Since You've Been Gone

by Lisa Dyer

Childhood sweethearts, and first loves, they should have been together forever until Hal left for university. Without explanation, Abigail ended the relationship and cut all ties.

Left utterly devastated and unable to find out why Hal retreated to save his broken heart. He pushed away his old friends and kept his distance from his family. Even after he married the wealthy but cold Julienne, a flame burned in his heart for Abigail.

Abigail, however, had a secret and it had defined her life for fifteen years. She was glad Hal had stayed away but all that was about to change. Now, with his marriage in tatters and with a new determination to find out the truth, Hal was on his way home and nothing would be the same again.

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2013

About the author

Born and raised in Dover, Lisa began writing in her bedroom, hunched over a portable typewriter. As a teenager, inspiration came from life around her; her mates, her music and Dover. Many, many years later, with life, children and the general business of being a grown-up having taken her away from that world, it was back to Dover as the inspiration for her debut novel, Since You've Been Gone.

Away from the writing, Lisa is an avid fan of history, archaeology, crocheting, crafting and binge watching The Walking Dead - tips on surviving a zombie apocalypse are available upon request

Reviews

[Olwyn Ducker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tale of love and life.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book with a big story and a surprising ending. Enjoyed it and thank GoodReads for sending me a copy.

[Val R.]

A tale of two classes is how I’d best describe this well-written book. The writer draws on her rich knowledge of working class life in the Dover area to demonstrate the warmth, security and affection, as well as the prejudices experienced by Hal, Abigail and their friends as they grew up in that environment. When Hal accepts the opportunity to study in Cambridge, where he will inevitably mix with students from very different backgrounds that puts the cat amongst the pigeons. The story reveals how the main characters deal with the new challenges they meet and the changes wrought that touch the lives of a surprising number of people.
The book has a good storyline, with a well-researched background and very credible characters. I enjoyed the read immensely and look forward to the possibility of a further publication from Liza Dyer in the not too distant future.

[Miriam Drori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel very much. The writing is excellent and the characters believable. As I don't know much about Dover beyond the white cliffs, I welcomed this insider's insight into the way of life in this town and the way it has changed over the years.

Sometimes, the plot seemed too predictable. I would have prefered a twist or two. Nevertheless, the ending is very satisfying.

[Eliza J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Refreshing to get the story from a male perspective even though it is written third person omnicient, Hal is definitely the protagonist here.