The Split by Laura Kay

Ally has left her job & she’s been dumped by her girlfriend Emily. As she now has nowhere to go, she decides to up sticks, pack up herself & the cat, and move back home to her Dad’s house,

When I started reading this book I actually thought it wouldn’t be for me (mainly because I’m old enough to be the mother of most of the characters) but I was wrong. I really enjoyed it. While it starts off quite gloomy and depressed, shrouded in the sadness of Ally’s breakup, I was ultimately heart-warmed & uplifted as I read. Although it’s a novel about a breakup, for me it was more about the building of relationships. (Ally & her Dad, Alley & her new bosses and most important of all, Ally’s lovely rekindled friendship with the delightful Jeremy.) As a (very slow) runner I particularly enjoyed that whole aspect of the novel and had a few real laugh out loud moments. (I’ve been at the Barney the Dinosaur end of many a race!)
Excellent debut romantic comedy.
I think Laura Kay has a bright writing career ahead and look forward to what comes next.

Thanks to Quercus & to Netgalley for my copy.

I loved this book and I loved the well written, realistic and relatable characters.
It’s a heartwarming and uplifting story that can make you laugh but it also features poignant moments that moved me.
Ally is a mess at the beginning of the story: she’s homeless, jobless and just ended her first important love story. She has to find a purpose and to rebuild herself a how to be happy being single.
I loved her character arc: at the beginning of the story she’s a mess but we read about her new experiences, finding or renewing friendships and discovering a purpose and what she wants. It’s a trial and error process that will cause troubles but it’s also a realistic description of how growing up.
I liked Jeremy, a troubled and suffering friend, Ally’s father and Malcom the cat, a very realistic description of cat behavior. I think that author did an excellent job developing her characters and I liked how realistic they are.
The plot is tightly knitted and flows, this is a page turner that I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a rom-com but it’s a also a sort of Bildungsroman, a clever and witty description of the process of growing up and becoming an adult.
I found this story compelling and highly entertaining, an excellent debut.
I look forward to reading other books by this author, this one is strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ally is in a happy relationship. At least she thinks so. Until her girlfriend Emily unceremoniously dumps her. Now Ally’s jobless (she has quit her job as a teacher. It didn’t make her happy anymore), alone and homeless, as she was living on Emily’s boat. So now Ally can only pack her things and head home to stay with her dad. Also taking Emily’s cat with her…
At home, Ally gets back in touch with her childhood friend Jeremy, also home after his relationship has broken down. Those two are about to try to forge new lives for themselves. Starting with running half – marathon…

Seeing all the raving reviews, well, it makes me feel a bit unsure – didn’t I get this book? Am I too old for this? Is it the book? – as I am really absolutely not so convinced about it. It dragged on and on, it felt too flat for me and I really didn’t care what’s going to happen with the characters. Oh, no with Jeremy! I loved Jeremy and cared about him. And Ally’s father was brilliant. The background characters were also lovely, it’s probably Ally and Emily that I had problems with, especially Ally. And Jo – as much as she was lovely, young, beautiful and naive she had no personality. Or maybe it was the writing style that couldn’t capture me – I don’t know but there was something that most evidently didn’t work for me. Emily was not a great character, petty and selfish, probably always used to getting what she wanted – well, she has never been dumped, right, it was she who was dumping, and it actually sums her very well up. Maybe, just maybe, at the very beginning I was a little on her side, after Ally has kidnapped her cat, but the more I read about Emily, the more I disliked her, and the last scenes with her absolutely made me grow stronger in the knowledge about her. And Ally… well, she was not bad, guys, she was very human, with her moods, with taking the cat only to get her back on Emily and hoping it will force her ex – girlfriend to come for him, yes, I know, petulant, right, but also so true to life and I would probably do the same. But… But I’ve never felt we could be friends.
The part that didn’t feel natural at all was the email – exchange between Ally and Emily. Ally wanted her ex – girlfriend back desperately and decided to write her emails, telling her what she’s doing and how she’s doing, casually slipping in the correspondence that perhaps she’s moving on – but the emails read like very formal writing. And Ally wasn’t subtle, Ally was obvious in what she’s trying to do, and it pained me because she was the bigger person here, not Emily.

The friendship between Ally and Jeremy was probably the strongest point of this story. It was brilliant to see how it develops, from awkward to real mates, genuine relationship, one that you really need in your life. There were some funny moments, I have to admit, but altogether I had a feeling that there is nothing happening and we’re staying in one place.

Altogether, as you might have guessed, it was not my favourite read. It felt too forced, as if the author has tried, really, really hard, to tick all the right boxes and yes, she managed it, but the book has lost its soul. It was not badly written but I’ve missed this „something“ and I’ve never connected with the plot and characters. Nevertheless, others seem to adore this book, so simply just try it for yourself.

This was a great story of love and romance and what it’s like to move on from a breakup. This was a realistic story with realistic characters that I think most people would be able to relate to especially if they have had a break up at some point in their lives. This was a fab Rom com and a great debut novel.

This book was funny and heart-warming - it starts off with the theft of a cat and ends with two people who have grown and learned to love themselves and their lives.

There are amusing conversations, and moments of real friendship between Ally and Jeremy. Following the growth of their friendship after years apart, and their half-marathon training, filled me with joy - their interactions are funny and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some stages.

Loved sharing the journey with Ally and Jeremy and would definitely read more by Laura Kay.

After a brutal break up with her girlfriend of seven years, Ally is homeless and so moves in, taking her beloved cat, with her dad in Sheffield. There she reconnects with her old friend Jeremy, who is also in the same position, and together they concoct a play to run a half-marathon to impress their exes. This is a funny and comforting read exploring hope and friendship.

Ally is having a quarter-life crisis - her girlfriend dumps her for Sara without an H, she finds herself trudging back up to Sheffield with her "stolen" cat in her childhood bedroom jobless, homeless, single and no idea what to do next.

There's lots of humour, kindness, cake and friendship.

It's uplifting and heartwarming.

Ally reconnects with a friend from her childhood who is in a similar situation - single, back living at home in a job they don't like desperate to win back his ex and prove something.

There are lots of hilarious moments, some really gut-wrenching heartbreaking times and a poignant moment here and there too.

I really enjoyed The Split.

Anyone who has gone through a breakup can relate to the antics that Ally and Jeremy get up to.

I took on a half marathon myself a few years ago and their training brought back lots of horrid memories for me too!

The Split is less a romance and more a contemporary look at life in your late twenties, when you're still figuring things out. Ally has just broken up with her girlfriend of seven years, quit her job, and is now living with her dad and her cat Malcolm (whom she may have stolen from her ex). Enter a plan to get her life together... by signing up for a half marathon with her friend Jeremy.

I loved this book to begin with. The narration is hilarious, and while Ally's life was a Mess (tm), I was excited to join her on her journey of finding her own-self worth. I also immediately connected with the side characters, particularly Ally's long-suffering dad, Graham. Malcolm the cat was also of course a highlight.

Unfortunately, the longer the book went on, the more it began to grate on me. Ally is very clearly not like other girls: exercising, eating healthy and caring about your appearance are things that other women do, but not Ally. I liked the message that running is a sport for everyone, and that it's okay not to have your life together all of the time, but the longer it went on, the more I wondered what the love interest saw in her. Ally doesn't really make much of an effort to address the issues that led to the end of her previous relationship, and any steps to find direction in her life are mostly engineered for her by others.

I am glad this book exists because I want more books about late 20s queers trying to figure their life out, I just wish I had enjoyed it more.

A juicy, funny, heart rendering story with the most likeable characters I’ve read in a long time. Ally is heart broken after her girlfriend splits up with her, and heads home taking the cat with her, to wallow in her heartbreak at her dads. Thanks to her dads meddling she meets up with an old friend and here the fun begins. Outrageously funny, I whipped through the pages literally laughing out loud.

Ally leaves her job and her long-term girlfriend Emily tells her to leave. Ally does what she is told and takes Emily’s cat, Malcolm with her too!
Back home in Sheffield with her dad she is lonely and her dad is worried. He sets her up on a date with her old schoolfriend Jeremy, who is also getting over a break up to try to cheer her up. Both of them decide to run a half-marathon in a bid to win their ex’s back.
Neither of them are athletes so when by chance Ally stumbles over beautiful Jo in the running shop, Jo takes both Jeremy and Ally under her wing to help support them with their mammoth task. Is it just running that Ally wants Jo to help her with?
Ally also finds herself in her perfect job where she throws herself into working her way up from the bottom again.
It’s such a wonderfully warm-hearted story. Incredibly well written and very funny.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys to read a good book with a nice cup of tea and a few biscuits.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Such a delightful read! Dumped by her girlfriend of 7 years, Ally packs her bags, takes (kidnaps?) the cat, and leaves their house boat in London behind to catch a train to her Dad’s house in Sheffield. Wallowing in the break up blues, Ally rekindles her friendship with Jeremy, who is equally as heartbroken from a recent break up. Determined to get their exes back, they sign up for the local marathon and go on a hilarious journey to train with a running club, between baking delicious cakes and boozing at the local pubs.

The story focuses on Ally moving forward and creating a life for herself, albeit multiple late night emails to Emily pleading with her to come and pick up her cat and wanting to make her jealous with a fling with running club leader, Jo. Progress happens! A quirky writing style with an engaging story, Ally’s inner monologue is hilarious and totally relatable while she is getting used to being single after spending most of her 20s in a duo. A little lost, we see her strong friendship with Jeremy becoming an anchor for her while she sets out to physically and mentally better herself.

I wouldn’t describe it as a queer rom com as the plot line literally focuses on a break up, and although there are some minor love interests along the way, it is a story about friendship and learning to stand on your own two feet again.

One of the best ways to describe this book would have to be discovering yourself again by going back to your roots. That sometimes what we have come to know and live with is not always the best option for us, so it would make sense to reboot and see what else is out there. It seems this way with Ally as she clearly has been diluted by her way of living with her ex and now she finally has this chance to understand herself again, make her own decisions and meet new people who aren't just friends of her ex.

However, in order for Ally to truly discover herself again she has this journey of self-appreciation and confidence that she probably forgot that she had all this time. This is obviously with the help of her dad, Jeremy and Jo.

However, it did feel as though Ally became too hung up on her ex rather than seeing the future that is now in her sight. It kind of gets a little frustrating, so when trouble comes knocking on her door, I'm not at all surprised but also don't really care that she had been knocked down a few pegs. She kind of deserves it. Especially, when she begins to blame her problems on other people. They may have been influences in her decisions, but ultimately she had the rational belief to make them.

I also feel like Jo didn't really get her moment to shine in all of this. She seemed like a lovely lady and I feel like she got a bit cheated by both Ally and Jeremy. It would have been quite interesting to hear a little bit more of her story, rather than the other two always giving their sob story. They both don't deserve Jo's friendship. She put up with a lot and she was always the one giving it seemed.

Charlie and Sophie seem great, the best cheerleaders anyone can hope for. I really wish that I met people like them in real life, as it feels like anyone around these people feel invincible. They had a great sense of humour which I think was missed throughout the rest of the book. But I think that I might just go back to those pages with them in and read all about them again. Because why not?

This book had so much potential, but I guess it didn't really live up to the hype. However, I don't overwhelmingly hate it either. It was just ok.

This queer rom-com, described as 'Louise Rennison for grown-ups' went straight to the top of my TBR list when I saw it announced.

This book starts with a break-up and focusies on Ally building herself back up again and finding new friends to make her feel fulfilled. The problem that the author poses to us with this one is that is scarily real: what is left for you when you've untangled yourself from someone's life? Your mutual friends take sides whether they want to or not, and your favourite hang-outs are all tinged with the memory of a past relationship.

Ally is a character that you very naturally root for from the beginning. The break-up immediately makes her an underdog, and her efforts to drag herself out of her Emily slump were often applauded by me.

I thought this was a really great debut! My full review will be up on publication day on my blog.

This book was not for me. I found it a very slow burn
I think I am the wrong age group for the book. Saying that, the interaction between two of the main characters was very believable.

This was such a lovely, easy to ready contemporary novel. To me it was about love and coming of self but mostly about finding your people and making your own family and community. I loved it and thought it was so relatable.

I enjoyed this book immensely-perfect for these troubled times ,when you just want to read something funny and uplifting.
Ally’s long time girlfriend Emily leaves her for another woman ,and she has no alternative but to head home to Sheffield with Emily’s cat ,Malcolm, in the hope that will bring Emily back. Ally goes back to live with her dad ,and hooks up with her old friend Jeremy, whose long term boyfriend has also left him in the same situation.
Gradually she starts to rebuild her life,thanks largely to Jeremy’s idea of taking up running and signing up for a half marathon.
It’s great fun- the characters are believable and it’s also very amusing ,and by the end you just want things to turn out well for Ally and Jeremy.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

This needs to be a tv series! I need this to see this in the flesh! A real romance, comedy,modern day tragedy. Emily and Ally split up, Ally leaves Londond and moves back to Sheffield with her dad. At 29 she feels like she's achieved nothing in life. She meets up with her gay school friend Jeremy who is almost pining for his lost relationship. Together they learn to navigate their newly single life.

it's a beautiful, upflifting read that had me crying, laughing and everything in between. I absolutely loved it!

I was so excited to read a cute sapphic romcom and a real adult one for that.
Sadly this book wasn’t for me.
I had problems getting into it in the first place, it’s a rather quite book that doesn’t really have any ups and downs. Neither the story nor the MC could keep my attention for long, I was mostly rather bored and most of the characters seemed too two dimensional for me without any real depth.
To be honest I even connected to the ex girlfriend more than to the MC herself. It was rather obvious they weren’t made for each other and in fact not happy at all.

I really liked Al and Jemerys interactions the most in this book and I am happy with how the story ended.
All in all this definitely isn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.

'The Split' meets Ally at the end of her relationship with Emily. She's desperate, grieving and taking the cat, Malcolm, back home to her father's. From the outset, Kay's writing is warm and engaging. The story just felt so real, not least Ally returning to the aching nostalgia of her home town in a moment of hiatus in her life, rediscovering everything that she has outgrown through a new lens and wondering where to go next.

The friendship between Ally and Jeremy was beautifully developed to expose their vulnerability and the support they find in one another, in spite of being pushed together by their parents, in the first instance. The couple who run the bakery where Ally works were also brilliant, and it still feels rare (and hugely refreshing) to read LGBT characters who just are. I found myself hugely frustrated with Ally and her juvenile attempts to win back Emily, but again, her behaviour was utterly real and believable and part of the roller-coaster of this book. These characters really resonate, which is rare, and I thought the ending did Ally justice.

This is a book I wanted to keep picking up (especially for the humour, and stories of perseverance and hope) and in that respect, it's a great book for this moment in time.

I want more light-hearted sapphic reads like this, and would love to read more from Laura Kay! Thank you to Laura, Quercus and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Ally gets dumped and consequently ends up homeless, jobless and friendless. Heartbroken she takes Emily’s cat and retreats to her fathers house. In their 7 year relationship Emily never once went to Sheffield to see where Ally grew up.

Ally lost her mum young and it’s just been her and her dads since. After bunking down for a few days Ally’s dad ropes her childhood “husband” into coming around and cheering her up. Jeremy too is heart broken sun living at home.

They decide to start going for walks which then turns into signing up for a half marathon. They both logically think running the marathon will win them their ex’s back. Settling back in they start their lives over and meet new friends and get jobs. Slowly things start falling into place. They join a running group where Ally meets Jo.

I flew through this light heartfelt story. It was the right amount of drama and steam with a pinch of happiness. I loved that Jeremy and Ally had one another and starting over wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be surrounded by an amazing family and group of friends.