This book tells the story of how the protagonist, Nick, goes through losing his wife and childhood sweetheart, and how life goes on for him and his son.

The story goes back and forth between present day and Nick dealing with his grief and new life, and Nick as a child with two of his friends building a bike together. I don't think I ever really figured out the connection between the two. It was all kind of muddled and odd. I think the story could have easily just focused on the present and it would have made more sense.

The characters were fine, but I didn't connect to any of them in particular. I liked that flawed relationships and people were shown, because that made it more realistic, but there was really nothing about this story that grabbed me and made me love it.

All in all, it was just another fiction book. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. I don't think I would recommend it to a friend, but it's not awful. It's just kind of there.

This book begins with Nick saying goodbye to his wife Kerry who is dying.
Once Kerry passes Nick has to learn how to cope with his own grief and also help those close to him including his teenage son Olly . This book will have you reaching for the tissues.
Thanks NetGalley

Wow! What an amazingly moving book, full of love, tears, laughter and every other emotion. And it is all so real and legitimate in the story that you can believe this as being true! A must read but have the tissues ready for parts.

The story revolves around quite a few characters but the two main characters are Nick and his son, Oliver/Ollie. The story is told from Nicks perspective.
Nick’s wife has recently passed away. She had been ill for over a year and Nick was with her every day. Oliver and Nick are devastated with her loss in their life. What follows is how they cope with the loss of a wife/mother but also with Ollie leaving to go to University.
The storyline is told in the present time and flashbacks to when Nick was younger. There is heartache, humor, grief, loss and nostalgia throughout the story.
A very lovely read and one I recommend you read.

The Light in the Hallway is my first novel by Amanda Prowse.  This novel explores love, loss, and life after in a extremely realistic way. Ms. Prowse captures many raw human emotions and has such a way with words.  She writes from the heart and was so spot on regarding the feelings of grief that you would wonder how she was able to be so accurate.  It was really terrific to have the story written from a male perspective.  The highs and lows and internal struggles were real. This is a very touching story. It also leaves you feeling hopeful that there can be life after loss. 

I will say that I will be looking for the author’s other novels. I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another bestseller from Amanda as we expect, a brilliant story about life and where it takes you. These stories are always written with such feeling that you can almost feel the pain they are going through. A nice book to read over Christmas as everything turns out ok.

A moving, sweet story of one man finding happiness again.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A heartbreaking read but so brilliantly written that it wasn't at all sad.  When I started reading it I did wonder if I would cope with it as I've been through a similar experience of losing a spouse and having to bring up teenage children on my own.  However  this was written so sensitively with humour, empathy for Nick in his current life time after the death of his wife and an interesting and relevant backstory about his friendships in childhood.

I loved the story and couldn't put it down.  Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Light in the Hallway
by Amanda Prowse
Pub Date 11 Nov 2019
343 pages
3⭐⭐⭐
Description:
When Nick’s wife Kerry falls ill and dies, he realises for the first time how fragile his happiness has always been, and how much he’s been taking his good life and wonderful family for granted. Now, he suddenly finds himself navigating parenthood alone, unsure how to deal with his own grief, let alone that of his teenage son, Olly.In the depths of his heartbreak, Nick must find a way to navigate life that pleases his son, his in-laws, his family and his friends—while honouring what Kerry meant to them all. But when it comes to his own emotions, Nick doesn’t know where to begin. Kerry was his childhood sweetheart—but was she really the only one who could ever make him happy?And in the aftermath of tragedy, can Nick and his son find themselves again?
⭐My Review⭐
The story moved and quite a slow pace and at times failed to keep my interest. It took me a very long time to get into it. The characters are all well written and very well developed. However to me they were not all that likeable. The story flips back and forth between two different timelines,1992 and present day ,with the story beginning in 1992 with three teenage boys, Nick, Eric, and Alex. Then we move to the present where Nick’s wife Kerry, is dying of cancer. Even though the story is very sad it did have a happy ending. I felt that Nick moved on far to fast and that the ending was tied up a little too neat. All in all this just was not a very good book to me. However I do want to read some of this authors other books. Many thanks to the Publisher , the Author , and NetGalley for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own.
♥️ About the Author ♥️
Amanda Prowse likens her own life story to those she writes about in her books. After self-publishing her debut novel, Poppy Day, in 2011, she has gone on to author twenty-two novels and six novellas. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and she regularly tops bestseller charts all over the world. Remaining true to her ethos, Amanda writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love tested in ways they never imagined. The most prolific female contemporary fiction writer in the UK, with a legion of loyal readers, she goes from strength to strength. Being crowned ‘queen of domestic drama’ by the Daily Mail was one of her finest moments. Amanda is a regular contributor on TV and radio but her first love is, and will always be, writing.
#TheLightInTheHallway #NetGalley
The Light in the Hallway

I refused to go to bed last night until I finished this book. So tired, but so worth it!! 

Amanda is brilliant at making her stories believable. This one is a very sensitive subject that many can relate to. The loss of a wife, mother, sister and daughter. By the end of chapter one, I had been reduced me to tears not once, but twice. Amanda writes beautifully and really know how to pull on her readers heart strings.

The story focuses on Nick and the aftermath of his wifes death. Given the summary, the book sounds very emotional, which it is. But I also found it wonderfully uplifting. Whilst Nick struggles to cope with his in-laws, being a singoe parent to Ollie, his job and the fact that his wife is gone, he tries to accept what has happened and move forward which was great to see. I was really rooting for him at times. 

The book alternates between the present and the year 1992 when Nick was just a boy. The story from the past was such a sweet one. It tells us about a project Nicks dad gave him and his two best friends to get them through the summer holiday. Jump forward to now and they are still best friends which was lovely!

This is a beautiful story about love, loss and family. A very easy five stars from me!

Amanda Prowse  takes  you on an emotional journey of healing and letting go.  Book deals with the lost of a spouse, wife, and sister.  Book starts out with Nick having just lost his wife Kerry after a long battle with an illness.  His life must still move forward so he can make sure his son Oliver's life stays on track.  During all of this your taken back to the summer of 1992 and the lessons of the half bike.  Journey of a lifetime friendships forged with a multitool and building of a bike.  Friend's that later help Nick and Oliver heal and move on with their's lives.  Can Nick find new love after the lost of his wife? Does Oliver learn that a new women in his dad's life doesn't have to replace his mom.  There room enough to allow more love into their world.

Nick is trying to come to terms with the death of his beloved wife Kerry as well as looking after their teenage son Ollie and helping him deal with the loss of his mum. I loved Nick from the beginning, he has a beautiful soul and is trying his best to get through the situation the best he can. He pulled at my heartstrings that's for sure. Amanda's stories are real life, people all over the world are in this position every single day. This story is beautifully written, told from the heart and I felt I was on Nick and Ollie's journey with them, every step of the way. Highly recommend you read this book.

A light left on can signal warmth, welcome and perhaps even love.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher Amazon UK.
The review and comments below are my honest opinion.
This good book was different for me from the standpoint that the story is told by Nick, rather than from a woman’s perspective. Surviving his wife’s death, but left to raise their teenage son, Olly, Nick wishes there was a guide book as 
how to live as a widower and single parent. 
Going back between his childhood and current day, Nick’s story is an emotional picture of his childhood friendships, love, death and life. As the author wrote “Life is a gift and we have to live it as best we can”.

Difficult subject tackled well as usual by Amanda Prowse. I am an avid fan and have read most of her books. She writes with sensitivity and understanding and I always feel her characters are true to life. This tells Nick's story when he loses his wife...and the fall out from the tragedy is powerfully written. Not a book to necessarily be enjoyed but one that is emotionally touching.

How do you start again when you lose the only love you’ve ever known? This is the question that Ms Prowse puts to us in The Light in the Hallway. First thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for providing me a complimentary copy to read and review. Nick and his son Oliver are dealing with the loss of their wife and mother. We glimpse the life of Nick in flashbacks and through the perspective of Nick and his relationship with his best friend's, family and in-laws. We see the pain of a young man struggling with the loss of his mom and his foray into adulthood. In his yearning to have things the way they were and his uncertainty of watching his father's life go on. In Nick (The father) we see the bonds of family and friendship that have shaped him and the struggle to go and balance his personal life and the needs of his son. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was like a glimpse through a neighbors window. She exposes us to a world we have no knowledge of. Highly recommend this book. It also gives us a look at the future and the outcome of this family's struggle and their answer to the question. Their answer - you go on.

This is the absolute perfect book for a beach read. Despite the underlying tones of grief from the loss of one's wife early in the book, this is a seriously feel good book- family, recovery from loss, parenting, romance, friendship- everything one needs in a nice, easy weekend read. Even as an American, I can hear the characters talking in my head in their accents (thank you British pop culture for expanding my brains idea of accents!). I read this mostly over the better part of 2 days and Im glad I did. Great book. Anyone would enjoy it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, for an honest review.

When Nick loses his wife, he tries to manage his new life with his child, his family, his in-laws, and also by trying to understand how ultimately he can learn to be happy again.  
This book is a very rewarding look at how family can learn how to be happy again, and how life can go on after death occurs.    While the book did come together at the end, it was a very heartwarming story and was a great read.

I received  The Light In The Hallway , free, from. Eat Gallery in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of a man whose life changes in an instant.
 Nicks wife, Kerry, falls ill, and that knocks him for a loop
He has always taken for granted how happy his life was.
Now, he has to fend for himself.
Take care of his family and do all the things his wife did.
Can Nick and his soon make a new life after his tragedy.
A very touching book.

I have just finished reading this book.  I 'quite' enjoyed it but there were several things that made it unsatisfactory for me.

Enjoyment:  the subject matter was interesting. A man is grieving for his wife who has died very young after a year of illness.  Their son is just about to go to university and suddenly the man, Nick, has to negotiate emotional turbulence that he is not comfortable with.  Fathers and their relationships with their sons is always interesting and when you add in a bereavement this promised to be an interesting book. The sub-plot is how it feels to belong to a working class community which gives both security and at times creates division and betrayal. 

Dissatisfaction:  I found the storyline a bit cliched. Nick the father is hopeless at cooking, at talking, at dealing with emotions. Ollie the son is angry and sad and not able to understand 'grown-up' needs.  But the worst thing for me was that the narrator was too strong a voice. She/he spoke with a strong accent and a big personality. I found it intrusive. The narrator is so often barely audible yet here she/he is present and opinionated and yet not acknowledged. 

I agreed with those who found it uncomfortable to witness Nick forming a new romantic attachment before a year had passed. Did he need someone to wash his smalls or what?  Or just a cuddle on the sofa because he isn't able to really get intimate with anyone who isn't his partner?  He has good friends and a very understanding mother but he seems unable to do more than try hard with 'those difficult conversations' and probably eventually will slip back into his old ways of non-communication. Perhaps he needs to ask himself why his ex wife developed a shopping habit and was so often seen with the butcher at the bus-stop. 

Readable but in the end slightly annoying

Prowse has an almost unique talent for lifting stories of ordinary lives and showing the extraordinary that lies within all of us. The fears, the tragedies and the bravery that inhabits all our lives are laid bare in her books. This story of grief and the progress we are compelled to make to survive it is told with honesty and sympathy so that we end up willing these characters to take the right path. I read every book she writes and this is one of her best.