Synopsis
Brutally dumped by her girlfriend, Ally is homeless, friendless and jobless… but at least she has Malcolm. Wounded and betrayed, Ally has made off with the one thing she thinks might soothe the pain: Emily’s cat.
After a long train journey she arrives home to her dad in Sheffield, ready to fold herself up in her duvet and remain on the sofa for the foreseeable. Her dad has other ideas. A phone call later, and Ally is reunited with her first ever beard and friend of old, Jeremy. He too is broken-hearted and living at home again.
In an inspired effort to hold each other up, the pair decide to sign up for the local half marathon in a bid to impress their exes with their commitment and athleticism.
Given neither of them can run, they enlist the support of athletic, not to mention beautiful, Jo. But will she have them running for the hills… or will their ridiculous plan pay off…?
My Review
After seven years together Emily breaks up with Ally, who didn’t see it coming. Heartbroken and distraught Ally goes to her dad’s in Sheffield taking Malcolm the cat with her. Whilst back in Sheffield she reconnects with her old school friend Jeremy, who is also in the same boat, he’s been dumped by his boyfriend, Ben and is now living with his mum. Ally seeks comfort in baking and Jeremy’s company, who’s a kindred spirit. Then Jeremy comes up with an idea, running a half marathon in the hope that this will get Ben back and ropes Ally in too as this could help Ally get Emily back. They both join a running group when Ally meets the organiser Jo and then the madness begins.
In between training for the half marathon, starting a new job and e-mailing Emily with regular updates trying to impress her, Ally hopes that Emily will realise she’s made a mistake. But as time passes Ally changes and so do her thoughts and feelings about what she really wants in life.
I loved the story and the characters, in particular Ally’s dad who was just lovely. The dynamic between Ally and Jeremy was perfect. They understood each other completely and their banter was perfect. As the story progressed their bond became stronger. This book was a fun book to read and had me giggling in parts. Especially the initial e-mails between Ally and Emily where Emily accuses Ally of catnapping Malcolm and holding him hostage.
I would highly recommend this book. It was well written and exactly what I needed during a reading slump. It was an easy read that I couldn’t put down and read within 24 hours.
Author Bio
Laura Kay is a writer and editor. She has an MA in American History from the University of Sheffield, and now lives in East London with her wife and cats. In 2018 Laura was selected as one of the ten PRH WriteNow mentees. The Split is her first novel.
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