Review of Where the Light Gets In by Lucy Dillon

Welcome to my Review of Where the Light Gets In by Lucy Dillon! 

What They Say:

‘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 .

What I Say:

I really can't praise this book enough! It's tender, sweet, funny, charming and so touching! The creativity flows through the pages and made me want to be crafty (something which I have ZERO talent for!). The characters of Lorna and Joyce will stay with me for a long while. Tiff, Sam, Jess and Hattie were wonderful too. And I mustn't forget Rudy and Bernard! Loved them!

The setting of the village of Longhampton sounds idyllic. So quaint and very typical. I loved the way the villagers all bonded together to complete a project and to help return the village to its' glory days. It's the kind of place that people from around the world picture when they think of England and I thought it was the perfect place for this story to be set.

There were deep emotions explored in Lorna's story, especially those shared with her sister Jess. It was really moving to learn their backstory and to watch them come to terms with it. I also really liked Lorna's relationship with her niece Hattie. That's the kind of closeness I want to share with my nieces as they grow up. There were wonderful, strong family ties throughout this book and it was a joy to be a part of that.

This is an absolute must read for 2018! I laughed, cried and was glued to the last 100 pages!  9/10

Where The Light Gets In is out in E-book and Hardback on 19 April and Paperback on 9 August.

Huge thanks to Becky Short at Transworld for sending me a beautiful arc in exchange for my honest review.