Amanda Prowse has perfectly captured how difficult many of us find it to talk about what really matters in our lives. Weaving between the hopes and dreams for a shiny future of the 16-year old Bessie and the reality of Bessie's life at fifty three, we are led to the heart-wrenching events that have long been held secret and still continue to cause pain.

👍Superb, touching drama: Bess can't escape the choices of her youth😥

Somehow the power and emotion of Bess's story just drew me in and I could not stop reading! The action is largely focused on just two days, Bess's 16th and 53rd birthdays, unfolding in alternating chapters. The technique makes it crystal clear that the life-changing events she experiences at 16 still have a devastating effect on Bess's marriage, her relationships with her family and her self esteem almost forty years later. I will admit that as Bess and her husband confront their problems I was not sure how they would end up. The epilogue did seem to rush through that final explanation, but it's a great story.

Amanda Prowse is a go-to author for me. This, like her other novels, focuses on love, loss, disappointment and family. I am always anxious to get my hands on Prowse's next work and a bit sad when I reach the last page😣.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I read in a short author bio that Amanda Prowse’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning off the bedside lamp at night, that ensure you walk every step with her great characters, and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades . . . Well, let me tell you, in this and every other book I’ve read that she’s written she has realized that ambition, she has succeeded. Waiting to Begin is another in a long list of stories by Amanda Prowse that draws you in, connects you with the characters, makes you feel their joys and even more their pain and hurts and shame and fears. Her books are never easy to forget but you are always so satisfied and fulfilled and glad you read them.

In 1984 Bessie is just a typical teenage girl, lots of hopes and dreams for the future, a little clueless, a lot trusting. And then that all gets turned around and she is betrayed. And has to escape.

In 2021 Bessie is a fifty-three year old woman. Married, but maybe not so happily anymore, and with grown children who don’t really need her so much. And Bessie is tired and worn out, because even though she escaped the horrible events of 1984, she didn’t escape the shame and the secrets. And the thing about secrets is that sometimes they seem to take over, they grow and grow and one secret leads to another and unraveling them seems like an impossible task.

Bessie is another of author Amanda Prowse’s wonderful characters. Not always very likeable because she’s at the end of her rope, and quite possibly the end of her marriage. She wants the joy her son has in his new marriage in her own life, but there is so much to wade through, so much to tell, so many relationships to deal with, and will these relationships survive the truth?

Waiting to Begin is a story I can’t recommend highly enough. I cried – a lot - because life is not only hard for Bessie but for all those caught intentionally or unintentionally in her web of lies. I wanted so badly for things to work out for her and Mario, her and her children, her and her parents, and most of all I was desperate for Bessie to be happy again.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of Waiting to Begin for my reading pleasure and honest review. This is another solid, well-crafted story with wonderful characters and events that grab you and won’t let you go. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it without hesitation. All opinions are my own.

Another gem from Amanda Prowse. An engaging story about family love and caring for each other, even when Bessie's secrets are revealed after many years of shameful hiding. Lots of us do things at sixteen that we'd rather forget and this is just what happened to Bessie. Over the years, this has coloured her marriage. Love that it's set in St Albans, a beautiful, historic city where I lived for a while.

I thoroughly enjoyed Waiting to Begin, a most beautiful novel by Amanda Prowse. This story of reconciling mistakes and disappointments of the past, the weight of secrets, and the power of a very bad day destroying a bright future and friendships. Told in two time lines, 1984 and current day, Bessie struggles with an huge secret, heavy daily negativity, and her marriage. Amazingly built up, with fantastic characters, this story is intense with a satisfying ending. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for the early reader copy, all opinions are my own.

In 1984, Bessie is sixteen and she has her whole future planned and dreams of being an air hostess. She and her best friend Michelle are close, they love to hang out together, coordinating their out fits and make up. They love Duran Duran, they have just finished their high school exams and are nervously waiting for the results. Bessie’s extremely upset when she doesn’t do as well as she expected, she fails and things only get worse. She’s having a secret relationship with a boy from school, her world comes crashing down when she thinks he’s told everyone, she’s embarrassed, humiliated and crushed.

Bess is now fifty three and married to Mario, she has two adult children Jake and Natalie. Her mum and dad are still the most lovable parents in the world, her son has just gotten married and Mario is a hard worker. But her marriage is flat, she and Mario have lost their spark and Bess could be to blame. She has a secret, she’s being carrying the burden of it for thirty seven years and to save her marriage she will have to face her painful teenage past.

Like everyone Bess needs to feel valued, appreciated, needed, loved and she doesn’t. It’s not Mario’s fault she feels like she does or her families, it’s the heavy burden of shame, guilt, regret, it makes her feel unworthy and not good enough. I was a teenager in the 1980’s, my heart broke for teenage Bessie and I could relate to some of the issues she struggled with. What a thought provoking and well written story, I loved Waiting To Begin, it made me laugh, it made me cry, and you will need a box of tissues.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and five big stars from me.

I love dual timelines and Waiting to Begin did not disappoint. Alternating between 1984 and 2021 you got to know Bessie as both an adult and a young girl. I really enjoyed how Bessie would hint at something that happened in her past without revealing the event. We discovered what happened by reading about her childhood and that made me not want to put the book down, I had to know what happened.

Family drama, boy drama, this book had it both. The beginning was a little slow, all the events happened over a short period of time. Once the drama and secrets were introduced it picked up. I did not expect to feel all the emotions that followed. I loved Bessie’s character development. She didn’t have the life that her 16 year old self imagined and her marriage was suffering because of the secrets she was keeping. There were a lot of quotes, especially coming from Bessies dad, that I really connected with.

It was such a powerful novel about adapting to life’s obstacles and with the added drama it made it an enjoyable read. I loved it and will definitely look at this author's backlist.

Waiting to Begin
by Amanda Prowse
Amazon Publishing UK
General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 08 Jun 2021 | Archive Date 22 Jun 2021

This was a new author for me. What a moving and memorable book this will be. Rush to your nearest library or bookstore and get it!
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness?

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.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Great book. 5 star

22nd August 1984 is Bessies 16th Birthday. She has her best friend Michelle and it’s results day and she has her secret boyfriend. Little does Bessie know what the future holds and how everything will change in one day.
Fast forward 36 years and it’s the 22nd August 2021 Bess’s 53rs birthday. She’s married to Mario and has 2 great children. Her son has just got married and she has a lovely son in law. However Bess has a secret that could ruin her entire family and is threatening her future with her beloved husband. Will she tell him before she ruins both their lives
This story is told in the past and the time resent at the same time. Both set on her birthday but 36 years apart. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. There were a few tear jerker moments as well as giggles. Thanks for the advance review copy.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved that it starts in 1984 and goes back and forth to the present. I graduated in 1984 and became a mother that September, so this book resonates with me. I loved the characters, the story, the timeline. All of it. I’m wiping tears away to write my review. I will be tellling friends to get this when it comes out! Thank you to Netgalley for the early read.

Wonderful read, as always, by Amanda Prowse. Waiting to Begin, the title, really sums up Bessie's life so well.
The dual timeline worked quite well for this book and made the unfolding of the story that much more interesting.

This book provides so many feels along with family drama, secrets, disappointments, and a good hard look at how decisions made at a young age can affect you for a very long time.

I did find myself a little frustrated with Bessie and others, but there were also lots of things I enjoyed about Bessie.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of women's fiction, family sagas, and/or drama. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for providing an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and shared freely.

Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse follows the story of Bessie as she was in 1984 and now, in 2021. As a sixteen year old, she has her entire life planned out, is best friends with a girl named Michelle and is seeing a boy named Lawrence. In the present day, she is married to Mario with two adult children. She reflects on her life and how she got to the point where she is, she isn't happy and can't seem to find a way to fix it.

I absolutely loved this novel. It took me a while to get engaged with it but as soon as I did I couldn't put it down because of how emotional and moving it was. I thought that the way the author used the alternating past and present chapters was really well done with the juxtaposition of where Bessie was and where she is now. The characters were all real and raw and it was so easy to empathise with everyone involved and everything tied up at the end very well.

5/5 stars for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this copy to review.

The book starts on 22nd August 1984 when George Michael’s Careless Whisper was at number one in the charts, and 16 year old Bessie wakes up on the morning of her 16th birthday. A young woman awaiting her O Level results, she has the whole world at her feet, but within the space of 24 hours, her whole life comes crashing down.

Fast forward to the same day in 2021, Bessie is now celebrating her 53rd birthday and probably wouldn’t know (or care) who was number one in the charts. The highlight of her birthday is lunch with her parents in a tatty old carvery restaurant, so far away from the life that 16 year old Bessie had dreamt of. Her marriage to Mario is in tatters and with her children having flown the nest, Bessie now has to face her demons, but it will save her relationship with Mario or will it all come crashing down like a house of cards?

It is no secret that I am a massive fan of Amanda Prowse, both as a person and an author, and I adore her style of writing. You don’t feel like you are reading her books, you are in fact living in them, the characters become your friends, your neighbours, your enemies.

I wasn’t sure if I was meant to like Bessie or not – and the result is that I didn’t like her. She came across as a petulant, spoilt teenager even at the age of 53. She seemed to want everything in life her way and moaned about everything. I actually felt so sorry for her husband Mario – who I thought was trying so hard to give her everything she wanted, but it was never enough!! I came to realise though that Bessie had spent a lifetime carrying her baggage behind her and it became tiring and shameful.

This book is a lesson to us all – face up to things, live in the present and let the past go.

I loved this book, honest, realistic and unputdownable - would thoroughly recommend this. This is thought provoking and a very easy read - family life and family problems.

I’ve read several books by Amanda Prowse and enjoyed them all. Waiting to Begin is another good one. I have to say it was a slow starter for me, but it was worth hanging in there. The story timeline goes back and forth between 1984 when Bessie, the main character was 16, and 2021 now that she is 53. There is romance, heartbreak, family drama, sadness and more in Bessie’s story. I love when I come away from a book with a quote or two that stays with me. This one had two.
Bessie’s mother tells her “You should take the time to think about your life. You need to live the life you like.” Bessie spends way too many years dwelling on her past and not enjoying what she has.
Then Bessie tells a neighbor at one point, “It’s never just sex. Sex is powerful and damaging and yes, exciting and wonderful when it’s with the right person, but it’s not nothing. It can make or break relationships.”
Waiting to Begin shows us the importance of honesty in all relationships to truly live the life we are meant to.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy to review.

Whenever I need a break from murder and mayhem one of my go to authors is Amanda Prowse. Her books are always down to earth, full of ‘real’ people and so well written. This one is no exception. Within pages I was drawn into Bessie’s story. One full of hope that was dashed in 1984 on her 16th birthday. 37 years later and Bessie is truly unhappy and my heart bled for her but also for her husband who clearly loved her.

Briefly, Bessie is married to Mario but her marriage is in trouble. It’s her birthday and she is 53 and after a dreadful day she decides that she is finally going to tell Mario her secret that has been been preying on her mind since she was 16 when her dreams came crashing down. Can she finally breakaway from the guilt and shame that has hampered her happiness?

This was such a lovely story. I simply didn’t want to put it down until I knew what happened to Bessie and Mario. A story of love, disappointment, growing up and coming to terms with things you can’t change. Another wonderful read from Amanda Prowse and a 5* read for me.

My thanks to Amanda Prowse, Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary Kindle book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Amanda Prowse, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! This book - it was sheer perfection!! I could relate to the main character Bessie at both of her ages highlighted in the book - 16 and 53. It was so real and brought up memories that I have also pushed down like Bessie did and released them after reading this book. It was beyond cathartic for me!!

To be honest, Amanda Prowse, is one of my absolute favorite authors and I only discovered her about four years ago, but have read more than six of her novels. All of her books touch me in such a visceral and deep way. I downloaded this in December and was waiting to read it as I want to savor and enjoy it. But, alas, I read it in less than 24 hours which I have done with almost all of her books.

HIGHLY recommend - another winner from Amanda Prowse. Thank you, Mandy, for putting your heart and soul into books that are so beautiful, relatable, and intense!! LOVE IT!!

Pre-Order Now!
A BREATHTAKING novel of HOPE, COURAGE and REDEMPTION.
BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, with VIVID CHARACTERS YOU WON’T FORGET, this is the STORY OF A WOMAN BANISHING HER DEMONS AND RECLAIMING HER LIFE.
I was COMPLETELY ABSORBED by this HEARTWARMING TALE and hope you will be too.

A message/ advice you would have given to your younger self?

🔥WAITING TO BEGIN
General Fiction (A); Women Fiction.
Releases 8th June.2021

By:
Amazon Publishing UK
&
AMANDA PROWSE is an international bestselling author of TWENTY-SEVEN NOVELS published in dozens of languages.
She has been described by the Daily Mail as ‘the QUEEN OF FAMILY DRAMA’.
Amanda is the MOST PROLIFIC WRITER of BESTSELLING CONTEMPORARY FICTION IN THE UK today.

🍓Blurb in the adjacent slide.
I believe we are to harsh on ourselves, especially our immature, naive younger self. We find it hard to forgive ourselves for our follies..we forget we are human & imperfect.

READ THIS beautiful work, it will inspire you & also leave you teary eyed with a lingering feeling..

Tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…
Hope it is a story that will stay with you and one you will treasure.

#noorthebookwormreviews
#waitingtobegin
#netgalley

Another great Amanda Prowse book, the author who just keeps giving. Good story and great characters. Highly recommend

1984. Bessie is extremely happy, she's almost floating on the clouds. She's finishing her school year, moving forward. She has the best friend in the world. Her family, though a bit eccentric, is a loving family. And then... There's Lawrence...
Somehow, thirty seven years later, she's still working to get through it. And it's getting harder very day.
I love this book! The story set back is a very good one. The characters are well developed and they're all lovable. And the pace works in a sublime way, going back and forth at the exact when creating the most opportune gaps in the present to be fulfilled by memories from the past.
It's not my first book from this author and it will not be the last.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.