Last year I had the pleasure of reading The Coordinates Of Loss By Amanda Prowse and I absolutely fell in love with the writing style. Despite making a promise to myself to indulge in some of her other novels a stacked TBR pile has meant I haven’t had the chance, so when Amanda contacted me offering a copy of her latest release it gave me the kick up the backside I needed. I promptly pushed The Things I Know to the top of my reading pile, eager to dive in! Today I’m sharing my full review of this latest book from this bestselling author and I hope you enjoy it.
About The Book
Thomasina ‘Hitch’ Waycott loves living and working on the remote family farm and B&B. But she also wants more. To see the world. To own her own home. To fall madly in love.
But those are fairy tales, and if her life is a fairy tale, then she’s the ugly duckling. Her deformed lip, her crooked limbs and her weak heart have kept her from taking chances. But that’s about to change.
When Grayson Potts comes to stay, he’s unlike anyone Thomasina has ever met. He’s aloof, eccentric and exceptionally kind. He’s also totally unconcerned with the physical flaws that have always defined Thomasina.
The two form a bond that neither has had before. It’s possible that it could become something more, but Thomasina also wonders if it’s too good to be true. By putting her heart on the line, Thomasina may open herself to heartbreak. But she may also open herself to so much more.
Review
Hitch wants more. She is desperate to spread her wings and negotiate the world outside of her family’s rural home and become the independent woman of her imagination. Suffocated by her parents love and desire to wrap her in cotton wool she feels trapped and unable to see how she can leave behind the responsibility she has to her family or how she will overcome her anxiety about being ‘different’.
Enter Grayson Potts, a visitor to the farm, whose life appears completely different to Hitch’s on first glance but it soon transpires the two are more alike than they can imagine. With his home in fast-paced London and a high-powered job you’d be excused for thinking he has everything Hitch dreams of, however he is also trapped in a life full of unhappiness and responsibility with no clear way out.
His visit to the farm may be brief, but the seeds are sown for the pair to imagine a life filled with hope and change. Can Hitch and Grayson find a way to overcome the hurdles and challenges that stand in their way to be together and change their lives for the better or will the pull of responsibility prove too much?
Firstly I have to say that I sincerely hope that my review does this book justice as it’s always tricky to find the right words to convey my thoughts on novels I’ve really enjoyed – especially without giving any spoilers!
The Things I Know is a beautifully written heart-warming story of hope, love and overcoming adversity. It’s much more than a love story and deals with a host of serious and heartbreaking issues with the sensitivity that I’ve come to expect from Amanda’s books.
The characters are well-written and most importantly believable, with their struggles anxieties and flaws laid out across the every page making it easy to invest my emotions in their development. I particularly enjoyed the development of Hitch’s character as she continued to gain confidence and belief in herself and her abilities despite her initial doubts. She is such a wonderfully inspirational character who offers an important message to readers that it’s OK to be ‘different’ and to love who you are by being happy in your own skin.
The whole story is such an roller coaster and I think I experienced pretty much every emotion going whilst reading it – I recommend a tissue or two whilst reading as there were a few tears along the way! It’s a real feel-good story that had me enthralled from start to finish, that left me with that warm, fuzzy glow that us book lovers crave.
About The Author
Amanda Prowse likens her own life story to those she writes about in her books. After self-publishing her debut novel, Poppy Day, in 2011, she has gone on to author nineteen novels and six novellas. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and she regularly tops bestseller charts all over the world. Remaining true to her ethos, Amanda writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love tested in ways they never imagined. The most prolific female contemporary fiction writer in the UK, with a legion of loyal readers, she goes from strength to strength. Being crowned ‘queen of domestic drama’ by the Daily Mail was one of her finest moments. Amanda is a regular contributor on TV and radio, but her first love is, and will always be, writing
The Things I Know is available to purchase from Amazon*
Fraser’s Fun House 