Where the Love Gets In

Sarah persuades a local fisherman to take her out in his boat. The dolphin, named Star, does induce a response from the troubled little girl, while, seeing it, the two adults feel drawn to one another.

But there are complications. Aidan is married to Fiona, a forceful GP, and has teenage children. Sarah, an actress and minor celebrity, is single, but she has health problems. She and Fiona seem set to become friends; will that halt the growing attraction between the actress and the fisherman?

This novel has a gentle, rather slow start. But it soon draws the reader into its web of complicated deceit.

Heavey’s last book, Sowing the Seeds of Love, was a feelgood novel reminiscent of Maeve Binchy, though less realistic. With this new novel, though, Heavey has taken a leap into a higher sphere. This is an intelligent tale of modern moral dilemmas told with panache. The story flows well and, most importantly, it feels real, due to some wonderful characterisation.

Heavey has taken care with her research. The reader learns about autism, and about the healing powers of dolphins. We learn, too, of methods to ease the path of the dying, but such research never gets in the way of the plot; rather it enhances it.

The Clare coast comes alive for the reader through some vibrant descriptions. There’s just a single, obscure and meaningless sentence that created a bum note. And it occurs at the end of a rather lamely written sex scene – “And then the room turned to liquid and melted down its walls”.

That’s a quibble. This novel has taken Tara Heavey firmly out of the chick lit genre. Where the Love Gets In is intelligent women’s fiction at its best.