Review: 'Will You Remember Me?' by Amanda Prowse (2014)

Poppy Day is an ordinary woman. She’s 32 years old, an ex-hairdresser, now a stay-at-home mum for her two gorgeous children while her husband Mart tours with the army. She’s loved Mart ever since she was a girl, growing up poorly cared for in East London. Nowadays, her simplest pleasure is having her family together in a clean and happy home.
But Poppy is too busy caring for others to notice the fatigue in her body and the menacing lump growing on her breast. If there’s anyone strong and deserving enough to defeat cancer it’s Poppy. After all, she’s fought harder battles than this. But does life really work like that?
I was really excited when I was able to get a review copy of Amanda Prowse’s new release, ‘Will You Remember Me?’. I wasn’t familiar with Amanda’s work, but I had heard many positive things from other bloggers and readers and I couldn’t help but simply fall in love with the absolutely stunning cover of ‘Will You Remember Me?’ as soon as I saw it. The colours, the little lights/sparkles, the font... It’s all just right, making it one of my favourite covers of 2014 so far. I was quite curious to find out whether the lovely cover was a sign of how good the story inside would be, so I looked forward to sitting down with this book and check out Amanda Prowse’s work for myself!
Poppy Day is a 32-year-old mother who is happily married to her husband Martin, who works in the army, and together they have two lovely children, Peg and Max. As a family, they have been through quite a lot and Poppy is incredibly happy to have Martin back home, safe and sound, for the time being. However, while Poppy is busy taking care of her kids and making sure Martin enjoys his time back at home, she forgets to take good care of herself and suddenly finds a lump growing on her breast. Their comfortable and familiar family life is suddenly turned upside down. Everyone knows that if there is one person strong enough to beat cancer it has to be Poppy, but what if the disease just doesn’t want to beaten?
The main character of this novel, Poppy, already appeared in Amanda Prowse’s ‘Poppy Day’, a book which I had not read before starting ‘Will You Remember Me?’. Even though I did occasionally wonder about things that had happened to the group of characters in the past, you can definitely read this book as a stand-alone. I have to warn you though, this story will break your heart, over and over again. Wow, I can’t remember the last time I read a book with so much emotion in it! I don’t easily cry while reading, but I have to admit I shed a few tears while getting through this novel. The emotions in it are so raw and realistic and I think every reader will be able to imagine themselves in a situation like the one Poppy and her family find themselves in and imagine how horrible it would be. The topic of the book actually hits quite close to home for me, which made it an even more intense read, especially since the authors deals with it in a beautiful but at the same time really honest and realistic way.
Amanda Prowse is an amazing author and she really touched me with her writing. There’s a simply wonderful cast of warm and easily loveable characters at the core of this book. Poppy and Martin make such an amazing couple and their two children, Peg and Maxy, are the cutest. While reading, I felt like a part of their little family and I don’t think anyone would be able to read this novel without caring for and warming to these characters. There were quite a few beautiful and really touching scenes in the book, and Amanda made it really easy to picture it all in my head and feel like I was standing there in the room with the characters. ‘Will You Remember Me?’ is a simply heartbreaking, well-written and incredibly emotional read; a book I definitely recommend, but make sure you have a box of tissues ready when you start! Rating:

8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.