When I first started reading the book I thought it was slow moving. As the story progressed I realized that the author included all the back story to help layer the story. This is a tale of a young women who grew up with her maternal Grandmother after the death of her Mother by drug overdose. When her Grandmother passes away she discovers she did not now her Grandmother as well as she thought.

As Victoria tries to unravel the past she finds herself making foolish decisions. She allows her anger at those she feels betrayed her to push away her friends at the time she needs them the most.

It is a novel abut what family is and how we define ourselves by the stories others tell us. I enjoyed this novel greatly and the deep backstory added to the telling of Victoria's story.

On the day that Victoria buries her beloved grandmother, Primrose, she finds out that she has been lied to since she was a little girl.

Victoria needs to find it in her heart to forgive her grandmother if she is to ever trust anyone again, whilst at the same time trying to connect with the mother she thought she had lost.

I did feel sorry for Sara, I really do not think I could ever give up on my child. However, Amanda always looks at every angle and her strong argument and sympathetic handling of the story really made me think. Although I was so disappointed in Primrose, at the same time she earned my respect in facing up to the reality of the situation and sticking to her guns in order to protect her granddaughter.

I loved how the heart of letter writing was used to bring Victoria closer to her mother.

I went through every emotion reading this book, disbelief, anger, heartbreak and hope.
Amanda Prowse has once again reached into her heart and come up with a story that you just know as the touch of truth about it.

Victoria is shocked when Sarah claims to be the mother her just deceased grandmother told her was dead. Primrose always said that she raised Victoria because Marcus introduced Sarah to drugs and she ODd. Now, Victoria is 18, without her loving grandmother and quite adrift. She is lucky to have Daksha as a friend- a friend who is not only supportive but who also tells her hard truths. Keep in mind as you read this that Victoria is 18 and her world has turned upside down. She goes on a hunt - blundering in some spots- for the truth about her past. This moves between the UK and Norway; the settings are quite evocative. It's a good family secrets and lies read supported by wonderful storytelling. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a page turner with some surprises in store for the reader.

A truly beautiful story that had me in tears from the get go. Victoria is a great character who you have so much love and empathy for and can really feel her pain.

Amanda Prowse

The Day She Came Back
Blur
When her loving, free-spirited grandmother Primrose passes away, Victoria is bereft, yet resilient—she has survived tragedy before. But even her strength is tested when a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead.

As the two women get to know each other and Victoria begins to learn more about her past, it becomes clear that her beloved grandmother had been keeping life-changing secrets from her. Desperate for answers, she still struggles to trust anyone to tell her the truth.

To live a full and happy life, Victoria knows she must not only uncover the truth, but find a way to forgive her family. But after so many years, is trusting them even possible?
My review

Amanda's books are so well written this book takes you on an emotional journey how would you feel if you suddenly find out your mother was not dead that's what happened to Victoria at her Grandma's funeral this book takes you on it and a very emotional and more journey with Victoria to find out what happened to her mother Amanda writes with such passion you can feel the emotions that she is writing about you can feel the pain that Victoria is going through you are took on the journey between her Grandma and her mother what happened in the past the letters that you read are very real and very more you get to see how Mother's feels and what happened in the past you go on Victoria journey with her to learn how she feels have to her grandmother died finding her first boyfriend to fubdung out about her mother but was it her first love was she just being used what did you think I like how the book took you through the different stages of grief and what happens I would recommend this book to you all this is a very interesting read and it is very good from the first few lines of the book and it was going to be an excellent read only took me a day to read and I really really enjoyed it and Amanda has got great writing skills and you are pulled into the story I did not want it to end I just had to carry on needed to find out what happened I recommend to you all Amanda us one of my most read authors 5 stars

This is a Netgalley ARC review. All opinions are solely my own.

Amanda Prowse is a master at her craft. The Day She Came Back will take you on the roller coaster of human emotions as she explores a family secret and how far a mother will go to protect her family.

Victoria's life is the result of decisions made by her mother and grandmother. When her world is turned upside down she is forced to deal with the falsehoods her life has been built upon. She is forced to grow up quicker than any of us want to in so many different ways. This book shows that process. There were moments in this book I was wanting things to progress faster but I know that Mrs. Amanda Prowse will get us to where we need to go.

This book also shows the complexity and beauty of friendship. I love the relationship between Victoria and Daksha. When Daksha said, "It's a face I love, and I probably know it better than you because I look at it more." I was entranced. That sums up true friendship so well. We all need a friend in our life that can take one look at us and read our mood and know what to do.

We all read books through the lens of our own experiences. For me there are two passages that rocked my core. "...hate and recrimination are big things and if you let them fill you up it brings you the opposite of peace because if you hate it takes all of your energy-and that's such a waste; how can you live life weighed down like that?" This is so hard to see when you're in that moment but the truth of this is amazing. "I always thought that if it was ever possible to meet my mum, in heaven or whatever, I would run to her and fall into her arms and she would hold me tight and we'd never let each other go. And it would feel like coming home..." Yes. If I could see my momma one more time this is exactly what I would do.

I think I will never tire of devouring Amanda Prowse's works. She really touches my heart in ways I didn't know it needed.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Victoria's beloved grandmother Prim has passed away and she has been left feeling very much alone as Prim was the only family she's had. Victoria's mother died of a drug overdose when she was a baby and her father also died before she was born.

After Prim's funeral, a woman turns up and tells Victoria that she is her mother and Victoria is left in shock, anger and disbelief. How could her beloved Grandmother lie to her all these years? Why did her mother abandon her and go along with such a lie? Why has she suddenly turned up?

This book is another fantastic read by Amanda Prowse, who takes domestic dramas and spins them into fantastic stories that are not only relatable but tug at your heart strings and connect you to others and help you understand what others have to go through. This book was no exception and draws you in from the first few chapters.

Victory is yours for 180 💋 kisses: emotion-provoking gem💎

😪😤🤗😌 What can I say other than fantastic, full of tears and frustration: such a rollercoaster of emotions as 18 year-old Victoria finds her whole existence upended. Yes, she does some cruel, neglectful and even stupid things when she can't cope. She has trouble distinguishing those who care for her and support her versus those who would exploit her in her grief. At times I really did not like her but, then, I've never been in her shoes.

I am a big fan of author Amanda Prowse whose work I just discovered in 2019.
Her novels are just that much more poignant and thought-provoking so that they rise above the typical well put together novel. They pull me in and, as they draw to a close I feel lifted somehow. I loved this story despite the hard lessons it teaches and the heart-wrenching choices made all in the interests of an innocent child's welfare. And the ending is the perfect cherry topper to this literary treat😋.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

How would you feel if your whole life had been a lie ? This is the case for VIctoria. She was told her whole life that her mother had died when she was a baby. But when Victoria's grandmother passes away, Victoria's mother shows up. This is a beautiful story of love, loss, lies and hope. This story will lead you through Victoria's path of finding her truth and making a life for herself. True Amanda Prowse perfection.

Amanda Prowse does it again!
Victoria has grown up with her grandmother her whole life, as her mother died when she was only an infant. However when Prim, her grandmother dies somewhat unexpectedly, more truth and secrets are revealed. I truly enjoyed this story and Victoria’s journey to rebuild what she thought her life was. Very well done.

Victoria and her grandmother Prim only have each other - Victoria’s father died before she was born & her mother shortly afterwards & her grandfather died several years before. When Prim dies unexpectedly, Victoria is left bereft. The support of her best friend Daksha, even when Victoria snaps at her, is fabulous (everybody needs a Daksha) but when a woman shows up at Prim’s funeral, claiming to be her mother, Victoria’s life is turned upside down.
Faced with the knowledge that her beloved grandmother may have been lying to her, Victoria struggles to cope. In her heartbreak & confusion, she pushes away those closest to her and acts uncharacteristically, but soon realises that there are people who love her & have her best interests at heart – even Gerald the “courgette man” and Bernard the traitor-handyman.

The author develops the characters very well. Victoria was captured in her teenage awkwardness well in the early days though it was more like the portrayal of a 15 yr old than a just-left-school 18 yr old … unfortunately had Victoria not been a legal adult when her grandmother died, the story wouldn’t have been able to progress the way it did. Prim came alive, both in the early pages of the book & in the later letters – I can totally imagine that twinkle in her eye! Sarah develops well and we see hurt, excitement, fear and worry as the relationship with Victoria changes and evolves.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the characters, but it was a little predictable and without a decent twist or bump in the story it just fell a little flat for me, bordering on twee.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a new author for me! Her writing style was a little flowery and twee through I can tell she knows how to write and does it well! I found the story interesting and fast paced... sad at times too! I will try more books by this author

I couldnt put this book down! This is a must read, this is a first read for me from the author, I will definitely be looking into more!!

While I always enjoy Amanda Prowse’s books, this one failed to keep my interest. I felt myself skimming through pages halfway through thinking when will this story pick up. Everything seemed very predictable, especially with young Mr. Flynn. Thank you NG for the advanced copy.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley courtesy of Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an unbiased review. This is my first Amanda Prowse novel and it certainly won’t be my last. I’d been meaning to read something by her for a while as I’d seen a few of her books on Goodreads and they all seemed to have really high ratings. I don’t always rely on ratings but it helps sometimes when I’m looking for something new to read. I was browsing NetGalley, which is a terrible habit as I already have a lot that I haven’t reviewed yet, when I stumbled upon The Day She Came Back and I was drawn to it because of the Author and the blurb.

My heart broke for Victoria when she lost her grandmother as she was all the family she had and losing her means being left utterly alone for the first time in her life. Prim meant the world to Victoria as she was her mother figure as well as her grandmother and understandably she finds it difficult to come to terms with knowing that she won’t ever see her again. As if grieving for her grandmother isn’t hard enough, the appearance of a woman claiming to be her mother sends Victoria into a downward spiral, filled with anger and burning questions, wondering how and why her grandmother could possibly keep it from her, especially after all the times Victoria cried for her mother over the years.

Victoria starts to question everything about her life, and anger towards her grandmother prevents her from grieving properly, causing her to act out and push people away that only have her best interests at heart. It was heartbreaking to watch Victoria go through such inner turmoil, unable to reconcile the memories of her grandmother with the knowledge she now has. Victoria is perfectly justified in her feelings of course, but in order to move on she needs to try to understand the reasoning behind the secrets.

Overall I really enjoyed this thought provoking and engaging novel. I only gave it four stars because some parts seemed to move quite slowly for me, but then the plot started to pick up pace and I found myself engrossed in the family secrets and desperate for Victoria to find the solace she deserves.

Poor Victoria's life is rocked following the death of her beloved grandmother - her only family and she is only 19. This in itself would be hard enough to deal with but then she discovers that her mother who she has been told died when she was small is in fact alive. How would you cope with knowing that those who love you the most have lied to you your whole life? The story follows Victoria and her mother trying to find a way forward with their relationship and deals with loss, love and trust - things we all crave and need.

Amanda writes such believable characters and I find myself being drawn into the story and living it with them. I am amazed that she can write what seems to be a great number of books (25 and counting I think) but each book is well thought out and well written. Long may she continue.

Lovely story of a grown-up child finding her mother after years of being told she was dead. Such a shock and so many choices to make. The mother used to be a drug addict and how could she ne trusted ?? This is for her abandoned eighteen year daughter to decide once her beautiful, classy fearless grandmother dies. Finally meeting her mother in Norway where she lives will help her understand why life is never simple, sometimes ugly but that real love always wins.

Victoria and her grandmother Prim have lived companionably together since the death of her grandfather when she was a child. Now 18, Victoria doesn’t remember her parents, both addicts. Her father died before sh e was born, her mother shortly afterward. But when Prim dies suddenly, a woman shows up at her funeral, claiming to be her mother, Sarah. While Victoria is suspicious, it’s hard to deny their physical similarities.

Faced with the knowledge that her beloved grandmother may have been lying to her, Victoria sinks into a downward spiral of sex, drugs, and drink, saved only by a few trusted friends. She and Sarah cautiously forge a relationship, made difficult by Victoria’s mistrust and resentment.

I love Amanda Prouse’s books. She tackles he most difficult and painful family relationships and manages to find happy endings. Some really cringey moments in this book were too much for me—I had to skim past them, but all in all, it was a rewarding read. The characters were all likable, particularly vulnerable Sarah and the too-good-to-be-true Jens (if he weren’t fictional, I’d pursue him). #NetGalley #TheDaySheCameBack

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - 4 stars for another great read!

With both her parents dead before she even knew them, Victoria's world consisted of her beloved grandmother, Prim. When Prim passes away, Victoria feels completely alone. Then a stranger shows up to Prim's funeral and says that she is Victoria's mother. Victoria feels that everyone who loved her lied to her and she doesn't know how to come to grips with her new reality.

You really feel for this young woman as she is forced to confront all her family's secrets without anyone there to guide her. This book is filled with the topics of grief, loyalty, love and forgiveness. I especially loved the character of Daksha.

Let me start by saying that while this book was categorized as women's fiction, which it is to a degree, it could also have been categorized for New Adult.

The book centers around Victoria, 18 years old for the majority of the book. She was an orphan, brought up by her grandmother, or so she was led to believe. When her grandmother suddenly passes away, Sarah appears at the funeral and explains that she is Victory's mother. (The name change is integral to the story.)

The remainder of the book follows Victoria/Victory over the next year, when she makes some uninformed decisions, as 18 year olds are known to do. She also makes life-changing decisions with all the angst of an 18 year old.

The writing was good, but I felt the book moved a little slow, and was a bit predictable in the mistakes she made. Perhaps if the audience was New Adult, the lessons would have resonated deeper than they did for me. I spent too much time thinking "NO, DON'T DO IT!" and it took away from the story for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.