I'm not sure how I feel about this book, as I did and didn’t enjoy it. There are a few funny moments tinged with a lot of sadness and anger. I can understand the main character being angry at the death of her grandmother. Who brought her up. Along with the anger of finding out that throughout her 18 years of life, what she was told and lead to believe about her family was a lie.

The character was finding it hard to comprehend what she had been told and what actually turned out to be the truth. In real life anyone would go through a huge mixture of feelings and the author portrayed this very well. For me however the part I enjoyed the most in the book was the epilogue, when we found ourselves ten years down the line.

Victoria is 18 years old, she lives with her elderly grandmother Prim. Who is the only family that she has. Her mother passed away when she was a baby, due to her being a drug addict. Prim and even her grandfather kept to this story until he passed away when Victoria was 9.

One day Victoria goes out with her best friend Daksha and as they are leaving Prim asks her to bring a balaclava when she meant a baklava. When Victoria gets home she finds Prim in her favourite chair in the garden room, she is slouched with blank looking eyes. Victoria realised that her grandmother has passed away. She contacts Daksha and she and her parents turn up to help her. Daksha’s father is actually Prim’s GP.

Daksha and her family do all they can to help and support Victoria and when she finally goes back home Daksha stays with her. On the day of Prim’s funeral Victoria is still in shock and is basically just going through the motions. After the funeral they all go back to Victoria’s for the wake. When she spots a woman out by the lake. She goes out to see if she can help her. The woman somehow looks a little bit familiar but she can’t understand why. The woman is called Sarah and she drops a huge bombshell that sets Victoria spiralling a bit out of control. She says that she’s Victoria’s mother!

She asks the woman to prove who she says she is. With all of this Victoria doesn’t know what to do, her mind is constantly going over everything she grew up knowing and what Sarah has told her. She meets up with a boy she went to school with and they hook up with each other. Flynn isn’t the right guy for Victoria, but she can’t see that until he persuades her to have a party at her house.

Daksha isn’t impressed about the party, plus she can’t go anyway as her mother is taking her to see family. Besides Daksha and Victoria have had a bit of a falling out due to the way Victoria is treating Daksha along with doing things she wouldn’t normally do.

The party ends up being a disaster. Victoria gets drunk, people are abusing the house. She ends up hiding in the larder being sick in to a boot. When she realises she needs to find Flynn. However when she does find him, he’s in Prim’s bed having sex with another girl. She wishes that Daksha was there to help her get rid of everyone, but she wasn’t there. So she called on the only other person that said she could count on him day or night, Prim’s companion Gerald.

Gerald turns up and starts to get everyone out, except Flynn as he starts mouthing off at Gerald. So Gerald pulls out his father’s pistol from WWII and threatens them all if they don’t leave now. Unbeknown to everyone the pistol was decommissioned after the war.

The next day everyone rallies around Victoria and they get the house back to how it should be. All of them in their own way tell Victoria that she can’t carry on acting like this, and what would Prim think of her? They all agree that she needs to sit down with Sarah and discuss the reasons and why Prim told her that her mother was dead.

Victoria goes over to Norway to see Sarah as she’s been living there for many years now. Hoping she’ll get all of the answers she’s looking for. Her time in Oslo is tiring, upsetting and very emotional. She doesn’t know how she feels one minute to the next it’s like she’s on a rollercoaster. Sarah says that she hopes one day they will be able to meet half way and build up a strong relationship.

We eventually jump 10 years into the future where life for Victoria has changed so much. I can’t tell you anymore about her future as I don’t want to spoil it for you. As this was my favourite part of the book.

19 year old Victoria live happily alongside her grandmother, who has raised her since her parents died tragically in a car accident when Victoria was a baby. There are no other relatives around for Victoria when her grandmother suddenly and unexpectedly dies. She has to rely on friends to help her through the funeral.
A woman comes to see Victoria and says she is her mother. Victoria knows deep down Sarah is her mother but will not accept that her beloved grandmother has lied to her all these years.
The revelation has made Victoria so distressed that her life seems to implode around her. This is a moving story and we feel sympathy with Victoria but her mother has suffered for years too as she rebuilds her life after finally beating drug addiction. The Norwegian setting she moves to has been able to heal Sarah and also finally makes things understandable for Victoria as well. The satisfying ending was deserved by both of them and even Victoria’s grandmother had only ever acted with the best of intentions. Drug addiction is never easy to understand to outsiders but Prowse has an amazing ability to see both sides and explain them to us. This is a very satisfying read and well constructed so that the situation evolves in a natural way.

Grandmother Primrose known as Prim and granddaughter Victoria live in a large family home with few memories shared about Victoria’s mother. An event happens and Vics life and world are turned upside down. There are many secrets to discover in this glorious book. I loved every moment I spent reading it. It is truly engaging book with excellent characters, great story and good ending. It’s wonderful.

Excellent story of a woman coming of age, finding her own path in life, after her world was completely shattered. It was heartbreaking and joyous to read about Victoria becoming an adult and learning to deal with the upheaval in her sheltered, lovely life.

This book was definitely a page turner for me. I wanted to race to the end, and also at the same time, I did not want the story to end. I loved it!

I want to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the pleasure of reading the advanced reader copy of this book. My review is my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Now who doesn't love an Amanda Prowse book....
I watched a facebook interview with Amanda recently and you just fall in love with this author and her writing style....
She's adorable and so creative....
She's passionate about what she does and it shines through in her books..
The Day She Came Back I just loved...
We meet a young lady Victoria in this one.....
Victoria has been raised by her grandmother Prim, a vivacious woman who loves everything about life...
My heart broke for Victoria when Prim dies leaving her she feels all alone in the world..
What will she do now...
Who will look after her....
It's when Victoria meets a woman at Prim's funeral who says she's her mother, that Victoria begins to question her life with her grandmother and how much she really knew about her.
She's terribly upset that her grandmother might have been lying to her all those years. She feels quite betrayed.
We see her struggle to get to know this woman claiming to be her mother.
But maybe she'll find the answers she's looking for as to why she was abandoned at such a young age....
Amanda writes with confidence in her characters. Her writing is wonderfully descriptive and so full of emotion and anguish. I don't think you'll have many dry tissues left, that's for sure...
So read it, enjoy it and I bet you will be recommending it.
Well worth your time 💕

I really don't know how Amanda Prowse writes so many amazing and completely different books in such a short space of time but I do know that you're always guaranteed a great read with one of her books. The Day She Came Back is her latest novel and it explores family relationships and the effects of withholding family secrets.

After the untimely death of her mother, Sarah, when she was a baby, Victoria has been brought up by her grandmother, Prim. When the octogenarian suddenly passes away, Victoria is left all alone in the world at only eighteen years of age. Prim was such a massive part of Victoria's life, and it sounds like the pair were as much friends as family, that Victoria is completely devastated by Prim's death. When a mysterious woman turns up at Prim's funeral claiming to be Victoria's mother, Victoria is sent into turmoil. Why did her beloved Prim lie to her all these years? If you can't trust those closest to you, who can you trust?

As Victoria deals with her grief over Prim's death and her confusion over Sarah's reappearance my heart really went out to her. Victoria makes some questionable decisions and snaps at those closest to her but I could understand every one of her actions. It felt like she was a runaway train and could go off the rails at any moment until she changed her destination to Norway, where Sarah now lives. I loved the vivid description of Norway; it sounds so beautiful and it is clearly a destination that is close to Amanda Prowse's heart.

Nobody writes from the heart like Amanda Prowse and I always prepare myself to cry at some point when reading her novels. The Day She Came Back felt a bit different from other Amanda Prowse books when Victoria's gran died so early in the story that I hadn't got to know her and I remained dry eyed. I thought I was finally immune to Amanda Prowse's superpower of making me cry until the letters appeared. Oh my word, the letters between Prim and Sarah are so heartfelt, emotional and poignant that I was completely powerless against the tears that brimmed and fell from my eyes.

An emotional and poignant story, The Day She Came Back is another outstanding novel from Amanda Prowse. Have your tissues at the ready, there'll not be a dry eye in the house when you read The Day She Came Back.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I have enjoyed previous books by Amanda so I wanted to read this one as I had really enjoyed what I'd read before. I liked this book, I loved the relationship between Victoria and Primrose and how Victoria had to rethink her whole life throughout the book. She really grew as a character which I liked. I loved the setting, too, I could picture the house and settings perfectly. Amanda is really good at weaving stories together, and also at tugging at the heartstrings.

I have read several books by Amanda Prowse and have always enjoyed, but on this occasion i must admit to struggling. I feel that this book would suit someone a lot younger than myself and know my eldest granddaughter would love it. Am looking forward to reading more by this author.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

(Awaiting Amazon to post my review)

The Day She Came Back frustrated me! At the beginning, I loved Victoria and Prim. They seem to have a great relationship and really love one another. With Prims death, Victoria seemed to lose all intelligence. I realize she was given some life changing information but I don’t think her response was realistic. I could not wait for Victoria to grow up. Once Victoria let Sarah into her life, the book became so intense I could not put it down. So a bit of a roller coaster ride for me.

What a fantastic read. I so enjoyed this book, loving it from the very first paragraph. What else can I say? Amanda Prowse never fails to deliver a novel that keeps me engrossed. Her knowledge and ability to write about human relationships is second to none and she is a master at making the ordinary sound extraordinary.

This is a book that I can recommend on so many levels. Not only is it beautifully written but it shows how each member of a family unit is damaged by secrets and lies within the family and how they live their lives and conduct their relationships as a result of those lies. With grace and care the author shows that despite living or growing up with an addiction we are all responsible for our own lives and happiness and that happiness can be a choice. Amanda Prowse never ceases to amaze me, this book is no exception, never a disappointment, I eagerly await her next.

This is just a beautiful book.
Victoria, 18, grapples with the truths of her life, which turn out to be lies. To make things more difficult, the one person she thought she could trust above everyone else has died. How do you forgive someone for things they did that they literally can't explain? What lies will we tell to protect the hearts of ther people we live the most?
Very well written, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the advance copy. #TheDaySheCameBack

A teenager is left without any family after her last living relative dies. She’s shocked, then, when the mother she thought had died of a drug overdose comes back, healthy and very much alive. The teen must decide if she can forgive her mother for disappearing and figure out how to move on. Acclaimed women’s fiction author Amanda Prowse is back with another winning novel about grief and restarting relationships.

At 18 years old, Victoria Cutter has everything in the world she needs. She has her best friend, Daksha, and her grandmother, Prim. Daksha and Victoria go back so far they don’t remember life without one another, and Prim has been Victoria’s mother figure her entire life. When Victoria’s mother died from a heroin overdose, Prim was right there to take care of Victoria. Since her grandfather’s death almost a decade earlier, Victoria and Prim comprise their small family and the two dote on one another.

Now Victoria is getting ready for the next big step in life: leaving home. She and Daksha have a long trip planned. Before Daksha goes off to university and Victoria becomes an “adult” and figures out what she wants to do with her life, the two will travel the world on the funds they’ve saved. They’re going to live life to the fullest as long as the money lasts.

Then Victoria comes home one day and finds that Prim has passed away in her sleep. No warning; no health issues. Just that morning she and Prim were teasing one another, talking about the most mundane parts of their day. Suddenly Victoria is all alone in Rosebank, the home she shared with Prim in the London suburb of Surrey.

Daksha and her parents rush to comfort Victoria, helping her with funeral arrangements and making sure she eats and sleeps. Victoria appreciates the support—and the copious cups of tea—but she feels horribly alone and scared. Before Prim died, she was nervous but excited about being an adult. Now the thought just terrifies her. How is she supposed to manage such a large house all by herself? How is she supposed to manage life all by herself?

On the day of Prim’s funeral, a woman shows up to the house who Victoria doesn’t know. She’s rattled, thinking the woman is just one of those people morbidly fascinated by funerals. Then the woman reveals she’s Sarah, Victoria’s long-lost mother.

Victoria has a million questions, not the least of why Sarah insists on calling her “Victory” instead of her proper name. She also feels a deep sense of betrayal when she finds out that Prim knew all along that Sarah wasn’t dead. Others come forward to confirm the fact, and Victoria feels more alone than ever. It’s like Prim has died twice.

Sarah, though, has come to make amends, despite the devastating news of her mother’s death. Everyone, it seems, has a story to tell. Victoria just can’t figure out how to put all the pieces together into a cohesive narrative for herself. As she works through her grief, Victoria will have to decide whether she can forgive both Sarah and Prim for keeping this secret.

Author Amanda Prowse returns with a wonderful novel that smacks of reality and the process of grieving a dear family member. Prowse complicates Victoria’s grief by compounding it: not only does she want her wonderful grandmother back with an aching desperation, she’s also furious with her. Bringing Sarah back into her life also reiterates that Victoria grows up at an accelerated pace.

Prowse doesn’t shy away from the tough conversations about and around grief, and that’s where the book shines. Victoria misses her grandmother with a ferocity that jumps off the pages. She wants to understand why Sarah left her, yet she also wants to maintain the right to be angry at her—both emotions are real and painful.

Although the book centers on Victoria’s grief, it also doesn’t forget that she’s an older teen. The plot allows Victoria to make some stupid mistakes that might seem like “life experience” in and of themselves. Within the larger narrative of her losing Prim, her mistakes just reinforce Victoria’s heartache. Prowse handles it all beautifully.

Readers wanting a great book about relationships and second chances will definitely want to read this. It’s an excellent addition to any shelf. I recommend readers Binge The Day She Came Back.

The Day She Came Back is a wonderful book with happiness, sadness, and confusion all mixed together. Not everything is what it seems. Looking at it from the outside helps. This story is very well developed, the characters Victoria, Prim, Sarah, Daks, etc have depth. I enjoyed reading this and know that some decisions especially when addiction is involved are difficult to make.

Quite a difficult and rather implausible story. I found it hard to accept the strange actions of the main character's family.

Tis bookwas a disapontment for me. The main character, Victoria, started out as a likeable character but as the story unflded she seemed very immature, unforgiving and inflexible.

What an emotional journey of discovery. Amanda Prowse has once again given us a beautifully written story of love, loss, and self-discovery.

While reading this book I was guessing in the beginning as to who “she” would be that came back. I never would have guessed who it was that would come back. I enjoyed the story very much especially as the main character Victoria started to navigate adulthood and find herself. I think the title definitely is fitting for Victoria coming back to herself and finding herself in the process. Enjoyed the book very much.

The Day She Came Back, Amanda Prowse.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Amanda Prowse’s The Day She Came Back was an enjoyable read. Victoria, upon her grandmother’s death, learns the dead mother is actually alive. As the novel progresses, the ramifications of betrayal, secrets, and forgiveness unfold as Victoria discovers who she is and wants to become.

Victoria’s friendship with Daks is a bit naïve, but their emotions and interactions are authentic and relatable. Victoria’s mother’s is developed through the letters she wrote to her mother which was creative on the author’s part.

I have read my share of tearjerkers, but this realistic and heartbreaking novel tackling abandonment and drug abuse had me sobbing by the end.

Victoria is a complex character with spunk and fortitude who seeks out the unbelievable secret her beloved Grandmother Prim had left behind after her death and who gradually comes to terms with her past. Victoria's stages of grief are normal from denial to anger and from depression to acceptance. It is a very real and a very painful process to cope with, especially if you are left alone in the world. However, after a rocky start, she has her wonderfully supportive best friend Daksha and her family to help her through this painful time, as well as Prim's companion Gerald who so eloquently rescues her from a few bad decisions.

But as the secret is revealed and Victoria finds out about her family's devastating past it is a gut-wrenching and heartwarming reunion filled with anger, desperation, and finally love that makes this book one of my favorites for the year. If you enjoy deeply moving prose with diverse and captivating characters, please give this book a try...and keep the tissues near.

Thank you to Ms. Prowse for giving me the opportunity to read this book without expectation of a positive review.

Who wouldn't want to be raised by a grandmother like Prim in the beautiful family home of Rosebank in Surrey England? A grandmother who is fun loving and adventurous with a love of flowers, and who loves you for who you are but, who also harbors secrets about your past.
I have to say that this book had it all. You could feel the emotions Victoria had when she realized her whole life was a lie. You could also feel the love between two best friends, Victoria & Daksha. Daksha was there for Victoria through her ups and downs and in-betweens. I feel this book was like a coming of age novel. It has family, friendship, drama, heartbreaks and so much more. Amanda Prowse can describe a place so beautifully that you feel like you are there overlooking mountains or smelling the flowers. I enjoyed this book very much.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #AmazonPublishingUK and #AmandaProwse for the ARC of #TheDaySheCameBack