This is the first book of Amanda's I've read and I really hoping it wont me my last!! Highly recommended

I loved this book! The characters are so well written and memorable. Hitch/Thomasina is a unique, lovable heroine that will have you rooting for her throughout.

As a rule I love Amanda Prowse’s books. They make me laugh, cry and really think. Whilst I really enjoyed this book, I have to admit it didn’t move me in the same way as some of her others have done. However it was a good story about Thomasina and her journey to finding what she wants from life and love.

Publisher’s description: 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.

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I was really excited to read Amanda Prowse’s “The Things I Know,” but I was a bit disappointed when I really got into it. It started out feeling like a great coming of age story. Thomasina (Hitch) is the main character we’re following throughout, and this is the type of story that has to build, so I took that into consideration.

Where I struggled was that it seemed like even the author was unclear about how old her main characters were. As I read deeper into the story, Thomasina sometimes acted like a moody teenager, sometimes like a 20-something, and sometimes like early 30s. It also took sooooooooo long to get to the climax of the story, and then the whole thing was wrapped up in about three pages followed by an epilogue two years in the future. By the time I got there, I really wasn’t invested anymore.

I have liked previous books by Amanda Prowse, so I’m sure I’ll be reading future books, but this one fell kind of flat for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the charming story of Hitch (Thomasina) who feels as if the instructions had been upside down when she was made resulting in several health issues including a cleft lip, disfigurement to her hand and foot and a heart condition. She loves her family and the family farm but wants to travel and be loved rather than used and ridiculed.
Amanda Prowse has again written a novel where the main character faces adversity and finds courage and strength that she never knew she had. I totally admired Thomasina and her approach to life and how she encounters her desire for more. Amanda's style of writing is engaging and makes a story into which the reader is drawn fro the beginning.
I loved this novel and would totally recommend it

Until I received this novel from NetGalley, with the promise of an honest review, I had seen the author's name but had never read any of her books.

For me, this is a beast of two halves. The story is fine, if slight; two people, both with problems, fall in love. Not much, other than their self-belief, stops them. There’s a cousin and some boys in the village who call her names, and financial problems on the family farm. He is blessed with the mother of all mothers, who dominates his life as though he is a remote-control doll. So far, so good.

It is the prose that I have problems with. It seems to have been written in a massive hurry, presumably with little thought for editing, judging by the number of errors, and often the dialogue is laughable. Read some of it aloud and see what I mean. On the other hand, there are descriptions, particularly at the beginning of the book, and a sense of place, that I highlighted in my copy for their beauty and the images they conjured.

So, in the proverbial nutshell, a pleasant but undemanding story that I found difficult to accept because of the quality of the dialogue and some of the prose.

I was definitely not expecting this to be as good as it was. I adored Hitch and her story. It is a very heartwarming and emotional read. The writing was great and everyone at some point could relate to the characters.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt empathy with the characters and like the air of mystery that surrounded them in the first part of the book . It was maybe a little slow to get going.

A beautiful story of two people coming together in love. Thomasia has a deformed lip and limbs. She is not your typical beauty but has a beautiful soul. When an unexpected guest comes to the B&B she works at she can't help but hope something more can come from it. He is aloof and different. They form a beautiful bond that many can't imagine.

Beautifully written. I was laughing and crying. Heart warming and heartbreaking. Well written and easy to read.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a real feel good book. I seemed to really get the main character Hitch and understood everything she was feeling.
Another hit from Amanda Prowse

You know when you just sit back, and feel your heart swell a few sizes Grinch-style and you just loved every part of the book? That is how i feel, right at this moment. ARcs are very hit and miss, but sometimes you hit gold, and for me this was one of them.

"Because life was all about courage, about making the changes that would make you happy, and taking chances, recongnising oppertunities and being the kid of person who just bought the damn shoes."

This book, this book. It made me cry, it made my heart swell (Grinch-Style). I "watched" how Hitch/Thomsina grew through out the book. She is a person who has a bad cut by her lip up to her nose on one side, and one arm and foot wich isin't very good. So she feels stuck, scared and possibly a little alone util Grayson comes into her life and shows her that for him she's beautiful, she matters and that she should find courage and do what she wants.

Where do I start?! Adversity, bullying, abuse, innocence. She just wants to be loved and accepted for who she is, there’s a pure innocence to Hitch aka Thomasina. Her parents have done what they believe is right, sheltering her from society, but she feels stifled and wants to experience life, to feel. One one hand I see an innocence in her, but on the other a more provocative wily woman. I really enjoyed reading this, and glad how things turned out in the end. Perseverance is key!

Took me a while to get into this book but I really enjoyed it. Another emotional & lovely book by this author that I would recommend to anyone who likes this type of book.

It took me a while to get into this book. I get that the scene needed to be set, but until Grayson arrived, I wasn't enjoying the story. I'm glad I stuck with it because it's one of those stories which you warm to, until I was actively looking forward to what happened next. I liked Thomasina and Grayson, and the way their story developed was lovely. I think how we find Thomasina in the epilogue wasn't really needed (such a plot cliche). The other characters were done well, even if you didn't like them. I loved the way each chapter ended with a list of 'I know ...' If you can't get into it, it's worth sticking with.

Another beautiful tale by Mrs Prowse. This book really should be cheesy and predictable but the story is so well written and with such beautiful characters that the book just shone. Absolutely faultless.

This was a beautiful book. Hitch’s life has been largely defined on the expectation of others and at the cost of her own happiness. One day a strangers walks into her life and turns its head. Could she dare to follow her dreams and become the person she wants. This book shows the resilience and willpower of one courageous woman. A tale expertly told with a powerful message

I was given this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own. This is a true love story between Hitch and Grayson unlike any other. It was a cute story but I did find myself skimming through a few pages here and there only because it was so predictable.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Sigh * This was lovely! I was immediately swept into this one because of the writing and romance. It’s a love story about two awkward people finding each other in the oddest of circumstances. I didn’t want to put it down and I suggest this for a great summer read if your looking for something good!
The farm became something magical and I loved Thomasina bravery and Grayson honesty and they’re chemistry was something really special. It’s wasn’t your normal everyday fairytale but it was theirs. ♥️ ♥️♥️

Favorite quotes:
“ I think you’re beautiful.”
“I know this: he kissed my mouth...he kissed my mouth....he kissed my mouth...X”

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own!

An excellent story of two people coming together and giving each other the strength to become more than they think they can be. Inspirational. People who think they are ugly ducklings can truly rise through their own efforts to become swans.