ŷ

Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Distance

Rate this book

Under the midnight sun of Arctic Norway, Cecilie Wiig goes online and stumbles across Hector Herrera in a band fan forum. They start chatting and soon realise they might be more than kindred spirits. But there are two big problems: Hector lives 8,909km away in Mexico. And he's about to get married.

Can Cecilie, who's anchored to two jobs she loves in the library and a cafe full of colourful characters in the town in which she grew up, overcome the hurdles of having fallen for someone she's never met? Will Hector escape his turbulent past and the temptations of his hectic hedonistic life and make a leap of faith to change the path he's on?

Zoë Folbigg's latest novel is a story of two people, living two very different lives, and whether they can cross a gulf, ocean, sea and fjord to give their love a chance.

Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2018

464 people are currently reading
759 people want to read

About the author

Zoë Folbigg

6books132followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
879 (41%)
4 stars
677 (32%)
3 stars
419 (19%)
2 stars
92 (4%)
1 star
36 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
Profile Image for Shelley's Book Nook.
435 reviews1,354 followers
February 21, 2025
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:


2.5 Stars

I read The Three Loves of Sebastian Cooper and Five Days and loved them both. When I saw Zoë Folbigg had released another book and I read the blurb I was all "count me in!". This one is about love across the miles and it resonated with me because my second marriage was a long-distance relationship. Then imagine my disappointment when I found out this is a re-release of 2018s .

This isn't a bad book but sadly for me, it didn't work. I'm usually okay with multiple timelines in a story, it is actually my favourite format but I found this one a tad confusing to follow. I did like how the writer introduces one of the characters I also liked the way Folbigg writes her characters and the way they were brought to life. However, this is not one of my favourites by the author but she will still be an auto-buy/read for me.

Overall this was just an okay read but I loved finding out more about the differing cultures. It was readable but I didn't like it quite as much as the author's other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
Profile Image for Debra.
3,081 reviews36.2k followers
December 8, 2023
Love, heartbreak, friendship, confidence, a chance meeting, New York City, and London set the stage for . It's a charming winter romance that has an old Hollywood movie feel to it.

Charlie travels from London to New York City to spend the holidays with her boyfriend Harry but he is nowhere to be seen. He is not answering phone calls and Charlie has no idea where he lives (Seriously, how does she not know her boyfriend's address). Questions about Harry's whereabouts swirl through her head as she finds a place to stay. Has Harry ghosted her? Has something happened to him? She sets out to find the answers to her questions.

Along the way, she meets a man named Pete who is kind, understanding, and welcoming. While Charlie seeks the truth, Pete helps her out and shows her NYC and invites her to meet some of his friends and family along the way.

I could feel Charlie's frustration, confusion, heartbreak, and hope jumping off the pages. At times I got a little frustrated with her. Seriously, you have been with someone for 16 years and when he moves across the pond for work, you do not know where he lives? But apart from that, I enjoyed both Pete and Charlie. I liked how Pete befriended Charlie and tried to help her feel less alone in NYC. I also enjoyed how Charlie grew over the story and found her footing. She becomes more self-confident, aware, and assertive. I thought the author did a great job showing Charlie find her footing and wondered if I was in a different country and suddenly ghosted, what would I do? Would I have turned tail and returned home, or would I stay and go on a quest of sightseeing and truth finding?

I participated in the Boldwood books readalong with this book and had a great time doing the prompts and challenges. They made this book even more enjoyable.


3.5stars

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at

Profile Image for KellyJ1028.
462 reviews31 followers
August 29, 2023
Fairytale of New York" by Zoë Folbigg is a wonderfully enchanting holiday read that takes its readers on a journey of self examination, hope,and love. I absolutely loved the character Charlie, she was so genuine and true to herself. And Pete, he was her perfect match! This was such a tender & intricate story of finding a love that was meant for you.

This author captured NYC so perfectly I felt like I was there, from the airport to the bustling streets I absolutely adored how wonderfully she captured the holiday spirit as well as the New York scene.

This was a new author for me and what prompted me was the cover, it is stunning! What won me over in the end was a beautifully written book about love, hope and new promises for the future.

Rating 4/5
PUB Date : Aug 28, 2023

Many thanks to Netgalley, BooksandTonic & the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kimberly Carrington-Fox.
829 reviews196 followers
September 5, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and Aria for the book but this was a no for me.
I loved the plot but I found it not well developed. The timeline was so confusing! I found very hard to connect with the story and the characters, all very cliché for me. There are three stories and one of them (Kate's) I found it bothersome. And the main love story didn't appeal to me at all.
Maybe I started bad with this book, since I'm Spaniard and I found a lot of mistakes with the Spanish words (it's not "gallegita" but "galleguita") and our culture. For me that's a very big mistake and puts me totally out of the reading.
This was a disappointing one for me but I hope any other reader give this book a chance and find it lovely. Sadly, not my case.
Profile Image for Barbara Powell.
1,063 reviews61 followers
December 11, 2023
This was a new to me author and I enjoyed the journey she took me on. One of hope, love and self discovery all while taking in the sights and sounds of New York-from the hustle and bustle of the airport to the busy streets and the taxis, I felt like I was there with Charlie as she ventured through the city. Such a tender story of finding love after heartbreak, and Pete was such a genuine guy, not perfect, just a true , honest, kind man. Hard to find these days.
While the cover caught my eye, the ending won me over. The promise of a beautiful future filled with love and happiness just made my grinch heart melt. The story just captured the essence of the holidays so well.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,509 reviews170 followers
October 25, 2023
This was another charming read from Folbigg but surprisingly, not too heavily set at Christmas. Although the first half-ish is set around December and the New Year, the rest of the time passes beyond. This makes it perfect as a festive “warm-up� read to start getting you in the mood for all things tinsel-related.

When Charlie enters New York to a silent and absent boyfriend, my heart was in my mouth and the anxiety I felt had my stomach churning in knots. I could really sympathise about how panicked Charlie was feeling when her boyfriend doesn’t meet her at the airport and admired her bravery when, after spending a sleepless night haunting the terminal, accepts that she needs to take back control of her destiny and get on with her trip to America.

Except moping around coffee shops and mourning the loss of her ghosted boyfriend does not do Charlie any favours. On an excursion to demand answers from Harry, she shares a taxi with a tall, dark, handsome stranger� you get it. It was this element of the story that I really loved and enjoyed watching Charlie befriend Pete, no longer being a lonely and jilted English woman in New York.

Yet, the story progresses and readers return to London. Time moves on and Charlie has to learn to cope with her life minus Harry and Pete. This aspect of the story shows Charlie on her home turf and I liked seeing how circumstances are slightly mirrored when Pete visits from America. Indeed, the cyclical nature of the story made it an endearing narrative and added to the romance of the plot.

I did enjoy this book but didn’t think it had the same power as my previous read from this author. I loved the meet-cute between Charlie and Pete, but felt it lost its way once readers returned to England and the Christmas charm had passed. I think I picked up this book expecting the swirling snows of New York city mixed with tourism, romance and a happy ever after. True to style, Folbigg takes a while to get there, but I could not help compare it to my previous read and I don’t think this was as engrossing.

Whilst some aspects of the plot were predictable, this did not ruin my enjoyment. However, I thought the use of the strange girl to be an unusual device from the author and I was not sure how this fit in with the rest of the story. I thought it would have worked better if this element was emphasised further in the novel, or having it completely removed altogether. Indeed, the opening scene of the novel was heart-breaking and indicates a significant trauma, but I’m not sure it completely worked with the random appearances of the little girl.

I liked this read from Folbigg and particularly enjoyed the New York setting. The characters of Charlie and Pete are likeable and I warmed to Pete from the beginning because of his laid-back charm and generosity. Him and his family are like a cosy hug and I think that it is exactly what you need when the temperatures start to cool�

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for JP.
674 reviews24 followers
October 29, 2023
Loved it! And I loved the ending. 💗 This was not a feel good Christmas story so if that’s what you’re looking for this isn’t it. This started out heartbreaking and crushing to eventually transform into one of my favorite romances ever. It’s a slow burn and I couldn’t put it down.
Someone said it was similar to Jo Jo Moyes writing and I would agree. I’m so glad I read it.
Thanks Boldwood Books via NetGalley.
Profile Image for Karlita | Tale Out Loud.
109 reviews83 followers
April 16, 2019
The first thing that drew me into reading this book was the cover which greatly captures the setting and reflect the story’s theme. However, the way the story was laid out felt more like all over the place. I found the timeline a bit confusing that if you’re not really paying attention with the sudden switcheroo of the year a specific chapter was told, you wouldn’t know where were you exactly in the story.

The author tried to weave Kate, Cecilie and Hector into a web of both their past and present lives but Kate was more of a filler in which, to be honest, I would like to read in a separate novel given that she has an interesting life story to tell about her experience of betrayal in her marriage.

Well, it happens that Kate’s character has something to do to spice up a little bit, or more likely to delay Cecilie and Hector’s finally meeting in person after five years. Well, in the end, she had done her part, didn’t she?

While I admire Cecilie enduring the painful moments of her heart being broken so many times, from the endless waiting to almost giving up, I didn’t quite find her character strong or appealing. She hasn’t actually changed a bit except for that one time she chops her hair into a bob or going out with Andreas. Other than that, she never made a life-changing decision and I wished she became more firm or quit being weak when Hector tried to win her back.

Hector, who felt miserable to be with a woman he really doesn’t love, has become selfish more and more as the story went on. Even after Cecilie pointed out that it was both unfair to her and to Pilar, he still wanted to keep her for a friend, which in fact, was impossible when he knew Cecilie’s feelings for him.

For me, Hector's backstory and friendship with Benny made so much sense since I learned how much of a changed man he is, leaving the crooked ways he once led his life with and putting the bad influence behind him. And for the most part, I understand why he stayed with Pilar or why he looked after her.

Mexico’s vibrant culture, which is a total opposite of the simple, quiet Norwegian life impressively, speaks volume on how two people from poles apart could fall in love without seeing each other.

Even I had some issues with the story; I still find this book a fair read. It has a cute, romantic ending like those I’ve watched in the HEA movies with bubble hearts floating in the air before the closing credits. Perhaps, like that of Love, Rosie.
The Distance by Zoë Folbigg is a story about finding love on the other side of the planet, taking chances and waiting no matter how it truly hurts.

***Thank you to Melanie Price of Aria Fiction for including me on this blog tour, to NetGalley and to Zoë Folbigg for providing me an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

| | |
Profile Image for Dul.
386 reviews237 followers
January 3, 2024
I'm finishing the readings that I couldn't finish in December and this is one of them. I think the plot caught me and I feel like it was going so well until I lost the course of the story. Of course, most of the book was very exciting to read and the characters were good in my opinion.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
Profile Image for Justkeepreading.
1,871 reviews4 followers
May 26, 2018
Zoe’s first book the note was a really good read. This one however fell a little short for me. As always well written. But I think it lost its way when Zoe tried to add too many eliments to the story. I felt that it was disjointed and just didn’t fit together properly. Good try thou.
Profile Image for Sarah Kingsnorth.
453 reviews13 followers
September 3, 2023
Zoe Folbigg - Fairytale Of New York.

First things first. Did anyone else start singing the song? Quite possibly the best Christmas song ever written.

I digress. Back to the book.
Well quite honestly it’s blooming fabulous!

It’s a book where Christmas is a part of the story, rather than the story being about Christmas. I love books like this. They ease us very gently into the full on, hardcore, festive reads.

Charlie Brown is our heroine, and I liked her from the get-go.
She is a very successful and in demand make-up artist. She has some incredible friends and a seemingly happy relationship.

Her trip to New York doesn’t go to plan. But it does bring someone new into her orbit.

Pete is the sexy intellectual type.
He’s a man who pretty much seems to have his life together, despite an ex who treated him pretty badly.

I love that Zoe Forbigg wrote in a character who was a real cow. One of my pet hates is people who preach about being kind and about women supporting women. Then they proceed to treat people appallingly.
It’s always good to see these people be called out on their behaviour.

Any way� so far I’ve shared my favourite Christmas song and told you about the type of person who gives me the ick (as the young people would say.) I should tell you a bit more about the book itself.

#FairytaleOfNewYork is a modern day classic.
It’s funny and sweet. Sweepingly romantic, emotional, atmospheric and utterly heart warming.
There is an element of the mysterious in this story. It’s not a massive part of the book, but quite touching in it’s own way.

#FairytaleOfNewYork put me very much in mind of a Bridget Jones type of story. How much more warm hearted and uplifting can you get!

With the mention of some cracking songs, this book also creates it’s own beautiful soundtrack.

I could easily see this book being made into a tv series, just like Beth O’Leary’s The Flat Share, or even a film. It would be a perfect snuggle in, feel good watch.

#FairytaleOfNewYork is beautifully written. Zoe Forbigg has created something quite special.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a digital arc of this title.
Profile Image for Neil.
1,593 reviews14 followers
February 8, 2019
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This was a real struggle for me.
The characters were bland, unable to engage me and the story line boring.
Utter rubbish.
Profile Image for Megan.
1,528 reviews35 followers
July 25, 2018
This is the story of three people from completely different parts of the world who don’t appear to have much of a connection. Then as the story progresses, these three people aren’t quite so disconnected as it would seem.

Cecilie is a fairly content thirty year old woman living in Tromso Norway which is a small town that many flock to for the lure of seeing the Northern Lights and during the Summer it rarely gets dark due to being so close to the Arctic Circle. She divides most of her time between helping out at the library and waitressing at the Hjornekafe while her Mother is busy traveling the country and her brother are busy with his own life though he’s tried several times to get her to come work at the Hotel he’s in charge of. Whenever she feels low, she can usually count on her harp or best friend Grethe to cheer her up. Cecilie has a secret though and it’s breaking her heart knowing she can’t do much about it.

Hector is a young man living in Mexico who divides his time between his work as a cartoonist at his local newspaper, trying to stay out of trouble and also trying to keep up with his fiancee Pilar who is equal parts intense and dramatic. Hector feels it’s the right thing to marry his long time girlfriend even though his heart isn’t really into it. Instead of saying no when he should have after Pilar mentioned she would slit her wrists if Hector didn’t marry her, he decided to stay and stick it out. He also has a secret and his heart is really thousands of miles away with a young woman that he’s never met in person but has chatted with over the last several years and he was drawn to from the beginning. That young woman is Cecilie but for some reason can’t quite bring himself to leave Pilar and actually be happy.

Then there’s Kate who is an English woman living with three kids and a husband named George in Suffolk who would rather spend time at his office or watching t.v. than paying attention to his wife. To say Kate has been taken for granted is an understatement and when Kate finds out what her husband has been up to, he’s about to get a rude awakening. How Kate ties into the lives of Cecilie and Hector aren’t apparent at first but going further into the story, it is revealed that Kate once spent time with Hector whom she loved many years ago as a young woman in Mexico who was there to help out at a local orphanage. When she caught Hector making out with another girl, she decided to end her trip early and went home.

All three of these people are connected and over the years find a way to reconnect but in a variety of different ways. They all have been hurt and are trying to deal with difficult things in their lives. Sometimes the past has a way of showing up that can either be good, painful or a mixture of both. In this instance, it’s a mixture and it shows how some decisions can have last affects several years down the road.

This story also shows how powerful the lure someone can be even when they are thousands of miles away and how hard it can be to walk away even when trying to continue to connect can be just as painful.

I loved the descriptions of Norway particularly the area surrounded Tromso and would so love to be able to see such a beautiful place some day though I know it doesn’t usually get very warm but the Northern Lights would be well worth it.

I don’t think it was a good idea at all for Cecilie and Hector to keep up chatting especially once their romantic feelings came to the surface knowing that Hector was engaged to be married. I know it’s a heartache that many people have felt particularly being long distance and unsure if they will ever see that person they most want to be with. It’s such a tricky path to walk and so full of unexpected potholes that could leave both sides in a lot of pain.

Having read this book, I can understand why certain decisions were made and that Hector and Pilar really weren’t meant to be together. I am very happy though that Hector and Cecilia did realize what was really important and I was surprised by the ending. I’m so glad that things turned out the way they did and there was such a rollercoaster of feelings that this story brought out.
Profile Image for Brianna {Semi-Hiatus}.
175 reviews7 followers
June 24, 2018
The Distance by Zoe Folbigg follows three main people - Hector, Cecile, and Kate. Hector and Cecile meet in an online chat room and instantly have a strong connection to each other. Meanwhile, Kate is having issues in her life - she can't seem to keep her weight to where she would like it, dealing with the fundraisers for her kids' school, oh and she thinks her husband is having an affair. The reader watches as Hector lives his life in Mexico and marrying Pilar, whilst Cecile just continues barely living her life in Norway despite working three jobs.

The concept of this novel really drew me because it reminded me of how I met my fiancé (will be my husband in August 2018 �). Granted, we were not half a world apart, but he was still in California, USA and I am in Alberta, Canada.

Personally, I didn't care for Kate's chapters - to me they seemed unnecessary and felt just like "filler". I kept reading her chapters as fast as I could to get to Hector or Cecile's chapters. Also, Hector being with Pilar drove me batty! She was so clearly wrong for him!

Despite the beautiful love story of Hector and Cecile, I didn't like how much the chapters bounced around from past to present. There was even one point in the story where I'm quite sure the author even mixed up her timeline. The novel mentions it was a Sunday morning, then the next chapter was supposed to take place on a Saturday afternoon as mentioned previously in the book, but it was the following day? I was quite confused and had to flip back and forth between the chapters to try to understand what day it really was.

The ending, of course, made me very happy and I wished it came much sooner in the story. I would have liked to see how things turned out more than just a few pages in the epilogue. Lastly, I understand that Hector's and Cecile's first language was not English, however, I also didn't like the random times they would say words or phrases in their native language - I don't know what they were saying!

Even though the fact that the novel was a fairly easy read despite my issues above, I wasn't crazy about this novel and therefore can only rate it 3/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book for my honest review.
Profile Image for Bev Walkling.
1,381 reviews49 followers
January 17, 2024
This novel was a little confusing in the prologue which almost put me off reading further and confused me a bit but ultimately it was all explained when I read further and I did enjoy the store very much.

Charlie Brown is a highly respected make up artist who works on one of the top shows in England but when the season is done she plans to fly from London to New York where her live in boyfriend Harry (who has taken a 2 year sabbatical in New York) is to meet her, and take her to his apartment where she will live for the next 3 months. Imagine her reaction when she arrives and he is not there to meet her and he is not returning her texts or phone calls. She spends the night in the airport and then uses a card from one of her clients to book in at a small Inn and then begins her search for Harry. She discovers he has been unfaithful to her but does not approach him. Purely by fluke she meets a New Yorker named Pete who takes her under his wing to introduce her to friends, do some sightseeing and even invite her to spend New Year's with his family.

A job offer ultimately takes her back to England but not before she has a chance to tell Harry's New Girl that she has been lied to. Plans are made for her to meet up with Pete again when he comes to England to speak at a conference. Things seem to be going very well for Charlie and Pete until Harry puts in an unexpected appearance. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens. Charlie Brown is a delightful heroine and Pete understands her situation all to well. Harry on the other hand? Well read the book and find out for yourself.
Profile Image for Lucy.
990 reviews16 followers
December 10, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a gifted copy of this read.

As I eagerly delved into this festive book, my expectations were high. I was hoping to be swept away by its charm and transported to a world of holiday magic. However, as I read on, I was disappointed to find that the story was too predictable for my liking, especially towards the conclusion. The plot felt formulaic, lacking the originality that I have come to expect from holiday books.

Nevertheless, I do feel that the book has its merits. It could be a decent contender for someone seeking a romantic Christmas read, as it does have its share of heartwarming moments. However, I couldn't help but feel that it would appeal more to those who are new to the genre, rather than to seasoned readers who are looking for something fresh and innovative.

Despite its shortcomings, I still managed to enjoy the book's overall plot. It has the potential to be transformed into an ideal Christmas movie, one that could be watched year after year as part of cherished traditions. I think that it would be a great fit for those who love feel-good stories that are easy to follow and have a happy ending. Overall, while it may not have been the book that I was hoping for, it still has its place on the bookshelf of any holiday lover.

Profile Image for Kirsty (BookBlogger).
1,834 reviews59 followers
August 27, 2023
Fairytale of New York by Zoe Folbigg

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Thirty-two-year-old Charlie Brown has a plane to catch. As Christmas approaches, she is New York bound, to be reunited with boyfriend Harry after work has kept them apart. But once she lands, Harry is nowhere to be found� There’s no hand-drawn sign with her name being brandished at the gate. No answer from Harry's phone.And all at once, Charlie’s worst fears come true. What has happened to Harry? And what should Charlie do now that she’s an ocean away from home? As Charlie slowly comes to terms with her predicament, she makes a decision. She’s not leaving New York without finding out the truth, and with a little help from her handsome new friend Pete, there might still be a path to happily-ever-after�

My Opinion

Charlie flies out to spend Christmas in New York with her boyfriend - whilst set at Christmas this book isn't overly festive. Instead of spending the holidays as she expected, Charlie found herself in a very unexpected situation. Overall this was a sweet romance, but definitely not what I expected.

Rating: 4/5
Profile Image for Kim.
1,593 reviews146 followers
May 15, 2018
This story was pretty good but there were some problems in execution. I'm still wondering why a Depeche Mode superfan would be listening to Taylor Swift...

Cecilie meets Hector in a Depeche Mode/music chat room and they start chatting. The only thing is that Cecilie lives in the arctic circle and Hector lives in Mexico. They find themselves drawn to each other but their lives do not intertwine outside of their computers and phones. When Hector announces to Cecilie that he is getting married the two drift apart a bit with Cecilie nursing her wounds.

For some reason the author tried to work in a secondary story about Hector's teenage love interest and her current husband. For me that whole story was very out of place in the book and even when the author tried to tie the two together it was a bit messy.

I also felt it was weird that Cecilie's friends and family called Hector "The Mexican" throughout the book. Surely she has told them his name, and if not why not just say her penpal or friend? We get it, Hector is Mexican.

Even with it's flaws I found this to be a decent read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Profile Image for Sarah.
156 reviews3 followers
November 18, 2018
This book was received from the publisher in return for an honest review

The Distance tells the story of three main characters; Hector, Cecilie and Kate. 3 people living their lives in 3 separate countries.

When we’re first introduced to Hector he is in his mid thirties, living in Mexico and about to marry. Hector as a character definitely grew on me as the story went on and we learnt more about his history and the changes he made to his life.

Cecilie was my favourite character within the story. I found her a really interesting character with an interesting family dynamic. I particularly loved her relationships with her best friend and her twin’s partner. She was certainly the character I hoped would get her happy ending. Cecilie’s chapters definitely left me wanting to visit Tromsø and see all the sights and experience the Northern Lights from the island.

Kate’s character confused me at first I couldn’t really work out how she fit into the story. Kate is a housewife living in the London commuter belt, whose children are growing up and feels a little lost. I really felt for Kate’s character, it seemed clear to me she wasn’t happy with the way her life was and I really wanted her to find some confidence and happiness by the end of the book.

The story was told in quite an interesting way, with chapters focusing on the different central characters. The story isn’t linear though so pay attention to the date changes at the start of some chapters! The timeline moves backwards and forwards through the years and it definitely caught me out on one occasion and left me slightly confused!

Would I Recommend?
I found The Distance to be an enjoyable summer read. There are some topics covered in the book that may be triggering for some people; suicide is mentioned, and drugs are also discussed with one character overdosing. I really grew to like Cecile and was rooting for her throughout the book. Does she get her happy ending? You’ll have to pick up The Distance to find out!
Profile Image for Ioanna.
488 reviews18 followers
June 20, 2018
Cecilie meets Hector in a chat room dedicated to their favorite band. The bond is instant, and it doesn't take long for both of them to realize they are each other's soul mates. There are just two problems: they live 9000 km apart and, most importantly, Hector is about to get married to another woman.

As Cecilie cuts all ties and desperately tries to move on with her life in Norway, Hector is leading an unhappy life with his new wife in Mexico. With both of them being miserable, can either one find the courage to contact the other one again? Is it even a wise decision to do that? And, with the distance between them, can it actually happen?

The Distance is a bittersweet, cute love story of two people who have found their soul mate in each other's face. Although there is a great distance and a lot of circumstances between them, they are drawn to each other no matter how much time passes, and you can't help but cheer for them to find a way to be together.

This was an interesting story. The plot was amusing, and it is an ideal quick read. Recommended for fans of romantic fiction.
Profile Image for karla_bookishlife.
985 reviews31 followers
February 16, 2024
What a perfect winter read. I had the opportunity some time ago to buddy read this alongside other Boldwood Books readers and respond to prompt cards, which made this such a fun readalong. Set across the cities of London and New York, our heroine Charlie is jetting off to the Big Apple to connect with her boyfriend of 16years after work has kept them apart. Her fairytale of New York soon lapses into a nightmare, when she arrives and there in no sign of her boyfriend. Bewilderingly, she does have an address for him. Cold lost confused and hurt, Charlie decides she is not leaving the city until she discovers the truth from Harry. A chance encounter sees her bump into handsome Pete, who offers to help and show her around some of the cities sights en route. Will Charlie get her happy ending? Will it be what she imagined? A lovely winter wonderland romance that would translate well onto the big screen. #fairytaleofnewyork #zoëfolbigg #boldwood #netgalley
Profile Image for Lee Bellingham.
41 reviews
November 4, 2024
Confused about all the ratings on here which appear to be for a few different Zoe Folbigg books.
Anyway, to Fairytale of New York. The premise was exciting and drew me in and I really enjoyed the section of the book where Charlie was in NY. It felt authentic and I learned a lot about the people and the place. I loved the characters she met in NY and how she navigated her way around those days. The London section was also good, but the ending to the book felt a little contrived and OTT to me. The story would have ended better in London. I also didn’t understand the purpose of the Bree storyline as it seemed irrelevant to the overall story.
I do struggle with how the author dodges around with character viewpoints even within a page. If we are hearing from Charlie’s point of view, then it’s odd to suddenly get a sentence that sees into Pete’s head when Charlie wouldn’t have known this.
Overall, a really interesting plot idea that was developed well and an enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Sara Oxton.
3,709 reviews18 followers
July 16, 2018
The Distance by Zoe Folbigg a five-star read that will make you smile. This author has a great way with words, you will read this story and fall in love with the characters. I am a fan of the author and adored The Note, and I was so glad that I had the chance to read this book. Cecilie and Hector have a story that will move you, you will laugh with them and you will fall in love with them. Kate was a character I liked but I didn’t warm to her as much as the others, but overall all of the stories were moving and deep. The descriptions of all of the places visited in the story are so beautifully written you can imagine yourself watching sunsets and listening to the music. An amazing story by an amazing author.
Profile Image for Kelsey Rhodes.
1,873 reviews30 followers
August 27, 2023
2/5 stars! I was just not impressed. This was bland as all get out and the cover was the most interesting thing about it. There was far too much confusion in the timing of the story and I didn't connect with the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review
Profile Image for Mandy Baggot.
Author50 books719 followers
October 8, 2018
This was an enjoyable read although some of it was a little confusing - particularly the dates and times flicking from past to present and back again. I liked finding out more about the differing cultures. It was readable but I didn't like it quite as much as The Note.
Profile Image for Helen.
55 reviews
July 8, 2018
Brilliant! Loved it even more than The Note. Excellent characters. Can’t wait to see what Zoe Folbigg writes next!
Profile Image for Isabella May.
Author22 books129 followers
December 16, 2018
Blew me away!

I read a lot of romance (I write in the genre), but this sparkling novel is my absolute favourite read of the year. Utterly captivating, witty and intelligent; Folbigg's storytelling is so unique, and she captures culture delightfully, transporting readers from the Arctic to Mexico - via middle class England in a seamless and clever narrative. The writing sizzles and pops, the characters are so damned credible - as are their predicaments. I'm off to devour The Note now and cannot wait to see what this awesome author comes up with next!
Profile Image for Megan Jones.
1,516 reviews26 followers
March 4, 2025
'Under One Sky' is an okay read but I found the writing style and time periods confusing. As a result I felt like this jumped around too much and I was never too sure where in the story I was. As the book progressed, this did become clearer and I ended up getting into the book and enjoying it but I thought the first half was too confusing to enjoy. The plot is also quite slow, in some ways this is nice but in others it was frustrating and I felt like an injection of adrenaline was needed.
This is told through the eyes of Cecelie and Hector which allowed us to get to know them and discover their story which was nice. There is also a third character's perspective in this and to be honest I am not sure why. They did not add anything to the plot and if anything detracted from the enjoyment of reading about Cecelie and Hector.
On the positive side, I really liked the characters of Cecelie and Hector and it was a pleasure to get to know them. This is set mostly between Norway and Mexico and again I enjoyed these locations and the balance in temperatures and landscapes.
This was an okay read but there is room for improvement.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy.
Profile Image for Grass monster.
574 reviews16 followers
June 20, 2018
The Blurb :
Under the midnight sun of Arctic Norway, Cecilie Wiig goes online and stumbles across Hector Herrera in a band fan forum. They start chatting and soon realise they might be more than kindred spirits. But there are two big problems: Hector lives 8,909km away in Mexico. And he's about to get married.
Can Cecilie, who's anchored to two jobs she loves in the library and a cafe full of colourful characters in the town in which she grew up, overcome the hurdles of having fallen for someone she's never met? Will Hector escape his turbulent past and the temptations of his hectic hedonistic life and make a leap of faith to change the path he's on?

My Thoughts :
Cecilie and Hector meet on a music forum room, which is dedicated the the band Depeche Mode. They realise they have lots in common but the distance proves difficult as Hector lives in Mexico and Cecile lives in Norway. Soon Hector tells Cecile that he is getting married and their friendship drifts apart leaving Cecile with a broken heart.
It did take me a little whille to get into the story as there is a lot going on and you need to be focused to remember what is what and who is who. I did enjoy delving into the lives of the charactors and learning more about them. Personally I didnt see the point in Kate’s story being part of this book but it does make more sence at the end.
Looking forward to Zoe Folbigg’s next release.


Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.