To Love and Be Loved

Product Information

This was an easy afternoon read that I would recommend for all those that like your happily ever after mixed with a nice dose of drama. Another lesson to be learnt here is that life turns out exactly as beautiful as it was meant to, if only you give it some time. It might not be the life you pictured you would have, but it will be beautiful in the way you deserve and better than anything you could have thought of and that will be tons more than enough. Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades... Merrin and her family live in a beautiful coastal fishing village in Cornwall. She can’t imagine ever leaving, her roots are tethered to the land she loves.

The happy ending was good, but bringing a new love interest in the last chapter somehow didn’t work for me. Given what Merrin repeats throughout the book, it felt surreal. But this is not just a story of romantic love. We live through Merrin’s love for her village, her family, her best friend. We feel her need to get away from the place where (in her father’s words) her spirit lingers, the spitefulness and seeming jealousy between her and Ruby, the grief during her losses, and the promise of the future as she comes out healed on the other side six years later. We learn about secrets and relationships from the generations before Merrin’s that influenced everything that happens in the present day. I just love all Amanda's books so when her latest one came out I had to find a quiet spot in my house and open my kindle! All housework etc goes out of the window......Take away leaflets come out of their drawers! I am not cooking!!! The jilting is, quite simply, awful. She gets all spiffed up, takes a magical horse carriage ride to the church, where the vicar tells her Digby (! that's right - that's his name) isn't showing up. So, the groom let her get ready for the wedding - PAY for the wedding trappings, finery, and celebration, and then just didn't show up. When she confronted him later that day, his inadequate explanation hinted at his mother's meddling and highlights his immaturity and unsuitability to assume the mantle of marriage. Our devastated h is accosted by village people who simultaneously pity and chastise her for daring to think she'd be "living in the big house". The h, being very young, super sensitive, and self-conscious, knows she has to leg it out of there because she simply cannot stand to be the object of the town's attention, gossip, and pity. Where do I start? Merrin is a beautiful character, full of hope, romance and life. It broke my heart to read how she crumbled, along with all her dreams, on that fateful day.

A Note From the Publisher

I highly recommend all Amanda's books they are superb reads and she has become one of my favourite authors. Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors, so when I saw this new book release, I couldn't say no to reading it! I found myself being taken in by Merrin’s charms, even though she was a very self-willed and at times, selfish character and didn’t always consider how her actions were affecting those around her. Although there were times when I did feel that the book was slightly overwritten as poor Merrin seemed to go through so many emotional / life-changing events at such a very young age, but in saying that, the author did give us all hope, that even after going through so much, and having to make far too many difficult decisions in her early twenties, Merrin showed us all that things can change, and that we just need to be patient. The “About the Author” section of Amanda Prowse’s To Love and Be Loved ends with “Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning off the bedside lamp at night, that ensure you walk every step with her great characters, and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades….” I don’t have to turn off the bedside lamp since I read on my Kindle ☺, and I have already started my next book because that’s what I do☺, BUT this story will be on my heart for a very long time. MY THOUGHTS: As with all of Amanda Prowse's books, To Love and Be Loved is a very emotional read. I had shredded a great number of tissues before I was a quarter of the way through! If only the worst Merrin had to worry about on her wedding day was the weather . . .

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles, 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022.

Table of Contents

Falling in love with Digby and being reciprocated was the most beautiful thing that had happened to her so far. Their worlds were very different but they understood each other perfectly. With him, Merrin could be herself without fear of being judged, she felt free, loved and respected for who she was. This is my second book by the author which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I took my own sweet time because I wasn't ready to let go of the characters and their memories too soon. The only criticisms I would make - minor ones - are that Miguel deserves a happier ending than he gets and also the introduction of a new and significant character in the last couple of chapters. It seems right for Merrin to fall in love again, but it does seem to happen rather suddenly. Saying that, Merrin is ready by then to make the final step away from her grief and embrace a future in which she is free to love and be loved, so maybe it is the right ending after all.

Don't expect a fast paced book, you won't get it. To Love and Be Loved is a meandering and often sad read as Merrin spends a lot of time treading water, surviving rather than living. Families are so complicated; no one knows this better than Amanda Prowse, and she can get it onto paper. Relationships between siblings, between parents, between lovers . . . Lies are told, some of them turn out not be lies, just secrets. Villains turn out to be not so bad. She has them all in this wonderful story. The romance, actually takes up little space, just the important space. The relationships, the deep hurt that Mirrin felt. These things are the story. It reflects all of us, our lives, out relationships. Our stories. I was a lovely book.In a blink of an eye, what she thought was a dream come true becomes an uncomfortable situation for Merrin and she chooses to leave the family and town she loves. The book has a beautiful, heart-warming ending. In fact, the whole book is heart-warming with a great plot and even better characters. It's an easy but slow read and enjoyable throughout. THE AUTHOR: Amanda Prowse was a management consultant for ten years before realising that she was born to write. Amanda lives in the West Country with her husband and their two teenage sons. Will Merrin get the answers for : what does she want from her life? Who is important to her? Who is to blame for everything that went wrong? And can she forgive them, let old wounds heal and finally be her true self again? The dialogue was fantastic! Thank you to Amanda Prowse for introducing me to some really fun new-to-me words! I've been laughing over "tuppence" ever since I read the book. 😆

Reading the book from when she moved to Bristol (my home town) and worked at a castle, in my head I pictured a local castle hotel near me called Thornbury Castle (where I have treated myself to a birthday afternoon tea), imagine my surprise when I was right!! I was so pleased Merry met Miguel and found someone to love her again. Merrin was madly in love, with her whole life mapped out with the man she adored, much to the envy of her older sister Ruby. However when he leaves her standing at the alter in her beautiful dress, and runs off, live in her gorgeous fishing village will never be the same. She can't cope with being the girl that everyone gossips about, so she leaves her beloved village and goes to work, and live, in a hotel several hours away. Her parents and Ruby are devastated, as is her best friend, although they do understand why she had to leave and make a life for herself elsewhere.

Featured Reviews

We follow Merrin's life journey as her future is ripped apart and she flees her home to try and make a life elsewhere. But, as we all know, the problem with running away is that we take along the problems that are in our hearts and our heads. And at some point, we just have to turn around and deal with them.