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.

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.

I love Jenny Colgan's books, and 500 Miles from You is no exception! It's lovely to read a G-rated book that holds one's interest from beginning to end.

Lyssa is a home care nurse in London. On her way home one day, she witnesses a horrific fatal accident - one in which she knows the victim. From the beginning she's emotionally involved. After convincing the victim's mother to donate his organs, Lyssa falls completely apart.

Cormac, discharged from the military due to PTSD, is a home care nurse in s small Highland village. One of his teenaged patients is saved by a transplant; ironically, the organ donor is Lyssa's patient.

It's strongly suggested that Lyssa needs a change of environment. Through an exchange program, she and Cormac switch places. While each is living in the other's lodging and seeing the other's patients, they communicate via email and become friends.

I would highly recommend this title to anyone who loves contemporary women's fiction and clean romance.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#5ooMilesfromYou#NetGalley

Heat Factor: They’re not even in the same place until the very end of the book (seriously, 96%), so no
Character Chemistry: Weirdly, the chemistry worked for me, and I’m still trying to figure out how
Plot: Two nurses do an exchange program
Overall: It’s a lot and scanty at the same time

An epistolary romance between an ex-army medic Scottish nurse practitioner and an inner city London nurse practitioner with PTSD, you say? Sign me up, I say.

This book is published by HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, so I expected it to be a bit more in the chick-lit romance zone than in the romance romance zone, and that’s exactly where it was. So if you’re looking for a no-sex, self-exploration sort of story, this might strike your fancy. But it also had a bit more of a literary fiction finish than I’d expected, which occurred in a few different areas of the tale, leaving me with mixed feelings, because in some ways it worked while in others it was frustrating.

For starters, Cormac, the Scottish nurse, and Lissa, the London nurse, somehow have an engaging connection even though they’re barely together. They really meet after the 95% mark (there’s an interlude at 84%, but they haven’t actually met at that point), and calling this an epistolary novel is a bit of a stretch because they do talk to each other through email and text, but not very much. The exchanges, as written, are almost nothing in terms of meaningful exchanges between burgeoning love interests. And yet, somehow, the understated way that Colgan goes about developing this relationship works.

(On the other hand, from a relationship development standpoint, I’m feeling a little bit like I feel after characters have a break up fight and then the reconciliation is a proposal. Like, that’s maybe not super healthy.)

The best way, I think, to illuminate the dynamic I’m talking about is to share a passage that embodies this understated style. Both Cormac and Lissa have been out with other people and realized that they really just wanted to talk to each other. Lissa’s trauma is on the page rather graphically - note: big content warning of on-page death of a child - because it’s the reason that she has PTSD and needs to move to Scotland, but the reader doesn’t get the same understanding of Cormac’s trauma from his time as an army medic. So after never wanting to talk about it in his small town where everybody knows everybody’s business, Cormac realizes he wants to talk, but not with the woman he’s on a date with. So he starts texting Lissa:

"Lissa didn’t say anything, just sat and waited, the little glowing phone in her hand, the center of her world right then. And Cormac poured it all out, typing as if his life depended on it, his spelling all over the place. Telling her about the hideous injuries, the pointless pain, the children caught in the cross fire; the waste of all of it. How he couldn’t sleep, couldn’t stop worrying about it. How he had come home, and his mother was ashamed of him, and he felt like a coward for leaving his comrades. She read it all, patiently and carefully. And at the end of it, she typed just two words.
"I know.
"And she signed it off with a kiss. And Cormac held his phone to his chest, close, just as, five hundred miles away, Lissa was doing exactly the same thing, as if they were holding each other’s hearts in their hands."

On the one hand, there is basically no grit in this, one of the heaviest and most romantic points of the story. In a paragraph, Lissa and Cormac connect, and we don’t even really get to see it. On the other hand, we can understand how important and meaningful it is to these protagonists, even without a level of detail that could, frankly, undo all the hard work of creating the romantic tension up to that point. It’s extremely detached, and yet it totally works.

Where this style didn’t work so well for me was in the unnecessary withholding of information about the characters. There is no benefit to ambiguity when an author is trying to get the reader to connect with the experience of a non-white character. AND YET I had only a frustrating inkling about Lissa’s race (because of comments about her hair) until a moment well into the story when a secondary character described her by referring to Meghan Markle (except that she doesn’t look like Meghan Markle, but you know those freckles?), which also didn’t really tell me much, so I wasn’t sure until nearly the end of the book when yet another secondary character asked Lissa, “But where are you REALLY from?”

I understand that all of these characters can see each other, but I can’t see them, so describing one person as “with olive skin” and another as “with too-long hair” in the same paragraph is just super confusing. Am I meant to understand that the latter character is white while the former has a particular heritage? And is that heritage supposed to be, like, Italian or, like, Egyptian or...? S-P-E-L-L I-T O-U-T F-O-R M-E.

As for the rest, I expected this to be a bit of self-exploration for both Lissa and Cormac, who were mired in their own worlds and would benefit from being somewhere new. They would connect over sharing new experiences! I was excited about this because I am a child of urban and rural myself. But what started off as a sort of challenge to both Lissa and Cormac’s biases - there’s merit in both city and country living, right? - turned into a love song to the rural life. This was fine because the couple was going to have to end up somewhere, but disappointing because Lissa seemed to conflate small town life with self care.

To clarify: At one point Lissa wakes up on a weekend morning, and she revels in being able to relax.

"Once upon a time this would have made Lissa panic. She would have felt lonely and worried that she was living in the center of the greatest city in the world and not making the most of it. She would have been entirely concerned that she was wasting time, desperately checking her Insta to see if her friends had been up to something fun that she would have wanted to go to…"

Whereas in Kirrinfief, Scotland, none of that pressure existed, and everybody simply went to anything eventful because that was all there was to do, and if you wanted some company you could just walk down to the pub for a chat. It’s a slightly romanticized view of rural life, but it’s certainly true that you’re more likely to be able to strike up a conversation in a rural pub than in a bar in an urban center. I just never felt that Lissa fully extracted setting personal boundaries and doing what made her truly comfortable (which she should have been able to do in either setting) from what made Kirrinfief the place she wanted to put down roots.

While this was a very nice book, and I enjoy a solid slow burn, I would have preferred a little more reward after waiting for Lissa and Cormac to get to each other. More romance romance, if you will.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

There better be another book in this series. Texts and emails between the two nurses isn't enough. I want to know more about the romance that may flame up.

Best heartwarming romance I've read in a while. Third Colgan book about the Scottish village of Kirrinfief. This time London Nurse Lissa swaps jobs with Kirrinfief Nurse Cormac. Definitely a funny fish out of water story! Though Lissa is trying to recover from PTSD. Through the exchange of patient notes and then texts Lissa and Cormac get to know one another. And possibly care for one another?

I love Jenny Colgan books and this book did not disappoint! The cottage sounded so cozy I wish I could live there myself and the relationships in the book are complicated and fun.

I picked this title up because I had read an excerpt from another Jenny Colgan book and quite enjoyed it. So, I found the premise of the story attractive and decided to try one of her books out. This story centers around Cormac, a Scottish medical worker from a small town, and Lissa, an English medical worker from the metropolis of London. Switching jobs through an exchange program, they live and work the other complete stranger's life for three months. Lissa struggles with burn-out and stress in her job after witnessing a traumatic and deadly hit and run. Cormac is struggling through PTSD from a stint in the military and feeling stagnant in his safe order in life. In living the contrasting experiences of the village life and the city life respectively, they search for their bearings and discover new friends along the way.


Honestly, I was hoping for more romance in this story than was given. I knew going in from the premise of the book that the two main characters weren't going to be physically meeting each other for most likely the majority of the book. However, it even seemed like the back and forth of their correspondence was limited. That was the only tie connecting the characters for the most part to me. I kind of felt like the supporting friends and characters that Lissa and Cormac meet in each other's lives helped them move forward in life more than the pair themselves did. In fact, one of my favorite aspects of the book were the supporting characters that graced the pages. The characters of this story helped push me through the book more than the actual plot. Also, I felt that the serious topics that were mentioned were a pop-up plot device to "connect" the two main characters in their trauma, but it didn't really address the issues to my satisfaction.

I gave this title 3 out of 5 stars. Did it exceed my expectations? No, but it did what it advertised it would do. It was a cozy read that infused some serious issues with a light touch, dabbled in a little fluffy romance, and plopped all of that into two contrasting but equally refreshing settings to provide a mostly solid yet breezy read.

DNF'd at 25%

I found myself being unable to connect to the story and characters. The story itself wasn't poorly written, but I personally didn't feel a connection to it. This ultimately wasn't a story for me. I will not be reviewing this story publicly until after release, so as not to negatively impact release. I will discuss this later on in the year.

I usually love Jenny Colgan's books, and have especially enjoyed the previous two books in this series, but this book fell flat for me. The ending felt quite rushed and there were loose ends that seemed to be forgotten. The book seemed a bit unfinished.

Jenny Colgan returns to the magical town of Kirrenkief, Scotland, in 500 Miles from You. Unlike her other series, these books can be read by themselves, although characters from both Bookshop books do make appearances. Lissa is a community nurse in London who witnesses a horrific crime. Due to her PTSD, it's recommended that she swap places with a nurse who works in Kirrenkief, Cormac, who thinks having a chance to spend time in London would be great. I wasn't sure if I'd like the format- each chapter is told from one of their perspectives, but it ended up being a lovely read.

Lissa is a nurse who witnesses a horrifying traffic-pedestrian accident that leaves a young man dead. She had tried to save him, but he died, and it has left her suffering from PTSD. After Lissa’s work performance deteriorates, the nursing supervisor at the hospital gives her two choices: be suspended or agree to a work exchange program for three months that will place her 500 miles from London in a small town in Scotland. The current nurse in the town would relocate to London and work in her position while she’s gone. She agrees to the latter but makes very little action toward preparing herself or the male nurse, Cormac, for their new roles.

Lissa arrives in Kirrinfeif in the Scottish Highland woefully unprepared. She will be living in Cormac’s home, but cannot figure out how to even start the fire to keep warm. She hasn’t taken the time to read his notes on his patients, nor did she prepare him much for her job in London. They start to communicate by text, exchanging their knowledge. Their exchanges soon turn flirty, yet neither has met the other or know what they look like.

Meanwhile, Cormac, who came to London expecting to not like it, soon learns to like some of the big city life. But, still, he misses Kirrinfeif, and can’t wait to return. He also can’t wait to meet Lissa. Will their paths finally cross? Is a romantic relationship—sight unseen—developing between them?

500 MILES FROM YOU is a funny, engaging tale about a couple who know each other only through their texting back and forth with each other. In fact, it isn’t until nearly the end of the book that they meet in person. Will it be love at first sight when they do? Jenny Colgan has a knack for cute storytelling that pulls readers in with prose that is laced with humor and down to earth. Halfway through 500 MILES FROM YOU, readers will start rooting for Lissa and Cormac to fall in love and live happily-ever-after. Its premise is different and makes for an engaging tale.

“And she signed it off with a kiss. And Cormac held his phone to his chest, close, just as, five hundred miles away, Lissa was doing exactly the same thing, as if they were holding each other’s hearts in their hands.”
~Jenny Colgan, 500 Miles From You

There is NOTHING more comforting or wonderful than curling up with a Jenny Colgan book, and her newest release, 500 Miles from You was absolutely no exception! I loved returning it Kirrinfief and seeing Nina and Zoe and their families, as well as getting to know Cormac and Lissa, as they got to know each other.

This book had absolutely everything I look for in a book (and what I’ve come to expect from Jenny Colgan’s writing): beautiful scenery, delicious food, comforting community, moving moments that made me both laugh & cry, and a wonderful romance that gave me butterflies. Reading Jenny’s books feel like having a conversation with your best friend, and I ended this story feeling as if I truly did live in Kirrinfief with all of them.

I loved this book with all of my heart and highly recommend that everyone read it!

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, thank you! Jenny Colgan is an author whose books I never skip; she writes something and I add it to my TBR list! This book has a charming description and it sucked me in immediately! Jenny Colgan has managed to take something truly difficult and embed it with times of happiness and laughter, making for a great read with a lot of heart!

This is my first Jenny Colgan, and I rushed over to buy her other book set in Kirrinfief, because 500 Miles From You is both one of the sweetest romances I have read in ages, and laugh-out-loud funny (watch out for the cow; she's got a mean kick!) -- while managing to be pensive and thoughtful about the lingering aftereffects of trauma as well. I felt like I got a two-in-one travelogue: loving portraits of both London and the Scottish Highlands: London with its rough glitter, and Kirrinfief with a tranquility that stopped short of being saccharine. It's inclusive, too: recommended for readers who like portraits of the UK that are inclusive of people of color and people who are trans/non-binary, without being an "issue of the week" after school special.

It felt so good to be reading about people going about their normal lives, dealing with change, and awkwardness. If you're dealing with the continuing uncertainties of working remotely in a global pandemic, and just want to feel normal again for a few hours, this is precisely the book for you.

I loved this book!! I really hope she writes another book in this series. I love how all the stories have built on top of each other with having the ability to be stand alone. I have looked forward to seeing how Nina and Lennox are doing, how Zoe and Ramsey are doing, and hopefully in the 4th book (please) how Lissa and Cormac will be doing... And maybe get into the Kim-Arge story!! But I don't think she will end up in Scotland.
Spoilers:
I loved that the main character is black and it wasn't used to push the story along. It was brought into the story with subtle jabs. I appreciated that as a black woman she didn't try to make the entire story be about how Lissa was black and witnessed a gang hit. It was used in a way that black people would use it, when I speak to friends, I do not have to remind them that I am black constantly and that was SO refreshing. I also love an interracial relationship too!

There is a lot I liked about this book but it’s really more fiction than romance. Sure Lyssa and Cormac communicate but at first it’s just medical notes as they bring the other up to speed on their caseloads. And it’s only much, much later, after they both casually date other people, that they begin to share a little personal information. Even after that, they’re still considering themselves mainly as acquaintances and maybe friends. The sudden jump to a long term relationship seemed to come from nowhere and with only a few pages to go. But I guess since Joan the GP puts her seal of approval on it then it’s real? Um, I wasn’t convinced.

There are little bits about family friction mentioned for both of them but in neither case was this fleshed out. Lyssa’s family disapproved slightly of her career choice while Cormac’s mum seemed to approve of Cormac’s brother more (why? never revealed) plus there was something (what? very cryptic) that happened to Cormac in the army. Then these issues were dropped. The initial descriptions of Lyssa’s PTSD seemed spot on and I ruefully smiled at how the NHS budget cuts affected her mandated therapy sessions. Then later I realized that three of the six sessions were never shown (did they happen? hard to tell). Her PTSD issues got put aside for long periods and there was one scene in Scotland that I thought should have been triggering to her but strangely it wasn’t. Plus, what happened to the cat? Don’t do that sort of scene and then not give us follow-up on how the cat is. As this is the third book in a series, I expected to see some past characters in Scotland – and did – but their inclusion never felt more than a clunky mandatory catch-up session.

What did work well for me were the scenes of Lyssa and Cormac getting their feet wet in their new digs and jobs. At first, neither is all that impressed. Big city Lyssa avoids eye contact with small town people who know everyone and are slightly affronted with her “snobbish” (they feel) attitudes. There are a few instances of her messing things up (getting stuck in the mud or not knowing how to light a fire) but mercifully this is kept to a minimum. Likewise Cormac is baffled by Londoners who won’t look him in the eye or even say hello not to mention the horrendous traffic, smog haze, and heat. But none of these things are played too broadly and feel like real life experiences anyone might have had happen to them.

One of the nicest things, though, is how both come to find aspects of their new lives that they enjoy. Lyssa falls for the peace, fresh air, and friendliness of Scotland while Cormac finds things in London – restaurants, art galleries, and the freedom to be anonymous in a crowd that he likes. But then the last part of the book rushes things to a conclusion. That plus the aspects that weren’t finished negated what I did like and left me with a C grade overall.