Lucy Dillon

After the storm it's time for a fresh start . . .

The powerful and heart-stirring new novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Unexpected Lessons in Love.

First, the clouds...
Tara Hunter is a therapist on a mission to restore Longhampton's community spirit after catastrophic flooding. But with her boyfriend AWOL, her family fragmented, and only a cat for company, Tara's own life is crumbling.

Then the storm...
On top of everything, Tara's father - last seen as he walked out on her when she was ten years old - is suddenly back, with a surprising offer that could change everything.

And after the rain...
Dr David Dalloway is Longhampton Wellness Centre's new star counsellor. He's charming, caring and has a knack for reading people's minds - which is the last thing Tara needs right now. Will having David and her dad around make for a bigger storm on the horizon? Or is this Tara's chance for a fresh start?

Angelica's running away again, whilst Katie and Ross are trying to save their marriage. Meanwhile Lauren is dreaming of the perfect first dance at her wedding. As friendships are formed over the foxtrot at the evening dance classes they all attend, everyone starts to find themselves learning important lessons about life and love.

Gina Bellamy is starting again, after a few years she'd rather forget. But the belongings she's treasured for so long 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 . . .

When a number of strays from a rescue centre are matched with new owners, it's not just the dogs who are in need of a second chance. As the new owners cross paths on their regular walks they quickly move from awkward nods of recognition to something more. The lives of the dogs and the dog owners become interwoven and linked.

Jeannie always wanted to fall in love, and now she's finally got the whirlwind romance she dreamed of. Dan's gorgeous, he's a successful young vet, and he flew her to New York and proposed on Brooklyn Bridge. Jeannie has to remind herself this is actually her life. It seems too perfect, too magical, to be real. Yet it is. But now she's on her way to the wedding she can't shake off the tight sensation crushing her chest. Is it just nerves... or is this all happening a bit too fast? Jeannie has one last chance to shout, 'Stop!' But just as she grabs it, a twist of fate throws everything she knows into the air like confetti.