I am always drawn to novels by Lucy Dillon as they always have such heart-warming storylines and a dog that will capture my heart too! Lucy’s most recent release Where the Light Gets In has the most stunning delicate cover and the synopsis sounded promising too.

Lorna has had her fair share of difficulties in the past and these have shaped the woman she is today but she has one last fight in her and her determination to succeed in the world of Art sees her buying the Art Gallery in the old town she grew up in. Lorna needs to drastically turn the local business around and the best way she can do that is to get the local artist Mrs Rothery on board but she has a reputation of being a rather prickly character so it will not be an easy task.

I really enjoyed Where the Light Gets In there are two very poignant chapters in this book that was crafted so tenderly that I soon found I had a lump in my throat. I have always enjoyed the arrivals of our furry friends in Lucy’s novels and we are treated to two little beauties in Rudy and Bernard who are loyal and loveable friends if somewhat troublesome at times.

Lorna is such a selfless and caring character who is instantly likeable, she is so quick to forget her own needs and wants and put others needs before her own. She opens her heart and her home to those in need whether that be for family and friends she has known for years or those dear little ladies who she has only known so briefly with no ulterior motive.

I really enjoyed getting to know Joyce, she was a very firm and wilful woman who I think inside was crying out to have someone close to her but found it so much easier to put up a prickly barrier.

I do love the romance that was weaved into this storyline but I am so pleased that is didn’t dictate the whole plot as I loved watching Lorna’s journey with her plans for her new business and her unlikely friendship with Joyce.

This really was a pleasant gentle read that tugged at the heart strings.

If Lucy Dillon's name is anywhere near the title of a book then it is immediately at the top of my reading list. This woman has a magical ability to create a story that touches on every human emotion - her characters are people you could spend hours with and still want to get to know a little more. 'Where the Light Gets in' is another of these books - I laughed, I cried, I stomped my foot and shook my fist, I wanted to hug someone and tell someone else off, I wanted to peel back the pages and walk right into this world with Lorna.
Lorna is such a multi-faceted character - she is prickly but delightful. Her story starts by her inheriting a dachshund, Rudy, a nervous little fellow who's much-beloved owner, Betty, has just passed away. Betty lived in a hospice that Lorna volunteered at and was a woman who lived life to the full - no regrets. Feeling somewhat lost in her life, Lorna finds herself moving back to Longhampton to set up an art gallery - this is a place that holds many childhood memories for Lorna. From the moment Lorna starts this adventure in Longhampton her life becomes completely filled with so many characters it is a wonder they can all fit into the pages of this book. Her best friend, Tiffany, joins her in Longhampton when life doesn't quite go to plan for Tiffany. Lorna becomes immersed for the first time in a long time in her sister's life, the only real family she has left as her parents died a long time ago. Her niece finds refuge in her home and Lorna finds herself building a close relationship with an extremely talented but aging artist, Joyce, who also has a problem dog, Bernard.
It wouldn't be a Lucy Dillon book without a good dog character or two and they are certainly there in Rudy and Bernard. They bring a smile to my face every time they enter the story.
There is, of course, a sprinkling of romance which also creates moments of joy as well as frustration. Lorna lives a life by the end of the book that Betty would be proud of - I imagine she would be cheering Lorna on from above. So if you are to settle in to read this book, grab a pot of tea, a packet of tim tams (chocolate biscuits found in Australia- yes grab a whole pack), a box of tissues - find a spot on a comfortable chair, turn off your phone, make sure you cannot be found by anyone who has the potential to disturb you and read a story that will make your heart a little lighter and your soul a little brighter.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in return for an honest review. I'm sorry I have taken so long to post this review as it is a book not to be missed.

Lucy Dillon pulls out another spectacular and heartwarming novel whilst revisiting her fictional town of Longhampton. A beautifully written and empathetic story that explores how sometimes old people can be written off and their thoughts and feelings ignored by those who think they are doing what’s best for them regardless of the older persons own wishes.
This story focuses on Lorna who has moved back to Longhampton to open an art gallery with her new dog, here she meets Judith an elderly renound artist whose become a bit reclusive since the death of her husband. Lorna tries and fails to get Judith to become involved in a local artshow but because of their mutual love of their dogs they become firm friends. Lorna discovers that judith isn’t coping at home but local social workers and her landlords are all trying to bully her into a home against her wishes.
This is a lovely book with a great cast of characters you really feel for , my only criticism is it is bit long winded in parts but I would still recommend this a great read.

Beautifully written story of love, loss and friendship. Relatable, likeable characters facing different challenges, dealt with in a heart-warming and endearing way.

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.

A beautifully written story about life, loss, family and friendship. Lucy Dillon definitely knows how to write a memorable story. I would definitely recommend this book and any other books that Lucy has written.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I have read all of Lucy Dillon's books and have really enjoyed them so I was excited to start this one. I wasn't disappointed - I think this may be my favourite so far! As a dog lover, I love how dogs are always an integral part of the story.
Beautifully written and heartwarming, this book made me cry in places. I love a book in which I become emotionally involved. I really loved all of the characters and enjoyed the knitting - I would love to be able to knit myself.
A thought provoking book with wonderful friendships and fantastic dogs, highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lorna always tried to emulate her mother, a talented artist who devoted her life to her work and her one true love. However she just can’t find the spark so has curated other peoples’ work instead. Her sister can’t understand why she wants to leave London to buy an art gallery back in sleepy Longhampton where they grew up and were glad to leave. As Lorna reconnects to her past she begins to come to terms with the relationship she had with her parents and reconnects with lost friends.
Lucy Dillon shines a light onto peoples’ emotions and definitely illuminated mine; beautifully written, gripping right to the end. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Lucy Dillon book never disappoints. I loved Lorna's introspection - I felt as though I was going on a journey with her. This book made me feel alternately sad and happy. There were some very poignant scenes, and some very uplifting scenes. Art, colour, flowers, dogs, family, love - there was so much packed in. The ending was satisfying. I wish we'd heard from Sam, Lorna's love interest, a bit more, but that's just me, and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. And it has a beautiful cover. Enjoy!

With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am still wiping the tears from my face after finishing this beautiful book. I particularly love Lucy Dillon books set in a familiar place and always including dogs. Lorna is at a crossroads in her life and needs a challenge if only she can grasp life and live it. With her group of friends and family can she make herself a home in Longhampton. I love the art side of the book and Lorna’s relationship with Joyce.

Really enjoyed this visit back to Longhampton. Lorna is back in the village to run an art gallery after living in London. Not long after she has been back she bumps in to Sam, a friend from her childhood.. He is also back from London to work on his family farm. The book is not really centred around them though, and there are a range of characters who are adding colour back in to Lorna's life.

Although the dogs feature quite a bit my favourite animal would be the belted galloway cows!

A lovely heartwarming book that is full of creativity, friendship and self discovery.

In this lovely story your taken on a journey with Lorna that takes you through her memories of how life changed for her the summer she was 13 and how this in turn shaped her future. After deciding to fulfill her dream she reconnects with herself and in doing so gains friends both old and new and creates something wonderful for all involved.

A brilliantly crafted story that I loved throughout and loved the creativity included in this story

Review: I have read a few of Lucy's stories in the past so was excited to get the opportunity to read and review where the light gets in. I have to point out the beautiful colour of the cover with the gold writing, simple but effective. 

Lorna returns to Longhampton somewhere we have been before in a Lucy Dillon story but don't worry this is a stand alone novel but there are appearances from characters from her other books, which is lovely. Lorna having lost someone dear to her is home to face family dramas head on and to succeed in the art world. 

This is a beautiful story, very well written with brilliant characters.  It is a thought-provoking and emotional but the are funny elements to so it is too to heavy. A brilliant piece of writing, another success for Lucy Dillon.

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!

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

I liked this, it was a pleasant read with some interesting threads about knitting and community art projects.

You know when you can tell from the first chapter that you’re going to love everything about. book? That is exactly what reading this wss like. I loved Lorna as a character, and felt her pain as the artist that she was never really lived up to her own expectations. I loved the intertwined story of her sister and her families issues, her long term relationshipmwith Sam, and her friendship with Joyce. I cried at the end of this book, (and I was in public!!), it wss such a beautiful ending. Would highly recommend.

This book takes us back to Longhampton where we meet some familiar characters and some new characters too. This story centres around Lorna, her new gallery and her broken heart (and her dog). Full of warmth and compassion this book tackles some real life tough stuff but in such a thoughtful way. Very emotional and beautifully written, Lucy Dillon has written another wonderful book

Lorna Larkham has always struggled with living up to her mother's legacy. She has struggled to find her inner art. She is making a huge life change by buying an art gallery in her old hometown. That is when things get interesting, with her wanting to live by herself to figure out her life. Things do not go as planned (obviously) as there is one dog, one old roommate, her niece and more people who seem to be a constant in her new life. She is learning to learn and the entire process is very heartfelt. 

There is the description of art, and life and what people assume about themselves and others within their limited scope of interaction. It is about Lorna finding her footing and her way through new challenges and relationships. I enjoyed a couple of other books by the author and was excited to read this one. It felt more serious and longer than I expected but the only reason I could not give it a full five stars is because the character of Sam, the man in the picture was a little strange at times and I did not warm up to him. I like books with entrepreneurial spirit and forging new bonds among 'unlikely' people. This book is definitely for those other people who like such books too.

Firstly, I simply must draw attention to the beautiful cover of this book. The forget-me-not blue background with the contrasting gold text is gorgeous, and I have seen finished copies of the hardback on Lucy’s Instagram that shows not only that it is just as eyecatching in real life, but that the inlay has little dachshund dogs all over it which just makes me crave a copy of my own (this is something ebooks just can never compete with imho).

I have long been a big fan of Lucy Dillon’s writing; always full of loveable characters, countryside appeal, and adorable dogs. This book returns to Longhampton again, but with a new set of characters to meet. Cameo appearances from old favourites do pop up throughout the book for eagle-eyed fans of her previous tales.

Lorna has just lost someone important to her and spurred on by their bravery decides to return to her childhood town to take over an art gallery, hoping to fulfill her lifelong ambition to be successful in the local art scene like her Mother. With a strong desire to prove herself and unfinished business in the town, she soon finds herself overwhelmed by the responsibilities she has undertaken. Further complications in the form of family drama, a friend that turns up after losing her job, an old flame, and a local artist that is no pushover, challenge Lorna to question everything she assumes about pretty much everything. There is tragedy, scandalous revelations and passion that keeps every chapter a page-turner.

Though there are very funny moments and lots of light relief from the charming locals and endearing dogs in the story, it is a heartbreaker. It tackles very moving, emotional topics, specifically death and loss. It challenges what we would really want at the end of it all, what truly matters and what peace can be achieved with dignity, love and friendship; very thought-provoking and touching. Having followed Lucy Dillon for many years I can only imagine that this book was a particularly personal book to write, and you can feel the raw emotion within its pages.

Thank you to Transworld team for granting me a copy of this via Netgalley to review in my own words.

​​Lucy Dillon is one of my favourite authors and I really enjoyed going back to Longhampton and hearing more about its residents.

Lorna has decided to take a bit of a risk and open her own gallery, back in Longhampton where she used to live. She was persuaded to take the risk by Betty, one of the elderly residents she used to visit at a hospice, who sadly died. She left behind a very nervous dachshund, Rudy, who Lorna ended up taking home with her as she couldn't see him put in a shelter.

There were various characters brought into the story as it went along, and Lorna's nice peaceful existence that she'd planned, living above the gallery on her own, was changed as she was asked for help from various people. The first arrival was her friend Tiffany who needed a place to stay at the last minute. Next was Joyce, an elderly reclusive artist who Lorna had somehow befriended who also needed a place to stay for a short while while she recovered from a fall, along with her dog Bernard.

Lorna also reconnected with Sam, a guy she'd had a crush on when she was younger, and the best friend of her sister's husband. I found him very hard to like, in fact I found him quite irritating most of the time, only redeeming himself right at the end of the book. His family were farmers and he didn't want to follow the family business so left and worked in property in London. But then his brother, who was running the farm, had an accident and so Sam was pulled back to run things and keep the business afloat, even though it was the last thing he wanted. His brother, Gabriel, was just horrible, a right misery, always looking for an argument.

I really, really loved Joyce though, she was an elderly independent irascible woman who did things her way, but I just loved her attitude, even though she scared quite a few people, i.e. social workers, who were trying to help her. Lorna started helping her by accidentally getting roped into walking her dog, Bernard, while she was trying to persuade Joyce to show her paintings in Lorna's gallery, and things just progressed from there. There were some really lovely moments in the gallery when everyone was there, just being together, chatting and doing arty things.

There was also a fair bit of drama going on with various characters, including marriage problems for Lorna's sister, her niece turning up unannounced at Lorna's door, Tiffany having issues with her last employers and Joyce needing help which she was resisting, all while Lorna was trying to get her business going and help organise the town Art Festival.

I found this a really enjoyable book, even though there were some very sad bits too. I look forward to going back to Longhampton again in the future (hopefully!).