I'm happy I requested this book because I discovered a very good writer.
It's a bit slow at the beginning but if you're patient you're in for a great reading experience.
I loved the well written cast of characters, the setting and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A touching story of a young girl "Hitch" who was born with difficulties trying to live out her own fairy tale.

After living on a remote farm her whole life, being protected by her loving family and only having her animals for friends, Hitch knows there must be more to life. When a handsome stranger, who also has some difficulties, comes to stay at her farm her whole world is turned upside down.

This is a beautiful tale of their romance with lots of ups and downs. It'll have you laughing, crying and wishing for a happy ending!

Amanda Prowse certainly knows how to hit you with the feels. This is such an emotional book; it has its high moments where you are smiling along with Hitch/Thomasina. There are moments as well where you just want to cry alongside her.
The book is beautifully written, everything is described perfectly, and you really do feel as if you are there on Waycott's farm! I' v always wanted my own chickens, but I never realised how much work goes into keeping them, I think I will need to employ Thomasina's expertise when the time comes!
Thomasina has lived a very secluded and simple life with her parents on a farm near Bristol. Her life hasn’t been easy due to disabilities that she was born with. She has had to deal with comments and people staring at her deformities all her life; however, she’s had enough of hiding away and wants to spread her wings.
This book shows a young girl overcoming what people think of her and blossoming into the beautiful soul that she is. She really does prove that it is what is in the inside that matters. She is kind-hearted and loving, and that is all that matters. We all have our insecurities about how we look, but we could all certainly learn something from Thomasina! Throw away the shackles, laugh and live life no matter what!
Even though this is a beautiful story; it did take me quite a while to get into it. I think this was mainly due to the size of the chapters. There are only 15 in total over a 300-page book. I’ve said this before about long chapters; I would much rather have short and fast ones, to keep me saying ’just one more chapter before bed’ than to look at the beginning of a chapter and see that it is going to take me 44 minutes to read. I’m more likely to think ‘I don’t have that time to invest I’d best not start a new chapter’. So I progress much slower through a book. Once I did get into the book, I flew through it as the story was so beautiful.
I had a little problem with the ending as some of the events didn’t make sense. Without wanting to give anything away, Thomasina wanted to do something but could only do it if a certain something happened. That thing didn’t happen, but she still got to do the thing she wanted. It felt a bit far-fetched. It was still a lovely ‘happy-ever-after’, but I would have liked to have kept it a bit more real.
Overall, though, a wonderfully emotional book and I would love to follow more of Thomasina and her life, but I get the feeling this was wrapped up nicely, and we won’t be seeing her again, more’s the pity!

Thomasina Hitch Waycott is a young adult who lives with her loving family on a small farm in England near Bristol. “Hitch” was born with some ailments and difficulties, including a cleft lip and palate, that was later awkwardly repaired (and sadly, resulted in the nickname “Hitch”). In spite of all that, she is an active participant on the farm- helping with chores, the B&B guests, and caring for her chicken friends. But sometimes the safe cocoon that her parents have created for her feels too small. The “joys that other people took for granted, like love, marriage, having a friend, and being able to wear high-heeled shoes” seemed a bit out of her reach.

At times, the beauty of the farm, her loyal dog, and her farm work are enough for Thomasina. But, when she is faced with taunts at the local pub, or feels stifled by her parents, she wants more. She keeps a list of what she knows, and one day she begs the universe for help. How can she change? How can she break out of her rut?

And once Thomasina opens herself to possibilities, her world does begin to change. Her brother makes a big change, a B&B guest arrives, and her parents start thinking about the future. Thomasina learns that change can be positive, or it can be very uncomfortable, which is why it is good to have a pair of sparkly red shoes for inspiration.

In the “About the Author” section at the end of this quietly compelling book, we are told “Ms. Prowse writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love test in ways they never imagined.” The author is a prolific writer, although this is the first book of hers (But it won’t be the last!) I have read. Author Prowse is skillful at weaving an emotional story. Inspiring, entertaining, uplifting settings and themes are her canvas where she sets colorful characters that we care about and bond with. Some of the dialogue scenes were a bit long, but this is a readable story that will stick with you.

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for a digital review copy. This is my honest review.

First time reading Amanda Prowse's work and it will not be the last time. The story is endearing, and the writing is impeccable. The descriptions make it so, that you feel as if your standing on the farm watching the whole story unfold before your very eyes. The story starts with the birth of a daughter who felt as if the instructions had been upside down when she was made, and maybe they had lost a part when they opened the box. Yes, it is with charm and finesse that will make you fall in love with Hitch, Thomasina Potts!



Thanks, NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review this delightful story

‘I feel like you’re the kind of person who can find the gaps, fill in the missing pieces and solve the puzzle of my happiness.’

Thomasina "Hitch" Waycott lives and works on her parent's farm, which is also a bed and breakfast, that has been in her family for generations in rural England, across the river from Wales. She's always been treated as "less than" her younger brother. She was born with a cleft palate that was fixed poorly. She also has other medical problems and has been bullied her whole life. Her parents have been over protective. Meanwhile she's getting older and wants to experience life.

Her life changes when Grayson Potts stays at the B & B for a couple of nights. Grayson has his own issues. He has Asperger's Syndrome, has also been bullied his own life.

When this unlikely couple meets for the first time, neither sees the other's imperfections and a growing attraction starts immediately between them.

I loved this book. I loved Thomasina and Grayson's characters. Everything about the book was just right and will definitely speak to those people out there that have ever been bullied. I loved the descriptions of the farm, with its chickens, guard pig - just everything. Even the sad pieces, and there are a few, were handled just right.

I highly recommend.

I received this book from Lake Union Publishing (Amazon Publishing) through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Thomasina and Grayson’s story encourages me that there is hope and good things for people with disability. Thomasina thought she didn’t have any hope to have a romantic relationship. She did and Grayson, even though he has Asperger Syndrome, came out in a big way to lavish love, attention and companionship to our heroine.

The book started out very pessimistic, but things picked up towards the middle of the book. I read this to encourage myself, and am so happy I did. Good read.

Sometimes you just stumble across a book. That was the case for me and I am so glad I did. I thought that this was an absolutely wonderful read. This book is filled with rural charm, harsh reality and an overall feeling of sweetness. Thomasina ‘Hitch’ has a story that will touch your heart. Thomasina has been different since birth. Her challenges may slow her down but they certainly do not stop her. I thought she was very smart, incredibly kind, loving and a hard worker. The book gives you a look into her life, hopes, dreams and fears. I felt it was incredibly eye-opening. So often, people are labeled and fenced in by expectations (or a lack of). This is even worse for those with differences. My heart simply ached for Thomasina. Her loneliness, the desire for more and her yearning to truly live were almost tangible as you read through the book. The book is very well written and read easily. Thomasina's world was so well developed that I felt I could feel the heat from the stove, feel the crunch of the frosted grass under my feet and smell the wonderful meals that Thomasina cooked. This emotional read will put your own emotions through their paces as the story unfolds, and what a beautiful story it is.

This is beatiful written story that will pull on your heartstrings. It is a heartwarming story that is filled with hope and happiness, sadness. I truly enjoyed reading about Grayson and Thomasina. The characters are two people who don't quite fit in and who are different. It was a page turner and kept my interest through out the story.
I vouluntairy read and reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you you NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union publishing for letting me read this story.

Unfortunately I will say this book was not for me. It was sadder than I expected and way too repetitious. Thomasina “Hitch” is trying to find her way but is weighed down by her parents’ who love her but underestimate her. She was born with physical ailments and her parents have held her back instead of helping her to reach her full potential and follow her dreams. After her brother leaves the family farm she feels unable to pull away herself. Until she meets Grayson. He is a little different himself and also finds himself weighed down by the weight of his own very different family obligations. Together they help each other realize their full potential and find their own self confidence. Of course it’s not that easy. Thomasina is stuck and the reader follows her as this weighs heavily on her. I think I expected this to be more heartwarming and sweet than it was. It’s very sad reading how awful Thomasina and Grayson’s circumstances are and frustrating how slowly they work on changing anything. I have not read anything by this author before but I don’t think her writing is for me. This was just too much of a bleak novel for me. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The thing I know about The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse is that you have to read it. Now. This story is miraculous, sweet and tender. It’s so warm and full of heart, so full of characters that you will love and hate, hope for, get impatient with, feel grief, sadness and despair with, and revel in their joy. The contrast in settings is stark – Thomasina in the lush, beautiful country at the B&B and Grayson in the what can only be described as squalid city – and both feel so real you can imagine you are there.

Grayson and Thomasina may seem odd and quirky at first – and they are – but they are also the people we should all aspire to be: strong in their beliefs, truthful, kind. We are the ones not in sync, not them. They have such open conversations, no sarcasm, no mocking, no hidden meaning. Questions asked are sincere. They are honest, and honesty might hurt, but they have nice hearts.

Thomasina’s life is about to change. Things haven’t worked out as she hoped but it’s been a life she’s enjoyed and she is comfortable and cared for. With her parents selling the B&B what will become of her? Oh, yes, she’ll survive and be taken care of, but is this the final door slamming on her dreams? Grayson is amazing at his job, has a gift for it, but he wants more. And he wants to escape. But he made a promise long, long ago and how can he even think of breaking it? Even to be with Thomasina, who instantly seems like an old friend he never knew he had.

Grayson has the mind of a computer and the heart of a poet. At one point he says, “It’s not that I’m afraid of her, more afraid of doing the wrong thing. And not just doing the wrong thing, but the wrong thing in front of you.” Doesn’t this just perfectly capture how we all often feel? Thomasina keeps a journal of “The Things I Know.” A very insightful and courageous journal. And both Grayson and Thomasina agree that time is passing and life doesn’t come to you – you have to chase it. And they show their courage by facing their fears and doing just that. They know who they are and who they want to be, they have dreams and desires and goals. Even though they have been beaten down and ridiculed and held back, they persevere. They are hard-working and determined, not perfect, but not afraid to acknowledge their flaws, either. And willing to acknowledge in their hearts that the happy-ever-after ending might not be theirs in the end.

The Things I Know reminds me of an old book and movie - The Enchanted Cottage. Oliver and Laura see only the beauty in each other and it changes them. The same is true of Thomasina and Grayson. When I learned the origin of Hitch’s nickname I shuddered, and when Grayson refused to call her Hitch and asked her to tell everyone her name is Thomasina he captured my heart.

The Things I Know is a love story, but with some hard truths, full of hope and redemption for some of the characters, and a story of change and facing your fears no matter what. It is a wonderful, marvelous, magical book and I want everyone to read it and experience the joy I did. Thanks to author Amanda Prowse and NetGalley for providing an advance copy for my honest review.

I found this book to be boring and not really for me. There just didn't seem to be anything I wanted to connect to and there was nothing that made me want to keep reading other than my own inability to leave things unfinished. It was an easy, quick read, but I just didn't warm to the characters.

Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors of all time so I was so excited to get the chance to review her new book. I found it a little slower to get going than previous books but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down (so much so I finished it in one day!).
Another heart-warming read from a truly great author. I love the way Amanda draws you into the characters, I always get a warm fuzzy glow having read one of her books. Many thanks to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing and Amanda Prowse for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew when I started reading this book, that I would get my heartstrings tugged at, more than once, it being an Amanda Prowse book. I was right :)

Thomasina "Hitch" is a woman living on a remote farm who has had to overcome more challenges than most. Her parents, not surprisingly, have wanted to wrap her up in their love and make sure that she is safe, at all times. Of course, love can feel smothering sometimes and it takes her parents a little while to realise that Thomasina is a grown woman and capable of much more than they give her credit for. Grayson Potts is the man who comes to stay at her family B & B and within hours, it is clear that the two of them have a very special bond. He has also not had the easiest life, has also been bullied and been made to feel "less than".

Gray and Thomasina are such lovely people and I wanted to throw my arms around the pair of them and make sure that neither of them are hurt again. However, real life is not like that and they have a lot of things to get through, both separately and together. Overall though, this book is full of hope and love, and pushing through and achieving great things - just wonderful.

Loved everything about this book.

I don't often give 5 stars for my reviews, but this novel was worth each one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

The Things I Know is the delightful story of two misfits who happen to find each other. Thomasina has always been called Hitch because of her scar from cleft palate surgery. The nickname is used affectionately by her adoring but over-protective farming parents, but to her it begins to stand for all that she wants to change about her life. She knows she’s not the disabled and slightly slow girl that everyone thinks they know, although she does acknowledge she is “a little bit different, like someone held the instructions upside down or lost a part when they opened the box.” Hitch nevertheless has adventure and ambition in her heart – but no-one will give her the chance to shine.
Then she meets Grayson. He is socially inept, shy and awkward, yet holds down a good job at the bank because of his brilliance with numbers and patterns. He also has a poetic, elegant, slightly old-fashioned way of speaking which, as it did for Thomasina, totally won me over. She talks about the “beautiful eloquence of his words.” In a way, both Grayson and Thomasina are innocents and their conversations are refreshingly open, honest and totally devoid of artifice. As a result, reading this was like a breath of fresh air.
Their relationship is not without its difficulties – they live miles apart for one thing, and he has the mother from hell, for another. But together they start to make things happen. Hitch’s first step is to insist on being called by her real name, Thomasina. The book is about relationships and love, but mostly about triumphing and rising above. It’s also about how sometimes we just need someone else to help us do this – as Aristotle put it, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

I am writing this review with tears flowing down my eyes. Every single line of this book resonated with me. I could see myself in the main character Thomasina, who was born a little different with a cleft lip, weak heart, and deformity of hand and foot.

Operated in childhood for the cleft lip, the doc did a terrible job with suturing and she was nicknamed Hitch for that scar. Thomasina was on medications and was protected by her parents on their farm. She lived a closed life, but her dreams were open and big and as vast as the skies (mine are too). Her life was lonely with most seeing her outward appearance and not her heart.

Then came Grayson, a man who was probably on the spectrum, but who knew what he wanted and he never lied. He wanted Thomasina forever and ever. This was their story, honest and true and oh so filled with love. 2 people just perfect for each other who could see beyond what this world labeled as imperfections.

I have read most books by Ms. Amanda Prowse, and the best are those which make me cry and where I see myself in her characters. I cried and cried and I am still crying while writing this review. Ms. Prowse's writing was superfluous, the emotions in each word had me choking.

Thomasina and Grayson had their own problems, they lived and worked in different parts. Their lives intersected and they found each other. Their hearts beat as one. But they had their own responsibilities, and it took great courage and a willingness to change to live their love.

Innocence was never better written, dreams never better foretold. I sighed and swooned over the lines in this book. I could hardly see my kindle with eyes that were constantly getting blurred.

Ms. Prowse took my heart in her hands with this story. She covered it with hope for a brighter tomorrow, she gave my heart wings to fly and my dreams to soar. I could keep going on about what I saw in this book. It was an experience seen and read with an open mind.

No truer words have I ever spoken than these
Ms. Amanda Prowse is the queen of emotions. She is the only author in this world who can make me cry and smile at the same time. My favorite forever.

What a wonderful story and couple.
I loved this book and story about life, differences between us all but the reminder that we are much more than the eye can see and some people deserve much more than they get.
We take a journey with a girl that becomes a woman, Thomasina, that her life isn’t easy at all, she has to go through so many bad times since childhood but she still finds the power to stand up for her and be happy with her animal friends and her family. She dreams to travel and see the world, misses her brother that went to New York to change his life, and she only wants to live her life happy and be wanted,
Grayson was a great addition to the story, another soul that was hurt by the world and was looking for a few days of forgetting about his life and their time together was what exactly each one of them deserved.
It was my first read by the author but won’t be the last for sure.

A first by me from this author! Thank you Netgalley and the author for my ARC in exchange for my honest review! This heartwarming love story of two people who have found life so difficult yet they stayed strong and pushed through so much and never gave up. I laughed and cried so much! This story touched a place feel in my heart I will not soon forget! I couldn't put this book down and read in half a day! A true jem! This books makes you appreciate all you take for granted. I look forward to much more from this author as she has such a well crafted gift I'm left dying for more! A must read!

“The Things I Know” is Amanda Prowse’s latest novel and fans of her earlier works will not be disappointed. Thomasina (Hitch) lives at Walcott farm in the English countryside with her family, but wants to find her place in life. She longs to follow her younger brother to the United States and discover happiness (as well as love). But unlike many girls who long for similar things, Hitch has many disabilities that make escaping her life on the farm all the more difficult. Because of constantly being picked on throughout her life, Hitch relates more to animals than people.

Grayson Potts comes to the farm and sees the person Hitch has the potential to be. Grayson has his own personal struggles, though I thought for purpose of the novel, they could have been developed as well as Hitch’s issues. Grayson and Hitch develop a friendship, but you know that after a few hurdles, they are going to fall for each other by the end of the book. Yet instead of relying upon clichés, Amanda’s Prowse’s vivid descriptions and colorful characters bring this story to life. Hitch is quite a likable character and it was easy to relate to her “ugly duckling” feelings, especially with her journal entries included at the end of each chapter. “The Things I Know” is a quick and easy read with a ending that is guaranteed the majority of its readers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read this easily relatable tale.

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book.

Thomasina "Hitch" Waycott was born with a cleft palate, a hand that doesn't quite look right, and a foot that curls the wrong way. She lives on her family farm with her Mom and Dad, doing the daily chores that need to be done. She can't wait for the day that her younger brother, Jonathan, comes back home from college where he's studying farming. It will be a relief to all of them to have his help. Since Jonathan has been gone, Hitch's cousin Emery has come to be an extra set of hands to help out at the farm and the Bed and Breakfast they run out of their home, just for additional income. Emery is so mean to Hitch, calling her horrible names and being downright mean. Hitch sees right through Emery's wily ways.

Then, one day, Jonathan calls her up with exciting news! When he finishes school, he's going to go work on a farm in America! (Wait, what! That wasn't "Hitch's" plan! Jonathan is supposed to come help her run the farm so Momma and Dad can retire!)

Emery takes advantage of this and starts doing everything he can to get in the good graces of his uncle, but "Hitch" is on to him and let's him know it's never going to get into his hands, "Hitch" just doesn't know how to stop it.

Then one day, they have a guest named Mr. Potts come stay at the Bed and Breakfast, and the whole world changes!
#NetGalley #TheThingsIKnow