‘The Split’ is the latest book by Laura Kay.

Brutally dumped by her girlfriend, Ally is homeless, friendless and jobless… but at least she has Malcolm. Wounded and betrayed, Ally has made off with the one thing she thinks might soothe the pain: Emily’s cat. After a long train journey she arrives home to her dad in Sheffield, ready to fold herself up in her duvet and remain on the sofa for the foreseeable. Her dad has other ideas. A phone call later, and Ally is reunited with her first ever beard and friend of old, Jeremy. He too is broken-hearted and living at home again.

I started this book last night and I reluctantly had to put when I had to go to bed.

This debut even though it’s about heartbreak is fun, uplifting and incredibly warm-hearted.

The story is seen solely through the narrative of Al and begins at the moment that her girlfriend Emily breaks up with her. Heartbroken, Al returns home to Sheffield with Malcolm the cat for company, even though he’s technically Emily’s cat.

Back under her dad’s roof, Al is at a loss at what to do next with her life, disinterested in a career, her passion is for baking and is delighted when an opportunity to work in a bakery arises. Her childhood friend Jeremy is also recovering from heartbreak after his boyfriend broke up with him. Together, they find solace in each others pain and decide the best way to get over heartbreak is to do a 13 mile marathon even though they’ve never ran a day in their lives. It’s through running that Al, meets Jo and thinks that she might help with the heartbreak and distract her from emailing Emily.

I adored this book with all my heart, it’s a genuine love story and life affirming book all rolled into one. I loved Al, she’s kind, witty and has a lovely nature. I loved her interaction with Jeremy, their banter and support for each other when things got tough. I enjoyed their nostalgia journeys as they reminisced their school years and struggling with their sexuality.

Laura has written a wonderful story, flowing at a lovely pace with relatable characters and scenarios and eager dogs and moody cats. I loved this book from start to finish, wonderfully written ‘The Split’ is a fantastic debut about recovering from heartbreak and finding yourself along the way. I thoroughly recommend this book and fully understand why it’s one of Quercus’ lead debuts of 2021.

You can pre-order ‘The Split’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 18th March 2021.

4.5 rounded up to 5

I ADORED Ally. She was imperfect and slightly delusional but she was also so strong, body positive and hilarious.

I loved that she was from Sheffield and that most of the book is set there, I'm from Lincolnshire which isn't quite the same as Yorkshire but as our neighbours we share a lot of things like slang and attitudes. Ally even mentions Cleethorpes at one point (where I grew up) so it felt very relatable to me.

I appreciated the realistic aspect of coping with a harsh change and how you might not shower for days, might not get out of bed, might just eat junk food constantly.

Ally's rekindled friendship with Jeremy was a wonderful aspect of the book and I loved how they supported each other through their break ups and bolstered each other to complete the marathon even though they were woefully under prepared.

Ally finding her passion and very much landing on her feet was great, if maybe a little unrealistic at the end of the book but I loved that she had found some great friends who supported her and believed in her enough to help her follow her dreams.

I really wasn't sure if this was going to be a romance or not and as much as I love a romance, I appreciated how this story went and the mistakes Ally made along the way. This is more a story of self discovery and acceptance and I was here for it!

Ally's relationship with her Dad was wonderful and I think the book handled their grief well. I also loved how supportive he was of her being gay.

I would definitely recommend this book if you need a pick me up.

CW: alcohol, depression, infidelity, death of a parent, cancer

A totally hilarious and uplifting read.

This book was an absolute delight. I loved the characters and could really empathise with Ally as she went through her sometimes cringe moments relating to the contact she had with her ex.
I laughed out loud a lot and think Laura Kay has a really fresh voice which I found totally refreshing.
Totally recommend

This was so cute! That's how I'll remember this novel. Cute and relatable.

The gist of it - Ally get dumped by her long time girlfriend Emily. That's how the novel opens. With Ally crying and deciding that now that Emily has dumped her, she needs to move out of their boat house and she takes Emily's cat (their cat - Malcom) with her to Sheffield, where her dad lives. Her mom's passed away and she has no clue to do with her life. Then she reconnect with her old childhood -gay- friend, Jeremy, who's also been dumped and is sort of starting over.

They are both a little bit lost, a little bit depressed and a little bit ticked off how their exes seemed to have moved on without them. And that's when Jeremy gets the brilliant idea to sign them up to run a marathon. And running ain't no easy fit. They struggle. And I mean they struggle a lot. But something happens and they slowly start to pick their broken pieces together and piece themselves from scratch.

This was a witty, funny and tender novel, brimmed with friendship goals and immensly relatable when it comes to getting to know yourself all over again after a long time. Beautifully written, this will make your heart sing and perhaps even inspire you to run.

Thank you to Quercus for giving me an early proof for this one.

The Split is a gorgeously fun and uplifting romance which I thoroughly enjoyed reading!

For me, personally, contemporary romances which dont' have action heavy plots have to really deliver on the characters and their interactions, and I cannot speak highly enough of how Laura Kay did this. Ally is incredibly relateable, with her wallowing, sarcasm, self depricating humour, but also her approach to her situation and the mistakes that she makes along her journey. But you can't just have one character shine in a book like this, and again, the rest of the cast were perfect! Jeremy and Ally have such a fun and easy friendship, immediately full of jokes and banter but also unconditional support. Ally's dad is funny and totally dad like, and Jo too, complimented Ally's character in all the right parts while also being funny and interesting on her own.

I also loved the story throughout The Split - Ally and Jeremy's running, Ally's baking and working in a cake shop, I just loved reading about it all. The Split had all the perfect components of a fun, exciting novel that I didn't want to put down. An excellent debut from Laura Kay and I absolutely can't wait to see what she does next.

Kindly sent from the publishing team for an honest review and was part of the blog tour . Full review is on my blog.

It is witty, harm-warming and uplifting and I would definitely recommend this book, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The running scene alone will keep you laughing.

I really enjoyed how this book portrayed that friendships can be like family. I haven't read a book that has done it so well. The book started off with a fractured relationship so I was skeptical about how I would run, It does goes through the stages of any breakup and reading it you can feel it. It has feelings of pettiness, being irrational and the up and down turmoil of emotions but also the support of family and friends and discovering new things and goals.

Okay, wow, this was amazing! 100% a 5 star read. It proved to me that just because you think you’re in love with someone doesn’t mean you are and it can take you being thrown into the deep end to know this. The idea of the story was fab, I loved every part of it and read this so quickly I couldn’t put it down.

I feel like it was very important that Ally found herself and realised she was worth more than the life she once had in London! I couldn’t recommend this book enough!

Thank you so much for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book. I love the front cover (although I'm not sure what it has to do with the story)!
I like the main characters, Jeremy made me laugh a lot. Ally and her dad have a great relationship and he reminds me of my dad which is nice.
I don't like Emily but that is supposed to be the case. I don't like her because of her actions in the book. She, along with all the characters were well written and it was a great story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers and the author for the privilege to read this book for my honest opinion

If you’re on the lookout for a smart, funny and charming romance then The Split by Laura Kay could be the book for you!

Ally’s girlfriend, Emily, has dumped her so, completely devastated, she heads back to Sheffield to stay with her dad for a while, taking Emily’s cat, Malcom, with her. Determined to try and lift her spirits, Ally’s dad puts her back in touch with one of her childhood friends who is also home and heartbroken. Together they resolve to train to run a half marathon, largely to impress their exes, and they join a running club, where they meet the bubbly and beautiful Jo. Will their plan work? Or will their lives take different paths..?

What an uplifting and joyous, warm hug of a book! From Ally’s relationship with her lovely dad to her amazing job in a local bakery with two of the world’s best bosses, The Split put a huge great big smile on my face basically from start to finish.

There were moments when I laughed out loud, some others where I cringed and shouted at Ally’s slightly questionable decision-making, and more where I found myself nodding at the sheer relatability of the things she was going through. It was exactly the right book to pull me out of a reading funk and remind me of everything that is good in the world. Read it!

With thanks to Quercus for gifting me a digital copy to review.

The Split 🍓

Ad - thanks to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I saw this all over Instagram when it was released last week so I pretty much stopped what I was doing and devoured this within a couple of days.

A beautiful, page turner of a book that that will warm your heart and spit out your tea when you laugh out loud.

There’s great gay, lesbian and bisexual representation in this and though I wouldn’t really call it a romcom, the relationships between the characters will be sure to make you fall in love with them and this book.

Ally and Jeremy are both heartbroken after they get dumped and their new love for each other and love (but mostly hate) for running begins to heal them and make them happy with life again. This is a friendship everyone wants.

There’s also an adorable cat that really just confirmed my 5⭐️ review.

If you like a sweet, easy to read romcom but not romcom that you can speed through but also fall in love with the characters, this is definitely for you!

This has been an enjoyable, fun and lighthearted read by a new author for me.

I have been pulled in from very early on in this one and found this a book which has been completely impossible to put down.

This is an incredibly well written novel with humour and little touches that have made the characters come to life. I have found each of them likeable and relatable.

This is a wonderful debut novel and I absolutely cannot wait to read more.

Dumped by her girlfriend of seven years, jobless and homeless, Ally flees, devastated, back to her dad’s in Sheffield, taking Malcolm the cat with her.

While licking her wounds she reconnects with childhood friend Jeremy, also the victim of a recent dumping, and they find themselves accidentally entering a local half marathon despite both being completely unfit.

So while the plot isn’t exactly original (it could just as easily have been called Getting Over Emily), it’s told so engagingly and the characters are just so adorable that it really doesn’t matter.

Ally is far from perfect but is very relatable and indeed all the characters were great - Jeremy, Ally’s lovely dad, Charlie and Sophie... maybe not the dreaded Emily. As a bit of a runner myself, I loved the running elements too.

A delight to read and just what I needed! Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this read! The book accurately shows a modern day break up, Emily and Ally break up at the beginning of the book and you see the journey Ally goes on to try and get over Emily - she takes up running and 'steals' their shared cat.

I loved seeing Ally grow throughout the book and I didn’t actually predict the ending. I hoped what happened would happen but Laura Kay crafted the characters so well that you actually got to know them as the multi-faceted human beings we all are! I loved how you got to see Ally’s turmoil about her future and the stresses of being an adult - it was really refreshing!

Another amazing Netgalley read! The Split by Laura Kay

I binged this book in 2 days. It would have been a day if I wasn't poorly. It was the type of writing style that you just fly through then next thing you know you're already half way through the book! I love it when you get completely lost in a story. I loved the characters especially Emily and Jeremy together, their friendship is the kind everyone needs!

Ally & Emily have been together for years but when Emily decides it's time to call it quits, Ally is left without a job, friends or even a home. So she flees back to her dads in Sheffield and takes the damn cat with her, he always preferred her anyway. Instead of allowing his daughter to wallow in post break up pity, he forces Ally to reunite with her long lost school friend Jeremy who is trying to have a pity party of his own.

The two friends quickly join forces and sign up on a whim to do a half marathon together. In the hopes to maybe get the attention of their exes. But neither of them are exactly athletic in nature.

An amazing story of plans, determination, friendship, plenty of cakes and wine and starting over again.

Coincidentally I started this book just after I started running again for the first time since kids... I don't think I will be signing up to any half marathons anytime soon though!

I was very much drawn in by the cover ... and the tagline (for some reason it really tickled me). Look at that beautiful blue! I first heard about this book on the Quercus Word of Mouth evening last year and I knew I had to read it!

Ally is a ridiculously endearing character, she gets things wrong and she reacts like a human being. I loved Kay's relaxed and relatable narrative - Ally's friend Jeremy was also lovely, and her dad. And Malcolm (the cat).

There is something really heartwarming about The Split. I've seen some good ratings over the last few weeks and I can see why. I found myself thinking about how Ally reacts to her situation is a little silly, but also believable and the way Kay draws you in to the novel - this is a debut novel by the way - is very subtle but packs quite the punch. I didn't realise how invested I was until it was all over and it really made me think about how sometimes you need to be out of your comfort zone to realise how bad your relationships can be.

I have to say here, although I warmed up to Ally a lot I did not agree with some of her actions. I found myself cringing at some of the emails she sends to Emily, her ex. I felt she could be a little manipulative in what she was saying but then this only served as a reminder of how relationships can deeply affect you and how this one was not as healthy as it seemed to be in hindsight. Plus, nobody is perfect.

I read The Split over a couple of evenings - it's a really easy read. The romance is minimal but appropriate, choosing to focus on Ally's personal development and friendships over steam (sorry steam lovers). I really enjoyed reading a f/f romance - I must admit I don't find them very often but I'll be seeking more out now. If you fancy a cute read this year please consider this one!

Thanks to Quercus for providing me with an e-ARCv via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.

This is a slightly dark but highly entertaining comedy about Ally who, in a moment of extreme hurt after being dumped by her girlfriend, kidnaps their cat and runs away to Sheffield. After a little coersion from her best friend Jeremy, Ally decides to take up running and sign up for a half marathon to prove to herself that she's strong and 'win' Emily back. She joins a running club, where she meets Jo who's kind, warm, and may be as interested in Ally as Ally is in her.

Ally isn't always a kind character, but she's certainly entertaining and realistic in her morally questionable decisions and desire to show Emily 'what she's missing' after their breakup. Her budding romance with Jo was enjoyable to read and I found myself getting more and more invested in their relationship.

Jeremy was probably my favourite character. He's gay and has also just been through a break up with his ex boyfriend, and he's the one who talks Ally into signing up for the half marathon. Jeremy's dialogue was constantly funny and he constantly supports Ally in everything she does. Occasionally his advice is misguided, but he's definitely got a good heart. I really liked the way he and Ally rekindled their friendship after so many years apart and how they were there for each other when their mental health wasn't great.

The moments of trying to figure out if someone is queer (without asking) so you knows if there attraction might be mutual felt so realistic. Looking for hints or signs in people's speech and wondering if you're reading too much into their actions or too little is something that a lot of queer people will have done, and Ally, too, does often throughout the story.

I was a little worried that there might be negative ideas or stereotypes about body shapes and sizes in this book (especially because so much of the story is linked to running), but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of body positivity. Ally describes her softness and 'round stomach' and the fact that she's become very fond of both and doesn't want to change to suit anyone else. She also shuts down Jeremy's negativity in a scene where he begins to fat-shame himself, telling him that he's 'the perfect Jeremy'.

The humour in this story will likely divide opinion among readers due to its polarising nature. Readers will probably find it highly entertaining, or not funny at all depending on whether the humour matches their own sense of humour. For the most part, I found it funny, as it was quite self-deprecating and there were moments where the jokes reminded me of Miranda (the sitcom), which I've always enjoyed.

As well as lesbian, gay, and bi rep, there are discussions of mental health and depression, which Jeremy experiences throughout the novel. I can't speak to the MH rep, but I really enjoyed the queer rep and the way that the queer characters gravitated towards each other in a sort of found family dynamic. (There are also TWO sapphic relationships in the book, which made me very happy.)

My one grievance with this book was that I wanted more specific details and descriptions of Sheffield, where the story is set. This is a completely subjective, personal bug bear, but I went to the University of Sheffield and lived there for five years, so I was really looking forward to reading about places I knew.

But when it came down to it, aside from a few specific road and area names during the race scenes, most of the descriptions were vague. I didn't know if the bakery Ally worked in was on West Street or closer to Ecclesall Road, I didn't know if Ally lived near Crookes or Nether Edge, and I didn't know if they were running in Endcliffe Park or close to Ranmoor. This is definitely my issue and not the book's issue, but I just wanted to enjoy the different areas of Sheffield represented in the story.

Content warnings for relationship breakups, discussions of toxic relationships and codependency, mentions of homophobia, discussions of fatphobia, (past) death of a parent.

A good book for the holidays as it has relationship angst, romance, hope and determination at its' core. I struggled to like the characters, although Ally's Dad make me smile and I found the storyline around tackling a half marathon rather lack lustre and half hearted. As someone who has struggled to get into running, the narrative around running up a hill just didn't strike me as being realistic... The email conversations were amusing and the inner dialogues were honest..
A nice book that deserves to be discovered in a holiday cottage and read before you leave.

I enjoyed this book. The storyline was easy to follow and fun to be caught up in. I always enjoy characters that have pets because it adds an extra element of fun, reading about their interactions and their individual characteristics. I would have liked more of this book, even if it was just another chapter; to see how things progressed further. I guess this way, there could always be the option of a sequel. This book showed me the value of friendship and the importance of following your dreams / doing what makes you happy. No job is worth hiding out to cry in the loos.

Ally’s girlfriend just ended their relationship, so heartbroken, she goes back to her dad’s house in Sheffield and takes Malcolm, their cat, with her. But life back at home is not easy - jobless and lonely, Ally meets up with her old friend, Jeremy. As he also split up recently with his boyfriend, Jeremy is a perfect person to hold your hand and cheer you on. So, they decide to improve their chances to impress their exes by training for a half marathon. In the end, what can go wrong… “The Split” is a funny and heart-warming story about friendship, love and trying your best. Laura Kay wrote a book that is full of memorable characters, including a very stroppy cat, really yummy food, and a considerable amount of lycra. Ally and Jeremy’s Big Run is a great metaphor of overcoming your own limitations and ploughing along, rain or shine. Their friendship rather than search for love is the main motive of the book – and it is not finding love but accepting yourself that the author writes about in a first place. There are some very lovely secondary characters as well, for example Ally and her dad have a great relationship, portrayed in a sensitive but joyful way. (He clearly loves her, but doesn’t want to cross boundaries, while at the same time tries to help, she is embarrassed and grateful in equal measure. Plus, he is a school teacher, so a teacher voice is deployed couple times as well…) “The Split” is full of hilarious scenes and a feel-good vibes, tinged with moments of sadness, as the characters learn to rely on themselves and realise that love cannot fix everything. I really enjoyed reading this delightful book and although the author did not convince me to try running, she definitely persuaded me that cakes and doughnuts can solve practically all issues.

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!!

AD – Gifted: Last night I had the pleasure to take part in a bakealong with Laura and The Quercus team, and some of my fave bookstagrammers too! We all made peanut butter brownies (apart from me – I hate peanut butter, so I made triple choc)! I would love to thank Quercus for my beautiful finished copy, and I am also on for today’s blog blast too! So I hope that you enjoy my review!

The Split is an LGBTQ+ romance, including heartbreak, queer friendships, family, and of course – little furry friends!

‘Ally’s relationship is over, and she’s taking the cat…’ – I mean, this would so be me!

But wow… This book! Did I expect to enjoy it as much as I did? No. Did I expect to just fall in love with almost every character? Absolutely not. But did I enjoy it and fall in love with the characters? Why, yes, yes I did.

The Split starts with Ally being heartbroken by her now ex-girlfriend Emily – in quite a cruel way if you ask me. So Ally takes the one thing Emily loves most, her cat Malcolm in the hopes that Emily will come and get him and they can (hopefully) sort it out… Ally moves back to Sheffield with her dad and reunites with a long lost best friend, Jeremy – who ironically has also been dealing with a broken heart after being dumped by his ex-boyfriend.

After reconnecting, Ally and Jeremy come up to go on a ‘revenge-run-half-marathon’ to get both ex’s attention. Considering neither of them actually run, they end up joining a weekly park run, where there meet the beautiful Jo. Will they do it or will their crazy plan fall through?

Honestly, Laura’s writing style is absolutely wonderful, and it was an absolute pleasure to read! All of the characters were so well thought out and loveable, in particular, I had such a soft spot for Ally’s dad, he was just the cutest!

It was interesting to see Ally’s view of herself, as by the sounds of it, she never really found herself when she was with Emily. She kind of just got engulfed in Emily’s world, with Emily’s friends and none of her own. And whilst Emily was supportive of Ally’s life decisions in quitting her job, I feel as though she wasn’t the best influence on Ally’s life, and this really shows in the aftermath of their breakup. As she comes out of it with practically nothing… bar Malcolm of course!

I also love how natural the LGBTQ+ relationships are in the story. I have found that in today’s society it is incredibly important to be as inclusive as possible, but I haven’t found a book where the relationships don’t feel forced, unnatural or just unrealistic, up until I read The Split. It was such a refreshing read, and I highly recommend it to absolutely anyone!

Is this a book you will be buying this year?