BLOG TOUR: Let in the Light - Gerard Nugent

 

Let in the Light is the uplifting must-read for fans of Mike Gayle, Nick Hornby and Keith Stuart.

Songwriter, Richie Carlisle never wanted to be famous.

After stumbling into the limelight five years ago, he soon found himself crashing back out of it. Now, he spends his days working in a small music shop in Edinburgh, attempting to live a quiet life as a part-time dad.

But his 15 minutes of fame have taken its toll. His inspiration for songwriting, music and life in general seems to have all but disappeared.

When Richie is given a flyer advertising the first meeting of the Hope Street Songwriters’ Circle, it’s a chance to step back into the world. But after years of hiding away, letting in the light won’t be easy.

What did I think?

The rays of sun on the cover are very apt for Let in the Light; this book is so uplifting that I was positively beaming like a little sunbeam at the end of it.  Set in the turbulent world of the music industry where you only get one chance, this is what happens when you blow that chance.

Richie Carlisle enjoys playing in the Friday Night Jukey (an open mic where the audience gets to choose the songs) at his local pub in Edinburgh.  Just as he finds the love of his life, he is picked up by a music producer and whisked off to London to form a band with the enigmatic Karl King.  Richie and Karl clash from the start and there's an intriguing hint of some previous history between the pair which will all be revealed later.

It all goes terribly wrong when the band plays their first public gig and Richie finds himself hurtling back to Edinburgh, wanting to put this whole nightmare behind him but finding it has scarred him forever.  Fast forward six years or so and although his relationship with Pen didn't work out, they now have a beautiful 5 year old son called Finn.  Although he works in a music shop, Richie has lost his love of music and songwriting but fate has plans to get him back on track.

What a wonderful story!  I loved the glimpse into the music industry when a new band is formed and egos need to be stroked.  My heart went out to Richie when events beyond his control led to his relationship with Pen breaking up and as Finn is his whole world I couldn't imagine Richie coping well without him.  The community of Hope Street plays a huge part in the book and I found it easy to conjure an image in my head of this fabulous little street.

Incredibly uplifting and beautifully written, Let in the Light is a wonderful debut from Gerard Nugent that left me with a huge smile on my face.  It's so easy to get bogged down in the darkness without realising it and this book left me with the inspirational message to always let in the light.

Many thanks to Gerard Nugent for sending me a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Gerard Nugent is a writer living in Yorkshire. 'Let in the Light' is his debut novel, although he has been writing songs for years. Gerard was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. He moved to England in his 20s and worked in various northern towns before settling in beautiful Yorkshire with his family and two guinea pigs. In 2019, he attended a writing class to help him generate ideas for further songwriting, but, instead, started writing a novel.

Profits from the book will be going to Health in Mind - an Edinburgh based charity that creates awareness of mental health and wellbeing within communities. https://www.health-in-mind.org.uk/

eBook edition published through Stormlight Press available on Amazon from 22.1.21. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-Light-Gerard-Nugent-ebook/dp/B08SLFM6TR

The trailer for the eBook can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/1ZamYI_oh4g

Gerard’s website is www.gerardnugent.co.uk He can also be found across social media:

Facebook: @gerardnugentwriter / Twitter: @letinthelight20 / Instagram: @gerardnugentwriter

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