The Light in the Hallway

First book of hers I have read, my only complaint is that the chapters seems really long, I like shorter chapters. I did really enjoy the story, it was so heartbreaking , poor Oliver just didn’t know what to do or how to act, his dad was also lost. It’s about true love, family drama, heartbreak and finding love again when you didn’t think it was possible. A really good story! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

First time reading this author, and she really nailed it, for me. A wonderful story of Nick, and the upheaval in his life, when his wife Kerry dies, leaving him trying to cope with the grief of their 18 yo son, their families, and his friends since childhood. He has no idea how to navigate the pain of his loss and his son’s need for stability, as he heads off to the university.
This is a story of loss, mourning, and the struggle for recovery, set in a small Yorkshire town, where everyone knows you and nothing is private. It is written in two time periods, Nick as a 12 year old and in the present. It’s about the need for family, friends and the intimacy that defines lives. I really loved it!
Thank You to #AmandaProwse #LakeUnionPublishing #NetGalley for the ARC.

The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse is a story of life after the death of a spouse and how does one move on? The story opens in 1992 with 10-year-old Nick Bairstow, along with his best friends, Eric and Alex, has begged his father for a bike only to be horribly disappointed. Fast forward 25 years, Nick is begging his 18-year-old son, Oliver “Olly” to come with him but her refuses. So, Nick goes alone. Where is he going? The hospital where his wife, Kerry, is dying of cancer. He arrives in time to say goodbye. Soon the doors of grief close in on Nick and he is not sure what do to. But life must go one as Olly heads to university and Nick finds a way to come home to an empty house. At every turn, he is criticized by his sister-in-law, Diane, for various missteps and bad behavior on his and Olly’s part. At one point, Nick confesses, “It seems I can’t do right for doing wrong, where they are all concerned.” What is the protocol for moving on? What are the steps to get on with one’s life when their loved one dies? Throughout the book, the story flashbacks to the summer of 1992 when Nick begins to learn important life lessons and connects to the new life lessons he learns in the present.
The Light in the Hallway is the fourth book I have read by Ms. Prowse. While it’s not my favorite (I still love The Food of Love (2016)), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I found myself very protective of Nick as he tries to navigate life after Kerry’s death. I wanted to give Diane a piece of my mind when she criticized Nick for “moving on too fast” after Kerry’s death. But was he really? How long is he supposed to stay in mourning? I cheered when he finally gets the courage to stand up to her and tell her off. There was one moment when I cried my eyes out. I can’t discuss it further, but it is very significant to the story and it was very touching. I highly recommend The Light in the Hallway. It is a moving story of how one moves on after a death. Life truly does go on.

The Light in the Hallway
is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Amanda Prowse has a knack of getting under the readers skin in every book she produces and this one is no exception, right from the first chapter my tears were flowing when Nick's childhood sweetheart, Kerry dies and Nick is left wondering how he's going to cope without her and what sort of dad he will be to his 18 year old son Olly now that he's got to go it alone as a single parent, as Kerry was always the mainstay in their marriage.

This is a story of love, loss, relationships, friendship and family and is told over two timelines; the present day and, at the end of each chapter, 1992 where we are taken back to Nick's childhood in which Amanda portrays the strong bond of friendship between Nick, Eric and Alex beautifully and the trials and tribulations they are faced with as they are growing up.

This author brings her characters to life through the pages of her books and makes them so realistic that I feel I'm living their lives with them. She covers topics that resonate with us all as we, or someone we know, face these at some point in our lives, she delivers them so on point and so beautifully that it's impossible not to be affected in some way, I cried so many times through this one. Nick really captured my heart, dealing with not only his own grief, but also having to consider the feelings of his son and Kerry's family as he continued with his life after her death, I just wanted to wrap him in a great big hug and take all the pain away from him. I'm a huge fan of Amanda Prowse and she totally smashed this one, another bestseller I reckon which I highly recommend.

"Do things your way and at your pace. This is your journey, no one else's"
This is the second book I have read recently with a male lead whose wife has passed away. But in this book, the husband and son have had time to prepare for the coming death.
This story examines Nick's grief at losing his wife, but also his realisation that just because she is dead, doesn't mean he is. This leads, as expected, to major conflict with his son and in-laws. Using flashbacks to when he was growing up and lessons he learnt from his dad and close friends, the choosing of paths which lead you in a different direction than what you had planned, we get to understand his way of thinking.
A sensitive topic handled beautifully and with such care. I closed the book thinking what a great person Nick is. I think he is so far my favourite male character of all the Amanda Prowse books I have read. He truly deserves the ending his story got.