Book # 2 for The Reading Rush 2019

James and Maya are back! I loved The Note and The Distance. The Postcard is the sequel to The Note and what a whirlwind journey it is! The beginning had me sucked in and the locations Maya and James travel to are so exotic. The level of detail is amazing. I felt like I was there.

The sights smells experiences and tastes come through so well.
I’ve never been anywhere they went to and it was a joy traveling with them. I was chosen by Aria as one of the few to recieve a particularly early eARC which I quickly got into.

I also recieved a paperback ARC which came with a cute postcard showing the destinations in the book. I have a geography degree so anything with a travel theme has me absolutely hooked. Maya and James have plenty of issues to solve too so this makes for a compelling novel.

Thanks so much to Zoë Folbigg and Aria for my copies of The Postcard. Zoë Folbigg is so talented and always writes such page turners.

5 stars

A wonderful book that captured my attention from start to finish. The narrative was paced to perfection with likeable characters to keep my interest. I came to this book have read and loved Zoe's previous work and this one didn't disappoint.

I really wanted to like this book it was no surprise when I struggled to be honest, especially as I struggled with the first book. I just couldn't get to grips with it.

In this book, we are back with Maya and James. I really enjoyed the previous book, but this one is exceptionally good. It's got all the elements of the perfect novel; adventure, intrigue, humour, love, superb characters.

The settings are so real, I felt as though I was there. The highs and the lows of travelling are all part of the story.

There's an interesting back story, with a bit of a mystery, which ties in perfectly near the end, and really brings the plot together so well.

We get to know Maya and James so much better in this book, and I liked them both as characters.

I liked the way we keep in touch with people back home, with Nena's story running parallel to Maya's. At times throughout the book, the two friends are envious of each other's lives. It's interesting to see how we perceive others as having a much better life than ours, but each has their own struggles.

I really enjoyed this book, highly recommended.

An interesting read, a bit of a struggle to get through but overall ok - I appreciate the opportunity to review it!

I received The Postcard by Zoe Folbigg as an ARC from NetGalley. The Postcard is the sequel to the book The Note which I have not read. I don't like to read sequels without reading the previous novel because there are details that you miss. The beginning of Maya & James's relationship is told in the first book. In the Postcard they have decided to take a gap year to travel around India and Asia. Their travels do not go as expected and there are lots of ups and downs as they learn about each other along the way.

I read this after having read The Note - a book I really enjoyed, and I have to admit, I was disappointed by this sequel.

We find Maya and James leaving their jobs behind to travel - first to India and then to South East Asia. What should be a romantic "gap year" for the two turns into a trip that doesn't bring them together. The thing that worked so well in the first book - is that although Maya was pining for James from afar, the story was more about their own self-growth. They each took stock of their lives, saw what was missing and actually decided to make changes.

Then they meet and fall in love.

In this book, they are in love. They decide to travel. And then they get lost in their own heads. Rather than communicate like a couple, they simply turn inward and are both miserable. Or at least that's how it seems, because, again unlike the first book, we basically only get Maya's perspective (in The Note, we skip back and forth between her and James). And by only getting Maya's perspective … the story just seems to drag.

There was also a completely random character tossed in -to add an element of mystery? It didn't fit well and honestly didn't need to be there. Just sorting out their own lives and relationships would have been enough for this book.

A 2 star read. I'm not upset I read part two of their story, but honestly, I would have been just as happy having left Maya and James where they were at the end of book 1.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria for a copy in return for an honest review (apologies for the delayed posting).

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of The Postcard by Zoe Folbigg.
I absolutely adore Zoe Folbiggs style of writing. I loved reading The Note and The Distance so I knew I was in for a treat. We revisit Maya and her gorgeous 'Train-man' James. Maya and James basically decide to live my dream life and go back packing for a year. One of the stops is in India and after recently visiting Rajasthan I can confirm the descriptions completely capture the spell binding beauty of the place. I was I intrigued to see how the characters had developed after The Note and I think their relationship is wonderful. In fact we meet friends and family at the beginning of the journey and we meet lots of friends on the travels too, they're all relatable and bring something to the party. A fabulously, entertaining and cleverly written read. I can't wait to see what Folbigg writes next.

Nicht so wahnsinnig gut, wie das Buch angepriesen wurde, aber ziemlich vergnüglich zu lesen.
Leider ein bisschen zu wenig Rom-com für eine Rom-com...

Maya and James journey starts with an idyllic, sumptuous fairy tale wedding of someone for whom James is the "fourth" photographer. It is a typical Bollywood style wedding and the accommodation and the luxury is overwhelming. What follows their journey in India is also typical. Ranging from horrible train journeys to middle of the road guest houses interspersed with the beauty and culture of India the story is almost a travel memoir.

The romance part of the story is that James and Maya are unsure of their own personal wants. At some point in their travels Maya knows that she wants a baby. She has just left her friend Nena back home with an adorable baby and this has set off Maya's yearning for a baby for herself. James does not seem to want the commitment, just yet.

In the same time frame of the story - a separate story of Nena and Tom is played out. Nena coping with motherhood, trying to be the "best" mother and maintaining a facade which will crack soon. Tom knowing something is not quite right, but not knowing how to put it right.

Then we have the missing French girl Manon - which has been covered by the International Press. The girl missing initially from Vietnam, then spotted in Thailand and now it is told at a very later stage that the girl has a mental illness and this adds to the problem of trying to locate her.

How the three widely different stories are linked, all with the background of exotic travel starting from the luxurious and going to the spartan, back packing lifestyle and finally coming to what James and Maya actually want from their lives.

Descriptive and captivating as any travel memoir, the story of James and Maya and the other characters all blend in well.

I read The Note when it was released and really enjoyed it. I was excited to hear the author had written another book; however, I must admit I was a bit disappointed to discover it was a sequel. I’m not a fan of follow-ons, The Note was great and could have been left as it was.

Anyway, I read this book and really enjoyed it (despite my initial doubts). I like the author’s writing style and find her books easy to read. Characters are well written and the story flowed well.

Thank you for my advanced copy NetGalley

This is a follow up to The Note but I think it could be read as a standalone title. I have just read that The Note was based on a true story but not sure if that is true. This book follows Maya and James as they embark on a sort of gap year travelling around Asia. Throw in an old boyfriend, a lost woman and their own insecurities and you have a good read.

Sometimes you just know that you are going to really enjoy reading a particular book. So much so that I put it to one side and went back to read the start of Maya and James' story - The Note. This sequel picks up straight after where the previous book stopped. Now a couple and living together in Maya's Victorian maisonette life has been pretty hectic for the dynamic duo.

Maya has retrained as a pastry chef and James is now a freelance photographer. His portfolio is growing by the day and he is THE in demand wedding photographer. Maya has been dreaming of backpacking round the world for some time so when James is booked to be photographer at his old boss's celebrity wedding in India it seems like to perfect way to kick off their travels.

All of the old favourites from the first book are here again. Best friend Nena is now happily married to Tom but struggling to come to terms with motherhood and what she perceives to be a lack of a bond between herself and baby Eva. Lack of sleep and feelings of inadequacy are starting to break up the strong bonds that she felt with Tom and his son Arlo.

Not long into the trip Maya begins to realise that she doesn't really want to travel. She wants a baby, her own baby. And she knows that James really doesn't. A series of adventures follow that are all punctuated by Maya treading on eggshells and not talking to James about what she really wants.

If you enjoyed The Note - and a lot of people did. It was Amazon Prime's most read book of 2018 - then there really isn't any choice. You need Maya Elizabeth Gloria Flowers and Train Man in your life!

A year after finally getting together, Maya is trying her hand in baking while James is getting more and more work as a photographer. But these two lovebirds decide to take the year off and travel, although she sort of had to talk him into it. While they set off on their adventures, Maya is doing a column about their trip for Esprit magazine, James is still stressing about bookings that he canceled, although hopeful of getting work as a travel photographer, and Maya’s best friend is back home completely breaking down over the stress of motherhood. Sounds busy, but there’s more. Also woven into this story is the mystery of a young woman that has gone missing during her travels, as well as, Maya’s sudden realization that she wants to have a baby!

I loved The Note and was so excited to read The Postcard. But while I enjoyed The Postcard, I don’t think this follow-up is as good as the first novel. Perhaps it’s unfair to say that because rather than James and Maya remaining painted in a picture-perfect light at the end of The Note, The Postcard reminds readers of the realities of relationships and not everything stays so perfect after the couple walks off into the sunset. Not everything is going to be sunsets and roses after that amazing kiss that seals the deal with another person, however, most of my issues were with Maya herself. I found her hilarious and spunky in The Note, but this novel had me thinking descriptors such as “self-absorbed” and “spoiled.”

The Postcard is written with Folbigg’s trademark wit and charm, so any issues with a character here and there were frequently forgotten thanks to the writing and dialogue. This one started out a bit slow for me, but I assure you that once you get pulled into their travels and descriptions you will find yourself burning up the pages on this one. This author is the master of vivid language and imagery which evokes all the feels, sometimes gross, but I found the colonic hilarious, and she brilliantly keeps the reader on their toes as she navigates through her characters’ adventures. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

*Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lovely feel good read. It was well written and flowed well. I enjoyed it very much. The plot was good and interesting. Hard to put down

The fabulous Zoe Folbigg is back with The Postcard, the phenomenal sequel to her brilliant bestseller, The Note. Uplifting, life-affirming, feel-good and wonderfully romantic, The Postcard is a fantastic love story that is simply crying out for a big screen adaptation!

Maya and James were brought together in the most extraordinary of circumstances. As two complete and utter strangers who had fallen in love on a train, Maya and James’s attraction had blossomed to a love that simply could not be denied and now that they’ve realised that they cannot even bear contemplate spending just one minute away from one another, they have decided to spend the rest of their lives together. But Maya and James are about to learn that the path to true love never did run smooth…

As they decide to journey all around the world, Maya and James find themselves in awe of some of the globe’s most picturesque and breathtaking locations. From romantic Indian weddings to majestic vistas and landscapes, Maya and James’ trip of a lifetime exceeds all of their expectations. The more time Maya spends with the man of her dreams, the more she realizes that she not only wants to spend the rest of her life with James by her side, but that she also wants to have his baby. However, there is a catch: James does not want to have children of his own.

Maya and James’ love affair had started so promisingly on a train, but can it withstand planes, bikes and tuk tuks? Can they work through their differences and triumph over all the obstacles standing in their way? Or will love at first sight prove to be a mere myth and the stuff of movies and romantic novels?

Zoe Folbigg has done it again and penned a first class love story that will make you giggle, sigh and cry. The Postcard is a wonderful tale brimming with charm, warmth and heart written with great humour, style and flair.

Maya and James are fantastic characters who really come to life and whom readers will find themselves cheering and rooting for. Believable, funny and brilliantly nuanced, by the end of the book readers will grow to care for them like their dearest friends.

Zoe Folbigg has outdone herself with The Postcard, a tender, touching and outstanding love story romantics everywhere are going to love!

This is book #2 in The Note series. It can be read as a standalone though if you haven’t yet read the first book. Both books in the series are based on the true story of one woman and her ‘train man’. This second book features Maya and her ‘train man’, James planning a year long, round the world trip of a lifetime. Whilst at home Maya and James are the perfect vision of young love, can that love survive when they are staying in the worst accommodation ever and undergoing colonic irrigations!

My first book by this author. I haven’t read the first book in the series, and to be honest I didn’t realise either of them were based on a true story! I didn’t find I needed to have read the first book, but I will definitely go back and give it a read to read Maya and James’ story from the beginning! I have to admit until they began travelling, I did find the story a little slow. I did however love Maya’s best friend Nena’s perspective of being a new mum, which interspersed the chapters. A great character who, I felt, gave a completely realistic view on what a new mother’s life is like in those early few months!

Once Maya and James began to travel the story really picked up and I really connected with it. I loved James’s character and thought he gave up so much to go on this journey, whereas I didn’t like Maya as much and thought she was a little selfish in expecting James to do this. Some of the experiences were funny, some more serious but I did find myself balking at the idea of colonic irrigation, particularly how it was described!! You certainly wouldn’t want to get the implements mixed up with your toothbrushes!! Their journey is though, brought alive with the descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of all the different countries that they visit and the writing certainly makes you feel like you are right in the middle of it all!

This was a completely different book to what I imagined it was going to be, but once I got over the initial few chapters I really enjoyed it. There are a few serious issues dealt with, but also a lot of laughs. Maya envied Nena being a mother and Nena felt that Maya was having a much more glamourous time on her journey and this book shows us that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, as both women seemed to imagine it was! It also shows us that whilst we think we know what we want from life, perhaps we’re not always right either. An enjoyable read which would appeal to all!

This is the sequel to Zoe Folbiggs ‘The Note’. We pick up the story as Maya and James plan on taking a year long trip travelling around the world. We are caught up with events from the year between the end of the first book and the start of this – I think you could read this happily as a standalone, but I always recommend reading a series in order (personal preference though).

Overall, I think The Postcard is charming, funny with elements of mystery, intrigue and even danger. I love when a book takes us on travels around the globe and was excited to hear about each destination. I mean, I love India and adore reading books that are set there or characters that travel through the country because I enjoy getting a picture in my mind of the place. I think we had some great glimpses of each place Maya and James enjoyed, but for me, I was left wanting more.

I quite enjoyed that we had the secondary storyline of Nena’s struggles with motherhood as well as the disappearance of backpacker Manon Junot in Thailand threading throughout. I understood the inclusion of Nena’s struggles – it contrasted to where Maya and James were in their relationship, but I admit I didn’t see why the Manon Junot storyline kept popping up at first.

I enjoyed how this books shows how we all put expectations on ourselves, we all compare ourselves to others even when their situations are completely different. It highlights how you should look at what you want from life and go for it, even if you didn’t initially set out with that goal in mind. Life is unexpected and not to be taken for granted.

I enjoyed the positive that exudes from the book, the writing is brilliant and we are given such a fantastic array of characters. Some quirky and funny, some annoying and you’ll want to punch them in their smarmy faces.


A highly enjoyable read for all. Thank you to Aria Fiction for the copy to review in exchange for an honest review

An average story for me, decently written with some good characters - there were just too many of them! A solid read, particularly if you’ve read the first.

I really enjoyed this book, reading it straight after I finished The Note worked well as I was ready to follow the characters into their next adventure. It was nice to see James and Maya together and to see where they went after their train romance. I also liked seeing how Nena and Tom were getting on, feeling for her situation throughout the story. I loved the idea of Maya travelling, and enjoyed the situations they found themselves inc but would have liked more detail about some of the places they travelled. I also found I wanted to bang their heads together in order to get them to talk more about their feelings!
Thank you to netgalley for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.