Learn to Love Again by Ellen Faith
Release Date: 14th March 2015
Publisher: Amazon Media
Buy: Kindle
Rating:
Living in a small seaside village can have its perks, but after the death of her husband, Lillie Gilbert finds the people she grew up with turning against her faster than the tide rolls out.
As she grieves for the life they planned, the life they’ll never live, she leans on her best friend for support and tries to come to terms with the fact that one day, she may have to open up her heart to a new life and new love.
After losing her childhood sweetheart, can Lillie really Learn to Love Again?
Lillie Gilbert is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her husband, Nick, after he was involved in a tragic accident.
Lillie blames herself for what happened to Nick, as do some of the interfering villagers who think they know everything, making it even more difficult for Lillie to move on from Nick’s death.
When her best friend Sam arrives for Nick’s funeral, Lillie can’t help but be relieved that she has someone to support her who loved Nick as much as she did.
However, as time passes, Lillie is still reluctant to let go of the past and is stuck in a trap of blaming herself and believing that she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Can Sam stick around for long enough to make her see sense and remind her that she is allowed to love again…?
This is the first of Ellen Faith’s books that I have read but I can say with certainty that it won’t be the last. I was expecting this novella to be a bit of a tear-jerker but I honestly wasn’t expecting to be effected by it as much as I was. It really is a heart-wrenching, emotion packed story and the way that Ellen portrays Lillie and her suffering is powerful and frighteningly realistic.
You don’t find out the immediate circumstances surrounding Nick’s death, but that doesn’t stop you sympathising with Lillie and feeling for her emotionally. The way that some of the other villagers spoke to her was extremely hurtful and at times I couldn’t understand why they seemed to have so much hate for Lillie.
Ellen’s writing brings Lillie’s grief to life; it’s raw, all-consuming and suffocating. You can feel her sense of loss, the fact that everything has been taken away from her and I can’t promise that your heart won’t break and you won’t shed a tear or two.
The interaction between Lillie and Sam is full of warmth and I cared for Lillie so much that I always felt she was ‘safe’ when she was in Sam’s company. It’s not long before you start to understand what’s going on underneath the storyline and things click into place, but the way in which everything plays out is done very subtly.
I also felt that Ellen dealt with Nick’s depression sensitively and realistically. It was frightening when he was suffering and I thought that she portrayed the unpredictability of Nick’s condition truthfully and the impact that it had on Lillie and in turn, their relationship.
This is a beautiful novella from Ellen Faith and is definitely worth reading. It’s moving, thought provoking and may possibly turn you into a blubbering idiot. Just make sure you have some tissues handy…
A huge thank you to Tay from Chicks that Read for having me on board the blog tour for Learn to Love Again & to Ellen Faith.♥
Yorkshire girl, born and bred.
Lover of cake, eater of cake and maker of cake. I really do love cake.
When I’m not face down in a piece of cake, I’m normally reading, writing or looking for lolcat images. I’m a sucker for those little things, don’t judge me too harshly will you?
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