EXCERPT: .....she did what she always did in this situation: drank more coffee, stared at the Grecian-blue horizon, and wished she wasn't so damn lonely. Maybe Sophie Cosworth was right: it was easier to make friends if you could join a mummy-club, but if everyone in that club was as fixated with their kids as Jasmine and her crew were, Nora knew she wouldn't fit in anyway. Besides, how did that work? Choosing friends based on the fact that you'd all managed to reproduce? It really was as ludicrous as it sounded. She had friends from university whom she rarely saw but knew that if ever she were in Colorado or Milton Keynes, she could look up her old roommates and be assured of a friendly welcome and a bed for the night. But the kind of mate she could call up for a chat, meet for coffee, turn to for advice? They were a bit thin on the ground. She saw the fact that she was not quite one of the gang as further proof of her oddness, and it hurt.

ABOUT 'PICKING UP THE PIECES': As Nora and her British Army officer husband, Gordy, pack up yet another home and leave the sun of Cyprus for the drizzle of England, she can’t shake a feeling of regret—at her failure to follow her own dreams, but also, if she’s honest, at having ended up an officer’s wife at all, drifting through a life of temporary homes and temporary relationships.

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?

But as she navigates the precarious and unfamiliar world of parenthood, Nora begins to see herself through Ted’s eyes, as someone worthy of love and even joy. When she’s welcomed into the previously intimidating huddle of mums at the school gate, she has to wonder: is it too late to smash down the other barriers she’s built—and to have a second chance at a happy marriage with Gordy?

MY THOUGHTS: I can always rely on finishing an Amanda Prowse book with a big smile on my face and my tear ducts in overdrive. Picking Up The Pieces was no exception. I felt all the emotions as I was reading - more than once.

I loved Nora's character; she is initially prickly and standoffish, unsure of both her place in the world and her future. She is not close to and is resentful of her only and much younger sister, Kiki.

But when Kiki is rushed to hospital, Nora finds herself suddenly responsible for her beguiling young nephew Ted. Never having been, nor ever having wanted to be a parent, Nora is out of her depth. How does she relate to this child who has only an occasional and tenuous relationship with his father, who is not to be relied on, and who is now also without his mother? And what does she say to the question, 'When's mummy coming home?', a question she cannot begin to answer.

Gordy, Nora's almost estranged husband is a wonderful character, as are all Kiki's friends, who surround Nora with support and friendship despite her best efforts to push them away.

This unplanned parenting experience, with all that it brings, will either make or break Nora. Which will it be?

Amanda Prowse has written a beautiful and touching book that has something in it for all of us. It deals with mental health problems, the isolating effects of depression, and the value of friendship.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#PickingupthePieces #NetGalley

I: @mrsamandaprowse @amazonpublishing

T: @MrsAmandaProwse @AmazonPub

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #romance

THE AUTHOR: Amanda Prowse was a management consultant for ten years before realising that she was born to write. Amanda lives in the West Country with her husband and their two teenage sons.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Picking up the Pieces by Amanda Prowse for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Nora's career military husband has just received another promotion and they are about to move yet again. She has lacked grounding since her childhood. Her parents were cold and uncaring. Her grandmothers weren't particularly nurturing. Her marriage seems be be crumbling and she keeps potential friends at an arm's length. Suddenly this shaky world is completely upended because her distant sister has a medical emergency and Nora needs to go take care of her young nephew.

This break from her normal life forces Nora to accept help from others. She starts facing her problems and begins to understand how her early life affected her current life. Ted, the nephew, needs her unwavering support.

The colliding circumstances make Nora come out of her shell and start reaching out. She realizes what she truly wants from her life and takes the necessary steps to bring about the changes.

This book allows the reader to feel her despair and cheer her advances to having a full and loving life; all the while nurturing her nephew, her sister, and new relationships.

Well written, well thought out and engaging story.

I received an advance copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Dear Amanda,

Yet again you have written a story that not only pulled at my heartstrings, but your insightful knowledge into such a delicate subject has inspired me to start every conversation with a few words of kindness.

Nora faced many difficulties during her childhood which left her feeling isolated and unloved. Being an army wife and having no permanent base has also contributed to her sense of being insignificant. But Nora’s ordered life is about to change! Her husband has just muted the word “divorce” when she receives a call that she is needed to take charge of her seven year old nephew, Ted.

I became so involved with Nora, Ted and Gordy that I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting. As Nora begins to trust her own instincts when it came to caring for Ted, I could sense the wall that she had built to protect herself falling slowly away brick by brick. My heart melted at how Gordy took Ted under his wing and the way he and Nora drew strength from each other.

What I appreciated most about this story is the way the women at the school gates bring Nora into their circle. Their friendship and kindness towards her, and each other is like a shining beacon which beckoned me to come and join them.

Mrs Prowse tackles a tough subject head on but with a sensitivity that ensures her crown as a top selling author remains in place!

What a fabulous read!

Amanda Prowse is just fabulous at writing about friendships and relationships, and I felt like this book just went to a whole new level with the way it was covered and the theme it followed.

I always know that when I pick one of Amanda’s books up, the characters will find their way into my heart and I just cannot let them go. This book did exactly that with so many of the characters that I met along the way.

I just wanted to grab Nora and hug her throughout this book! I love her character so much and at times I have cried for her, and with her throughout her story.

Another fabulous read from the very fabulous,Amanda Prowse

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. It is a heartwarming read but does also deal with some sensitive issues as well , making it a perfect book in my opinion. I must admit that I struggled to gel with Nora in the first half of the book, not sure why but did adore her by the end! The ending ties up beautifully and I did shed a few happy tears. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for this author’s other books. 5 stars from me.

Second chances!

Ever fall in love with a story? Well it’s rare for me to be totally smitten by a story. But with this I was. A story that draws you in, reveals and holds your hand as you stand in the shoes of an abandoned child, a broken marriage, and the rediscovery of family and friends and joy.
Leonora’s parents had been wildly in love, ultra bohemian, and her father a talented artist. They’d died in a car accident, an accident their six year old daughter Nora was sure would happen. Not the accident per se, but that something bad would happen.
Years later their father’s old patron, Santiago Agosti, is trying to trace Leonora and Kiki. He wants to give a painting of their father’s to them before he dies. This continues to play out through the story.
Meanwhile, now an adult, Nora, is completely blindsided when she receives a phone call saying her sister Kiki was in hospital and her seven year old nephew Ted needed help. Kiki had named Norah as Ted’s guardian.
Nora ‘s husband Gordy is with the army. They’re stationed in Cyprus and about to ship back to Wiltshire, England to take a promotion. Not only that, their marriage has hit a down turn and they’re drifting apart. Nora doesn’t fit into the role of army wife that well. Oh, she follows the drum but can’t relate to the other wives. Gordy’s mentioned divorce. All that is sidelined as Nora rushes to England for her sister and nephew’s sake.
A story of facing the realities of life, of second chances and emphasisng the need for a community to help and hold you. A timely book of hope that shows we are all wounded. I loved it.

An Amazon, UK ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

The prologue starts with a very young Leonora and an old gentleman called Senor Agosti taking her back to bed when she’d got up scared in the night. The stories of Leonora / Nora and Senor Agosti then become clear as the book begins.

Nora and her army office husband are leaving Cyprus to be stationed back in the UK – and having relatives who’ve lived in forces accommodation – the descriptions of them and the furnishings are perfect! Their relationship is not great – but all of that is put on the back burner when Nora’s sister Kiki has a crisis, and Nora has to go and look after her nephew, Ted. Nora and Kiki don’t not get on – but just haven’t really been in each others lives much – so Nora and Ted don’t really know each other at all. Nora also hasn’t had her own children – so dealing with a seven year old is a whole new ball game for her.

The book looks at familial relationships – and siblings who perceive their own individual ‘truths’ from their upbringings (oh how relevant #WilliamandHarry) – along with the power of friendships. Exploring mental health issues is obviously something close to the author’s heart – and she’s been open about her own son’s issues with depression and suicidal thoughts – and that is very evident in the powerful and ‘real’ descriptions of Kiki’s own troubles in this book.

Interspersed with the main storyline of Nora’s family – there is also a series of chapters and letters from Senor Agosti trying to track down Nora and Kiki to return a painting to them that their father did when they were children. This is a lovely other strand to the book – and I do wonder what happens to M&M after the book finishes. Maybe a sort of sequel?!

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Picking Up The Pieces and would definitely recommend it.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I enjoyed this book but did find it to be quite long winded. I liked the exploration of the relationships between different family members - especially the 2 sisters. The parts in the past were quite strange and although added to the modern story, weren’t my favourite part of the book.

I've loved every book written by Amanda Prowse and this was no exception although it did take me longer than usual to get fully into it and there were some slow parts here and there in the book. However, this didn't detract from what was an excellent story. Two sisters with damaged past lives. Nora, a military wife never really settling in each place she and her husband moved to and Kiki with mental health issues. Kiki's little boy, Ted, is adorable and some of his 'moment's were really touching. I was rooting for this family throughout as they faced past and present issues and wondering and hoping that they would find the love and stability that was denied them as children. A lovely story with a mix of humour, sadness, hope, healing and love. I thoroughly recommend it. My thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC which I happily and voluntarily review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this thought provoking book

this was a first for me by this author and i have to say it wont be the last

i have to admit struggling at first with this book but then all of a sudden i was pulled right into the storyline and very much invested in the lives of nora and kiki

i dont want to give to much away but how the author handled the sensitive issue of mental health within this storyline was very illuminating and brought the reader to more understanding of what people feel and go through and the uphill battle that everyday people face

but this storyline is more than that its also about relationships from every generation and its about families and friendships

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

How sad for your childhood memories to be of feeling unwanted, unloved because your parents were so in love with each other and their lifestyle. Leonora (Nora) grew up this way and her parents untimely deaths led to her building walls to keep from getting hurt - even walls for her husband Gordy. When her much younger sister Kiki attempts to take her own life, Nora who's husband has just mentioned divorce, goes to her sister's home to care for her nephew, Ted, while Niki recovers. Nora learns a lot about herself during the weeks she is with Ted and the unhappy circumstance that brought everyone together makes them all stronger.

I’m always happy to immerse myself into an Amanda Prowse book, a wonderful read with perception and emotion!
Picking Up the Pieces is cleverly written to show Nora’s life as a military wife to her husband Gordy. The storyline follows Nora’s feelings and thoughts on moving around, not having a sense of belonging and what happens to her self esteem as life goes on!
Life changes when Nora is called on to support her sister and nephew.
Amanda Prowse has delved into mental health, how our adult life can be tainted by our upbringing and gives questions and answers to some of life’s mysteries.
The characters are relatable and warm and leave the reader feeling a part of the story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing, NetGalley and the amazing Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nora and her husband Gordy are struggling in their marriage. She wonders if she was wrong not to pursue her dreams instead of becoming an Army Officers wife. Losing her parents at a young age and not having anyone who made her feel secure and loved, she has chosen not to have children. When a tragedy forces her to become the guardian of her nephew, she is not sure she is able to take care of and love him. Can she let go of her feelings from the past and be a temporary mother to her nephew and have a second chance at a happy marriage!


Thanks to Amanda Prose and Lake Union Publishing!

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounded very interesting. As I began reading I got a sinking feeling that it was not going to work for me. I continued anyway and still was not interested. Nora is just too unconnected for me. Gordy has no backbone. I realize it’s probably all part of the story but I can’t get past my lack of interest in the characters. Also the use of the f word is an automatic DNF for me. I did continue to read 2 more chapters and it popped up again. I will not be finishing the book.

I have loved allof Amanda's books and this did not disappoint.
This story deals with some emotional hard-hitting topics which made me laugh and cry!
I loved Noras relationship which grew with Ted, my favourite characters for sure!
Heartbreaking sweet and funny emotional this story left me all warm inside, after reading in one sitting!
Thank you to the publisher and the author for my advance copy in return for an honest review

Another fantastic book by author Amanda prowse. Very character driven! Thank you for another great read.m

What a magical book. My heart is heavy, yet happy! I cant even put into words how this book touched my heart. Dealing with mental health issues in such a touchful way..beautiful. I cant tell you
How much you have to ready this book...once you do... you will feel the magic.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Amanda Prowse is a fantastic writer so when I was accepted to read this ARC early I couldn't have been happier. This was such a beautiful story and I couldn't put it down. This book will pull at your heartstrings and will make you get emotional but it is worth it. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Thanks NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC early.

Amanda Prowse knows how to combine different subjects and make the connections seamlessly.
This latest tackles a rocky marriage, grappling with the past, and mental health.
It’s a touching, tender story about two sisters who reach out to finally connect and one sister has to decide whether she wants to save her marriage to her career army husband.
Her story demonstrates that while our pasts shape us they do not define us.
I enjoyed reading this book and I couldn’t wait to find out what harkened.

A wonderful book. A rollercoaster of emotions, tears for me at times. Just beautifully written, I was carried along with all the characters with their different perspectives of the story. I loved Nora's relationship with Ted, and how it grew. It was an insight into depression for me, and I feel like I understand it more. Thank you Amanda, for the hours where I can just sit and read your fabulous stories.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an early copy. I give my honest opinions.
I absolutely loved it.