Wow yet another great read from Amanda. I loved getting to know Hitch and her family. The way Amanda writes you can picture yourself right there in the book. Also Grayson and the family problems he has, this is so believable and true to life. A fab book that I can highly recommend

I don't think Amanda can write a bad book! I fully fell in love with thomasina and Grayson. This is a love story, a story with morals, a story about a perfect girl meeting the perfect guy, at the not so perfect time. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if someone says you are beautiful, believe them and don't let them go. 10/10.

These are the things I know...

I know this is an utterly gorgeous book.

I know that this is my first read from Amanda Prowse but it definitely won’t be my last!

I know that my heart is warmed from reading this beautiful love story.

I know that I’m very sad that I can’t keep reading this book.

A love story between two awkward misfits who met by chance and together brought out the best in each other and enriched not just their own lives but the lives of those around them. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the storyline and would highly recommend this book and author to others.

A brilliant 4.5⭐️

Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Things I know is the third book I have written from Amanda Prowse. I think Thomasina `Hitch` Waycott is my favourite protagonist ever.

Hitch was born prematurely with a host of birth defects. For as long as she could remember everyone called her Hitch because of a scar on her mouth when she had cleft palate surgery. I wanted to be Hitch`s friend when I read this.......

` These are the things I know... I know my name is Thomasina Waycott. I know I was born a little different, like someone held the instructions upside down or lost a part when they opened the box`

Hitch lived and worked at Waycott Farm with her parents and cousin Emery. Hitch was smothered by her well meaning parents but she longed for a boyfriend, get married, go to New York and own a pair of sparkly red shoes. However living in the small village where she grew up, Thomasina knew that would be unlikely.

All that changed when Mr Grayson Potts came to stay on the farm whilst he was on a course. Grayson was a numbers man who found comfort in patterns and routine. Grayson was lonely and was still damaged after his father left him as a child. Although Grayson was a successful broker, he was socially awkward and found it hard to make friends.

With the help of Grayson, Hitch learned to love herself and become Thomasina. However when Grayson was about to propose something tragic happens that might destroy her new found confidence.

I loved Thomasina and Grayson, they were perfect for each other. I felt so sorry for Thomasina when she was mocked by Tarran in the pub. I could understand why her parents protected her as a child but they unknowingly undermined her confidence. I was so pleased when Thomasina finally gave Tarran a piece of her mind.

I also liked Grayson who was completely Guileless, I had to roll my eyes when he explained his friend next door was a murderer. I disliked Grayson`s mother, she didn't deserve his loyalty.sure

The ending left me with a warm glow of happiness. I highly recommend The Things I Know and all Amanda Prowse`s books.

Wow! Where to begin? This is a truly beautiful book in so many ways. The characters of Thomasina (Hitch) and Grayson are just so loveable for a start. They may not be perfect, may each have their own disabilities and might not fit into what the world considers to be ‘the norm’ but they are innocent and lovely souls who each instantly see the beauty within each other while the world around them sees two eccentric or disfigured and socially handicapped individuals. Their simplistic personalities and philosophies are breathtakingly refreshing and one can only be humbled by their kind, loving and gentle attitude to life and to others around them. Hitch works so hard on her parents’ farm and yet she sees this as a labour of love, a love that she happily transfers onto her beloved chickens and her dog. When Grayson, with his own eccentricities and inability to ‘fit in’ with the world at large comes into her life the two become soul mates and so the romance begins. There are those bullies along the way who have always taunted and hurt Hitch and who then include Grayson in their spiteful verbal abuse and I really wanted them to get their come-uppance and for the young couple to triumph. Indeed, changes began when Thomasina gained in confidence as a result of being loved and appreciated for the wonderful person she is inside and from thereon insisted that her hurtful nickname be dropped and she be addressed by her real name. I raced through the pages of this book as I was desperate to find out how things would work out for the couple and whether they would overcome the many obstacles and setbacks that were put in their way. The dialogue between Thomasina and Grayson, and particularly Grayson, was exquisite in places and it was incredibly moving to read those sections. When an author writes the kind of prose whereby the words alone make a reader weep with the sheer beauty of it all – that is the most magical story telling. I absolutely loved this book and the characters will stay with me for a very long time. Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Amanda Prowse has done it again. Her wonderful novel, The Things I Know, is the beautiful love story of two very special people: Thomasina ‘Hitch’ Waycott and Grayson Potts. It’s a great read, I recommend it highly and give it 5 stars.

Hitch longs to escpae her life, but she’s needed on the farm with her parents. Her brother Jonathon was allowed to fly off to America, but Hitch, with her responsibilities and her physical limitations isn’t going anywhere. Her family farm hosts B&B guests, and one day Grayson Potts comes to visit. He loves Hitch for who she is, but circumstances keep them apart. Hitch longs for so much more than her currenltmlife, but is she brave enough to get it?

A beautiful, wonderfully told story about love, life and family. Thomasina is a great character and her quest for change was an emotional read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thomasina, or Hitch as she is known by, is an unlikely heroine; the original ugly duckling and Amanda’s skilful prose really brought her to life for me.

Her home and life is the farm and B&B where she lives and works alongside her parents, who have always protected her as far as possible from the outside world. But she longs to go to New York, find a boyfriend and buy those red shoes which she will never be able to wear.

Into her life comes Grayson, a man who is also a little bit different. He prefers his own company but in Thomasina he finds a kindred spirit and he doesn’t see her flaws just the beautiful and kind hearted woman underneath.

This book is not only a beautiful and, at times, heart-breaking love story but also about a woman realising that she is far stronger than what she, or anyone else, actually thought.

Utterly compelling!

What a page turner from the start to the end. I was on that farm every second. Such an emotional book which shows how victims of bullying can and often do have a hidden inner strength which, in time overcomes everything and they are the stronger person.

As I’ve said before Amanda just ‘gets it’ every single time. I do hope and look forward to reading a sequel

With thanks to Netgalley & Amanda’s publishers for ARC in return for an honest review

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

This was my first book by Amanda Prowse and I really enjoyed her writing. I loved Thomasina, or "Hitch", as everyone called her. She's let people treat her like the ugly stepchild all her life because of her physical deformities and generally just had low self-esteem because of it. Living on a remote farm and bed & breakfast with her family, she goes through her daily routine of caring for her beloved chickens and cooking and cleaning for her family and their guests.

One day a man named Grayson comes to stay and he and Thomasina have a connection. He looks past her physical deformities and into her mind and heart and sees the beauty within. In the short time that he stays at their B & B they spend a lot of time together and realize how much they like each other. But soon it's time for Grayson to go back to the city and his responsibilities there. It seems like an impossible situation and there's no hope for them to be together.

Will Thomasina let Grayson get away when he's the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to her? She's rarely been away from the farm that she's lived on all her life and she doesn't have much money. I think you will enjoy reading how Thomasina finds her self-confidence and fights for the love of her life, even though there are some disappointments along the way. I would also love to see a follow-up book to this one...perhaps a continuation to the story of Thomasina and Grayson (hint-hint, Amanda)?

I highly recommend this book and give it five stars! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I was allowed access by netgalley to read and review. I love Amanda Prowse novels anyway and this didn't disappoint.

A love story about two people who are not quite 'right, I loved all the characters, especially Thomasina and Grayson. Their trials and tribulations before they met, and after made them who they were.
I love the description of the farm and the chickens and the food sounded delicious! The epilogue made the book for me, we got to find out what happened to all our favourite people which often doesn't happen and all the loose ends were tied up nicely! Wonderful, thought provoking yet feel good book for the summer. Loved it!

My 5* review for The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse. I was allowed access to this book via Netgalley to read and review, and because it was on my kindle I took it on holiday with me and I am so glad I did. I think Thomasina would have loved to have seen Skiathos with me and I felt as if I was taking her to see the world, just as she dreamed of.

"Thomasina ‘Hitch’ loves living and working on family farm and B&B. But she also wants what every other young woman does.... to see the world, to fall in love and to own her own home. However, those are fairy tales, and if her life is a fairy tale, then she’s the ugly duckling. Her deformed lip, her crooked limbs and her weak heart have kept her from taking chances. But that’s about to change. She feels she was born a bit different "as if someone held the instructions upside down or lost a part when they opened the box" as Amanda Prowse so delicately puts it."

When Grayson Potts comes to stay, he’s unlike anyone Thomasina has ever met. He’s shy, but kind and is also totally unconcerned with the physical flaws that have always defined her. He too has led a lonely difficult life and lives with his alcoholic mother and dreams of a life of his own away from the sad place that his home has become where he looks out of the window at a world full of light and possibilities, listening to the family living below laughing and thinking it must be a nice way to live - happy.

I was easily able to envisage Hitch's life on the farm with her Mum and Pops in my mind because I live in the countryside and worked on a similar farm near me in Golden Valley in the school holidays, picking potatoes, or whatever was ready for harvesting and doing odd jobs around the farm for pocket money back in the 1970's. The descriptions took me right back and I loved the fact Thomasina kept chickens and had a favourite called Daphne.

I drooled over the descriptions of some of the lovely pies, stews, breakfasts, bread and cakes that Thomasina created and really wanted to go and stay at the farmhouse and have a meal around the big table with them. The Author certainly knows a thing or two about living on a farm and how full on day after day it can be, but how lovely to be surrounded by countryside and animals, especially Buddy the faithful dog and Chops the "guardpig" as Grayson named him.

This is a beautiful story, so well and incite-fully written of two misfits finding that they fit together perfectly and can find happiness in each other's company and each other's arms and have the love, acceptance and appreciation that they have both wanted for so long (together with a set of their own cake tins, and someone to bake for, if they are lucky)

I love the fact that Thomasina keeps a jotter and writes in it at the end of the day to express herself when things were too difficult to say out loud. We know from this that she "wants to own sparkly red shoes that she will never get to wear but can look at whenever" and why not? I would gladly buy her those shoes, because by the end of the book i felt like I would love to be her friend, and make her feel loved, valued, appreciated and worthy of everything and anything she wanted, regardless of her disabilities and limitations.

I am a huge fan of Amanda Prowse books and leapt at the chance to read and review this book.

I love, love, love this book!!

It is another well written, heartwarming book with wonderful characters and a book I didn't want to end.

There is nothing else to add, just go and buy it, you won't be disappointed!

If you love Amanda’s previous books you are going to love this one. If you haven’t read any of her books then what are you waiting for !!

Thomasina (Hitch) is living on her family farm with her parents. Her brother is living in America and Thomasina dreams of travelling herself but her parents are very protective of her and she feels as though she can’t leave the farm. I absolutely fell in love with Thomasina and felt as though I was going through the high and lows with her.

One day Grayson arrives to stay a few nights in their bed and breakfast at the family home. Grayson and Thomasina hit it off straight away and suddenly she is dreaming of bigger and better things. Will this one event lead to Thomasina’s world changing forever ?

This is a glorious story from Amanda with lots of highs and lows. You will find yourself falling in love with the characters and going through everything with them, it’s as if you are really there is the farmhouse !! Love love love.

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

If I had to sum up this book in one word I'd call it charming, and in the best possible way. The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse is the story of Thomasina, better known as Hitch, who lives with her mum and dad on the family farm. Despite being in her twenties and longing for more freedom and independence she feels unsure of how to get what she wants. Her lack of confidence is caused in part by her physical deformities, but she has also been protected by her family for so long that she is not sure she can strike out on her own. When a guest to the farmhouse B&B , Grayson Potts, captures her attention because of his eccentricities the two soon become friends. Can Hitch break out of her shell and go after the future she really wants, even if it means risking rejection and a broken heart?
This was such a heartwarming book, and as I said full of charm. I loved seeing a romance featuring a character with physical disabilities and I particularly loved that she was more than just her flaws, she was kind, determine, brave when she had to be and smart when it really counted
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Thomasina ‘Hitch’ Waycott loves living and working on the remote family farm and B&B. But she also wants more. To see the world. To own her own home. To fall madly in love.

But those are fairy tales, and if her life is a fairy tale, then she’s the ugly duckling. Her deformed lip, her crooked limbs and her weak heart have kept her from taking chances. But that’s about to change.

When Grayson Potts comes to stay, he’s unlike anyone Thomasina has ever met. He’s aloof, eccentric and exceptionally kind. He’s also totally unconcerned with the physical flaws that have always defined Thomasina.

The two form a bond that neither has had before. It’s possible that it could become something more, but Thomasina also wonders if it’s too good to be true. By putting her heart on the line, Thomasina may open herself to heartbreak. But she may also open herself to so much more. 

Amanda Prowse has once again created a beautiful story of two people that are very different to those around them, it is these differences that bring them together and they form an unimaginable bond within hours of meeting that, it seems, nobody can break but, to be together, there are many obstacles they have to face, are they strong enough to face the battle ahead and will their love conquer all? I absolutely adored Thom, her character showed great strength, borne from everything she had had to face through her childhood and beyond and Gray was such a sweet man, these two together showed that anything is possible and even though you may not think you're perfect, you are always perfect for someone.

This author, as always, had me reeled in from the first page and I was praying it would be the happy ending they both so deserved, but you'll have to read it to find out for yourself, I would recommend that you do. I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the auto approval. I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 stars!

Born a little bit different “like someone held the instructions upside down or lost a part when they opened the box”, Thomasina “Hitch” Waycott just wants to find love and be loved. Born with a cleft lip among other deformities, she learns at a very early age that words hurt. She lives on a farm/B&B with her parents and brother, who gets to experience things Hitch can only dream of. Until she meets a handsome stranger, just a little bit different.

You will fall in love with Thomasina as you see her struggle and grow. Your heart will break with her as you see kids and adults can be cruel. You will watch this caterpillar grow into a butterfly as she opens her eyes and finally sees the people around her. But, all the while, you will cheer for her to get what she wants. This book is full of wonderful characters, realistic situations, transformations all the way around. I hope this book makes you look at people who are different in a whole new light.

For me, this book is reminiscent of “Eleanor Oliphant” with its quirky characters. But this book was so much more relatable for me. Thoroughly enjoyed this read, my first by this author, and look forward to reading more of her books.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is mine alone.

Another amazing book by Amanda Prowse. Every time she writes she brings the characters to life. I wish Thomasina was real, I would love to meet her. You become so involved with the characters and want to know what is going to happen to them next. I loved the lists she made. Grayson’s character is written beautifully and with love. I really hope this book is just the beginning of the story, I would love to read what happens to the characters next.