The Truth of Us by Sara Cox 

I’d obviously heard of Sara Cox, and the premise of this book really intrigued me — and I’m so pleased to say it absolutely delivered. Sometimes celebrity‑penned novels can feel a little flat, but this one is a triumph. It’s engaging, heartfelt and far more assured than I expected, with a story that pulls you in and a voice that feels both natural and genuinely entertaining.

In 1982, on a street in Manchester where all the houses looked much the same — though number 51 was always a touch neater than number 49 — two girls became inseparable. Abi and Christy, birthday twins and instant best friends, grew up side by side: Christy the wilder one, Abi happily led astray. Twenty years later, their lives couldn’t be more different. Abi is back in her parents’ house with a husband and children, while Christy is living the high life in London. But when Christy’s mum becomes unwell, she returns home, and the two women find themselves neighbours once again. The big secret that once pushed them apart still lingers between them — and the question is whether it will keep them divided, or finally bring them back together. 

It’s a heartfelt story about the bonds we form when we’re young and how they shape us long after we’ve grown up. Sara Cox writes Abi and Christy’s relationship with real tenderness — the joy, the hurt, the misunderstandings and the fierce loyalty that never quite disappears. The mystery of their shared past keeps the pages turning, but it’s the authenticity of their friendship that makes the book so compelling. A touching, engaging read that proves she’s far more than a celebrity dabbling in fiction.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8844830137