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Hannah
‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gripping and emotionally resonant. Beautifully written.’ The International Review of Books (awarded a badge of excellence)
‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An emotional rollercoaster.’ LoveReading
‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A pacy well developed plot … I was hooked.’ NetGalley reviewer, librarian
A charismatic but controlling father. A cruel brother. Home is a pressure cooker, and Hannah needs to get out.
Will her addictive romance with Karl give her the oxygen she needs?
Will the seductive Carla provide Hannah with the luxurious life she craves?
Or will the price she has to pay be too high?
Hannah is always running; harder, faster, until she’s lost in a maze, controlled by the dark forces from her past that have shaped her.
Will she ever accept the love of her childhood friend, a love that may redeem her, if only she lets it?
From the author of LOSS, and award-winning Nevada Street Press, comes gripping psychological suspense: the story of one girl’s fight to claim a better life for herself, and to win, against all the odds.
‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An emotional rollercoaster.’ LoveReading
‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A pacy well developed plot … I was hooked.’ NetGalley reviewer, librarian
A charismatic but controlling father. A cruel brother. Home is a pressure cooker, and Hannah needs to get out.
Will her addictive romance with Karl give her the oxygen she needs?
Will the seductive Carla provide Hannah with the luxurious life she craves?
Or will the price she has to pay be too high?
Hannah is always running; harder, faster, until she’s lost in a maze, controlled by the dark forces from her past that have shaped her.
Will she ever accept the love of her childhood friend, a love that may redeem her, if only she lets it?
From the author of LOSS, and award-winning Nevada Street Press, comes gripping psychological suspense: the story of one girl’s fight to claim a better life for herself, and to win, against all the odds.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2024
About the author
Jane Lightbourne
6 books4 followersJane lives in London with her three children and two rescue cats. She has worked as a lawyer as well as writing fiction and poetry.
Jane’s first poetry collection, Bright Dust, is described by the International Review of Books as ‘Beautiful and profound but also tender and enigmatic.’ Her second collection, Light Beneath the Lids, is out now
Jane’s other titles include Loss and Hannah for adults, and for children 7 to 11 A Tale of Three Tabbies, described by LoveReading4Kids as ‘a heart-warming survival story – a tale of hope, humanity, triumph over danger and adversity, and winning against all the odds,’ and My Cat Called Red, described by Blackheath Books & Bubbles as ‘a book that really moves you & touches your heart & soul.’
Nevada Street Press was shortlisted in the Made in Greenwich category for the Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2023, awarded Best Emerging Independent Publisher 2024 (UK Enterprise Awards 2024) and Emerging Independent Publisher of the Year 2025 - UK (Business Excellence Awards).
Jane’s first poetry collection, Bright Dust, is described by the International Review of Books as ‘Beautiful and profound but also tender and enigmatic.’ Her second collection, Light Beneath the Lids, is out now
Jane’s other titles include Loss and Hannah for adults, and for children 7 to 11 A Tale of Three Tabbies, described by LoveReading4Kids as ‘a heart-warming survival story – a tale of hope, humanity, triumph over danger and adversity, and winning against all the odds,’ and My Cat Called Red, described by Blackheath Books & Bubbles as ‘a book that really moves you & touches your heart & soul.’
Nevada Street Press was shortlisted in the Made in Greenwich category for the Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2023, awarded Best Emerging Independent Publisher 2024 (UK Enterprise Awards 2024) and Emerging Independent Publisher of the Year 2025 - UK (Business Excellence Awards).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 24, 2025
This is definitely not light reading. It is dark and depressing. Hannah's life is not an easy one and she is often her own worst enemy. It is hard to watch her make such painful choices and the path that leads her down. Sadly, there are many people who are like Hannah, so it is important not to turn away from that and this author does a commendable job!!
October 25, 2024
This book definitely had some difficult and heavy topics in it. I felt like family and relationship issues and connections were strongly pointed out aswell as childhood and adult trauma and their affection on the character.
I enjoyed this book for sure but it did make me go through multiple different emotions and thoughts for sure. The writing was easy to read and it made me stay intrigued about the story for the entire book. The plot was well paced and interesting.
Absolutely will recommend this to others!
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
I enjoyed this book for sure but it did make me go through multiple different emotions and thoughts for sure. The writing was easy to read and it made me stay intrigued about the story for the entire book. The plot was well paced and interesting.
Absolutely will recommend this to others!
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange of an honest review.
March 28, 2025
Sadly, I decided to DNF this book at 65% but I feel I read enough to give feedback.
I was drawn to this book initially because it's called Hannah, and then I read the synopsis about her difficult family life and overbearing father, something I could resonate with, so I expected quite a complex psychological story that focused more on the family dynamics. However, this wasn't really what I got. Its focus is more on Hannah's world outside of the family home, except there isn't much fleshing out of the father character or enough evidence, per say, of how horrible he is to her and the family. He's a bit shouty but that's about it. I never got the feeling of 'this dad is an absolute monster' and understood why she wanted to leave so much, especially when she had a loving mother at home.
It would've been a much more evocative introduction to the book where it really detailed what every day life was like living with her father; I would've been more invested in her and her story if this was the case, but sadly it wasn't.
A few times I felt out of the loop because characters talked about things that happened that wasn't made part of the story. For example, Hannah spoke about her experiences with Karl that wasn't included as part of the main story. Again, it would've been more evocative to have lived through those experiences with Hannah as she was experiencing them, rather than simply being told about them later on. This made it harder to have characters stand out and feel real because things were shared after the fact.
There were also times when characters said or did things that either didn't make sense or seemed unrealistic or even cringey, which just pulled me out of the story. The writing could be quite strong, but other times it came across as quite amateurish.
Content wise, there are some very traumatic scenes in this book, seemingly thrown in for some kind of emotional effect, so this is something to consider before reading.
Although I didn't finish the book, I could already see where it was going with Carla and Charlie, and I unfortunately didn't really care much for the characters/storyline at this point to keep going.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was drawn to this book initially because it's called Hannah, and then I read the synopsis about her difficult family life and overbearing father, something I could resonate with, so I expected quite a complex psychological story that focused more on the family dynamics. However, this wasn't really what I got. Its focus is more on Hannah's world outside of the family home, except there isn't much fleshing out of the father character or enough evidence, per say, of how horrible he is to her and the family. He's a bit shouty but that's about it. I never got the feeling of 'this dad is an absolute monster' and understood why she wanted to leave so much, especially when she had a loving mother at home.
It would've been a much more evocative introduction to the book where it really detailed what every day life was like living with her father; I would've been more invested in her and her story if this was the case, but sadly it wasn't.
A few times I felt out of the loop because characters talked about things that happened that wasn't made part of the story. For example, Hannah spoke about her experiences with Karl that wasn't included as part of the main story. Again, it would've been more evocative to have lived through those experiences with Hannah as she was experiencing them, rather than simply being told about them later on. This made it harder to have characters stand out and feel real because things were shared after the fact.
There were also times when characters said or did things that either didn't make sense or seemed unrealistic or even cringey, which just pulled me out of the story. The writing could be quite strong, but other times it came across as quite amateurish.
Content wise, there are some very traumatic scenes in this book, seemingly thrown in for some kind of emotional effect, so this is something to consider before reading.
Although I didn't finish the book, I could already see where it was going with Carla and Charlie, and I unfortunately didn't really care much for the characters/storyline at this point to keep going.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2025
Hannah is a teenager who lives in a pressure cooker. Her dad is charismatic but controlling. Her brother is sadistic. Her sister decides to move out. Her mom seems oblivious. So, when Hannah meets an older guy who shows her attention, she turns to him. But life is not rosy. She eventually meets Carla, an alluring artist, and a new friend Charlie. This new world promises to open doors until it doesn't. Can Hannah find herself and redemption?
The premise of the book - brokenness and redemption - are themes I support. And Hannah's dilemna is quite common. She uses relationships, experiences and substances to hide her emotional pain. I really wish the author/publisher had included resources for readers who are struggling with similar situations or who know someone in a similar situation. That would have moved this book from entertainment to helpful.
The end felt a little rushed, which is unfotunate.
The sexual content in the book is graphic and pornographic, which I didn't like (and is the reason for a two star instead of three star rating). And the content includes plenty of emotional, mental and physical abuse, plus drug and alcohol abuse. These topics could be challenging for some readers to digest.
The premise of the book - brokenness and redemption - are themes I support. And Hannah's dilemna is quite common. She uses relationships, experiences and substances to hide her emotional pain. I really wish the author/publisher had included resources for readers who are struggling with similar situations or who know someone in a similar situation. That would have moved this book from entertainment to helpful.
The end felt a little rushed, which is unfotunate.
The sexual content in the book is graphic and pornographic, which I didn't like (and is the reason for a two star instead of three star rating). And the content includes plenty of emotional, mental and physical abuse, plus drug and alcohol abuse. These topics could be challenging for some readers to digest.
October 27, 2024
Hannah will have you hooked from the first page. It's truly, unputdownable.
By that rationale, this is a fun read.
But it deals in profundity, big ideas, philosophical proposition, societal observation.
So, you get the best of all worlds.
It's difficult, no, impossible, to give specifics on either character or plot, without spoilers. Ironically, that's a good thing.
Neither too dense nor lacking in any detail or logic.
There's a true insight to human nature. A vast tapestry of emotion, a sexy observation of reality, through the veil of page turning gripping yarn fiction. Funny, too, in places?
And most of us have met people like the characters, here. You might even see yourself, your own experiences, captured, via the fact, of Jane's excellent fiction.
The author's best, to date. Plato's cave meets pulp pot boiler. Very DuMaurier, too.
Can't wait to see how she tops this one. Like a literary Chris Nolan, Jane seems to dabble in a new genre, each time, whilst leaving signature marks to distinguish it. So, if you are a fan of her work, you're gonna LOVE Hannah. And if it's your first Lightbourne book? You will be an instant convert on reading.
By that rationale, this is a fun read.
But it deals in profundity, big ideas, philosophical proposition, societal observation.
So, you get the best of all worlds.
It's difficult, no, impossible, to give specifics on either character or plot, without spoilers. Ironically, that's a good thing.
Neither too dense nor lacking in any detail or logic.
There's a true insight to human nature. A vast tapestry of emotion, a sexy observation of reality, through the veil of page turning gripping yarn fiction. Funny, too, in places?
And most of us have met people like the characters, here. You might even see yourself, your own experiences, captured, via the fact, of Jane's excellent fiction.
The author's best, to date. Plato's cave meets pulp pot boiler. Very DuMaurier, too.
Can't wait to see how she tops this one. Like a literary Chris Nolan, Jane seems to dabble in a new genre, each time, whilst leaving signature marks to distinguish it. So, if you are a fan of her work, you're gonna LOVE Hannah. And if it's your first Lightbourne book? You will be an instant convert on reading.
January 21, 2025
This is my second read from Jane Lightbourne after really enjoying her "Bright Dust" book of poetry.
Although a completely different genre, the same theme of light after darkness persists, with the protagonist, Hannah, enduring a difficult start in life and struggling to claw her way out of some dark scenarios. I found myself willing her to succeed, unsure if she actually would. I love Jane's writing, her ability to create atmosphere and descriptive powers bring the story to life, and you feel like you are in the room, on the street and running away with Hannah.
Although a completely different genre, the same theme of light after darkness persists, with the protagonist, Hannah, enduring a difficult start in life and struggling to claw her way out of some dark scenarios. I found myself willing her to succeed, unsure if she actually would. I love Jane's writing, her ability to create atmosphere and descriptive powers bring the story to life, and you feel like you are in the room, on the street and running away with Hannah.
January 22, 2025
I devoured this gritty, hard-hitting metropolitan novel. With the aid of vibrant prose and dialogue, the emotions of the central character are brilliantly delineated as she confronts the brutal realities of her dramatic early life in the search for her true identity. The sense of urgency and threat are never far away, nor the excitement, fear and passion occasioned by her escapades. Culminating in a powerful emotional impact. an extremely satisfying read.
May 10, 2025
In this intense, moving and beautifully written novel, we follow the troubled, precarious journey of Hannah from childhood towards adulthood, rooting for her all the way. The journey is so powerfully and poignantly described - the characters so REAL - that not for a moment do we want to stop reading, and the ending is one of the most beautiful I have read. An exceptional novel by an exceptionally gifted writer.
January 23, 2025
A dark and gripping novel that celebrates the human capacity for.strength and flexibility in the face of hardship. Really Recommended
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews