I am absolutely thrilled today, to be a part of the blog tour for my absolute favourite author, Amanda Prowse, and her latest release, The Day She Came Back.
If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll know what a huge fan I am of her books, and I can, hand on heart, say that she not only writes the most amazing books, but is the most wonderful individual too. A couple of months ago, we were supposed to meet, for a radio interview, but then the COVID thing happened, but I hope to still get a chance to fan-girl face to face soon enough!
Enough of that, and back to the book in question.
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: how do you forgive the family that lied to you, and love the mum you never had?
When her loving, free-spirited grandmother Primrose passes away, Victoria is bereft, yet resilient—she has survived tragedy before. But even her strength is tested when a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead.
As the two women get to know each other and Victoria begins to learn more about her past, it becomes clear that her beloved grandmother had been keeping life-changing secrets from her. Desperate for answers, she still struggles to trust anyone to tell her the truth.
To live a full and happy life, Victoria knows she must not only uncover the truth, but find a way to forgive her family. But after so many years, is trusting them even possible?
And here is my review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star!
A new Amanda Prowse book? Yes, please! There are those authors who you know, that even without reading the blurb of a book, you are going to enjoy, to matter what, and for me, Amanda Prowse’s books are just that, Due to the craziness of COVID-19, I hadn’t heard as much about this particular release, and when the opportunity came to read, I didn’t hesitate to volunteer to read. And I wasn’t disappointed – at all. In fact, I stayed up until the wee hours to read it, and had to force myself to put it down, to finish in the morning, because I was that immersed in the story. The Day She Came Back tells the story of three women, interconnected forever, but apart for reasons beyond their control. Victoria is an eighteen-year-old girl, brought up by her wonderfully eclectic grandma, Prim. Her mother, Sarah, passed away when she was a baby. Suddenly, she is left all alone after the sudden death of her only living family member, Prim. Victoria is a character filled with confusion, and her journey through her grief is heart-wrenching. Prim was a feisty woman, but her real inner strength is revealed as the story progresses. Sarah, a woman who never got to see her child grow up, has a story equally heartbreaking. The other characters in this book, like Daksha, Victoria’s best friend, Gerald, Prim’s ‘gun-toting’ beau, and Flynn, that crush that materialises, but crushes in a different way, flavour the whole story in a unique manner. Despite being set in Epsom, Surrey, Victoria’s flights to Oslo add another beautiful layer to the story, with Amanda’s descriptions giving you hints of her own love of Norway. I shan’t discuss the plot here, because you really need to read it yourself, but Amanda has tackled, with great sensitivity, loss, grief, addiction and reconciliation. Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Amanda Prowse is one of the UK’s most prolific and loved storytellers with global sales of 8 million copies and legions of loyal readers. Based in the West Country, Amanda is the author of 25 novels and 7 novellas with books sold in 22 countries and translated into 12 languages– no mean feat when you consider her first novel was only published in 2012!
A passionate reader since her first visit to the local library aged 6, Amanda would read everything and anything and – armed with her precious library ticket – would spend hours reading loved Enid Blyton, Anna Sewell, Judi Blume, Nina Bawden while scribbling short stories of her own. As time passed, she moved onto the more risqué delights of Lace, The Thorn Birds and A Woman of Substance; gritty, emotional stories that would inform her writing.
A powerful storyteller and a master of the addictive plot, Amanda’s rich imagination and prolific writing talent has seen her write over 20 bestsellers with millions of copies sold across the world. She often writes for 15 hours a day and sees her plots like movies in her mind that she’s compelled to get down on paper. These heartfelt human stories have made her one of the most successful female writers of contemporary fiction today and she has become a regular interviewee on TV and radio as well as a successful journalistic writer.
Amanda’s ambition has always been to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night; great characters that stay with you and stories that inhabit your mind so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades. She is also a passionate supporter of military charities and those that support women’s causes and holds regular ‘Evenings with Amanda’ events as fundraisers for her chosen charities.
Another week passed at school. I had my special Beaut back in class, this week (He’s my special needs child) I have been worried about him being at home, but equally, was worried about him being back in and adapting to the new routines and systems, but you knw what? He did really well! The rest of the week has been filled with paperwork, as we reaad new policies that have been sent to us by the government, regarding reopening to all pupils in September, including our brand new starters in Reception class. Such woolly advice! I’m just glad our head and the Senior Leadership Team is sensible enough, for the most part, the help organise things for us in the best way possible. I have some new responsibilities going forward, so am trying to prepare for them too!
We had our two birthdays on the Monday, as you all know, so a socially distanced birthday cake was cut in the garden with a candle on a cupcake so he could blow it out, and not worry about blowing on the cake everyone was going to eat! Except it was blowing up a gale, so I had to hold the cake through the kitchen window, for him to blow the candle out! And we video called Mum and sang to her! We will have to meet to celebrate that 70th at a later stage.
Fitness-wise, I have carried on with my Flat Tummy challenge, and the Plank Challenge ( I can hold a plank for 1 minute and 10 seconds!) and I completed week two of the CouchTo5K runs as well!
The rest of the week flew by in a blur. I’m getting up early, but falling asleep fast too. The weekend was a mix of the boys visiting barber shops, and us girls attempting to get to the hair dresser too! Pubs and restaurants opened on Saturday, and as Lil Man and I went on our walk, on Saturday evening, I was slightly alarmed at how many people were out, and crammed in to certain venues! Don’t they get that the virus hasn’t gone away yet?
I am also still trying to eat a Keto-style diet, and this weekend, I experimented with Keto bread… I’ll let you know what it tastes like next week… it’s cooling as I type!
This week, we are still at school, preparing for the grand reopening in September, as well as teaching our mini class that we have.
I also have the 2nd birthday of my Finndian nephew #2 on Wednesday. Can’t believe time is flying so fast!
Also, Lil Man is playing his first cricket match of the season, on Sunday, so fingers crossed for better, less windy weather!
Oh, and while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!
“Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.”
Roy T. Bennett
Thank you, Spidey, for another profound quote for me to ponder upon.
We’ve certainly, as a whole planet, weathered a huge storm this last few months.
I don’t think there are many people out there who haven’t been affected by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
If there is anyone, lucky you.
Most people have either known someone who has contacted this nasty virus, if they haven’t suffered themselves, or they know of someone who has been taken from this earth too early. Another victim of COVID-19.
If the virus hasn’t physically affected you, you still feel the effects. Be it your job. If you weren’t in essential jobs, suddenly you were at home. Either working from home, furloughed (if in the UK, at least) or you found yourself out of work.
Kids sitting at home, parents trying to be teachers.
Worry on your mind for members of family or friends who were sheilding, as vulnerable members of the community.
Who’d have thought that a time would come where you wouldn’t even be able to hug your own friends and family, if they didnt live in the same house as you?
Four months of a storm that is only just showing signs of calming a little. But it hasn’t disappeared yet.
There is still a chance the storm may pick up it’s severity again.
But we can’t live in fear either.
So, we carry on with life, as best we can, hoping that we don’t get caught in the storm… again…
So… tell me, are you hopeful?
Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps And enjoy your week! ❤
Another feature for me, this time on Val Penny’s Blog!
I am delighted to be joined on the blog today by writer and blogger, Ritu Bhathal. Thank you so much for taking time for an interview with me, Ritu. 1 Please tell my readers a little about yourself…
What a fantastic book! I always find Historical fiction to be fascinating, and this was no different. Orphan Meg Owen is picked up by the guards for stealing a loaf of bread. Expecting a punishment, but lenient at that, she is stunned to find that she is branded, on the tongue and made into a sin eater. She is cast into a life of loneliness and silence, finding solace with the other sin eater in her town. Unable to fathom why, Meg begins to learn more about her new life, taking on the sins of others on their deathbeds, then eating them, expecting to die a lonely woman. filled with the secrets of others. But she doesn’t expect to stumble upon a secret of epic proportions, involving royalty and treason. I don’t want to write too much about the story, which is twisted and brilliant in its entirety. Megan Campisi has created a parallel world, so similar to certain parts of our history, with enough changes to make it fantastical. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan. Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been a fan of Lindsey Kelk since the first I Heart book, and am always enticed by the thought of another Kelk-masterpiece out. In Case You Missed It is another great easy, summer read, with a main character, Ros, experiencing the telltale ups and downs synonymous with a Lindsey Kelk book. Trouble with work, trouble with relationships, trouble with adulting… Lots of laugh out loud moments, a gaggle of loyal, almost all-knowing friends, a teenage gaming celeb (I Know!) and some cheeky romance, with a couple of dashing heroes to add to the mix. What fun! Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yet another brilliant read from Sophia Money-Coutts! Meet Florence Fairfax, a slightly OCD character, with some interesting anxiety-related behaviours, who works in a small book shop in London. Oh, and a non-existent love life. Until a concerned stepmother suggests a therapist… Amidst disbelief that anything will come of it, Flo visits said therapist and comes away with a list of her perfect man. And apparently, the universe delivers! Or does it? I loved the characters, and I honestly laughed out loud several times, causing my husband to look at me quizzically. How could I explain that “Cowabunga!” will never sound the same to me ever again? (Confused? Well, you need to read to find out the reason – and it’s well worth the read!) Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The title, Beach Read, intrigued me. The blurb even more so. Two writers, each very different, and struggling with writer’s block in their own way, end up in the same place, neighbours. And an old ‘rivalry’ becomes tentative support for one another, but love? January is all about the Happily Ever Afters, in life and her writing. Gus doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and his literary preferences mirror his thinking. Their personal challenges, along with the writing one they set for each other, allows their lives to entwine in a way they never thought possible. It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. I enjoyed the characters and the story, along with the little twists and reveals that are dropped along the way, making you guess which way this story is going to end. It’s not a typical RomCom, but I could definitely see myself reading it on the beach! (Apart from some of the more intimate scenes… Well written, not too tacky, but erotic enough to make you feel…) Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not sure where to start. But suffice to say this story blew me away. Read in a day. Some say that with books that have too many characters, it is hard to feel connected or emotional about them, but this one did that and more. The story surrounding Diana and Arie’s love story is an emotive beginning, and the twists and turns at the beginning left me in tears. Then the way Belinda, Evie, Bene, Felix, Beatrix, and others, were brought into this tale of love was so clever. I just loved it! I really don’t want to write too much about the story, for fear of giving something away. Suffice to say, I think you should definitely read it! Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was looking forward to some sort of domestic thriller, but it wasn’t quite there. The story of Karen and Nick, moving to the country to escape from her demons, and his cheating, had so many chances for more twists to occur, and some did, but they were left with the ends still loose. The characters were great, the descriptions fantastic, but the story was lacking. Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
I truly enjoyed the first book in the series, True To Me, so was eager to dive back into the Maui waters, and I was not disappointed, No Place Too Far continues the stories of a group of characters we met before in True To Me, concentrating a little more on Maggie. Maggie came out to live in Maui after her friend Quinn settled there, once she found out that was where her birth family lived. Maggie, herself, is trying to settle down after spending a year on the run from a stalker, with her young son. I was so engrossed with the story, that had I not had work the next day, I’d have been reading far into the wee hours of the morning! Quinn and Maggie’s stories run side by side, but entwining in places, and with blossoming friendships, tentative romances and shocking returns. The descriptions of the lush scenes of Maui made me wish I was there. And knowing there is a third book to come… well, I am super excited! Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A compelling read, with an amalgamation of personal experience and suggestions of how we, as a whole community, can really get behind becoming anti-racists. It gives a good background into the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and why current events may have escalated in the way they have. Educate to change. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for a copy of this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Karen Swan’s The Hidden Beach. Bell is a young British woman, who, through her own personal tragedy, ends up living in Sweden, and nanny to a family with three children she is immensely attached to. Friends think the parents, Hanna and Max, may be taking advantage of her love for the children, as week after week, she cancels plans to help them out. But then she gets sucked into a personal tragedy the family suffers, and there is no going back. The thing is, there is a twist. How can she be an impartial help in their time of need, when she appears to have confusing feelings for the one person they are all scared of? I loved Bell’s character. She is a damaged soul, who wants to get back to normality, but life is not prepared to let her. Her relationship with the children she looks after, and especially Linus, the 10-year-old son, is heartwarming to read. The story shifts in perspective, being told from Bell’s point of view, as well as Emil, and sometimes Hanna and Max. This wasn’t always clear, but with a little rereading, I would work out whose head I was in. But a good read finished in a day. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an arc, in exchange for an honest review.
I popped my YA cherry on the Guardian Series by Shelley Wilson, and enjoyed the Hood Academy too, so was quietly excited for this new book by her to come out. I enjoyed the story of Marianne, a young, unsuspecting girl, who doesn’t realise the power she holds within. A kingdom torn apart by the Phantom’s curse, then gently pieced together again, to be at the point of being ripped at the seams again. A strange world for this girl to be in, until she realises what her part in the role of ridding the world of the Phantom. Marianne, along with her brother, Newt, and various friends, battle dark armies and crooked lords to save their kingdom. There is magic, the fae, kingdoms, lords, ladies, and a little bit of love! I enjoyed the book, and read it easily in a couple of hours. I would say it is targeted at the younger end of the YA market.
Love. India, finding oneself, romance, strong woman… what’s not to like? I really enjoyed the story of Rachel, a woman with a plan. Or a list, at least. She’s worked hard to achieve all her goals in life so far, with the exception of one; to get married to her perfect man. But that is all about to change, just not in the way she expected. Rachel winds up in an ashram in India, attempting to rescue her boyfriend and perfect life, but ends up on a journey of self-discovery, and realises that the best-laid plans aren’t always the ‘best’. Rachel is a fabulous character. Don’t we all want to be like Rachel? Someone who knows exactly what she wants, and when. Oh, I wanted to throttle her no-god boyfriend, Paul, but then we met Seb, and I loved him! What a hottie! And a spiritual one at that. A really good read, and I loved the ending! Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
What a charm of a book! As a young girl, Leila’s mother left her and her father, with only a silver charm bracelet to remember her by. At the same time, Jake and his family move into the area Leila and her father are leaving, into their old home. A fleeting meeting between both young people leaves a lasting bond. The bracelet gets lost, and the book is a retelling of how each charm that dangles from it was acquired, and a plea to whoever finds it, to return it. I was taken on a total rollercoaster of emotions, reading the story of Leila, and her charm bracelet, and Jake, her silent support, who floated in and out of her life. I loved both the main characters and the bittersweet twist at the end left me teary. Yes, definitely read this book!aa Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The blurb for The Shelf pulled me in immediately, hence the clicking on Request It as soon as I could, and I was quick to download and read it, once I was accepted. Expecting to be jetting off on an exotic holiday with her hopefully soon-to-be fiance, ends up with our heroine, Amy, finding herself dumped, and on the set of a Big Brother-style reality show, The Shelf. Cue four weeks of coping with humiliation, forming friendships, and coming to realisations about herself. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the book, initially. Why was this woman putting up with that narcissistic idiot of a boyfriend, Jamie? And when she got dumped, live on telly, why did she stay? But then, as the story unfolded, I found myself immersed in the whole situation. I loved Amy, who, as a woman in her thirties, was feeling the pull for the traditional version of where she should be in life; marriage and 2.4 kids, but went on to find a version of herself that worked for her. The supporting cast of women on the show with her were an eclectic mix of characters. I’d almost have enjoyed a bit more friction between them at times, but equally, I loved how they stood up for each other too. Anyone else want to slap the show’s host, Andy? I really did! Overall a good read, and quite addictive, once you get into it. I’d like to see ow a bunch of men would handle the show! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for an ARC, in exchange for an honest opinion.
The Memory Of Us is the first of Camille Di Maio’s books I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. I was touched by the wartime story of Julianne Westcott and her forbidden love for religious man, Kyle McCarthy. Julianne has it all on the face of it. From a wealthy Liverpudlian family, she has all the luxuries a girl desires, including her beauty, and suitors to match, but her heart is insistent in its demand to love only one, deeply unsuitable man. Kyle is the son of a gardener and is destined to become a Catholic priest. Julianne’s Protestant background means even a hint of a union between them would cause great grief. Still, you can’t help who you love… I was wrapped up in the blossoming love story of the two and wanted to cry at the twists and tragedies that befall a near-perfect couple and their love story. Oh, and the deep secret hidden away by her parents… Not giving anything away. A wonderful, heartwrenching read.
This is the first book I have read from Jess Carpenter and I had a ball reading it. The story is based around Les, a young woman who is starting college, and has a bit of history that she is trying to work through. A dear father who passed away, a mother who has extremely high aspirations for her, and an ex-boyfriend who turns up, as a student at her college. Les meets Candy, a Latino fellow student, who brings colour and a different culture into her love, along with a hot brother, Carter. The book is written as if Les is treating us, the readers, as her studio audience, so there are comments directed at us, as well as telling us about what’s going on. I enjoyed the bubbling romances, the love triangle that is set from the beginning, and how it ends up. The author has also touched upon the huge issue of racism, targeting the Mexican community, and how Les combats her mother’s prejudiced feelings towards her new Latino friends. And there are the expectations of her mother that. Les has to try her hardest to reach. I loved Candy, the new best friend, filled with spunk and her own story brewing in the background, so was thrilled to read that there would be more about her in a future book! I think this will be a book much enjoyed by young adults and college-goers, with romance, culture and a lot of fun. Thank you Jess, for a copy of your book, in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the story of baker Lucy, and her journey to rekindling her relationship with estranged hubby, world famous chef, Oliver. Lucy was left high and dry a few years earlier, when Oliver’s career took an international turn, and they sacrificed their marriage for their food passions. When Oliver makes a surprise return to their home town, Lucy is stunned, not least because she is in a relationship with someone else. A great rom-com filled with food, cakes and other relationship bakes!
And there you have it. Another month of great reads! Seventeen, this time!
But I Smile Anyway... 