The part about not having children being a choice is relatable. People who care about you question it and let it go when you've explained but others seem to have a real issue with not having children being a choice and nothing more.

This book is full of sadness and happiness, I cried in more than one part in this book. Amanda has a way of explaining things, she has a wonderful way with words and the way she describes situations and places is brilliant.

This book is heartwarming and emotionally gripping, it really pulls at the heart strings. The love and mending is just so powerful and I think anyone who has ever loved and lost or loved and struggled will relate to this.

I love Nora and Gordy. This book is quite close to home being a military family myself and I can picture many of the things described in the book, which adds an extra layer to it for me. I love the complexity of the relationships and the simultanious predictable and unpredictable plot, giving it good pace and making it a great page turner.

This latest thought-provoking novel from Amanda Prowse could be summed up in one word – Connection.
Nora had a childhood that lacked nurturing. In turn this has created an adult who has put up barriers and pushed the very people she loved away from her. She is unable to recognise this until her world comes tumbling down around her and she’s catapulted into a situation that she could never have imagined.
The characters are written in such a way that you felt that you knew them and that you were there in the setting. I felt a longing for Nora and Gordy to rekindle their relationship and for Nora to keep the love and stability offered by Gordy.
This is a story of bare emotions and sacrifices being made. There is the blossoming of new and renewed relationships creating a sense of belonging. New paths are created and formed giving a feeling of warmth and hope at the end of the story. Mental health issues are dealt with sensitively and highlight how much someone can be struggling behind that smile.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Amanda Prowse for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Really enjoyed this story of sisters reuniting in a crisis and getting their own lives, children: relationships back on track after talking about their past family dynamics and developing their own relationship . Nicely written.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Nora and Gordy are packing up their army residence in Cyprus to return to England wondering if her marriage is over. Nora the finds herself legal guardian to her nephew Ted who is seven years old. She begins to see the world through the eyes of Ted and starts to wonder if it is too late to overcome the barriers she has built up over the years and give her marriage a second chance.

I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this book and found it really difficult to put down! I felt connected to all of the characters and found that it was wrote in a way that was really easy to read. I really warmed to Nora, of who I was a little bit unsure about at the start of the book.

I will keep an eye out to see if there are any more books by this author in the future!

Nora’s childhood was turbulent and lacking in parental attention. She’s grown into an insecure and antisocial woman, not the best characteristics for an army officer’s wife who needs to be able to make new friends and reinvent herself time and time again as they move from posting to posting. The book starts as Nora and Gordy’s marriage hits crisis point and they begin to talk about divorce. But the subject is barely opened before Nora finds herself picking up the pieces of her suster’s rapidly crumbling life.
There’s a lot of emotion in this book. The ups and downs of a long marriage, childhood trauma, adult friendships, parenthood, childlessness, emotional healing. Building relatable, vulnerable characters that the reader cares about is what Amanda Prowse is so good at.
The end of the book felt a bit too tidy - real life isn’t like that - and it seemed like a rush to the finish. Otherwise, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Picking Up The Pieces Amanda Prowse
Another gorgeous book by Amanda Prowse. Great character development, loved it.

Picking up the Pieces was my first book by Amanda Prowse, but won’t be my last. While it was slow at the beginning for me, once I got into it, I really enjoyed it.
Nora grew up without much love and attention from her parents causing her to keep everyone at a distance. She is now at risk of her marriage dissolving. Just as her husband utters the word “divorce”, she receives devastating news about her little sister Kiki. She immediately leaves her troubled life to care for Kiki’s seven-year-old son, Ted.
I really enjoyed this book and the relationships between characters, particularly Nora and Ted. I didn’t so much enjoy the side story about the painting. I felt that it pulled me out of the story each time it was mentioned and I didn’t feel that it added much to the book. Despite this, it was a beautifully written book.
Trigger Warnings: This book takes on some serious topics such as a suicide attempt and depression in some detail.
Thank you so much to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Picking Up the Pieces by Amanda Prowse... Amanda's books seem to be written from the heart and always touch my soul. Picking up the pieces as the story of 2 sisters, Nora and Kiki. As a child, Nora felt unloved, ignored, abandoned, and cast away. When her little sister Kiki is born years later, Nora feels replaced. Both girls suffered a very traumatic childhood for very different reasons, were never close, and grew further apart as adults. Their past has definitely affected their present and when a personal tragedy befalls Kiki, Nora steps in to take care of her nephew Ted. As the sisters rediscover their sisterhood they also began working through the past in order to pave the way of their future. This book deals with the important subject of depression. The strength of friendship and families. Trigger warning-attempted suicide.

This is a hard review to do, as I loved the storyline, the characters and the picture I have in my head of it all combined, but I felt some parts were rushed and some dragged on a bit.

Either way, I love Amanda’s books and feel privileged to live each story by the turn of a page.

3.5stars

Picking up the Pieces by Amanda Prowse was another heart-warming story and was excellent from start to finish, This made it a great page turner. Amanda always writes from her heart and they have always been a 5 star read. This was no different, she never fails to deliver .Picking up the pieces when it takes a tragedy and then turns it around..........for all the family around coming together again. I love the way Amanda portrays how people can have an affect on other people lives even if they don't know they are doing it. You will need tissues and a few minutes when you have finished this book to take in your thoughts.

Every part of this book was excellent and so true to live in some cases.

I highly recommend this book.

Big Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read and review this book.

PICKING UP THE PIECES - Amanda Prowse

Great character study! - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Since losing her parents at a young age, Nora’s life has been lacking an anchor: someone or something to make her feel secure. Her marriage has been her only permanent relationship, and just as even that appears to be fizzling out, a tragedy forces Nora into the role of legal guardian to her seven-year-old nephew, Ted. Faced suddenly with a responsibility she never dreamed of, how can Nora possibly offer the boy the kind of unconditional love he deserves, when she’s never experienced it for herself?

Writing - 4 stars - Prowse always grabs my attention with the first few pages. Although I don't always get drawn into the story right away, I become involved with the characters and find myself struggling right along with them and hoping for their success.

Characters - 4 stars - At first I wasn't thrilled with Nora as a main character. She was so overwhelmingly timid--worried about caring for Ted, worried that she wouldn't "get it right," worried about making any move because it might be the wrong one. So frustrating when it was clear to everyone else that she is intelligent and capable, with a lot of common sense. But I still became intimately involved in her life, understanding her worries and the reasons behind them. Gordy is the supportive husband, but he is also strong and confident, so I think it's likely that he doesn't always understand or agree with Nora's need for isolation and independence. Kiki is a shadowy figure for much of the book, with her personality based on Nora's memories of her as a child and the few interactions they had as adults. It was interesting to get to know her a little better, through her friends and Ted.

Title - 4 stars - The title makes sense. It's about helping Ted (and Kiki) to continue with their lives together after a tragedy. But it's also about Nora finding her way through a marriage (and a lifestyle) that's potentially failing.

Cover - 4 stars - Beautiful colors and tiny figures that draw the eye and make you wonder who they are and what they're doing.

Overall - 4 stars - This was a great character study, watching Nora grow and change as she learned to take on more parenting responsibilities. Not only that, but Nora and Gordy were able to openly discuss their problems, each of them recognizing that they had some changes to make. One of the things Nora realized was that she was in the habit of putting up walls when she felt confused or unsure, even against Gordy. It was nice to watch her blossom with the friendship offered to her by Kiki's friends and to see her enjoyment of her new relationship with Ted. (Loved the Aunty Pickle nickname).

I love Amanda Prowse's books, and this one there with the best of them. Another beautifully written, heart-warming and brilliant book with characters who you feel a deep connection to.
My thanks to the author and Netgalley for my Arc copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

An Amanda Prowse book is a guaranteed great read and this one is no different. Heartbreaking and heartwarming but it left me with a warm fuzzy feeling when all the ends are tied up nicely at the end. This is a book that I wholeheartedly recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Release Date: Jan 10, 2023 - Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Release Date: Jan 10, 2023

Picking up the Pieces by Amanda Prowse is an engaging story that tugged at my heart from the very beginning and stayed with me for quite a while after finishing this book.
The characters are spot on, the story is well written, evocative and at times the plot had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I'm not ashamed to admit that I went through about half a box of tissues as I read this book but truthfully, it was so worth reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Picking up the Pieces and I hope y'all do as well!


Book Rating - 5 STARS!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Amanda Prowse and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a good book which I enjoyed, particularly in the latter half when I began to understand more about the central character, Nora.

A look that focuses on life, duty, marriage and mental health this is an interesting read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another Amanda Prowse smash! I found this a little slow to start with and struggled to warm to Nora and get to grips with the flashbacks and parrallel sorry but once I’d straighten that in my head, I feel in love with Nora! A brilliant story with great characters who all grow and develop and I thoroughly enjoyed it

Nora is at a crossroads. Military wife facing another move, no self worth but much self doubt, marriage becoming stale. Though not close with her sister, she runs to her side when she’s needed and finds a whole new understanding of herself. The importance of family and communication is highlighted.

No one writes heart warming, human emotion like Amanda Prowse. Her books are just so easy to curl up with. Prowse deals with heavy issues in this book; parenting, mental health, marital issues, family dysfunction in a clear, precise manner. Strong relatable characters that suck you in their lives and you become part of.

Thanks to Ms. Prowse, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone

Amanda Prowse never disappoints me. Picking Up the Pieces was another book that delivered. I found the book a little slow to get into. Once I did, I couldn’t put it down. I read the majority of the book yesterday and before that it took me about three days to get thirty percent into the story. It had a bit of a double timeline and it kind of made me drag my feet. I certainly see the reason for the other timeline and we really needed it for the background of the story. It played a part in the ending which I totally loved.

Nora is the older sister and becomes the legal guardian of her sister Kiki’s son Ted. Nora has never had children and decided not to ever be a mother after the way she was raised. She goes into the situation taking care of Ted completely unprepared. She is also dealing with a move and the demise of her marriage. Nora is married to a military man and has moved a lot in her time with him and has never had a stable life. Ted brings a lot of change into her life. She learns from him that she is capable and lovable and deserving of that love. She learns to open up to her sister’s friends that are there to help her out. The little community rallies around Nora and Ted. I love the eclectic characters that are part of Ted’s life.

The setting of the story is in Cypress to start and then moves to the UK. I really enjoy books that take place in areas other than the United States. I learn a little about the country and I often get the urge to do some research on my own. I have some English and Scottish in my DNA and have really taken an interest in books set in these areas. Have you had the same thing happen to you?

If you love family stories that deal with some pretty hard subjects, I highly recommend this book to you. I enjoyed learning about some of the subjects this book dealt with. Although I had some knowledge of some of the subjects, this book gave me little details that I wasn’t totally aware of or at least brought them to the front of my mind. If you are already a fan of Amanda Prowse, you definitely want to read this book. If not, give this one a try. I think you will like it. Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, #Netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing. Thank you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.