Irresponsible Adult by Lucy Dillon

 

Sisters Cleo and Robyn may be close in age but their attitudes to life could not be further apart. While Cleo's a fully-fledged adult with a family, a business and a signature scent, Robyn is still waiting for the instruction manual to Adult Life and success is keeping her houseplant alive. Skating by at her job as an estate agent, she's adept at avoiding housework, ignoring admin, and evading her mother's anxious questions about her love life. But then Robyn's fired in the most publicly humiliating way imaginable - and her chaos catches up with her.

Although Cleo steps in to give Robyn a temporary job in her cleaning firm, it comes with very firm instructions: Robyn must BEHAVE RESPONSIBLY. And that includes meeting the high standards of Jim, her enigmatic supervisor. But when Robyn learns to navigate the catastrophic kitchens and judgemental dogs of total strangers she learns some unexpected truths about her own messy world. No one's life is spotless...

Is it time - finally - for everyone to stop sweeping their secrets under the carpet?

Lucy Dillon is back with a remarkable read in my opinion and although we are missing her furry friends that usually make a big presence in her books Irresponsible Adult is without a doubt my new favourite by this author.

The book feels like two books merged together because the first half of the book feels a little lighter as we watch Robyn who has lost her job because of her chaotic mind and what others will see as her lazy lapse ways. With bills to pay and no jobs in the pipeline her sister Cleo gives her a job as a cleaner for her firm which is certainly not what Robyn envisaged doing with her life!

It is whilst working alongside Jim and seeing the way others live that Robyn starts to learn more about herself and she begins to discover ways with the help of Jim to make things a little more structured and manageable.

The second part of the book takes an unexpected spin and digs deeper into Robyn and Cleo’s family life and their lives are about to be turned on its head.

This book explores some touching issues and for me I am so thankful for one in particular and this is a little spoiler in that Robyn discovers that she has ADHD so all of her life where she has been judged or even been hard on herself for mess, tasks unfinished, distraction all have an explanation rather than it being assumed she is just careless and lazy. This is the first book I have read that really looks at the characteristics of this condition and I hope it will help others to start noticing the signs and raise the awareness that it needs.

Lucy Dillon has really created such engaging characters who felt so real and the issues they face are day to day struggles which some will relate to but these are all weaved around an addictive and enjoyable storyline as we see Robyn rebuild her life with some learning curves and some romance along the way. The story also looks at family dynamics and the impact secrets between family members have such a dramatic effect on all those involved.

I couldn’t put this book down and it has certainly left its mark on me and is one I will be recommending to everyone.

Where the Light Gets In by Lucy Dillon

It was Betty, defiant to the end, who sent Lorna back to Longhampton. If Lorna’s learned one thing from Betty it’s that courage is something you paint on like red lipstick, even when you’re panicking inside. And right now, with the keys to the town’s gallery in her hand, Lorna feels about as courageous as Betty’s anxious little dachshund, trembling beside her.

Lorna’s come home to Longhampton to fulfil a long-held dream, but she knows, deep down, there are ghosts she needs to lay to rest first. This is where her tight-knit family shattered into silent pieces. It’s where her unspoken fears about herself took root and where her own secret, complicated love began. It’s not exactly a fresh start.

But as Lorna – and the little dog – tentatively open their cracked hearts to old friends and new ones, facing hard truths and fresh promises, something surprisingly beautiful begins to grow around the gallery, something so inspirational even Lorna couldn’t have predicted the light it lets into her world . . .

I am always drawn to novels by Lucy Dillon as they always have such heart-warming storylines and a dog that will capture my heart too! Lucy’s most recent release Where the Light Gets In has the most stunning delicate cover and the synopsis sounded promising too.

Lorna has had her fair share of difficulties in the past and these have shaped the woman she is today but she has one last fight in her and her determination to succeed in the world of Art sees her buying the Art Gallery in the old town she grew up in. Lorna needs to drastically turn the local business around and the best way she can do that is to get the local artist Mrs Rothery on board but she has a reputation of being a rather prickly character so it will not be an easy task.

I really enjoyed Where the Light Gets In there are two very poignant chapters in this book that was crafted so tenderly that I soon found I had a lump in my throat. I have always enjoyed the arrivals of our furry friends in Lucy’s novels and we are treated to two little beauties in Rudy and Bernard who are loyal and loveable friends if somewhat troublesome at times.

Lorna is such a selfless and caring character who is instantly likeable, she is so quick to forget her own needs and wants and put others needs before her own. She opens her heart and her home to those in need whether that be for family and friends she has known for years or those dear little ladies who she has only known so briefly with no ulterior motive.

I really enjoyed getting to know Joyce, she was a very firm and wilful woman who I think inside was crying out to have someone close to her but found it so much easier to put up a prickly barrier.

I do love the romance that was weaved into this storyline but I am so pleased that is didn’t dictate the whole plot as I loved watching Lorna’s journey with her plans for her new business and her unlikely friendship with Joyce.

This really was a pleasant gentle read that tugged at the heart strings.

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All I ever Wanted by Lucy Dillon

Caitlin's life is a mess. Her marriage to a man everyone else thinks is perfect has collapsed, along with her self-esteem, and breaking free seems the only option. 
Nancy, her four-year-old daughter, used to talk all the time; in the car, at nursery, to her brother Joel. Then her parents split up. Her daddy moves out. And Nancy stops speaking. 

Nancy's Auntie Eva, recently widowed and feeling alone, apart from the companionship of two bewildered pugs, is facing a future without her husband or the dreams she gave up for him. 
But when Eva agrees to host her niece and nephew once a fortnight, Caitlin and Eva are made to face the different truths about their marriages - and about what they both really want ...

I always look forward to a new book by Lucy Dillon and her covers are always so enticing and the cover of All I Ever Wanted is no exception, this will call out to you from the shelves.

When Patrick accepts a job transfer it sparks the end of his marriage to Caitlin. With two beautiful children at the heart of the separation cracks start to form. Nancy was once a chatty little girl who would sing and dance until her hearts content but now Nancy doesn’t speak and big brother Joel steps up to try and communicate for her but will Nancy ever find her voice?

This is one of those books that will tug at the heart strings and have you wanting to reach into the pages and pull Nancy out for a big hug. Both Nancy and Joel were adorable characters who I found extremely engaging. Joel provided a touch of humour and also was quite admirable in looking after his little sister, without her talking he knew her well enough to tell others what she wanted. My heart went out to Nancy and I longed for her to feel safe enough to talk again.

As well as getting to know the children we see Caitlin and Patrick attempt to deal with their separation as well as meeting Patrick’s sister Eva who has her own story weaved around the main plot that all ties in beautifully.

I was surprised how my opinion on both Caitlin and Patrick altered throughout the book at the start I felt for one and disliked the other and as the storyline moved along and certain events happened I found that I switched “sides” until at the end I just wanted to bang them both together and tell them to grow up!

This is a subject that many people will relate to from either the children’s or the parent’s perspective and this makes it feel all too real and that’s why I am sure Nancy will capture everyone’s hearts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading All I Ever Wanted and I found it hard to put down, this is another wonderfully written book that will tug at the heart strings.

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A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

Letters from the only man she's ever loved.
A keepsake of the father she never knew.
Or just a beautiful glass vase that catches the light, even on a grey day.

If you had the chance to make a fresh start, what would you keep from your old life? What would you give away? Gina Bellamy is starting again, after a difficult few years she'd rather forget. But the belongings she's treasured for so long just don't seem to fit who she is now. So Gina makes a resolution. She'll keep just a hundred special items - the rest can go.

But that means coming to terms with her past and learning to embrace the future, whatever it might bring . . .

I am a huge Lucy Dillon fan and I have really missed her books with her last book being released back in 2011, so when I heard Lucy was back with a new novel, A Hundred Pieces of Me I was overjoyed.

Gina’s life has been a rollercoaster of events. After a very difficult couple of years she finds herself starting her life all over again. As she sits in her new flat surrounded by boxes containing her past she decides that she needs to let go of the majority but she is going to keep 100 things that are special to her.

This book shows a change in direction for Lucy Dillon. Gone are the light hearted, fun, easy reads and in place is a deep, tender storyline that will warm your heart. I was hooked from the first page, Gina is a very life like character who is going through a very challenging and emotional time but what is so touching is that the whole storyline feels so realistic and to think there are actually people who are going through the same things as Gina. The issues that are used in this storyline have been weaved into the story beautifully and just make this such a tender read. The pace of this book is very slow but whereas usually this is a negative for me it actually works perfectly well for this book.

I loved the solid friendship between Gina and Naomi their love for each other shines through the whole of this book and they really are true friends I had to keep reminding myself that these are fictional characters as they are so realistic. I also loved the little bit of suspense that the author creates around the situation with Kit and Gina I didn’t predict what had happened between them so this kept me reading longing to find out what had occurred.

This book is a thought provoking read and really makes you realise we should just live for the moment and enjoy it as you never know what is around the corner. This is a truly wonderful read it was well worth the wait.

A tender and compelling read that I couldn’t put down. This book gets our second gem rating of the year!

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This is such a lovely read that I have chosen to give away a copy of this book. This is a UK only giveaway ( sorry bookworms it is only due to postage costs at the moment )



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The Secret Of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon

I loved Lucy Dillon’s Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts and Walking Back To Happiness. Both of these books have such a cosy feel to them and very believable storylines. Having enjoyed these books so much when I heard Dillon was releasing another book this year based in the same town as her previous two books I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

In The Secret of Happy Ever After we follow the lives of friends Anna and Michelle. Both are facing obstacles in their lives which they need the help of others to help them get around. Michelle is very career driven and decides to take on the shop next door to her own shop, but she has to keep the shop as a book shop for a year at least and who better than to take control of the shop than her friend Anna whose passion in life is working with books. The storyline includes the usual Lucy Dillon content with the dogs but the book also flows mainly around the topic of reading and books which for me and for main character Anna is a dream come true.

Although the book centres around both Anna and Michelle we pick up a lot about the characters around each of them so there is always something going on all the way through the book which keeps it flowing at an even pace all the way through.

Although we know both Anna and Michelle have something emotional that they are battling in their lives I felt more connection with Anna as we know straight from the off what it was that was a constant battle and a cause for upset for her so we really feel for her the whole way through the book. Whereas with Michelle we don’t find out what it is that is causing her heartache until the near end of the book so at some times her character came across as a little cold and hard until we find out what lies beneath.

It is obvious from when we first meet Michelle that she has skeletons in her closet and I think this is one of the first books I have read where I couldn’t guess what secret she was harbouring so I was very shocked when it was revealed towards the end as it was totally unexpected this managed to keep me intrigued all the way through this book. Due to the festive cover I was hoping there would be more of a festive feel to it but having said that I still really enjoyed this book and it is really one you can read any time of year.

There is such a lovely mix of characters in this book and this mixed with a believable storyline made for a beautiful read which I would pick up again and that I would also highly recommend.

Walking Back To Happiness by Lucy Dillon

One of my favourite books which I read in 2010 was by a new author to me, Lucy Dillon with her award winning book Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts. The way she brought the reader into the story made its mark on me. One of my Christmas presents was Lucy Dillon's new book Walking Back to Happiness which I knew by the style of the front cover was Lucy Dillon's book. I was hoping it would be just as good as the previous book.

****PLOT****
The story is mainly based on Juliet whose husband Ben has passed away at such a young age and Juliet just wants to hide away from the world but her mum and sister Louise have other plans and try to coax her out of her home each day. Diane, Juliet's Mum, gets Juliet the job of dog walker for her neighbour but word soon gets out about Juliet and she finds herself with a list as long as her arm of people who need their dogs walking. Juliet begins taking small steps to become a part of society and to start living again with the help of her family and the love interest Lorcan, who lives next door. Lorcan makes small steps to help Juliet get the run down home she shields herself in back to a liveable condition but can he also fix Juliet?
There is also a few chapters in this book which are from Juliet's sisters point of view which adds a small storyline to a main storyline which was quite a nice touch. We see that although Juliet thinks that Louise is the world's perfect wife and mother things are not always quite what they seem.

****CHARACTERS****
JULIET:- We see Juliet's character grow throughout the book and as her character grows we warm more to her character as each chapter comes along. I found that each little step that Juliet takes you just want to give her a pat on the back and say "Well done, everything is going to be ok !"
Lorcan:- I was a little uncertain of his character when he first arrives in the book. He was a little mysterious and was a little wary but as the story came along and he became more involved you really connected to his character and like the gentle approach he was taking in helping Juliet.
Louise:- This was one character which I didn't really connect with. We see that Louise is struggling coming to terms with the changes in her life now she is a new mum, and she finds herself falling out of love with her husband and falling for another man who seems to understand her more.
Diane:- Juliet and Louise's mum is your typical interferring but lighthearted mother and you can see that everything she does she is taking her daughters into consideration.

****MY OPINION****
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found I could not put this book down. I think the way the story is brought to us is unlike any book I have read before it was full of hurt and emotion and as the reader you actually feel as if this is happening to someone you know as you connect with the story right from the first page. Although it is a very sad book I did not find it depressing. I did find it was a little bit of a shame that we didn't actually get to meet Juliet's husband Ben before he past but this is made up for with many references about their relationship throughout the book.

This book had one similarity with the previous and that is the use of the dogs in both books and they also do the same job in helping their owners to start again. The love interest is beautifully written in this story. Without giving too much away there are to paths that Juliet can take and until she actually chooses the reader can not predict which way she will turn.

This story has everything you can want from a good read, a lot of emotion along with a little sense of humour, a sprinkling of romance, and a big cup of suspense!
I would recommend this book highly I cannot say a bad thing about this book it ticked all of the boxes for me. Give it a try!!!

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts by Lucy Dillon

Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts is the first book I have read by Lucy Dillon. I was given this book to read by a client and on first glimpse I liked the look of the book, girly pink and white with glitter snow balls on the front. It looks like your typical chic lit book and then came the title of the book and this put me off. I am not really what you would call your typical animal lover and I would defiantly not put a book about dogs on the top of my to read list. All this aside I had run out of books to read so I thought I would give it a go.

**Plot**

The book opens with the lovely Rachel whose life in London is falling to bits loosing her job, flat and her heart is breaking. Rachel's aunt Dot has past away leaving her home, Kennels and her dog Gem to Rachel. Rachel is not what you would call a dog lover with her London lifestyle. As Rachel starts working with the Kennels and starts to help Megan who runs the Kennels to re-home the rescue dogs, matching them up with perfect owners. She must make a decision if to stay in Dots house and carry on running the Kennels ,or to sell up for a nice tidy profit and head back to her life in London.

The book weaves in new characters as the book goes on. We meet Natalie and Johnny, a married couple who are desperately trying for children with no avail. We also meet Zoe who works full time and looks after her two children Leo and Spencer and is finding things very difficult when her ex husband decides to give their children a Labrador puppy. Also we meet single Bill the doctor friend of Natalie and Johnny who is matched up with his perfect dog but one he didn't expect!

**Opinion**
This book is a well written book once you get half way through. The first half of the book is quite slow and I did at a couple of points think about just putting it down. It certainly didn't grip me from the first page. However I am so glad I carried on as the second half of the book was brilliant. The way Lucy writes about Rachel makes you really warm to her and you want to see her happy. It is not the best book when it came to trying to bring in the characters together. It felt like I was reading three separate mini books and then it was all thrown together which was a shame as in the last half of the book when the characters are all together the book is endearing. It was unusual to read about a different relationship which was between man and their four legged furry friends.

**Information**
This book retails at £6.99, but when I was in WHSmiths the other day it was on offer buy one get one free.
ISBN9780340919200

**Recommendation**
I would recommend this book but I would just have to make people aware that this book will not grap you from the first page. It really does take a while to get into this book but it is defiantly worth the wait as the way the characters and settings are described you do feel as if you are part of the story. I will be interested to read another of Lucy Dillion books to see if her other books are written in the same way.