Back to Reality

by Mark Stay, Mark Oliver

Wrong time, wrong place, wrong body...
Jo's world is about to change forever, and it’s about time

Her marriage is on auto-pilot, daughter hates her, job sucks and it’s not even Tuesday.

As Jo's life implodes, a freak event hurls her back through time and space to ‘90s Los Angeles where, in a parallel universe, she’s about to hit the 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 then 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.

Genres: Time Travel, Fiction, Audiobook, Humor, Music, Comedy

389 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2017

About the author

Mark Stay got a part-time Christmas job at Waterstone’s in the nineties (back when it still had an apostrophe) and somehow ended up working in publishing for over 25 years. He would write in his spare time and (he can admit this now) on company time, and sometimes those writings would get turned into books and films.
Mark is also co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast, which has inspired writers all over the world to finish and publish their books. Born in London, he lives in Kent with Youtube gardener Claire Burgess and a declining assortment of retired chickens.
Come and say hello at https://markstaywrites.com or visit the Woodville Village Library for free short stories and more at https://witchesofwoodville.com

Reviews

["Avonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

BACK TO REALITY by Mark Stay and Mark Oliver is a unique time-travel/parallel universe fiction story and it is a humorous and heartwarming story of second chances. I listened to and enjoyed the audiobook and I felt Kim Bretton did an amazing job as the narrator.

Jo is not satisfied with her life and it is about to change forever.

A freak event hurls her back to Los Angeles in the 1990’s where in a parallel universe she is about to hit it big as a rock star.

Jo will now have to choose between her dreams and her family as she travels through her crazy new reality.

This is one of the most entertaining audiobooks that I have listened to and it is very difficult to describe without giving anything away. This audiobook has a wonderful and relatable main character who I just could not help but laugh with and feel for. The plot is fast-paced and filled with secondary characters that were crazy and yet believable. The authors had me feeling like I was back in the 90’s. I really enjoyed the dry British humor and Kim Bretton’s narration.

I highly recommend this audiobook. It is unique, fun and something really different!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When your novel is sub-titled "the feel-good novel of the year!", it darn tootin' better deliver and it DID! The characters all sounded real, I can barely believe two men wrote female characters so convincingly, the plot was awesome with a tad of magical realism via parallel universes, rock stars and real life drama. It was funny, heartfelt and even with the parallel universes storyline, it was BELIEVABLE. It was an easy five star, give a copy to everyone you meet, let alone know, it was PERFECT.

Until it mentioned Donald Trump. Twice.

Look, I read to ESCAPE from reality, despite the title of the book indicating a return to reality. I don't want ANY politics in my books, NONE. I don't read political books for a reason. As far as I'm concerned, the bit with his name didn't need to be included. Without it, the book would have been perfect. For each scene with his name mentioned? One star deducted. I don't care what the slant of the authors re: Mr. Trump, positive or negative, I didn't want it in my book. Not to mention, it dates the books slightly.

So 3, it should have been five, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kobo Writing Life for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jo's life has gone, as the British characters would say, tits up. She has an amazing singing voice, but she just turned 42, her daughter hates her, her husband's cheating on her, and she's getting attention for all the wrong reasons. Then a younger, cooler, sexier version of her pops in from a parallel universe. She is Yohanna, the budding pop star that Jo could have been, and she needs Jo's help. Being thoroughly sick of her own life, Jo is willing to give it a shot.

Back to Reality is a fun and madcap novel. The explanations as to how Jo and Yohanna meet, inhabit each other's bodies, and strive to return to their own lives are somewhat familiar to anyone who reads or watches movies about time travel, and are almost irrelevant. Jo alternately enjoys and is horrified by the life she could have lived. Jo maintains a sense of humor, which helps given the situations she faces both in her own and Yohanna's lives.

Mark Stay and Mark Oliver alternate between Jo and Yohanna's worlds. There is a clever visual device--Jo's chapters are denoted by a sensible ballet flat, Yohanna's by a Doc Marten boot, and chapters involving both by one of each shoe. This helps the readers keep times, places, and characters straight. The parallel universe is similar to ours, but has a few differences from the one that we and Jo inhabit--for instance, Star Wars was a flop and Madonna is unknown.

It helps to have read and enjoyed science or paranormal fiction, especially novels involving time travel, alternate universes, or alternative histories. However, I don't think it's essential. Jo and Yohanna are relatable, and their problems are familiar. Don't go expecting anything deep from Back to Reality. Just laugh and enjoy the ride.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Batjutsu]

Fantastic audio performance by Kim Bretton.

This feel good story initially starts out following the unhappy life of Jo, her dull life degenerates further, but then Yohanna turns up and things get weird! It’s certainly a page turner, as Jo deals with a comedic level of problems. Despite the scale of the protagonist’s problems, somehow the two Marks manage to maintain a light tone and some great humour.
Be warned this funny story also has character depth, interesting scenes all wrapped up with some heartfelt profundity. This good mix of fun and seriousness helped with the books pacing, I was intrigued to know what would happen next. In the spirit of this books good use of nostalgia, the story has a Play Your Cards Right feel: “Is the next scene’s emotion higher or lower than a 7?”
I recommend this fun read, particularly to anyone wanting a good balance of joy, sadness with a good sprinkling of gravitas about life choices. I rate this book a caterpillar cake, definitely worth consumption.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I followed the two Mark's Bestseller Experiment with interest through their podcasts, which only happened because I was suffering insomnia at the time! Otherwise, I don't have patience for podcasts.

They did an excellent job of the podcasts - they were informative and funny!

So I was very happy to purchase this Kindle version and give it a go.

And it was a good read. Considering that it was written by two guys, the protagonist is female (at both 18 years old and middle aged) and these two guys live in different countries - it was a good story.

Followed a logical progression, humour was there but obvious (I never laughed out loud, but humour is subjective. I could see it was funny, but I didn't react to it). The premise of movement between alternate universes (and therefore possible selves) was well handled. And it was all wrapped up neatly.

So, neatly written boys. Sorry I can't enthuse much more than that.

BUT so good on you for tackling this challenge, persevering and making it happen! Congrats.

[Batjutsu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feel good story initially starts out following the unhappy life of Jo, her dull life degenerates further, but then Yohanna turns up and things get weird! It’s certainly a page turner, as Jo deals with a comedic level of problems. Despite the scale of the protagonist’s problems, somehow the two Marks manage to maintain a light tone and some great humour.
Be warned this funny story also has character depth, interesting scenes all wrapped up with some heartfelt profundity. This good mix of fun and seriousness helped with the books pacing, I was intrigued to know what would happen next. In the spirit of this books good use of nostalgia, the story has a Play Your Cards Right feel: “Is the next scene’s emotion higher or lower than a 7?”
I recommend this fun read, particularly to anyone wanting a good balance of joy, sadness with a good sprinkling of gravitas about life choices. I rate this book a caterpillar cake, definitely worth consumption.

[Simone Wallnöfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There really are quite a few bits where you just have to laugh out loud. Some of the rainbow-stuff is a bit too New-Age for my liking, but on the whole it was a pleasant read

[Nadeen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the beginning of the book there is a crazy scene with a careening bus that lurches around the sharp curves of a California highway. That is an apt description of the book itself. It is a crazy ride that jerks wildly around until it shudders to a stop in the way that only a bus can right before it lurches forward again and continues on its route.

I have read reviews that call this book heartwarming, inventive and funny and others that call it absurd and outrageous. It is all that, though I would quibble with the heartwarming adjective, because at its core it is an imaginative rock and roll time travel story fueled with all the things that rock and roll was/ is fueled with including over the top personalities that flirt with reality. The story is told from the point of view of two very different people who just happen to be the same person. I loved this book until I hated it.

So what went wrong? The Jo / Yohanna character meet enough thoroughly bizarre people to fill this book and several others. The situations they find themselves resemble something Carl Hiassen and Jimmy Buffet would write if they collaborated and at those times it is laugh out loud hysterical. But, and this is a big but, the fake science behind the time travel repeatedly bogs the book down and makes everyone's head hurt, including Jo, Yohanna and mine. It is never good to make your readers' head hurt and worse if it is hurting because they are bored. That is a crime committed with stunning regularity. The book races forward until the sketchy guru drags out a reason / explanation for the weird sequence of events that cause these women (or this woman) to split time. And then it moves on again. It ruined a wonderful read for me. A DeLorean would have made so much more sense.

[Karschtl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Stars

Freaky Friday, Back to the Future and Ghost all mashed up together; and the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel from Pretty Woman starring in a small supporting role make for a real fun adventure.

Here Jo and Yohanna not only swap bodies, but also travel through time 20 years and land in different 'universes'. One of them is where no one knows Madonna, 'Star Wars' has never been a hit at the box office and 24year old Yohanna wants to be a pop singer. But suddently her 42 year old alter ego is inside her body!

I definitely preferred this storyline over the other one, where young Yohanna is in the body of Jo and trying to find ways to get back to the 90s with the help of her old foster mother, a psychic. But both were funny to read. I also liked the references to songs in the chapter's titles. The chapters are just sometimes awfully short, and I had to switch from one storyline to the other very quickly. Prevented me from getting really involved in one or the other, actually.

The stuff about the guru and everything connected to spirituality is not my cup of tea, but it's bearable and also kinda essential to the storyline. The writing as such is perfectly ok, I would compare the humour of the two authors to that of Neil Gaiman in "Stardust", and that is not the worst thing you can accomplish I would say.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna has a pretty normal uninspiring life. She's not overly fond of her job and her teenage daughter is going through that rebellious stage where she hates her mother. Jo did have a life once, but all her hopes and dreams of being a star were swept away from her years ago. The something magical happens. She goes to a birthday celebration and after a few drinks starts to recreate her youth singing at a karaoke. It sets off a trigger that spookily transports her back to swapping places with her younger self in Los Angeles where she is set to take the music world by storm. The book is the story of her hilarious adventures as she relives part of her youth, ending up at Glastonbury music festival with a rival who hates her and some rather unhelpful cows. It's funny, laugh out loud at times, but there are also very poignant and heart-warming moments. I was fondly reminded of the film Freaky Friday. I listened to the audio book version of this, and it works incredibly well. The narrator was wonderful in the role and brought Jo to life perfectly. A very enjoyable listen and a lot of fun! 5*

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna has a dream disregarded and unfulfilled. She has an ineffectual husband and a rebellious daughter.

Yohanna has the music world at her fingertips and a vulnerability keeping it just out of reach. She has an overconfident guru and underfunded manager.

Joanna & Yohanna have a connection...a connection that will take them to the edge of reality and beyond.

Mark Stay & Mark Oliver have created an ever-changing fictional world in Back to Reality, where multi-universes keep our characters on their toes...or falling off a cow.

As a reader who adores a story about time-travel and the mind-bending suggestion of multiple versions of myself across a vast number of universes, I truly and completely enjoyed this story. As strangely detailed as this book read, I never felt lost or that the author was getting “too technical.” I’m not here for the science of a multiverse; I just want to experience it. Thankfully, the journey that Stay & Oliver have taken us on is twisty & bah-luddy exhilarating!

There is so much more to say about this story...these characters...the surprises...the outcome, but I fear I will give away more than I should. Instead, please treat yourself to this escape of a book and enjoy the ride.

Thanks to the authors & Reedsy for the digital copy!

[Melinda Irvine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to Reality is a novel stemming from a podcast: The Bestseller Experiment. Two blokes set out to plan, write, publish and launch a bestselling novel within one year and interview authors, editors and bloggers to help them along the way. The podcast documents their growth as writers as well as the whole process of the launch.

I started listening to the Podcast, liked it and bought the book out of curiosity. I'm glad I did too. I read the book in a day and thoroughly enjoyed the journey. It was fun, upbeat and joyful.

I think we've all had times in our lives when we'd love to reach out to our younger self and say "don't ... " and this book brings that concept to life in a way that's silly and crazy and just a little bit believable. You desperately want the protagonist/s Joanna and Yoanna to find their voice (and their bodies too).

I guess the book is a little bit science-fictionish in a Douglas Adams, Robert Heinlein way: plenty of humour and obscure yet lively characters. I'm looking forward to listening to more podcast episodes and would definitely read another book by the two Marks.

[Rhoda Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've listened to the Marks' podcast for a year and I was keen to read the book to see if it was any good. And it was!
It's a fast and funny time slip type story. 42 year old Jo (with her unhappy life) suddenly finds that she's swapped bodies with 24 year old Yohanna who is really Jo from an alternate reality. They have to get back into each other's bodies before their time runs out and one of them dies.

Having listened to the podcast I felt weirdly affectionate towards this book even before I started it, like I'd watched this story grow up, and there are certain bits (like the character names) that popped out as Easter eggs. This added an extra dimension to the story for me.

This is a nice, feel good story with the right balance between fantasy and realism. Also, there is, as promised, a funny bit with a cow.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ate it up in one day!

I'm not usually about 'feel good novels', but I could not stop devouring this book once I started. I love the Marks on their 'Bestseller Experiment' podcast and had this book sitting in my kindle telling myself I'd read it eventually. Well I'm glad I finally did! I love how things that were mentioned in the book were eventually tied in and the ending had a beautiful silk bow that made me smile as I flipped to that final page.

If the Marks are reading this I want to thank them so much for their upbeat book full of playful winks and unexpected turns, I need to also thank them for their happy and honest selves that they give to us each week in their podcast. It's a wonderful way to feel less alone when the world is itching to take a bite out of you.

[M. Vess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny & Emotional

Sometimes we wish we could have a second chance at life. Back to Reality is a great “what-if” to loose yourself in. This book was funny and fast paced right from the start with a cast of quirky characters and tons of music references. The two Marks did awesome capturing the essence and tension of mother/daughter relationships, commercial success vs. contentment, letting go of the past, and realizing life is short and it’s never too late to live your dreams. I really enjoyed hearing their writing process on the Bestseller Experiment Podcast too! Very inspiring. I highly recommend both the book and the podcast.

[Steve Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

I managed to finish the book, but had really lost interest by then. I wanted to like it, as it was recommended by Caimh McDonnell, but it just didn't work for me. It's a sort of Back to the Future meets Sliding Doors. I'm not agree to s bit of fantasy - I love Been Aaronovitch's Rivers of London books - but this just isn't in the same league. It had a few quite amusing episodes, although most of them were fairly predictable, and the whole plot was pretty thin.
Sorry - it obviously appeals to many others, but not for me

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be more of a coming to realisation that identifies that what is over the other side of the fences, in this case parallel universe - is not always as green as you might think. Jo, the character from the present day, is definitely the main subject of the story, with Yohanna, her 90's alter-ego the one that sets the pace of the story.

Definitely aimed for the chick-lit genre. Funny would, to me, be a little bit of an exaggeration. I don't deny it was amusing in places.

Still, I'd recommend.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's not what I'd expected but it's very funny and really fast paced. It's a cracking story and a real page turner. For fans of the podcast series, there are lots of little nods to people and things that we've heard over the last year. I'm so pleased for Mark and Mark that they got a bestseller. Coming on your journey has been brilliant and inspiring and I might finally get round to having a go myself for NaNoWriMo.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know anything about the Bestseller Experiment podcast that created this book. And I kind of don't want to.

I came into it blind, based solely on a recommendation from an author I like.

It's absurd, outrageous, and funny. The characters are memorable and relatable. I gasped out loud once and laughed out loud many times.

Lots of nods to Dr. Who, including guru Aaronovitch.

A fun ride.
4.5 stars

[Julian Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I was provided an ARC of this book and was part of the Beta team. But I bought a copy for myself as soon as it became available, because I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The book's good! It's really bloody good. Light and breezy, but still touching. I actually laughed aloud at a few points. It's like Laura Barnett meets Douglas Adams. Perfect for fans of the Cornetto Trilogy movies.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A storyline that I haven’t come across before (some speculative, fantasy threads) woven throughout a comic and entertaining book. I particularly liked the characterisation of distinct, fully realised personalities.
For women’s lit, it isn’t too ‘gushy’ or overly sentimental.
The first few chapters are particularly funny and really made me smile!

[Jackie_K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual kind of read (I usually do nerdy non-fiction), however I was increasingly drawn in, and would thoroughly recommend Back to Reality as a light-hearted and funny read. Featuring time travel, the Glastonbury Festival, 90's LA, and a cast of characters that wouldn't be out of place in the next big hit British comedy movie. Great fun. (I'd give it 4.5 stars if Goodreads did half-stars)

[Hannah Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Back to Reality! A really fun, light-hearted caper driven by its relatable characters and quick-witted humour. It had a certain Douglas Adams feel to it that made me reminisce for Hitchhikers and the humour was quintessentially British, down to the very mention of our beloved Colin the caterpillar cake. I honestly loved it and highly recommend it for a proper escape read.

[Tuvia Pollack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! A bored 42-year old gets the chance to go back in time to an alternative universe where she is a 24-year old world famous pop star. Unforgettable characters, funny parts to make you laugh out loud, and emotional parts to make you cry. And a funny bit with a cow.

[Sage Gordon-Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely cracking read. It's funny, it's clever, it's heartwarming, and it's completely impossible to put down. be warned: don't read this when you gave things to do, or they won't get done!

[Michaela Kügelgen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the podcast Bestseller Experiment and was of course really curious to read the book. I think the book could have been quite a bit shorter and tighter, but it's a good read. The story is a bit crazy, but still warm.

[G.M. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A riotously funny but moving read, it went places I didn't expect. It deserves to be the feel good hit of the summer (or any other season) and I would recommend it to anyone.

[Dave Holwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. Back to the Future crossed with Vice Versa/Freaky Friday with a twist and a rock and roll theme. It did make me want to go and buy an old, battered Martin guitar for some reason, but i'm hoping to get over that soon as I can't afford one.
Very funny.

[Gareth Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel-good read that maintains a light tone and humour, even while ramping up the tension, and continuing to explore the well-drawn and engaging characters.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely fun, engrossing and heart warming.