Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

“Another fabulous book from Amanda Prowse”

A story of family, love, loss, scandals and a wedding day that didn’t go to plan. It’s also about letting go and forgiving people.

Merrin is eagerly looking forward to her wedding and marrying Digby. But, on the day, she’s left jilted as he doesn’t show. Not wanting to be in the town where everyone is talking about her, she moves away, from the lovely village she grew up in and her family to start a new life. She’s thriving in the job she’s doing, and meets someone, but she feels it’s not the same as what she had before.

She misses her family and friends, but knowing she can’t go home,, when she hears devastating news, she’s forced to come home. Back home, she realises, that this is where she’s meant to be.

But, she has to mend her broken heart and again, build her life and feel confident. Facing those that treated her badly will help her get peace and start to move on.

The story had heartbreaking moments and it’s not a fast-paced novel, it does alternate with what’s happened in the past and present.

Highly Recommend This Book.

Another really lovely book by Amanda which made me very tearful. This book features a young woman called Merrin who leaves her fishing village for a new life away from the sea. She later returns. I would recommend this to anyone who loves Amanda Prowse's books and would make a perfect holiday read.

This is a really sweet story about a sweet family. I finished it over a weekend. This book is about surviving a very sad situation and prevailing. Finding yourself after a loss that is so unexpected. Enjoyable read.

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘To Love and Be Loved’ written by Amanda Prowse in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Merrin Kellow is at the church with family and friends for her marriage to Digby Mortimer when she’s told that he’s changed his mind. Port Charles is a close community and rather than be the subject of gossip she drives away to start a new life, stopping in Thornbury on the outskirts of Bristol where she’s offered a position at Milbury Court Hotel. It isn’t until tragedy strikes her family that Merrin feels she has no choice but to return and face what she dreads the most, being pointed out as the girl who was abandoned at the altar.

It’s always a pleasure to read a novel by Amanda Prowse and ‘To Love and Be Loved’ is a beautifully written family drama of Merrin, her parents Ben and Heather, feisty sister Ruby, best friend Bella, and the residents of Port Charles. Ms Prowse has the ability to get inside the characters and she’s sculpted them so superbly that as I’ve been reading I’ve felt a part of the community which has made me look forward to my next visit to Cornwall. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this heart-warming yet at times sad account of six years in Merrin’s life that’s had me enthralled to the very end culminating with an absolutely perfect conclusion.

Another wonderfully written book by Amanda Prowse. I loved this book, the main character is so brave- to run away and start a new life only to return and face her fears - takes amazing strength. The lessons learnt and life skills discovered were so important to her, but also to the reader. Wonderful book.

The greatest shame is if you didn't let yourself love and be loved.

Merrin Kellow is young and vibrant. Merrin is marrying her person. The one that completes her. The one that makes her happy. The one that she loves, she is looking forward to marrying Digby Mortimer. Their families have a long history in their costal town town in Cornwall. She is the daughter of fisherman and Digby lives in the big house. In their community everyone knows everyone and it is the wedding of the year until it becomes something different. It changes everything for Merrin that she leaves the town she loves, the people she loves to rebuild all that she has lost.

I loved this story and the relationships behind it. It is not only a story of a lost love but of sisterhood, friendship, and families. Merrin lost something that she could not get back. The intangible thing of acceptance is a powerful. It gives us courage and security and without it we are lost. The narration of Merin's love, pain and rebuilding is powerful. She is confronted by her loss in different ways thru her relationships. The protection we find in our relationships and the shame we have when for whatever reason, we have caused harm. I loved the candor of these relationships, the easy way and the difficult times of facing the what are relationships are made of.

With any great love story involving any of our relationships is redemption. Something made new from loss, pain, and misunderstanding. It was a complete package.

A special thank you to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I love all of Amanda’s books and although it took me a bit longer to get into this book once I did it did not disappoint. I think it was the setting that to start with made me think it was occurring back in history. A young Cornish woman was left at the alter on her wedding day and the storyline takes us through her life and that of her Cornish family. Her love of the Cornish village disappears because of the hurt at being left at the alter but will it return? Thanks once again Amanda, your publisher and NetGalley.

This book is set in Cornwall, my favourite place in the world, and the author captures the atmosphere perfectly. I almost believed I was there on those clifftops.
Merrin, 19 and in love is subjected to a horrendous event that sees her leaving her loving family and beloved Cornwall behind and she feels she will never return . A tragic event sees her return several years later in to the arms of her family. There is love as always but also some unburied resentments come to the fore.
Another great book by this author dealing with issues we come across in daily life and deals with love, loss and moving on and accepting and appreciating what we have in life.

Merrin lives in the beautiful fishing village of Port Charles in Cornwall, it's her happy place, filled with childhood memories and where she intends to stay for life, that is until she is faced with the worst humiliation possible, she flees the village and the comfort of her family, to escape the gossiping that every small village is known for.

Six years later, having set up a new life in Thornbury, Bristol she is faced with a family tragedy and has to return to her childhood home, it's not going to be easy, but she has no choice. Once she's back there with her family, she begins to question the life she once had, can she forget the past and return to the place she's always loved and misses immeasurably, only Merrin can make that decision but will she follow her head or her heart...?

To Love and Be Loved is the latest creation by the hugely talented Amanda Prowse, this author could write a shopping list and it would be a best seller! She creates her characters in such a way that you immediately feel you know them personally, almost like being part of the family, they are completely authentic, from the first page of every book I've read by her I've been totally invested in the story and this one is no exception. Merrin's story is one that I'm sure every girl who has ever been in love dreads and my heart broke for her many times during this book, it's a tale of love, loss, grief, sibling rivalry and fractured loyalty and I encountered so many different emotions whilst reading it. Amanda writes from the heart, about subjects that will resonate with every one of her readers in one way or another throughout their lives, and I recommend you read at least one of her books, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing UK, Netgalley and the author for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Oh! I just loved "To Love and Be Loved" by Amanda Prowse. This beautiful novel about love, family bonds, heartbreak, public humiliation, small town with deep roots and bigger gossip, as well as rebuilding from disappointments, is magnificent! As always, Amanda Prowse portrays a well-rounded story, with great characters, large emotions, big lessons, and perfect conclusions, all in her gentle voice. Thank you to the author, publisher, NetGalley for the early release copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Drama,Rumors and living in a small town. Merlin is heartbroken humiliated when she’s left standing at the alter.
She then decides to move away to try to start a new life when she hast to come back home again due to her father‘s death. Can she stay in her hometown again after all that has happened? I really enjoyed this story of heartbreak Romance and hope

As always Amanda Prowse writes a great story.
The narrative was descriptive and made it easy to imagine the locations. The characters are so credible and interesting. Their feelings are real and honest.
I loved the way the story evolved over the duration of the book. Family, friendship and love at the heart of this.
This author’s books always make me feel involved, like I am looking into a window and watching people.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Quite simply, I loved it.

🌊A Cornwall gal, now & forever🏘🌅

My experience of Amanda Prowse's novels, gained over the past few years, had me eagerly anticipating this book. It's replete with family drama and romantic disappointments, but the basic underpinning is a deep-seated love for the small seaside town with its natural beauty and tight community where lead character Merrin finds her strength and soul satisfaction. In the end, life does go on with some happy resolution for a number of key characters, including Merrin.

It's not my favorite Prowse story. The narrative is a bit long and I can't say I deeply connected with any of the characters. Merrin suffers a terrible, wrenching upset at the start of the story and the remainder of the book is her slow, painful recovery with numerous setbacks and loss along the way. But she remains true to the belief that love needs to be deep, all encompassing for both partners, like the love of her parents. She won't settle for less. She has her close family and friend Bella at her back, constant and loyal, and the knowledge that Port Charles, the town of her humiliating history, is also her only true home.

A worthwhile, well-written read.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK/Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

“Young and desperately in love, Merrin (Merry) had the whole world ahead of her. But just as her new life was about to start, the ground beneath her feet was cruelly swept away. Devastated by the humiliation, she ran far away from the beloved fishing village she had always called home to lick her wounds and escape her gossiping friends and neighbours.”
I struggled to take a liking to the centre character Merry she can across as very self centred and self absorbed who was more worried about what others thought about her than anything else. The characters around her including her parents, sister Ruby and friends Jarv and Bella and their relationships were fantastically written and definitely added to the unfolding story and kept me reading till the end.
Due to the writing style you can feel yourself being immersed in the Cornwall scenery and the fishing village in which it is set, the story appears very slow at times and you find yourself lost at times within the timeline and how much time has passed, whereas the addition of a new love interest for Merry right at the end feels very rushed.
Overall this was a very readable story with a fantastic setting, but it was the back characters that kept me reading more than Merry herself and if more had been included to form a greater understanding of the relationships that were already there it may have made it easier to relate to Merry and her personality.
I would like to thank the author Amanda Prowse, Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me access to this free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.
#ToLoveandBeLoved #NetGalley

Another great story by this author. She has become a favorite one to read.
Her stories are all very different, places, subject matter, yet all captured my attention the same way as she has very strong characters that draw me in from the beginning.
This one is set in a small fishing village, where Merrins family is well known, but when something happens, that humiliates her, she decides to leave the village to avoid being the talk of the town.
Being away just made Merrin miss her family and village even more and when tragedy struck, she had no other choice than to return and face what she had also run away from, to be there for the people she loves.
What a great storyteller this author is, I have now read 5 of her books and I can't wait to read another.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book.

3.5 stars
I loved the storyline, characters (especially Bella) but the story seemed to move a bit a bit too slow for my liking. My heart broke for Merrin and the humiliation she had to go through. I cried while reading the scene where she is being consoled and is still in denial that her Digby could ever put her through something so embarrassing. I admired her strength, her will, and her pride. There was a good amount of emotion in the writing but the speed of the story (also the immature Ruby) made me take away those stars. Overall, it was a good read!

I love Amanda Prowse's books and she is one of my favourite authors. This was another winner in my eyes and I was totally absorbed in the story all the way through. Firstly, I loved the landscape of beautiful Cornwall and as it's one of my most loved holiday locations I revelled in the descriptions of the place and its people. I really engaged with the characters - most of who were warm and wonderful which gave the book a homely and comforting feel. Merrin's parents, sister and best friend were all so very likeable. There is a lot of sadness in this book as Merrin, suffers a number of losses and then has to try to get herself back on track to rebuild a life wherein she can love again. Although I felt desperately sorry for Merrin there were times that I wanted to sit her down and have a good talk with her as her actions and choices had such a terrible effect on her family and friends - the ripple effect of her own situation and inability to come to terms with it affecting the lives of so many of the people she loved. Over a period of six years many lives were changed and opportunities lost as she centred solely on her own problems and was unaware how this impacted on her family. I had to keep reading long into the night as I wanted to see how it all turned out and whether the ending would reveal happier times for her and her loved ones after all the turmoil of recent years. Amanda Prowse writes beautifully and she has the ability to draw in the reader. I was hooked from page one. I just can't get enough of her books and look forward to her next one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a roller coaster of emotions.
Merrin goes through some thing that shocks her world and hasn't seemed to find her true north again and felt whole.
She picks up and moves to try and find herself but has constant reminders. Then she comes face to face with her past.....

'I believe you, I thought we were on the same page, but turns out we weren't even reading the same book.'
'Words are easy like the wind, faithful friends are hard to find." William Shakespeare said that.'
Turns out her dad had been right when he wrote:
When you're ready and you've done enough adventuring and figuring out, come home, Merrin. Come back to Port Charles, this little place where your spirit linger even after you have driven off in Vera Wilma Brown. Walk the beach barefoot in all weathers, my little maid, and let yourself be. Be open to what is right in front of your very eyes and let yourself be happy.

Those three things were the ones that really took my heart hostage while reading this beautiful book. Amanda Prowse has written her best book yet. It will capture your heart and keep you turning the pages. You will laugh, cry, want to scream. You will feel so much reading this book. It's just a beautiful yet sad story. But that is love at times. Beautiful and sad. My take away from this book is to never ever give up on love. Always hold on to your heart. Keep your mind open to things that can and do happen.

Merrin is the main character in this book. She goes through so much and you will feel for her. She is so much stronger than she thinks though. After the heartaches and losses she still runs barefoot on the beach. She still loves deeply the people that she holds close and dear. She's a survivor. I really liked her so much.

This book is about surviving a very sad situation and prevailing. Finding yourself after a loss that is so unexpected. The family in this story, the Kellows, are a tight family. A simple family. They are there for each other even when it seems like they aren't. The two sisters, Merrin and Ruby, may fight but they also love each other fiercely. Their parents had a love that would never end. They set an example for their girls that love is wonderful. That love, true love, always prevails. Always wins. No matter what. Even with so much adversity in her life Merrin knows this. But she is holding back, until.

This story will stick with you. It will make you stop and think. Stop and take notice. It will make you believe in things. It's written in such a beautiful way. The words just flow off the pages straight to your heart. Even the very saddest parts when you will cry those big fat ugly tears you always get from a Prowse book will make you want more. Keep you turning the pages. All the way to the very end you will hope things end perfectly for Merrin.

There are a couple of characters in here that I truly despised. Even after I read what they had to say I was not happy with them. Some things should not ever be tampered with. But that would have made this book different so it's really done to perfection in my humble opinion. The would be mother in law did finally grow on me a tad. Not a lot, but a bit. As much as I didn't want to like her, she had some good points. I felt for her a little.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AmandaProwse, #AmazonPublishingUK, #LakeUnionPublishing for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

5/5 huge, big, giant stars from me and the very highest recommendation possible. Read it. Have lots and lots of tissues though. You may need them.

The story
Merrin, daughter of a fisherman in a small Cornish coastal village, is young and in love with her fiancé Digby, whose family is wealthy and live in the Old Rectory “big house”. But the unthinkable happens when she is stood up at the altar on her wedding day. She leaves the village and doesn’t return until two years later. She can’t deal with the whole village gossiping about her and her family’s shame.

My thoughts
This story takes place over a six year period and deals with love, friendship and loss. It’s an entertaining story, thoughtful about the emotional side of families taking care of each other through thick and thin. I felt that Merrin took so much time (the whole story 🙈) to lick her emotional wounds for something that for me, really wasn’t her fault 😞