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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.