Little Big Love by Katy Regan @katyreganwrites #LittleBigLove @panmacmillan @MantleBooks

Liam Jones is the love of Juliet’s life. He was her brother’s best friend first, then hers, then the father of her son. In those shining weeks after Zac was born, she’d never been happier, and neither had Liam.
Until the night he disappeared without a trace.

Zac is now ten, and collects facts: octopuses have three hearts; the world’s heaviest man weighed over 100 stone; only three species of animal have a blue tongue. The one piece of information he really wants, though, is the truth about why his father left.

His family refuse to talk about that night but when Juliet inadvertently admits to him Liam is the only man she's ever loved, Zac decides to find him and give his mum a second chance at happy ever after.

After all, nothing can stand in the way of true love . . . Or can it?

Little Big Love by Katy Regan was previously published in hardback on 19 April 2018 as 'Little Big Man' 

The paperback edition was published on 18 April 2019 by Pan Macmillan / Mantle Books.

This was one of my top books of last year, it's absolutely stunning. I reviewed it for the Daily Express and also here on Random Things and I'm delighted to re-share my review to tie in with the paperback publication.

Ten-year-old Zac lives on a council estate in Grimsby with his single mother Juliet. He has never met his father Liam but Juliet, his nan and grandad have always told him that Liam was uncaring, selfish and that he scarpered before Zac was born.

But one night Juliet goes out on a disastrous date, has too much to drink and when she gets home she reveals to Zac that Liam is the only man she has ever loved.

This is enough to convince Zac that he must track Liam down and bring his parents back together. Along with his best friend Teagan, Zac formulates a plan, little realising that he hasn’t been told the full story.

The real strength of Little Big Man is Katy Regan’s ability to create such convincing and endearing characters.

The setting of a grim council estate in a town devastated by the decline of the fishing industry is gritty and dark yet this is balanced by warm humour and a sense of community binding the characters together.

Regan brilliantly portrays Juliet’s struggles as a single mother whose dreams were shattered by an unexpected pregnancy, the death of her beloved brother, the disappearance of her partner and the impact of these events on her parents.

There is also a heartbreaking poignancy and bravery to Zac’s struggles with bullies in school and his desperation to find his father.

Little Big Love is a compelling, provocative and astute story of families and long-hidden secrets

Katy Regan was born in 1974 and brought up in the northern seaside town of Morecambe. She went on to study English and French at Leeds University where she became features editor of the student newspaper before moving to London. 

She wrote for various magazines and newspapers before becoming Commissioning Editor at Marie Claire magazine. 

Katy’s first novel, One Thing Led to Another, was published in 2009 and her second, The One Before the One, in November 2010. 2013 saw the publication of How We Met, closely followed by The Story of Youin 2014. 

Little Big Man is her fifth and newest novel. Katy, who has one son, now lives in Hertfordshire.

Follow her on Twitter @katyreganwrites