James Bailey

It's New Year's Eve and Josh has a high-flying proposal planned. An exclusive pod on the London Eye, with champagne, truffles and the ring. It's perfect. Until she says no. And they have to spend the next 29 excruciating minutes alone together. By the time Josh is back on the ground, his whole life is up in the air. He's managed to lose his girlfriend, his job and his flat. Realising he can't trust his own judgement, Josh puts his faith in fate. From now on he will make every choice by flipping a coin. It's reckless and scary, but Josh has tried the right way and look where he ended up. And what if the girl of his dreams is just one flip of a coin away?

When Simon Brown reconnects on Facebook with his first love Sylvie - the French pen pal he never actually met - he is determined that this time things will be different.

However, life isn't so straight-forward at sixty as it was at sixteen. His daughter's getting married, he's got difficult guests staying at his B&B, and his larger-than-life school friend, Ian, has abruptly waltzed back into his life.

Adamant that he can't let this second chance pass by, Simon sets off on a bike ride from Bristol to Bordeaux with Ian in tow, on the very same route they covered as teenagers in pursuit of love.

But although they now have better bikes, more acceptable haircuts, and Google Maps, some things never change, and it soon becomes clear that this trip will have even more bumps in the road than the first.

Is it ever too late to make up for past mistakes?

How far can one friendship be pushed?

And will Simon finally meet Sylvie?


Praise for THE FLIP SIDE!