Abbie is living in London in a rut and dissatisfied at work when she is offered a dream work opportunity. There is only one problem, it is in Salt Lake City, Utah...half a world away. Her ex-husband’s Facebook post announcing he and his wife are expecting a baby is the kick in the pants she needs to take the leap.

When she gets to Utah, she thrives in her PR job for the local soccer team, makes a new friend who shares her love for music and creates amazing opportunities through that, and finds a connection with the playbook at work. A female co-worker warns her off, but she can’t quite resist what they have together.

When it all starts to fall apart, she is devastated. Old, unhealed wounds are reopened and she ends up in Liverpool, on her parents couch, devastated. She shares her deepest secret with her parents expecting their disappointment and censure. When they show her their unwavering support (and she learns a little about their rebellious youth), she is able to find someone to help her work through the event and trauma that has been holding her back. As she heals herself, she is able to rebuild what she lost and plan for the future.

This book is about starting over. It is about believing in yourself even while you are leaning on those who love you. This is an amazing, fun, quick, sweet, and empowering five-star read. It comes out the end of this month.

I am thankful for the electronic copy of the book Half The World Away by Rebecca Banks that I received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. 

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A delicious rompy rom com that would be perfect sun-lounger holiday read, although it was very diverting in a wintery lockdown!

The main character Abbie, needing a fresh start and an escape finds a job in the States and runs into Kyle on her first day.
All the characters are well developed which adds a certain breadth to the novel, elevating it beyond a simple rom com.

With a serious subject being touched upon, the story is elevated beyond a syrupy rom com giving it more weight which was enjoyable.

a very entertaining read.
Thank you NetGalley and author Rebecca Banks for a copy of this book in return for my review

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!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

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.

Great read.
Abbie moves from London to Salt Lake City for a job. She is fed up of her job, but also when she finds her ex and his new wife are expecting their fist child she needs to escpae her past.
She literally bumps in to Kyle and then find that she will be working with her. he makes it clear what he wants, but she is worried he is a player. Will they have a chance or will her jealous colleague Kitty get her way and ruin things for Abbie and Kyle?
Some of the places they visit sound so amazing and make you want to go and visit!

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!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Literally PR for the opportunity to read and review Half A World Away by Rebecca Banks.

The blurb of this book is what really drew me to it as I am one of these weird girls who just happens to love football but I also love romcom books and you don't very often get a combination of both!!

'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, Utah.

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?'

I absolutely loved this book. Firstly I can't believe it's Rebecca's debut novel, I felt like I'd been reading her work for years, it was so well written and really drew me in.

Once I started it I found it really hard to stop! Serves me right for reading in my lunch hour. Once I picked it up again in the evening I devoured the rest of it!

I really connected with the main character, Abbie, I felt like I could live her life 😂. The supporting characters were so well thought out and put together. Nothing felt out of place, the characters & storyline fitted so well together.

I loved the fact there were a couple of twists thrown in to keep it away from a predictable storyline. One of them really threw me - Rebecca touched on a really serious subject and covered it extremely well. It took the story in a different direction before pulling it back to a gorgeous ending.

Half The World Away is a fantastic debut novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily recommend it to anyone. In fact I dare anyone who is a fan of romcoms to pick it up and not want to finish it in one sitting.

Hope you've got started on a second novel Rebecca, will definitely be looking out for it!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 - from me.

I am so conflicted about this book. On the surface, I really enjoyed the sweet and cheesy story of Abbie, and all the rom-com adventures she has when she moves from London to Utah. Though the story was predictable, the characters had good enough chemistry to make up for it and keep me engaged the whole time.

However, I have had to lower my rating due to my frustration at a number of things: the use of “OCD” and “bipolar” as descriptors, not denoting the mental health conditions they refer to; the use of the term “American Indian” (especially strange since the terms “native American” and “indigenous” are used later on in the book, so it appears that Banks is aware of the appropriate terms to use); and the way in which the sexual harassment of a 17 year old girl is dealt with at the start of the novel. Pertaining to the last one, although Abbie is obviously uncomfortable with being asked to help cover up an alleged sexual assault at the hands of one of the football players from the club she works for, and this does trigger her to begin thinking about leaving her job, I couldn’t help but feel that Abbie is still complicit in the cover up and I was left feeling uncomfortable overall about it. I know this was not at all the main plot of the novel, but I just think it could’ve been dealt with a little better (although we hear that the footballer in question supposedly gets his comeuppance at the end of the book when he is made to leave the club, I still felt frustrated that he had got away with it, and had not been properly punished for his crime). Sorry for the long rant, these things all just left a bad taste in my mouth unfortunately and tainted what was otherwise a very sweet story.

CW: sexual assault and harassment; abortion

Thank you for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.


This book was a nice little rom com.
It was a light easy read and had a lot of things I enjoy in rom coms like new beginnings.
The plot didn’t really develop too much but was still enough to keep me interested to carry on reading.
It definitely wasn’t the best I’ve read but a nice read in between some of the heavier books I’ve read lately.
I also really liked the main character Abbie, she became more and more relatable as the book went on.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

This is a fun Rom-com to read. When you are in a situation where things are falling apart (getting a divorce and hating what you do for a living) what should you do? Well this book has the answer for you! You simply start over. The book was well written. Was it the best rom-com I have read? No, but it was genuine and fun.

I received an advance copy of, Half The World Away, by Rebecca Banks. Going from Liverpool to Utah is a bit of a culture shock. This book is pretty good, Abbie and Kyle are good characters.

When Abbie finds out that her ex husband is having a baby with his new wife, Abbie decides she needs a change and a new job in Salt Lake City might just be the change she needs. On the first day, she literally bumps into Kyle, who turns out to work at the same place as her. Despite being warned off him, she starts seeing Kyle more and more and maybe new love in Utah is just what she needs.

I loved this debut from Rebecca Banks and flew through it in one day. I was hooked from page one and was desperate to see what would happen to Abbie and Kyle. Would they find love or would Abbie take Kitty's advice to stay away from him. This is a sweet tale of love and friendship that is perfect for fans of Paige Toon. I will certainly be recommending this novel when it comes out.

Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Loved this book! Banks knows how to sink line and hook her readers!
This romance is more of a slow burn! I loved these characters. And their relationship.
Looking for a quick read that will keep you hooked? This is it!

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.

"Half the world away" would be the opposite end of the world, or as far away as you could possibly get from someone while still being on the same planet.

Another new author who's works I'll definitely be reading in the future. This was full of fun, flirting & football! It was a refreshing change to read a romcom with an original storyline, that you wouldn't think worked, but wove seamlessly together to make this an enjoyable, warming read. Loved the characters, the setting & the ending.

Abbie is a publicist for a London football team, who's antics seem to get them in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Fed up, Abbie takes a new job across the pond in Salt Lake City, working as publicist for the Utah Saints soccer team. Does 'England' find love & can she rekindle her passion for music? ❤️🎶

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Our main protagonist in this book, Abbie, is so lovable. Her inner thoughts throughout the book make you laugh and relate all at once. You can tell the author brought in her own experiences of journalism and specifically sports into the plot. It works really well as the character Abbie has a similar job position. It’s a really sweet novel, and also touches on the topic of divorce and the struggles that come along with that process. The love interest (and loses) are also entertaining! Only thing I would critique about this is how often the word “bloody” is used to describe being annoyed. Although the timing of it usually was used well, it was just used a little too frequently.

“You know what else I’ve learned from therapy? You don’t always get the answers in life. You have to learn to live with the fact things aren’t always tied up with a nice ribbon and a stamp marked closure.” 👏 love this quote from the book!