It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I am a big fan of Jenny Colgan’s books, and I loved both The Bookshop on the Corner and The Bookshop on the Shore. 500 Miles From You is the third book in that series, and it’s just as charming as the first two. I think “charming” is the perfect word to describe this book - you get a charming setting, charming and meddling townspeople, a charming long distance love story, and if you do the audiobook, charming accents. 

Lissa and Cormac are both home care nurses, and they switch jobs and houses - Lissa to the Scottish countryside and Cormac to busy London. Their work relationship evolves into a long distance friendship - they go from emailing about patients to discussing dates to possibly, maybe falling in love. But really, can you fall in love with someone you’ve never even seen? 

I loved this, and I definitely recommend the audiobook! I hope there will be a fourth book in the series!

I didn't realize this was part of a series (unofficial series) but that doesn't take away anything from the enjoyment of this novel. I loved how personalities shined in the emails sent to each other! A really nice touch!

This novel has an interesting premise and is part of Colgan's Scottish Bookshop series. Two health care workers with differing struggles arrange a job swap through the NHS. One has to cope with working in busy London and the other has to function with providing care in a small village. There was so much potential here but the characters spent so much time apart, communicating via email. They mostly seemed so annoyed with each other that their romance did not ring true for me. Fans of the series will probably enjoy it but I wanted more and was a bit disappointed.

500 Miles From You was my first novel by Jenny Colgan, and I adored the way she brought the Scottish Highlands to live. Quaint little towns with quirky characters, surrounded by beautiful nature. It was so easy to picture it all. And I can’t wait to visit the Highlands myself.

To all my slow burn peeps, this one is for you! The love story between Lissie and Cormach was super slow burn. They pretty much fell in love with each other without ever meeting. They started to communicate by email, which was rather sweet. And the falling in love was endearing but the slowest of slows.

And in the end I was left wanting more. More connection. More romance. And more one-on-one. There was just not enough couple time for my taste.

On the other hand, I rather enjoyed the different medical cases that they had on their docket. How different but equally necessary their job was in the Highlands as well as in the city. The difference was fascinating. And if I had a choice, I would have totally picked the Highlands.

I got a bit confused by the change of POV’s throughout the chapters. The author wrote in third person, and she changed the narrative throughout the chapters from one character to the other, and not just the main couple but also side characters. I had to backtrack a couple times to make sure I knew who’s narrative it was. But as always, it was something I got used to, eventually.

500 Miles From You was adorably British, and if not British then Scottish, and that alone made for an entertaining read.

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers/William Morrow Paperbacks for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

This is the third of a series and I didn't read the first two books.  I definitely think reading the books in order would help, as the characters from the books are all connected, but you don't need to read them in order.

That being said, I picked this up, thinking it was a romance and I guess it is, but it is a SLOW BURN, to the point where I just wasn't buying it at all.  

The premise is that the h lives and works as a nurse in London, is witness to a horrific hit and run and is traumatized by it, to the point that her work decides she should be switched with a rural nurse so she can get some rest and so he can get some training in London.  

They switch and then communicate only via email, texts, etc.  The H doesn't even know what the h looks like until 64% of the way into the book.  And then he sleeps with someone else and tries a relationship with them.  The h, no slouch, is casually dating someone in the Scottish village she was sent to.  Not NEARLY as eyebrow raising as the H though.  

I stopped at 72% because I didn't believe in the romance and a lot of subplots, and the major PTSD one, seemed to just pop up and then disappear.  I wanted to hear more about the h's dealing with her PTSD, despite the REALLY cruddy therapy sessions she was getting.  I didn't want a shoe-horned in romance.  The book doesn't need romance actually, the setting of the Scottish village and how the town and city mice were getting used to their new environments was captivating.  The forced romance, not so much.

Also, if this book is to be believed, London is disgusting and horrible and the people there shallow and vapid and the only good people are salt of the earth from little po-dunk villages who have spotty phone reception and WiFi.  London is ugly and grey, villages in the middle of nowhere are gorgeous and full of life, which we are reminded of every page or so.  

Having never been to London or to a village in Scotland, I have no idea if this is true about the people and the place, but it does skew the expectations of the reader.  

This book wasn't really for me, but it may have been because I haven't read the first two books in the series.  The characters in the Scottish village are regulars, so it would have been a boost to see them again in this book had I read the first two books, whereas I was meeting them for the first time here.  

This author and the first two books are quite popular in our store, can't keep them on the shelves in fact, which made me curious and why I requested this book in the first place.  I think I would have been better served had I started at the beginning to be honest.  It's not necessary, but I think I would have enjoyed it more personally.

Recommended if you have read the first two books and if you are pro-rural areas and anti-big cities.  2, not bad but it wasn't what I was looking for, stars.

This was such a fun contemporary style romance. It was not super unique or shocking, but I enjoyed the journey regardless. I recommend this for people looking for a good contemporary romance with relatable main characters.

A fun and predictable read from Jenny Colgan. I liked the contrast in settings, though I found Kirrinfief a little bit too idyllic. The ending wrapped up a little too conveniently for my tastes, with the job share so that both could stay in Scotland. I do want to hear more about the fabulous Kim-Ange!

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed this story about as much as The Bookshop on the Corner, although this one was a lot more emotionally charged. I found myself crying a number of times (not something I like doing at while listening to the audio book - LOL).

This book follows two nurses who switch jobs and homes for a few weeks. Lissie, who is suffering from PTSD after witnessing a terrible accident/crime is sent to a quiet town where she can relax away from the hectic life of London and await the trial she is a witness for. Cormack is sent to London to get some experience as a big city nurse. As they exchange emails to explain the needs of their swapped patients to one another, and info on their homes, they begin to form a friendship from 500 mile apart.

I think one of my biggest issues with this book is that it is essentially the same story as The Bookshop on the Corner and (from what I read of the synopsis) The Bookshop on the Shore; big city girl head to this little Scottish town where she discovers a love of small town life and small town men. While there is nothing wrong with this trope, I wonder if any of the women in this small Scottish town are good enough for the men here, or tired of small town life and up for a venture into big city life.

That being said, the characters in this small town are very sweet and endearing, and it's hard not to enjoy their way of life and acceptance of outsiders into their town. I liked both Lissie and Cormack as characters and their slow building friendship and budding affection was sweet. I wish there was more with them after they met though to see if the emails they shared really did become a long term romance.

This was a sweet story. I had not read the previous novels in this series that introduced Nina and Zoe so some parts felt like I was missing some background but overall it worked as a standalone novel. The story begins with a traumatic event that leads to two NHS nurses switching jobs in Central London and a remote Scottish town. It was a sweet story where love grew between the two main characters.

This is book 3 in the Scottish Bookshop series.  Lissie is a nurse in London and witnesses a terrible accident when a friend is killed. Cormac is a nurse/paramedic all around medical man who is assigned to small town, Kirrinfeif in the Scottish Highlands. Now the powers that be decide they both need a change in their lives and switch them.  Cormac and Lissie must email and talk daily about their various patients and begin to build a friendship. Both are fish out of water in their new assignments and must help each other overcome major obstacles. A cute story.  I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lissa, a London-based NHS nurse, witnesses a fatal, intentional hit-and-run whose 15 yo victim is someone she’s met. The experience leads to PTSD, and she’s shipped off to the Scottish Highlands to have time to heal, exchanging places with Cormac, a former Army medic whose time in Afghanistan has left him with his own ghosts. As both slowly become used to the vastly unfamiliar landscapes they’ve been dropped into, their professional texts discussing each other’s patients begin to evolve into friendship.

As with all of Colgan’s books, 500 Miles to You, 3rd in The Scottish Bookshop series, is a heartwarming, character-driven story with the locations featuring prominently. Unfortunately, this one is weak. Secondary characters like Lissa’s transgender friend Kim-Ange and Scottish ambulance driver Jake are well-drawn and provide subplots that move the story along. Issues including homelessness, teen delinquency, and organ transplants are handled delicately. Unfortunately, the unlikely romance between Lissa and Cormac doesn’t make a great deal of sense given the minimal correspondence we’re privy to, the fact that they’ve never met face to face, and that Lissa hasn’t even seen a photo of Cormac. We don’t even get the satisfaction of a first kiss. Overall, not one of Colgan’s best efforts. The pacing is slow, the plot rather shallow, the texted dialogue between the two is sparse, and the ending is rushed and unsatisfying. Fans of Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare and her latest, The Switch, might enjoy the similarities between the books, though this one suffers in comparison.
 
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

"500 Miles From You" by Jenny Cogan is a story of swapped lives from London and Scotland. Londoner, Lissa suffers PTSD after witnessing a hit and run accident which leaves a 15 year old boy dead and Highlander, Cormack, needs a change of pace from his quite life in Scotland. The two switch places for 3 months and learn to live life at a different pace and appreciate new aspects of the world. 

While I enjoyed Lissa and Cormac's individual stories I never really felt a connection between them. Their communication seemed, to me, a brief part of the book and not nearly enough for me to become involved in their joint story. I also was disappointed with some of the characters that were introduced briefly that I thought would develop more with their respective storylines but then were never mentioned again. 

I have read many of Jenny Cogan's books and found this one to just miss the mark.

What a cute, unique love story!  The characters were well written, proved to be very interesting.  It was a hard to put down. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC copy

500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan is a unique romance. I loved the idea for this story and I did find it to be a quirky but fun read. The writing was a bit hard to get into. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Another winner from Jenny Colgan. I was so excited to receive an ARC of a Jenny Colgan book and this one did not disappoint! 

The best kind of meet cute, I loved that the premise behind the novel was a job/life swap. Two medical staff swap, between the Scottish highlands and London, the result is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

This was a light, easy read but still touched on the importance of mental health and organ donation.

This is my 3rd attempt at Jenny Colgan and I am going to keep giving her a try because she just seems like an author whose titles I should love. I've read Bookshop on the Corner and the first Rosie Hopkins book and now 500 Miles From You. Each time, the story starts off very strong, amping up my already excitement because her premise's suck me in-but then I zone out and find it hard to focus my attention back into the story. I didn't really care about Lissa or Cormac in this one which I feel terrible for saying because I thought Lissa's PTSD was handled with grace. Another miss for me from this author.

Another terrific edition to the Bookshop on the Corner series. These three books are loosely tied together by the small Scottish village where they take place and I adore seeing familiar characters pop up in each story.

In 500 Miles from You, a young nurse is traumatized after viewing a hit and run in London. When she is essentially forced to participate in a job switch, she reluctantly takes the opportunity for a break from the brutal pace of London. When she steps off the bus in Scotland, she's mesmerized by the landscape but more than a little bit frustrated and confused by the people in the small town.

Meanwhile, Cormack, is the town nurse/everything else and knows he needs a break from the place. Surely, London can't be as bad as everyone says, right? While Lissa and Cormack communicate back and forth to give updates on their patients (and oddities of living in London/Kirrinfief) they start to look forward to talking to each other more than anything else.

I always look forward to Jenny Colgan's novels for their perfect blend of quirkiness, humor, and a sweet love story. 500 Miles From You is no exception! The insight into nursing in both London and a small town in Scotland was interesting and the email communications were so much fun to read.

Any Colgan fan or lover of rom coms will eat this one up!

Jenny Colgan's books always make me smile and this title's nod to one of my favorite happy songs by The Proclaimers made me eager to read this one. 

After Lissa, a nurse in London, witnesses a horrific accident involving someone she knows, she begins displaying classic PTSD signs. Cormack is an ex-Army medic from a quiet town in the Scottish Highlands who visited London once many years before. 

When Lissa's supervisor suggests the two swap places for three months, it seems like it might do them both some good. They agree and the HR department requires daily emails to keep each other up-to-date on patients. Emails quickly become texts... and each wonders if they're alone in their developing crushes. Separated by 500 miles, will they ever meet?

A delightful romance that’ll make you want to pack a bag and head straight to the Highlands!

In 500 Miles From You, Colgan creates a diverse cast of characters with interesting histories and weaves a heartfelt tale of overcoming trauma and finding connections where you least expect them.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the picture Colgan painted of life in the Highlands. I’ve wanted to move to Scotland since I was 15 and this book just made me ache for the day I can move there so much more.

Additionally, Colgan does an amazing job of highlighting the differences between London and Highlands Scotland; painting a beautiful picture of each place that doesn’t suggest one is better than the other, but rather that they are simply different.

While I did enjoy this book I have to admit the romance was rather blah and not very satisfying in the end. There was so much build up to the two main characters meeting and when they finally do, that meeting is glossed over and rushed through. It was very unsatisfying to go through the whole book, and then to get so little detail about their meeting.

There were also a few other plot lines that were unresolved and I was left wondering how those had played out.

Overall this was a fun, quick read and I will be reading more of Colgan in the future.