A fantastic read. This novel was so full of emotion and heartache, you'll have tears rolling down your face.

I fell in love with the character Bessie. Her battle with surviving and keeping the secrets of her past was heartbreaking.

Beautifully written and hard to put down. I absolutely loved it. A must read.

As a 16-year-old, Bessie has high hopes of a future travelling the world as an air stewardess. On the day she goes to collect her exam results, her world falls apart. It’s made even worse when she discovers she’s pregnant too. That’s it – her future is over. Or is it?

Some 37 years later, Bess is a mother of two with a secret. And that secret is threatening to blow her world apart for a second time … unless she can come to terms with what she did.

Waiting to Begin focuses on family relationships and, if I’m honest, I didn’t really gel with Bess. She struck me as someone with a chip on her shoulder and a little bit snobbish, which given that everything that happened to her was of her own making, meant she came across as not hugely likeable.

Her family, however, are just the nicest people. Her dad, in particular, brought tears to my eyes with just how lovely and normal and down-to-earth … and embarrassing 🙂 … he was. I guess this is the author’s great skill to portray a warts and all view of family life from many viewpoints.

The story moves between 1984 and the present day, with an excited Bessie looking forward to life. Then in the present day, Bess is less enthusiastic about her lot, she is no longer close to her brother (who kept her secret) and nor is she in touch with her one-time best friend, Michelle. Fortunately, the ending is wonderfully positive, tying up those loose ends and restoring calm in those erst-troubled waters.

I did feel for young Bessie but I also felt, at times, that she accepted no responsibility for her actions. Unaware of what had happened to their daughter, her parents continued to be the goofy, loving people they’d always been. Yes, they were flawed, but those flaws came with warmth and unconditional love.

The story tugs at the heartstrings many a times, but is equally funny and heartwarming. It shows how everything we go through makes us who we are, and that from failure and rejection comes strength and growth.

A story that evokes the whole range of emotions. You’ll laugh, cry, cheer and despair … but you’ll close the book feeling satisfied that all is well with the world. Sort of ;)

It's 22nd August 1984 and Bessie's sixteenth birthday, she wakes with great hope for the future because it's also results day for school exams, she's hoping she's done well because her dream is to become an air hostess. Later that day her world comes crashing down around her and Bessie is left full of shame and carrying a secret she can never share.

It's 22nd August 2021 and Bess is now fifty three, she is married to Mario and they have two children, Jake and Natalie but their relationship is failing. Jake has recently got married and watching him settling into married life, Bess knows, in order to save her own marriage, she must finally face the demons she's been hiding from for the last thirty seven years and reveal to her husband the secret that changed her world in 1984.

The story begins in 1984, with Bessie and her brother Philip on a train, their destination isn't revealed until much later in the book. We are then led on a journey which alternates between 1984 and 2021, and centres around her birthday in both timelines. It's a tale of huge aspirations, broken dreams, love, loss, secrets, lies, trust and betrayal and once again, at the hands of this hugely talented author, it's been told beautifully, with compassion and integrity. The chapters are seamless, the switching between the two timelines is faultless and the characters are brought to life so exquisitely that if they stepped out of those pages they would be as real as you and me. I was completely invested in this story, as I am with all the books I've read by this author, but more so in this one because it's my era, I was 16 in 1984, full of hope for my future too, now 53 and married with two children, that's where the similarities between Bess and myself end, but I found myself reminiscing about those years as a teenager and wondering, if I could rewind to 1984, would I have done anything different, maybe I'd have chosen a different career path, but that's the only thing I'd change. This story shows that life is what you make it, we all have choices and those choices map out our journeys through life and make us the people we are today. As always with this author, I highly recommend this book but you will need tissues, it's an emotional read that had me smiling and crying throughout.

I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Swapping between 1984 and 2021, "Waiting to Begin" tells the story of Bessie. Bessie could be your mother, a friend, a neighbour - and her story could easily be theirs. That's the magic Amanda Prowse brings to her novels. I adored the plot, the warts-and-all characters, and (obviously!) the writing. There's plenty of food for thought here too. A beautiful book.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Waiting to Begin is a lovely story told over two timelines and highlights family, in particular the family of Bessie.

We meet Bessie initially in 1984 when she is 16 years old and life is looking great. She has a best friend who she shares almost everything with and is about to get her exam results so her dream of becoming an air hostess can begin. The one thing she doesn’t share is her secret liaisons with Lawrence. She believes this is love. On the day of her birthday her world collapses, she looses her friend, her future career and the boy she believed was the one has betrayed her.

In current times Bess is married to Mario, has two adult children who she loves but is sad and unhappy with her life. She feels she has not been happy but can’t seem to explain to herself or anyone else why this should be.

As we alternate between the two timelines we see what has happened to make Bessie who she becomes and into the sad 52 year old version of the carefree girl. The story is well told in both timelines and the sounds of the 80’s in the book reminded me of that time well. The author had just the right take on past and present and I became very involved in the characters, particularly Bess, and couldn’t wait to get to the end to see what happened and how the past was told to those in the present.

I would highly recommend this book and will definitely do so. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thirty-seven years ago, Bess had an epically horrible 16th birthday, with the events of that day and those preceding it still affecting her life as a 53-year-old. What begins as some self-pity on her birthday soon morphs into a life-altering examination of her past and the realization that she needs to come to terms with it.

Amanda Prowse is called the queen of domestic fiction and this book is no exception. Nothing much happens, but a family is nearly torn apart by the past and manages to knit themselves back together in a stronger fabric. Even though Bess brought on many of her problems, she remains a highly sympathetic character. In fact, there are few villains in this book, merely immature, selfish people whose thoughtless actions cascade. At some point, I wondered why I was even reading the book, as hopeless as Bess seemed, but it all comes together in the end. #WaitingToBegin #NetGalley

Bessie has what seems like a great life - just turned 16 and fallen in love, or so she thinks. In the space of a day, her world turns upside down and nothing will ever be the same again, seeds planted in her mind that shake her confidence and self-belief.

Bess is 53. She is dissatisfied with her life, little niggles with her husband become major issues and she feels unable to relate to those closest to her.

Amanda Prowse uses the narrative of a birthday 37 years apart to illustrate how easily a cruel remark or rumour can affect a person's whole life and perspective, scarring them from within. In Bessie's case, it is a boy she thought she could trust and who betrays her, and the secret she carries inside her years later that she can't even tell her parents.

Will the adult Bess find the courage to face the past and put things right in the present?

As ever with Amanda's writing, she has a natural instinct for human relationships and how these evolve and change, whether over the course of a day or decades. Bess is still hurting from the pain of her teenage years and the way she was made to feel by those closest to her. The relationships Bess has with her parents, husband, and children feel truthful and relatable.

The ending is positive and you will need tissues.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Amazon Publishing UK, in return for an honest appraisal.

I loved this book! Bessie is so looking forward to her 16th birthday. Having had sex with Lawrence 9 times she is hoping the school disco is the night when he will go public with her. When her best friend confides that she too fancies Lawrence, Bessie realises she is going to have to tell her he is already taken. First though, they have to get their exam results and placing in the school year, which will lead to Bessie being able to have her dream job of being an air hostess.
Aged 53, it is Bessie’s birthday and she is reflecting on her life and how it has all been so unsatisfactory since that night. Making a series of disastrous choices means she is in danger of ostracising everyone who is important to her again.
I engaged instantly with Bessie and felt for her teenage self, wanting to hug her and tell her to stop before things got worse. Her parents were lovely and I wish she felt she could have confided in them earlier.
Such a wonderful book, such vulnerable characters. One of my favourite books by Amanda Prowse for definite.

Another heartwarming story from Amanda Prowse.
The story is told in two timelines - Bess in 1984 and Bess in 2021.
We learn what happened to Beth when she was sixteen and realise it’s still affecting her life today.
She is now married to Mario with two children, but she feels something is missing from her life.
I can’t say too much about the story as it develops throughout the book and I wouldn’t want to spoil it.
I really felt for Bess and at one point thought she’d thrown it all away.
There’s some great characters in this book and the story was one I think a lot of people will relate to.
This is, as always, a bit if a tear jerker, but also heartwarming at the same time.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! What a great emotional read. A story of how events of our past shape our future. A 16 year old’s decisions and secrets are reflected upon at 53 and the story shifts between these two timelines. Great characters who I could easily relate to. So well written it drew me in and I couldn’t put it down.

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Waiting To Begin’ by Amanda Prowse in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s 1984 and not only is it Bessie’s 16th birthday but it’s also the day she gets the exam results she needs to train as an air hostess and fly to America. Bessie’s life doesn’t work out as she’d hoped and she’s now 53, in a stale marriage to Mario, with all of her dreams frozen by the shame she’s not been able to share with Mario, her parents or her best friend Michelle.

‘Waiting To Begin’ is the story of a teenage girl who thinks her life has ended but is really just beginning. It’s about how Bessie’s life spans out between 1984 and the present time, beautifully written with poignancy and sadness yet also incorporating joy and humour at times. It’s a remarkable novel, touching, sad, and tremendously enjoyable, with perfect character descriptions that made me feel they actually exist. I’m so pleased there’s a happy ending to this delightful novel that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and has been a pleasure to read.

Thanks NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the amazing #AmandaProwse for an ARC to review.
Having read An Ordinary life for her that definitely got a 5 stars rating no doubt, I was sure I am going to have a wonderful journey with Waiting to begin.
Going between the year 1984 and 2021, more precisely 22nd of August in both years, Bess's birthday, a whole life is revealed with its well hidden secrets, failures, heartbreaks, loss and grief along with beginnings, joy, courage, love, acceptance and most of all hope.
A must read charming, eye opening book
I absolutely loved it

This is an amazing read. It alternates between 1984 and 2021. Bess is the main character and her story was wonderful. 1984 Bess is sixteen and she has her whole life planned out. Unfortunately, it all comes crashing down. We meet her again in 2021 and it's time to face her demons and her past. This is a beautiful story that kept me glued to the pages. Bess is a really likeable character and the writing is excellent. This book is all about what-ifs and it has me turning the pages well into the night. I felt so many emotions and it is a story that will stay with me for quite some time.

I enjoy dual timeline books and this was no exception. We meet Bessie in 1984 just finishing school and with the world at her feet. She and her friend fantasise about the future and Bessie dreams of being an air hostess and travelling the world. Then her dreams come crashing down spectacularly. We meet her again aged 53 in a stable but unexciting marriage, her 2 children growing up and moving on. She feels unappreciated and worn down. The question is, what should she do about it? This is true Amanda Prowse territory, relationships with their successes and disappointments. A good read.

At first, it was rather promising. I always enjoy novels with multiple timelines and the fact that the present time section was about a mature woman was a fresh change of pace. This demographic isn't common in women's literature. It initially sounded quite good. Sadly, I quickly lost interest in the plot. The part in the 80s was more interesting and the main character more endearing. However, it was too slow and boring in the present time section. The whole drama around birthday posts on Facebook really started to mark the end of it for me. Too shallow and pathetic to keep me interested in the character.

This has to be one of the most emotional reads of the year for me. Grab some tissue for this story. The story goes back and forth between 1984 and 2021, telling Bessie’s story. Secrets held for so long are crushing her and prevent her from living and loving her life. How Amanda Prowse reveals the story slowly and throws in humor and love and reality and acceptance really makes this a lovely book. I would definitely recommend reading Waiting to Begin for a heartfelt story.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book,

Another great book from Amanda.

It’s Bessie’s 16th birthday and the day she gets her exam results, things do go as well as she wants them to. She fails everyone of her exams, finds out her best friend fancies her boyfriend and then later discovers she is pregnant. Her life is failing apart. Fast forward to her 53rd birthday and things are taking a turn for the worse again, her husband can’t find the card he brought her, he thinks she is having an affair with a neighbour and her marriage is on the rocks. Can Bessie turn her marriage around and put the past behind her in order for her to move on.

This book is simply beautiful for a vast amount of reasons but the main one being the blast back into the past. 1984 will take you right back to teenage angst, frustrations, dramas and turmoil whether or not you’re a seventies, eighties or nineties baby! Amanda has used her knowledge and skill with writing to create an entertaining and completely relatable story, taking issues of both the eighties and current time and conveying them with sensitivity and graceful prose.

The book is set across one day – Bessie’s Birthday – flitting between both 1984 and sixteen year old Bessie and the current time, 2021, on her 53rd Birthday. Amanda Prowse is the absolute Queen of story-telling and contemporary fiction. Her books are a treat and will have you laughing, remembering, and crying. Waiting To Begin will challenge you to evaluate your life and your decisions, whilst becoming fully involved and gripped by Bessie’s story

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. Expected publication date 8th June 2021.

Well sadly for me, I felt like I was 'waiting for the book to begin' nothing much really happened, and I found the pace quite slow. We meet Bessie a 16 year old with her life ahead ahead of her and dreams of being an air stewardess. After failing her exams she realises that this is never going to happen. The book then parallels with a present day Bess, and we see where he life has taken her as we go through the what if's of her dreams being fulfilled. She is celebrating her birthday or rather feeling underwhelmed by her lot in live. She is married to Mario and has 2 beautiful grown up children.

For me personally I just couldn't connect with the character at all. I love the 80's vibe, it took me back to my childhood. This is a book about relationships, family ties and looking back on your life and wondering what if.

Amanda Prowse has perfectly captured how difficult many of us find it to talk about what really matters in our lives. Weaving between the hopes and dreams for a shiny future of the 16-year old Bessie and the reality of Bessie's life at fifty three, we are led to the heart-wrenching events that have long been held secret and still continue to cause pain.