Back to Reality: A Novel

By: Mark Stay, Mark Oliver

Narrated by: Kim Bretton

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

A story of second chances that's impossible to stop listening to.

Jo's world is about to change forever, and it’s about time. Her marriage is on auto-pilot, her daughter hates her, her job sucks, and it’s not even Tuesday.

As Jo's life implodes, a freak event hurls her back to ‘90s Los Angeles where, in a parallel universe, she’s about to hit big time as a rock star.

Jo has to choose between her dreams and her family in an adventure that propels her from London to Hollywood and then to Glastonbury, the world’s greatest music festival.

In her desperate quest, Jo encounters a disgraced guru, a movie star with a fetish for double-decker buses, and the biggest pop star in the world...who just happens to want to kill her.

Back to Reality is a funny, heartwarming story about last chances, perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman and Helen Fielding.

Praise for Back to Reality:

“Heartwarming, inventive, and funny. Like if Nick Hornby wrote a time travel, body swap adventure!”(The New York Times best-selling author Mimi Strong)

“Written with an authentic touch and plenty of good humour. A tough book to put down.” (Mark Dawson, USA Today best-selling author of the best-selling John Milton series)

“A compelling story where the comedy compliments the drama and keeps you turning the page... A delight.” (Caimh McDonnell, best-selling author of The Dublin Trilogy)

“I love it! It's Back to the Future meets Freaky Friday.” (Number one Kindle best-selling author of Hot Mess, Lucy Vine)

“Everything the world loves about British comedy. For those who wished Simon Pegg wrote novels, you now have the Two Marks.” (USA Today best-selling author Shannon Mayer)

“Crackles with all the addictive energy of a pop hit, and the heart of a soul classic.” (Samantha King, bestselling author of The Choice)

“Like a book version of Hot Tub Time Machine with fabulous female characters and great music.” (Kate Harrison, author of the bestselling 5:2 series)

“If you love time travel and rock and roll, you'll love this book!” (Julie Cohen, author of Together)

“Sliding Doors meets Back to the Future in a story to make you sing with joy.” (Karen Ball, Speckled Pen)

“A magnificent book! Loved every page. Beautifully written.” (Callan McAuliffe, actor in The Walking Dead)

©2017 Mark Stay and Mark Desvaux (P)2019 Mark Stay and Mark Desvaux

hilarious & edge of seat

this was a great book! It has got to be the most humorous one i've ever listened to. Throughly enjoyed it!
and as always great narrationg by Kim Bretton!

Absolutely delightful

Bought this on a wim. So happy I did. Laughed out a few times even. Would love to see more from this duo.
Narrator - superb. Instantly put two of her narrated books in my wish list

Fun Story- Loser Protagonist

I had no problem with the fantastical Freaky-Friday, alternate universe, time travel story. The narrator was fun. All of that was good.
What constantly brought me down and made me switch off for hours was our heroine Jo.
Jo was:
cowardly
a whiner
an hysteric
a let-down to the people she needed and needed her
slow on the uptake
Incompetent
Unempathetic and selfish
a tin-plated loser.

Each new episode gave her a chance to disappoint herself and others, zone out, flake off, have a fit, make a bed decision. She hardly seemed like a grown woman, even in her older “adult” version.

If that does not bug you, I recommend the story, because everything else is great. It is a jet fighter piloted by Mr. MacGoo.

An Interesting Concept

The book was light hearted and a but funny from time to time. it did turn a little dark towards the end which came out of left field for how light hearted the entire book had been. there was also once scene towards the end that seemed to drag on for a bit too long with the main character trying to get back into the festival. Other then that you want something to listen to that's pure entertainment this is the book for you. The narrator did give more of a Mississippi southern drawn for the super star from Miami, which sounds nothing like a miami accent. I live there. I would know. The rest of the barrorating was very easy to listen to.