Common People: The BRAND NEW heartwarming and uplifting contemporary fiction Novel for 2026

A heartfelt, feel-good novel about friendship, community and the power of putting one foot in front of the other. Perfect for fans of Mike Gayle, Clare Pooley and Libby Page.After losing his parents in a devastating car crash, twenty-five-year-old Max Lawson is falling apart. Once organised and full of plans, he’s now drifting through life in a haze of grief, bad decisions and too much alcohol.Then, one morning, a flyer for a run club in his local coffee shop in Clapham catches his eye. On impulse, Max turns up and finds a group of strangers all carrying burdens of their own. As the miles add up, so do friendships, laughter and the first flickers of hope since the accident.With just ten weeks until the Clapham Half Marathon, Max has one chance to prove he can keep moving forward. But can he outrun the pain of his past, or will it finally catch up with him?Because healing doesn’t happen all at once. Sometimes, it starts with a single step. Read more