To Love and Be Loved

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This is a remarkable story of family love and of a small town. Scandals, rumors and a wedding that didn't happen. It is about forgiveness and letting go, about learning to live and love after your heat has been broken and you have been humiliated and devastated by one that you loved and trusted with all your heart. It is a story of returning home to a family and a town that loves you as much as you love it. Once home she realized this is where she belongs and decides to stay. However along the way she must mend her heart as she once again rebuilds her life and regains her confidence. Only when she confronts those that hurt her so badly and forgives them can she find peace. Multiple POVs ( in the limited third person) but none for Ruby. I wanted to know her more. She seemed more real and vulnerable than many others. The happy ending was good, but bringing a new love interest in the last chapter somehow didn’t work for me. Given what Merrin repeats in the book, it felt surreal.

This is the first Amanda Prowse book I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. It was so incredibly written - everything described so well you could picture yourself walking the streets of Port Charles, waving at the locals as if they were your own friends and neighbours. The characters are great, Gran especially, though I have to say I wasn’t a fan of the sister, Ruby! What a cow!! Overall this book was about love. being in love and the consequences of love breaking down. The absolute heartbreak of a breakup was so well portrayed it brought tears to my eyes. I felt so much for the main character Merrin. I was hoping she would find her happy ending. How our roots and upbringing impact on our lives and choices were also beautifully explored.

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Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors, so when I saw this new book release, I couldn't say no to reading it! His marriage proposal took her by surprise. She didn't doubt his feelings, but she didn't understand what was the hurry. They were fine as they were, and they were so young. But she was so in love that the thought of all the time they could spend together once they were married tipped the scales. Bonus: The prospect of Vera Wilma Brown finding a Frank Ferdinand Falkenstok after everything Merrin goes through was a fitting end and definitely made my heart happy.

The characters were absolutely fabulous! I wanted to know everyone. Heather and Ben are Merrin’s parents. They are salt of the earth. Her older sister is Ruby and her best friend is Bella. Her Gran lives next door. They are such a lovely family. There is great love between the parents and something we all strive for in our lives. There is a little sibling rivalry between the sisters but, Ruby will stand up for little sister Merrin. For the most part this family is pretty near perfect. I really loved this story of love and hope amongst heartbreaking events. It is truly a wonderful story and I know you will enjoy it as much as I did. I recommend this book. I’ve had some of the author’s previous books on my TBR list for a while. When this one showed up in the Read Now section on NetGalley, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. This looks at various types of love. Merrin's parent's long-term love where they can't live without each other. The short-term love in the face of adversity that Bella experiences, the love that comes from Maturity (Ruby) and unrequited love with Mr & Mrs Mortimer. Each is a beautiful love story with some challenges that shows that love conquers all. Merrin was in love and excited to marry her beau, Digby. She could see her entire future with her family and Digby in Port Charles, Cornwall. It was her home, after all. But the day of the wedding leaves her shattered and vulnerable. Merrin leaves her home in the fishing village to rebuild her life.Eventually, our h has to come home for a couple of big family events - one happy and one terribly sad. She experiences a romantic relationship, but can't open up or genuinely commit because she has hardened her heart to love, on account of the jilting and all. By the end, she knows she must return to the Cornish coast to live her life in her beloved village. Initially, I loved this book, and I still do, but with some reservations. It is intense, emotionally. But, in places it is just too much. Was there ever a family as perfect as the Kellows? I would like to hope so, but probably not. When Ben dies the grief is overwhelming. There is no light, no laughter as the family shares memories. There are just copious amounts of tears. And the ending is very sudden, and for me was, considering Merrin's past, far too fast and unlikely. Deeply moving and emotional, Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill' - Daily Mail

The book has a beautiful, heart-warming ending. In fact, the whole book is heart-warming with a great plot and even better characters. It's an easy but slow read and enjoyable throughout.I found myself being taken in by Merrin’s charms, even though she was a very self-willed and at times, selfish character and didn’t always consider how her actions were affecting those around her. Although there were times when I did feel that the book was slightly overwritten as poor Merrin seemed to go through so many emotional / life-changing events at such a very young age, but in saying that, the author did give us all hope, that even after going through so much, and having to make far too many difficult decisions in her early twenties, Merrin showed us all that things can change, and that we just need to be patient. Ruby (Merrin’s older sister) and Bella (Merrin’s bestie) are two fab characters in the book. Merrin’s mother was just as good. I was hooked on the story of Merrin from the moment I started reading. She was born and has lived in the same Cornish Fishing village of Port Charles, her whole life, and intends to spend the rest of it, there, too. This is the first novel I have read by Amanda Prowse, and the hype is real. This book is truly a beautiful contemporary romance that exceeded my expectations. I struggled to take a liking to the centre character Merry she can across as very self centred and self absorbed who was more worried about what others thought about her than anything else. The characters around her including her parents, sister Ruby and friends Jarv and Bella and their relationships were fantastically written and definitely added to the unfolding story and kept me reading till the end.

Amanda Prowse books are always winners for me so I was excited to read her newest book that came out on 1/11/22. A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles, 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022. I highly recommend all Amanda's books they are superb reads and she has become one of my favourite authors.The ending made me feel so many things. I would have thought there were other ways Merrin could have ended in better but do I know more? I don't think so. On the cusp of beginning the next chapter of her life, Merrin is convinced her life is headed in exactly the right direction. And then came what would be one of the most important moments of her life: the wedding day. She would remember every detail, no matter how insignificant. Moments that would forever mark her life, but for very different reasons than she thought.