of mine. The contrast between the heroine's interests is refreshing and adds an unexpected dimension. Sport and music are a perfect combination and I enjoyed how they blended together.
The author's descriptions of the Utah backdrop definitely sold the state to me as a place to visit. The overall feel of this book is light-hearted and I read it in one sitting.
***arc received courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources***
Abbie Potter's offered a dream job, only it's in Salt Lake City, Utah! A divorcee, she's ready to move away from the scandal-ridden football team she works for. So, she packs up her life in London and flies across the pond, to a new life and opportunities. Her first impressions seem too good to be true and as she settles into her new job and life. Over time she discovers someone isn't who she thinks they are, whilst others like Rose and Kyle are people to keep in her life.
New beginnings and coming to terms with the past, Abbie's life-changing decision to move thousands of miles from family and friends is an opportunity to rebuild her life and meet new people. Kyle Miller comes across as an all-American guy. He's handsome and charismatic and it's easy to understand how Abbie eventually fell for his charms. However, romance isn't the main theme of this novel. Relationships in all shapes and forms are the focus whether working, friendship or more. Therefore we don't get many details about the man who eventually becomes significant in Abbie life.
As a heroine, Abbie is someone to aspire to. She's ambitious and independent and a person willing to take a chance with her life. She's not perfect and has made mistakes too, which makes her very likeable and relatable.
This début novel is entertaining with fun, likeable and diverse characters, yet it also covers some tough topics too. The romance is slow burn, a favourite trope of mine. The contrast between the heroine's interests is refreshing and adds an unexpected dimension. Sport and music are a perfect combination and I enjoyed how they blended together.
The author's descriptions of the Utah backdrop definitely sold the state to me as a place to visit. The overall feel of this book is light-hearted and I read it in one sitting.
***arc received courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources***
August 10, 2021
This was such a sweet book!!
I really related to the main character Abbie. I love music and sports and would love to have a career in either of those fields one day.
You can visibly see Abbie’s growth and character development throughout this story. She’s a bad*ss character and I was really proud of her.
I wish Kyle had more depth and the miscommunication trope bothered me, only because I really thought they had better communication established.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was a quick one-day read!! Thank you to Rebecca Banks for the copy to review!
I really related to the main character Abbie. I love music and sports and would love to have a career in either of those fields one day.
You can visibly see Abbie’s growth and character development throughout this story. She’s a bad*ss character and I was really proud of her.
I wish Kyle had more depth and the miscommunication trope bothered me, only because I really thought they had better communication established.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was a quick one-day read!! Thank you to Rebecca Banks for the copy to review!
March 18, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and author Rebecca Banks for giving me an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
This book was all about new beginnings and how to let go of the past in order to have a brighter future. Abbie is a woman who needed a fresh start. So when she finds a job in the States, she decides to take it and hopes the new job and place are exactly what she is looking for. Kyle is a manager at the local soccer club. He wants to give youth the life skills and drive that will make them better people on and off the field. He literally runs into Abbie and that is where they story begins.
I loved Abbie! She was a sweetheart and really sought out to find the good in people. I was not so much on board with her taking others advice before asking the said person about the situation, but given her past, it made sense. Kyle was a little too "perfect" for my taste. I get how in early days, no one needs to know everything about your past, but given the situation, he should have been more open with Abbie! I loved how balanced and real the development of their relationship felt. I really liked how well the side characters were developed and played important roles in helping the main couple. The ending left me well satisfied and happy that Abbie was able to find the means by which to move on with a terrific man worthy of her. Overall, this was my first book by author Rebecca Banks and it will not be my last. I look forward to reading more books by her.
4.5 stars
This book was all about new beginnings and how to let go of the past in order to have a brighter future. Abbie is a woman who needed a fresh start. So when she finds a job in the States, she decides to take it and hopes the new job and place are exactly what she is looking for. Kyle is a manager at the local soccer club. He wants to give youth the life skills and drive that will make them better people on and off the field. He literally runs into Abbie and that is where they story begins.
I loved Abbie! She was a sweetheart and really sought out to find the good in people. I was not so much on board with her taking others advice before asking the said person about the situation, but given her past, it made sense. Kyle was a little too "perfect" for my taste. I get how in early days, no one needs to know everything about your past, but given the situation, he should have been more open with Abbie! I loved how balanced and real the development of their relationship felt. I really liked how well the side characters were developed and played important roles in helping the main couple. The ending left me well satisfied and happy that Abbie was able to find the means by which to move on with a terrific man worthy of her. Overall, this was my first book by author Rebecca Banks and it will not be my last. I look forward to reading more books by her.
April 7, 2021
Half the World Away is a delightful little romantic comedy that follows Abbie Porter, a divorcee who has the chance in a lifetime come her way. She is on the verge of refusing, especially the moving halfway across the world. She pretty much is ready, until she reminds herself that her ex is managing to live a perfect life without her. What has she got to lose?
So Abbie takes the plunge, a move to Utah, to a world completely different to the one she knows. A fresh start, a new life, maybe someone new to love. Especially when a persistent and downright intriguing specimen of a man lands on her doorstep. All she needs to do is take a shot.
Half the World Away is an adorable quick read. It is a story about rediscovery and following your heart into the unknown.
I loved the romance element of it and found it adorably witty in places. It was full of fun little moments and was a reminder to not forget what it’s like to live. I especially adored Abbie, she reminded me a little of myself. I loved her development and the adventure she takes to rediscover what she had lost.
Because Half the World Away is only 200+ pages, it is a very fast read and easily devoured in a day. But I felt like I needed another course, I wanted to see more of the story unfold. It is a lovely spring time read to tuck into whilst sipping a cuppa in the springtime sun. It is an adventure full of laughs and moments that will get your heart sighing. It a delightful treat for the heart, all you need to do is take a bite.
So Abbie takes the plunge, a move to Utah, to a world completely different to the one she knows. A fresh start, a new life, maybe someone new to love. Especially when a persistent and downright intriguing specimen of a man lands on her doorstep. All she needs to do is take a shot.
Half the World Away is an adorable quick read. It is a story about rediscovery and following your heart into the unknown.
I loved the romance element of it and found it adorably witty in places. It was full of fun little moments and was a reminder to not forget what it’s like to live. I especially adored Abbie, she reminded me a little of myself. I loved her development and the adventure she takes to rediscover what she had lost.
Because Half the World Away is only 200+ pages, it is a very fast read and easily devoured in a day. But I felt like I needed another course, I wanted to see more of the story unfold. It is a lovely spring time read to tuck into whilst sipping a cuppa in the springtime sun. It is an adventure full of laughs and moments that will get your heart sighing. It a delightful treat for the heart, all you need to do is take a bite.
November 11, 2022
Abbie Potter is in a rut, still reeling from her divorce and stuck in a job she hates. The timing is perfect when Abbie quits her job due to a series of unfortunate events, a once in a lifetime career opportunity falls into her lap. Almost immediately after she moves to Utah, Abbie meets Kyle, and despite warnings of his playboy persona by a new friend, Abbie can’t help her feelings growing the more time she spends with him.
Half The World Away is the romantic comedy I didn’t know I needed in my life! I cannot believe this is a debut novel, my thrillers are quickly taking a backseat to romcoms, and this book is a prime example of why! I loved how Abbie was super relatable in her clumsiness and her personality in general. The fact that she moved halfway around the world alone was incredible and reading of her navigating her way around potential romance and the jealousy of a so called friend made me smile and broke my heart at the same time. Just say Yes to reading this when it’s published on April 1st!
*Thanks to NetGalley, Rebecca Banks and Literally PR Ltd. for my advanced copy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Half The World Away is the romantic comedy I didn’t know I needed in my life! I cannot believe this is a debut novel, my thrillers are quickly taking a backseat to romcoms, and this book is a prime example of why! I loved how Abbie was super relatable in her clumsiness and her personality in general. The fact that she moved halfway around the world alone was incredible and reading of her navigating her way around potential romance and the jealousy of a so called friend made me smile and broke my heart at the same time. Just say Yes to reading this when it’s published on April 1st!
*Thanks to NetGalley, Rebecca Banks and Literally PR Ltd. for my advanced copy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
March 22, 2021
Such a sweet and warm romance!
Abbie works in publicity for sports. A tragedy from years before leaves her at a standstill. After hearing some news about her ex husbands new life, she decided it’s time for a change in her own. Abbie moves to Utah with a new job opportunity where she meets Kyle.
It took about 2 chapters for me to get hooked, but once I was, I couldn’t put it down! It was the perfect build up of friends to lovers romance. The two of them had a great meet cute🥰. This was a closed door romance, but I would still rate the steam level at 🔥.5/5.
Kyle was passionate in sharing his favorite places, specifically the Arches in Moab. I really enjoyed reading about them because it’s a place I’d love to see some day! Loved how enthusiastic Abbie was about her job and pairing her appreciation of music with the sport games to add entertainment. She and a friend start up a blog for music reviews, The Salt Scene, and I would’ve liked to see that play out a bit more.
There was some deception going on in the work place! I wasn’t really surprised to see who was behind it and their intention, but I was impressed with Abbie confronting them😱.
Abbie works in publicity for sports. A tragedy from years before leaves her at a standstill. After hearing some news about her ex husbands new life, she decided it’s time for a change in her own. Abbie moves to Utah with a new job opportunity where she meets Kyle.
It took about 2 chapters for me to get hooked, but once I was, I couldn’t put it down! It was the perfect build up of friends to lovers romance. The two of them had a great meet cute🥰. This was a closed door romance, but I would still rate the steam level at 🔥.5/5.
Kyle was passionate in sharing his favorite places, specifically the Arches in Moab. I really enjoyed reading about them because it’s a place I’d love to see some day! Loved how enthusiastic Abbie was about her job and pairing her appreciation of music with the sport games to add entertainment. She and a friend start up a blog for music reviews, The Salt Scene, and I would’ve liked to see that play out a bit more.
There was some deception going on in the work place! I wasn’t really surprised to see who was behind it and their intention, but I was impressed with Abbie confronting them😱.
March 25, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Literally PR Ltd. for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Abbie Potter just got divorced, her careers a mess, and she needs a change. Luckily, that comes in the form of a job offer that takes her from London to Salt Lake City! There, she has an adorable meet-cute with Kyle Miller. Kyle is sexy, and a little bit of a rogue, or so her new coworker says. Can she succeed at this new job and resist Kyle?
Okay, this one was so cute. I love a slow burn, and this one DELIVERS! Abbie especially is really well-written. Her journey is one that I’m sure many people, myself included, can relate to. It’s also delicately handled—there’s a pretty sensitive issue dealt with in this one. The plot is also great without being totally unrealistic and the romance is swoon-worthy. No steamy bits though for those of you that read exclusively for those! Regardless, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and will absolutely deserve all the hype it gets.
4/5
Abbie Potter just got divorced, her careers a mess, and she needs a change. Luckily, that comes in the form of a job offer that takes her from London to Salt Lake City! There, she has an adorable meet-cute with Kyle Miller. Kyle is sexy, and a little bit of a rogue, or so her new coworker says. Can she succeed at this new job and resist Kyle?
Okay, this one was so cute. I love a slow burn, and this one DELIVERS! Abbie especially is really well-written. Her journey is one that I’m sure many people, myself included, can relate to. It’s also delicately handled—there’s a pretty sensitive issue dealt with in this one. The plot is also great without being totally unrealistic and the romance is swoon-worthy. No steamy bits though for those of you that read exclusively for those! Regardless, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and will absolutely deserve all the hype it gets.
4/5
May 24, 2021
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
This is the story of Abbie, a young divorcee living in London, after a hard day at work, she received a job offer from Utah. She accepted and moved to Salk Lake City. Half the World Away is a tale of new beginnings, new friendships and new life.
First, I really liked the character of Abbie and I loved to see her evolve throughout the book. I also enjoyed her link with the other characters and her friendships felt real.
Secondly, the plot was great and the love story of Abbie was so beautiful and wholesome. As well as that, I truly liked Kyle even though he acts strangely sometimes.
Thirdly, the other little plots of the book were perfect and really well concluded.
Overall, it was a great book but I wish it had been developed a little bit more.
This is the story of Abbie, a young divorcee living in London, after a hard day at work, she received a job offer from Utah. She accepted and moved to Salk Lake City. Half the World Away is a tale of new beginnings, new friendships and new life.
First, I really liked the character of Abbie and I loved to see her evolve throughout the book. I also enjoyed her link with the other characters and her friendships felt real.
Secondly, the plot was great and the love story of Abbie was so beautiful and wholesome. As well as that, I truly liked Kyle even though he acts strangely sometimes.
Thirdly, the other little plots of the book were perfect and really well concluded.
Overall, it was a great book but I wish it had been developed a little bit more.
March 23, 2021
What a fun book this was! A very lovely debut with a sweet romance and great character development. The story was a bit predictable, but aren't most romance books?
I loved Abbie's journey to Utah, how she moved across the world for a new job all by herself. That's a huge change. She's also dealing with her past and I think she's so strong! The side characters were lovely too, especially Rose and Violet. I loved Kyle too, but he sometimes looked a bit too perfect. It would have been nice if his character developed a bit more as well.
I'd recommend this book if you're looking for something light and fun in between - it's a rom-com with a friends to lovers trope. 3 stars for me!
Thank you NetGalley and Literally PR for an eARC in return for an honest review.
I loved Abbie's journey to Utah, how she moved across the world for a new job all by herself. That's a huge change. She's also dealing with her past and I think she's so strong! The side characters were lovely too, especially Rose and Violet. I loved Kyle too, but he sometimes looked a bit too perfect. It would have been nice if his character developed a bit more as well.
I'd recommend this book if you're looking for something light and fun in between - it's a rom-com with a friends to lovers trope. 3 stars for me!
Thank you NetGalley and Literally PR for an eARC in return for an honest review.
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