This gut wrenching story will have your emotions all over the place. Nick takes us along his journey as he triumphs over the tragedy of losing his wife and dealing with the fall out as it affects his son. It is a well written story that puts you front and center to the drama as it unfolds in the story that you are sure to remember well after reading. I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, it was very enjoyable. I found the plot line engaging and the characters believable.I love Amanda Prowse and this is another brilliant novel! I will be recommending this book to friends and family.

I love the fact that all of Amanda's books are so very different. I don't know how she does it but this is yet again another lovely story with characters that are so true to life and who make you care deeply for them. A tale of childhood sweethearts who marry but have their future together cut short when the wife dies of cancer at a young age. The story is told from the perspective of the widowed husband, Nick and their son Olly and their journey following the death of the woman they both loved so much. Emotions such as grief, anger, regret and guilt run through the pages as the pair deal with heartache in their different ways. Olly is just starting at university so father and son being separated as they deal with all of this is an additional strain on their relationship. Interspersed with the sadness, however, are chapters telling of Nick's childhood with his 2 best friends - together, the 3 Amigos - dealing with one particular summer - the 'best summer of their lives'. There is humour and poignancy and a wonderful sense of innocence which I found very moving and nostalgic. The fact that they boys continue to be best friends even into adulthood lends an even more enjoyable aspect to the story. The conclusion is excellent leaving a feeling of happiness and fulfillment upon turning the final page. I loved it! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for my unbiased review..

Another great read from Amanda Prowse. A sensitive subject that is beautifully written. It will pull at your heart strings & take you on a tale of sadness, forgiveness & happy ever afters

Heart wrenching Amanda Prowse has written another beautiful tear jerker.A father and son cope with the death of their wife, mother ..A path of learning to live again find joy .A big box of tissues needed.#netgalley#amazonuk

At the beginning of the book, you know that Kerry is dying, and that the love she shares with Nick is special. It’s what happens to Nick (and their son Olly) after Kerry dies is what’s at the heart of this latest offering from the queen of emotion, Amanda Prowse. This book is full of raw emotion; the pain of losing a loved one, the heartbreaking journey that grief can take you on, and the emotions every parent goes through when their child grows up and doesn’t need their parent anymore. This had me crying regularly. Amanda knows how to pull you into the human story of her characters and lets you feel their pain with them. But there’s always positivity in her books, and this one is no exception. You walk with Nick (and Olly) as they find their new normal, and adjust to life without Kerry. And this book is laced with humour, just at the right moment. A lovely read about love, grief, friendship and family.

The Light in the Hallway is a very well written book. The plot deals with the loss of a wife and mother. And the husband and son dealing with their grief. A very believable story and characters. I received a complimentary copy of the book and this is my unbiased review.

Thanks to netgalley for a chance to read this book.

When Nick’s wife Kerry dies at the age of thirty-five from cancer, he and his eighteen year old son Olly struggle to come to terms with her death. This a story of grief and life’s struggles to move on and carry on living a life.

This is a lovely and emotional story, The Light in the Hallway. It is the story of Nick who is thirty five, his wife Kerry, has just passed and he is now alone in the house with his eighteen year old son, Ollie. They spend time trying to make everything new and cope with their loss. Ollie heads to university and Nick starts to move on with his life which includes his mum, sister, Kerry's mum and sister and life long friends and fellow colleagues at work. The story is sweet, a tearjerker and will give you hope in friends, family and those who can love you. Loved it! Thank you. #netgalley #thelightinthehallway #lakeunionpublishing

Whenever I pick up an Amanda Prowse book, I know that I am going to find myself engrossed in the story and so it was with The Light in the Hallway. I always find that there is something about her characters which I find so relatable. She writes about her characters with great insight into their emotions so that it's hard not to be touched by their situations. Her characters are ordinary people, like people you may know and that's what makes her books so addictive. The situations they find themselves in are situations you will identify with, may even have been in yourself.

Nick married Kerry when they were both in their teens with a baby on the way. He gave up his dream of going to Uni, going to work for a large local employer. Despite this, he has few regrets and a happy life with Kerry and their son Oliver. When Kerry dies in her mid thirties at a hospice, Nick has to cope with losing the love of his life and working out how he and Oliver will move forward. The first chapter was heartbreaking to read and Amanda Prowse was really spot on with showing not just Nick's grief but the way Kerry's death affected all her family. The unspoken rules of what was and wasn't allowed for the newly bereaved were a bewildering maze for Nick to negotiate. The difficulties of how to keep connections in a family when the person who connected you is gone were clear as was the hurt and anger sometimes felt.

Not only was there a big hole in his life from the loss of his wife, Nick also had other major changes to cope with as their son, Olly, moved away to University. I think many parents will identify with the worry over their child not settling at Uni and feeling overwhelmed. This was another loss for Nick albeit in a different way. Throughout the book it was lovely to see the bonds between father and son grow stronger despite the physical distance between them and despite some other challenges.

Each chapter ends with a scene from 1992, a year when Nick and his lifelong friends Eric and Alex were building a bike. But more than that, they were building lasting friendships and learning skills and attitudes which would stand them in good stead for the future. They learned about what really matters in life, they learned to take pride in their work and they learned how to value things. I loved this insight into Nick and his friends as young boys and you could see the good men they would become.

The light in the hallway of the title was both an actual and metaphorical light, shining a welcome and lighting the way. As with all Amanda's books, I was completely caught up in the characters' lives and all that was happening and simply could not put the book down, devouring it in only two days. The Light in the Hallway is a heartfelt, emotional and hopeful story and one I loved!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this author and yet again she has written a great book. I was an emotional wreck reading this.

I was on an emotional roller coaster while reading this book. I lost my daughter seven years ago and this book revived some of my grief. Grief is a process though and this author captured that. I will definitely be seeking more of her work.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amanda Prowse never fails to deliver a real story with real people and real issues. As always her way of writing draws you in from the first page and makes the reader feel part of the story.
Heartfelt, moving and hopeful this book was excellent. I just could not put it down.
I particularly loved the relationship between father and son during their difficult times and the relationship between Nick and his two best mates.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for my independent review.

Nicks wife had recently died, she had been ill for a while and Nick spent every day with her throughout her illness. Oliver (their son) and Nick need to find a way to move on with their lives without her. We find out how they cope without her, Oliver goes to University and Nick tries to move on in the house and town they shared together.

The story is told in the present, then every now and again it goes back into the past of when Nick was younger. It is a lovely story of love, loss, heartache and even some funny moments. I really enjoyed reading this.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another amazing book by Amanda Prowse, such a touching tale of the struggles faced when Nick and Oliver have to try and pull together after the devastating loss of wife/mother at a young age. Must read book

Oh I loved this book, there is something about the way that Amanda Prowse writes that really draws you into her characters. You almost feel you know them by the end of the book. This was a perfect read, engaging, funny, sad and I didn't want it to end. I highly recommend - thank you.

This was a very sweet story dealing with difficult family issues.
It was really sappy.
I’m sure it will be enjoyed by many, but just not my kind of book.

I appreciate the ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written story about love, friendship and the struggles of moving forward after the death of a loved one.
This was a fantastic story that had me laughing at times and crying at others. Listening to it via text-to-speech in the car on my commute to work, there were times I had to stop listening as the tears blurred my eyes too much to be able to drive safely (plus I didn’t want to turn up for work with a red puffy face).
I would definitely recommend this book, but would advise you have a tissue handy whilst reading.

I just don’t know how Amanda Prowse does it but every book she writes is fantastic. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book !! This story covers so many human emotions in such a emotive readable way.

The bonds of father and son Nick and Oliver are tested to the limit when their wife and mother dies young. The struggles facing Nick as he sees his son leaving for university without his mother’s presence is heartbreaking. As life goes on they both face hurdles as new relationships appear and each struggle differently with their grief . Moving on after a loved ones death must be very difficult and this was explored in a very realistic way.

The story moves from present day to Nicks childhood and introduces the reader to the special relationship he shared with his two childhood friends Alex and Eric. These friends remain constant in Nicks life and have shaped his past as well as his present.

I loved this book and the ending was fantastic. Thank you Amanda Prowse you have done it again,,, The Bairstow boys will stay with me for a long time,, My thanks also to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this brilliant book.

This book tells the story of father and son - Nick and Olly - as they deal with the loss of wife and mother Kerry. Amanda Prowse has a wonderful ability to create characters with who the reader can connect with at an emotional level. Her description of Olly's grief in chapter one was so profound it shocked me into tears. The story is also told from Nick's childhood with his friends Alex and Eric, and the lessons they learn about life. There are some really touching scenes such as the boys' innocent view about 'Dave The Milk". The three characters remain friends in the current day chapters. At times I found the story a little slow, but the emotional journey of the characters and how their lives move on kept me engaged with the book. It's a novel rich with emotion that will make you smile and cry.