Is That You, Beth Cherry?

by Lucy Dillon

Beth's life, like the unfinished screenplay on her laptop, is stuck between chapters.

Since her breakup with Fraser - which was not part of the script - she's retreated into a lonely WFH world of sweatpants, disordered hours and comfort eating. The one luminous constant in her life is her love for her rescue dog, Tomsk, and his for her.

When Beth's house share falls apart, she is thrown a lifeline by the least likely Fraser's mother Martine, who offers Beth and Tomsk a temporary space above her garage in which to start over. Returning to Longhampton, scene of her happiest memories with Fraser and his family, feels like a second might this be a sign that she and Fraser are meant to be?

But when Beth is recruited as a writer for a project called The Story of Your Life, she starts to gain more perspective on her own life. Run by the local retirement community, some of the stories she hears are heartwarming, some are heartbreaking. All of them, Beth notes, reveal a little more than the teller realises. And when she is sent an anonymous story of first love that threatens to destroy more than one family's identity, Beth has to is it sometimes better to keep a secret than reveal the truth?

480 pages, Hardcover

Published November 6, 2025

About the author

Lucy Dillon was born in Cumbria, worked for a while in publishing in London, and now lives in the Wye Valley with her husband and their Border terrier. She has written eight novels set in the fictional Midlands town of Longhampton, which looks a bit like Hereford, although the inhabitants tend to sound rather more Northern than that.

Reviews

[Saffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read and enjoyed many of Lucy Dillon’s novels and always look forward to a new release from her. Is That You, Beth Cherry is set in the fictional town of Longhampton where many of the author’s previous novels are also set. Beth’s life has changed dramatically since she split up with her partner Fraser, she has become distant and reclusive in her life and this is impacting her work and relationships. When she is forced to move into an annex in Fraser’s mother’s garden and there is a restructuring at work her life begins to change. She becomes involved with a project at a local care home and begins to reevaluate her life.
As with all of the author’s novels there is a sense of hope and joy here and it was a heartwarming read. Beth is a sympathetic character that I was rooting for. However it was also a disappointing read compared to the author’s previous novels as I found that the plot was lacking, most of the characters lacked sufficient depth and this prevented me from becoming completely immersed in the story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was an easy read and something about Lucy’s writing just makes it come alive like you are there. I loved the way each character had their own story to tell and that the setting was in an old people’s home. I think people reading this will be able to relate to Beth and hopefully find that they are not alone and have Beth’s determination. I liked hearing all of the residents stories of back in their days and also the warmth from the staff that work there. Full of warmth, kindness and a lovely family feel. I really enjoyed this story.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

På det hela taget är det här en väldigt mysig lättläst bok och jag gillade Beth som karaktär då jag tycker att man kan känna igen sig en del i hennes tankar.

Köpte dock inte riktigt relationen mellan henne och Lewis? Kände aldrig att den riktigt byggdes upp utan helt plötsligt bara var där?

Kan jag rekommendera boken? absolut 😄 Men är det den bästa boken i Dillons serie om invånarna i Longhampton?
Nej inte enligt mig men helt okej mysig bok att läsa ☺️

[Agi]

DID. NOT. FINISH.
It was impossible to finish. I kept reading and reading because, you know, Lucy Dillon, nobody can write people like Lucy Dillon, but after 50% I simply deleted this book from my kindle. I was struggling all the way and in the end this book was not worth my precious time. I just gave up on the dragging story - telling, the many characters being introduced, many stories being told, the totally uninteresting main characters and absolutely nothing happening.

[Gem ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cosy story full of great characters, mysteries and a gorgeous rescue dog!
I felt Beth grew as a character from being initially quite frustrating in her own outlook and obsession with her ex, to realising her own strengths.
It reminded me of Thursday Murder Club combined with Great Big Beautiful Life.

[Emily West · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book in the end but it took me quite a while to get into it. I persevered because I have read books by the author before and I really liked her writing style but I did struggle to begin with. I found it hard to like Beth as she was being too miserable but once the care home characters become more prominent the book massively improved.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody does people rebuilding their lives better than Lucy Dillon, and this provided all the comfort and recognition and feelings I expect from her novels. Loved Beth and her adorable dog Tomsk, and the cast of characters from a nearby retirement home who helped her re-evaluate her life.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Cheryl Gibbons]

Another Lucy Dillon book that isn't available for purchase to US customers. I did find a print version of one of her other books, but the print is so small that I'm unable to read it even with reading glasses, so it was a waste of money. I do love her books, but it is very frustrating when you cannot purchase them.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed Is That You Beth Cherry? for the Irish Examiner newspaper, a book I described as a heart-warming, relatable, and gentle story about self-discovery and finding one’s place in the world.

You can read my full review at:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifesty...

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous feel-good read

I rarely read this type of novel in my line of work, and I absolutely LOVED it! A great cast of characters, a lovely story and several
will-he/won’t he scenarios. A thoroughly enjoyable read ❤️

[Lena Akerblom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Väldigt trevlig liksom övriga böcker i serien.

[Lotta Söderlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

En ny fin berättelse av Lucy Dillon.
Här hoppas jag att hon spinner vidare på vissa personer.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag lyssnade på den här medan jag målade hönshuset. Mysig och fin historia om att gå vidare och om att allt inte är som man tror.

[Jane Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

She’s back! What a cracker from one of my faves.

[Adela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, relatable, but dealing with serious themes as well. Loved it!

[Birgitta Mattisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag älskar berättelser. En del gör en glad och fnittrig. Plötsligt sitter man och ler i soffhörnet, åt någon tokighet som Lucy Dillon skruvat ihop.
Så har det varit i många år, det var länge sedan jag fastnade för hennes böcker, som är feelgood i sann bemärkelse.
Det är varmt och underhållande, även om just denna bok inte kommer hamna på min favorithylla. Men den är trevlig och det dräller av igenkänning.