The Day She Came Back

Another fantastic read by Amanda, she captures a story so well, the charecters were easy to get to know and love, a beautiful story told wonderfully, another firm favourite for me

Amanda really does amaze me with how she draws you into the narrative. A heart wrenching tale of a young woman losing her beloved grandmother and being left all alone or so she thought!

I’d wanted to read a book by Amanda Prowse for a while so was really pleased to get an advanced copy of The Day She Came Back and I wasn’t disappointed. This book is beautifully written. It is very insightful and quite an emotional read but ultimately really powerful and positive. All the characters are so real, and you really believe and feel their conversations and emotions. This is a really heartfelt novel and I’ll admit to shedding a little tear at the end of the book. This may have been my first book but it won’t be my last.


Sadly Victoria’s grandmother Primrose passes away and as Victoria is starting to learn to deal with this she comes face to face with a lady at her the funeral who claims to be her dead mother, Sarah. As Victoria starts to get know Sarah it becomes clear that her beloved grandmother had been keeping secrets from her. At the same time as coming to terms with Her grandmothers death she struggles to understand her family’s secrets and the truth but knows she must find a way forward to survive.

This has been a beautiful read which I have devoured in just one sitting. I cannot believe that I haven't read anything by this author before... huge thank you to Sarah for starting off a new author love.
This book is beautifully written and has pulled me into the pages and made it utterly impossible to put down. I have been completely immersed and really enjoyed reading this one.
I have loved the characters and the author has portrayed them really well. They have seemed so real and likeable from the start. They have definitely made this a great read.
This is a read filled with sensitivity, grief, loss, addiction and reconciliation. The author has been delicate in the delivery and I'm not ashamed to say I cried a little reading this one.
Despite being my first read by this author, I am definitely now a fan. This is definitely a five star read which I highly recommend.

Amanda Prowse just goes from strength to strength. Her output covering so many diverse topics is simply astounding! The Day She Came Back is up there with her best and tells the story of 18 year old Victoria , who has been raised by her beloved grandmother, Prim, her parents having died from drug overdoses when she was a baby..however, when Prim dies suddenly, Victoria finds everything she held true is no longer so and she is left doubting her relationship with her grandmother. Did she lie to her all her life? When a mysterious lady at Prim's funeral introduces herself as Victoria's mum , her whole world is turned upside down. Through a series of heartbreaking letters, the truth is gradually revealed and Victoria takes the first steps across the bridge of discovered truths , to the mother she has grieved and longed for all her life. Visiting her mum and her husband Jens in Oslo she finds peace, strength and love. This beautiful book handles the dark matter of drug addiction and the pain and devastating effects it has on all those affected by it, with such sensitivity and knowledge. Nobody handles human relationships narrative better than Amanda Prowse. I love the sweet interaction between Victoria and her lovely, loyal friend, Daks , who's loving tight knit family are there for Victoria in her time if need. The relationship between Victoria and Prim is so lovingly observed and written as are the peripheral characters of Gerald and Bernard. Amanda is an artist who with a few deft sentences paints a fully formed character that we can immediately empathise with and care about. I could eulogise about this perfect book forever but I will allow the reader to dive in and immerse themselves in it . It's a perfect gem if a book

have always loved Amanda’s books so was excited to read the day she came back! Her books draw you in from the start and i didn’t want to put this one down!
This book tells the tale of three woman, three generations of the same family,Prim,Sarah and Victoria who have all made sacrifices or choices that have shaped their lives but ultimately when the truth comes out we realise that those choices were made out of love, compassion and hope. Prim acting out of love for her unborn granddaughter, Sarah making the most heartbreaking sacrifice for her daughter and Victoria the product of prim and Sarah’s choices, an emotional, at times heartbreaking read that demonstrated the power of love and sacrifice but overall the strength of forgiveness,reconciliation and love.Great characters particularly liked Gerald and daksha!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse. The story was beautifully written and the characters were well developed. The beginning was a little slow, but the second half took off. Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook. I will recommend this book.

The Day she came Back by Amanda Prowse was such an anticipated treat. I remember Amanda going to Oslo to do her research for the “new book” when she was writing it. This is typical of her attention to detail when crafting her books. She does great research so that she gets, and conveys, a real understanding of detail and context drawing you straight into the storyline and the locations. This story of Victoria’s life journey intersects with Sarah’s struggle with addiction, despair and renewal. The characters are well portrayed and their emotions explored in a realistic and, often, heartbreaking way. I just hate when Amanda’s books end and I lose that connection with the people whose lives I’ve been privileged to share. Another success by the wonderful Mandy! (Did I mention that now I want to see Oslo!)

The Day she came back, Amanda Prowse.
Received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

What a stunning, thought provoking and rich book this is. The story of 18 year old Victoria Who lives with/her grandmother as her Mum, Sarah, is dead, but who discovers on the death of her grandmother that her mother is alive. Sarah’s story Is tragic, dramatic, terrible and heart-breaking yet ultimately inspiring. I don’t want to spoil any of the plot., but I might not be able to avoid it!

I did not think I would enjoy the story of an 18 year old, who in the aftermath of her discovery, acts in a stupid, childish and irresponsible way. It is understandable and forgivable because the writer does such a good job of developing the character.

I did enjoy the story, it was utterly riveting and emotional. Ultimately it has a really happy ending, but the journey there is not smooth. I can’t recommend. this book enough. Fabulous. 5 stars.

Whenever I need to read something light and heartwarming I always turn to a book by Amanda Prowse. This book did not disappoint and was just what I needed to break up my usual genre. It was a story that grabbed me from the very first page, with beautiful descriptions and characters who felt so real to me. Read in a day, It is a beautifully written story about addiction, grief, love and loss.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for and ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not sure where to begin with this review.

As always, Amanda Prowse goes straight for the heart. She writes such incredibly beautiful stories that draw you in from the first page. Her characters are so well developed that you form instant connections with them, whether they're likeable or not.

With Victoria's story, we are taken on a huge rollercoaster ride of emotion. She goes from knowing who she is and where she's headed and suddenly everything changes. Almost overnight, everything she thought she knew becomes blurry and lies are exposed. Who can she trust?

The way this story unfolds is truly spellbinding. I was left weeping and so satisfied with the outcome.

Mandy has done it again!

Amanda Prowse is the queen of contemporary fiction & her novels always deal with family issues that are not necessarily relatable, but her style of writing ensures the reader feels all of the emotion! While it didn’t grip me as much as others have, it was a great read to escape with.

This is my first Amanda Prowse book and it will not be my last. The characters are so beautifully drawn, some with detail and others more sparingly, and yet each person becomes familiar to us.

Victoria has a wonderful relationship with her maternal grandmother, Prim, who brought her up after her mother's (Prim's daughter's) death when Victoria was still a baby. Prim has been the rock in Victoria's life until the unthinkable happens and Prim dies unexpectedly. From this moment on Victoria's well ordered life begins to unravel, starting with Prim's funeral when a woman appears, claiming to be Victoria's 'dead' mother.

What I particularly loved was the time spent introducing Prim into the reader's life. Her death is such a catalyst for what follows that it was very important for us to know and understand the place she held in Victoria's life to be able to understand the impact of losing her.

I didn't always like Victoria but her actions were believable for a teenager suddenly cut adrift from the parental tether of the grandmother who raised her. I strongly recommend this book.

A truly captivating beautiful story of loss in a few different ways. Victoria has been brought up by her wonderful grandparents after her parents die young and when her world collapses, she discovers the truth and begins to face a new reality where nothing she has been told was true. I cried and laughed reading this and would put it as one of my favourite reads this year. I got this as an arc and would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for letting me have the book to review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own views and are completely unbiased

Always a huge pleasure to read a book by the wonderful Amanda Prowse, her beautiful emotional stories always touch my heart and uplift my soul!
And this amazing story certainly did both of these things with the gorgeous characters and the breathtaking descriptions of Oslo and her family home that she shared with her beloved grandmother.
It was enthralling watching Victoria adjust to life without her grandmother, her choices at times had you cringing and you hoped she realises her mistakes and can keep those who love her close, rather than follow her mum into a different lifestyle.
I loved how the letters between her mum and grandmother gave you a further layer to the story, it gave you the opportunity to see both sides of the story and allowed you to understand the love between them all.
Certainly this book was an emotional rollercoaster, however the ride was so thrilling and thought provoking, and one I hope to travel again in Amanda’s next book. ❤️

Another fantastic page turner from the queen of women’s fiction! I absolutely loved this. I cannot believe the amount of times I had to stop reading because of the tears in my eyes Through sadness and laughter. There were moments where I was cringing and moments where I felt so much empathy for quite a few of the characters. There wasn’t a single character I didn’t like and it know it’s a sign of a great book when you get to the end and are gutted that it’s finished. It left me wanting to know more about quite a few characters in the book and it also made me really really want to go visit Oslo. I have a wonderful mental picture of so many places that I’d love to see them for real.

Reading an Amanda Prowse book is like snuggling in front of a fire wrapped in a duvet. In other words it’s comforting. Amanda’s books wrap themselves around you and give you the biggest hug

The Day She Came Back is no different

This is a ‘real’ book about real people with real lives and yet Amanda’s stories are all fiction

As with all her others this book grabbed me from the start

Terrific read

Thanks you once again Amanda

I was very disappointed with this book. Is it written for the mid teen market? It felt as if it was. The plot was cliched and disappointing. Had I been in the young adult bracket I might have been more impressed.

The Day She Came Back is the newest release from one of my top-five favorite authors, Amanda Prowse. The Queen of Domestic Drama and a prolific writer of emotionally charged contemporary fiction has another hit on her hands, and I am thrilled to share an early review. I have read all of her works from the last five years and plan to shuffle my way back through the earlier ones I missed, before I knew anything about her.

Imagine being an eighteen-year-old girl in England, raised by your much older grandmother because your own parents died from drug overdoses. You lost your grandfather years ago, you have no siblings or aunts and uncles, and you're a bit of an outcast at school. But you're sweet, and you are generous, and you have so much potential. At least you have a wonderful best friend and a lovely little crush on a boy at school... perhaps life might be okay... until your nana, Prim, passes away unexpectedly. How tragic and sad, and it breaks your heart. But then... everything changes the following days at nana's funeral. Someone you thought long gone shows up with a shocking twist!

Prowse knows how to lure you into comfortable nostalgia and love... she makes you feel the true pain of a young girl who now has no one to help her through the grief. Sure, she has a bestie and her family, and her nana's beau, but it's not the same. I felt my eyes tear up when Victoria was home alone for the first time... you know things can't possibly be okay again for her. She is alone in the world now. I understood her reckless behavior, her desire to be someone different. Victoria shows us the downside of being heartbroken on multiple levels, and then... finally, we see a glimmer of hope. The crush seems to return her feelings!

As quickly as we feel the pain, our hopes rise and we see the potential for Victoria to heal. But it won't happen, and things will take a very long time to truly turn around. Prowse paints the characters with just enough detail to give you all you need to take the picture and run with it yourself. I heard the music at the party Victoria throws. I smelled the breakfasts she and her crush make each morning. I felt the change in this young woman when she is hurt a second time by someone who devastates her in a terrible way.

It's rare others than Prowse can generate this kind of emotion from me... but when she does, I am all in. I can't wait to find out what's next in this dynamic author's mind.

After losing her darling grandmother Victoria is heartbroken then at the funeral she see's a strange woman who then claims to be her dead mother. as Victoria learns of her past and the secrets her grandmother has kept.Now needing to find answers Victoria does'nt know who she can trust to tell her the truth.5*

Loved this book!!! Amanda Prowse is one of my favorite authors and her latest, The Day She Came Back, did not disappoint. The story is woven so beautifully and the characters are very real and relatable. Highly recommend!

Thank you to netgally for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Amanda Prowse books and this one definitely lived up to expectations such an emotional and heart-warming read and was so happy to be able to request it to read on netgalley in advance of its release and it was such a brilliant book to read on a sunny bank holiday while shielding. Once I had started reading I really couldn't put it down and finished it in one day. Amanda always writes about real people and real life emotions and The Day She Came Back is no exception to this telling the story of three women, Prim, Sarah and Victoria and how heartbreak, love and family connect them all in some way whilst reading you feel like you are living the story with them and all of the tears laughter and joy and heartbreak that they are going through and how the truth comes out in the end. It also explores the special bond and friendship between two best friends Victoria and Daksha and their hopes and dreams for the future.

So good!
I do not want to give away too much, so I will say this: This is a beautifully written, heartfelt story of family, loss, distrust, life, love,and reunions.
*Beware*- You will definitely need tissues as you meet and become friends with Victoria', Prim, Daksha, and Sarah. .You will learn how their lives intersect. Will they ever move forward and let go of all the hurt and lies?
I loved each and every person in this novel, but my very favorite is Sarah. A person stronger than she even realized that once upon a time did the right thing for her daughter.
Amanda Prowse never disappoints and this is most definitely a book that you will love!
Set aside a day to do this!

What if the people you loved and trusted had been lying to you from the beginning?
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.
Amanda Prowse is brilliant at writing about family and love. You walk with Victoria through first her grief, then her anger and then uncertainty as she has to grow up beyond her 18 years, whilst she also plays at being a teenager - her first crush, her first party.
I loved the characters of Prim and Victoria. Prim had a wonderful zest for life, obviously driven by previous events. She wanted the best for her grand-daughter and sacrificed everything to give it to her. Victoria was a sweet, naïve 18 year old, and I loved how we followed her thoughts and choices through the tragic events in her young life. An emotional read and one i'd definitely recommend.

Sorry but this wasn't for me, felt as thought it was aimed at the Y.A. group.

I have read many of Amanda's books but sadly this wasn't for me.

Another 5* book from Amanda. Following the story of a young women through grief, family and surprises. I love the way Amanda writes and her characters, whether you love them or hate them, draw you into their lives. Lives are rarely straightforward and the characters in this book showcase that but with grace and love of from the writer. Thanks Amanda and NetGalley.

The Day She Came Back, by Amanda Prowse.
This book comes out in July 7th and although Amanda Prowse is my favourite author, this new book is my new favourite!

Victoria is living with Prim (her grandmother who feels being called such, makes her feel old).
Almost everyone in Epsom knows that Victoria’s parents died, her father before she was born and her mother when Victoria too young to remember her.
So when Victoria comes home to find Prim dead in her chair, Victoria is alone. Isn’t she?

I can honestly not remember crying so much through a book ever!

Victoria is sensible and clever, everything she knows is suddenly something else. But how could she? How could her dear Prim lie to her?

The characters felt like friends and people I knew. I found so much of it relatable and found myself with a lump in my throat more than once.

Daksa, Victoria’s best friend, is a brilliant friend. The sturdiest and kindest person you could possibly imagine. So why does Victoria push her away? What now?

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved this book because the author showed us many sides. Victoria was raised by her grandmother Primrose who told her that her Mum was dead. Upon Primrose's death, a lady showed up at the funeral and she was Victoria's Mum. Victoria had so much to come to terms with. The story deals with all she had to go through and the best part for me was the letters. that Victoria's Mum and her grandmother wrote to each other before Victoria was born. The letters were written so well that as Victoria was reading them, you could feel the pain they both was in. Victoria's Mum, Sarah was in such a bad state when she was pregnant but she did what she had to in order to deliver her daughter but the pain of all that she had been through was just too much for her. She asked her mother to raise her daughter because she truly believed she was going to be dead. She was an addict and she didn't want to take her daughter down that road. The story is written so well that I felt the pain they were going through, the emotions of the choices they made, and figuring out what are they going to do now.
This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse but it definitely won't be my last. What the story did to my heart was a shocker. This book has such an effect on me and I hope lots and lots of people will pick this book us and read it. After finishing the book I thought the author gave me everything she had plus more.

The Day She Came Back
Amanda Prowse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication date 7/7/20

What an emotional and beautifully written story. Victoria has seen tragedy in her 18 years. Lost both of her parents to drugs, mourned the loss of her grandfather. She’s been raised by her grandmother and has grown into a kind and generous young lady despite not having it easy at school. After her Nana passes away a woman comes back and claims she is Victoria’s mother. You feel Victoria’s heartbreak and wonder how will she ever forgive and let go of the past. I shed many tears while reading this book but loved when a saw a glimmer of hope for Victoria. This is a riveting story that will stay with you. It is a story about betrayal, grief and understanding that love always shines.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon publishing for this early electronic ebook!!

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Another brilliant book penned by Amanda.
A story of love, friendship and a unique bond between a grandmother and her grand-daughter.
Prim and Victoria were each other's world until Victoria found Prim dead in the family home. At Prim's funeral, a chance meeting with a stranger brings Victoria's world as she knew it crashing down.
The aftermath of this event leads Victoria on a path of discovery and hidden truths. The story takes us from Epsom to Norway; where there are new discoveries, tears and happiness.
A lovely read with characters that are so real and believable.

This was a good lesson in reading the synopsis before reading the book. If I had read it and realised it was about Victoria’s Grandmother passing away, I would have avoided it as my own beloved grandmother passed recently and it's still very raw. Needless to say, I cried through the whole book instead!

Poor Victoria, an 18-year-old who has decided not to go to Uni and to save to travel first, has been bought up since she was born by Prim, the only family she had left after her father’s death before she was born and her mother’s shortly after, both from drug overdoses. Her grandfather died when she was 8 and as her mother was an only child, she has no cousins or extended family.

Victoria has an awesome best friend but otherwise not many to speak of and is now alone in the world. The relationship between Victoria and her grandmother, Prim, is so wonderful, they are very close and from the first few pages, you feel like you know them. Their conversations and emotions feel very real, the same with the others throughout the book. Victoria is a very real character who you just want to hug and make feel better, you want her to know how loved she is.

The plot is brilliant, this book is beautifully written. You begin learning about Victoria’s life and the shock of finding her grandmother, Prim, after her passing. Then a strange woman arrives at her funeral and claims to be Victoria’s mother, Sarah. Victoria has a lot to deal with; her grandmothers passing, this new stranger and who she really is as well as learning to live alone in a big house and how to deal with being lied to her whole life. She has a strong need to find out the truth about what happened and why. It’s a difficult journey but with the help of a series of beautifully written and very emotional letters she begins to learn the truth.

Despite being an emotional read it was positive and uplifting at the same time. Filled with sensitivity, grief, loss, addiction, reconciliation and above all, love, this was a quick read as I just couldn’t put it down. Amanda Prowse, in her usual style, has delivered another exceptional book.

Sometimes you the perfect book has a way of finding you at the exact right time in your life and for me this was it. While grieving myself this has helped heal some of the pain and to focus on my own wonderful grandmother. That is the true magic of reading and this was perfect!

'The Day She Came Back' was an emotional read for me ! Being coeval , I understood the overwhelming emotions that the female protagonist went through and I firmly believe that her actions and emotional breakdowns are quite justified and properly expressed.

Imagine - just imagine that for eighteen years you were brought up and pampered by your cool old grandmother with no siblings and grandfather gone long ago and been told that your birth giver died due to drug overdose when you were a mere toddler but on the day of your nana's funeral your mum turns up - no not her spirit but in flesh and blood and claims that she was alive all these years . How will you feel? Anger - Betrayal - Sadness - Happiness - Hope? We'll save your emotions, because Victoria ,our female protagonist for this novel, will let you know how does it exactly feel when your okay-ish life in Surrey goes topsy-turvy.

I teared up when Victoria was all by herself in that big ancestral house in Epsom though morally supported by her best friend and her granny's beau. She was ready to face the world yet her emotions were all over the place. That is exactly how it should be. My eyes twinkled in hope when her long time crush seemed to reciprocate her feelings. I cried with Victoria and her mother when they tried to catch up and make things work but the past was not allowing them to! Through the beautiful words of the author I would literally taste the foods mentioned in different chapters and find myself at the wild party held at Vic's house!

Amanda Prowse did a great job in creating and shaping the cast of characters and narrating the incidents in such a descriptive manner yet in simple sentences . Prowse is known for her flair in domestic drama and is a prolific writer of emotion filled contemporary fiction and I would gleefully tell you that she as usual didn't depress or disappoint . The book will be available in stores from the seventh of July, 2020 - do grab your copy!
P. S.: I am grateful to Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with the ARC!

Victoria is 18 and was bought up by her free-spirited grandmother Primrose. When Prim passes away quite suddenly, Victoria, an orphan, is now alone with her grief. When a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be Victoria’s mother, her whole life is up-ended – has everyone she’s ever loved always lied to her?

I found I went through stages of loving and hating the main character Victoria, but her best friend Daksha absolutely stole my heart!! I want her to be MY best friend, so that we can laugh together and drink endless cups of tea and eat cake…lots of cake.!

Amanda Prowse never fails to deliver such lovely, thought provoking, heart wrenching stories, and “The Day She Came Back was another example.

This was sort of a slow read for me. However, I did very much enjoy this book. I felt many different emotions when reading this book. There were times I wanted to smack some of the characters but then there were times I felt so much empathy. I put myself in the position of the daughter/granddaughter and how I would feel if I was in the same position. I could not imagine loosing someone that I truly cared for then to find out there were lies and secrets that were hidden. But these lies and secrets made this book somewhat mysterious. This book was well written and the author made you feel the emotions that the characters were feeling.

Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors and I was so excited to dive into this story - and it didn't disappoint. Amanda is the master of taking a plausible situation, populate it with real and likeable characters, and twist you around, wringing every possible emotion out of you. I cried (a lot), I smiled, and once or twice got quite annoyed. I have finished the book with a massive book hangover, and an waiting for one of my friends to finish it as I'm dying to talk about it!

The story centres around 18 year old Victoria. Her parents died when she was very young, and she was brought up by her Grandparents. Her Grandfather also died when she was fairly yound, so Victoria and her Grandmother Prim (short for Primrose) were very close. When Prim passes away suddenly a mysterious stranger turns up at the funeral. Who is she and what is she after.

An emotional roller coaster of a book, with characters you will miss after you have finished reading.

Another good offering by Amanda Prowse, who is the queen of writing about family life and the difficulties and dramas that touch ordinary people. In this book Victoria discovers that she has been told a lie for her whole life, and the story follows her as she tries to reconcile why this decision was made and if she can forgive her family’s actions.
I did very much enjoy this story and I thought the characters were well written, however for me personally the story didn’t quite reach the quality and depth of previous books I have read by this author. That is probably due to my high expectations as I always eagerly await Amanda’s books so putting that aside I rated this 4⭐️ and would recommend.

Whilst I enjoyed the premise of this, I couldn't help but find it a tad predictable and not surprising in any way. I love Amanda's writing and characters, but the storyline fell short for me

This was my first Amanda Prowse book and it won’t be my last!
The Day She Came Back filled me with a roller coaster of emotions that I didn’t want to end.
Eighteen-year-old Victoria loses her dear grandmother suddenly and without any other family is left with only her best friend Daksha. That is, until a woman claiming to be her mother turns up. A story of secrets, love and friendship that will make you laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time).
I fell in love with all of the characters, even when I didn’t want to. Each one has been so carefully thought about and portrayed in a way that makes you understand their actions and sympathise with them. The relationship between Victoria and Prim is so beautifully written, it makes it such an enjoyable read. This story captivated me from the very first page and I couldn’t put it down. Despite the raw emotion of the book there are some light-hearted moments that made me smile, although I was in tears at final chapter. Such a heart-warming story that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a really beautifully written story about families, secrets, lies and forgiveness.
Amanda develops her characters with what seems like such ease, as when you read about them you feel instantly connected to them. Although this was a really lovely story, I didn’t feel quite as drawn in as I have with many other of Amanda’s stories, but nonetheless, I still really enjoyed it and really loved the ending.

The day she came back. She should of stayed gone. This was not a book I would recommend a very shallow book Can’t come up with a good review

I adore the way Amanda writes, it's so descriptive and you really feel like you are there.

This is a sad story of a found 18 year old girl, whom has been brought up by her grandparents. And when she finds her adored Prim has passed away, her whole life is shattered.

Not only is she grieving, she has to decide what is the right way to turn. As she's the only family left, or is the mystery woman at the funeral about to make her life even more complicated?

Really enjoyed and highly recommend

Another brilliant book by Amanda that I couldn’t put down. I don’t know how you manage to churn them out, all as brilliant as the ones before but please keep doing it. I can’t wait for the next book

I loved the premise of this book but when I started reading it soon became very predictable. I understand what happened to Victoria (losing her grandma and mom coming back) is traumatic and shocking but my goodness, she just kept repeating how she felt over and over. It was just a bit much, but besides that I did love her friendships and how the book ended.

A beautiful story of three generations of women in the same family as they learn to love, to forgive, and to heal.

Victoria is an 18-year-old woman who experiences the sudden loss of her beloved grandmother, Prim, her only remaining family member. Having lost her parents at a young age, never getting to know or meet them, she is shocked to find a woman approaching her at Prim’s funeral, claiming to be her dead mother, Sarah.
Lies are torn down as Victoria and Sarah get to know each other through letters and stories of the past. This is an amazing story about two generations of women who sacrificed so much for their beloved little girl, to make sure that she grows up to be happy and healthy. It is a story about lies, and betrayals, overcoming loss, getting to know a parent, once thought to be dead, understanding drugs and addiction, and the story of healing, forgiveness, and the strength to move on, even when the world seems to rock with uncertainty.

Through a woven web of a beautifully crafted story, this book is a stellar read that will keep you reading…and keep you crying.

Victoria has been raised by her grandmother, Prim, after her parents died when she was a baby of a drug overdose. When she is 18 Victoria and her friend, Daksha, are planning a trip to figure out what they want to do with their lives. One afternoon she comes home from an errand and finds her grandmother has passed away sitting in her chair in the garden. Prim is alone with no family and then a strange woman, Sarah, shows up at the funeral claiming to be her dead mother. There were times I wanted to smack some sense into Victoria. She had good friends and people to help her but she was so angry at the lie her grandmother told that she lashed out at everyone. She hooks up with Flynn, a boy she had a crush on in school, and things go very badly. Finally she begins the process of healing and reconnecting with her mother.

There were times when I did not like Victoria but she was acting out of character for her but at the same time her emotions were predictable. Sarah's strength and sacrifices were remarkable and I liked the slow building of their relationship and the bonding between them. Everyone should have a friend like Daksha.

The setting of her home with Prim, Rosebank, sounded wonderful with turret rooms and stained glass and I can picture the "old lady" decor with all of her mementos. I could almost smell the flowers she kept around the house. The setting in Oslo was likewise appealing with the cold and crisp air, people walking and biking everywhere, the warmth in the coffee shops and the spare decor of Sarah's and Jens's apartment.

The author takes on a difficult topic and family drama but never crosses the line into being maudlin. This is the second book I have read by this author and I look forward to many more.

An enjoyable read despite being somewhat predictable. I like Amanda Prowse's style of writing having read, and enjoyed, several books of hers in the past dealing with relatable modern family issues. I liked most of the characters and their development throughout the book but couldn't quite take to Victoria the main character which was unfortunate. I thought she was a little too wallowing in self pity with a high degree of anger and lack of sensitivity for others, which given her background, was not totally surprising just a little repetitive at times. A good read none-the-less and up to Amanda's standards

Amanda Prowse always writes beautiful stories about human life.

The Day She Came Back is about 18 year old Victoria who is being raised by her maternal grandmother, Prim, after her mother died when she was a baby. Victoria arrives home after going to the shops to find her beloved grandmother dead in the gardening room. At Prim's funeral an unfamiliar woman is lurking in the background. When this stranger speaks to Victoria it is to relay a terrible secret - what will Victoria make of this secret?

A poignant read but ultimately with a feel good factor.

Victoria is a naive 18year old, who lives with her grandmother, Primrose (Prim), both her parents having died when she was a baby. Her grandmother dies suddenly, and this sets Victoria off on a rebellious path, especially when it appears her mother could still be alive.

This book started slowly but was really nicely paced in the second half. It is well written, and the characters have depth. There is a nice weaving of the feelings between Victoria, Prim and Sarah, the reasons for the deceptions that have angered Victoria to almost self destruct nicely laid out in a series of letters. The scenes between Victoria and Sarah are beautifully written and realistic. However this feels as though it is aimed at the young adult demographic, rather than general adult fiction. I also probably shouldn’t have read it having recently lost a close relative. But I’d certainly read this authors work again, but this one was not for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review,

Amanda Prowse has a wonderful way of making quite ordinary, normal believable characters come to life on the page.

This book is about Victoria an 18year old who has been brought up by her larger than life Gran, Prim after her mother died when she was a baby. Then Prim is taken from her. Victoria doesn’t know what she will do and how she will cope without her.
Then at Prims funeral a strange woman turns up and will things ever be the same again? Victoria’s world is turned upside down.

I really enjoyed the book, the characters are believable and I like the relationships between them interesting and relatable.

A wonderful family drama that is a lovely easy read.

Another fab read from Amanda Prowse, she just keeps giving. What a powerful thought provoking read, would highly recommend this

This truly was an amazing read. Amanda Prowse never lets you down and this is one of her very best yet, and that’s saying something after the number of first-class novels she has written.

This story tears at your heartstrings, evokes so many emotions and is just one of those stories that will stay with you for a very long time. Each character makes an impact, is memorable and relatable in some way. There’s so much to this story, it’s truly captivating from the beginning; the main character, Victoria, at only 18, has led a kind of different life having been brought up by her grandmother and has no other family. As we meet them, Victoria is about to explore the world and reach into her adulthood by travelling the world with her best friend. But tragedy strikes pretty early on in the book, and from that moment, life is nothing short of a rollercoaster for Victoria.

Victoria has to grow up fast, but she gets a chance to be a child again and grow a real relationship with someone she never thought she would, and although it’s impossibly sad, both parties have to come to terms with a lifetime of sadness, loss and lies, but it only makes them stronger for it.

In true Amanda Prowse style this book is wonderfully engaging and fills your heart with sadness, warmth, love and loss - like only one of her books can. The journey we go on with Victoria has it all, a Mother who selflessly gives up her child, dealing with addiction, loss of a beloved family member and teenage anxiety, not to mention the topic of boys and virginity... you name it, it’s in this book!

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I read this story, what you want the outcome to be, and at times Victoria really messes up and almost loses her best friend and her self-worth. She is not alone, despite feeling like it, and manages to pull herself through the anguish and toward her new future. I don’t want to give anything away, but you will finish this book genuinely satisfied with the outcome and you won’t be able to get the characters and storyline out of your head for quite some time.

I love all of Amanda’s books, however I have to say they get better and better and this one is up there with one of my all-time favourites.

Thank you to NetGalley and as always, the author, for the chance to read this ARC.

At almost nineteen, Victoria is not sure where life will lead her. She is looking forward to traveling and advendures with her best friend instead of rushing off to university as her peers are planning. When her grandmother dies unexpectedly, her life is upended. Victoria uncovers some surprising family secrets while working through her grief. As she is growing into her adult self, Victoria must decide if some lies are justifiable. Amanda Prowse explores grief, guilt, love and forgiveness in this tender story. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story was an emotional rollercoaster of an 18/19 year old girl. This poor girl life is complicated enough with all the extra layers she had to face.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whenever you pick up an Amanda Prowse book you know you are in for an emotional ride and this book is no exception.

Amanda brings her characters to life through the pages of her books and writes with such empathy for all her characters, making them so realistic.that you feel you really know them.

This is a story of family, friendships, lies, grief and forgiveness.

Another winner from the Queen of family drama.

Just finished this wonderful story by this fabulous author. Whenever you pick up an Amanda Prowse book you know you are in for an emotional ride and this book is no exception.
I highly recommend this book. It will definitely stay with me.

Yet another amazing book by Amanda Prowse. . I was so honoured to receive an advance copy of this book. I'm in awe of how she manages to do it time after time.

I throughly enjoyed this book, we’ll written. You actually could put yourself in the characters position. A woman who gives up her child to her mother. Having no contact with her daughter for 19 years. The mother and child go through a lot in those 19 years until they finally come together and tell each other their story. Heartbreaking to go through.

I have read and enjoyed many books by Amanda Prowse as she tells a wonderful story and this was no exception. Wonderful characters- Prim, Sarah and Victoria.
No spoilers but you will need tissues for this one. Although tissues are standard for most of Amanda’s books!
Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prowse writes a good story. Victoria is very close to,her grandmother, Prim, but is unprepared for her death. Then she discovers a lie her gran,other told her, which will upend her life. She goes off the deep end for a bit, but gradually grapples with reality. I thought the ending was really good.

This book is top form Amanda Prowse. A couple I read previously didn’t make me feel much but this is up there with my other favourite ‘The Food of Love’.
An emotional easy read that you can escape in for a while, highly recommend.

The Day She Came Back is my first Amanda Prowse book. I felt that I have to read something from her as I read so many positive feedbacks.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster with Victoria, Primrose and Sarah. Victoria recently lost her beloved grandma, Prim who was the mom in her life. As an unexpected turn she meets with a woman, who claims to be her mom, on her grandmother’s funeral. She can’t believe it and takes it in a really sceptical way.

A very impulsive and touching women’s fiction novel about family love and loss.
Thank you for NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy.

A delightful story of loss and love, which held my attention throughout.

Victoria is living a happy life with her beloved Grandmother Prim in their lovely home, Rosebank, which she has been in all her life. Prim raised Victoria giving her a wonderful childhood yet Victoria feels someone is missing and that’s her dead Mum Sarah. Sarah was a studious girl guaranteed to go on to good things, which was until she was introduced to drugs. Unfortunately the love of her next hit was the only thing keeping her will to live. Prim desperate to spare her granddaughter this sort of life struck a deal with Sarah and took responsibility of Victoria to raise and cherish.

After the shock death of Prim, Sarah suddenly re appears sending Victoria into a spin. Reading how Mother and Daughter learn to reconnect was a joy but fraught at times. I totally related to the characters in this book as they come across as realistic and honest. My favourite quote in this book is that they will always share the same moon – how true and thought provoking.

My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This author is one of my all time favourites and this was up there with the best that she has written. It is a thought provoking and emotional read and I absolutely loved it.

Delightful coming into age or into one's self story.

Victoria has just hit adulthood with plans to travel the globe with her best friend. Her grandmother, Primrose, is fully on board with her experiencing life that way and encourages her to that end.

Life seems to be good.

Then Prim dies, leaving Victoria alone in the world.

Only she learns that her mother never really died.

So now Victoria is grappling with grief over the death of her grandmother (and only parent she knew) and the fact that something so foundational to her life (dead mom) was a lie.

Overall, a good story. Although I was about ready to hop into the book and slap Victoria with her silly girl blind spot for a boy out to use her. Thankfully, it concluded quicker than I was dreading. And then the story of her learning about the past and healing could begin.

This is my first read of a book written by Amanda Prowse. I very much enjoyed it and will definitely look Into her other work.

This is the story of Victoria. Her grandmother passes away and she is devastated by the loss. During the funeral, a stranger reveals to her, that she is her mother. Victoria doesn’t know how to take the news. This book is that journey into understanding, acceptance, forgiveness, love reconciliation and family.

This was a quick read for me! I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for their next book! I want to thank NetGalley & Lake Union published for the ARC and the chance to read this novel and provide a review.

Another fantastic saga from the pen of Amanda Prowse, which examines the relationship of Victoria with the mum she never knew was alive. Love, lies, loyalty and conflict are all dealt with in Amanda’s usual sympathetic style, along with a very satisfactory ending . I think this is one of her best books and I have read them all!

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

When Victoria’s grandmother dies she thinks she is all alone, but a secret that has been kept from her for years changes her future.

Amanda always delivers an emotional read which gets me really involved with the characters. A super book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

I enjoyed this book because Victoria is such a mess, but in a good way. She is just out of school with her whole future ahead of her. She has a crush on a popular boy. She and her best friend are going to travel for a while. Then, her grandmother passes away and Victoria’s life turns upside down.

I felt a connection with Victoria, even though my life was really nothing like hers. She was just very easy to relate to.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a coming of age story. This book made me smile and laugh and reminisce about being young and thinking that I knew it all.

I always enjoy reading a book by Amanda Prowse and The Day She Came back was no exception.

This is a story of the importance of family and of love and loss, not necessarily in that order! I could imagine being like Daksha, a supportive friend of Victoria’s when her life began to change, and things began to spiral out of control. Whilst reading Victoria’s story I cried and laughed in equal amounts.

To me, it seems that Amanda Prowse puts a little of herself in each of her books. Her beautifully written descriptions of life in Oslo transported me there and I now long to visit Ekeberg,, Acker Brygge, and the Ekebergparken Sculpture Park. (after lockdown and Covid-19). My favourite paragraph, however, could have been written about anywhere, and I could hear the sounds as I read:
“…..she lay still taking in the sounds that to most, would have seemed quite unremarkable..…. For Victoria they were like music, a composition just for her. She listened to Sarah open and close cupboard doors, click switches, clatter crockery and the metallic rattle of items ferreted from the dishwasher. She heard her hum and laugh softly, cough twice and chat in both English and Norwegian.” “These were the sounds of family” wrote Amanda Prowse.

I really didn’t want The Day She Came Back to end and I give it 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for this arc and give an honest review.

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, Sarah, attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead.

The story then follows Victoria's search for the truth and her struggle to trust and forgive to live a full and happy life,

This book is a powerful family drama filled with grief, guilt, love and forgiveness. While I loved all the characters my absolute favourite was Victoria's best friend, Daksha.

Overall an enjoyable and easy read. While this is my first read by this author, I am definitely looking forward to read more from her.

Thank You to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC!!

An easy read but one that covers tricky situations - particularly the lengths we go to to protect our loved ones and what ‘home’ means. I found Victoria’s story a little hard to connect with as it didn’t pack the usual emotional punch that I’ve come to know and love from Amanda Prowse. But there were elements of this when Victoria reads the letters between her mum and Prim, especially as the letters progress. One thing I would have liked would be more Prim.

This is the first book I've read by Amanda Prowse, though I've seen her a lot on TV and always liked the sound of her stories. In person (on TV, I mean) , she has the ability to draw people in and captivate them with her account of  even the most mundane thing, so I had high hopes. I wasn't disappointed.

The Day She Came Back tells the story of Victoria (about to turn 19), her grandmother, Prim (who raised her), and Sarah, the mother Victoria never knew. 

Victoria's world falls apart when her grandmother passes, but with the help of her best friend, Daksha, she plans Prim's funeral and the ensuing wake, only to meet a familiar-looking woman in the grounds of Rosebank (the home bequeathed to her by Prim) when she escapes for some fresh air.

The woman, Sarah, claims she is Victoria's mother, and the story takes off in a whirlwind of sorrow, anger, pain, but above all, love, as the secrets of the past are revealed. The author never overwhelms the story with unnecessary detail; instead she sprinkles snippets of information about them as the story unfolds, enabling the reader to get a slow, but complete impression of their personalities. Sarah, who now lives in Oslo, shares letters between her and Prim with Victoria, so her daughter can a contemporaneous account of how things turned out the way they did. Through the letters, you see the pain, sadness, anger, frustration, and love that  kept Prim and Sarah, and ultimately Victoria, apart. 

But, Victoria has questions, lots and lots of them, and decides to visit Sarah in Oslo. It is the start of a beautiful relationship for  them both, and paves the way for Victoria's "happy ever after".

It's a quick read, as once you're drawn in, you cannot stop reading. Stunning locations, believable people, and a bucketful of emotion. Highly recommended to fans of intense women fiction where family is at the heart off the story.

Secrets come to light once Victoria’s grandmother passes away. What will this do to Victoria’s future? What follows is a very emotional and heartbreaking journey for Victoria. Family secrets, hidden truths and learning to forgive are encountered along the way.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

Another fabulous read from Mrs Prowse. I really enjoyed this book and connected with all of the characters. I loved the descriptions of Oslo - it's now on my bucket list to visit. The writing as always, is impeccable and glows seamlessly. Perfect read.

I love Amanda Prowse books and this is no exception. When Victoria's beloved grandmother Prim passes away suddenly. Victoria discovers that everything she's been told about her past is all a lie

The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse ~ Reviewed June 14, 2020
Victoria has lived with her maternal grandmother, Prim since she was an infant. Victoria believes her parents died of a drug overdose when she was a baby and Grandma has raised as a daughter. However, on the death of Grandma Prim, Victoria finds out her mother Sarah is alive.
After reading more about these three generations; it appears these women are so much alike!!!
I totally enjoyed the epilogue. I did check other reviews and saw that readers just love Ms. Prowse.
This is my first [author: Amanda Prowse] novel. I believe I need to read another!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing, UK for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 7, 2020

Amanda Prowse is fast becoming one of my new favourite authors. After reading 'Another Love' last month, I was so pleased to be able to read an advanced copy of 'The Day She Came Back' in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows 18 year old Victoria who at the start of the book loses the grandmother who raised her. Victoria's mother had passed away when she was a baby and her father had died before she was born, and so she is nervous at the prospect of now being left to face the world on her own. That is until the day of the funeral when a woman claiming to be her birth mother appears. The journey that follows is filled with friendship, grief, angst and discovery, and quite simply the author does what she does best - takes hold of your emotions and carries them tenderly through the book.
I loved the well rounded characters, and easy yet emotionally charged style of writing that keeps you well connected, I honestly just wanted to keep reading without a break.

Another stunning book from the legendary Amanda Prowse, I devoured it in one sitting. An easy five stars from me!!
Many thanks for this ARC.

I couldn't put this book down - well I say that but I had tears streaming down my face and had to leave reading the Epilogue for a while. What an amazing and compelling story this was. It was touching, thought provoking and heartwarming. At first I thought poor Victoria, then poor Sarah and poor Primrose - what a decision to have to make for everyone involved. I do love reading Amanda Prowse books. They always give food for thought.

Wow, this is a bit of a roller-coaster of a book with some well-drawn characters both young and old. The key players at the start are Victoria, her friend Daksha and grandmother Primrose. As situation develop and Victoria starts to uncover more about her past relationships change and evolve. This is a great exploration of the consequences of addiction. Highly recommended.

This is my first Amanda Prowse book and I loved it!!!!!!!! Wasn't sure how this story was gonna turn out but I was delighted with it. We have a 18 yr old Victoria, who has been raised by her grandmother "Prim". Her mother dies when she was a baby and her grandmother gave her a beautiful life filled w/love. Then her grandmother died leaving Victoria alone in the world. At Prim's funeral a strange woman tells Victoria that she is her mum. Shocked and grieving Victoria has alot on her at a young age. Read this book to find out how she handles it. Thank you to netgalley & amazonpublishing for my honest review

Loved this book, made me laughter & cry such a beautiful story that deals with a very taboo subject sensitively.

Another great story from Amanda Prowse. Victoria has learned to live with the fact that her mother died many years ago. But when her grandmother Primrose dies, she is forced to face that much of what she knows is based on a lie. .Forced to deal with the truth, Victoria finds it difficult to trust anyone.

I’m in the minority with my 2 star rating but I just tried several times to get into this book but I’m sad to say I just cannot connect to any of the characters! Sorry to say but I gave up at 48% which is longer than I usually last on a book I’m not liking. I tried, I really did! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable and easy read. Lovely storyline written by a fantastic author. Her books never disappoint

One of the most powerful books I've read in a long time. The "drama" starts right in the beginning - chapters 2 & 3.

The writing highlights Victoria's raw emotions as she learns elements of her past were a lie and she is left reeling with these discoveries. The author captures perfectly this confused 18, almost 19 year old who was used to a life with an 80+ year old, her grandmother's ways, habits etc and suddenly has to find herself and find understanding of the circumstances of her birth amidst the chaos she finds herself in.

Her mini "rebellion" is captured perfectly and you feel every emotion she is experiencing so keenly. Her anger, her confusion, her feelings of betrayal and heartbreak.

Its such an emotional read and one that should not be attempted without tissues or plans to only read a few pages at at time. Hands down this must be in my opinion one of the best, if not the best, works to come out of the pen of Ms Prowse.

PS I especially loved Victoria's "revenge" on Courtney and Flynn's kind of confession at the end.

A beautiful book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for granting me the opportunity to read this book.

How do you forgive the family that lied to you and love the mom you never had?

Victoria has led a very love filled relaxed life in Epsom, Surrey brought up by her grandparents after being told her mother, Sarah and father, Marcus are dead. Prim, Victoria's grandmother, will never speak of Marcus, blaming him for causing her daughter's death by introducing her to drugs. When Victoria comes home one day and discovers Prim has passed away her world turns on its head and she is left alone, the closest she has to family now is her best friend Daksha, who rallies round as best she can, always with the offer of a cup of tea not far away. On the day of Prim's funeral a woman turns up, claiming to be the mother that she thought was dead. Victoria cannot understand why Prim, the one woman she thought she could trust, would lie to her, but to ever be happy again she needs to find out why. Can she ever trust anyone again?

This story is split between Epsom, Surrey and beautiful Oslo, Norway which Amanda frequently speaks about so lovingly. It's a tale of addiction, love, loss and trust. We all believe we can trust those that we love implicitly, when that trust is broken what do we have left?

Amanda Prowse is one of my go to authors when I need a change of genre from the thrillers and crime that I'm used to, I know without even reading the blurb that I'm going to love the book because, as I've said before, Amanda brings her characters to life through the pages of her books and makes them so realistic that I feel I'm living their lives with them. She covers topics that resonate with us all as we, or someone we know, face these at some point in our lives, she delivers them so on point and so beautifully that it's impossible not to be affected in some way, and once again, I cried so many times through this one. 

I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the auto approval. I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

Not my favourite of Amanda's books. Young adults might enjoy this story, but sadly it wasn't for me. At the start, the relationship between Victoria and her grandmother was touching. The rest of the story left me cold, as it was hard to relate to any of the characters. I would also have liked more description of dramatic Oslo, a city I have enjoyed visiting, as there didn't seem to be much sense of place. They could have been anywhere.

I usually find Amanda Prowse novels both absorbing and really satisfying. Even one dealing with anorexia managed to convey the teenage victims inner-anguish whilst showing her parent’s anguish bBut I’m afraid I just found this one exasperating. Victoria is 18 years old but thinks more like a slow 14 year old. Meanwhile her grandmother and her beau are typical of 80 year olds from around 1980. Instead of their past conjouring up images of flappers and David Niven era war heroes they should really be Greenham common/ Grease Lightening characters.
The selfish, maundering girl finds herself bereft when bereaved and when her dearest wish comes true spends page after page bemoaning her lot.
When we arrive in Oslo the descriptions leap off the page and Sarah borders on likeable for the first time. The end seems remarkable neat and happily-ever –after ish.
Not one of her better ones. Don’t let it put you off because there are lots that are really good, realisitic and more gritty than this. It certainly shows the author is versatile and doesn’t write to a hackneyed formula.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

Amanda Prowse knows how to get you involved in the lives of her characters, she writes so well about ordinary, normal people that you can really believe in. One of today's great writers, and I always look forward to reading her books!
You could feel the confusion and anger Victoria was going through, it is so well written.
Thank you netgalley.

Once again this author makes us feel all of our emotions and we feel richer for it! This feels like a ‘coming of age’ book to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and whizzed through it.

Amanda Prowse never fails to delivery and this book is no exception, Victoria considers herself to be a plain sort of girl or as her grandma says of all the women in the family potatoes until they mature into chips. Daksha is Victoria's best friend and between them, they are planning a trip of a lifetime before they grow up completely. Prim, Victoria's Grandma and guardian is all for the trip and encourages them, Victoria is not too unhappy about leaving her grandma as she knows she has the friendship of Gerald and handyman Bernard to look out for her. Although Victoria has grown up without parents she has been smothered in love from Prim and her grandpa when he was alive. Everything is going along fine, Victoria even has a conversation with a boy that she has always admired from afar but thought was way out of her league. this conversation delays her getting home on time and when she finally arrives her world is turned upside down and will never be the same again.

As always with Amanda Prowse's work, character and relationships are at the heart of this novel and there are some wonderful characters to adore and take into your heart. Victoria is feeling desolate after the loss of her wonderful Grandmother, Primrose, has left her seemingly alone in the world. Events transpire that leave her feeling confused and making decisions that go against her character and leave her further muddled and full of recrimination. Her emotions are reeling and she doesn't know how to think or feel.
Her mother's story is devastating and you find yourself really taking to all three generations of women. There is also a wonderful supporting cast in the endearing Gerald and the friend we all need in our lives: Daksha.
This book shows the sheer intensity of loss but also the power that love and friendship has to help us rebuild and regroup when we need it most.

This author has a way of making the characters in her books so vivid, that one cannot, not get immersed in their lives.
Just before turning eighteen, the unthinkable happens and Victoria's grandmother Prim dies, her only living relative.
Victoria was raised by her grandparents, after her mother as she was told, died of an overdose shortly after she was born, and her father had also died.
Prim, the main and most important person in Victoria's life alongside her best friend Daksha, are everything to her, and the loss of her grandmother, and alone for the first time in her life, brought about many fears and questions, particularly after seeing a woman at the funeral who she did not know, yet somehow felt familiar.
This books presents you with a lot of emotions as Victoria, mourns her grandmother and tries to find her way in life, now that she is alone.
We follow her through many mishaps, doing things she never would have done, had her grandmother lived, the wonderful and close bond she and her best friend Daksha had, and the many other people who were trying to be there for her.
Trying to come to grips with a discovery she has made, Victoria takes a trip to s
Sweden to pursue what she has found out.
This is becoming one of my favorite authors, for her in depth characters and story lines.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the copy of this book.

I’m a fan of Amanda Prowse books but I must say it took me several attempts to connect with this one. I’m glad I persevered though as I enjoyed it once into it. The story begins with Victoria, who is approaching her 19th birthday, returning home to find her beloved grandmother Prim has passed away at the age of 84. Prim has brought Victoria up from a small baby as her parents both died from drug related incidents. Prim’s death leaves Victoria bereft and alone and she relies heavily on her best friend Daksha for company. Following Prim’s funeral Victoria notices a stranger standing in the garden looking at the lake. When challenged the mysterious Sarah tells her who she is which sets off a rollercoaster of emotions for both of them. This is where the story of secrets, lies and betrayal really begins. I liked the warm characters of Gerald and Bernard who I felt played important parts. An enjoyable read but in some areas very predictable but that aside I would recommend. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

The Day She Came Back By Amanda Prowse
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Amanda's books. After 10 years of reading no books, I returned to reading 2 years ago, I've read more books by Amanda than any other author. I've loved every book of hers I have read so far, and loved this book just as much.
Victoria lives with her grandmother Prim, because her mother died when she was a baby. On the day of the funeral a woman turns up claiming to be Victoria's mother.
The story that follows is gut wrenching, as Victoria tries to figure out the truth. I loved the story, the characters and the location.
Loved it, loved it, loved it 5/5

Another thought provoking book from this wonderful author. The Day She Came Back was an enjoyable book with a different storyline than I have seen before. If you like Amanda Prowse books then you will love this one and if you are new then you will want to read more by the author. A delightful and not too heavy read.

Amanda Prowse is an author whose writing gently draws you in and holds you within the story. I loved the ease of how I settled right in from the first few pages alone. Even only just meeting Victoria and her grandmother Prim, they felt like I had known them for years.

The setting was so idyllic with the beautiful family home, Rosebank, definitely capturing my imagination. For Victoria to find herself the owner at the young age of eighteen, is a huge responsibility, especially when dealing with grief. Again, this is an author who writes from the heart. The utter devastation and anxiety of losing a loved one, leapt from the pages and I felt every emotion that Victoria was going through.

Something that really stood out to me was the friendship between Victoria and her best friend Daksha. They have been friends for forever and you could feel their closeness. The reason why their relationship stood out to me is that Daksha at times shows the true meaning of friendship. Telling your best friend things they don’t want to hear is never easy but that’s what a true friend will do. Seeing this pair going through some ups and downs as Victoria tries to deal with her grief as well as get her head around an enormous lie, was both captivating and emotional.

This is a story that will have you questioning if you would do things differently. Who knows what we would do in the same position. I can’t say I totally agreed with Prim and Victoria’s mother with how they handled things but I could understand why. The relationship between a mother and daughter is not always an easy one so you can’t help admiring both these women. I also greatly admired Victoria for how she handles things. She doesn’t always make the best choices but the way she deals with the outcome shows what a wonderful young lady she is.

The Day She Came Back grabbed hold of me and kept me there until I turned the last page. I was captivated by these very different women and the dynamics of their relationships. As I have mentioned before, Amanda writes from the heart and as with all her books, this was another compelling and emotive read. Another winner for me.

I have read everything that Amanda has written so far and was therefore delighted to have the chance to read this, her latest, book. I love the way this author writes with such beautiful descriptive prose and always a great story line. It did take me a little longer than usual to get into this story as it initially felt as though it was aimed at the YA market, a genre that I don't tend to read , and I found it hard to engage with characters in their mid teens. However, after just a few chapters the story really did come alive for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated the fact that Amanda portrayed these young people really well and was totally in their mindset. Victoria and her best friend, Daksha, were typical teens and their loyal and loving relationship was a lovely part of the story. As the book progressed it became ever more intriguing and the characters leapt off the page. It was good to see some of the older generation i.e. the lovely gentlemen, Bernard and Gerald, staying quietly in the background as they observed the terrible situation that the teens got themselves into and were then there to lend a mature and loving hand of friendship and kindness to help them when needed. Sarah, the mother who comes back into Victoria's life after being absent for 18 years has a very interesting backstory to tell as to why she handed over the raising of Victoria to her own mother, Prim, all those years ago. The author has clearly done a lot of research during the writing of this book especially with regard to Oslo and I fell in love with the place from her descriptions of the country and its people. Never having been there myself this is another for the bucket list! I was very happy with the conclusion of this lovely story and especially enjoyed the Epilogue which tied everything up perfectly. I eagerly look forward to Amanda Prowse's next novel. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Eighteen year old Victoria has lived with her gran since the death of her parents from drug related causes when she was just a baby. Her grandmother Prim has been a wonderfully supportive influence in her life encouraging Victoria to be the best she can and always being there for her. So you can imagine her devastation when her grandmother dies suddenly and unexpectedly and a woman comes to her funeral who claims to be Victoria's mother. Not only is she dealing with her grief over her grandmother's death but also with the realisation that she has been lied to all her life.

All the emotions of shock, grief, even guilt will be so recognisable by anyone who has experienced a loss. Anger, guilt, fear, confusion: they're all laid bare and all totally convincing. It made me feel very protective of Victoria, wondering how it would feel to be completely alone and how to cope so young. Victoria is the same age as my younger daughter and I was trying to imagine her having to cope with all that Victoria went through. One particular part of the story that really resonated with me was when Victoria realised "that she was now the sole custodian of the family history, the keeper of all these memories". Anyone who has lost a parent will recognise that feeling that it's not just their physical presence which has gone, but also all their stories.

Following Prim's death and the meeting with the woman claiming to be her mother, Victoria showed her immaturity with some of her decisions and in the way she treated some people including her loyal and loving friend Daksha and her grandmother's companion Gerald. I was on occasion annoyed and disappointed with her but then I had to remind myself that she was really young and hurting. She really needed someone to guide and advise her. It was good though to see her learn from her mistakes and begin to mature over the course of the novel.

The Day She Came Back is a novel about love, sacrifice and the power of forgiveness. As with all of Amanda Prowse's books, I found it to be a very compelling read and one where I really believed in her characters, particularly because of the sensitive and insightful way she writes about their emotions and actions. This is a powerful and compelling family drama, an emotional and uplifting read.

The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse
As always, Ms. Prowse wrote a story that grabs you from the first page. Death is a hard thing to deal with. Victoria has dealt with a lot of it in her young life. First her mother, then her grandfather and now the grandmother that raised her. How much more can an 18 year old girl take? As much as we thought we knew at 18 years old, we really didn’t know that much. Are we truly ready to “adult” and all the responsibilities that go with it? Inheritance can bring “friends” and “relatives” out of the woodwork. Can you decipher the good from the bad? And what happens if one of the so-called “relatives” is back from the dead! How does one accept this? How does one deal with the lies and betrayal? How does one move on from here?
Well done Ms. Prowse. Well done!

Amanda is one of my favourite author's and her latest release certainly didn't disappoint.

A young girl who is devastated to lose her maternal grandmother who has brought her up since the death of her mother, gets a surprise at her funeral. What follows next is believable and compelling.

I recommend this book as the perfect summer read, whether staycationing or even being further afield.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

What a lovely warm story, so full of unthought of emotions. I adore Amanda Prowse as an author as she tells her stories from deep in her heart. This was so poignant and yet unimaginable, a mother that you believed dead suddenly appears in your life again. Once again a superb story that brings reality to situations with humour, love and of course the tear jerking moments.
Another masterpiece for this wonderful author.

This is an emotional story of family secrets, love and forgiveness, addiction, grief, loss. It is also a story with characters of depth, hope, and moving forward. This was the first book I’ve read by Amanda Prowse - I found it captivating and moving, and I look forward to reading other books by this author.

This was my first Amanda Prowse novel and it won’t be my last. The characters are beautifully developed as are the locations.. Victoria is raised by her energetic grandmother, Prim, when her mother and father die of a drug overdose. When Prim dies suddenly Victoria is left alone in the big ancestral home, Rosebank. She must adjust to her grief with only the help of her best friend Daksha. Daksha and Victoria’ friendship is artfully explored. At Prim’s funeral a woman Sarah, turns up and says she is Victoria’s mother. How can this be? When Sarah proves that she is indeed her mother through a series of letters between her mother and Prim, Victoria must accept that her wonderful grandmother has lied to her her entire life. Sarah wants to have a relationship with Victoria but Victoria is full of rage, heartache and resentment. Victoria makes some unhealthy choices while she is experiencing all these emotions. These choices while inevitably stupid are realistic and understandable for an 18 year old who is lost. Daksha suggests that Victoria meet with Sarah to see if a relationship is feasible. Sarah has her own baggage which she must get through. This is the story of three generational women who made decisions which had far reaching and long term consequences. This was an emotional journey for the characters as well as the readers. This novel covers mother daughter relationships, addiction, family dynamics, grief, love, resilience and strength.

I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.
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?
I really enjoyed this book from the beginning. It had me spellbound from the start. I will definitely read more books by Amanda Prowse.

The premise of this book, a young girl finding out the mother she’s been told is dead is actually alive, is good. I felt the book moved slow and found myself skipping over many parts to get to the actual story. Most of the characters are likable, and it’s easy to put yourself in their situations. I received an ARC of this book From NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK. All opinions expressed are my own.

The death of her Grandmother Primrose is hard enough for Victoria to handle but when a woman attends the funeral and tells Victoria that she is her mother she knows she needs answers. The mother Victoria has always thought had died will help her find these answers.
Victoria learns things from her Mother that will forever change her life. Her goal is to find out answers and uncover the secrets that had been kept from her.

This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse and I look forward to reading more by her.
Thank you NetGalley and Amanda Prowse for the ARC. This is my personal review for the ARC.

This is the story of a young woman, Victoria, who finds that, after her grandmother Prim dies, her mother is alive, and not dead, as Prim had told her. Victoria's mother shows up at Prim's funeral and wants to talk to Victoria but she turns her away. Victoria is angry at both her mother and grandmother for the secrets withheld, and its going to take a long time for her to accept this...

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Day She Came Back’ by Amanda Prowse in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When Victoria returns from an afternoon out with her best-friend Daksha, she discovers that her much-loved Grandma Prim has died peacefully in her sleep. During the funeral Victoria notices a strange woman walking in the garden who says she’s Victoria’s mother Sarah. Prim always said that Sarah had died from a drug overdose whilst at Durham University so why did she tell such a huge life-changing lie to her?

For many years I’ve been a great fan of Amanda Prowse’s work and have read practically all of her books but although ‘The Day She Came Back’ was a gentle story and I admit to having a lump in my throat with the description of Prim’s death, it felt as though it had been written for a younger market. I got halfway through the story when I realised I was neither interested in any of the characters who came across as shallow and hackneyed nor what was going to happen to them, to continue reading. In fact, the story felt as if it had been written years ago and re-released as the characters didn’t come over as true to life. I apologise for being so negative and am disappointed that I couldn’t find enough in the story to keep me reading, but this is the first book I haven’t enjoyed and it won’t put me off reading more by Ms Prowse.

When Victoria's beloved grandmother Prim dies suddenly, everything she has ever known about her life is about to change unimaginably. At Prim's funeral there is a mysterious woman and when Victoria goes to speak to her she reveals that she is her mother. But Prim had told Victoria that her mother died when she was just a baby. There is no way her gran would have lied to her is there?

Victoria is only 18, and is left feeling completely alone and adrift. She does have her amazing best friend Daksha, but in her confusion and grief she pushes her away when she becomes involved with a boy called Flynn. He helps her forget everything for a while, but when he shows himself to be unworthy of her time, she is forced to finally confront all the emotions she has been trying to suppress.

Tentatively, she reaches out to her mother Sarah, and begins to build a picture of why Prim lied to her. As they talk honestly she understands the sacrifice Sarah made, and the reasons why Prim lied to protect her granddaughter.

Dealing with themes of grief, addiction, anger, forgiveness and understanding, this is a warm and beautifully written story of family in all its permutations.

Eighteen year old Victoria comes home after running an errand and find her grandmother, Prim has dies of a heart attack. It shouldn't be a surprise her grandmother was in her eighties. It is, her grandmother was doing her usual things when she left. Now, she's gone.
Now Victoria is truly alone. Prim had been her last surviving family. The devastation is overwhelming.
At the graveyard Victoria notices a no e looking woman who she doesn't recognize. When she goes to see who it is, the woman is gone.
The luncheon is held at Prim and Victoria's home. Duri g a lull in conversation as Victoria is looking out the window she sees the mysterious young woman again. As she approaches the woman to see who she is, she is surprised at the knowledge she has of her home. Than the words she has never expected to hear are spoken to her. I am Sarah, your mother.
A heartwarming, heartbreaking story of love, betrayal. The lies that are said to save the innocent.
Excellent!!

This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse. It won't be the last.

Victoria is 18 and lives with her gran, Prim. When Prim suddenly dies, Victoria is bereft. It isn't made easier when a woman turns up at Prim's funeral claiming to be the mother Victoria believed was dead.

Through denial, doubt, and a conflicting myriad of emotions, Victoria is able to come to terms with both her past and her future.

I loved the way that Amanda Prowse wrote the various relationships. Victoria was clearly close to her gran and therefore the letdown, when it came, was very believable. Sarah, her mum, was well written too, awkward and unsure of how to reach out to Victoria, but when they finally found a way to connect, it absolutely made sense.

Daksha, Victoria's irrepressible best friend, was a joy - vibrant, funny, caring, and cake-loving! I also liked Gerald, who seemed completely unflappable and made me laugh as well.

There is a lot in this book about relationships and the choices we make, not always the right ones, as Victoria herself discovers.

You will need a box of tissues handy for this book, but it will leave you with a warm glow at the end despite the rollercoaster of emotions it took getting there.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Amazon Publishing UK, in return for an honest appraisal.

This is one of those books you do not want to end!!

Victoria had a special bond with her grandmother who had brought her up after her mother had died! Her life with Prim is all she has known but when tragedy strikes and Prim dies suddenly, Victoria is left grief stricken and suddenly alone.

A stranger (Sarah) who attends Prims funeral claims to be Victoria’s mother ! This turns Victoria’s world upside down. Can this be true? Has everything she believed been a lie?

My own grandmother looked after both my cousins when tragedy hit their family many years ago. The storyline touched me personally because I saw first hand how their feelings of rejection impacted their lives long after their childhood. Amanda’s insight into characters and feelings are so insightful , she has a truly unique gift.

This book was emotional and tackled issues such as addiction, grief, love and forgiveness with such a raw understanding I can recommend it wholeheartedly. Amanda you have done it again, one of my favourite authors who just seems to get better and better!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this amazing book.

My Mom is Alive

Victoria lives a happy life with her Grandmother. She was told that her mother died of a drug overdose when she was a baby. She has just finished school and is looking forward to going on a trip to visit places around the world until their money runs out. One day she goes shopping with her best friend and when she comes home her grandmother has died of a heart attack. At the funeral a strange lady appears and again in her grandmother’s garden. Victoria goes outside to talk to her and the lady says she is her mother.

Victoria is very confused and upset. She not only is grieving for her grandmother who has been a mother to her all her life, but now must find out if her mother is really alive and if she was lied to all her life.

This is a book about a young lady suffering from a loss, trying to figure out how to live alone, and learning that the mother she thought was dead for eighteen years is alive. She must adjust to these changes while learning to accept her mother in her life.

I liked that she had her best friend, and her grandmothers friend to help her. This is a book about love, trust, friendship and family secrets. It was an emotional read and so worth it. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Amanda Prowse, Amazon Publishing UK, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This was a sweet read and I was sorry for it to end. The characters were delightful and charming, the friendships and r e relationships lovely.

Victoria at the tender age of 18 had her life fall to pieces. Brought up by her grandparents after the death of her parents, she thinks she’s totally alone after the death of Prim her beloved Grandmother. Suddenly after the funeral she comes face to face with her so called dead mother. The grief and shock sends Victoria’s life spiralling out of control. This gripping book follows Victoria as she tried to make sense of the lies she’s heard all her life. Can she get to grips with the betrayal from those she loved. A well deserved 5 star read

Bestselling author Amanda Prowse knows how to play my heartstrings with her stories of “ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage, and love tested in ways they never imagined.” In this book, we move in with Victoria. Victoria’s mother died when Victoria was a baby. Victoria lives with her vivacious grandmother Primrose in Surrey, England. Victoria is a smart and pleasant young woman, somewhat sheltered, a bit awkward, still growing and maturing.

If you’ve read a book by Author Prowse before, and I hope you have, you know that as soon as you crack the book open, you will keep reading, through smiles and tears, until the satisfying conclusion. So, how is Victoria’s “strength, courage and love” tested? Well, she learns that her whole life has been based on a cruel lie- her mother is not dead. In fact, she’s standing out in the backyard by the lake, as mourners gather after Primrose’s funeral.

Victoria not only has to bear the loss of her beloved grandmother; she must totally rewrite her whole life. I liked that this book moves at a slow pace- it takes time for Victoria to process it all. Victoria is helped by her best friend, and by some other wonderfully conceived friends and neighbors. The mystery of her mother is slowly unraveled, and Victoria finally earns her birthname- a strong and powerful name.

This book highlights the agony of heroin addiction. We also get to visit lovely Oslo. I recommend Ms. Prowse’s latest “domestic drama” and know you will enjoy befriending Victoria. I received an advance digital review copy from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

THE DAY SHE CAME BACK is a heartwarming coming of age story with an intriguing hook: after the death of her grandmother, Victoria finds out her mother isn't dead after all. She also inherits her grandmother's old house, which she isn't sure she wants. Most of the story involves Victoria finding her way, working out why her grandmother lied about her mother, and mourning her grandmother. Victoria has a wonderful friend who helps her. This is a sweet story that fans of women's fiction should enjoy. My only caveat is that Victoria is quite young and her naive (even immature at times) outlook becomes grating at times. Overall, I enjoyed her character's journey and this poignant tale. The epilogue provides a charming look into Victoria's future.

This is a very well written novel.

It would probably appeal to mothers and teenagers as the story is about relationships between mothers and their daughters.

Victoria was brought up by her loving and slightly eccentric grandmother Prim. Victoria's mother died when she was a baby, but she still talks to her photo on the wall, even though she has no memories of her, only what Prim has chosen to share.

Victoria seems immersed in Prim's world of antiques, flowers and wine with dinner, and has few friends of her own age. Other than her grandmother, the only person she really interacts with, is her best friend, Daksha, a chirpy, affectionate girl from a close knit Indian family.

After Prim dies suddenly, Victoria goes on an emotional journey, at first losing sight of all that her beloved grandmother had instilled in her. Yet from this low point, with the unwavering love and support of Daksha and (occasionally armed!) interventions by her grandmother's beau Gerald, Victoria picks up the pieces and finds, not only her own strength, but a new relationship with her lost mother, Sarah.

It is a well written novel with dealing with intense emotional material such as death, grief, loss and the struggles to find strength to go on amidst pain and emptiness.

This is my first novel I read by Amanda Prowse and will look for her books now.
I received the opportunity from NetGalley to get an advanced copy. It was that good a story because I finished it in two days. I also enjoyed hearing about Early Grey Tea…shows a cup of tea is always the cup of life .
Victoria lives a comfortable caring life with her grandmother,PrimRose. Many birthdays have passed without her own “mum”, who died when she was a baby still.
Victoria is surrounded by strength and loyalty and most of all, loving people who try and help her survive the passing of her grandmother and to forgive a deep secret.
Her best friend Daksha shows true loyalty and friendship throughout the tragic reality that Sarah, her “mum” does indeed exist.
Victoria rebels against all who lied to her and gives in to a so called boyfriend she had a crush on, Flynn. He arrives drunk at her house and now she has no authority to stop her from doing opposite of her beleifs.
Gerarald (PrimRose’s boyfriend) comes to her rescue and she sees the trust and forgiveness again in him and the other members who saw her grow up .
It takes instances for forgiveness in Sarah, who desperately is trying to gain her love, through old letters sent back and forth to Prim and her daughter Sarah, and sharing them with Victoria so she can understand the whys of this betrayal Victory feels.
I have to add, reading her rebellious actions halfways, I almost shut the book.I was disappointed in Victoria’s decisions with Flyn and thinking out loud,don’t let a boy like this change your spirit and smart ways! Your grandma Prim’s house doesn’t deserve dirt and scum in her house!
This book had me hanging on with emotion, sadness and triumph in these women who bring out the strength of each other.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to give my personal opinion of this novel and look forward to catching up on more of Amanda’s books.

Thank you netgalley for this as I love every single one of Amanda's books. What a stunning, thought provoking and lovely book this is.

The story is based around Victoria who lives with her grandmother Prim as her mother died when she was a baby. On the day of the funeral a woman turns up claiming to be Victoria's mother. The events then unfold.......

I read this in one sitting. Amanda never lets you down!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Day She Came Back was truly lovely story by Amanda Prowse. I can’t imagine being in the shoes of Victoria, Prim, or Sarah. To realize your life had been a lie and to not be able to confront the one who lied and to find a way to forgiveness both for the lies and for being left is unimaginable. Amanda Prowse writes in a way that help you connect with her characters and you are invested in the outcome of their story. I would definitely recommend this book.

In her almost nineteen years of life, Vitoria has been living a comfy and care-free life with her only family, grandma Prim (or Primrose) at their cozy family home Rosebank.
However, the day grandma Prim passes away, everything seems fallen apart. Vitoria feels lonely, confused, and lost. When a mysterious woman, who attends Prim’s funeral, claims that she is Victoria’s mother who’s supposedly dead, Victoria faces her utmost life challenge yet, and she has determined to unearth the truth that has been awaiting her all this while.
Amanda Prowse has brilliantly written this beautiful THE DAY SHE CAME BACK, that is choked full of emotions - love, grief, pain, trust and betrayal. The story still tugs at my heartstrings long after I have finished reading it.
#NetGalley
#TheDaySheCameBack

Victoria has completed her schooling and does not plan to attend college. She and her best friend plan to travel to the Far East for an adventurous exploration until their runs out. Victoria’s grandmother Prim has encouraged and supported the plan.

Before the adventure begins Victoria finds Prim dead in her favorite chair in the sun room. Victoria cannot believe her loving, free-spirited grandmother, who raised her, is dead. But the disbelief is expanded when a mysterious women at Prim’s funeral claims to be Victoria’s mother. The shock of a live mother after life-time of believing her mother was dead, and realizing that her beloved Prim had been lying, Victoria must found her way to the truth while grieving, and becoming adult over-night. While making some wrong choices, an honest look at complex family problems.

I requestes to read and review The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse and published by Lake Union. This book had many emotions. The ending was perfect! European setting a true life scenario. Characters Sarah, Prim and Victoria take center stage in this powerful novel about love, lost,
forgiveness and redemption. How far can a bond go back and can it be repaired. And can you move forward if you know the truth even when the truth isn't what you thought it was!

Victoria was raised by her grandmother. It was just the two of them for many years. When her grandmother dies, she feels alone. You can feel her deep heartache of the loss with no other family to share her grief with. Then, at the funeral, her mother shows up. Victoria had been told that her mother died when she was a baby. This is the story about her stages of grief, how she copes with the lies she was told, and how she deals with her mother coming back into her life. The author, Amanda Prowse, does an amazing job of conveying Victoria's feelings. Her pain and anger will break your heart and make you want to comfort her. It is so well written that Victoria's actions and reactions will make you want to cry or scream or shake your head and wonder what she was thinking. You can feel the turmoil she feels trying to make sense of the past and the lie that she was told. As the whole raw truth comes to light, can she forgive everyone that lied to her and reconcile with the mother she never knew?

Many families have secrets and they hope to reveal them before their passing. The Day She Came Back” is a story of what happens when the person passes before their secrets are shared. Well developed characters had me shaking my head when they did wrong and happy when they did right. Another well written book by Amanda Prowse.

This book wasn't for me. I wanted to like it, but couldn't. The main character came across as whiny rather than sympathetic.

The plot was thin and rather tiresome. At least the book had a happy ending.

At the onset, Victoria is a sheltered, well loved young woman living with her only (know) relative, Prim. Prim passes away suddenly, leaving Victoria to temporarily lose sight of everything meaningful in her life. She pushes away her best friend, others who care about her, and aligns with her high school crush who is a selfish cad. Learning that her birth mother is alive and that Prim knew it changes her life forever. As her "new" life unfolds, Victoria learns what is truly valuable and how to cherish it.

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book but once I got past the first few pages I was completely engaged. The main protagonists were both likable and very human. The story was well written allowing me to form my own opinions regarding the decisions the characters made and how their decisions impacted each other’s lives.

Victoria has been raised from infancy by her grandmother Prim. Her mother was a drug addict who went into rehab while she was pregnant but who overdosed and her father died from an overdose before she was born. When her beloved Prim dies suddenly just before Victoria’s 19th birthday she feels untethered since she has lost her only family. On the day of Prims funeral, Victoria becomes privy to a huge secret that was kept from her which now impacts her life and her view of the people in her circle.

I'm having a hard time deciding between 3 and 4 stars. Victoria was raised by her vivacious grandmother, Prim. When Prim suddenly dies, Victoria is faced with a truth she has a hard time accepting. All her life she was told her mother died when she was a baby, but a mysterious woman is at the funeral claiming to be her mother. Victoria is sent on a soul-searching mission and in the process learns who she is, as well as those she thought she fully knew.

I almost gave up halfway when I couldn't take the decisions Victoria was making. At times I thought there was a lot of repetition on the internal dialogue as she struggled to understand the decisions of those she loved. Ultimately it had a redemptive message and I appreciated the way it ended. I think it would make for a good discussion in a book club, though!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC for my honest opinion.

This novel reads very much like a Young Adult book. It's the first I've ever read by Amanda Prowse and all I can say it would speak much more to me were I 17. That's not a bad thing, it's just so predictable. The title gives it away before you even get there.

Victoria, an 18 year old living in Epsom, Surrey, has decided not to attend university but to travel instead until their money runs out with her dearest friend, Daksha. Victoria's grandmother, Prim, a spry 84 year old who raised her, dies suddenly and her world falls apart. Life lessons follow, are learned, and all ends well.

I can understand why Prowse is so popular. He writing is easy to read and fast-paced. But don't expect literary fiction. It works well for whiling away a few afternoons.

A powerful storyline which could be very plausible. Victoria’s life changed in a way she did not expect having been brought up by her grandmother Prim. It was a captivating read which I really enjoyed.

I found this a very hard book to read, not because it was bad, but because the content was very sad. Fancy waking up one day and finding your whole life is a lie, how do you deal with this great shock. The book was very interesting and once I was able to deal with the situation I found it a good well written book. Thank you for allowing me to read this arc copy.

What a fabulous book. The author invokes such passion into her writing you can almost believe you are with every character on every page. The book is, to me, a brilliant coming of age book where we see a young girl having her whole life turned upside down when her grandmother dies. Not only has she got to cope with the grief, she has to unravel the spiders web of lies that she has been told for her entire life. To go into more detail would give too much away and this is a journey that is at times funny but heartbreaking but keeps you turning the page. Definitely one to recommend.

I was not familiar with author Amanda Prowse but now that I’ve read The Day She Came Back I will read more of her work. I really enjoyed the story. It’s an example of how things aren’t always what they seem. It had a delicious first-time romance, true friendship, true love, a big reveal and a happy ending. What more could you ask for?

There’s something deeply universal and comfortable about an Amanda Prowse book. And she achieves this with magic and sparkle and humour. In The Day She Came Back, the author ensured I was instantly invested in the characters and had me rooting for everything to turn out for the best. I instantly recognised the scenes, people and situations she described – even though I’m not English.
Prowse writes about life’s real people, and one of the effects of reading this book (and so many of her others) is a sense of upliftment, a return to reality, an appreciation of the genuine, authentic, real characters that people our world. And she shows how, ultimately, real people triumph, despite their setbacks, lack of confidence or attempts at being someone else because they think their real selves are simply not good enough.
I adored Prim, Victoria’s wonderfully eccentric and loving grandmother. Her view of the world was a breath of fresh air. After her death, however, Victoria discovers that Prim had been keeping a life-changing secret from her, something she battles to deal with. Amanda Prowse gets her readers to experience some of the most difficult moments of young Victoria’s life, and I found it an emotional read.
The book is full of unforgettable characters, such as Victoria’s best friend, the indomitable Daksha. Their relationship is perfect – honest (sometimes courageously so), genuine, funny and heartbreaking. Prim’s beau is also an absolute star. The book is not all beautiful country homes and eccentric people, however, as it also deals with the horrors of drug addiction and its devastating effects on families.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Victoria’s life is turned upside down following the death of her beloved grandmother, Prim, the woman who raised her because (Victoria had always been told) her mother had died not long after she was born, having chosen drugs over her daughter. However, at Prim’s funeral, a stranger approaches her, a lawyer from Oslo, and says that she is her mother.

Who is this successful woman who looks like Victoria and Prim, and why had she chosen now to appear? Poleaxed by this revelation, Victoria starts to rebel, upsetting those close to her and making really bad life choices, all whilst she works through her grief and confusion and tries to get anwers and slowly build her new life.

Amanda Prowse is a wonderful author, her books are always and emotional rollercoaster with realistic characters you can understand.

Whilst my heart broke for Victoria, I did get frustrated with her and the choices she made. However, I could understand why she did what she did, being that she was a young girl who had lost all she had knowN, leaving her in a difficult place, clearly angry and confused and taking out these emotions on those closest to her. The author has, again, produced a main character you can empathise with - who hasn’t said something hurtful to those they love because they are in pain? Who could say that their 18 year old self would have dealt with things any differently?

I had so many questions around the appearance of her mother, the same questions as Victoria, and I had to go on her journey to get the answers, had to feel her confusion, her pain, her distress.

Another brilliant, dramatic read by Amanda Prowse

The Day She Came Back is the latest story by Amanda Prowse. To my knowledge this is not supposed to be a YA novel, but to me it reads like one. I had a difficult time caring for the story line for quite awhile. Once I was "into it" it was a really good read. Fair warning, there may even be a few tears shed. I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon UK for an early copy to review.

As always, Amanda Prowse has delivered a WOW! story! Victoria was raised by her grandmother, Prim. Victoria was told her mother died when Victoria was very young . Prim died when Victoria was 18 and at the funeral a woman approached Victoria saying she was her Mum. Victoria does not believe her at first and she is angry and upset at this declaration. The story takes off from there and involves so many emotions , both for Victoria and for her mother. A beautiful story!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked the concept of this book, but it fell flat to me. The characters weren’t well-developed and I found the explanation for the lie unbelievable.

Oh my goodness you have done it again Amanda. It feels a little bit like Anna, Theo and Kitty. Can we please have Prim and Sarah’s story please. I absolutely loved all of the characters. I feel sometimes that you write a book exactly when I need to read it. You have touched my heart again. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The characters in this story are people you would want in your life. Sarah as a friend, Prim as your second mum and Victoria you would just want to be her mum.

I did not like this book. Characters were whiny. The nay great character was Daksha and she wasn’t in it enough. This book held no interest for me.

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. 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.

My goodness, this book touched me. It was just lovely, but also dark due to the family issues which I enjoyed. The protagonist is Victoria who is a few months younger than my daughter. It really invested me in the story; however, I would have been invested in the story if there were not this coincidence.

I loved learning about the two main locations in the book - Epsom and Oslo. I have been to neither, but now I want to do so.

The characters were strong, real, and true to the storyline. Amanda Prowse's books are ALWAYS so real!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Once again the author Amanda Prowse has told this new story in only a way that she can. I really loved this story!
How nice it was to meet her new characters of this book.A young girl of 18 years, Victoria ready to discover/travel the world with her best friend.I loved how his story was set in 2 nice places including one Scandianvian country. This story has what makes good story telling, some nice moments, mixed with a tragic event where the main character Victoria feels all alone in the world, how a big dramatic event changes her whole world. Her grandmother Prim had been there for her and then she was gone. How life wasn't what she had expected it to be, Lies, deception, how Victoria tries to understand and of course get past what she had believed was her life.All the questions that needed answers. Discovering that with anger and hurt there is somewhere along the way, a road to forgiving and healing and that not always the path is easy to find. Victoria goes through her life and she does end up doing mistakes. This story telling was no exception it was really good, a story that was emotional and the book was really hard to put down once I started reading it. This story has the parts that a good book should have and that is what makes it a great read.! I could definitely recommend this book and it's gotten my 5 stars.
I'm grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read this book and want to thank the author and the publisher!
Charlotte N

I chose to read this book because I found the idea interesting. However, I found myself getting bored after a few pages. I even set it aside for a few days and forgot about it. Since it couldn’t capture my attention enough I chose to set it aside for good and just walk away.

This is a solid story about a family with a secret. Victoria is only 18 and trying to navigate life after the death of her beloved Prim. This follows her journey of discovery over the course of over a year.
I really enjoyed the side characters like Daks, Mrs. Joshi, and Gerald. She might be alone, but with friends like these on her side, Victoria can do anything. What she did do was drone on and on about her alone-ness and how very wronged she is. I get the angst, but there was too much. The rest of the story reads well and was enjoyable.

Imagine growing up never having known the love of your mother or father. Growing up knowing you lost one parent before you were ever born and the other sometimes shortly after. Imagine growing up knowing drugs were to blame and how that would shape your life. Imagine growing up with a grandmother who bestowed all of the love in her heart on you, all of the love she had for their long-lost daughter and for her granddaughter. And imagine, just before your 19th birthday, you come home to find the one person you love the most in your life has died. How do you recover from this, how do you go on? And then imagine, that you find out that everything was a lie. How do you recover from that, how do you go on? An amazing story of survival, of will, of understanding, of forgiveness, and of love. A beautiful story!

I really loved this book and it was easy to reward it with a 5 star rating from me.
This book is about Victoria, who's loving grandmother that she has spent most of her life with, passes away. However, at the funeral, an unexpected guest turns up! How will Victoria cope with this extraordinary news? Will she be alone forever? Or is the family she has always longed for closer than she thinks?
I have previously read numerous Amanda Drowse novels, all of which I have enjoyed; I found this novel to be quite an easy and compelling read which I read in one entire sitting, it seems once I had started, my kindle was glues to my hands!
I loved the descriptions of every minor detail, the author didn't leave any aspect of the vision out, and it worked wonders for the imagery which wasn't lacking in any chapter.
I loved how the story ending was clear not vague, those endings to me are the best kind. I could definitely relate to Victoria's character and empathise accordingly.
I also loved Daksha's character, a well needed supporting best friend that every teenage girl yearns for when feeling a little lost, or a lot lost in Victoria's case.
I recommend everyone to get a copy of this book, it has to be one of the best books I have read so far this year.

There were times that I absolutely adored this book and the potential for the storyline to grip the reader...unfortunately there were also times where I just felt frustrated by the storyline and the characters! So it was a mixture of a book and a mixture of a review.

Another excellent read from Amanda Prowse, this story will break your heart and keep you up at night reading. Beautifully written characters ( as you would expect) and fabulous locations. Victoria is a great character and throughly deserves a best friend like Daksha who with her family love and support her.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse was a great read! It was my first book to read by this author and I can tell you I was not disappointed! Oh my gosh this book brought so many emotions to me! I cried, laughed and was so happy to see the finish!
This book is about Victoria an 18 year living with her Grandmother Prim in England! Victoria was always told that her father died before she was born and that her Mother had passed away from drug abuse. Victoria’s best friend Daksha was always there for Victoria. They had planned on traveling the world before college. Unfortunately, one day Daksha had came over to the house and they were going to go get a coffee and pick up Grandmother something’s. When Victoria got home she found her grandmother had passed away. Now is when things get really bad! A strange woman shows up to Grandmother’s funeral claiming to be Sarah the dead mother?
Then Flynn the guy that Victoria had a huge crush on her shows up and spends a few days there. Not good at all! Victoria quickly spirals down from the bad influence of Flynn and she was even really hateful to her best friend Daksha.
Could Victoria trust that Sarah was her mother and why did grandmother lie to her? I would suggest you run out and get this book as soon as possible!
I received this from Amazon publishing UK and Netgalley as an ARC for an honest review.

The story is full of sympathy, anxiety, hurt, bereavement, drug addiction, adjustment and trust.
Grandmother Prim, mother Sarah and daughter Victoria have all made sacrifices/decisions that have formed their lives but eventually when the truth comes out they recognise that those choices were made out of love, compassion and hope.
I don't want to spoil the plot, please read the book.
Exactly what I have come to expect from Amanda Prowse, A heartfelt read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I want to thank Net Galley, Amazon Publishing UK, Amanda Prowse for a pre-publication copy to review.

The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse is kind of a coming-of-age story. Victoria has been raised by her grandmother, mostly. Her grandfather had died when she was nine. Her parents had both died of drugs overdoses when she was a baby. She's almost 19 now and planning a six-month long trip to The Far East and Africa with her best friend, Daks. Daks will be off to university when they returned. Victoria did plan to go on to school, but then, who knows? It was a day like any other day. Daks and Victoria had gone to the coffee shop to check Victoria's schedule. One the way home, Victoria had taken the long way, passing by a sporting goods store where the boy she liked worked. She got home and ran to find her grandmother. She found her, dead on a lounge chair on the patio. Thus began the worst weeks of her life.

During this story, Victoria, goes from irresponsible, protected teen to a more mature and understanding young adult. In her grief, she made some mistakes but seemingly learned from them; had her first sexual experience; and learned to love people who were flawed, as we all are. She started off gullible, sad, and often thoughtless...typical for the age. But, she had more problems to solve than most 18 year olds. And she managed to solve them, mostly because she had people who loved her available to help. This story is a real-life tragedy, the kind many of us have in our lives, although hers piled on in a very short period of time. It was heart-breaking and heart-mending. A terrific characterization. A very gripping read. I recommend it.

I was invited to read an ARC of The Day She Came Back. by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thedayshecameback

Amanda Prowse is just sensational at these family dramas !! Her latest book doesn’t disappoint and you really don’t want to miss it.

Victoria was raised by her Grandmother, Prim, after the death of her mother when she was just a baby. Prim is the only living relative that Victoria has but then one day she returns home to find Prim dead, in her favourite chair. At the tender age of eighteen Victoria finds herself all alone in the world. How will she cope ?

Victoria’s bestfriend tries to help her and so does Prims gentleman friend but ultimately Victoria feels alone. On the day of Prim’s funeral a familiar looking lady turns up and after a very brief chat she reveals she is Victoria’s mother. How can this be ? Could this woman be telling the truth ?

The book follows the lonely, heartbroken Victoria and her journey to grieving for her Grandmother and potentially meeting up with the mother she thought was dead. This is a fantastic book and you really feel as though you are travelling along with Victoria in her grief. A very emotional read and one you will not want to miss.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

This is a very slow-paced book, and I almost gave up on it after a few chapters. However, I have trust in Amanda Prowse’s writing so persevered.
The pace doesn’t really pick up, but the book is filled with emotion. I can’t say that it really touched me like a lot of her books have but it was a pleasant enough of a read. We start off meeting Prim and Victoria on a lazy hot summer’s day. The day soon turns sour when Victoria finds her beloved and lively grandmother has passed away. The book is mainly about her coming to terms with her new reality but also the lies that have been told to her all of her life start to unravel. She is not prepared for the truth and reacts very badly to everything that is being hurled at her.
I had to keep reminding myself that she was only eighteen as sometimes she acted a lot older. However, other times she would seem very immature, and it was then I had to remind myself she was barely an adult.
Her inner dialogue did become very repetitive throughout, and it made the book feel as if it wasn’t moving forward. I think the book could have been half the size with some of this dead weight cut out.
I was expecting more from the revelation as to why Victoria had been lied to her whole life. It was built up and built up that the reveal fell a little flat. I wanted more and wanted to be shocked on behalf of Victoria, but it was a little lame.
The ending is quite lovely, where everything starts to come together, and it was worth persevering with the book to see how it all developed. It was nice seeing all the new relationships between the characters evolving and Victoria growing into a woman.
Overall, even though slow-paced and not filled with the usual ‘kick you in the gut’ feels, it was still a charming read.

I haven't read anything by this author before and was pleasantly surprised. The book kept me enthralled as I read it in an afternoon. Lately, we're seeing a lot of books about "family secrets," but this was unique in that the protagonist was not necessarily likeable and the subject of drug abuse was dark and believable. I expect I'll read more from this author in the future.

It took me a while to get into this story. I am so glad I kept reading. This is a beautifully written story about the lives of three generations of one family and the consequences of decisions they have made. I laughed and nearly cried and got totally caught up in their world.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Oh my, another book of feels. Ms. Amanda Prowse is truly the Queen of Emotions. Her power to make every word pulse with energy made the story come alive. Absolutely amazing!!

Victoria had always been told that her mum had died due to drug overdose. She was brought up by her beloved nan, Prim, who was her world and her biggest support. One day, Prim died. Victoria’s life shattered. After the funeral, a woman approached her to speak a few words – I AM YOUR MUM!

The blurb itself evoked so many thoughts in my mind, imagining the scenario of how it would be for that eighteen-year-old to learn everything she knew was a LIE. I loved how the author showed me normality before pulling the rug off my feet. The drama started with a bang but soon became the wave of change.

Victoria was so real, I could feel her pain and betrayal. Disbelief on knowing the truth and her need to escape it all. Acceptance came slow, but when it did, it brought forth a peace to the heart. The journey of the mother and daughter to reach a point where they could form a bridge and walk together was filled with ups and downs. More downs than ups.

The characters did what they thought was right, yet the repercussions proved them wrong. But real life was like that. You could just live your best and wait for destiny to fill the rest. The author revealed every facet of Victoria, from good to bad, as she found the strength to understand the circumstances and start the process of forgiveness.

The emotions the book invoked made me search for a tissue or two. The author was brilliant in the way she directed the pace of the story. Very touching.

This is the first book I've read by this author. Her characters are developed so well, you can feel what they are feeling. This is a fascinating, heartfelt story of Victoria, who has been raised by her grandparents her entire life. Her grandfather dies when she is 9, and at age 18, she comes home to find her dearly loved, grandmother, Primrose, who is affectionately called Prim, dead in her chair. Victoria has believed her entire life that her mother died when she was a baby, and her father died before she was born. With both of her grandparents gone, she feels totally alone, except for her best friend Daksha. The setting of this book is in England, however, Victoria travels to Norway, where a vivid description is given of this beautiful country. Without giving away a spoiler, Victoria discovers, upon the death of her grandmother, a big family secret. As she seeks answers to some life-changing questions, and comes to terms with some disturbing events, I personally felt the uncertainly and turmoil Victoria faced. This book is beautifully written and a page turner. I think the use of the "F" word and a few other words could have been eliminated, as they didn't add anything to the story. That's my personal opinion. I gave it 5 stars because of the expert writing of a fascinating story. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was my first book by Amanda Prowse and I'm not totally sure how I want to review it. I struggled with it a bit at times (staying into it), but the fault may be totally mine. I'm more than a little distracted right now.
Having said that, the characters were interesting and the premise of the book was good. I think my main problem with the book was that Victoria was so young. It would have had more impact for me if she had been slightly older than her eighteen years and matured more while still missing her mother. I did think that the things revealed in the letters between her mother and her grandmother at the very end brought a good conclusion to the story. Extremely well done.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

Eighteen year-old Victoria has lived with her grandmother, Prim, all her life; her mother died soon after she was born.
When Prim dies suddenly, everything changes. Victoria thinks she has no one left except her best friend, until Prim's funeral. A woman turns up at the funeral, claiming to be Victoria's mother.
Thrown into confusion, Victoria struggles to cope; she embarks on a whirlwind romance with a boy she has fancied throughout school, she alienates her best friend Daksha, she tries to find out whether the woman is telling the truth and, if so, why Prim lied to her.
Sensitively written, with interesting characters, this is, for the most part, an enjoyable read.

This my first time reading a Amanda Prowse book and I am impressed. This book grabbed me right from the start and never let go. Victoria lives with her only living relative her Grandmother Prim. Her Grandmother suddenly dies and Victoria thinks she's all alone in the world until a woman shows up at the funeral claiming to be her Mother. Feeling hurt and betrayed goes off the deep end. Is this woman really her Mother? Can they forge a relationship?

I received an eARC of The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I gave this book 5 stars! The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse is an emotional read about struggle, family drama, love and learning to forgive. The characters were brilliant. I loved this book!

What happens when your whole life has been a lie. Your beloved grandma and only relative suddenly dies. But she is not your only relative. How do you overcome the betrayal and the new reality.
A story of the reason why and life is not just black and white. Hard decisions, mending bridges and love.