We’re delighted to be sharing Laura’s thoughts about Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse.
Jera’s Jamboree receives payments for affiliate advertising. This is at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
- Publisher : Lake Union Publishing (8 Jun. 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 317 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1542023432
- ISBN-13 : 978-1542023436
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?
Waiting to Begin Review
Another great read by Amanda Prowse.
Waiting to Begin is an emotional family drama written as a dual timeline in 1984 and 2021. The main character Bess is married with two children but feels trapped in her life. Looking back at her 16 year old self we begin a journey into how a secret shaped her life.
I enjoyed the dual timeline and alternating chapters.
I felt moved by Bessie and her circumstances. Her character develops well into being the 53 year old woman. Her secret has shaped her relationships with her husband and family.
I was captivated throughout and finished the story over a few evenings.
An interesting read, I have enjoyed many books by this author and look forward to reading more.
Track your Book Stats up to 2030 and Beyond
With its easy-to-use layout and user-friendly design, this Google Sheet Template will help you organize and keep track of your reading.
This spreadsheet holds all the information you’ll need in one place for paperbacks, hardbacks, eBooks and audiobooks. As well as the usual stats of Title, Author, Date Published and reading progress, this book review template has data and ratings for the following:
- series title and number
- characters
- atmosphere
- writing
- plot
- pacing
- world building
- enjoyment
- grading / star rating
Download your copy today and keep a record to transform your love of books into an organized and enriching experience.
Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty five 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’ and ‘The Things I Know’ 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…
