Fiction

Review: Back Where We Belong by Jo Bartlett

May 8, 2026

Synopsis:

Fifteen years ago, one desperate act tore sisters Bex and Briony apart.

Growing up side by side against the backdrop of a feckless father and a hardworking mum, they were inseparable—until Briony’s attempt to save Bex from a disastrous engagement shattered their bond.

Now Bex has the life she dreamed of: a loving family, a new glamping site on the family farm, and roots she’s proud of. Briony, living under the online alias “Holly Day,” drifts from place to place in her van, watching her sister’s happiness from afar.

When their beloved mum falls seriously ill, Bex must track down the sister she hasn’t seen in over a decade. But finding Briony brings more than old wounds—it brings unexpected closeness, new beginnings, and the realisation that some bonds never truly break.

As secrets unravel and hearts tentatively open, Bex and Briony must decide whether they can finally forgive, heal, and find their way back to each other—and to the family they both desperately need.

Review:

Bex and Briony are sisters who love each other deeply – until one day when Briony makes a bad decision. Even though she means well, it causes a huge break between them. Not only are the sisters torn apart, but their friends and parents take sides too. Bex reacts by cutting Briony out of her life completely. The pain and broken trust run deep, and holding onto that hurt for sixteen years shows just how serious the damage is.

When a family emergency forces them back together, all the old wounds resurface. There are hard conversations, anger, and a lot of unresolved pain on both sides. Bex can’t bring herself to trust her sister again and struggles to understand why her children want a relationship with Briony. This makes her feel alone and rejected all over again.

At the heart of this story is the sisters’ relationship. Their past has shaped who they are, and rebuilding trust feels almost impossible. Even when everyone else is ready to move on, Bex remains stuck in her pain. That came across very clearly, and more than once I wanted to shake her and tell her to give her sister another chance. I was fully invested in the story and kept hoping the sisters would eventually find their way back to each other.

🌙 Recension: Back Where We Belong (The Cornish Bay Collection #2) by Jo Bartlett
📚 Genre: Fiction
📅 Release Date: April 27, 2026
📖 Publisher: Boldwood Books
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
💸 I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 322
⭐️ 4/5