Thomasina and Grayson’s story encourages me that there is hope and good things for people with disability. Thomasina thought she didn’t have any hope to have a romantic relationship. She did and Grayson, even though he has Asperger Syndrome, came out in a big way to lavish love, attention and companionship to our heroine.

The book started out very pessimistic, but things picked up towards the middle of the book. I read this to encourage myself, and am so happy I did. Good read.

Sometimes you just stumble across a book. That was the case for me and I am so glad I did. I thought that this was an absolutely wonderful read. This book is filled with rural charm, harsh reality and an overall feeling of sweetness. Thomasina ‘Hitch’ has a story that will touch your heart. Thomasina has been different since birth. Her challenges may slow her down but they certainly do not stop her. I thought she was very smart, incredibly kind, loving and a hard worker. The book gives you a look into her life, hopes, dreams and fears. I felt it was incredibly eye-opening. So often, people are labeled and fenced in by expectations (or a lack of). This is even worse for those with differences. My heart simply ached for Thomasina. Her loneliness, the desire for more and her yearning to truly live were almost tangible as you read through the book. The book is very well written and read easily. Thomasina's world was so well developed that I felt I could feel the heat from the stove, feel the crunch of the frosted grass under my feet and smell the wonderful meals that Thomasina cooked. This emotional read will put your own emotions through their paces as the story unfolds, and what a beautiful story it is.

This is beatiful written story that will pull on your heartstrings. It is a heartwarming story that is filled with hope and happiness, sadness. I truly enjoyed reading about Grayson and Thomasina. The characters are two people who don't quite fit in and who are different. It was a page turner and kept my interest through out the story.
I vouluntairy read and reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you you NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union publishing for letting me read this story.

Unfortunately I will say this book was not for me. It was sadder than I expected and way too repetitious. Thomasina “Hitch” is trying to find her way but is weighed down by her parents’ who love her but underestimate her. She was born with physical ailments and her parents have held her back instead of helping her to reach her full potential and follow her dreams. After her brother leaves the family farm she feels unable to pull away herself. Until she meets Grayson. He is a little different himself and also finds himself weighed down by the weight of his own very different family obligations. Together they help each other realize their full potential and find their own self confidence. Of course it’s not that easy. Thomasina is stuck and the reader follows her as this weighs heavily on her. I think I expected this to be more heartwarming and sweet than it was. It’s very sad reading how awful Thomasina and Grayson’s circumstances are and frustrating how slowly they work on changing anything. I have not read anything by this author before but I don’t think her writing is for me. This was just too much of a bleak novel for me. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The thing I know about The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse is that you have to read it. Now. This story is miraculous, sweet and tender. It’s so warm and full of heart, so full of characters that you will love and hate, hope for, get impatient with, feel grief, sadness and despair with, and revel in their joy. The contrast in settings is stark – Thomasina in the lush, beautiful country at the B&B and Grayson in the what can only be described as squalid city – and both feel so real you can imagine you are there.

Grayson and Thomasina may seem odd and quirky at first – and they are – but they are also the people we should all aspire to be: strong in their beliefs, truthful, kind. We are the ones not in sync, not them. They have such open conversations, no sarcasm, no mocking, no hidden meaning. Questions asked are sincere. They are honest, and honesty might hurt, but they have nice hearts.

Thomasina’s life is about to change. Things haven’t worked out as she hoped but it’s been a life she’s enjoyed and she is comfortable and cared for. With her parents selling the B&B what will become of her? Oh, yes, she’ll survive and be taken care of, but is this the final door slamming on her dreams? Grayson is amazing at his job, has a gift for it, but he wants more. And he wants to escape. But he made a promise long, long ago and how can he even think of breaking it? Even to be with Thomasina, who instantly seems like an old friend he never knew he had.

Grayson has the mind of a computer and the heart of a poet. At one point he says, “It’s not that I’m afraid of her, more afraid of doing the wrong thing. And not just doing the wrong thing, but the wrong thing in front of you.” Doesn’t this just perfectly capture how we all often feel? Thomasina keeps a journal of “The Things I Know.” A very insightful and courageous journal. And both Grayson and Thomasina agree that time is passing and life doesn’t come to you – you have to chase it. And they show their courage by facing their fears and doing just that. They know who they are and who they want to be, they have dreams and desires and goals. Even though they have been beaten down and ridiculed and held back, they persevere. They are hard-working and determined, not perfect, but not afraid to acknowledge their flaws, either. And willing to acknowledge in their hearts that the happy-ever-after ending might not be theirs in the end.

The Things I Know reminds me of an old book and movie - The Enchanted Cottage. Oliver and Laura see only the beauty in each other and it changes them. The same is true of Thomasina and Grayson. When I learned the origin of Hitch’s nickname I shuddered, and when Grayson refused to call her Hitch and asked her to tell everyone her name is Thomasina he captured my heart.

The Things I Know is a love story, but with some hard truths, full of hope and redemption for some of the characters, and a story of change and facing your fears no matter what. It is a wonderful, marvelous, magical book and I want everyone to read it and experience the joy I did. Thanks to author Amanda Prowse and NetGalley for providing an advance copy for my honest review.

I found this book to be boring and not really for me. There just didn't seem to be anything I wanted to connect to and there was nothing that made me want to keep reading other than my own inability to leave things unfinished. It was an easy, quick read, but I just didn't warm to the characters.

Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors of all time so I was so excited to get the chance to review her new book. I found it a little slower to get going than previous books but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down (so much so I finished it in one day!).
Another heart-warming read from a truly great author. I love the way Amanda draws you into the characters, I always get a warm fuzzy glow having read one of her books. Many thanks to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing and Amanda Prowse for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew when I started reading this book, that I would get my heartstrings tugged at, more than once, it being an Amanda Prowse book. I was right :)

Thomasina "Hitch" is a woman living on a remote farm who has had to overcome more challenges than most. Her parents, not surprisingly, have wanted to wrap her up in their love and make sure that she is safe, at all times. Of course, love can feel smothering sometimes and it takes her parents a little while to realise that Thomasina is a grown woman and capable of much more than they give her credit for. Grayson Potts is the man who comes to stay at her family B & B and within hours, it is clear that the two of them have a very special bond. He has also not had the easiest life, has also been bullied and been made to feel "less than".

Gray and Thomasina are such lovely people and I wanted to throw my arms around the pair of them and make sure that neither of them are hurt again. However, real life is not like that and they have a lot of things to get through, both separately and together. Overall though, this book is full of hope and love, and pushing through and achieving great things - just wonderful.

Loved everything about this book.

I don't often give 5 stars for my reviews, but this novel was worth each one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

The Things I Know is the delightful story of two misfits who happen to find each other. Thomasina has always been called Hitch because of her scar from cleft palate surgery. The nickname is used affectionately by her adoring but over-protective farming parents, but to her it begins to stand for all that she wants to change about her life. She knows she’s not the disabled and slightly slow girl that everyone thinks they know, although she does acknowledge she is “a little bit different, like someone held the instructions upside down or lost a part when they opened the box.” Hitch nevertheless has adventure and ambition in her heart – but no-one will give her the chance to shine.
Then she meets Grayson. He is socially inept, shy and awkward, yet holds down a good job at the bank because of his brilliance with numbers and patterns. He also has a poetic, elegant, slightly old-fashioned way of speaking which, as it did for Thomasina, totally won me over. She talks about the “beautiful eloquence of his words.” In a way, both Grayson and Thomasina are innocents and their conversations are refreshingly open, honest and totally devoid of artifice. As a result, reading this was like a breath of fresh air.
Their relationship is not without its difficulties – they live miles apart for one thing, and he has the mother from hell, for another. But together they start to make things happen. Hitch’s first step is to insist on being called by her real name, Thomasina. The book is about relationships and love, but mostly about triumphing and rising above. It’s also about how sometimes we just need someone else to help us do this – as Aristotle put it, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

I am writing this review with tears flowing down my eyes. Every single line of this book resonated with me. I could see myself in the main character Thomasina, who was born a little different with a cleft lip, weak heart, and deformity of hand and foot.

Operated in childhood for the cleft lip, the doc did a terrible job with suturing and she was nicknamed Hitch for that scar. Thomasina was on medications and was protected by her parents on their farm. She lived a closed life, but her dreams were open and big and as vast as the skies (mine are too). Her life was lonely with most seeing her outward appearance and not her heart.

Then came Grayson, a man who was probably on the spectrum, but who knew what he wanted and he never lied. He wanted Thomasina forever and ever. This was their story, honest and true and oh so filled with love. 2 people just perfect for each other who could see beyond what this world labeled as imperfections.

I have read most books by Ms. Amanda Prowse, and the best are those which make me cry and where I see myself in her characters. I cried and cried and I am still crying while writing this review. Ms. Prowse's writing was superfluous, the emotions in each word had me choking.

Thomasina and Grayson had their own problems, they lived and worked in different parts. Their lives intersected and they found each other. Their hearts beat as one. But they had their own responsibilities, and it took great courage and a willingness to change to live their love.

Innocence was never better written, dreams never better foretold. I sighed and swooned over the lines in this book. I could hardly see my kindle with eyes that were constantly getting blurred.

Ms. Prowse took my heart in her hands with this story. She covered it with hope for a brighter tomorrow, she gave my heart wings to fly and my dreams to soar. I could keep going on about what I saw in this book. It was an experience seen and read with an open mind.

No truer words have I ever spoken than these
Ms. Amanda Prowse is the queen of emotions. She is the only author in this world who can make me cry and smile at the same time. My favorite forever.

What a wonderful story and couple.
I loved this book and story about life, differences between us all but the reminder that we are much more than the eye can see and some people deserve much more than they get.
We take a journey with a girl that becomes a woman, Thomasina, that her life isn’t easy at all, she has to go through so many bad times since childhood but she still finds the power to stand up for her and be happy with her animal friends and her family. She dreams to travel and see the world, misses her brother that went to New York to change his life, and she only wants to live her life happy and be wanted,
Grayson was a great addition to the story, another soul that was hurt by the world and was looking for a few days of forgetting about his life and their time together was what exactly each one of them deserved.
It was my first read by the author but won’t be the last for sure.

A first by me from this author! Thank you Netgalley and the author for my ARC in exchange for my honest review! This heartwarming love story of two people who have found life so difficult yet they stayed strong and pushed through so much and never gave up. I laughed and cried so much! This story touched a place feel in my heart I will not soon forget! I couldn't put this book down and read in half a day! A true jem! This books makes you appreciate all you take for granted. I look forward to much more from this author as she has such a well crafted gift I'm left dying for more! A must read!

“The Things I Know” is Amanda Prowse’s latest novel and fans of her earlier works will not be disappointed. Thomasina (Hitch) lives at Walcott farm in the English countryside with her family, but wants to find her place in life. She longs to follow her younger brother to the United States and discover happiness (as well as love). But unlike many girls who long for similar things, Hitch has many disabilities that make escaping her life on the farm all the more difficult. Because of constantly being picked on throughout her life, Hitch relates more to animals than people.

Grayson Potts comes to the farm and sees the person Hitch has the potential to be. Grayson has his own personal struggles, though I thought for purpose of the novel, they could have been developed as well as Hitch’s issues. Grayson and Hitch develop a friendship, but you know that after a few hurdles, they are going to fall for each other by the end of the book. Yet instead of relying upon clichés, Amanda’s Prowse’s vivid descriptions and colorful characters bring this story to life. Hitch is quite a likable character and it was easy to relate to her “ugly duckling” feelings, especially with her journal entries included at the end of each chapter. “The Things I Know” is a quick and easy read with a ending that is guaranteed the majority of its readers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read this easily relatable tale.

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book.

Thomasina "Hitch" Waycott was born with a cleft palate, a hand that doesn't quite look right, and a foot that curls the wrong way. She lives on her family farm with her Mom and Dad, doing the daily chores that need to be done. She can't wait for the day that her younger brother, Jonathan, comes back home from college where he's studying farming. It will be a relief to all of them to have his help. Since Jonathan has been gone, Hitch's cousin Emery has come to be an extra set of hands to help out at the farm and the Bed and Breakfast they run out of their home, just for additional income. Emery is so mean to Hitch, calling her horrible names and being downright mean. Hitch sees right through Emery's wily ways.

Then, one day, Jonathan calls her up with exciting news! When he finishes school, he's going to go work on a farm in America! (Wait, what! That wasn't "Hitch's" plan! Jonathan is supposed to come help her run the farm so Momma and Dad can retire!)

Emery takes advantage of this and starts doing everything he can to get in the good graces of his uncle, but "Hitch" is on to him and let's him know it's never going to get into his hands, "Hitch" just doesn't know how to stop it.

Then one day, they have a guest named Mr. Potts come stay at the Bed and Breakfast, and the whole world changes!
#NetGalley #TheThingsIKnow

If you want to feel good- read this book! Thomasina and Grayson have both faced challenges in their lives, both physical and emotional. She's safe on her parents' farm and inn but she's had to put up with so much teasing over the years due to her differences that her best friends are a chicken and a dog (nice, but not the same). Grayson comes to stay and when he seems a bit off to others, she sees more there. Lovely atmospherics, positive energy, and terrific characters make this a very good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You're going to root for this couple!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A beautiful love story about two people who are different and don’t quite fit in.
Heartfelt and emotional this story was so poignant and I absolutely loved reading it.
Hitch’s character is sweet, and she is engaging and so strong. Limited largely by her own perception of how people view her and not realising that her differences make her special.
Grayson is kind and a really good person who has been taken advantage of. His lack of confidence is endearing.
A great story told with so much compassion and empathy. Amanda Prowse does it again!! Thank you

I really loved this book. I requested it not knowing much about the author. I am so glad that I did. Amanda Prowse is a great storyteller. This story was amazing and made my heart sing. In it, Amanda writes of two people that are so rich in character, despite some of the challenges they were dealt in life.

I know I loved this book.
I know that the story made me feel the joy Thomasina and Grayson felt.
I know that I will read more of Amanda Prowse's work!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

I just adored this book. Most definitely my favourite Amanda Prowse book.
It shows that it's ok to be different and that there is love out there for everyone making you "The me I'm supposed to be".

Another gem from Amanda Prowse. I am always in awe of how well she takes so many different aspects of life and works them sympathetically into her novels. The characters felt like friends (even family) towards the end and I was excited to finish the story, but sad to say goodbye to them. Wishing Thomasina and Grayson the most amazing life together!

Thank you to Amanda and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I am a huge fan of Amanda’s books and have read them all. I particularly love how she can create characters who are so relatable and yet her research into the core issue of the book is comprehensive and elicits such empathy from the reader. I have laughed and cried my way through most of her books and come away knowing more than when I started. This most recent book is still true to that theme and I loved getting to know “Hitch” and Grayson. I diid enjoy the focus on feelings and how the behaviours and hurts can limit people’s confidence and life opportunities. I missed the level of detail present in other books about the impacts and insights into the “conditions”. Without spoilers I can’t really be more specific but both Thomasina and Grayson deal with very challenging and prevalent issues. I think part of the problem is that Amanda Prowse is so talented and insightful that she could develop the real life issues she raises in a series of separate books.......E.g. disability, alcoholism, family dynamics, bullying. I really do hope that’s the plan and maybe Thomasina is our new Poppy Day....I’d love that!