Voted the 'Best Romantic Novel written in the last 50 Years' by Woman's Weekly in association with the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009.
A shamelessly romantic tale of a blind girl having her ‘eyes’ opened by music. It is unbelievably good at transmitting the heroine’s ability to cope with her affliction. A brave tale, beautifully told, with many a twist and a feel for the beauty of life, something often appreciated better if tragedy sinks the heart, I loved this book.
Fans of Jojo Moyes, Kathryn Hughes and Kelly Rimmer will fall in love with Star Gazing - a beautifully poignant tale of love, loss, courage and hope. Love isn't something that you find. It's something that finds you. Blind since birth, widowed in her twenties, now lonely in her forties, Marianne Fraser has accepted that she will spend the rest of her life living in frustrated anonymity with her sister, Louisa. But when Keir Harvey comes to her aide one winter's night, she cannot help but dream of a different life. Keir is unlike anyone she's ever met - he's abrupt, wonderfully unapologetic and impossibly kind. But it's not long before the similarities between Keir and Marianne's former husband become too obvious to ignore. Is history repeating itself? Can Marianne overcome her fears, let down her guard and open her heart to this mysterious stranger who wants nothing more than to 'show' a blind woman the stars? Read what everyone is saying about Star Gazing 'This was a joy to read from the first page to the last... Romantic and quirky and beautifully written' - LoveReading.co.uk 'I could not put it down. It was absolutely enthralling. You will not forget this story!' - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars 'I simply couldn't put it down...This story has more twists than a corkscrew.' - TheBookBag blog 'The best book I have read this year... a beautiful not-to-be-missed love story!' - Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars '5/5 does not do this book justice! It deserves far more!' - Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
Linda Gillard graduated from Bristol University and trained as an actress at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. For eight years she pursued an acting career, the highlight of which was sharing a table in The National Theatre canteen with Sir Michael Gambon. (The lowlight was playing a fairy for four rainy months in an open-air production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in London’s Regent’s Park).
Whilst under-employed at the National Theatre, Linda accidentally became a successful freelance journalist and wrote many articles based on her self-sufficient “Good Life” in rural Cambridgeshire. For twelve years she had a humorous column in Ideal Home. Linda ran her two careers concurrently for a while, then decided to give up acting to raise a family and write from home. Twelve years later she re-trained as a primary teacher and taught in Norfolk specialising in English and Art.
A further rethink entailed giving up teaching and downshifting to the Isle of Skye, realising a long-held dream to move to a Scottish island and write full-time.
