All Good Things: images may not be as they appear

All Good Things by Amanda Prowse is a story that reminds us that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Daisy Harrop envies the seemingly perfect family next door. However, one weekend of drama could shatter the image forever. Daisy feels she lives in the background as her family’s home is the shabbiest on the street, especially next to the well-taken care of Kelleway home. Winnie Kelleway is proud of the family she and her husband have built. As the family gathers to celebrate their milestone anniversary, the cracks start to show and as one revelation starts a domino effect of other revelations, things start getting out of control. Daisy and Winnie both are about to learn that looks can be deceiving. 

Amanda Prowse books are known for emotional stories and life lessons. I was looking forward to the same in All Good Things. The story started out great as Daisy laments about her life compared to her neighbors. However, as readers meet the various neighbors, we can see that Daisy doesn't really know them at all. There are different points of view for various chapters and the chapters were far too long that they dragged. The characters were unlikeable and the one of the “shocking” revelations is almost too cliched at this point that it isn’t so shocking to me anymore. Overall, the story was okay. Not one of Ms Prowse’s best but I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. 

All Good Things is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

A Whole Heap of Wishes: finding love and happiness in the here and now

A Whole Heap of Wishes by Amanda Prowse is the eleventh book in The Wishing Tree series. The upbeat, easy going and outgoing Vera has a popular beauty parlor in Linden Falls. Known for her friendly conversation, Vera holds all confidences are shared within the safety of her salon. Her life is about to be shaken up when she gets a letter from her son announcing his engagement and their impending visit to Linden Falls. While she is excited, Vera is also plagued with anxiety as no one in town knows about her son or his father. With the legacy of her childhood still haunting her, she battles with self-esteem and feelings of inadequacies that she hides her true self from her friends, her town and her son. Can she make peace with the past in order to have a brighter future? 

A Whole Heap of Wishes is a shorter story than the previous books in this series. However it is still a sweet, heartwarming story of life’s choices and finding love and happiness in the here and now. Vera has been seen in previous books and she was always a fun and lively character. In A Whole Heap of Wishes, readers discover she hides pain, shame and low self-esteem behind the fun façade. As one wish came true, Vera hopes for one more. I did find the speed in which Vera’s son, Knox, and his fiancée plan the wedding suspicious. I wondered if there was more than a happy couple so deeply in love? There is a bit of a twist at the end. I enjoyed A Whole Heap of Wishes. I recommend it and the previous books in this series. 

A Whole Heap of Wishes is available in paperback and eBook

To Love and Be Loved: when the life you wanted isn't the life you get

To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse is one woman’s journey to build a new life after she is left at the altar and becomes the talk of her Cornish fishing village. Merrin Kellow is young and desperately in love. Her new life with her fiancé is about to start when it all comes crashing down. Now desperate to avoid whispers and gossip, she leaves Port Charles, Cornwall. Leaving behind her beloved parents, her sister, Ruby and best friend, Bella. It isn’t easy staying away but she cannot bring herself to face her beloved home for fear of opening up old wounds again. When tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to return. Once back home, Merrin realizes what she has missed: her home, her family and especially the person she used to be. She is forced to make decisions about her future and confront the past she has been trying to hide. Can she learn to forgive and find true happiness? 

Amanda Prowse is known for deeply emotional dramas with a flair of hope for a better future. There are no easy answers or solutions in her books. If I had been left at the altar, I probably would have run too. Although I sympathized with Merrin on this humiliation, it was hard to like her in other areas of the stories. At times, she was very immature and even juvenile in her reactions to devastating news. But when a single moment has defined someone’s image of themselves, isn't it natural to be a bit childish? My favorite character was her older sister Ruby and the tensions between Merrin and Ruby were classic sisterly squabbles and drove into deeply personal hurts and forgiveness that only sisters can give. Overall, I enjoyed To Love and Be Loved. It is a story of when the life you thought you wanted opens to the door to the life you truly needed. I recommend To Love and Be Loved. 

To Love and Be Loved is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

I Wish...: small town, a special wish and one magical tree

I Wish…is the second book in The Wishing Tree series by Amanda Prowse. When her world is disrupted by shock and heartache, Verity Joseph’s life in the affluent Chelsea area of London is blown apart. To hide from the press and to lick her wounds, she and her teenage daughter, Sophie, packed their bags and headed to Linden Falls. The small town in Vermont is just what Verity needs for peace, quiet and time to consider her next move. Little does she know that her journey of self-discovery will come with a surprising twist. As Verity and Sophie find a new rhythm in Linden Falls, she begins to feel at home and realizes that her ending is actually a new beginning in disguise. Will she find the courage to follow her heart and allow her wish to come true? 

The Wishing Tree series is an interesting series as each book is written by a different author. With thirteen books in total, readers will visit the magical town of Linden Falls and be inspired by the hopes and dreams of the heartbroken and see the magic of the unexplained and unimaginable. I Wish… was a quick and enjoyable read as the reader follows heartbroken Verity to Linden Falls. Once there, she is determined to enjoy her time and reconnect with Sophie. What she doesn’t expect is the openness and friendliness of the residents. She finds herself opening up to her newfound friends in ways she didn’t want to but once she does, it is liberating. She even opens herself up to life and love again. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I highly recommend I Wish… 

I Wish… is available in paperback and eBook. 

The Girl in the Corner: when it's time to step out of the shadows

The Girl in the Corner by Amanda Prowse is a story of one woman’s journey to discover the life she wants but is it the one she already has? Rae-Valentine and Howard were childhood sweethearts. A relationship orchestrated by his loud and vivacious sister, Dolly. They celebrate 25 wonderful years of marriage when Howard drops a bombshell that leaves Rae questioning everything she knows about her husband, their marriage and even about herself. Heartbroken, Rae takes Dolly with her on what should have been a romantic anniversary trip to Antigua. As they drink, dance and talk like old times, Rae realizes that her choices weren’t made by her, they were made for her. Is she really the pushover everything sees her as? As Howard comes looking for a reconciliation, Rae has a choice to make: keep the peace as she always has and is expected to or will she put herself first and rock the boat for the first time in her life? 

Amanda Prowse certainly has a talent to bring a difficult situation to light and make it relatable. The Girl in the Corner is a moving story about one woman’s realization that she has always been there for her family but questions have they really been there for her? Rae has always been the shy, dependable one in her family and when she met Dolly, her polar opposite, in high school, she wanted to be like her. Thirty years later, she is still the quiet, dependable one. When the facade in her life suffers a crack, she questions who am I? I related the most to Rae. The shy, dependable one who stepped in when something needed to be done, usually before someone asked. And like Rae, I too had to learn to stand up and say “no,” although it is still hard sometimes. Overall, I enjoyed Rae and her journey. The supporting characters played their roles well and added to the complexity of the story. I recommend The Girl in the Corner. 

The Girl in the Corner is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Boy Between: the darkness of depression and the hope to find the light again

The Boy Between: A Mother and Son’s Journey from a World Gone Grey  by Josiah Hartley and his mother, bestselling novelist, Amanda Prowse. When Josiah, “Josh”, was nineteen, heading to university, the world seemingly opened at his feet, something changed. Without warning, his mental health deteriorated and he planned to take his own life. His mother found herself grasping for ways to help him with no clear idea if anything would work. Against all odds, they found a way out of the dark tunnel and they decided to write the book they wished was available to them at their darkest moments. While he suffered his darkest moments, his family suffered as well, dreading the day they might get the one call no parent wants to get. Their message is clear. For anyone with depression or a family desperate to help, you are not alone and there is hope. 

I have been a fan of Ms. Prowse for a few years and her stories are family dramas with no clear resolution. She finds herself in the middle of a family situation as devastating as the ones she writes about. Switching between Josh and Amanda, the reader gets a picture of both sides. Josh’s voice is raw and at times, extremely bleak. He often speaks with humor but always with honesty as he accounts his life with depression. Amanda’s voice is the heartbreaking, gut wrenching account of her own pain at watching her beloved son descend into darkness and her helplessness to stop it. The Boy Between is a beautiful, honest account of this family’s battle with depression. There were multiple sections in which I cried. My heart broke as theirs did. It is a must read for both parents and their children to understand the depths of depression and the hope that there is a way out. I highly recommend The Boy Between.

The Boy Between: A Mother and Son’s Journey from a World Gone Grey

 is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

 

 

The Things I Know: a sweet story but not one of my favorites

The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse is the story of Thomasina “Hitch” Waycott. She loves living and working on her family’s remote farm and B&B. But she wants so much more. She wants to see the world, to have a home of her own and to fall madly in love. Unfortunately, for Hitch, those wants are simply dreams. Her physical deformities and her parents’ overprotectiveness has kept her from taking risks and chances. Little does she know that it’s about to change. Grayson Potts comes to stay on the farm. He is unlike anyone she has ever met. He’s kind and undeterred by her physical flaws. The two form a bond that neither has experienced before and Thomasina dares to hope that her dreams are coming true. Is it too good to be true? Will her heart break? Or will her life become so much more than she ever dreamed? 

I have been a fan of Ms. Prowse for quite a while. While her books are usually great emotional journeys, The Things I Know didn’t grab my interest. While I felt for Hitch and understood her desires for love, I didn’t feel a strong connection with her. Although my favorite part is when Thomasina would write in her journal about the things she knew, the things she wished for, based on the previous chapter. She was bold in ways she couldn’t be in real life. She could speak her mind and say the things that kept her tongue tied. I kept expecting the story to pick up with Grayson’s arrival in the story. Unfortunately, the story dragged on and bordered on boring. I found myself struggling to keep interested. If you are a fan of Ms. Prowse’s books, you may enjoy The Things I Know. Unfortunately, for me, it is not listed among my favorites. 

The Things I Know is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Coordinates of Loss: a tear-jerker story

The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse is a story of a happy life, a loving marriage and a beloved son until a tragedy threatens to destroy it all. When Rachel Croft loves life, she wakes up smiling. Until one day, when she wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda and discovers her 7-year-old son, Oscar, is missing. Shrouded in the dark and desperate cloud of grief. Rachel struggles to move forward. While her husband, James, wants to face their tragedy together, Rachel feels with the loss of their son, the life they once had is now gone too. Convinced her marriage is over and unable to stay in Bermuda without her son, Rachel returns home to Bristol. While she is there, she begins to receive letters from Cee-Cee, their housekeeper and friend. Cee-Cee shares her own journey through grief, offering Rachel a ray of light through the darkness. Will Cee-Cee’s letter show Rachel that life can move forward? Will she and James find a way to through their grief and rebuild their life together? 

Books by Amanda Prowse always prove to be an emotional journey for her readers. The Coordinates of Loss is no different. The loss of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, how does one navigate life after such a tragedy? From the very beginning, it is obvious that Rachel and James are trying their best to work through the grief. Both characters are easy to empathize with. As I read, I hoped that Rachel and James would find a way back to each other. They still loved each other, they needed each other, would their grief blind them to that? My favorite character is Cee-Cee as the wise mentor who helps Rachel and James through their grief by showing them that life can be good again, different as their son’s loss will always be there, but they can live again. This book was a story that I didn’t want to put down. I even shed a few tears toward the end, which is common for a Amanda Prowse story. I highly recommend The Coordinates of Loss. 

The Coordinates of Loss is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

An Ordinary Life: one woman's journey through turbulent times

An Ordinary Life by Amanda Prowse is a story of one woman’s life as she lives through World War II and settles into life after. The story opens on Christmas Eve, 2019, Ninety-four year old Molly sets to write an important letter, a letter she has put off for far too long. She wakes up in the hospital, having suffered a stroke. While she has lost the ability to speak, her mind is still active and alive with her memories. The story then transports us to London, 1940s, as a young, nineteen year old Molly tries to find an excuse not to go out with friends. Little does she know that this night will change her life forever. She meets and falls in love with a man who makes her forget everything with one dance and all is right with the world. But the realities of war forces her to make an unforgettable sacrifice and she finds herself going undercover for the French Resistance and other dangerous activities, all in the name of the war effort. As the war comes to an end and life returns to normal, Molly finds herself witnessing the ever-changing world with a heavy secret on her heart, a secret that only her sister knows. Witness a life of courage, strength and unbelievable love of a life that is anything but ordinary. 

With a title like An Ordinary Life, you know you are on a roller coaster of a life which is not so ordinary. From the opening prologue to the closing epilogue, Molly’s story is one of heartache and sacrifice as she must find a way to survive. At one part, a character tells Molly that war changes everything as time is compressed and stolen. It is so true as the rest of her story is one of compressed and stolen time. Despite the passage of time, her memories are vivid as if the events were yesterday. I loved Molly’s spunk and determination. She wanted a life more than was expected of her and boy, did she live it. An Ordinary Life is a beautiful story of courage, strength and love. A story of finding the love of your life and doing your best to fit a lifetime of love in the time you have because with war, you never know if you’ll get any more. Despite the loss and heartache she experiences, Molly is able to fill her life with love, family and experiences that anyone would consider an extraordinary life. Ms. Prowse does not disappoint for a story of high emotions, personal sacrifice and life lessons learned. I highly recommend An Ordinary Life. 

An Ordinary Life is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

The Day She Came Back: when your world turns upside down

The Day She Came Back is the newest book by Amanda Prowse. One hot August day, life began as normal for Victoria. She and her friend, Daksha “Daks” Joshi were going shopping and her gran, Primrose “Prim” was enjoying her tea and asking the girls to bring home some baklava. Unfortunately, it all ends tragically when she comes home and finds that Prim had died. Suddenly, Victoria’s world is turned topsy turvy and upside down. With the help of her friends and her grandmother’s friends, she gets through the first few weeks. But on the day of the funeral and mysterious woman comes and announces that she is her mother, a mother she lost had died from a drug overdose when she was a baby. At first, Victoria refuses to entertain such an idea but what if she is telling the truth? Why would Prim lie to her all those years? Angry, grieving, and shocked, Victoria struggles to trust anyone that she begins a downward spiral. Can anyone help her now? Once she learns the full story, can she trust anyone again?

The Day She Came Back is filled with very real and raw emotions from grief to shock and anger. I would expect nothing else from Ms. Prowse as her stories are very real and relatable. Imagine a day when you realize that everything you knew in life, everything you trusted, was a lie. It is heartbreaking and soul crushing and yet you must find a way back to a place of security and trust. Could you do it? When you find yourself at rock bottom, do you stay there or find a way to pull yourself back up? This is that story. Victoria must learn to find her security again, to come to terms with the life she knew with Prim and the lies she told. Although, it is not among my favorites of her books, I did enjoy it as Victoria, a young girl on the brink of adulthood is suddenly thrust into a big, cold world without a clue which way to turn. While I didn’t agree with Prim’s decision to lie to Victoria about her mother, but I understand her motivation. I highly recommend The Day She Came Back.

The Day She Came Back

is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Light in the Hallway: how do you move on when your spouse dies?

The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse is a story of life after the death of a spouse and how does one move on? The story opens in 1992 with 10-year-old Nick Bairstow, along with his best friends, Eric and Alex, has begged his father for a bike only to be horribly disappointed. Fast forward 25 years, Nick is begging his 18-year-old son, Oliver “Olly” to come with him but her refuses. So, Nick goes alone. Where is he going? The hospital where his wife, Kerry, is dying of cancer. He arrives in time to say goodbye. Soon the doors of grief close in on Nick and he is not sure what do to. But life must go one as Olly heads to university and Nick finds a way to come home to an empty house. At every turn, he is criticized by his sister-in-law, Diane, for various missteps and bad behavior on his and Olly’s part. At one point, Nick confesses, “It seems I can’t do right for doing wrong, where they are all concerned.” What is the protocol for moving on? What are the steps to get on with one’s life when their loved one dies? Throughout the book, the story flashbacks to the summer of 1992 when Nick begins to learn important life lessons and connects to the new life lessons he learns in the present.

The Light in the Hallway is the fourth book I have read by Ms. Prowse. While it’s not my favorite (I still love The Food of Love (2016)), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I found myself very protective of Nick as he tries to navigate life after Kerry’s death. I wanted to give Diane a piece of my mind when she criticized Nick for “moving on too fast” after Kerry’s death. But was he really? How long is he supposed to stay in mourning? I cheered when he finally gets the courage to stand up to her and tell her off. There was one moment when I cried my eyes out. I can’t discuss it further, but it is very significant to the story and it was very touching. I highly recommend The Light in the Hallway. It is a moving story of how one moves on after a death. Life truly does go on.

The Light in the Hallway

is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Art of Hiding: when life comes crashing down

The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse is the story of woman who must rebuild her life when her husband dies and the life she had disappears. Nina McCarrick is 34 years old with a wonderful husband, Finn, and two sons, Connor and Declan. One day she gets the dreaded call that no one wants to get. Finn has been in a car accident. After the daze and shock of his death and funeral starts to clear, she learns that Finn had been hiding terrible secrets which leaves her and the boys destitute. Having to leave their post home, they move back to her childhood home to Portswood, Southampton to be near her sister, Tiggy. It is a world away from the life they are used to; but Nina tries to their new home comfortable. As they adjust and move on with life, Nina begins to question herself, her abilities, even her own strength. She rediscovers who she was before Finn came into her life and dictated everything for her. Can she finally follow her dreams she long pushed aside? Will she be able to forgive Finn for his mistakes? Can she and the boys truly be happy in their new life and home?

This is the third book I’ve read by Ms. Prowse and while I enjoyed it, I must say it wasn’t as good as the other two. The Art of Hiding was so fast paced, I felt it was over too quickly. Even though it takes place in England, I feel this story could have taken place anywhere in the world. The pain, the anger, the tears, the recovery is universal. Questions can be running through the readers’ heads: “How could Nina not know?” While Finn never really speaks a word in the story, only through memories, he is a strong influence and you understand how Nina did not know about the details of their life. It wasn’t her job to know, which angers me but it fit the story. It fit Nina as she focused being a wife and mother. I think my favorite character is Tiggy. She was blunt and helped Nina realize what she gave up without really wanting too. If you’ve enjoyed Ms. Prowse’s other books, you will enjoy The Art of Hiding.

The Art of Hiding

is available on Amazon

in paperback and on the Kindle

The Idea of You: one woman's journey to a family

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse is the story of one woman’s journey through miscarriages and coming to terms with the past. When the story opens, Lucy is at the christening of her co-worker’s son. She is reeling from the recent break up from her boyfriend, Richard, and his subsequent engagement to her cousin. While she is there, she meets Jonah Carpenter. Fast forward, she is now married to Jonah and they are expecting a baby. While they are happily planning and dreaming, the unthinkable happens. Lucy is rushed to the hospital where they learn she has miscarried. While Lucy is learning to deal with her miscarriage, her stepdaughter, Camille, is coming to stay with them. Lucy must learn to interact with her teenage stepdaughter as well as come to terms that a baby may not be in her future. When Camille reveals a life changing secret, Lucy must confront a past she has hidden from everyone including Jonah. Will Lucy be able to move forward? Will Jonah forgive her for hidden this secret? Will she ever have the family she’s dreamed of?

I loved The Idea of You! As a woman who has suffered multiple miscarriages, I could relate to Lucy and her desire for a family. The story was filled with drama, twists and turns which leave the reader eager to turn the page to find out what happens. I love the ending and the growth that Lucy displays as she comes to terms with how her life has turned out. It is a story that readers who understand Lucy’s situation would appreciate. Readers who have never experienced miscarriages would be able to get inside the mind of a woman who has and get a glimpse of the heartbreak a miscarriage can bring. I highly recommend The Idea of You.

The Idea of You

is available on Amazon

in paperback and on the Kindle

The Food of Love: one family's crisis and the power of food

The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse is the emotional story of one family’s struggle as one of them battles anorexia. Freya Braithwaite is a freelance food writer and seemly has the perfect life. She is still desperately in love with her husband, Lockie, of 19 years. Her eldest daughter, Charlotte, is ready to take her exams and head to university. Her youngest daughter, Lexi, who despite her struggles with dyslexia, seems to be doing well. Until one day when Freya is called to Lexi’s school and the principal informs her that she suspects Lexi is anorexic. Soon the family is thrown into the battle for Lexi’s life where food is her enemy as well as her cure. Will Freya be able to help Lexi? Will Lexi be able to overcome the powerful hold that anorexia has taken over her life?

The Food of Love is a powerful and emotional story about the struggles and dangers of anorexia. The book explores the mental thought processes and the distorted thinking involved. The story also explores the impact the disease has on the loved ones and their lives. The Food of Love is an emotional, shocking and eye-opening story. My heart ached as I read Lexi’s tearful pleas and promises to stop and get help. I cried when the family was at a fork in the road and a difficult choice to make. I wept at the end. I highly, highly recommend it.

The Food of Love

is available on Amazon

in paperback, on the Kindle and Audiobook

as well as Barnes and Noble

in paperback and audiobook