Book Review - Unexpected Lessons in Love by Lucy Dillon

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Amazon UK

Title: Unexpected Lessons in Love

Author: Lucy Dillon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Publication Date: 5th December 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Jeannie always wanted to fall in love, and now she’s finally got the whirlwind romance she dreamed of. Dan’s gorgeous, he’s a successful young vet, and he flew her to New York and proposed on Brooklyn Bridge. Jeannie has to remind herself this is actually her life. It seems too perfect, too magical, to be real. Yet it is.

But now she’s on her way to the wedding she can’t shake off the tight sensation crushing her chest. Is it just nerves . . . or is this all happening a bit too fast?

Jeannie has one last chance to shout, ‘Stop!’ But just as she grabs it, a twist of fate throws everything she knows into the air like confetti. What Jeannie learns about Dan, about her own heart, and about the power of love itself, will change her world for ever . . .

I've always said that Lucy Dillons' best books are ones that featured our four legged canine friends, and this is no exception.  Amongst the themes in this book there is a strong anti puppy farming message, and watching Rachel, Natalie and Jeannie help three rescued families of dogs from a puppy farm, learn to trust humans and how to just be dogs is incredibly heartwarming. 

Although it's not the key story line it was the one that I definitely enjoyed the most.  The main thrust of this book is about Jeannie and Dan, who in the opening pages are meant to be getting married, after a whirlwind relationship and engagement. 

However things aren't quite as they seem, and from the moment of the unfortunate accident just before Jeannie get's to the church, everyone's lives start to change. 

And Jeannie has a chance to through the people she meets in her new town, get to make brand new friends and re-evaluate just what love and what a marriage really is. 

It's a story about re-evaluating life, love, learning more about loved ones,  and with a wonderful array of dogs.  It's a really just lovely book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. 

Thank you to Transworld Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,. 

Book Review - Where The Light Gets In by Lucy Dillon

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Where The Light Gets In

Author: Lucy Dillon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Publication Date: 9th August 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

‘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 . . 

Incredibly emotional, a roller coaster of feelings as we meet Lorna, Betty, Joyce, two little dogs, and a few other very key characters in a book that drew me in from the start and that I am very glad to have read. 

Lets start with the key canine since I absolutely love it when Lucy Dillon has dogs in her books, and Rudy is a very sweet but anxious daschund that seems scared of almost everything.  Lorna decides to keep him after his owner passes away very early in the book. 

Between Lorna and Rudy they move to Longhampton to buy and run an art gallery and Lorna is looking forward to having for the first time ever no-one to share her living space with  but as you may expect things don't always go according to plan. 

Between being a good friend, helping to support her sister and niece in a new family crisis, a couple of men giving her attention, plus a new business to build Lorna's new life is hectic. 

I loved the characterisations of the various people, and all the descriptions were so vivid.  I could really see what some of the big artwork mentioned was looking like. 

There are some very creative ideas in this book, but its the story of friendship that really got to me. As I got to know the various people, I liked them all more and more, and at points huge amounts of emotion were welling up in my throat and eyes. 

I really enjoyed every moment of this lovely book, and really think it is another triumph from Lucy Dillon, who writes so beautifully and with such heart. 

Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - All I Ever Wanted by Lucy Dillon

Amazon UK

Title: All I Ever Wanted

Author: Lucy Dillon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 1st December 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Caitlin's life is a mess. Her marriage to a man everyone else thinks is perfect has collapsed, along with her self-esteem, and breaking free seems the only option.

Nancy, her four-year-old daughter, used to talk all the time; in the car, at nursery, to her brother Joel. Then her parents split up. Her daddy moves out. And Nancy stops speaking.

Nancy's Auntie Eva, recently widowed and feeling alone, apart from the companionship of two bewildered pugs, is facing a future without her husband or the dreams she gave up for him.

But when Eva agrees to host her niece and nephew once a fortnight, Caitlin and Eva are made to face the different truths about their marriages - and about what they both really want . . .

What a wonderfully heart warming and loving story, about one family, as they are going through a tough patch.

When Patrick accepts a job in Newcastle, Caitlin refuses to uproot their children to move up there with him. For Patrick this signifies that it is time to move on and they split up.  Caitlin around this time starts to see her husband in a new light, and he really doesn't come across that well in the early part of the book. 

Joel is 10 and loves acting, he is very talkative and is a wonderful big brother. Nancy is almost five, but once her dad moves out, she stops speaking. It's a heart breaking problem and although they are fairly sure it is stress related, noone seems to know the best way to get her talking again. She used to by all accounts be a happy go lucky child, always singing and dancing along with Joel, so its very noticeable how quiet she is now. 

Thankfully Nancy will still communicate just without words, so can get her feelings and some of her thoughts across, and I think if anyone is having a similar dilemma with their own child may take a bit of comfort from this story.

Caitlin arranges for the kids to see Patrick at weekends at their aunt Eva's house. Eva is the other main focus of the book, she is recently widowed, childless and has barely had anything to do with her young niece and nephew, but she lives a reasonable distance away from the husband and wife. 

As much as Nancy is the main focus of a lot of the book, I loved hearing more about Eva's relationship with her beloved Mick., and the question as to whether his memoirs should be published or not. I also enjoyed seeing Eva's relationship with Joel and Nancy develop over time. 

I regularly state that my favourite Lucy Dillon books feature dogs, and so I was delighted to meet Bumble and Bee, Eva's pugs. They are small and cute, and play a steady role throughout the book, but more importantly they are key in quite a few of the largest, most important scenes in the book. 

Caitlin loves getting a bit of freedom, and Eva also has a new acquaintance who I was hoping things would develop with, however Patrick is always very quick to criticise if anything goes wrong.  And of course there are some "situations" involving the children that are quite funny, and definitely memorable, one including a bath, and one including some errant animals in a back garden! 

I found All I Ever Wanted to be an engaging look at one couple's family dynamics along with their aunt, Caitlin's mum who drives her slightly mad and of course the pugs, as they navigate the problems caused by a separation. I found it sympathetic to Nancy's plight and I spent a large amount of the book really rooting for her, and hoping things would change. I felt involved with the story at all times, which was easy to follow and very enjoyable to read. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hodder for this copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Book Review - Walking Back to Happiness by Lucy Dillon - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #27

Amazon UK

Title: Walking Back to Happiness

Author: Lucy Dillon

Format reviewed: Paperback 

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 9th December 2010

Rating: 5 Stars

Juliet’s been in hiding. From her family, from her life, but most of all from the fact that Ben’s not around anymore. Her mother Diane has run out of advice. But then she insists Juliet look after her elderly Labrador and it becomes apparent that Coco the dog might actually be the one who can rescue her daughter. Especially when it leads to her walking dogs for a few other locals too, including a spaniel, Damson, who belongs to a very attractive man... Before she knows it, Juliet realises she has somehow become the town’s unofficial pet-sitter. A job which makes her privy to the lives and secrets of everyone whose animals she’s caring for. But as her first winter alone approaches, she finally begins to wonder if it’s time to face up to her own secrets? To start rebuilding her own life? And maybe – just maybe – to fall in love again?

As Walking Back to Happiness started, I was wondering if it really was the book for me, as Juliet to start with is understandably still very grief stricken, and I just found her hard work to read about. However as her family continue to try to do anything to get Juliet out of the house, as well as to make house improvements, my enjoyments at seeing Juliet blossom became apparent until I was loathe to put the book down. 

I may have said it before, but I am more than happy to say it again, I love Lucy Dillon's books especially when there are dogs involved, and not only are there dogs but cats too, or at least one incident with a cat that really springs to mind, that helped bring her closer to her next door neighbours. 

She really hadn't met her new neighbours before this year, as they moved in around the time that her husband died, but very gradually they get to know each other and a brand new friendship is formed. Not to mention the incredibly handy builder they happen to have living with them, who helps Juliet a lot without her even realising it. 

In contrast to Juliet's story, some chapters focused on Louise, her sister, who isn't having the easiest time of things herself, but partly for self inflicted reasons, which will be explained during the story. Louise is a slightly harder character to like, but towards the end my feelings towards her did change a lot. 

I loved how Juliet manages to end up with new job of being a pet-sitter for the entire small town she lives in, and as a result we are introduced to loads of adorable dogs all with their own personalities, and occasionally we find out details of their owners too. 

Once the story picked up a bit, I fell in love with the entire book, and found it to be a wonderful story, with emotive language that is as entertaining as it is emotional. 

Thank you to everyone who voted for Walking Back to Happiness. I am so glad you all made me finally pick this book up off my pile and read it, and I look forward to seeing what you pick for me again this week. 

Release Recap - 23rd April 2015

Just in-case you missed out on seeing all of yesterday's simply amazing new releases, I have listed them all for you in one easy place. I am just amazed at the quality of yesterday's release schedule, and think you will be too, once you pick and choose what you want to read.

Love Shack by Jane Costello
One Small Act of Kindness by Lucy Dillon
Girls on Tour by Nicola Doherty
The Doris Day Vintage Film Club by Fiona Harper
Wild and Free by Wendy Holden
The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews
When We Were Friends by Tina Seskis
The Lie by C.L. Taylor


Reviews of most of these have been posted in the last week. If you take up any of my suggestions, please let me know, as I would love to know what you think of these books. 

Book Review - One Small Act of Kindness by Lucy Dillon

Amazon UK

Title: One Small Act of Kindness

Author: Lucy Dillon

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Goodreads / Firstreads

Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks

Publication Date: 23rd April 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

What can you do to make the world a better place?

Libby and her husband Jason have moved back to his hometown to turn the family B&B into a boutique hotel. They have left London behind and all the memories - good and bad - that went with it.

The injured woman Libby finds lying in the remote country road has lost her memory. She doesn't know why she came to be there, and no one seems to be looking for her.

When Libby offers to take her in, this one small act of kindness sets in motion a chain of events that will change many people's lives . . .

Libby and their husband Jason, after a particularly trying time, move to Longhampton and take over the family hotel Jason's parents had been running. Since Donald's death, it had been a lot harder for Margaret (Libby's mother-in-law) to cope with the hotel, and for various reasons they are going to help her out. 

They start to renovate and update the hotel by themselves, and one morning Libby hears a commotion outside. A young woman has been hit by a car, and Libby stays with her until the ambulance comes. She later visits the woman in hospital, and we see she has amnesia, and no idea who she is at all, as no ID was found on her at the accident. 

A budding friendships soon develops between Libby and the mystery woman, and Libby in an act of kindness, lets her stay at the hotel until she has recovered her memory. 

During this book there is a lot of talk of acts of kindness, and the hospital has a lovely wall, where people can post thanks for random acts of kindness, performed by total strangers. It is the sort of wall and town, that really inspires a feel good feeling in you.

One of the stars of the book is Bob, the basset hound, who is a PAT (Pet Assisted Therapy) dog, and a real character. He although not central to the story, does provide a lot of light hearted moments, and is Margaret's constant companion. 

The two main threads of this book are the relationship between Libby and Jason, and just what the real reason was for them moving to the hotel, and how they deal with hard times. And then there is the story about the girl with amnesia, and its this story that I loved the most. 

I was willing the poor girl to get her memory back and to work out things, that were being hinted at by the author, faster than she did, as things just aren't always what they seem.

Spectacular book, which I devoured in hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and couldn't put down at all. Very enjoyable story and one I would completely recommend to anyone. 

Please Lucy keep putting dogs into your books, as the books I have read and really loved by you have all included dogs!

One Small Act of Kindness is out on Thursday