Hope Street by Mike Gayle @HodderBooks @mikegayle #HopeStreet #Netgalley

 

Hope Street by Mike Gayle

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 6th February 2025

My thanks to the publisher for allowing me access to this title in exchange for my unbiased thoughts

Book Description:

The greatest adventure is coming back home.

Lila Metcalfe is a trainee journalist in Derby and she's very used to being given the stories that no one else wants. So, when her editor tells her that the city's Cossington Park development is being held up by a solitary resident on Hope Street who is refusing to leave, she knows she is going to be the one sent to find out more. And that's how she meets Connor.

Twenty-something Connor is the sole resident of Hope Street and he is not at all what Lila is expecting. And he has a very clear reason not to move: he is waiting for his mum to come home.

My Thoughts:

If there was only one way to describe Mike Gayle's writing it would be a warm hug from the pages of a novel. Every one of his books I've read have caused me tears of happiness whilst being a realistic representation of life in the 21st century.

At the start of this novel we are introduced to Lila, a local newspaper reporter just like her dad before her, but with dreams of bigger things. Her boyfriend lives in London but she's starting to feel a bit adrift from him as their long-distance relationship takes its toll. Perhaps it's time to for her be brave and apply for an opportunity to be a journalist in the capital?

Then Lila's boss tasks her with writing a piece for the local newspaper about the council's plans for redevelopment of an area of social housing, however one stubborn resident is refusing to move. A young man named Connor whose mum Bernie left home one day and failed to return. Despite extensive searches by the police and Bernie's best friend, she's never been located. Connor's reason for staying put: what happens when Bernie comes home and the house - and Connor - have both gone? In his mind, he can't possibly leave.

Lila quickly establishes that Connor has learning difficulties, so she is going to have to build a rapport with him if she's going to be able to research his story properly. Luckily, they take a shine to one another and it's not long before Lila has made him a promise she's not sure she will be able to keep. She's going to find his mum. But can she persuade her editor that this is a story worthy of the pages of the local paper? And how will she explain to Connor if she can't keep her promise?

The book follows Lila as she pulls in favours from all the contacts she can think of in order to locate Bernie. The diversity throughout this book is truly representative of life in the UK - the good, the bad and the downright ugly sides of modern life. Each character is written to perfection, one of the author's absolute strengths.

I can guarantee you'll have tears as you follow Connor's story, but whether they're the ones you'll be expecting will depend on the individual. Some readers may find the story a bit predictable in places, but for me the  storytelling ability of the author cancels out that argument 100%.

Another resounding success from Mr Gayle in my humble opinion.

About the Author:

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a Features Editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by the Independent as 'Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,' and by The Times as 'A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic'. Since then he has written thirteen novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and The Man I Think I Know. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages.

You can find him online at mikegayle.co.uk and on Twitter @mikegayle.