I absolutely loved this one.

It's a second chance story at its heart, but not an easy path. I got the feels but it was challenging too.

Ali and Dan met as teenagers in late 1970s Sheffield then lose touch. Thirty years later they reconnect through their shared love of music. As times have changed, twitter and spotify have replaced the function of the custom mix tape, but its purpose still holds true.

It started a little slow, but it gradually grew into a beautifully poignant story. What I loved though was that while I wallowed in the romance and the feels, their story felt authentic and their issues hit home. I was engrossed in this and found it difficult to let go of the characters and the story when I wasn't reading it.

The style reminded me of a Nick Hornby, especially the evocative music and cultural references that were so completely apt in this.

Standalone, complete story. Highly recommended, quality, thought provoking read.

This is the story of the love between Daniel Lawrence and Alison Connor who meet in Sheffield in 1978 aged 18 and 16 respectively and their later lives with their partners from 2012. They are united when they first get together by a love of music, in fact Dan goes on to be a music journalist. Alison leaves Sheffield suddenly a few months after meeting Dan, meets Michael in Spain and marries him, setting with him in Australia. She becomes a successful novelist. Dan meets Katelin in South America and they settle in Edinburgh.

Initially this story did not grab me as I found the switches of time from 1978 to 2012 did not flow well in the first part of the book, it felt a bit ‘clunky’. However, this story is a bit of a slow burner and I feel it got better and better as it went along. I really like the music references- Elvis Costello, Blondie, Buzzcocks and Human League, a Sheffield band. Dan makes a mix tape of music for Alison, hence the title! I like the depiction of the ‘70’s period the good and the bad, this is much prejudice as one of the unpleasant characters Martin clearly demonstrates. One of the sections I like the most is when Alison and Dan go to Hillsborough to watch Sheffield Wednesday play Arsenal which is famous for the fans throwing snowballs at Pat Jennings (Arsenal goalie- huge hands- one of very few goalies who score a goal!). This is a very vivid scene and well described. I think the ‘70’s scenes work better than the later ones but that could partly be due to my dislike of Michael, Ali’s husband. His character is well portrayed but he is very arrogant, partrician, snobbish and domineering and around him Ali is almost obedient and certainly concedes to most of his wishes.

The settings are really good too. I joined Dan walking through glorious Edinburgh and wished I was in the Cessna with Ali and her daughter as they flew over a stunningly beautiful Australia. The houseboats in Little Venice is a nice setting too.

There are some lovely characters and a special mention should go to Beatriz, Sheila and Dora in Australia who are so kind to Ali and Stella - Ali’s daughter. Alison’s brother Pete is also a really nice character who always put Alison first, party because their mother is an alcoholic. Dans father is a delightful character too who develops a lovely bond with Alison who shows interest in his passion for racing pigeons. In London, Lisa and Frank the two aging hippies who are so kind to Dan are especially likeable.

Overall, a really good read. The love and bond between Dan /Alison and Alison/Pete is heart warming. There is a lump in the throat scene where Pete and Alison meet up again after many years apart. I like the theme as music does so much that is positive and can transport you to a different time, place and a younger you! It evokes moments, memories and unites people in a shared love of a genre or group.

I haven’t read anything written by Jane Sanderson before reading Mix Tape - what have I been missing??
This is a book which grips you and holds you all the way through.
The Story begins in Sheffield with two teenagers, who both love their music and soon, each other and The girl, Alison has an horrendous home life with only her beloved older brother Peter to love her and look after her. Their father left years before and their mother is an alcoholic who will sleep with anyone for the price of a drink.
The boy she falls in love with - Daniel - has a loving home and Alison loves to be there with his family, especially his father who who realises how damaged Alison is and becomes someone she can just sit with and be peaceful
Daniel makes Alison her first mix tape of songs that mean something to them both
This is how the story starts, but a dreadful event in Alison’s life has her fleeing the country with her brother’s help.
Thirty years later, in Adelaide Australia where she now lives, Alison’s phone pings and one of their songs pops up, sent by Daniel, she sends one back and so starts a conversation made of music but no words to each other.
What follows will have you wanting to keep reading and ignore everything else. The characters are so realistic, the emotions so real and I can’t recommend this book more highly.

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I knew it was for me and was happy to be accepted to read it. I truly loved this book. It took me right back to my teenage years where life was simple and music made things seem better.

Set in the past in Sheffield and the present in Scotland and Australia the book flows between the time periods seamlessly. From making a mix tape to using modern day technology and sending music via the Internet. To me this book was about the emotion, memories and bonds that come from music. The bonds that last over the years, over time and distance.

I found myself wanting to listen to the old songs mentioned and to make my own mix tape/playlist. I really didn’t want this book to end. It was beautiful and is up there among my favourites. It’s a book I’ll return to again and again and will most definitely recommend it to others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion. And thank you to Jane Sanderson for taking me back to the music of my childhood.

A gentle flowing book that made me smile. As a lover of music myself I loved the fact that songs meant so much to the main characters and that’s how they conversed when apart. Well written and loved the differences between Sheffield and Adelaide the author researched well. A happy ending too

It was well written and it was a good story. But I have to say that I found the main characters irritating. And slightly unbelievable. I find it hard to believe that a couple - who had a brief relationship as children - would really throw everything else away to be together later in life. I find it hard to believe that such a deep love could really form in such a short time. I found the man to be particularly annoying - he was actually happy with his wife and with his life. They had a good life together. So for him to abandon everything at the first glimpse of his first love, just made me mad to be honest! But that's not to say that some people will find it a lovely romantic story!