I really loved this. It truly shines in this genre. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I read my first book from Amanda Prowse! Now I see why they receive so much love! The story takes place in two timelines, both involving the main character Bess and her dreams for the future. What impressed me most is how quickly the book reads. The flow is there, and the story engaged me from the start. How did the past shape who Bess is now and what can she learn from her past to find true happiness? This is such a thoughtful a...

In 1984, Bessie is sixteen and she has her whole future planned and dreams of being an air hostess. She and her best friend Michelle are close, they love to hang out together, coordinating their out fits and make up. They love Duran Duran, they have just finished their high school exams and are nervously waiting for the results. Bessie’s extremely upset when she doesn’t do as well as she expected, she fails and things only get worse. She’s having a secret relationship with a boy from school, her...

As with all of Prowse books you get the three R's, Raw, Real and Relatable. Waiting to Begin was no different. The writing has you thinking you are watching a movie.I flew though this book its not dual timeline its written in two different eras but you are going to love it. I gave this book 4 stars and I can't wait for Prowse next book.The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Thoroughly enjoyable readWaiting to begin was a very powerful, heartfelt book. It shows how everything you do has consequences and sometimes can change who you are. I really enjoyed this book.

WAITING TO BEGINBY AMANDA PROWSEI usually love all of Amanda Prowse's novels but this one was disappointing for me. There are two timelines here concerning Bessie the main character and her family which are 1984 and the present. There isn't much happening. Bessie and her best friend in 1984 both like the same boy but Bessie is keeping a secret from her best friend. In both timelines it is Bessie's birthday to which she isn't very enthused at her Birthday gifts.In the 1984 time line Bessie is dis...

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 fai...

Her Secret PastI was captivated by this story of raw emotions, of being human and the choices we make in life. Bessie a young sixteen year old is horrified when she sees her dreams go up in smoke. She loses her hopes for the future, her best friend and her reputation and faces a secret she will carry with her into the future. Worst of all her brother with whom she is very close is part of the secret that she can tell no one...not even her parents. Fast forward years, Bessie has been married to M...

a quite miserable story but with a happy endingI really wasn’t enjoying this book. It was well written with believable characters but the storyline was, well, a bit depressing. It wasn’t until the epilogue that things got better. All in all I’m glad I read it but I wouldn’t reread it like other books I have in my library.

EXCERPT: I'm running out of time . . . I will never have the job of my dreams and take to the air like lucky Daniel . . . Gone is the prospect of great sex with someone who is yet to discover me and who will in turn help me discover myself . . . I'm running out of time to make amends . . . And with each year my kids slip further from my reach . . . falling into the arms of their life partners who they put before me and I know that's how it should be, but I find it hard to be happy about it . . ....

I found this to be a book that really pulled at my heart. I think the main character, Bess, was very relatable and I felt terribly for how her past continued to affect her life. This is a slow moving story. There are two timelines, August 22nd, 1984 and August 22nd, 2021. That date is significant, as it is our MC's birthday (16th & 53rd) and life-changing events occur on this day 37 years apart. Due to the timeline of the story and most of it occurring on those two days, there is a lot of daily

This is another great piece of contemporary writing by Amanda Prowse, of whom I am a big fan.In this book, Bess, the central characters, life story is told in two parallel times. The first is now on her fifty-third birthday and the other on her sixteenth birthday.At sixteen, Bess was certain a glamorous and exciting life. Her future as an air hostess was all mapped out with her best friend Michelle. It is also the day that her exam results will be posted and that first step to success can be tak...

I am a big fan of Amanda Prowse and was excited to see she had a new book out. This book was a big disappointment, really from the very beginning. I had a hard time relating to any of the characters and I just could not finish it. I see I am in the minority with my review as others have loved this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Amanda Prowse is an international bestselling author of twenty-seven novels published in dozens of languages. And each one of these books is a gem for readers who love to curl up with a story that promises laughter, tears, love and understanding. “Waiting to Begin” has a clever format, that could be a gimmick, but instead works wonderfully to create a compelling story. We meet Bess on her 16th birthday. A day that her sweet family celebrates in their usual folksy way. Sixteen is always a special...

Another great read by Amanda Prowse. In this book we meet Bessie and her family the chapters alternate between 1984 and 2021. In August 1984 Bessie is celebrating her 16th birthday, getting her o level results and looking forward to her school dance and meeting up with her boyfriend Lawrence.who no-one knows she's been having sex with On this day her best friend tells her that she wants to be with Lawrence. Thus is the first devastation for Bessie on what should be a happy day. In August 2021 Be...