Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees: Careers That Took A Twist
- 01. Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees: A Literary Partnership and Solo Careers
- 02. Early life and path into writing
- 03. Rise of the Josie Lloyd-Emlyn Rees duo
- 04. Key collaborative works and series
- 05. Notable career milestones and stats
- 06. Josie Lloyd's solo career arc
- 07. Emlyn Rees's solo career and editing work
- 08. Writing dynamic and creative partnership
- 09. Illustrative career-data table
- 10. Recent projects and future direction
- 11. Frequent questions about Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees
Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees: A Literary Partnership and Solo Careers
Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees are British authors who have built a joint reputation as bestselling co-writers of romantic comedies and parodies, while also maintaining distinct solo careers in fiction, non-fiction, and editing. Together their partnership has produced Sunday Times No. 1 bestsellers, film adaptations, and multiple translated titles; separately, Lloyd has carved a strong niche in contemporary women's fiction and health-inspired narratives, while Rees has written crime thrillers and edited across genres.
Early life and path into writing
Josie Lloyd grew up in Essex, later studying English and Drama at Goldsmiths' College, University of London, where she earned an honours degree. After university, she briefly worked training traders in the City of London before shifting into the Sales Promotion industry, an experience that later informed her eye for character and dialogue.
Within about a year of her sales-promotion role, Lloyd left to work as a waitress and freelance writer, using that period to draft her debut novel, It Could Be You. That first book, rooted in late-1990s British romantic-comedy sensibility, helped her land an agent and opened the door to a full-time writing career.
Emlyn Rees, meanwhile, entered the book world via publishing and editorial work, eventually serving as a commissioning editor for crime fiction and operating as a copywriter and ghostwriter. His background in editing and commercial writing gave him a structural, "plot-driven" mindset that later meshed well with Lloyd's character-focused approach.
Rise of the Josie Lloyd-Emlyn Rees duo
Lloyd and Rees first collaborated on Come Together, a rom-com that exploded onto the UK bestseller lists in 1999. The novel spent 10 weeks at No. 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller chart and went on to be translated into roughly 27 languages.
Working Title acquired the film rights to Come Together, which cemented the pair's crossover appeal beyond the printed page. The success of the book and its adaptation encouraged the duo to continue co-writing, producing a run of seven bestselling rom-coms over the subsequent decade.
While collaborating, both authors also pursued individual projects. Lloyd's solo output grew to include more than 20 novels across women's fiction and crime, while Rees published several thrillers and worked extensively as a ghostwriter, often behind the scenes for high-profile projects.
Key collaborative works and series
The core of the Josie Lloyd-Emlyn Rees collaboration is a sequence of seven co-written rom-coms that began with Come Together and continued through titles such as It Could Be You, Someone Just Like You, and later joint projects like You & Me & You & Me & You & Me. Each title typically pairs a dual-narrative perspective (his and hers) with a high-concept hook, a hallmark of the duo's brand.
Alongside adult fiction, the pair created a popular series of parodies under their joint name, including the We're Going on a Bar Hunt book, which reimagines the rhythm and structure of classic children's picture books for adults. These parodies have sold strongly in the UK and helped broaden their audience into family and gift-book markets.
Notable career milestones and stats
- 1999: Co-author Come Together is published and becomes a Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller for 10 weeks.
- Early 2000s: The pair publish six further bestselling rom-coms, each selling hundreds of thousands of copies in the UK and many translated into more than 20 languages.
- 2010s: Lloyd branches into more serious women's fiction and health-linked themes, including The Cancer Ladies' Running Club and Lifesaving for Beginners, which become bestsellers in their own right.
- Mid-2020s: The couple publish new collaborative projects such as You & Me & You & Me & You & Me through Penguin UK and Penguin US, targeting both adult mainstream and film-adaptation-ready readerships.
Across their joint and individual careers, Lloyd's books have cumulatively sold in the multi-seven-figure range in print and ebook formats, according to industry-style estimates drawn from publisher descriptions and bestseller run data. Meanwhile, Rees' work as a commissioning editor and ghostwriter has contributed to additional titles that rarely credit his name, further amplifying his behind-the-scenes influence.
Josie Lloyd's solo career arc
- It Could Be You (late 1990s): Lloyd's debut released as a standalone rom-com, establishing her voice and enabling her to transition into a full-time novelist.
- Come Together co-authorship: Her first major collaboration with Emlyn Rees, which scaled her profile from mid-list UK author to international bestseller.
- 2000s rom-coms and women's fiction: Lloyd diversified into more standalone women's fiction outside the Emlyn-linked titles, gradually building a backlist of 20+ novels.
- 2020s health-inspired titles: After a lobular breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, she wrote The Cancer Ladies' Running Club, which became a Bookseller Heatseeker and later entered US markets and film-development discussions.
- Genre versatility: Lloyd under the pen name Joanna Rees and as herself has written across contemporary women's fiction, health-inspired drama, and her first crime novel, Miss Beeton's Murder Agency.
Industry-style figures suggest that Lloyd's entire body of work (under both Josie Lloyd and Joanna Rees) has appeared in at least 25 languages worldwide, with print and ebook sales comfortably exceeding 1.5 million copies across territories. Her ability to pivot from light rom-coms to emotionally grounded stories around illness and recovery has strengthened her credibility with readers and critics alike.
Emlyn Rees's solo career and editing work
Emlyn Rees has authored 11 novels in his own right, including standalone thrillers and crime-oriented titles, as well as several non-fiction and children's books. Publishers' profiles note that his novels have been translated into more than 25 languages, indicating a strong international footprint separate from the Josie Lloyd-branded work.
Outside his own bylined titles, Rees has worked as a ghostwriter for a number of public-figure and commercial projects, which do not always appear in standard bibliographies. This behind-the-scenes role has allowed him to shape high-profile narratives and book concepts without primary attribution, a common feature in celebrity and lifestyle publishing.
He also maintains a parallel identity as a writing educator, having taught creative writing at festivals, media events, and universities. His dual focus on craft and commercial appeal has made him a sought-after mentor for aspiring authors aiming at bestseller-viable manuscripts.
Writing dynamic and creative partnership
The Josie Lloyd-Emlyn Rees partnership is often described as a complementary blend of Lloyd's character-driven, emotional storytelling and Rees' more plot-tightened, structural approach. Early experiments with Come Together reportedly began with Rees writing a chapter from a male perspective and Lloyd answering from the female view, creating a ping-pong, alternating-voice format that readers later recognized as the duo's signature.
By the time they reached their seventh co-written novel, both authors estimated that they had spent at least 1-2 years of cumulative working time in shared planning sessions, manuscript-swapping, and line-by-line feedback. That process helped them refine a shared "voice" while still preserving distinct character arcs for each protagonist.
They also set aside regular joint "editing" periods-typically 2-3 weeks per book-where they sit together to tighten dialogue, align tone, and resolve structural weak spots. This blend of structured planning and iterative revising is cited as a key reason their co-written titles maintain a consistent, unified feel despite two authors.
Illustrative career-data table
| Aspect | Josie Lloyd (solo) | Emlyn Rees (solo) | Josie + Emlyn (joint) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of novels | 20+ novels and 5+ parodies under various names, including Joanna Rees. | 11+ novels, plus children's and non-fiction titles. | At least 7 co-written rom-coms and several joint parody titles. |
| Languages | Works translated into roughly 25-27 languages. | Novels translated into 25+ languages. | Come Together and follow-ups in about 26-27 languages. |
| Major bestseller | Multiple Sunday Times bestsellers, including The Cancer Ladies' Running Club. | Thrillers and edited works, many commercially successful though less publicized. | Come Together at No. 1 for 10 weeks and later film rights. |
| Genre range | Women's fiction, rom-coms, health-inspired drama, crime. | Thrillers, crime, non-fiction, children's books. | Adult rom-coms, parody/gift books, and newer high-concept projects. |
Recent projects and future direction
By 2026, the couple are preparing the release of You & Me & You & Me & You & Me through Penguin UK and Penguin US, a high-concept romantic fantasy that leans into the idea of parallel timelines and repeated chances in relationships. Publisher profiles describe it as a natural evolution of their earlier dual-narrative rom-coms, now layered with speculative elements.
Meanwhile, Lloyd continues to expand her health-linked and character-driven portfolio, with Lifesaving for Beginners and The Cancer Ladies' Running Club entering US markets and attracting film-development interest. Rees, for his part, is mentored additional writers through festival appearances and continues to balance his own thrillers with ghostwriting and editorial consulting.
Frequent questions about Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees
Expert answers to Josie Lloyd Emlyn Rees Careers That Took A Twist queries
How many books have Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees written together?
Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees have published at least seven co-authored romantic comedies, beginning with Come Together in 1999 and continuing through the early 2000s. They have also released multiple joint parody and picture-style books, such as the We're Going on a Bar Hunt series, which push their total co-written, widely catalogued titles into the mid-teens.
How do Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees collaborate on a book?
According to interviews and profiles, Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees usually begin with a joint outline that maps roughly 20-30 key scenes across the book. They then rotate chapters, often writing one partner's point-of-view sections in sequence and swapping manuscripts for feedback after every 20-40 pages.
Are Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees married?
Yes, Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees are married and live together by the sea in Brighton with their three daughters and a dog. Their personal and professional partnership is frequently cited in profiles, interviews, and festival appearances as a central feature of their brand.
What is Josie Lloyd's first book?
Josie Lloyd's first book is the romantic comedy It Could Be You, which she wrote after leaving her job in sales promotion and working as a waitress and freelancer. The novel launched her as a solo author before she began co-writing with Emlyn Rees.
Has Come Together been made into a film?
Yes, the film rights to Come Together were acquired by Working Title, which developed the book into a feature film. The adaptation helped broaden the novel's reach beyond the UK bestseller list and into international markets.
Does Josie Lloyd use a pen name?
Yes, Josie Lloyd also writes under the pen name Joanna Rees, producing titles that sit within the same contemporary women's fiction and crime genres. The dual name strategy allows her to segment certain brands and series while maintaining a consistent authorial voice.