Tag: Amanda Prowse

Ever After by Amanda Prowse

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I was lucky enough to get a place on Tandem Collective UK’s readalong for the new book from the pen of Amanda Prowse – including being gifted a copy of the new book. I was incredibly excited by this opportunity as I was lucky enough to meet Amanda earlier this year at ‘The Book Taster Live’, and she was an absolute joy.

‘Ever After’ was an absolute joy to read. Enya is dealing with the loss of her husband Jonathan, the clear love of her life, when her son throws a curve ball and sends his life down a path that nobody was expecting. This leads to quite some fallout for Enya for a number of reasons, and there is another shock in store for all involved. Alongside this, Enya has met Dominic, but this causes some conflict for Enya as she deeply loved Jonathan and she soon finds out that who Dominic is may not be quite as a straightforward as she thought. I know this may all seem a little secretive as a summary, but I do not want to spoil this book for anyone; we all know I do not read blurbs and, for me, that added to the enjoyment of this book because it meant that every moment and event was a surprise for me – there was even an audible gasp at a couple of points.

I have to give a special mention to Enya: I think she is one of the most wonderful characters I have ever read and she reminded me of Amanda Prowse herself. Enya is such a kind and wise soul, who has so much love for her friends and family – especially her family. But, what really struck me was her quiet strength – and what a role model she would be for anyone who knew her. I just adored her and think she is one of my favourite characters that I have met on the pages of a book.

I have noticed that creating characters is something that is so special in Amanda Prowse’s books. She really seems to see people, their hopes and dreams, their fears and worries and from this she creates such genuine and believable characters. This works alongside the relationships that her characters form, too; they are always so accurate and reflect relationships that many of us may have encountered in our lives. Such a skill for a writer.

Athough I only discovered the books of Amanda Prowse this year, I feel so lucky that I have done, because there is such a backlist of books for me to enjoy, I do not think I will be running out of reading material any time soon – which always makes for a happy bookworm. Alongside this, Amanda’s engagement and support during this readalong has made every one of us feel very special, and added to the joy of being part of this experience.

So, in conclusion, I absolutely adored this book. It was just such an enjoyable read and I loved every moment of it; I could not wait each day to read the pages for the day and see how the story was going to unfold. I will be recommending this to so many people, because I think it is a book that needs to be shared.

Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Amanda Prowse is an author that I had not come across until ‘The Book Taster’ announced that she would be at the Live Event this year. So, when a beautiful book buddy and I decided that we would read a book by a Live Event author ahead of the big day, we settled on ‘Swimming to Lundy’ by Amanda Prowse.

Now, if I judged a book by its cover, then I would not have picked this book up. However, that would have meant that I would have missed out on a treat.

Amanda Prowse has written a lovely character-focused story about relationships – whether in a family, romantically or a friendship – she has created a story that is beautiful to read and reminds you about what is important in life. And how easy it can be to lose your way because you do not think that you deserve something, or you have forgotten to think about what is important.

Taw is the most wonderful main character for the story, I would happily hang out with her. Taw is a young woman who decides that she is going to try swimming in the sea every day because she believes that it will keep her close to her father, who died when she was younger. However, that decision sparks a change in her life. It allows her to escape her home life and do something for herself, it allows her to make new friends with the other ‘Peacocks’, and it leads her to meet ‘Bear’.

Now, as you can imagine, this does not mean that everything that is ahead of Taw is smooth sailing. But it does mean that Taw starts to learn more about herself and her mother, their relationship – and the misconception that she may have about her past. It is a journey of self-discovery for Taw, but it is one that you are more than happy to join her on – and you will probably wish you could sit down with her for a drink afterwards too.

One key thing I really loved about this book, is there is a dual timeline to begin with, and you are not really sure why, but it has you hooked and definitely gives you a reason to keep reading, as you have to know how these unconnected stories will eventually connect. And, for a buddy read, this is great, as you can pop your ideas in your WhatsApp and see what comes of them.

So, as usual, ‘The Book Taster’ has introduced me to a new author who has a backlist that I need to get on top of. But, also, I absolutely can’t wait to hear Amanda Prowse speak at ‘The Book Taster Live’ this month. I guess the next question is, which Amanda Prowse book do I read next?