
Is That You, Beth Cherry?
the warm and witty new novel from the author of Irresponsible Adult
Lucy Dillon(Author)
Hodder Paperback (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 9. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
480 pages
978-1-3997-1978-0 (ISBN)
Description
Beth's life, like the unfinished screenplay on her laptop, is stuck between chapters.
Since her breakup with Fraser - which was not part of the script - she's retreated into a lonely WFH world of sweatpants, disordered hours and comfort eating. The one luminous constant in her life is her love for her rescue dog, Tomsk, and his for her.
When Beth's house share falls apart, she is thrown a lifeline by the least likely person: Fraser's mother Martine, who offers Beth and Tomsk a temporary space above her garage in which to start over. Returning to Longhampton, scene of her happiest memories with Fraser and his family, feels like a second chance: might this be a sign that she and Fraser are meant to be?
But when Beth is recruited as a writer for a project called The Story of Your Life, she starts to gain more perspective on her own life. Run by the local retirement community, some of the stories she hears are heartwarming, some are heartbreaking. All of them, Beth notes, reveal a little more than the teller realises. And when she is sent an anonymous story of first love that threatens to destroy more than one family's identity, Beth has to decide: is it sometimes better to keep a secret than reveal the truth?
Your favourite authors love Lucy Dillon:
'Bittersweet, lovely and ultimately redemptive; the kind of book that makes you want to live your own life better' JOJO MOYES
'This vibrant and uplifting novel has not only entertained me hugely, but made me change the way I look at life' KATIE FFORDE
'I always find Lucy Dillon's books so overflowing with wit and wisdom' JENNY COLGAN
Since her breakup with Fraser - which was not part of the script - she's retreated into a lonely WFH world of sweatpants, disordered hours and comfort eating. The one luminous constant in her life is her love for her rescue dog, Tomsk, and his for her.
When Beth's house share falls apart, she is thrown a lifeline by the least likely person: Fraser's mother Martine, who offers Beth and Tomsk a temporary space above her garage in which to start over. Returning to Longhampton, scene of her happiest memories with Fraser and his family, feels like a second chance: might this be a sign that she and Fraser are meant to be?
But when Beth is recruited as a writer for a project called The Story of Your Life, she starts to gain more perspective on her own life. Run by the local retirement community, some of the stories she hears are heartwarming, some are heartbreaking. All of them, Beth notes, reveal a little more than the teller realises. And when she is sent an anonymous story of first love that threatens to destroy more than one family's identity, Beth has to decide: is it sometimes better to keep a secret than reveal the truth?
Your favourite authors love Lucy Dillon:
'Bittersweet, lovely and ultimately redemptive; the kind of book that makes you want to live your own life better' JOJO MOYES
'This vibrant and uplifting novel has not only entertained me hugely, but made me change the way I look at life' KATIE FFORDE
'I always find Lucy Dillon's books so overflowing with wit and wisdom' JENNY COLGAN
Reviews / Votes
Sweet, funny, and oh-so-relatable, Is That You Beth Cherry is an ultimately uplifting tale of love, loss and the enduring power of stories. A cracking read! -- MIKE GAYLE An uplifting hug of a novel about second chances, saying yes to life, and what it takes to become the hero of your own story -- LUCY DIAMOND PRAISE FOR LUCY DILLON So good! Warm and funny, and I was rooting for Robyn from the very first page -- MILLY JOHNSON Funny, perceptive and oh-so-relatable, Robyn's reluctant mission to clean up her world is full of laughs and also some heart-twisting surprises -- ALEXANDRA POTTER A funny, relatable read with some surprise twists * STYLIST *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3997-1978-0 (9781399719780)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Lucy Dillon
Is That You, Beth Cherry?
the warm and witty new novel from the author of Irresponsible Adult
E-Book
11/2025
Hodder & Stoughton
€2.99
Available for download
Person
Lucy Dillon grew up by the seaside in Cumbria, and read English at Cambridge University, before working as a fiction editor. She is the best-selling author of eleven novels set in the market town of Longhampton, including Romantic Novelists Association Novels of the Year Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts and A Hundred Pieces of Me. An enthusiastic collector of dog-related junk, Lucy lives in Herefordshire with an English Otterhound, a Welsh Pembroke Corgi and a Scottish Husband.