REVIEW: Amanda Prowse never disappoints me. Picking Up the Pieces was another book that delivered. I found the book a little slow to get into. Once I did, I couldn’t put it down. I read the majority of the book yesterday and before that it took me about three days to get thirty percent into the story. It had a bit of a double timeline and it kind of made me drag my feet. I certainly see the reason for the other timeline and we really needed it for the background of the story. It played a part in the ending which I totally loved.

Nora is the older sister and becomes the legal guardian of her sister Kiki’s son Ted. Nora has never had children and decided not to ever be a mother after the way she was raised. She goes into the situation taking care of Ted completely unprepared. She is also dealing with a move and the demise of her marriage. Nora is married to a military man and has moved a lot in her time with him and has never had a stable life. Ted brings a lot of change into her life. She learns from him that she is capable and lovable and deserving of that love. She learns to open up to her sister’s friends that are there to help her out. The little community rallies around Nora and Ted. I love the eclectic characters that are part of Ted’s life.

The setting of the story is in Cypress to start and then moves to the UK. I really enjoy books that take place in areas other than the United States. I learn a little about the country and I often get the urge to do some research on my own. I have some English and Scottish in my DNA and have really taken an interest in books set in these areas. Have you had the same thing happen to you?

If you love family stories that deal with some pretty hard subjects, I highly recommend this book to you. I enjoyed learning about some of the subjects this book dealt with. Although I had some knowledge of some of the subjects, this book gave me little details that I wasn’t totally aware of or at least brought them to the front of my mind. If you are already a fan of Amanda Prowse, you definitely want to read this book. If not, give this one a try. I think you will like it. Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, #Netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing. Thank you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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SYNOPSIS: In this heart-warming story from million copy bestselling author Amanda Prowse, Nora has given up on finding happiness. But has it been waiting for her all along?

As Nora and her British Army officer husband, Gordy, pack up yet another home and leave the sun of Cyprus for the drizzle of England, she can’t shake a feeling of regret—at her failure to follow her own dreams, but also, if she’s honest, at having ended up an officer’s wife at all, drifting through a life of temporary homes and temporary relationships.

Since losing her parents at a young age, Nora’s life has been lacking an anchor: someone or something to make her feel secure. Her marriage has been her only permanent relationship, and just as even that appears to be fizzling out, a tragedy forces Nora into the role of legal guardian to her seven-year-old nephew, Ted. Faced suddenly with a responsibility she never dreamed of, how can Nora possibly offer the boy the kind of unconditional love he deserves, when she’s never experienced it for herself?

But as she navigates the precarious and unfamiliar world of parenthood, Nora begins to see herself through Ted’s eyes, as someone worthy of love and even joy. When she’s welcomed into the previously intimidating huddle of mums at the school gate, she has to wonder: is it too late to smash down the other barriers she’s built—and to have a second chance at a happy marriage with Gordy?