Book Review: My Husband's Wife by Amanda Prowse

"Once a week, Rosie Tipcott counts her blessings. 

She goes to sit on her favourite bench on the north Devon cliffs, and thanks her lucky stars for her wonderful husband, her mischievous young daughters, and her neat little house by the sea. She vows to dedicate every waking hour to making her family happy. 

But then her husband unexpectedly leaves her for another woman and takes the children. Now she must ask the question: what is left in her life? Can Rosie find the strength to rebuild herself? More importantly, does she even want to?"

Rating: 4/5

You can buy the book now!

I've recently become a fan of Amanda Prowse, but I have to confess that I feel I have to get emotionally ready whenever I know I'm going to be reading one of her novels! I managed to get a copy of one of her recent novels, My Husband's Wife, on my Kindle for review, and so began, wondering what emotional rollercoaster I'd be taken on this time! I was right - it certainly was a hard and emotional read, Amanda managed to tap into the heart of each and every situation she writes about, and this book is no exception.

Rosie thinks her life is pretty perfect. She's happily married to her husband, and the pair have two wonderful children. It's everything she has always wanted, and Rosie feels blessed. However, she finds herself knocked for six when her husband suddenly announces their marriage is over, and that he fallen for another woman, living in their town. Rosie doesn't know how to cope with the shock news, but then things manage to go from bad to worse for her. Does Rosie have the courage to pull herself out from the darkest of times?

This is a heart-breaking story, because as the book goes on, we realise what a safety blanket Rosie's family is for her, and how it is going to break her to have all that ripped out from under her so unexpectedly. I hated Rosie's husband Phil for what he did to her, it was cruel and I just couldn't fathom why he had to do that, and devastate not just Rosie but their daughters too. His actions later on in the book are unforgivable too, and I loved that Prowse's writing evoked such strong emotion in me as I was reading!

Rosie was a wonderful characters, someone who loved her life, and I am sure a lot of women reading this will be able to relate to her. She was content with her lot, never wanting more than she had, and being a good wife and mother meant everything to her, especially after her tough start in life. I hated reading about how everything fell apart for her so quickly, and how the bad things just seemed to get heaped on top of each other, pushing Rosie to a breaking point. It seemed cruel one woman could have such a run of bad luck, but it meant I was really pushing for Rosie to pull her out from under the dark cloud and make something of herself again.

This book was hard to read at times, probably too real for some readers who may have experienced something similar, but Prowse's writing is second to none here, it is beautifully written and handles a sensitive topic perfectly. It conveys the emotion, the heartbreak, the despair of the situation, but ultimately left me with a positive happy feeling, and I felt so proud of Rosie for not giving up, which she could have done so easily. As a mum, I couldn't imagine going through what Rosie did, and I think I would have given up long before she felt she had to. Another triumph for Amanda Prowse, I can't wait to read more from this hugely talented author.

Book Review: A Mother's Story by Amanda Prowse

"Jessica has just had the wedding of her dreams, and now she's setting up a new home with her lawyer husband Matthew. Even better - they are expecting a child.

As they paint the nursery and shop for babygros, she plans for the joy that motherhood will bring. But Jessica's experience is far from joyous. Why isn't she transformed by maternal feelings? Where is the all-consuming love she's supposed to feel for her child?

No-one told her that being a mum was so lonely and terrifying. No-one told her you don't always love your baby. Perhaps it’s best if Jessica keeps that dark secret to herself for now..."

Rating: 5/5

You can buy A Mother's Story as a paperback or an eBook now.

This book is utterly heart-breaking, yet you can't stop reading it. I know that's a pretty powerful thing to start off my review with, but it is entirely true of this book. I didn't really know a lot about it going into the book, but I knew once I was a few pages in, I wouldn't be able to put it down, no matter how hard it got. I didn't bank on it making me sit there in floods of tears, almost unable to read on because I just didn't want to know what was coming next, or how simply heartbroken I would be left at the end of the story. But, despite all this, it is an utterly brilliantly written novel exploring an issue that is by far too taboo in our society, and I commend Amanda Prowse for tackling this within her book.

The book is the story of Jessica. She's recently gotten married to Matthew, and feels like she is living the dream. They have the perfect home, the perfect marriage and Jessica wants everything to stay how it is. When she falls unexpectedly pregnant, the pair excitedly prepare for their new arrival - painting the nursery, buying baby clothes, and enjoying their last few months as just a married couple. When their daughter arrives, Jessica isn't exactly feeling how she thought a new mother should feel. A traumatic delivery has left her doubting everything, and she continues these feelings as she leaves hospital and is left home along with her new baby. But Jessica is terrified - she can't cope alone with her daughter but doesn't know where to turn. She perhaps wishes that her and Matthew had never had their daughter... but she knows this is something she has to keep to herself...

You can probably tell where the theme of this book is going from the blurb of the book, which is of course the subject of post-natal depression. Sadly, it is something that isn't widely talked about in our society, and too many mothers are afraid to admit that there is a problem which is how things are allowed to escalate as they do for poor Jessica. I felt so sorry for her, hiding away her feelings because she knows that what she is feeling isn't "right" or "normal" for a new mum, but doesn't know where to turn. Even when her family confronts her, she's keen to put on a brave face and act tired, not allowing any in to help with her problems. It's actually quite frightening how quickly things turn back for Jessica, and I was almost fearful to read one, scared of how she would act next, knowing that no one was coming to help her because they simply couldn't see what was happening. 

The marriage between Jessica and Matthew is explored in the book too, and it's interesting to read the rapid changes that occur between them from when they are newly weds to when they become new parents. You can see how Jessica feels pushed out, resentful of how her daughter is now taking her husband's attention, but feels awful that she feels that way.  Matthew almost seems blinded to his wife's struggles, but again, is perhaps blinded by his love for his new daughter, and assumes Jessica will soon fall into motherhood. I was desperate for him to notice her struggle, to not push her away because of it, and parts of the book were utterly heart-breaking to read. Jessica wasn't at all to blame for her feelings, but I still felt shocked that she could feel this way.

The narrative of the book is very interesting to read. The story of Jessica's marriage and new motherhood are interspersed with a separate narrative from the present day, of Jessica's time in a psychiatric hospital following the incidents that happen later in the book. You can tell her despair and anguish from these parts, they are incredibly hard to read at times, and you have to wonder how desperate someone can be to act as Jessica did, and not be able to cope with the reality of what she did. As the book goes on, and we get closer to the crux of the novel, knowing something terrible is going to happen, I was fearful of what was coming, but Prowse does it such justice, it is fantastically written, and I was left emotionally bereft as everything came to a massive, emotional climax.

While it was an incredibly draining experience to read this book, it was also a complete privilege because it highlights something we need to understand more, and the fact that we need to be able to talk to women suffering PND and not make them feel wrong for their feelings. Jessica couldn't help how she felt, and couldn't rationalise it either - nor should she have to. It is a terribly misunderstood illness, and if reading this book helps just one woman with PND recognise her symptoms, or even that a friend or family member is struggling with a new baby, then it is worth it.  It is incredibly emotional, very tough to read at times, but entirely gripping, and I was hooked by these characters, wondering exactly how these catastrophic events would turn out by the end. An outstanding, courageous book that I can heartily recommend, but please be aware of the subject matter before you begin, as it is at times an incredibly tough read. 

Book Review: Christmas for One by Amanda Prowse

"As a child, Meg always dreamed of the perfect Christmas...

This year, she can make it come true for her own little boy. There will be turkey and all the trimmings, a glittering tree, and a stocking hung up by a roaring fire. Who cares if there's no devoted husband in the picture? She and Lucas will be just fine on their own.

But then a chance meeting with a stranger in New York unravels everything she's planned. Will Meg finally get everything she wished for? Or will she be alone this Christmas after all?"

Rating: 4/5

You can buy Christmas for One as a paperback or an eBook now.

This is the first of Amanda Prowse's novels that I have ever read, and now I have finished reading her latest festive offering, I know it won't be the last. Complete with a stunningly beautiful Christmassy book cover, Christmas for One was a wonderful read from start to finish, with characters to care about, a sweet love story and also the magic of Christmas thrown in there too. Meg has resigned herself to being a single parent after the death of her fiancé Bill, and works hard at Plums Patisserie, a bakery where she is working her way up the career ladder. When her job sends her to New York City to sort out the new bakery there, she bumps into New Yorker Ed, and the pair strike up a quick friendship. But is that all that New York has to offer Meg, or will she finally spend a Christmas with someone she loves?

New York is certainly a popular setting for books these days, I have read a few this year alone but it doesn't stop me loving the city any less. Meg is visiting at Christmas, and I love the magic of New York at this time of year having visited myself - there's nothing like seeing the Rockefeller Centre tree up close for yourself! Meg is captivated by the city, and she loves exploring, as much as she loves trying to get the New York branch of Plums Patisserie up and running. I really liked how Meg struggled with her work/life balance, feeling very guilty at leaving her young son Lucas behind when she was travelling, but knowing it needed to be done for the business - a lot of mums feel like this, and there's nothing like coming home to your child when you've been away from them! I loved the relationship Meg and Lucas had, so very close and it was heartwarming to read about.

The relationship between Meg and Ed happened very quickly in the book, and I had hoped that nothing would go wrong for the pair because Meg deserved some happiness at last after being so unlucky in her life so far - growing up in care with a mother who didn't really want her, having a baby then losing her fiancé, and although she's finally settled she still would like someone to really love. I kept hoping that Ed wasn't too good to be true, and found myself sprinting through the book to find out how it was all going to end up for the pair. It didn't seem like it could possibly work long-term, with the pair living on either side of the Atlantic, and this really was a sweet love story that I was fully behind.

Amanda Prowse's writing was really enjoyable to read, and I found she got the emotion of the book just right. She tapped into Meg's guilt, love and hope so well that you were really feeling it along with her as you read, and as things took a bit of a turn about 3/4 of the way through the book, you realise Christmas isn't all happiness and jollity, and that for some it is a tough, lonely time. Yes, Ed and Meg's relationship happened very quickly, and almost a tad unrealistically but for me it didn't matter - it just added to the overall magic of the story. I loved this book from start to finish, and really didn't want to put it down until I had got to the last page. A charming festive love story - this most certainly won't be my last book from Amanda Prowse.