#BlogTour ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’ by Dani Atkins

About the book…

Award-winning romance writer Dani Atkins returns in this heart-breaking love story, in which a newly widowed father brings up his six-year-old son alone.
He’d have done everything differently if he’d known she’d be gone so soon…

When Lisa married Alex, she gave his life meaning. She was a professional astronomer: a stargazer. And when she gazed at Alex, she saw that behind his tough exterior was a man she could love.

Alex, Lisa and their young son Connor made a happy little universe. But then Lisa dies in a train crash, and their universe is destroyed. Alex is shattered by loss, and overwhelmed by the difficulties of being a single father to a six-year-old boy. How can he and Connor carry on without Lisa lighting up their lives?

Then Alex meets four strangers. Two men and two women, who never met Lisa, but whose lives changed profoundly because she died. As Alex hears their stories, he begins to realise the world may not be as cruel and senseless as it seems. Perhaps, after all, the future is written in the stars…

Is there really any better way to celebrate your birthday than reading Dani Atkins and sobbing into the new blanket your husband bought you?

I think not, which is why I am so grateful to Jade and Vicky at Head Of Zeus books for the blogtour invite, and gorgeous paperback review copy of ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’ which is out NOW in paperback and e-book formats.

If you have never read a book by Dani, then a) we need to have serious words and b) you will need tissues, chocolate and a hug mug of your favourite brew to settle down to read her novels with.

She has this unique and wonderful talent to get right to the heart of relationships, seeing them in all their fractured glory, colours in their imperfections and keeps her characters striving to reach the stars.

And here, she does it again, she reaches into your mind with her well crafted narrative, introduces you to Lisa, Connor and Alex, removes Lisa and leaves you reeling in the aftermath of her tragic death. In her absence, Alex has to learn how to be both parents to son Connor, whilst always feeling like he was never quite as good as she was at raising their child. Even in death, Lisa was still generous and giving, having signed the organ donation register to help others. Her lasting gift was to bequeath a future to those whose health is limiting theirs.

First there is Molly, the teacher with cardiomyopathy, heart failure in other words, too young to have it, her whole future in front of her cruelly winking out like a turned off light.

Then there is Mac, who receives her corneas, helping to see again, and look forward to resuming his career as an architect.

Thirdly there is Jamie, who receives Lisa’s lungs, and is able to look forward to a future where he can do things a young man his age should be able to, without becoming fatigued and exhausted.

Lastly there is Barbara, a kidney transplant recipient which allows her to spend more time with her pets, and, although she doesn’t have a partner and has no children, it examines the so-called ‘worthiness’ of a life, which has come under very close scrutiny in the last 2 years. A woman in her 70’s having the chance to live longer is just as valid as anyone else on the waiting list, family or not.

In trying to make sense of the impossible cruelties of life, Alex meets the 4 people whose lives have been helped by her donations and , in doing so, is helped through his grieving process and can be a guide to Connor in his time of need. His family rally around and with their support, he can see that his search for his wife in the people she has saved is as lasting and profound as the stars and galaxies which she adored.

Each one of these people is a solo, twinkling star that together makes a constellation of love , connection and hope, which in these times, we all really need to look up to and believe in.

As an aside, the notion of organ donation is one very close to my heart, organ donation saves lives and knowing what your loved ones would want at a time when they can no longer have that conversation, is so very important. The opportunity to have this talk, and make sure your wishes are known is whilst you are still able to express that, and please consider the impact on the lives of others. For more information, please visit NHS Organ Donation (UK)

About the author…

Dani Atkins is an award-winning novelist. Her 2013 debut ‘Fractured’ (published as ‘Then And Always’ in North America) has been translated into sixteen languages and has sold more than half a million copies since first publication in the UK.

Dani is the author of four other bestselling novels, one of which, ‘This Love’, won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award in 2018. Dani lives in a small village in Hertfordshire with her husband, one Siamese cat and a very soppy Border Collie.

Twitter @AtkinsDani @HoZBooks