This story takes a close look at the lifelong effects of childhood neglect. Kiki and Nora's parents lived a Bohemian lifestyle and were the center of each other's worlds, leaving little time or attention for their daughters. When they died in a car accident, the girls were separated as Nora went to school and Kiki lived with one of their grandmothers.

Now they're adults, trying to make sense of their own lives and dealing with their own mental health issues. Nora is on the verge of a divorce she doesn't want, but she's kept everyone out for so long, she doesn't know how to let her husband Gordy in, which is all that he's asking for.

Then Kiki attempts to take her own life, and Nora must step in to take care of Kiki's young son Ted while she's in the hospital.

This seems to be the wake-up call they all need to reevaluate what they want out of life and how to rebuild their family into something meaningful.

Overall, it was a good story, although difficult to read because of how much pain everyone was in. I'm not a huge fan of intense stories, which this certainly is. But it has a good message about love and belonging and how important friendships are.

Thank you to Amanda Prowse, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Amanda Prowse, Picking up the Pieces, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing 2023.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Amanda Prowse writes novels that are readable, have some engaging characters, and often include some social commentary. Generally, I am happy to read them, providing as they do a pleasant whiling away of an afternoon or two. However, Picking up the Pieces provides quite a lot more than usual. Every plot line is charged with issues that demand thinking though, each character has something new to say as the narrative progresses, and the satisfying ending is woven so well from what has come before that it is provides a genuine outcome for the characters. Rather than being predictable and contrived to achieve a happy ending based on wishful thinking the narrative remains realistic and thoughtful to its conclusion.

Two sisters, born many years apart, experience their lives with their parents very differently. Both are traumatised – the elder because she was neglected, the younger because she has no recall of her parents who died in a car accident when she was a baby. The prologue features Leonora (Nora) who awakens in the home in which she is fearful, sees evidence of her parents partying and its aftermath of vomit, empty bottles, prone figures, and drugs. A calm authority figure rescues her, and his admonition to expect pleasure resonates alongside her feeling unloved and unwanted by her mother, and her substitute, her grandmother.

Those feelings impact on Nora’s her life with Gordy, her ambitious army husband, her potential friendships, relationship with her sister, Kiki, and ability to adapt happily to a lifestyle that leaves her to her own devices. Here, the impact of army life and the requirement to continual move from locations overseas and within the UK becomes a theme that turns the story from the personal to a more general understanding of the complexities of army life for spouses. The intricacies of married life are also mined, including questions about both Gordy and Nora’s role in her failure to adopt a career of choice.

Depression is also dealt with, through Kiki, again bringing the personal together with the general difficulties of understanding and dealing with depression. Kiki’s hospitalisation leads to Nora having to learn to deal with her nephew, Ted, his irresponsible father and negotiating with mums at the school gate. Nora moves awkwardly into a different world.

Negotiating the changes in Nora and Gordy’s lives, which includes separation and potential divorce, coming to terms with the past, and caring for Ted, and eventually the sisters’ joy at receiving a painting from the past is an engrossing story. Alongside is the story of the kindness of Senor Agosti, from his meeting with Nora in the prologue, and his determination to ensure that the sisters receive their father’s painting. This is another intriguing storyline.

Picking up the Pieces is a thoroughly satisfying read. The plot lines are woven together well; the characterisation is layered and believable and the way in which social commentary becomes an essential part of the fabric of the narrative is admirable. For me, Amanda Prowse has really excelled on this occasion.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Born to Bohemian parents, Nora is left feeling that her parents have forgotten about her existence.

She gets wed to someone who’s in military in order to have some security. But after a while, due to how she felt as a child, she keeps herself away from others.

But when her sister Kiki comes to a critical point, Nora has to step in and then starts to think about what she’s believed and whether she misunderstood things.

Finally, she begins to understand that being around people, connecting with them and sharing things which make life worthwhile.

The author has written a beautiful book, that has dealt with some hard issues like
mental health and connection.

I recommend this book.

I loved this book. Everything was so real and relatable, it’s the story of an Army wife, Nora’s marriage crumbling and her much younger sister, Kiki, fighting off demons as she attempted to take her own life. Nora, who never had children of her own took up the mantle to care for Kiki’s little boy Ted while her sister recovers. The back story is the dying landlord of Nora’s now deceased parents temporary home in Spain searching for the two children to bequeath them a painting done by Nora’s father.

This is a riveting story, sad at times, about the strength of genuine friendships and family support and learning how to love.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this sensational novel.

Main Characters:
-- Leonora Brightwell – mid-40s, goes by Nora, grew up in England, orphaned at 12, raised by one grandmother (Granny Magda), married for 18 years to Gordy, studied botany and horticulture, but has spent her entire marriage as a military wife, following her husband around the world to every command
--Gordon Brightwell – goes by Gordy, just promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and reassigned from Cyprus to England
--Kristina Morris – goes by Kiki, Nora’s sister who is 12 years younger and was just a baby when their parents died, raised by their other grandmother (Nana Dilly), single mother to Ted, still lives in England
--Ted Morris – Kiki’s seven-year-old son
--Santiago Agostí – 86 years old, increased the Santiago fortune by investing in the arts, which included allowing Nora and her parents to live in his villa for a time while he was a patron for Nora’s father, who was a painter

Trigger Warning: attempted suicide, substance abuse

Amanda Prowse’s newest work is another emotional addition to her prolific collection of novels. Picking Up the Pieces takes us on quite a journey with Nora Brightwell, who has to pick up the pieces of not only her own marriage but also her sister’s life, her nephew’s life, and her own childhood. There is a lot going on for a lot of characters in this story, and everything brings us back to Nora.

The book begins with a glimpse of Nora’s life as a child before her sister is born, living in Agostí’s villa La Fosca, adored by her Nana Dilly and La Fosca’s housekeeper Luna. Nora remembers life at La Fosca as her happiest time. But after her parents’ untimely death shortly after Kiki is born, Nora spends her time at boarding school and lives with her Granny Magda when she comes home, while Kiki stays with Nana Dilly. Because of a near accident when Kiki is a toddler, Nora believes that she isn’t capable of taking care of a child, and she and Gordy never have children of their own.

Nora’s story as an adult begins at a celebration of Gordy’s promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and his new commission in England. Gordy encourages Nora to spend the evening out with the other officers’ wives since they’ll be moving, but Nora has always felt out of place when the conversation centers around their children.

When Nora returns home for the evening, she and Gordy argue. She loves Gordy but is angry that he pushed her to go out when he knew she didn’t want to. When she tells him she has nothing in common with all the moms, the argument escalates to why they never had children. Nora is hoping for a fresh start in England, and Gordy says he thinks they should get a divorce. With those words hanging in the air, Nora gets a phone call about her sister Kiki’s attempted suicide. Nora is needed in England to care for her nephew Ted while Kiki is hospitalized.

That’s a lot of emotion in a couple of chapters, and there’s a lot more to come. Nora’s perspective drives every chapter, with a short section at the end of each chapter centered around Santiago Agostí trying to find Nora and Kiki to return a painting to them.

Thrown into caring for Ted while Kiki recovers, Nora has to come to terms with being a mom to Ted (who she barely knows), interacting with teachers and the other moms who are Kiki’s friends. We know from the argument with Gordy that she is completely out of her element, but she has to make it work for Ted and for Kiki.

But what of her marriage? An hour away in their new home, Gordy has to unpack their belongings, which has always been Nora’s role. He makes it clear to her that they will make sure Ted is ok, and that confuses Nora even more because she isn’t even certain about the future of their marriage.

Nora battles so many demons in this story. At one point, she talks with Ted’s teacher and tells him something her mother told her before Kiki was born. “…my mother told me that when my world fell apart, I had two choices: I could either collapse and sink into the ground, as if I were never really here at all, too broken to be, disintegrated, back to the earth. Or I could pick up all the little pieces and rebuild myself.”

We get to see what Nora does. She sorts through her relationships with her sister, her nephew, her husband as she does it all as she sifts through the pieces of her own childhood. This is truly a journey of self-discovery for Nora, and I loved every word of it.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for an ARC of Picking Up the Pieces in exchange for my honest review.

My first Amanda Prowse novel. Definitely not my last. I found the subject to be heartbreaking. 2 sisters, Nora and Kiki, born years apart. Never getting to really know each other. Nora being raised by her alcoholic, drug addicted parents. Craving attention from them and only feeling like a burden until they die. Kiki being spared by the neglect from her parents, sent to live with her grandmother after their death. They end up growing up to live very different lives.

Nora lives the life of a military wife, constantly moving and never letting anyone get close to her. Kiki, a divorced mother, surrounded by friends that adore her. Seeming to live a very happy life, hiding depression and mental illness from everyone around her. When tragedy brings Nora back into Kiki’s life.

Nora is a military wife and is used to the frequent transfers from place to place. It does make life challenging at times but that's what is expected of the military and their families.

Gordy is the military man recently promoted to Colonel.

Nora is about to get two major shocks. Her husband voices his desire for a divorce right before Nora gets the call telling her that her sister Kiki has tried to take her own life. With so much going on, Nora is struggling just to cope.
Due to her childhood, Nora never wanted to be a mother. She is now in charge of caring for her nephew until her sister recovers.

Although Kiki and Nora are not close, they will find that they have much in common that the other didn't know about. A story of loss, love, second chances and overcoming obstacles. A heartfelt story that took a while to get into but was worth it n the end. I could sympathize with Nora for what she was going through with her sister due to similar circumstances in my own life. Kiki's story was difficult to read, but gave me some insight into what it is like to live with severe depression.

Thanks to netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the arc.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish this one. The writing was very well done, but I couldn't find myself caring about the characters. And the chapters were so long I kept putting it down.

This book was a bit disappointing, have read other books by thd autor which were more interesting.Needs polishing up and a lot of description that was not needed.

This is a book of second chances. Nora and her husband Gordy, an officer in the Army, are struggling with their marriage and where to go next. As Nora struggles with this, she learns that her sister has been hospitalized, and Nora jumps in to take care of her nephew Ted. Faced with a potentially difficult situation, Nora begins to find joy and comfort in the caretaker role. She begins to enjoy the different experience and new people that this situation is bringing into her life.

I love Amanda Prowse's books, and this is up there with the best of them. She has taken two topics which she knows about first hand, and woven then into a novel which is contemporary, heart warming, at times unsettling, and I just couldn't put down - and read the whole book in just over a day!

Nora is married to an army man through and through. In fact Gordy has risen so high he has recently become a Colonel. This has involved several moves of home, and country, and somewhere along the line they have lost themselves as a couple. She had a somewhat unusual childhood, with bohemian parents who died in a car accident, which has left her not wanting children, and wary of making friends. Gordy was her world until he became a workaholic and they drifted slowly apart. During the latest move, from Cyprus back to the UK, Gordy voices what they are both feeling and suggests a divorce, which rocks Nora's world. At the same time her world gets totally spun of it's axis when she gets a call that her sister in the UK has tried to commit suicide and she needs to come home quickly and look after her young nephew.

She is the only family her sister has, but she has hardly seen her for years, and wouldn't really recognise her nephew, and has no experience of children. Nora is thrown into a world completely alien to her, all with the spectre of divorce looming over her.

This book deals with some very difficult subjects sensitively and with great insight due to the Author's own experiences. It is beautifully written with very real characters who I will miss. A great book to curl up with on a cold winter's day, in front of a roaring fire, and escape into another world. I loved it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5136628084

Amanda Prowse is one of the authors I know when I pick up the book I’m going to have a good read. Her writing is eminently readable, very descriptive and has a way of conveying real emotion. This book is no exception. It’s a wonderful heartwarming story but with some very emotive drama based on rejection, lack of love, grief and the effect this can have on mental health. An enthralling read that I finished in two days despite being on holiday with a very packed schedule!

Briefly, sisters Nora and Kiki have never been close but when Nora gets a call asking her to return to the UK to look after her nephew Ted, as Kiki is in hospital, she is straight there. Army wife Nora has just been told by her husband they should consider a divorce and she has no experience with children so she is all at sixes and sevens! However, despite a few disasters she soon finds that, with the support of Kiki’s friends, she is able to provide Ted with the love and support he needs. But can she repair her marriage and her relationship with Kiki.

Despite all the sadness in the story it’s the resolution of the sadness and the ensuing happiness that is the overriding emotion I got from the book. As always the writer has a wonderful way of conveying emotion in words and you really feel for the characters all of whom are so well described I could see them as I read. A wonderful read and it was a perfect holiday read, I genuinely loved it.

Another beautifully written book by Amanda Prowse.
Written with such sensitivity, and covering every day issues.
Amanda has such a gift in her writing, in which she draws you into the book, and keeps you there long after you have turned the last page, and this book certainly did that again!
My thanks to the author and Netgalley for my Arc copy, in exchange for an honest review.

This is my 7th book by Amanda Prowse. I thought it was just ok, I had a very hard time getting into the story and I even tried starting over 3 times and just never got connected with the characters. I'm definitely in the minority here so maybe it just wasn't for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a cute story about how a boy came to live with a family and he didn't have really any family around him. It goes to show you can find love onee In unexpected places. This book was approved for me to read and review by netgalley and the publisher.

I love Amanda Prowse as an author as she brings all her characters to life. I enjoyed this book but felt that it was. A tad on the slow side at places. The characters were all well described and fairly easy to relate to and partly related to real life issues. As much as this was a good book to read I felt that the ending was to sudden and incomplete s I wanted more to know what happened after Mario came to the UK.

As with most of Amanda Prowse's books, i loved this one. i get excited each time i see a new one appear and cant wait to get my hands on it and this was no different. We meet Nora and Gordy at a rocky time in their relationship and things change very quickly for them when Nora returns to the UK from Cyprus to care for her nephew Ted. He brings a different meaning to her life and she realises what life could be like with friends and family around you and not just operating on temporary residences and friendships.

I loved the developing relationships in this book and the character driven plot line, This shows a significant delve into mental health and the surrounding issues, very apt given her recent book written with her son. Its very touching and emotional in places but also show how good, strong relationships can help and bring untold amounts of love, care and support.

I loved this and can't wait for her next book!

This story was beautifully written, told through multiple time periods and focused tightly around military spousehood, mental health, and the impact of childhood trauma. I really enjoyed the glimpses into the main character's childhood, and the duality shown between friendship, sisterhood, and what you would do for family. I really enjoyed this: unlike some reviewers I thought this took a bit to really pick up steam, but by about page 100 I could not possibly put it down.

Another great 5* book from Amanda. Following Norah an army officer wife as she battles with relationships and an unorthodox upbringing. At the same time her sister tries to take her own life and so Norah looks after Ted her nephew whilst trying to get back with her husband. Wonderful characters who are easy to like. My only negative is the long chapters.