When Lucy and Thomas meet in the butcher’s where he works, there is an instant attraction, and when she invites him round on the pretext of babysitting, they soon find that they also really like each other, and soon they are in a relationship. It shouldn’t work- she is a white, middle class single mumof two in her early forties, he is a 22 year old black man with several casual jobs and a vague ambition to be a DJ/musician. There are bumps in the road, but is it possible that despite their differences, they could be happy together? A light, romantic and funny look at relationships. The characters are engaging, with Lucy’s sons particularly well drawn, but I never felt that the central couple are very convincing. I could believe that the physical side of things was a success, but Thomas spends most of his time at Lucy’s outside this gaming with her sons or watching Netflix, which doesn’t seem very appealing for a woman who is Head of English at a school and wants to have a life outside motherhood. The black/white angle is barely touched on, perhaps deliberately as Hornby challenges preconceptions about cultural differences based on race, such as the idea that a black girl would not be interested in Thomas Hardy. The overall theme seems to be that you can never really make assumptions or plan too much for the future when it comes to relationships, so you should seize the chances that life offers and enjoy the moment without too much analysis or judgement.

A brilliant read, this is my favourite Nick Hornby book. Likeable and interesting characters and an engaging plot. This is about a separated woman and her relationship with a younger man. Themes of love, family, race, class and more.

It’s also interesting since it discusses Brexit but the only issue with books about current affairs is that they date very quickly. The recent pandemic makes this all a bit of a distant memory at the moment. The main character even mentions on the first page that they worry about pandemics but that’s not imminent!

That aside, a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

Brilliant new book from one of my favourite authors - one of the best perks I've had since getting a job as a bookseller last year, a joy to read!! Thanks for the ARC - will certainly be hand-selling this to customers.

This is one of the best novels I have read for some time. Nick Hornby has created a beautiful, contemporary story that is relatable and highly relevant to our current times. Lucy is newly single after her marriage has ended due to her husband’s alcohol problems. She is Head of English in a local secondary school, mum to two young boys and ready to meet a new man. After a few unsuccessful dates with men her own age (who on paper should be suitable) she begins a relationship with someone she has very little in common with. The story looks at how obstacles from our own minds, and prejudices from other people can be detrimental to a relationship but also how they can be overcome. It highlights the huge differences within our society and how our experiences shape the person we become.

The book is set during the socially divisive Brexit campaign, adding another interesting dimension to the story. This assists in emphasising the obvious differences between Lucy and her new man, as well as how different parts of our society viewed the issue and struggled to see the other side of the argument.

This book would appeal to many people I know and is refreshingly honest and topical. It impressively captures the UK before and after the Brexit vote, as well as illustrating the way it dominated our conversations for a long time afterwards. It also highlights the issues associated with modern dating and relationships, and suggests that people who
think they are liberal minded may need to re-examine their subconscious bias.

An easy read. Entertaining but somewhat predictable. I'm afraid it didn't do anything for me. Disappointing because I enjoyed all his other books.

This is the latest from Nick Hornby of About a Boy, Fever Pitch and Hi-Fidelity fame, a story set in London 2016 in the run up to the Brexit referendum where the divisions in Britain are laid bare. Many of the numerous issues that divide the nation are echoed in a romance between a couple that at first glance have little in common and everything that suggests that at best it would be a short lived affair that will fizzle away. White, middle class, educated Lucy is in her forties, a teacher with two children, divorcing a husband with alcohol issues and a remainer when it comes to Brexit. 22 year old working class Joseph is black, working a number of jobs, including that of being a butcher and babysitter, dreaming of being a DJ, and, of course, is a leaver.

The scene is set for a interracial relationship that is going to face a number of challenges and difficulties, there is the obvious twenty years age gap between them, their different economic and political backgrounds, along with the class, cultural and social divisions. With humour and wit, Hornby lays out Lucy and Joseph's developing relationship and their interactions, facing the obstacles and narrow mindedness from the outside world that one might expect from such a coupling. Their differences are crucially explored through conversations, a medium through which the author might suggest that the country itself could benefit from when it comes to all that divides us. This is a short, fun, light and entertaining read that has much going for it, told in Hornby's trademark style, although I imagine that many readers are too fed up with Brexit now to possibly give this a chance. I enjoyed it but it did not leave such an imprint on my mind that would ensure I will remember it in the long term. Many thanks to Penguin UK for an ARC.

A should I shouldn’t I story. Why would I but why not. It would be mad but can I resist. All the cards are stacked against them. They are attracted from the moment they meet but is that enough? What would you do?

Doesn’t do anything Jonathan Coe’s Middle England didn’t do better. And may I propose a temporary ban on novels about middle-class whiners in the capital?

To be honest, I’m a little bit ‘meh’ about this book. Definitely not one of Nick Hornby’s best. I sometimes thought that in trying to be anti racist and anti ageist, that it somehow had the opposite effect. A middle aged white guy writing from the p o v of a young back guy and a middle age divorced woman! Not really sold.

This is Nick Hornby, maybe not quite at his finest, but still doing pretty fine. I've read all of Nick Hornby's books so far, and I have fairly high standards!

We meet 22 year old Joseph - assistant butcher, football fanatic, amateur DJ, babysitter, and Lucy 42 year old Lucy - teacher, mum of tea, recently divorced from her alcoholic husband. They seem like an unlikely pair for a romance but that's the route we're going down! There's a lot of 'baggage' riding on this relationship - the twenty year age difference, the class difference, the politics of interracial relationships, class divisions... and this is all set around the time of the Brexit Referendum. It's not an easy time to start a relationship - although, as Lucy muses, when would be?

It definitely brought me back to the feel of 2016 - the shock post Brexit and the constant, neverending, circular debates about it. Moving in liberal circles where one assumes that others will share your view, and finding out they don't; learning to be more careful; learning that white privilege is so much more ingrained that we ever thought. I think this was a time when British people realised just how much racism there is here, that it isn't something we can relegate to America.

As Lucy and Joseph's relationship develops all their differences come into further clarity; Lucy spends a long time thinking about it, whilst Joseph mostly wants to avoid difficult subjects. The writing felt a little uneven in places, with some of the secondary characters seeming a bit flat - or simply inserted because they needed to be.

I would be interested to hear someone's view who is not from the UK, because it is such a specific issue (Brexit) that it might feel alienating to a non-British audience. The nuance of living through that time feels like something that might be an 'exclusive club' so might put off readers from abroad. Having said that, Nick Hornby is very much a British author through and through, so I doubt this is intended for the international market.

I liked the fact that we were kept unsure over what the central issue of the book was - were we examining age differences in relationships, were we examining social/class differences in relationships, were we looking at interracial relationships, or were we trying to make sense of the mess we all feel in the fall out of Brexit.

Despite saying it is not my favourite of Hornby's works, I would definitely recommend it. It was fast, light and thought-provoking. I can imagine it being made into a successful mini series actually!

Thank you Penguin for the chance to read this; it will be available for sale from 17th September.

Nick Hornby has always been one of my favourite authors since I read About A Boy 20 years ago.
This is definitely his best one yet; I loved everything about it.
The story is topical and relatable. The characters quickly draw you in.
It’s a fabulous book and I’d recommend this to anyone.

I loved this story, lots of Brexit and other topical tales that involve Lucy and Joseph. Lucy, teacher, separated falls for her babysitter and butchers assistant Joseph. There are great characters as you would expect from Nick Hornby but I feel this is his best book to date. Brilliant

'm a Nick Hornby fan, About a Boy, High Fidelity and A Long Way Down all novels I enjoyed, so I had high expectations for this one.

We meet 22 year old Joseph - butcher, babysitter, football coach, wannabe DJ, and 42 year old teacher Lucy, mum of two, separated from alcoholic husband. In the beginning I warmed to both these characters, and was keen to see the direction their surprising romance would take and whether they would make it.

I like that it takes an ambitious run at many topics - interracial relationships, age gaps in relationships, separation, alcoholism, economic divide, police prejudice,Brexit, the list goes on, and there's something quite refreshing about that. I also think the sense of time and place is captured really well as you really feel 2016 London radiating from the novel complete with the hum of pre and post Brexit emotion.

Without spoiling anything, I think for me however, the setting and atmosphere is more fleshed out than the novel's characters who feel a bit of a stereotype - with Joseph presented as lost, and Lucy as wise and worldly..maybe this is conscious and they counterbalance each other. Not sure. Bar Lucy's children, none of the other characters are particularly likeable, and do not seem to help advance the plot in any way.



I enjoyed this new book from Nick Hornby but the writing felt a little uneven. Two characters meet in a shop, one as an assistant, one as a customer. The customer, Lucy is a (youngish) mother, the shop assistant a much younger man, Joseph. Joseph is black, Lucy white. The story is set in and around the time of the Brexit referendum and the location is well drawn. Some characters were really well drawn - others less so.

The central idea perhaps was confused - were we examining the age difference, or the relationship between two people from different backgrounds - including heritage and class issues or even Brexit.

Having said that, I enjoyed the read - it was light, quick and kind. I think it would make a lovely film.


Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the chance to read this.

Not read this author before but I loved the mix, Brexit, race relations, families and falling in love. What a combination but it made me laugh and I loved the interaction between the two main characters. Will be looking to catch up on some more of Nick Hornby’s books

I had mixed feelings about 'Just Like You'.

I really enjoyed the melancholy, sweet tone throughout the book... and it was funny! I loved the character quirks and the confusing, emotional, realistic conversations the characters had with each other. I really related to their emotion-driven conversations about politics and race which lead them nowhere. I've definitely had similar unproductive conversations about tricky topics which just left me feeling frustrated - this book really emulated that.

At the same time, the book seemed to be leading to something more... which never came to fruition. Maybe I was expecting something bigger, but what I got was a realistic, romantic book, not exactly focused on breaking new ground. So ultimately, I was satisfied, but slightly annoyed: hard to really put my finger on why.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had not read anything by Nick Hornby in many years and within twenty pages realised he was still writing the same sort of stuff - gentle comedies about the human condition and the struggles with getting older and connecting with each other.

Just Like You is about Lucy a middle class 42 year old single mother who forms a relationship with Joseph a much younger black man who works in the local butcher's shop and dreams of being a DJ. The book covers the pre-Brexit vote period from 2016 to 2019, and among other things deals with racism,class division and the problems caused by differing opinions on Brexit. I have heard so much about Brexit in recent times I really did not want to read about it in a comedy!

Just Like You was an easy read which touches on topical issues in a light hearted way,with moments of humour. I liked the character of Joseph, but struggled with Lucy and wasn't entirely convinced by the relationship between the two which was a problem as it was the core of the novel.

I guess long term Hornby fans will enjoy this, but I'm not sure it will bring in many new fans.

Having read a few novels by Nick Hornby already, I can say that this one is pretty similar in style as his other ones. It’s quite light and easy to read although he speaks mostly about feelings and relationship in an interesting way.

This story is based on two main characters, Joseph a black 22 years old man with a few part time jobs who aspire to be a DJ and a white 42 years old single mother of two with a “respectable” job and a troubled ex husband. It is set during the Brexit referendum, and it raises issues about opinion differences, interracial relationships, age gap, love, interests, culture etc.

If I am honest, I didn’t really enjoy this story.
First I would say that I disliked the fact that Nick Hornby wrote in the perspective of a black young man and all the struggles that it includes in our broken society. But I had to shake myself and realise that it is what most writers do when they write fictions, write from the perspective of someone they usually aren’t. Like he doesn’t know what it is to be a white single mother of two for example and would never know, but that didn’t bother me as much so I wasn’t being very fair there.

But what I disliked, really, is the fact that this young black man is portrayed as a struggling, quite poor, not really educated or ambitious young man, like really? I mean, come on. And then, when there is talk about racism, there is nothing educating, informative or ground breaking about it, it just exists and isn’t good. I think he had the potential to do so much better, moreover in this revolutionary time we are going through, and he simply didn’t.

Then less importantly form the point of view of the relationship, I couldn’t feel the desire, or love, or passion and I also couldn’t really see why they fight to be together. They don’t seem to have a great laugh together, be really attracted by each other, or share similar interests. It is all a bit flat.

In all I think that this is an easy read and have the potential to be mind opening for some people but it didn’t do much for me.

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers and the author for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

A book bristling with issues of racism and class, politics and Brexit, societal perceptions, personal insecurities and a whole host of other commentaries into life in Britain.
The story starts at the butchers with a line of middle class people waiting in turn (with a bit of pushing in) for their turn to support local business. Joseph works at the shop, one of his many jobs, and is drawn to Lucy as she is to him.
The relationship between a middle aged mum of 2 (on the road to divorce from her alcoholic, unreliable husband) and a young black man around half her age who walk different paths through life is unexpected to both characters and what ensues is an interesting dip into the complexities of their individual lives and the cultural expectations tied to those lives alongside the stuttering development of their relationship.
Set against the backdrop of the referendum into leaving the EU there are also politics coming into play but this aspect seems quite disjointed from the main thread of the story.
The characters are nicely written with some humorous aspects to them but they never really develop past the expected.
I enjoyed the book but perhaps expected a just a little more from Mr Hornby.

A new Nick Hornby is always a joy, he writes so beautifully, particularly about relationships. He writes from a woman’s standpoint with feeling and great understanding. This is a story about a couple who shouldn’t work due to the differences in their ages and backgrounds. Their path isn’t always smooth but you cheer them on and want them to succeed. Their relationship is set against a backdrop of Brexit which counterpoints their differences. It’s a warm and, at times, funny novel. I enjoyed it immensely.

A funny, clever and understated novel. An easy read that tackles some big themes - racism, Brexit, class. A read for anyone who enjoyed Normal People.