Travel Auction by Mark David Green

The Blurb

It should have been their trip of a lifetime. But with just days to go, Jonathan Cork is dumped by his girlfriend. Unable to change the name on the spare ticket and fast running out of time, Jonathan decides to take desperate measures. He advertises on eBay for a travel companion with the same name as his ex. What follows is a funny, page-turning, rollercoaster ride around South America.

About Mark David Green

Mark Green is a British guy who got bored with the soulless nature of his job in the construction industry. In 2007, he and his girlfriend, Nicky, spent three months backpacking around South America, which provided the backdrop to this book. Upon returning to the UK after their adventure, Mark and Nicky decided that a conventional life wasn’t for them. They rented out their house and spent three years renovating a small sailing boat where they now live on Britain’s south coast. The Travel Auction is Mark’s first novel.

My Review

Jonathan Cork had been planning a 3 month trip to South America with his girlfriend Kate Thornly, when a week before their trip, he came home to find the plumber servicing more than just the boiler. Kate's moment of spontaneous infidelity cost her dearly, and Jonathan beat a hasty retreat. He was committed to going ahead with the trip but because of a serious nut allergy it would be too dangerous for him to travel alone. The travel company would not refund or transfer Kate's ticket that Jonathan had paid for, so the only thing left to do was to find another 'Kate Thornly' and advertised the trip on eBay insistent on the buyer having the same name. This book has been an absolute delight from beginning to end, with strongly defined characters, with the narrative shared between the two main characters,(Jonathan and the second Kate Thornly), and a fantastic description of their journey through Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and finally Brazil. As a reader, this experience was escapism at its best with a blend of plenty of laugh out loud moments and poignancy along the way. I will certainly be reading the next in the series of 4 book, 'Travel Mate'.