Waiting to Begin
by Amanda Prowse
Waiting to Begin
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness?
1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down. Her bright and trusting smile is lost, banished by shame—and a secret she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life.
2021. The last thirty-seven years have not been easy for Bess. At fifty-three she is visibly weary, and her marriage to Mario is in tatters. Watching her son in newlywed bliss—the hope, the trust, the joy—Bess knows it is time to face her own demons, and try to save her relationship. But she’ll have to throw off the burden of shame if she is to honour that sixteen-year-old girl whose dreams lie frozen in time.
Can Bess face her past, finally come clean to Mario, and claim the love she has longed to fully experience all these years?
JENA’S REVIEW
Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amanda Prowse is an international bestselling author of twenty-seven novels published in dozens of languages. And each one of these books is a gem for readers who love to curl up with a story that promises laughter, tears, love and understanding.
“Waiting to Begin” has a clever format, that could be a gimmick, but instead works wonderfully to create a compelling story. We meet Bess on her 16th birthday. A day that her sweet family celebrates in their usual folksy way. Sixteen is always a special birthday, but today is also the day that Beth will receive her O Level exam results. This means she will be able to move forward with her dream of becoming an air hostess. And she has a special boyfriend, and she anticipates celebrating with him. But, by midnight of her birthday, her entire world has crashed down.
We also see Bess on her 53rd birthday. And the story alternates between these two timelines. While still celebrated in the usual way with her parents and family, this 53rd birthday marks another 24 hours for Bess of a life upended. For too many years she has been mired in shame. Will this birthday also end in devastation? Is it too late for Bess to begin?
I was quite moved with this story, even though I did not like Bess and could not really relate to her. And this shows what a gifted writer Ms. Prowse is- because I did believe in the story itself and the power of love and light to win. I couldn’t stop reading this book and Bess’s story has continued to occupy my thoughts. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
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Meet the Author
Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty seven novels and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles ‘What Have I Done?’, ‘Perfect Daughter’, ‘My Husband’s Wife’, ‘The Girl in the Corner’, ‘The Things I Know’ and ‘The Day She Came Back’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.
A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5’s ‘The Jeremy Vine Show’ and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national independent Radio stations including LBC and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, ‘A Mother’s Story’ won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award while ‘Perfect Daughter’ was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016.
Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…
Praise for Amanda Prowse:
‘A powerful and emotional work of fiction’ – Piers Morgan
‘Deeply moving and emotional, Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill’ – Daily Mail
‘Uplifting and positive, but you will still need a box of tissues’ – Hello!
‘A gut-wrenching and absolutely brilliant read’ – The Irish Sun
‘You’ll fall in love with this…’ – Cosmopolitan
‘Deeply moving and eye opening. Powerful and emotional drama that packs a real punch.’ – Heat
‘Magical’ – Now magazine
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About the Author
