Where The Light Gets In by Lucy Dillon
464 pages
Published 19th April 2018 by Bantam Press
Genre: romance/fiction
I was delighted to receive a review copy of this beautiful book from Becky Short at Penguin RandomHouse Publishers in exchange for an unbiased review. I have read several of Lucy's previous novels and have enjoyed them all. This one caught my eye with its beautiful dust jacket adorned with a shiny golden dachshund and butterflies - and the theme continues inside with more dachsunds adorning its endpapers.
Book Description:
‘You know those cracks in your heart, Lorna, where things didn’t work out, but you picked yourself up and carried on? That’s where the fear gets out. And where the light gets in.’It was Betty, defiant to the end, who sent Lorna back to Longhampton. If Lorna’s learned one thing from Betty it’s that courage is something you paint on like red lipstick, even when you’re panicking inside. And right now, with the keys to the town’s gallery in her hand, Lorna feels about as courageous as Betty’s anxious little dachshund, trembling beside her.
Lorna’s come home to Longhampton to fulfil a long-held dream, but she knows, deep down, there are ghosts she needs to lay to rest first. This is where her tight-knit family shattered into silent pieces. It’s where her unspoken fears about herself took root and where her own secret, complicated love began. It’s not exactly a fresh start.
But as Lorna – and the little dog – tentatively open their cracked hearts to old friends and new ones, facing hard truths and fresh promises, something surprisingly beautiful begins to grow around the gallery, something so inspirational even Lorna couldn’t have predicted the light it lets into her world . . .
An inspiring, life-enhancing novel that will make you see your life afresh . . . Fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Diamond and Veronica Henry will love it.
Lorna’s come home to Longhampton to fulfil a long-held dream, but she knows, deep down, there are ghosts she needs to lay to rest first. This is where her tight-knit family shattered into silent pieces. It’s where her unspoken fears about herself took root and where her own secret, complicated love began. It’s not exactly a fresh start.
But as Lorna – and the little dog – tentatively open their cracked hearts to old friends and new ones, facing hard truths and fresh promises, something surprisingly beautiful begins to grow around the gallery, something so inspirational even Lorna couldn’t have predicted the light it lets into her world . . .
An inspiring, life-enhancing novel that will make you see your life afresh . . . Fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Diamond and Veronica Henry will love it.
My thoughts:
My first observation of this book has to be the beautiful eye catching cover - if you're a regular reader of my blog you will know by now that I am a sucker for a pretty book cover and it has often been the case that I have bought a book solely on its cover design. The next notable thing about this book was the author - one of my favourite, go-to authors Lucy has long been a reliable source of an inspiring, emotional read for me and once again she has hit the mark with this book. But the most impressive point about this book is Lucy's characters and believable storyline. Lorna has returned from a disappointing relationship and business venture in London to try and make her lifelong dream of being a successful gallery owner come true. Both she and her little dog Rudy are a bit emotionally scarred from what life has been throwing at them recently and they both need a new chance to find their place in the world where they are not scared any more.
In an attempt to get her gallery noticed by the local community, Lorna tries to make contact with local artist Joyce Rothery and despite an initial stand off with Joyce and her social worker Keir they build up a wonderful friendship which makes them both see the world differently.
Lorna's initial plan for the flat above the gallery to be a sanctuary for herself goes awry as she ends up providing a safe port in a storm for several people who need her support.
This is a beautiful story of friendship and how sometimes we have to trust our gut instinct when to take the risk and trust someone in order to make our lives better.
I have to admit, Lucy has had me considering whether I am going soft in my old age as once again I have had a few tears towards the end of this book. I'm not usually a crier but yet again I have had my heart strings tugged at as the local community pulled together to show their respect and appreciation for one of their favourite residents. If you don't need a good cry at the end of this book then I'm sorry, you don't have a heart.
I cannot award enough stars for this book, I absolutely loved the story and all the characters from start to finish.
In an attempt to get her gallery noticed by the local community, Lorna tries to make contact with local artist Joyce Rothery and despite an initial stand off with Joyce and her social worker Keir they build up a wonderful friendship which makes them both see the world differently.
Lorna's initial plan for the flat above the gallery to be a sanctuary for herself goes awry as she ends up providing a safe port in a storm for several people who need her support.
This is a beautiful story of friendship and how sometimes we have to trust our gut instinct when to take the risk and trust someone in order to make our lives better.
I have to admit, Lucy has had me considering whether I am going soft in my old age as once again I have had a few tears towards the end of this book. I'm not usually a crier but yet again I have had my heart strings tugged at as the local community pulled together to show their respect and appreciation for one of their favourite residents. If you don't need a good cry at the end of this book then I'm sorry, you don't have a heart.
I cannot award enough stars for this book, I absolutely loved the story and all the characters from start to finish.
About the Author:
Lucy Dillon was born in Cumbria, worked for a while in publishing in London, and now lives in the Wye Valley with her husband and their Border terrier. She has written eight novels set in the fictional Midlands town of Longhampton, which looks a bit like Hereford, although the inhabitants tend to sound rather more Northern than that.
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