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After the Rain
After the storm it's time for a fresh start . . .
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?
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?
432 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2022
121 people are currently reading
836 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Dillon
20 books972 followersLucy 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
April 4, 2022
I usually find Lucy Dillon a little more light/shade - but this felt quite stuck in one character’s head, with a relentless backdrop of struggle. I feel not her best work.
April 24, 2022
By the time I finished the book I was enjoying it but it was very slow to get going and the middle section seemed to be mired in inertia which could have been symbolic of the main characters situation but made for a less interesting read. Various characters in the book are more interesting than others - David for one! Not as compelling as some of the author is previous books. A middling read.
Thank you Netgalley.
Thank you Netgalley.
April 9, 2022
Suich a disappointment especially as I had it on pre-order as soon as it was announced. I’m a huge Lucy Dillon fan so, despite my early negative reactions I carried on, something I would probably not have done if this had been my first by this writer, desperately hoping to find something to like. There was a brief moment I thought things might be looking up but it was short lived.
Tara’s Dad left when she was 10, it is a shame but let’s face it hardly the worst thing that could have happened to her, and she had 10 years in therapy to help her deal with the fallout – I doubt many kids whose dad left them get that kind of help. Now 33 but still behaving like a thirteen-year-old I find her naïve, immensely immature and very irritating. Surely in her role as a councillor she would have encountered clients who had experienced far greater troubles, we are all guilty of a degree of denial but Tara is so annoying I want to (metaphorically) slap her into next week.
Tara’s Dad left when she was 10, it is a shame but let’s face it hardly the worst thing that could have happened to her, and she had 10 years in therapy to help her deal with the fallout – I doubt many kids whose dad left them get that kind of help. Now 33 but still behaving like a thirteen-year-old I find her naïve, immensely immature and very irritating. Surely in her role as a councillor she would have encountered clients who had experienced far greater troubles, we are all guilty of a degree of denial but Tara is so annoying I want to (metaphorically) slap her into next week.
March 23, 2022
A wonderfully heartwarming and entertaining tale of friendship, family, community,loss and hope that I absolutely loved —so much so in fact I finished it in a single day!
After The Rain follows Tara, a therapist from Longhampton who’s become a pillar of support for the town’s residents after a catastrophic flooding has devastated the community. But with her charismatic boyfriend AWOL, her family estranged and only her boyfriend’s cat for company, Tara’s life is crumbling…
To make matters worse, Tara’s dad is back, having walked out on their family when she was 10—with a surprising offer that could change everything. But with years of failed relationships and disappointment from all the lies and broken promises, she’s still unsure whether she can trust him.
I absolutely loved reading this, the writing was utterly compelling and the characters were both endearingly full of depth. Especially Tara who despite being a therapist, really struggles to open up about her personal issues and conflicting thoughts surrounding her father’s abandonment. I liked her kind, compassionate personality and hardworking demeanour however, her refusal to understand or even empathise with other characters was a little jarring personality wise. Although, I did like Tara’s moments of self awareness with Dillon effortlessly exploring the emotional and lasting effects a divorce can have on some people—I feel it’ll definitely resonate with readers who grew up with divorced or absent parents.
New colleague and pet whisperer David was another character that I really liked and the slowburn friendship/romance brewing between Tara and David was really nice and fairly uplifting,though I really would’ve liked just a bit more romance between the two. Also I absolutely loved a Sybil the cat who was definitely a whole mood and bore several similarities to one of my own cats that I couldn’t help but love her (and her scathing judgy looks.)
There’s not really anymore I can say about the book without ruining the entire plot but I can say that it’s an absolutely delightful, heartfelt and escapist story that’s perfect book to wile away the weekend with.
Also, a huge thank you to Random Things Tours and Transworld Publishers for the arc.
After The Rain follows Tara, a therapist from Longhampton who’s become a pillar of support for the town’s residents after a catastrophic flooding has devastated the community. But with her charismatic boyfriend AWOL, her family estranged and only her boyfriend’s cat for company, Tara’s life is crumbling…
To make matters worse, Tara’s dad is back, having walked out on their family when she was 10—with a surprising offer that could change everything. But with years of failed relationships and disappointment from all the lies and broken promises, she’s still unsure whether she can trust him.
I absolutely loved reading this, the writing was utterly compelling and the characters were both endearingly full of depth. Especially Tara who despite being a therapist, really struggles to open up about her personal issues and conflicting thoughts surrounding her father’s abandonment. I liked her kind, compassionate personality and hardworking demeanour however, her refusal to understand or even empathise with other characters was a little jarring personality wise. Although, I did like Tara’s moments of self awareness with Dillon effortlessly exploring the emotional and lasting effects a divorce can have on some people—I feel it’ll definitely resonate with readers who grew up with divorced or absent parents.
New colleague and pet whisperer David was another character that I really liked and the slowburn friendship/romance brewing between Tara and David was really nice and fairly uplifting,though I really would’ve liked just a bit more romance between the two. Also I absolutely loved a Sybil the cat who was definitely a whole mood and bore several similarities to one of my own cats that I couldn’t help but love her (and her scathing judgy looks.)
There’s not really anymore I can say about the book without ruining the entire plot but I can say that it’s an absolutely delightful, heartfelt and escapist story that’s perfect book to wile away the weekend with.
Also, a huge thank you to Random Things Tours and Transworld Publishers for the arc.
February 4, 2022
I'm not sure why I couldn't get into this book, as I usually love Lucy Dillon's books and was really looking forward to reading this one, but it just wasn't for me.
Unfortunately I couldn't warm to any of the characters. Tara, the main character, was just so depressing, and David could hear what animals said, which made him such a great counsellor when people brought their dogs in with them... really? It just wasn't the Longhampton that I was used to. When it got to the point that David recounted a tale of 'hearing' one of his childhood dogs in pain after his dad threw the poor animal out in a thunderstorm, and then dying, that was it for me and I stopped struggling through and gave up.
I've read all of the Longhampton books before this and they've all been really lovely, 4 & 5 star reads for me, so hopefully this is just a blip, but this one definitely wasn't for me.
Unfortunately I couldn't warm to any of the characters. Tara, the main character, was just so depressing, and David could hear what animals said, which made him such a great counsellor when people brought their dogs in with them... really? It just wasn't the Longhampton that I was used to. When it got to the point that David recounted a tale of 'hearing' one of his childhood dogs in pain after his dad threw the poor animal out in a thunderstorm, and then dying, that was it for me and I stopped struggling through and gave up.
I've read all of the Longhampton books before this and they've all been really lovely, 4 & 5 star reads for me, so hopefully this is just a blip, but this one definitely wasn't for me.
February 20, 2022
En fin bok av Lucy men jag tycker att översättningen är väldigt konstig på flera ställen. Har jag aldrig reagerat på tidigare i hennes böcker.
November 26, 2022
What a delightful novel!
I’m not going to lie, it was the cat and dog on the cover of this novel that did it the most and made me choose to read this. Much to my surprise the pets in this novel, cat Sybil and dogs Branston and Lloyd actually steal the limelight. This novel is so much about our four-legged companions!
Tara works at the local Wellness Centre as a consultant along with lots of other therapists with other specialties. At times it looked more as if she was working at a vet’s office instead because David, another therapist, seems to be quite the pet whisperer. It seems to be helping their owners with their therapy though so he puts his skills into good use.
Tara has a lot on her plate next to her work because her father who abandoned his family when she was a child unexpectedly shows up, wanting to be back in her life and he offers to help rebuild the village hall, but can she really count on him or will he walk away again? She wants to discuss it with her brother Toby on the other side of the world but he’s not answering her calls most of the time and the guy she’s been seeing hasn’t been in touch for weeks either. So she unburdens to her colleague-therapist David, only to wonder the day after if that was such a good idea.
All of these different threads were well developed but the one involving her father Keith is the one that stays with me the most. Tara has hated her father for so long, her mother despised him from the day he left and now that she has to work on the same community project, it makes her feel confused. Her father plays a major part and there’s also a shocking discovery that she’s struggling with at first with but I don’t want to give it away, only that I enjoyed reading about her babysteps towards a better relationship with her family.
Now I did have to suspend some belief on this front with this added touch of magical realism but we’re talking cats and dogs here, so that’s one area that has my blessing, it didn’t bother me at all and I loved that David could somehow connect with animals.
There’s drama on lots of different fronts (there is a flooding after all), there’s suspicion about her father’s intention too but next to the more serious topics there’s also friendship and warmth and care to be found in this novel. This title, After The Rain, is so well chosen and resonates on so many levels.
I finished this novel with a happy and contented sigh and I definitely want to read more of her novels when I’m in need of another lift-me-up!
I’m not going to lie, it was the cat and dog on the cover of this novel that did it the most and made me choose to read this. Much to my surprise the pets in this novel, cat Sybil and dogs Branston and Lloyd actually steal the limelight. This novel is so much about our four-legged companions!
Tara works at the local Wellness Centre as a consultant along with lots of other therapists with other specialties. At times it looked more as if she was working at a vet’s office instead because David, another therapist, seems to be quite the pet whisperer. It seems to be helping their owners with their therapy though so he puts his skills into good use.
Tara has a lot on her plate next to her work because her father who abandoned his family when she was a child unexpectedly shows up, wanting to be back in her life and he offers to help rebuild the village hall, but can she really count on him or will he walk away again? She wants to discuss it with her brother Toby on the other side of the world but he’s not answering her calls most of the time and the guy she’s been seeing hasn’t been in touch for weeks either. So she unburdens to her colleague-therapist David, only to wonder the day after if that was such a good idea.
All of these different threads were well developed but the one involving her father Keith is the one that stays with me the most. Tara has hated her father for so long, her mother despised him from the day he left and now that she has to work on the same community project, it makes her feel confused. Her father plays a major part and there’s also a shocking discovery that she’s struggling with at first with but I don’t want to give it away, only that I enjoyed reading about her babysteps towards a better relationship with her family.
Now I did have to suspend some belief on this front with this added touch of magical realism but we’re talking cats and dogs here, so that’s one area that has my blessing, it didn’t bother me at all and I loved that David could somehow connect with animals.
There’s drama on lots of different fronts (there is a flooding after all), there’s suspicion about her father’s intention too but next to the more serious topics there’s also friendship and warmth and care to be found in this novel. This title, After The Rain, is so well chosen and resonates on so many levels.
I finished this novel with a happy and contented sigh and I definitely want to read more of her novels when I’m in need of another lift-me-up!
July 13, 2022
Blog: https://clife.blog/2022/07/13/book-re...
Tara Hunter is a counsellor living in a small village which recently dealt with a massive flood impacting many of her clients. She’s went out of her way to help in the community centre and such.
It appears that her life is in order and she is a ‘Good Person’ by going above and beyond however this is a distraction as she comes to terms with her family drama.
Having a mum distort your view and changing your future perspective and relationship with your father is a horrible thing to do however sadly women tend to do this about the ‘man that left’ even if it is their own fault.
I do not understand Tara’s stubbornness for sticking up with her ‘lonely mother’ and completely ignoring her dad. She even admits that she has blocked out memories she doesn’t like.
Everyone has problems and she keeps acting like she has none as she’s not willing to accept any blame or fault and is behaving exactly as her mother had, using excuses and going ‘poor me’ every chance she has.
Assuming her dad only has bad intentions she was behaving like a proper child! Hiding his phone so he wouldn’t be able to check important things and being selfish and so frigging childish as she kept going on about wanting bonding time and getting on to him for bringing her new half-sibling over. Get over yourself you are a grown adult stop behaving so petulant.
The side characters including David, Toby, her father, Lloyd and Molly I found to enjoy a lot more. Toby her twin brother has tried to set things straight with his silly sister.
Despite Tara’s childish behaviour this novel was very warming and listening to the advise and going on of many people was quite enjoyable.
Tara Hunter is a counsellor living in a small village which recently dealt with a massive flood impacting many of her clients. She’s went out of her way to help in the community centre and such.
It appears that her life is in order and she is a ‘Good Person’ by going above and beyond however this is a distraction as she comes to terms with her family drama.
Having a mum distort your view and changing your future perspective and relationship with your father is a horrible thing to do however sadly women tend to do this about the ‘man that left’ even if it is their own fault.
I do not understand Tara’s stubbornness for sticking up with her ‘lonely mother’ and completely ignoring her dad. She even admits that she has blocked out memories she doesn’t like.
Everyone has problems and she keeps acting like she has none as she’s not willing to accept any blame or fault and is behaving exactly as her mother had, using excuses and going ‘poor me’ every chance she has.
Assuming her dad only has bad intentions she was behaving like a proper child! Hiding his phone so he wouldn’t be able to check important things and being selfish and so frigging childish as she kept going on about wanting bonding time and getting on to him for bringing her new half-sibling over. Get over yourself you are a grown adult stop behaving so petulant.
The side characters including David, Toby, her father, Lloyd and Molly I found to enjoy a lot more. Toby her twin brother has tried to set things straight with his silly sister.
Despite Tara’s childish behaviour this novel was very warming and listening to the advise and going on of many people was quite enjoyable.
January 30, 2023
this was fun & readable! it was interesting reading about different strains and types of therapy & how they work together to help people suffering from similar experiences! LOVED david, lloyd & sybil - but it just didn’t really have a storyline, i wasn’t invested that much, enjoyable but not essential reading
December 12, 2021
Tara Hunter is a councillor, in the midst of one of the hugest projects of her life. The village where she lives has suffered from the after-effects of life-changing, for some, flooding, and she has put her heart and soul into trying to help everyone affected to get back on their feet.
It's a fact that after flooding, a lot of hidden rubbish comes to the surface of the water, and it appears that the same happens to Tara and her own hidden insecurities and feelings. Things she has managed to compartmentalise, forget about and move on from, from her childhood, come flooding back.
Of course, it doesn't help that the rogue father who disappeared when she and her twin brother Toby were children also reappears, with a couple of his own secrets
Couple that with an intriguing new addition to the staff of the Wellness Centre she works for, David, and throw in some fantastic four-legged characters, and you have a captivating read.
I enjoyed this book, very much, and reading about Tara made me think a lot about my own well being. it is so easy to become the carer for all others, forsaking your own needs, especially if you feel they aren't worthy of being acknowledged, or too painful to analyse.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Uk for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
It's a fact that after flooding, a lot of hidden rubbish comes to the surface of the water, and it appears that the same happens to Tara and her own hidden insecurities and feelings. Things she has managed to compartmentalise, forget about and move on from, from her childhood, come flooding back.
Of course, it doesn't help that the rogue father who disappeared when she and her twin brother Toby were children also reappears, with a couple of his own secrets
Couple that with an intriguing new addition to the staff of the Wellness Centre she works for, David, and throw in some fantastic four-legged characters, and you have a captivating read.
I enjoyed this book, very much, and reading about Tara made me think a lot about my own well being. it is so easy to become the carer for all others, forsaking your own needs, especially if you feel they aren't worthy of being acknowledged, or too painful to analyse.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Uk for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
March 1, 2022
Lucy Dillon is a great author who usually delivers a warm cosy hug of a book, I enjoy curling up and escaping the real world. Unfortunately on this occasion the magic was missing, it was still a good story but just lacking. The humour was there, especially with the descriptions of the other therapists and the homebrew. However the romantic relationship with David should never have happened, especially as it's blatantly obvious that Tara needs therapy herself. It was all a bit too neat and unbelievable. Also I struggled with David's gift, much as I liked the idea it felt a little bit too far fetched.
March 17, 2022
This book touched more than I thought possible. I identified with Tara on so many things, her ability to squash old memories and push down uncomfortable feelings. It was refreshing to see her work through it all and come out the other side, to see that she had the strength within her to do it. David was also a great character, I loved his ability to connect with animals. His friendship with Tara was sweet, he supported her and saw her strength even when she didn’t.
This was a wonderful story about friendship, self care, family and over coming difficulties. I loved the added twists and turns thrown in along the way. The whole book flowed easily and I was quickly swept up in it.
This was a wonderful story about friendship, self care, family and over coming difficulties. I loved the added twists and turns thrown in along the way. The whole book flowed easily and I was quickly swept up in it.
February 3, 2026
I think I’m gonna read books again. I don’t always love fiction because it’s so corny and I’m picky. This book was weirdly relevant to me only because someone in it was an animal communicator (I am not but I do believe in them) and the main character is a therapist but that’s why she pmo bc she was unqualified and glazing over her mountain of problems never once talking about them with a professional which is unrealistic to me and she would lose focus during sessions so I didn’t think she deserved the promotion at the end spoiler. many twists and turns but everything resolved itsself peacefully
September 28, 2024
This book was much deeper and a lot more heart wrenching than I had expected going in. I found the main character incredibly relatable and I enjoyed how the book explored the reliability of perspectives without lessening the importance of the perspective being shown. I will say I was not expecting the Dr Dolittle aspect, or that I wouldn't consider the love interest as the second main character but I did really like the change up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2025
A bit of a disappointing read. Livened up a bit towards the end but it took a while to get there.
May 1, 2022
Tara is a counsellor who is using her skills to help out her local community following some devastating floods. She is also trying to deal with her own issues, some concerning the recent death of her mother and others revolving around her father leaving the family when she was young. I liked Tara’s character although it did take a little time to warm to her, and I found myself only truly liking her some way into the book. Tara seems a good person however, helping her fellow villagers to deal with the destruction of the recent floods. It seems though that she’s not very good at practising what she preaches, especially in her own personal life with a wayward boyfriend, her difficult to get hold of brother and the reappearance of her dad.
I found myself enjoying the storyline at the beginning, but as the book moved on it did start to slow up a little for me. I found her relationship with her dad was stuck at a stalemate for so long and this was a little frustrating. I get that there were some past issues which they needed to get over, but as a counsellor you thought Tara would have been able to deal with these a little bit better. I loved David’s character, and whilst his “talent” was a little unusual, I found his ability to do what he does quite moving and emotional.
The book as a whole, I did enjoy, despite a few hitches along the way. I enjoyed the later part of the book more than the beginning and I loved how all the family secrets which had been hidden for so long came tumbling out as the storyline continued. It’s a book which is full of life, love, family and second chances and touches on some tender moments of grief and family breakdowns. There are some lovely likeable characters, and the storylines are emotional and well written. Would recommend.
I found myself enjoying the storyline at the beginning, but as the book moved on it did start to slow up a little for me. I found her relationship with her dad was stuck at a stalemate for so long and this was a little frustrating. I get that there were some past issues which they needed to get over, but as a counsellor you thought Tara would have been able to deal with these a little bit better. I loved David’s character, and whilst his “talent” was a little unusual, I found his ability to do what he does quite moving and emotional.
The book as a whole, I did enjoy, despite a few hitches along the way. I enjoyed the later part of the book more than the beginning and I loved how all the family secrets which had been hidden for so long came tumbling out as the storyline continued. It’s a book which is full of life, love, family and second chances and touches on some tender moments of grief and family breakdowns. There are some lovely likeable characters, and the storylines are emotional and well written. Would recommend.
June 25, 2023
such a nice family story, loved all the dog and cat commentary 🐾
September 19, 2022
Read this if:
☔️you like small town community settings
☔️you’ve always wondered what your pet is thinking
🌟 🌟 🌟
Things I liked:
🌦The setting. A village recovering from some severe flooding. Estranged families & secrets
🌦Quite enjoyed the quirky wellness centre that Tara worked in with all the different types of therapies.
🌦The pets & David. one of the main characters can communicate with animals & whilst I thought that was a bit of an odd addition to the story it actually was one of the bits I liked most about it & wanted more
🌦Second chances & families reconciled - my cup of tea! Things are never quite as they seem 🤔
🌦I enjoyed the personal growth element of the book. Even if it wasn’t written as well as I’d like. I appreciated the sentiment behind the story either way.
Things I struggled with:
💧I found Tara the main character a bit immature. It was like listening to a 13 year old stuck in a 30yo body. This woman was meant to be a pillar of strength in the community & a strong councillor but yet, we had to read her internal bleh & watch her make poor decisions & have terrible reactions…It made it hard to engage in the beginning & I just wanted to shake her.
💧The pace was a bit all over the place. I liked the beginning, the middle I couldn’t tell you what happened & I was alright with the ending. 😂
This was my first Lucy Dillon book & I hear it’s not her strongest. I will absolutely give another of her books a go in future. It’s just a shame this one fell a little flat for me.
☔️you like small town community settings
☔️you’ve always wondered what your pet is thinking
🌟 🌟 🌟
Things I liked:
🌦The setting. A village recovering from some severe flooding. Estranged families & secrets
🌦Quite enjoyed the quirky wellness centre that Tara worked in with all the different types of therapies.
🌦The pets & David. one of the main characters can communicate with animals & whilst I thought that was a bit of an odd addition to the story it actually was one of the bits I liked most about it & wanted more
🌦Second chances & families reconciled - my cup of tea! Things are never quite as they seem 🤔
🌦I enjoyed the personal growth element of the book. Even if it wasn’t written as well as I’d like. I appreciated the sentiment behind the story either way.
Things I struggled with:
💧I found Tara the main character a bit immature. It was like listening to a 13 year old stuck in a 30yo body. This woman was meant to be a pillar of strength in the community & a strong councillor but yet, we had to read her internal bleh & watch her make poor decisions & have terrible reactions…It made it hard to engage in the beginning & I just wanted to shake her.
💧The pace was a bit all over the place. I liked the beginning, the middle I couldn’t tell you what happened & I was alright with the ending. 😂
This was my first Lucy Dillon book & I hear it’s not her strongest. I will absolutely give another of her books a go in future. It’s just a shame this one fell a little flat for me.
October 27, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I have given After the Rain by Lucy Dillon two stars ⭐️⭐️
Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. There was a significant part which led me to believe that this book had a mystical element which I did not expect and from there it made me roll my eyes a little. Also, this was a very slow paced book where it felt not much was actually happening, once it picked up slightly I just felt confused and didn’t seem to enjoy what I was reading.
I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters; our main character, Tara, was a tad droning and she found it very difficult to stand up for herself. Towards the end, you get a better feel but still I found the characters to be boring and perhaps too many of them which made it difficult to connect with them.
Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. There was a significant part which led me to believe that this book had a mystical element which I did not expect and from there it made me roll my eyes a little. Also, this was a very slow paced book where it felt not much was actually happening, once it picked up slightly I just felt confused and didn’t seem to enjoy what I was reading.
I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters; our main character, Tara, was a tad droning and she found it very difficult to stand up for herself. Towards the end, you get a better feel but still I found the characters to be boring and perhaps too many of them which made it difficult to connect with them.
January 18, 2022
Lucy Dillion is a wonderful writer and her books are a joy to read. Unfortunately I felt a little bit bored with this one- it just seemed to be long and drawn out in places.
February 28, 2022
This was another wonderful story from Lucy Dillon that sums up the conflicting emotions of humans, especially when they find it easier to pick others up while their own crumbles around them!
Tara is a therapist who finds herself at the heart of the Longhampton community after the devastating floods wrecked the lives of so many. She's there to help them make sense of it all and help in any way she can and that distraction helps her forget the problems in her own life!
When David, a fellow therapist at the Wellness Centre she works at, is seen as a miracle worker she's sceptical to say the least! She's very reluctant to open up about her own issues, even when he's offering to help out! Add to the mix the return of her Dad who has been missing from her life since she was 10, you really get the sense that she needs to follow her own advice and get a different perspective on things and ask for help!
I loved the characters in this one, especially Tara. You could feel total empathy towards her and I found her struggles with reaching out for help really relatable. When emotions got in the way it really seemed to cloud her judgement, which made it so much easier helping others with their problems !
It's full of family drama and you really get involved with the community issues and I love how the author always does a brilliant job of getting underneath the skin of the characters she creates, that allows you to put yourself in their position and wonder how you'd deal with all that life has to throw your way! Loved it!!
Tara is a therapist who finds herself at the heart of the Longhampton community after the devastating floods wrecked the lives of so many. She's there to help them make sense of it all and help in any way she can and that distraction helps her forget the problems in her own life!
When David, a fellow therapist at the Wellness Centre she works at, is seen as a miracle worker she's sceptical to say the least! She's very reluctant to open up about her own issues, even when he's offering to help out! Add to the mix the return of her Dad who has been missing from her life since she was 10, you really get the sense that she needs to follow her own advice and get a different perspective on things and ask for help!
I loved the characters in this one, especially Tara. You could feel total empathy towards her and I found her struggles with reaching out for help really relatable. When emotions got in the way it really seemed to cloud her judgement, which made it so much easier helping others with their problems !
It's full of family drama and you really get involved with the community issues and I love how the author always does a brilliant job of getting underneath the skin of the characters she creates, that allows you to put yourself in their position and wonder how you'd deal with all that life has to throw your way! Loved it!!
March 8, 2022
AFTER THE RAIN by LUCY DILLON.
Following the community of Longhanptom being devastated by severe flooding, Tara is one of the therapists on hand to support the local residents as they come to terms with what has happened.
The role also helps Tara to put her own problems to one side.
Fellow therapist David, seems to be held in high regard by others, but Tara isn’t so sure and is reluctant to open up to him with her own issues, which have been exacerbated by the reappearance of her father who left when she was ten.
I liked Tara’s character very much. She was sweet, rather vulnerable, but good fun and did her best for others.
I loved how David saw the best in Tara.and truly believed in her.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s a charming read. There are ups and downs to the story, with some parts being quite emotional and others lifting the mood with lighter humour.
I love Lucy Dillon’s books. This is slightly different from her usual stories, but it’s equally well written, warm and unputdownable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication day: 17/3/22
Ebook
Audio
Paperback
With thanks to #Netgalley and #RandomHouseUk for a digital arc of Lucy Dillon’s After The Rain.
June 6, 2022
This was definitely not what I was expecting, but in a good way, this is certainly a book full of struggles and I felt like I read it at just the right time in my life. As everything is going slightly wrong in Tara’s life she’s trying to deal with it all as well as struggling to open up and be honest about it all. I see a ton of similarities in my life atm. It was not the light and fluffy romance I thought when I picked it up but it was still soooo worth it 🥰
December 16, 2023
Mooi boek over een therapeut die eindelijk eens met haar eigen issues gaat dealen. Wat mij betreft had ze daar 200 bladzijdes eerder aan kunnen beginnen. Het feit dat de lesbische affaire van haar moeder als een soort gimmick werd gebracht, vond ik minder. De relatie die ze uiteindelijk met haar vreemde collega David kreeg, zag ik van mijlenver aankomen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2022
Jag älskar normalt Dillons böcker men den här var riktigt seg att komma inne i och det var först i andra halvan som Boken blev bra så tyvärr blir det tre stjärnor
August 9, 2024
Småseg första halvan, men den tog sig på slutet.
January 5, 2023
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.
Hmm! What a waste of 10 years of therapy, you'd think a 33 yo counsellor/therapist would have a little more insight into her own life, enough to realise that not everything could have been quite as black & white as her mother made out. I suspect a lot of psychiatrists/ologists/otherapists do not utilise their Clinical Supervision as it should be, which is a bit of a worry for anyone using their services, n'est-ce pas?
Anyway, I wanted to shake Tara quite frequently but I did love David Dallaway & his extraordinary ability with animals. Now that's holistic care, if ever I heard it - look after the pets to tend to the whole person. My kind of Wellness Centre! I am intrigued with the Midsummer Gin, what on earth did Hero put in it?
The first third was a bit of a struggle but it turn out to be quite a nice family story.
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.
Hmm! What a waste of 10 years of therapy, you'd think a 33 yo counsellor/therapist would have a little more insight into her own life, enough to realise that not everything could have been quite as black & white as her mother made out. I suspect a lot of psychiatrists/ologists/otherapists do not utilise their Clinical Supervision as it should be, which is a bit of a worry for anyone using their services, n'est-ce pas?
Anyway, I wanted to shake Tara quite frequently but I did love David Dallaway & his extraordinary ability with animals. Now that's holistic care, if ever I heard it - look after the pets to tend to the whole person. My kind of Wellness Centre! I am intrigued with the Midsummer Gin, what on earth did Hero put in it?
The first third was a bit of a struggle but it turn out to be quite a nice family story.
June 17, 2023
3.5 - Solid and enjoyable read
March 12, 2022
Tara is a counsellor in a small village who has experienced flooding. She's plagued with questions about her own childhood now that her mother has passed away and her absentee father has suddenly made a reappearance. She's also struggling with her current standing, professionally, because she really wanted to get further in her career, but was always too afraid to delve deeper into her own psyche during the mandatory self therapy. Her twin brother has also been mostly absent from her adult life.
When a new doctor joins the wellness centre she works at, his 'gift' helps to spark a reassessment of her life. Dealing with themes such as grief, loss and abandonment, this is a slow-paced tale of acceptance and second chances. I enjoyed the parts about the various wellness centre employees quirks and in particular, the home-brew. David seemed like a good guy but I did find Tara rather frustrating at times, particularly the whole situation with Phil. The romance between her and David felt a bit too convenient and was very flimsy in it's execution unfortunately.
Overall it was an okay story, but I found the pacing very slow moving.
*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*
Overall Rating: ❤❤❤
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: 💓🤔😞
When a new doctor joins the wellness centre she works at, his 'gift' helps to spark a reassessment of her life. Dealing with themes such as grief, loss and abandonment, this is a slow-paced tale of acceptance and second chances. I enjoyed the parts about the various wellness centre employees quirks and in particular, the home-brew. David seemed like a good guy but I did find Tara rather frustrating at times, particularly the whole situation with Phil. The romance between her and David felt a bit too convenient and was very flimsy in it's execution unfortunately.
Overall it was an okay story, but I found the pacing very slow moving.
*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*
Overall Rating: ❤❤❤
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: 💓🤔😞
November 23, 2021
After the rain by Lucy Dillion
I have to confess I look forward to a new Lucy Dillion book every year, I get into a hot bubble bath, apply a face back and settle in for a good cosy read… and I was not disappointed with this years offering…
Tara is a therapist on Longhamptons community therapy centre, she has been helping the community rebuild mentally and physically after catastrophic flooding, and to the outside world Tara is a beacon of hope in the crumpling Longhamptons, but Tara has a boyfriend who has disappeared and dumped his cat on her, she is grieving for her late mother and she really needs to speak to her twin brother about her late mothers will and then Tara’s father who walked out of her life when she was ten, is back and trying to become part of her life and if that’s not enough there is a new therapist at the centre, David who is kind and charming and seems to be taking Tara’s patients from her..
I loved this book, I love revisiting Longhampton and if there is one criticism I have, its that I wanted to know about characters we have met in previous books, I wanted them to interact with Tara or the therapy centre. I kept waiting for one or two of them to pop up just for loyal readers but no one did.
The story is good and I really felt for Tara, she has tried to be the perfect daughter from a broken home, she has tried to be the perfect therapist to her clients while her life is crumbling and the perfect girlfriend to someone who really does not appreciate her. The perfect sister to someone who is not really bothering to be her brother. I continually found myself wanting to hug Tara, especially when she is in contact with her dad, these scenes are hard as Tara is so torn and so hurt.
There are pockets of humour in this book , when we meet the other therapists in the centre, they are eccentric and just fun and whenever Tara’s new cat is in the scene.
The ending is hopeful and its not a typical romance where everyone gets a happy ending, its an ending which had to be worked for and it’s a much more realistic ending.
Lucy Dillion is brilliant about including animals in her books and this book was no different with Tara cat and a dog belonging to Tara’s dad.
Lucy Dillion writes the perfect chick lit books and I have bought and read all of them and I will continue to do so.
#England #contempory #broken #mended # families #dogs #cats #netgalley #aftertherain
I have to confess I look forward to a new Lucy Dillion book every year, I get into a hot bubble bath, apply a face back and settle in for a good cosy read… and I was not disappointed with this years offering…
Tara is a therapist on Longhamptons community therapy centre, she has been helping the community rebuild mentally and physically after catastrophic flooding, and to the outside world Tara is a beacon of hope in the crumpling Longhamptons, but Tara has a boyfriend who has disappeared and dumped his cat on her, she is grieving for her late mother and she really needs to speak to her twin brother about her late mothers will and then Tara’s father who walked out of her life when she was ten, is back and trying to become part of her life and if that’s not enough there is a new therapist at the centre, David who is kind and charming and seems to be taking Tara’s patients from her..
I loved this book, I love revisiting Longhampton and if there is one criticism I have, its that I wanted to know about characters we have met in previous books, I wanted them to interact with Tara or the therapy centre. I kept waiting for one or two of them to pop up just for loyal readers but no one did.
The story is good and I really felt for Tara, she has tried to be the perfect daughter from a broken home, she has tried to be the perfect therapist to her clients while her life is crumbling and the perfect girlfriend to someone who really does not appreciate her. The perfect sister to someone who is not really bothering to be her brother. I continually found myself wanting to hug Tara, especially when she is in contact with her dad, these scenes are hard as Tara is so torn and so hurt.
There are pockets of humour in this book , when we meet the other therapists in the centre, they are eccentric and just fun and whenever Tara’s new cat is in the scene.
The ending is hopeful and its not a typical romance where everyone gets a happy ending, its an ending which had to be worked for and it’s a much more realistic ending.
Lucy Dillion is brilliant about including animals in her books and this book was no different with Tara cat and a dog belonging to Tara’s dad.
Lucy Dillion writes the perfect chick lit books and I have bought and read all of them and I will continue to do so.
#England #contempory #broken #mended # families #dogs #cats #netgalley #aftertherain
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