Review: Housing Elephants by Eleanor Lloyd Jones

“… And the greatest of these is love.”
Love is patient and kind… Its strength can build bridges and knock down walls. It can give people hope - a purpose. But there is a side to love that is unforgiving and cruel - a side to love that breaks hearts.
Love can suffocate, and love can turn to hate.
Billy Taylor meandered through life, only ever giving half. Ruled by his father’s grief, he gave up on his own dreams in a bid to keep life ticking along, desperately craving the unconditional love of his parents. It wasn’t until Eve Swallow fell into his life again, rousing his empty heart, that he dared to hope for a chance to live life on his terms.
Never quite good enough in the eyes of her overpowering mother, Eve kept herself locked away inside her own head, immersing herself in her passion for art and music, and doing anything in her power to avoid getting close to anyone. When she connected with Billy’s eyes, that still haunted her dreams after so long, fear kicked in, and all she could do was the one thing she was sure would protect her…
Run.
If two lost souls were to collide and a love so deep was born, it would surely take a herd of elephants to tear them apart…

Shona's review 5 of 5 stars

This book wasn't your every day fluffy romance. This book was real life. I'm talking real characters with real issues, and not just your standard "I'll throw this in to make my character  more complex" that I've come across in other books. This book deals with dark issues that cant just be swept under the carpet and forgotten about. At least not for long anyway. And it deals with them with compassion.

And while this book is filled with sensitive subjects it is also filled with some very sweet, tender moments, moments that will most definitely tug at your heart strings, and if you're anything like me there will be more than a few tears along the way.

This is Lloyd-Jones' début novel, and she has done an amazing job with it. Its beautifully written, and filled with emotion you can almost feel on every page. I don't see how it is possible to give this book anything less than 5 stars. I cant wait to see what she writes next.