3*
Lissa, a London-based NHS nurse, witnesses a fatal, intentional hit-and-run whose 15 yo victim is someone she’s met. The experience leads to PTSD, and she’s shipped off to the Scottish Highlands to have time to heal, exchanging places with Cormac, a former Army medic whose time in Afghanistan has left him with his own ghosts. As both slowly become used to the vastly unfamiliar landscapes they’ve been dropped into, their professional texts discussing each other’s patients begin to evolve into friendship.
As with all of Colgan’s books, 500 Miles to You, 3rd in The Scottish Bookshop series, is a heartwarming, character-driven story with the locations featuring prominently. Unfortunately, this one is weak. Secondary characters like Lissa’s transgender friend Kim-Ange and Scottish ambulance driver Jake are well-drawn and provide subplots that move the story along. Issues including homelessness, teen delinquency, and organ transplants are handled delicately. Unfortunately, the unlikely romance between Lissa and Cormac doesn’t make a great deal of sense given the minimal correspondence we’re privy to, the fact that they’ve never met face to face, and that Lissa hasn’t even seen a photo of Cormac. We don’t even get the satisfaction of a first kiss. Overall, not one of Colgan’s best efforts. The pacing is slow, the plot rather shallow, the texted dialogue between the two is sparse, and the ending is rushed and unsatisfying. Fans of Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare and her latest, The Switch, might enjoy the similarities between the books, though this one suffers in comparison.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
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