This beautiful story follows the life of Bessie from a 16 year old through to a 53 year old whose marriage is in crisis. That would mean coming clean with a secret she has held on to for years. This one was a touching and beautiful read that I really enjoyed. Not my first by this author and won't be the last.

A thought provoking story of a woman who is unhappy with her life due to experiences In her teenage years. The story is told from her. 16 year old self and when she is in her 50’s. Good character development and sad at times as the teenage years can be really hard.

Another great book by Amanda.
A huge secret tears Bessie apart on her sixteenth birthday and she carries it for years/decades later.
You will laugh and cry with this book and it will definitely pull you in and have you wanting more from this great author.
Thanks NetGalley

Enjoyable and engaging. This story takes you on a ride of emotions. The two timelines are written wonderfully and we take a journey with the main character which is cleverly done.

Great book by Amanda as always. The sptry unfolds at a great pace making the book hard to put down. Lots of themes explored in a sensitive way as usual. Thank you

Another hit from Amanda Prowse. I know as soon as I read her name that I will be in for an interesting and captivating read and this was no different. Keeps you engrossed from beginning to end.

I seem to be in the minority here - there are so many raving reviews for Waiting to Begin, but the protagonist spoiled the story for me, and I didn't enjoy it at all.

This story is told in two timelines, both taking place on Bessie's birthday. All you really need to know, though, is that Bessie is a massive narcissist.

It's 1984, Bessie is turning sixteen, and she's excited to find out how she did in her school exams and to make the boy she's secretly been having sex with her actual boyfriend. Of course, everything crumbles and falls apart (otherwise, this book wouldn't exist), but all of the things that happen are Bessie's fault or the direct consequence of her own actions, and she just blames everyone around her. But sure, she's only just turned sixteen - no one's expecting her to be a mature adult, even if she is making very adult choices for her life.

In 2021, the only thing that's changed is Bessie is married with two adult children; she is still the vain, selfish prick she was at sixteen. She only cares about her presents and how many people post a public birthday greeting on her social media. She's very aware that she hasn't been the best wife for many years (and has actually been keeping a secret from her husband and the rest of her family for most of her life) but only cares that he's not the best husband despite her years of neglect. But don't worry, she'll almost cheat on him and decide to change her base personality in an afternoon because gasp, she loves him! But wait, he doesn't want to bow down to her and accept she's going to turn into a different person overnight?! How rude! But she's going to tell him her deep, dark secret that she should have told him decades ago! That will fix everything! What a crock of shit.

There's a bit of an emotional payoff if you actually make it through the whole book, but it's not worth dealing with Bessie's toxic personality.

Ive ordered every one of Amandas books that I have read so far, and this one did not disappoint. Bess has her whole life ahead of her, full of optimism and goals, fast forward 15 years and what does Bess have to show? Her marriage isn't working out, her life is not as she planned - highly recommended.

Every Amanda Prowse book is full of emotion and this one is no different. I was hooked from the first page of this story telling of Bessie's life in 1984 and then 2021, and all that happens in between - heartache, tears and laughter. Heartwarming and heartbreaking and the ending was everything I wished for.
Well done Amanda, you have done it again !

Amanda Prowse has done it again. Yet another wonderful book. I always find it difficult to get into a book where the main character isn't likeable but this book manages to draw you in with all its twists and hidden secrets, you just have to keep reading to find out what is really going on......Loved it!

This was another wonderful read from Amanda. As you can see the book is based on two different times, 1984 and 2021 and focuses on Bess, a woman whose 16th birthday changed her life and not in a good way.

This is a story about how life can change in an instance, or in the case of Bess just one night, the night of her 16th birthday and how this can have a long term effect mentally and physically. Skip forward 37 years and we see a 53 year old Bess married, with 2 kids and not experiencing the life she thought she would have.

It is is an emotional rollercoaster ride throughout as we see Bess experiencing events that no one should ever have to go through and see how she reacts to them. At the beginning I didn’t empathise with her so much as she still had 2 wonderful children and a husband who loves her but as we find out more about her past you can’t help but feel bad for her.

I loved this novel, if you have read any of Amanda’s works you will really enjoy this. The main character is built up so well and you get to know her slowly throughout the novel. It is like peeling back the layers, with each chapter you learn more about her until the crescendo, the core and warning, it may break you a little. I shed quite a few tears so you may want to have tissues nearby.

Overall this was a beautiful, emotional story which highlighted important issues and makes you appreciate the little things in life more.

Thanks to netgalley and Amanda Prowse for giving me the opportunity to read and review this. I can’t wait to explore more of the writer’s collection.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – a fantastic read from start to finish, an emotional ride and a beautifully told story

This is another fantastic read from Amanda Prowse. Beautifully written with characters you fall in love with. An emotional story but loved my reminders of the 80's!

Highly recommended and well deserves the 5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley.

This well-written book brings out all the emotions. It made me cry, laugh and smile throughout. The book flows between the 2 timelines seamlessly. It is a book about mistakes made, courage and hope. I highly recommend this wonderful book by Amanda Prowse!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful story by Amanda, they certainly grip you as you want to know what happens and if everything turns out ok. This is told from two dates one in 1984, which is the history and what happens, and then the present day in 2021 with the fallout over the years and the effect it has on the characters. Well-written story and another best seller for Amanda.

Amanda Prowse's latest novel, a family drama of mistakes made, courage and hope, is certainly a riveting read.

Waiting to Begin follows Bessie who in 1984 is a sixteen-year-old with dreams of becoming an air hostess. But those dreams come to a crashing end. It's now 2021 and Bess is fifty-three, married to Mario and has two adult children - Jake and Natalie. Jake is in throes of newly wedded bliss, but Bess is unhappy with her own stale marriage though she doesn't blame Mario for this. It may well be her own feelings of guilt that are at the root of her difficulties.

This well-written tale is jam-packed with emotion and I was grinning and crying throughout. As ever, Amanda Prowse's characterisation is second-to-none; the main character, Bess was very likeable and I really felt for her. The dual time frames of the story, set when Bess was a naive, trusting teenager and herself 37 years later, were skilfully orchestrated. A fantastic story of family, life, friendship and love, I was sorry to reach the end knowing Prowse's characters would no longer be in my world.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Amazon Publishing via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Yet another awesome book from Amanda Prowse.!

This is a great story of hope, redemption and the power of love. It's about families and of a friendship torn apart by two very different views of the same day. Told from two perspectives, Bessie on her 16th and her 53rd birthday's. Bessie has been feeling depressed and suffering from empty nest syndrome, all of which is dealt with very sensitively, as Prowse does best. Feeling lost and not knowing where her life is heading she spends her birthday alone thinking things through and working through her issues.

The characters are well developed, strong and relatable; especially for those who are going through similar. It shows how one day, one decision can change whole of the rest of your life. Bessie tried but failed to share her 16th birthday with her best friend, it didn't end well and she still misses her so many years later. It has a great ending which i loved.

Waiting To Begin by Amanda Prowse is an emotional and thought provoking story that I knew I would love. Amanda is an author whose writing is always top notch and this book proves her standards aren't slipping.
We meet Bessie in 1984, 16 years old with her head full of dreams for her life and all of her potential rising for what she plans to do. As it all comes crashing to her feet she has a secret she will carry for the rest of her life. Fast forward 37 years, now it's 2021. Bessie is 53, her marriage is falling apart and she is just tired of everything. She sees her son happily married and realises she has to face her demons to save her marriage. Can Bessie actually let go of her deepest secret to actually realise the love she deserves?
A book that shows just how much our past has the capacity to affect our future. We are shown versions of the same person and the younger Bessie was so willing to throw herself wholeheartedly into life. The present Bessie is what could be classed as a normal 53 year old. Reminiscing about the past decades and wondering what if? The difference was the underlying tension. The feeling of being on the edge of something.
Her memories and secrets have damaged her psyche so much that it is a form of PTSD she is suffering from. This has a knock on effect with her family and even her friends. Making any relationship almost non-existant.
I really empathised with Bessie, we are almost the same age and I can remember the 1980s. The time where if you had issues you 'pulled your socks up' and forgot about it. Anything else was discounted and there was absolutely no help available. No wonder Bessie is damaged and can't recover...she was never allowed to!
As Amanda Prowse always does she has made characters so real and relatable they could be your friends. I was enveloped in Bessie and her issues. Her relationship with Mario, her husband seemed so strong but the fact that the damage done was permanent and he felt she was almost a stranger makes for a hard truth to hear. I was internally begging them to stay together. The need for me to discover if Bessie could open up with her truths to herself and her family was so urgent I could not put this book down. Another belter of a book from the talented Amanda Prowse, loved it.
Thanks to Rachel's random Resources and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of this fabulous book.

This is my first Amanda Prowse book and I'm glad I gave it a try. It's a bit of an emotional roller coaster, as you go through both her empty-nester sadness and her frustration with her relationship with her husband. You also go through the highs of their beginning relationship and all of her regrets and missteps. It was interesting to take this journey even if I didn't always like Bessie as she made her mistakes. It was lighter in places, which was nice through the rough parts. It all came together well. I'm glad I read this.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

This was a super read that I took to my heart from the first chapter, Amanda Prowse has such wonderful way with words and I just absolutely loved this book, An emotional read that will tug at your heart strings,

Have you ever felt incomplete, your life was missing something, Waiting to begin a life you deserve?

This is a story of Bess, told in a dual timeline on the same day 22nd August 1984 and 2021. How almost 37 years later, we see how life challenges can not only shape our futures but change us as a person. Is her marriage with Mario on breaking point or can they overcome a hurdle in their life?

Bess's character had a rather strong hold on me, when she was happy I was happy. When she was sad I could feel it, I felt sad for her. Also I felt this way with some of the other characters too.

Amanda's novel was beautifully written and for me the words just flew off the page. I love authors who can do this and do it wonderfully.

This is my first book by Amanda Prowse and certainly won't be my last.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the gifting of this book.