James Bailey

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The Flip Side

The Way Back To You

Penguin Shop: 3 Clothbound Classics for £33

The Way Back To You had the ability to make me feel all warm and fuzzy but at the same time I literally couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the sense of intrigue around missed connections and impending weddings and the characters were complex and beautifully written. Please could we have a sequel so that I can find out where they all are in five years' time?! A tale of pen pals, pretty French towns and sweet friendships - I loved it!

A joyful gem of a book that will have you cheering on its protagonist. Bonus points for the 70's nostalgia in the flashback chapters

A charming story filled with wit and romance. I loved it

A delightful read, full of warmth and humour

Caroline Khoury, author of It Must Be Love

Chances are you will fall in love with this rom-com packed with wit, long lost love and second chances

Utterly adorable and romantic. I feel uplifted!

The Flip Side is utterly charming, funny and very relatable!

Josie Silver, bestselling author of One Day in December

A funny, sparky read that feels fresh and modern ... this book is fab

Sophie Cousens, author of the New York Times bestseller This Time Next Year

Really sweet, warm hearted story with some very funny moments . . . Thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a lovely way to start the new year

James Bailey's debut novel takes the usual rom com formula and turns it on its head . . . refreshing, funny and heartwarming, we could not get enough of this

A wonderful, feel-good gem of a book

This is the book you need right now if you're looking for an uplifting, funny read ... You will find yourself laughing out loud

It's amazing, it's joyous. It's like finding yourself in the middle of the warmest, funniest, most amazing romantic comedy you've ever come across. Everyone is going to fall in love with it. James Bailey is definitely a writer to watch

Miranda Dickinson, Sunday Times bestselling author

A truly heartwarming story that left me with a huge smile on my face! A gorgeous story of second chances, full of nostalgia and characters you love from the start

The funny and heart-warming story of long lost love and second chances

When Simon reconnects on Facebook with first love Sylvie - the French pen pal he never actually met all those decades ago - he is determined that things will be different. 
Together with old school friend, Ian, he sets off on a bike ride from Bristol to Bordeaux, the same route they covered as teenagers in pursuit of love. 
But although Simon and Ian have better bikes, more acceptable haircuts, and Google Maps, some things never change. And the road to true love is as bumpy as those country lanes. 
 Is it ever too late to fulfil your dreams? And will Simon finally meet Sylvie?

Fall in love with the hilarious and heart-warming new novel of long lost loves and second chances, from the author of The Flip Side 
 
'Chances are you will fall in love with this rom-com packed with wit, long lost love and second chances' COSMOPOLITAN'S BEST NEW BOOKS IN JUNE 
 
'A charming story filled with wit and romance. I loved it' OLIVIA BEIRNE 
 
'I literally couldn't put it down, beautifully written. A tale of pen pals, pretty French towns and sweet friendships - I loved it! LORRAINE BROWN 
 
'A delightful read, full of warmth and humour' CAROLINE KHOURY 
______ 
 
Three friends. Two summers. One chance to find the way back to you . . . 
 
When Simon reconnects with his first love Sylvie - the French pen pal he never met - he is determined to not let her go again. 
 
However, life isn't so straight-forward at sixty as it was at sixteen. His daughter's getting married, he's got a B&amp;B to run, and his larger-than-life school friend, Ian, has abruptly waltzed back into his life. 
 
Deciding to seize this second chance, Simon sets off on a bike ride from Bristol to Bordeaux with Ian in tow, on the very same route they covered as teenagers in pursuit of love. 
 
But although they now have better bikes, more acceptable haircuts, and Google Maps, some things never change, and it soon becomes clear that this trip will have even more bumps in the road than the first . . . 
______ 
 
'A joyful gem of a book that will have you cheering on its protagonist' CULTUREFLY 
 
Praise for THE FLIP SIDE! 
 
'Refreshing, funny and heartwarming, we could not get enough of this' HEAT 
'Utterly adorable and romantic. I feel uplifted!' GIOVANNA FLETCHER 
'Utterly charming, funny and very relatable!' JOSIE SILVER 
'A wonderful, feel-good gem of a book' SUN 
'A funny, sparky read that feels fresh and modern . . . this book is fab' SOPHIE COUSENS 
'Really sweet, warm hearted story with some very funny moments . . . Thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a lovely way to start the new year' CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER 
'The ultimate rom-com' INDEPENDENT

James Bailey was born in Bristol, and currently lives and works in his home city. A graduate of King's College London, James has previously carried the Olympic Torch, made a speech at the House of Commons, and worked as a red-carpet reporter. The Way Back To You is his second novel. His debut, The Flip Side, has been published in eleven languages and optioned for TV. Find out more about James on www.JamesBaileyWrites.com, or on Instagram @JamesBaileyWrites.

The Way Back To You

The funny and heart-warming story of long lost love and second chances

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