This is a well written and emotional read about moving on after the death of a loved one, as well as love and friendship. It's a book that will likely touch the hearts of the reader (but be prepared to need some Kleenex along the way). I don't read a lot of books, especially emotional ones, from the male perspective, so that was a nice twist. It was a bit too sappy in parts for my liking, but I'm sure it will hit home with many readers.

Amanda Prowse has done it again this was a brilliant, touching and heartwarming read. What a story from beginning to end I was captivated. Loved the ending.

When I picked up this book to start reading it was a wee bit slow going. The back and forth of the time period confused me at first. I thought the led character was thinking back to when his son was younger but was in fact flashing back to his childhood.

Once I got through the first few chapters I got into the storyline. The author really delved into human emotions following a tragedy. It was this real-life emotion that eventually drew me in.

Overall A very enjoyable read, however, be sure to have tissues on hand.

Well, wow. The book was a very deep and thought-provoking ride. It touches you deeply. I cried, laughed and wanted to stay awake to finish. During the holidays it would be excellent for someone to read. Beautiful.

Nick finds himself a widower at 35 with an 18-year-old son after losing his wife, Kerry, to cancer. She was his high school sweetheart and was his one true love. After her death he is trying to do what is best for his son, Oliver, and for his and Kerry's family and try to navigate the rules of mourning like when is it okay to go out in public, how many times are you supposed to visit the grave and what flowers should you bring. In their small town of Burstonville any mistakes are duly noted and passed along the grapevine.

Nick had a great support system in his mother and mother-in-law and his two best friends growing up, particularly Eric. Nick's sister, Jen, isn't a very well developed character and I wish she had been fleshed out more because I would have liked some explanations behind some of her actions. Oliver is a typical 19-year-old, on the cusp of adulthood, scared because he lost his mother but just moving to university and becoming an adult and starting a relationship with a young woman. Nick and Oliver seemed to have a good relationship but, again, I wished we knew more about them.

Part of the story was told in flashbacks to the summer of 1992 with his friends, Alex and Eric, when they built and shared a bike together. It was interesting but I didn't see the point of it and really just wanted to get back to the main story.

I think the ending was overdone. It had a nice conclusion but I think it could have been less. If you read it I think you'll understand what I mean.

You can always count on Amanda Prowse to take you on a deep, thoughtful emotional journey. This book proves that theory. At a very young age Nick and Kerry found each other and thought they were in it together forever though it meant their original dreams were forever altered. They had each other and their beautiful a sweet delicious little boy that meant the world to them. Unfortunately their forever was cut short after a horrible cancer diagnosis. Is there any other kind?? Nick and Ollie are trying to deal with life after death. They are both stuck, but in different ways. Nick is trying to do the best he can for a very closed off son. And so begins a journey of the two of them, their family and friends trying to find a whole new normal and create new and love filled lives, because that is what Kerry wanted! Keep some tissues nearby when reading! Enjoy this beautifully written story that is so very real, true and a testament to love and the human experience.

WOW another great book by Amanda Prowse, that delves into the characters emotions in a heart wrenching way that me laugh and cry. I couldn’t put this down and read it in one sitting!!

The story starts with Nick rushing to the hospital to say goodbye to his wife Kerry, she is dying of cancer. They were childhood sweethearts together at 16 and have an eighteen year old son Oliver.

Nick is trying to carry on with life and be supportive to Oliver who goes away to Birmingham University, but he is also struggling to come to terms with losing his mother and feels like his dad is trying to move on too soon.

Loved that at the end of each chapter we go back to the summer of 1992 where Nick and his closest friends Alex and Eric bond whilst building a bike. Their strong friendship carries them into adulthood.

Even when I was not reading this I was thinking about the characters. It made me think about what Nick was going through and I could see how hard it would be for Kerry’s family to see him moving on. All of the family are affected in different ways.

I cannot recommend this book enough, there is light and darkness In this story but it also portrays hope and the opportunity of a second chance of love. I was routing for Nick and was over the moon with the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Another great book by this author,who captured a trail of life events that could happen to anyone. A brilliant story. Thank you netgalley

I laughed and I cried reading this book. It's rare for a book to stir such strong emotions in me. I absolutely loved reading every single minute of this book and will miss it now that I have finished.
I took Nick to my heart, and really felt what his character went through. I loved reading the book in the present and in the past, and loved seeing the friendships grow.
This just might be my favourite Amanda Prowse book so far, and I've read a lot of her books. I decided this was a 5 star read by the time I had read 9% of it.
Thank you to Amanda Prowse, and netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Endearing story of how a man copes with losing his wife to cancer and wanting to do right by his son and his family and the in laws. This story is told in two parts - Nick growing up and Nick the man. He has good friends growing up that stayed with him as a man and helped him cope. Otherwise, the man feels so torn. Its so worth the read.

I liked the idea of this story. I struggled with absorbing it as I was reading it. Unfortunately it wasn’t holding my interest and I gave up about a third of the way through

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Nick has just lost his wife after a long illness. Now he and his son need to put the pieces back together. This is a beautiful story of showing two men trying to move on and learn about each other along the way. A great read.

Amanda Prowse does what she does best in this novel. She writes sensitively about human relationships. In this case she deals with the emotions of a father and son left behind when their wife and mother dies young. It is a well observed story that has an uplifting end.

The Light in the Hallway has a slow and sad beginning. Nick’s wife (his high school sweetheart) dies of cancer in the first chapter. Nick is struggling especially about how to help his 18 year old son, Olly. Olly moves away to university shortly after the death. Nick manages to begin to put his life back together but at every turn he seems to do something that annoys or offends Olly. I feel like the end was a little too wrapped up with a bow. Things turned out well without any real stress or difficulties to reach the ending. I’m glad that I didn’t give up on the book. If you find it slow, stick with it. I will say it wasn’t at all what I thought from the Amazon description.

This book was so heartwarming and emulated that what is simple in life is the best appreciated, such as love and friendship. Nick and his love for Kerry was evident and he knew that she wanted him to live his life. I was happy that he found Beverly. The boyish joy and friendship between Nick, Eric and Alex was a cause to be celebrated as they reveled in just being boys in a small town where imagination needs to be utilized. I also liked that Nick realized his own potential and that he could succeed beyond his expectations.

Another great read from Amanda. The book is told in two times Nick, Eric and Alex are best friends and we read about their times together as young boys and also what happens to them as men. It’s easy to be drawn into their lives and all the ups and downs along the way just how life really is. I really felt for Nick and how he coped with the tragedy and problems he went through. Although this is just a story the way Amanda writes she brings it to life. I highly recommend this book.

THE LIGHT IN THE HALLWAY
BY AMANDA PROWSE

This is a great story about a man who loses his wife to cancer when they are only in their thirties. Don't worry she is already dying in the beginning second chapter so you really don't get to know her. Nick and Kerry have been together since they were sixteen and Kerry got pregnant with their now teenager son Oliver who also leaves Nick for university right after Kerry dies. I did feel bad for both Nick and Oliver. They both are trying to carry on with their lives.

Nick is more of a main character than Oliver is and I felt bad for him because he is left to live in the same house without his son or his wife where memories lurk around every corner. By marrying Kerry Nick gave up on his chance to go to university and fulfill the big dreams both he and his own dad had for him. Nick isn't sorry.
The small town life has everybody knowing everything about everyone else's business.

What worked for me is that Amanda Prowse writes really warm and lovable characters. Nobody is mean and there isn't any crime in the town where this story takes place. The story takes place in the present because people are using cellphones and texting. Its alternating chapters take place in 1992 when Nick is only twelve and he and his two mates build a bicycle to share that they call half bike. That is because Nick's father gives Nick a half of a bike. Alex and Eric help Nick build the bike that they all share.

I felt bad for Eric because although I said there are no mean characters, Eric's mother is mean to her son Eric. We never meet her. We just hear about her from Eric. She runs off with Dave the milkman and she either doesn't want Eric to live with her or is to caught up in her new life to keep her promises to Eric and he doesn't live with her long after they move. Eric moves back to town and lives with his dad which makes Nick happy.

These characters are all charming and I got the feeling that money was tight. Nick's mother is very kind and is always feeding Eric when they are in the 1992 timeline. Nick in his adult years is just trying to move on and he gets a hard time from Kerry's sister Di and Oliver for having a girlfriend.

All in all a lovely story that gave me hope that we can move on if we lose our significant other. It is quaint that the young Nick and his two sidekicks are able to entertain themselves without spending any money. If you are in the mood to spend some time with some endearingly and very kind people, then this is your book. I really loved it and thought it quite charming..

Thank you to Net Galley, Amanda Prowse and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

Quite sweet story boy meets girl, they get pregnant and married
Have baby boy live happily ever after?
No wife dies and this is a story of how a son a father and all the family navigate their own grief whilst being very aware of how others feel they should behave

This book had me balling my eyes out in the first chapter.
while it is heartbreaking it is also a heartwarming story about grieving, love and essentially finding a way to carrying on living. Beautifully written as all of this authors books are.

My 5* review for The Light In The Hallway by Amanda Prowse.

Another brilliant heartbreaking and heartwarming book from Amanda Prowse. This is perfect to snuggle up with on cosy nights in, as it will break your heart, warm your heart and make you laugh in equal measures with this lovely story about an ordinary family who face tragedy and struggle to carry on when life pulls the rug out from under your feet.

I am not giving anything away by telling you the book is about a father Nick, his wife Kerry who is dying and his teenage son Ollie. It is a refreshing change for the story to be about a widower and son dealing with grief and emotional turmoil and is both tender and endearing as well as refreshingly honest about what a loss can do to a whole family and small northern community.

I loved the way the book went back to 1992 which was apparently "the best summer ever" when Nick and his friends Alex and the hysterically funny Eric with his wonderful Yorkshire humour (and way of calling his mates by girls names e.g. Wendy or Shirley, when he wanted to wind them up), built a bike from the frame up. The Raleigh multi-tool kit gifted by Nick's dad to him, played a lovely poignant part to their friendship and was so reminiscent of how things were back in the 1990's when everything was treasured when you literally had nothing...... not even a whole bike haha. I must just mention Nick's sister Jen too, whose character I loved.

Learning to live and love again after the end of a relationship and dealing with teenage boys is obviously something Amanda is familiar with because it was all so honestly written, with a sprinkling of humour, plenty of emotional moments and all beautifully tied up with a ribbon at the end, with a final chapter.

My final overall lasting memory of the book is the truth that "Life is a gift and we have to live it the best we can. We owe it to everyone who no longer has a life" which Nick says to Oliver when they visit his Mum's grave together, and which enables them both to learn to love and live again.