Member Reviews
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.
Absolutely brilliant book. I was in tears within the first few pages. The book is written so well it really captures the heartbreak of nick and his family and they go through some horrible times. The way the book changes from current to nicks younger years is also done very well, and it is so relatable.
The story is compelling and I literally couldn't put it down. It deals with horrible situations with ease, really making the reader feel the emotion and stress that the character feels. Amazing book I would recommend to anyone.
I received a copy of The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I give this book 5 stars! The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse has all the feels. Emotional, uplifting and encouraging...definitely recommend!
The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse
This is the first book by Amanda Prowse that I have read. It won’t be the last!
The characters were well developed and the story was fluid. It is the story of life-long friends, love, loss and rebirth. One can’t help but become entangled in their story. Hope there is a sequel to this book.
You will definitely need to add this to your TPR list.
#TheLightInTheHallway #Netgalley
Amanda Prowse is becoming my favorite author. This book is about a family trying to go on after the mom dies. This book was such an emotional, well written book. Have plenty of tissues !
The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse a five-star read that will shine a light as you read. This is a touching and heart-warming read, there was so much heart and depth to this story, but there is also a need for tissues while reading as they will be needed. By far my favourite read from this author, usually I find it hard to get into the writing, but this one just pulled me straight in from the start. Oliver and Nick have faced devastation in this story, and they will show you their story in a way that will make you feel like its your story. The loss they face, you will feel the loss more than you feel the loss of the character Kerry as you know that she is dying when you start the story, so you don’t get the deep emotional connection with her, but you will care. Amanda Prowse is definitely an author I will look out for more from.
iAmanda Prowse has tugged at the heartstrings yet again!!! Tearful, heart rending but also filled with joy and laughter this book takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. A simple story of everyday folk, it leaves you with a skip in your step.
Amanda Prowse is one of my favorite authors. I was a little shy to ask to review this one - afraid it would be too depressing. But it was not! I felt more uplifted than sad and the characters were more down to earth than we see in SO many books.
Kerry passes away after a noble fight with cancer. She leaves behind her mum, sister, her husband, Nick, and son, Oliver. Touching stages of grief, memories and acceptance prevail. Olly leaves for university not too long after his mum passes. This leaves Nick alone with his dog, Treacle.. Eventually, Nick does venture into the outside world but not without trepidation.
A heart-warming story with sadness, loneliness and humor. Good reading for all fiction enthusiasts!
Many Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a very good read!
Thanks to Galley I was given copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I enjoyed this book, story of a man who's wife his first and only love dies. This is his story on how to be a Dad without his wife and best friend. How his son deals without his mom and how he related to the changes in life...wonderful story of how they get thru and life goes on...
The Light in the Hallway
Amanda Prowse
November 11, 2019
Nick and Kerry were married right after high school. Ollie was born 9 months later. Nick worked at a manufacturing plant for lights. There was no college for him or his wife. They needed to provide for Oliver. Kerry worked as a waitress at a breakfast cafe. Burston was the small town in England they called home. The Siddley family ran the plant where many of the townsfolk worked. Generations spent their days working for the Siddley clan. Nick and Kerry had problems like any other family but in the midst of Ollie’s last year of school Kerry had a diagnosis of cancer. It was difficult for Nick worrying about her health, bills, and getting on without her paycheck. As the days went on Kerry was too sick to continue doing the usual things that Ollie became used to. She was his mom, how would he function without her? It wasn’t long before she was admitted to hospice.
After Kerry’s death there was Ollie and his going to college, making do without her, carrying on with life in the empty house; Nick was alone. Life at Siddley was difficult. The story continues telling us how Ollie’s life changed in college. Nick discovers his best friend could be moving to Australia. Prowse gave us a dark script to read. It became difficult as it seemed the story grew more grave with each chapter. The conclusion was like a dream one of the characters might have had. I will not give away the ending but it somehow didn’t seem possible considering the plot that prefaced it. Her writing was excellent as all of the books that I have read from Amanda Prose. This one was marose and then it wasn’t. I don’t want to not recommend The Light in the Hallway as many of her readers will find this very good. Lake Union Publishing will release The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse on November 19, 2019.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review . This book is about grief loss friendships and new beginnings. This story is told from the perspective of modern day and when The main character Nick is 9 years old. The childhood writing is told from the child’s perspective and at times laugh out loud funny. The adult theme is based on grief and very raw at times but very well written.
I really enjoyed this story and will look for more titles by this author
Another winner by an author I have really come to enjoy! Prowse has a way of crafting very real characters and stories that are moving and engaging without dragging you down and this one is no exception. Definitely recommended!
Overall, I enjoyed this story. One problem I had though was thinking the main character, Nick, to be older than he was because the way he spoke, the phrases he used etc. I thought he was 50+, but it turned out he was in his mid-thirties! This could have been because he got married and had a baby very young and had been the breadwinner ever since. Old before his time perhaps?
Nick's relationship with his wife, her death etc. was written extremely well. It was touching, as was the relationship between Nick and his son, Ollie.
The other characters were all depicted well, and I especially liked Tasha, Jen, and Eric, Nick's childhood friend. Also, Treacle the dog. :-)
There are flashbacks to Nick's childhood, which helped to explain his character, and which I mostly enjoyed, but some of the sections were too long.
I thought Nick's new romance was dealt with well. SPOILER ALERT: I can't help thinking the unplanned pregnancy was cliched. Come on, two adults in their thirties? I found it disappointing because Nick first became a father when he was young, around 17, and I wish the author had given him some more time.
A good read, albeit a bit slow at times.
I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Light In The Hallway’ by Amanda Prowse in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
When Nick’s wife Kerry becomes ill and dies he feels that after nineteen years of marriage his life has ended. His son Oliver is off to university and doesn’t accept that Nick needs to start enjoying life again, making it clear that the family home is his mother’s and nobody else’s. Can Nick navigate a path between his son, Kerry’s family and his own, keeping everybody happy?
Amanda Prowse has written an amazing story of a family living in a town in the North of England and follows the death of a much-loved wife and mother, showing compassion and sensitivity for an ordinary family, bringing out their strengths and weaknesses. I liked the characters of Nick who’s been earning a living in the same factory all his working life, Bev who works with him and becomes his friend, sister Jen and his best-friend Eric, although I found Oliver thoroughly unpleasant, selfish and demanding. It’s a remarkable and beautifully written novel that finishes with a touching and perfect conclusion. Thank you, Amanda, for writing yet another heart-warming and thoroughly enjoyable novel!